Exterior painting
Siding, trim, doors and porches, washed, scraped and primed first, then painted in the months when Wisconsin weather lets paint cure.
Exterior paint protects the wood under it from water and sun. When it peels, cracks or chalks, the siding starts to take water in, and the next paint job costs more because there is more to repair. Painted at the right time, a house needs far less work at the next repaint.
Preparation
- Washing: dirt, mildew and chalk washed off so new paint bonds.
- Scraping and sanding: loose and peeling paint taken down to a sound edge.
- Repairs: soft spots and small rot in trim pointed out, and fixed or replaced with your agreement.
- Primer and caulk: bare wood primed, open joints and gaps around windows and trim caulked.
The weather
Southern Wisconsin gives exterior paint a short window. Wood must be dry, and the paint needs days and nights warm enough to cure. We schedule from May to mid-October and plan each side of the house around the sun, so paint never goes on a surface that is too hot or still wet with dew.
Lead-safe work
On houses built before 1978, scraping old paint is done the lead-safe way: plastic on the ground to catch every chip, misting to keep dust down, no open-flame burning or power sanding without dust collection, and the ground cleaned at the end of every day.