Exterior painting in Dobbs Ferry, NY

Why exterior paint fails

Most peeling starts with water. It gets in through open caulk joints, cracked sills, the bottom edges of clapboards and spots where gutters overflow, then pushes the paint off from behind. Sun does the rest, breaking down the binder until the surface chalks. On houses that face the Hudson, both forces are stronger than on sheltered streets.

A repaint that lasts deals with those causes first. That means finding where water is getting in and fixing it, not just covering it with fresh color.

The prep a painter should describe

Ask each painter to walk you through their preparation steps. On older wood siding, a sound plan usually includes washing to remove dirt and mildew, letting the wood dry, scraping every loose edge, feathering the edges by sanding, setting popped nails, replacing soft boards, priming bare wood and caulking joints that need it. Skipping any of these is the most common reason a new paint job fails early.

• Wash and let the wood dry fully
• Scrape and sand loose or lifting paint
• Repair or replace soft trim and siding
• Prime bare wood and patched areas
• Caulk open joints, then apply finish coats

Access on steep lots

Dobbs Ferry is built on a hillside, and many houses have one side that drops a full story to the yard below. Painters may need taller ladders, ladder levelers, plank staging or a small scaffold to reach those walls safely. That equipment and the extra setup time show up in the estimate. If you know a side of your house is hard to reach, mention it in your request.

Lead and older siding

Exterior scraping on a pre-1978 house can scatter old paint chips into planting beds and lawns. Under the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, paid contractors working on these homes must be Lead-Safe Certified firms and use practices such as ground sheeting and daily cleanup. Ask how the painter will contain chips on your property.

Timing

Exterior painting in this part of Westchester generally runs from late spring to early fall. Paint needs dry surfaces and temperatures within the range on the label while it cures. Painters often follow the sun around the house so they are not painting a wall in harsh midday heat.

Questions homeowners ask