Exterior Painting

Why Pressure Wash?

Because having a clean surface is paramount for proper adhesion of the paint product. We use an environmentally-friendly siding cleaner that is applied and then power washed off. This step is extremely important for most surfaces, but it is especially important for aluminum siding that has become “chalky” over time. De-chalking is an absolute MUST before painting or the adhesion of the paint will fail.

There are very few instances when we don’t pressure wash prior to painting. Here are some examples of when we would skip this step:

• You have siding that is new or perfectly clean.
• You have cedar siding and it is very delicate.
• You have wood siding that requires extensive scraping and sanding.

Pressure Washing Without Painting?

Absolutely! We offer our pressure washing services even if you don’t want or need to have your house painted. We also pressure wash driveways, sidewalks, decks & fences! It’s a great way to give your exterior, deck, sidewalk, fence, or driveway a fresh, clean look. Just ask for a free quote!

What To Do To Prep:

When having your home pressure washed, please:

• Remove any hanging plants, wind chimes, or decorations near your house prior to our arrival.
• Assure that you have at least one working spigot on the exterior of your home that is easily accessible.
• Park any cars on the street or in your garage (and close the garage door).

The “trim” includes your soffits (the overhang or underside of your roof edge that circumferences your house), your fascia (the trim area that faces you – like the peaks of your house), your window surrounds (the non-vinyl area that boxes in your window frames), lintels (the metal plate above the window), and your door trim (the jams around your doors).

All of these areas, known as your “trim,” are typically painted the same color. Quite often the trim is painted white or a light color that compliments the siding or “body” of your house. That being said, your trim can be painted any color you choose.

Proper scraping and priming are often needed on wooden trim areas that are peeling or bare. After priming, we prep by masking off windows with clear film, papering corners, and covering any vegetation, plants, or bushes that might be in the way. This process is usually tackled one or two sides at a time. Then we spray your trim work to the color of your choosing.

Why spray?

Utilizing a paint sprayer ensures a smooth, even finish for your trim work.

What about overspray?

Because of the aforementioned masking and papering, overspray is never a problem. We also ALWAYS shield your roof to make absolutely certain that no paint gets on your roof shingles.

Our go-to products for painting exterior trim work are Duration Exterior Acrylic Latex & Emerald Exterior Acrylic Latex by Sherwin Williams. Both products have amazing color hold with a long-lasting, beautiful finish. We recommend a satin sheen for exterior trim work regardless of the product choice.

If your gutters and downspouts are looking a little dingy, then we recommend painting them along with your trim. They are almost always the same color as your trim work anyways, so painting them while we’re painting your soffits and fascia is usually a no-brainer and a great way to make them look new again.

We take great care to remove all of your shutters carefully, label them, clean them, and prep them for paint. A spray area is set up in your yard using a large tarp and drop cloths. The shutters are placed on ladder racks and saw horses and then sprayed to achieve a nice, smooth, factory-like finish in the color of your choosing. The drop cloths and tarps prevent overspray from getting on your grass, and the whole process is done in only a few hours. We do this quickly so that drop cloths and tarps aren’t sitting on your lawn long enough to hurt any grass. At the end of the painting process, the shutters are rehung using new screws or pins (when applicable).

If we are not painting your shutters, but they are adjacent to any siding that we will be painting, then they will still need to be removed, labeled, and set aside until the end of the job when they will be re-hung. However, since we have to take them down anyways, we always recommend a fresh coat of paint if they need it.

What is the cost difference between painting shutters vs. buying new ones?

It depends entirely on the style and size of shutter of course (larger shutters, ornate shutters, and aluminum shutters can be quite expensive), but generally speaking, for a standard size vinyl shutter it ends up costing about the same to paint as to purchase a new shutter.

I have normal looking shutters, so why wouldn’t I just buy new ones?

New shutters are notoriously hard to rehang where existing shutters were because they need to be drilled to fit the exact original holes in the siding. When you weigh the time and hassle, it is far easier to paint your existing shutters and put them right back up where they went than it is to buy new ones, measure, drill them out, make sure they don’t get scratched, etc. On top of all that, new shutters only come in a handful of colors. So, chances are you might end up painting them anyways.

Depending on what material your siding is made of, different steps of prep are taken, usually including: caulking any cracks or unwanted holes, scraping or sanding away any chipping or flaking paint, priming any bare areas that need attention, etc., to make certain the surface will look its best when the new paint is applied.

Vinyl Siding:

After the siding is cleaned, any holes or cracks are caulked and repaired, and any old flaking paint is removed. Application when painting vinyl is done with a paint sprayer to achieve a smooth, factory-like finish. A minimum of two coats are always applied. We always make certain that the paint we use is mixed up in a vinyl-safe solution to avoid any warping under the heat of the sun. Please note that some darker colors cannot be mixed into a vinyl safe formula and should never be applied to vinyl siding. If you have a color in question just ask your estimator and they will find out if your chosen color can be made vinyl safe. 

Aluminum Siding:

Preparation and treatment or aluminum siding is essentially the same as with vinyl. The main difference is that aluminum tends to get a “chalky” film on it if it hasn’t been painted in a very long time or ever, so that’s why the de-chalking & pressure washing stage is so important for aluminum. Application when painting aluminum is done with a paint sprayer to achieve a smooth, factory-like finish. A minimum of two coats are always applied. You can apply any color, even really dark colors, to aluminum without fear of warping or damage. Yay!

Old Wood Siding:

If you’ve ever seen an old wood-sided house with all of the paint peeling off, then you’ve seen a painter’s worst nightmare. Old painted wood siding is notorious for peeling and takes a tremendous amount of work to restore. Often times, the entire exterior has to be scraped and sanded down with special equipment.

If we suspect the peeling paint to be original and the house is quite old, there is a good chance that the paint is lead-based. We will always conduct a lead test to find out for sure. If the test is positive for lead, unfortunately that is where the job will end for us. Shepard Painting Solutions is not certified to do lead paint removal. However, if the test is negative and no lead paint is present, we will move on to the next step.

Even after sanding down all of the siding, oftentimes there are still some uneven areas, cracks, and inconsistencies in the wood. That is when we apply a high-build peel bond primer that acts like a “filler” for all of those troublesome areas to create a smoother surface for painting. Once fully prepped, the wood siding is then painted by spray application and back brushed to push the product into the wood surfaces cracks and crevices. The secondary (and sometimes third) coat is then applied by spray application again for a complete seal and finished look. 

New Wood Siding or Cedar Siding:

If you have new wood siding on your house that is still raw, you have the option to either paint, stain, or clear coat for protection. For painting, an initial coat of oil-based primer will first be necessary, followed by two top coats of standard latex (applied using a paint sprayer). All coats must be back-brushed or back-rolled to work the product into the raw wood. For staining, two coats are applied by sprayer and back-brushed or back-rolled. For clear coating, the process is the same as staining.

The Products We Use

When painting any exterior siding, our go to product is Emerald Exterior Acrylic Latex by Sherwin Williams. We typically recommend a satin sheen for all painted siding. When staining new or raw wood siding, our go to product is Woodscapes by Sherwin Williams. Woodscapes comes in a semi-transparent and solid base option, depending on the finished look you wish to achieve.

What To Do To Prep:

Prior to our arrival, we ask that you please:

• Make sure that all trees, bushes, plants, and vegetation are trimmed and not in contact with your siding.
• Remove any decorations or non-attached items from your siding and windows.
• Have one standard, working outlet available that we can plug into with an extension cord.
• Have one working water spigot available for our water line hook up and wash out

It’s a great way to finish up an exterior job with a pop of color or an accent that gives your house that extra panache of curb appeal. With hundreds of colors to choose from, the options are endless for giving your home entrance a little extra personality.

The Products We Use

Our go-to product for painting exterior doors is Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel by Sherwin Williams.  If you have a fiberglass door, there are staining options available! Just ask us for more details on faux wood finishes and fiberglass doors.

What To Do To Prep:

Prior to our arrival, we ask that you:

• Remove any decorations, nails, or screws from your doors. Let us know if the decoration will be going back up. If it won’t, we can fill and repair any holes.

Painting and Staining Brick:

Contrary to some opinions on the internet, the high-end painting and staining products available today do not suffocate the block or damage the substrate, making it 100% safe to coat brick. The high-end paints that we use, such as Emerald Exterior Acrylic Latex by Sherwin Williams offer “breathable” coatings, so you don’t have to worry about moisture being trapped in the block (which can cause deterioration over time).

There also tends to be a great debate about staining vs. painting brick. In our professional experience both options can achieve excellent results and a long lasting finish. The difference really lies in finished appearance. The masonry stains typically do not have a sheen and have a “flat” or muted appearance. Whereas the paint products we use have sheen choices. We typically recommend a satin sheen for painting brick.

*If your brick has been previously painted, your only option is to coat with a high-grade paint, because masonry stain will only adhere to raw masonry surfaces.

Our go-to product for painting brick is Emerald Exterior Acrylic Latex by Sherwin Williams. Our go-to product for staining brick is H&C Colortop Solid Color Masonry Stain. Both products can be mixed up in any color with limitations.

What To Do To Prep:

Prior to the job, please:

• Make sure that all trees, bushes, plants, and vegetation are trimmed and not in contact with your brick.
• Remove any decorations or non-attached items from your brick and windows.
• Have one standard, working outlet available that we can plug into with an extension cord.
• Have one working spigot available for our hose hookup and wash out.

Just as with our interior painting and staining services, we treat your home and property with the utmost respect and take every precaution to protect it. Your property will be cleaner when we leave than it was when we arrived. Take a look at some of our exterior work right here.