Morris County NJ house painting

Painting your House Exterior

 

  • The pressure washer is a gas powered machine about as loud as a lawn mower.

  • This first step is meant to remove old and failing paint prior to the application of a new coat.  This will create paint debris around the house, most of which will be cleaned up on the first day.  All remaining debris will be cleaned upon the job's completion.

  • The pressure washer sprays a high powered stream of water at the house.  It should be noted that water may enter the house through any open windows (or windows that do not seal well).

 

  • Areas with loose and failing paint will be scraped.

  • Small areas will need to be scraped again following the application of primer or paint, as some paint will be pulled up from the surface.

  • Areas where the paint has failed and the material below is showing will be feather sanded.  This process is designed to reduce the visibility of the ridge created by paint failures. Sanding will not eliminate the paint ridge, though it will reduce its visibility.

  • Light sanding is done on glossy and certain other unpainted surfaces to create a "bite" on the surface for the latex paint to adhere to.


  • We prime all areas where there is a bare surface (wood, metal, etc.) with a high-quality exterior primer. This protects the surface and gives the paint something to bond to.

  • We use a latex, water-based caulk to seal up any exterior apertures.  As caulking material dries, it will shrink about 30%. It is designed to seal cracks that are not larger than 1/8 of an inch.

  • We also caulk all areas around the home that were previously caulked. These areas include window and door trim (where trim pieces come together).

  • Most wood sidings are not designed to be caulked, since they often shift and move. When they are caulked, the caulking often fails or pulls away from the wood siding.

  • If there is loose or failing paint on stucco, it will be scraped or wire brushed.

  • Cracks that are smaller than 1 inch, but larger than a hair line crack, will be caulked with an elastomeric caulking. This is textured to blend in with the stucco. However, such cracks may still be noticeable after the paint application. Hairline cracks will be left alone to be filled in by the paint, which will be sprayed on and back rolled in to minimize the these cracks' appearance.

  • Small cracks and holes will be filled with stucco patches.

  • Unless they are very shallow, holes larger than a half-dollar cannot be fixed using a stucco patch and must be repaired prior to our arrival.

  • When spraying is necessary all windows will be masked. The masking used is a thin layer of opaque plastic sheeting taped over the windows. The masking will remain over the windows from 1-3 days while spraying is done around the house.

  • Other areas that will be masked around the house include the ground, roof line, and other areas not to be painted.

  • Trees, plants and shrubs around the house will also be covered up. However, if they are touching the house or if they are very large they may get some paint on them.

  • Some small plants or flowers may get flattened due to the covering that is used.

  • In order to work around the house we must be able to walk around the house.  Though we are careful, plants that are close to the house may be stepped on.

  • Our policy is to spray all areas that can be sprayed. On medium to thick stucco, and on some wooden surfaces, the area will be back-rolled as well to push the paint in and to give a more even and uniform finish.

  • All areas that can not be sprayed will be rolled if possible.

  • All areas that can not be rolled or sprayed will be brush-applied.