High-Pressure Washing   The entire house will be cleaned with a high-pressure wash.  In extreme cases a chemical cleaner may be used on the house to achieve maximum cleansing.  High-pressure washing will remove any dirt and mildew on the house.  In addition, loose paint will be removed.  Pressure washing will leave a clean surface for the new paint to adhere to.  Be cautious of any painting contractor that does not include a thorough high-pressure washing in the proposal.  The house will be allowed to dry out for a least a day before any painting will begin.

Hand Scrap Loose Paint   Any peeling or loose paint on the house that was not removed by the high-pressure washing will be hand scraped.  Many times pressure washing will cause the paint to peel further and hand scraping is needed to properly prepare the new surfaces for painting.  This is usually one of the most important parts of the job.

Priming   This is another important area that needs to be addressed before painting starts.  All bare wood surfaces and stains will be primed with either a latex-based "Peel Stop" primer or an oil-based primer.  Both primers may be used depending on the conditions.  The latex-based "Peel Stop" primer acts like a primer and a glue to actually bond the edges of the peeling paint to the bare wood.  This helps to stop peeling areas from peeling further in the future.  Oil-based primers soak into new wood better and are also used on rusting areas, such as around gas meter, prior to painting.  The oil-based primer works better in keeping the steel gas meters, and other steel surfaces from rusting.  Note in the picture below the amount of priming.  In this case the efflorescence was treated, sealed and primed.  Click on the image below to enlarge.

Recess Loose Nails   Any nails that have loosed their way from the house will either be replaced or recessed back into the siding.  By recessing loose nails, the siding joints will be tighter and will aid with the caulking to completely seal the house.  This not only reduces energy bills but also keeps the siding from flexing, which can cause caulking to split prematurely.  When Scott's Painting & Staining Inc. replaces siding or does any carpentry work, ring shank nails are normally used which can slide into the wood but the arrow shaped rings keeps them from loosening back out over time.

Caulking   Old cracked and loose caulking will be removed and replaced with a premium Siliconized Acrylic Latex Caulking.  In many cases the original caulking is insufficient and not only leads to higher energy bills, but also may allow water into joints which can cause the siding to rot.  This is especially true for many of the homes with Hardboard siding.  Scott's Painting & Staining Inc. specializes in siding replacement so we are highly skilled at knowing where these problem areas are.  As a result, we ensure the entire house is completely caulked on each and every job.  All joints, seams and punctured nail holes will be thoroughly caulked.  If you want a quick caulking job, then Scott's Painting & Staining Inc. is not the contractor for you.  We can also use a highly flexible polyurethane sealant called Vulkem 116.  We use Vulkem 116 exclusively, when performing any kind of carpentry work such as siding replacement.  Note in the picture below how the 4x8 Hardboard siding is completely caulked around all edges, with the exception of the bottom edge to prevent moisture from becoming trapped behind the panel.  Click on the image below to enlarge.

Masking   Before any painting is started we mask and/or cover any areas that are not to be painted, such as brick, concrete or doors and windows.  If the windows are clad, then they will be masked.  If they are wood then the glass panes may be masked or painted and scraped clean after the window is painted.  Some items such as doorbells, lights, or address numbers may be taken down.  These items will be put back in place before the job is completed.  To see how a house is masked click on the image below to enlarge.