What Michigan does to exterior paint
Oakland County gets real winters. Freeze-thaw cycles open up caulk joints, moisture gets behind paint film at window corners and trim, and summer sun fades and chalks whatever is left. Siding and trim expand and contract through big temperature swings every year, and a stiff, poorly bonded coating cracks first.
That's why our exterior process spends most of its time on preparation.
Our outdoor house painting prep, step by step
- Pressure wash. Every exterior starts with a wash at a minimum of 2,000 PSI to remove dirt, chalking, algae and mildew so the new coating bonds to the surface instead of the grime on it.
- Scrape and sand. Loose and failing paint comes off. Edges are feathered so they don't show through the new finish.
- Repair. Rotted boards and trim are flagged at the estimate and replaced or repaired before painting.
- Recaulk. We inspect and recaulk window perimeters, corner boards and trim joints. Those are the places water gets in first.
- Prime. Bare wood and repaired areas get a primer matched to the substrate, whether that's wood, fiber cement, aluminum or masonry.
- Finish coats. Then the color goes on.
Siding we paint
West Bloomfield and the surrounding towns have a bit of everything: wood clapboard and cedar, fiber cement (HardiePlank), aluminum siding on older ranches, and brick with painted trim. Each one needs a different prep and primer. Aluminum, for example, has to be cleaned and deglossed so paint will stick to it; fiber cement needs a coating that stays flexible.
The paint on the outside of your house
For wood and fiber cement, our topcoats are Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior or Emerald Exterior. Both form a flexible film that handles Michigan temperature swings without cracking. On lakefront homes and shaded lots, where mildew is a constant issue, we choose finishes with stronger mildew resistance.
Timing
Most full exteriors take several days depending on the size of the house, how much prep it needs and the weather. We schedule around rain and temperature so coatings go on and cure in the conditions the manufacturer specifies.
Problems we fix
- Peeling and flaking at window sills and trim
- Chalky, faded siding
- Cracked or missing caulk at corners and windows
- Mildew on north-facing walls and lakefront homes
- Soft or rotted trim boards
- Aluminum siding that has oxidized
