Updating The Exterior of Your Home or Business
CertaPro Painters® of Maine
Common Challenges With Wood Siding
When it comes to updating your home exterior with fresh paint or stain, wooden siding may present a number of challenges. Over time, natural elements take a toll on wood surfaces, making it essential to address wear and damage before your paint system fails. With the right approach informed by our professional experience, CertaPro Painters® of Maine can update your home’s exterior to ensure it looks great and lasts for years to come.
Painting Old Weathered Wood
If wood is unprotected for too long it becomes weathered, causing ridges, pits, and even delamination. When painting weathered wood, the ridges and pits may affect the appearance of the final color due to shadowing but won’t impact the paint's adhesion. "Shadowing" means that these imperfections cause boards to look darker or lighter when viewed as a whole. Delamination, on the other hand, occurs when the wood begins to separate, often indicated by peeling paint with wood fibers attached. If this happens, wood replacement may be best to ensure long-lasting paint adhesion.
Epoxy Wood Fillers
Epoxy wood fillers can be a cost-effective, temporary solution for repairing damaged wood, helping to extend the life of your exterior before replacement is necessary. However, this isn't a permanent solution. Full wood replacement of the damaged areas will eventually be the best option to ensure longevity.
Wood Replacement
Wood replacement is the best option when rotten or damaged wood is discovered, as it guarantees long-term structural integrity (and a better finish!) Sometimes we find rotten wood after we start the project. If this happens, we will always contact you to see how you wish to proceed. Our team can handle various types of wood replacement, including clapboards, shingles, and trim boards, even replacing wood clapboards with PVC board like Azek.
Book Your Estimate Today!
At CertaPro Painters® of Maine, our trained professional painters can repair and repaint the exterior of your home or business so it looks brand new. Book your free exterior painting estimate now!
Water Damage and Old Aging Paint
Over time, water can compromise even the most well-applied paint systems. Whether from a plugged gutter, roof backup, or water running down the side of the house, once water gets behind the paint film it leads to system failure and causes the paint to lift off the surface. Shingles are particularly vulnerable due to the gaps between them, allowing water to seep in and cause damage.
CertaPro Painters® of Maine can repair water-damaged areas through wood replacement and protect your home from further damage. We seal any cracks or gaps in the siding and use high-quality water-resistant primers and paints. We can also caulk around windows and doors, which are often vulnerable to water intrusion.
In addition to water damage, older homes often have multiple layers of paint, with the bottom layers potentially being decades old and far beyond their intended lifespan. Even if the surface paint appears intact, the old layers beneath can loosen and start peeling, even causing the new paint layers to fall off. The best solution for the oldest homes is to completely strip the paint down to the bare wood and start fresh. In other cases, a less expensive option is to budget for annual or bi-annual maintenance, allowing you to catch peeling areas early and minimize the impact of these old paint layers.
See how our crew transformed this home in Falmouth, MA into something brand new!
Great job CertaPro, looking forward to more work next summer with Ian and Aaron!
- Will F. | Bremen, ME
Changes That May Impact Cost
When it comes to cost, nobody likes surprises. That’s why CertaPro Painters® of Maine will never surprise you with an additional charge. We will always share how a change or addition will impact cost and ask for your approval before starting work. Listed below are the most common changes we encounter.
Additional Time to Prepare the Work Area
- Do your part to have the house ready when the painters arrive. Our proposals highlight items that are customer responsibility and painter responsibility to get the work area ready for painting.
- Leaving extra preparation to our painters adds time and labor costs to the price of the project.
- We are willing to do as much or as little "work area preparation" as you need, just communicate with us beforehand.
Changing Products
- Changing paint manufacturers or products may impact your project cost due to material availability or the relative cost of the preferred product.
- Changing products BEFORE your project begins is best. We will only charge you the price difference between the old and new product.
- Changing products AFTER your project begins requires an additional cost of materials and labor, especially if we've already purchased your first chosen product.
Changing Colors
- Realizing a color isn't what you wanted after seeing it on your home is common.
- Ask us about product samples and test swatches to try before your project begins.
- We can always change colors after the fact, but we need to charge for the additional labor and material. If the color is changed it will almost always require 2 coats of the new color to properly cover the siding.
Choosing Dark or Bold Colors
- Deep colors are bold, but often require additional coats of primer or paint to look even.
- Consider that changing to or from a deep color may involve additional costs because of extra coats.
- If you prefer bold colors, ask us if we think an additional coat will be necessary. We will always communicate cost up front.
Changing Contract Specifications
- Sometimes customers propose additional details not initially covered in their proposal.
- Consider that everything from additional preparation time, to additional coats can add cost.
- We are happy to make any of these changes. Just ask your Painter or Sales Associate and we will let you know how your request impacts the overall project cost.
