Exterior painting
Exteriors for houses with a lot of wood
Lap siding, shingles, brackets, beams, columns and trim are what make an old Seattle house, and what the weather fails first. We wash, repair, prime and paint them in that order.
In every exterior estimate
Moss, mildew and dirt washed off, then left to dry
Loose paint scraped; edges feathered by sanding
Failed caulk cut out and replaced
Bare wood primed the same day it's exposed
Two finish coats, with the colors and sheens you chose
Prep
Prep, surface by surface
Prep is most of the work and most of what lasts. This is what each surface gets before paint.
Lap siding and shingles
Wash and let dry
Scrape and hand-sand loose paint
Replace split boards
Prime bare wood and knots
Trim, brackets and beams
Clean out grooves and carved detail
Fill checks and cracks
Re-caulk joints
Prime end grain
Porch floors, steps and rails
Scrub and rinse
Sand to sound wood
Prime and let cure
Floor-rated enamel in two coats
Windows and sills
Probe sills for soft wood
Cut out and patch rot
Seal glazing edges
Paint sash and casing edges
A typical run
A typical exterior, if the weather holds
Day ranges for a two-story house with average trim. Yours goes on the estimate. A rain day moves everything after it.
- 01
Step 1: Day 1: wash and mask
Moss and dirt come off. Plastic goes down, windows are covered and plants are tied back.
- 02
Step 2: Days 2 to 3: scrape and repair
Loose paint is scraped, sills and boards are repaired, old caulk is cut out.
- 03
Step 3: Day 4: prime and caulk
Bare wood is primed, and new caulk goes into every joint that moves.
- 04
Step 4: Days 5 to 6: two finish coats
Siding first, then trim, then doors and porch, with drying time between coats.
- 05
Step 5: Last day: walk-through
We walk the house with you, touch up what you point out, and clear the site.
Finishes
Finishes, in plain words
We name the product on your estimate. These are the kinds of finish we usually propose.
Siding
A low-sheen exterior paint that hides small flaws and sheds water.
Trim and rails
Satin or semi-gloss, easier to wipe clean and tougher at the edges.
Doors and porch floors
Satin or gloss on doors, and a floor-rated enamel on boards that get walked on.
Questions we get most
How long does an exterior take?
Most two-story houses take one to two weeks of working days, spread across dry weather. A three-story Victorian with a lot of trim takes longer. We write a range into the estimate, not a promised date, because the forecast sets the calendar.
Can you paint over moss and mildew?
No. We wash it off first, let the wall dry for a few days and then prime. Paint over moss peels, and so does paint over wet wood.
Do I need to be home, and do I need to move things?
For exteriors, move cars off the drive and tell us about gates and pets. You don't have to be home. For interiors, we move furniture to the middle of the room and cover it, but please clear shelves, walls and small items first.
Can you help me pick colors?
Yes. We'll bring painted boards to the house and look at them on the north and south sides in the light you actually have. Many Seattle houses already have a three-color scheme, and we can match it.
Walk the house with us.
We look at the wood and the weather, then write down what the job takes.