Step 1: Inspection and Color Consultation
We start by walking every elevation: checking for peeling, chalking, mildew, failed caulk, and rotted trim, and noting which surfaces need the most preparation. Then comes the fun part — colors. We provide large-format samples and can reference your siding, roof, and stone tones so body, trim, and accent colors work together. Sun exposure matters too: south and west faces fade fastest and influence product selection.
Step 2: The Detailed Proposal
Your estimate itemizes everything: washing, square footage of scraping and sanding expected, priming, linear feet of caulking, carpentry repairs, the exact product lines and number of coats, and masking/protection. Prep is where cut-rate bids hide their shortcuts — an itemized proposal lets you compare bids honestly, line by line.
Step 3: Washing
Paint cannot bond to dirt, chalk, or mildew. Every project starts with a thorough power wash using appropriate pressure for the substrate, plus mildewcide treatment where growth is present. Surfaces then dry fully — typically 24-48 hours — before any coating is applied.
Step 4: Scraping, Sanding, and Carpentry Repairs
Failed paint is scraped and feather-sanded to sound edges. This is the slowest, least glamorous, and single most important step of the entire project: paint applied over loose paint fails with it. Rotted fascia, window trim, brickmould, and damaged siding are replaced by our own carpenters — no separate contractor to coordinate — and all bare wood is spot-primed with the correct primer for the substrate.
Step 5: Caulking and Masking
We re-caulk failed joints at trim, windows, doors, and penetrations with high-performance elastomeric sealant that flexes through extreme seasonal temperature swings. Windows, fixtures, roofing, concrete, and plantings are masked and covered — a clean job site is the visible sign of a careful crew.
Step 6: Application
Finish coats are premium 100% acrylic products from Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore, applied by spray-and-back-roll or brush as the surface demands, within the manufacturer's temperature and humidity windows. Two finish coats are our standard on body colors. In our northern painting season — roughly May through October — application timing matters, and we schedule around weather rather than pushing through it.
Step 7: Walkthrough and Warranty
We walk every elevation with you at completion, touch up anything you flag, and leave you labeled touch-up paint for each color. Your project is backed by Weatherguard's written workmanship warranty against peeling and adhesion failure, alongside the paint manufacturer's product warranty.
Choosing Products by Substrate
Different exteriors demand different systems. Engineered wood like LP SmartSide takes 100% acrylic topcoats beautifully over its factory-primed surface. Cedar and redwood need stain-blocking primers to stop tannin bleed-through. Previously painted vinyl requires vinyl-safe colors that won't absorb heat and warp panels. Stucco and fiber cement call for masonry-rated primers and elastomeric-friendly caulking at joints. Our estimators specify the exact primer and topcoat system for each substrate on your home in the proposal, so the coating chemistry matches the surface it has to protect.
Why Prep Discipline Pays
In a freeze-thaw climate, the difference between a paint job that fails at year three and one still crisp at year ten is almost entirely preparation and product quality. That's why our proposals itemize prep instead of burying it — and why we'd rather lose a bid than skip the steps that make the finish last.