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Exterior painting and stainingPreparation is important. The level of attention your painter puts into preparing your building for painting determines the quality of your paint job; not only how it looks, but how long it will last. Always power wash before you do any type of exterior painting.
Power washing makes the new paint last longer, look better, and ensures that the paint adheres well. We take time and give attention to detail in preparing each exterior paint job, because we want our work to shine! I want my work to shine. That’s why I always power wash before painting. |
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Our preparation process for exterior painting and staining
We take time to attend to the details of your job before applying fresh paint. Our preparation process for exteriors includes, power washing, a detailed check of all the trim, fascia, and soffit. We’ll generally pound in nails that have worked their way out of the trim and repair gaps in the trim with the right kind of caulking. We’ll let you know if any of the trim needs to be replaced before painting.
We will also glaze - that is, replace windows - in select areas that need repair. We will discuss this during the assessment of your job and budget. We scrape and wire brush by hand, and sand until your exterior is completely clean and ready for paint. We will then spot prime any bare wood. Finally, we’ll apply a thin coat of paint, followed by a much thicker coat to assure optimal saturation and coverage. What you put into a job is what you get out of it. |
Important things to know about exterior painting
Temperature is important when it comes to exterior painting. Make sure your painter does not paint when it’s below 35 degrees for Sherwin Williams paints or below 30 degrees for Ace Hardware paints. If paint is applied when it’s too cold, it will not last more than a year before it starts cracking.
Spraying vs. brushing
A common question when it comes to exterior painting, as well as staining, is whether we use a sprayer or a brush. In some cases, the nature of the building will determine the tools we use. In other cases, it depends on your budget. Any old wood like barn wood requires a brush. A sprayer simply cannot provide the penetration needed to do a good job. We have a sprayer and when it is appropriate, we prefer to spray and then follow up with a hand-brushed paint job. Of course, this takes extra time, but the result is fantastic!
What to know about stainingStaining is labor-intensive. When it is done correctly, a job can take 30 days or more. This is why we encourage you to contact us [link] as soon as possible in the spring to book staining jobs for the summer. With stain, quality really makes a difference. Don’t get generic stain; it may last only three years, compared to eight years or more with quality stain.
As with stain, preparation of the wood to be stained is paramount to the quality of your final result. In preparing to stain, we’ll physically inspect every part of the building to be stained. We’ll use caulk to fill gaps, pound in nails that have worked their way out, and let you know if there are pieces that need to be replaced. We’ll wire brush and sand by hand until all the wood is ready to receive stain. |
Don’t get generic stain; it may last only three years, compared to eight years or more with quality stain. |
Choosing the right type of stain for your project
There are three types of stain to choose from:
- Semi-transparent stain will provide some coloration or pigment, but will also still show a bit of the wood itself. We recommend making the effort to strip down to the wood in order for semi-transparent stain to look its best. For the best quality stain job, we’ll usually spray and then follow with a brushed-on coat.
- Transparent stain - will show every grain in the wood, so it’s important to get wood completely sanded of weathering and old stain. This is the best kind of stain when you have pretty wood. There is nothing like a great transparent stain job to show off the beauty of your deck, railing, or porch!
- Solid stain is the quickest and most affordable option. Solid stain is more like paint; it covers the wood without allowing any grain to show through, so it doesn’t require meticulous preparation like the other types of stain. With solid stain, we can get away with applying a single coat.