Exterior Surface Prep

Exterior Painting & Weatherproofing

Surface Preparation including Scraping, Sanding, and Priming

Prep work is where exterior paint jobs succeed or fail. Painting over loose, chalky, or deteriorated substrate is the reason paint peels in three years instead of ten. Our prep crews do systematic work: carbide scrapers and heat tools on alligatored and deeply peeling areas, sanding to feather edges and smooth rough grain, exterior wood filler in voids and cracks, and a full pass with raking light to find any defect that will telegraph through the finish coat.

After scraping and sanding, we prime every bare surface and match the primer to what it's going on. Oil-based primer on raw wood seals tannins and promotes adhesion better than latex on exposed grain. Bonding primer on chalky or previously failed surfaces creates the mechanical grip that latex alone can't achieve. Rust-inhibitive primer on metal components. Every caulked joint gets covered by the primer coat so the sealant is encapsulated within the paint system rather than exposed at the surface.

Metro Detroit homeowners who skip prep and add color end up with paint that looks fine for one season and starts failing at the thin spots the following spring. The stripping and repainting cycle that results costs more over time than doing the prep correctly the first time. We take the time the prep requires because a properly prepared surface holds paint for eight to ten years in Michigan's climate.