A Professional Approach to Exterior Painting in Raleigh

What You Can Expect From Our Exterior Painters

We renew, protect, and boost your home’s curb appeal by delivering a resilient finish that goes far beyond a simple brush and bucket. Our detailed exterior painting focuses on precision and proper technique to ensure a professional result. We believe the specific process, material choice, and the expertise of our crew are what determine the longevity of your investment. By leveraging decades of combined experience, our team ensures every project is executed correctly from the first day of preparation. Learn what to expect from our exterior painting services throughout the Triangle.

The Return on Painting the Entire Home

While some local contractors focus primarily on efficiency, we give your exterior trim and siding equal attention because they are the structural component that ties your home’s decor together. Without professionally finished siding and trim, a home facade lacks its intended character. In many cases, we find that painting the entire home is the best strategy to maximize a Raleigh home’s market value, including expensive areas like Lassiter Mill. This sentiment is also echoed by USA Today reports on home quality and valuation.

We treat your trim as a crucial aesthetic feature that adds definition to windows and doors while acting as a protective barrier. A well-executed job transforms your home into a polished, modern residence. However, the true benefit of our service in Raleigh is safeguarding your underlying materials from moisture, UV rays, and the environmental factors that cause deterioration over time.

A Detailed Approach and Our Quality Standards

Because trim is usually the final phase of a repainting project, we prioritize patience and persistence where others might rush. Our attention to detail is a hallmark of our professionalism; we never compromise the project by hurried application. We believe that a high-standard approach keeps your outdoor surfaces protected longer than the average timeframe.

Best Application Practise and Compliance

We monitor the weather because it is a vital consideration for outdoor performance. Our team avoids painting in rainy weather or in extreme heat, as both can cause bubbling and unsightly brush marks. By chasing the sun when it is hot and painting in the sun when it is cool, we ensure the paint performs as intended without the risk of extreme elements or wind-blown debris affecting the finish.

To ensure compliance with EPA safety standards, we do not perform preparation work that removes or disturbs more than 20 square feet of lead-based paint on homes in the Triangle built before 1978. This ensures that we protect you and your neighbors from airborne lead particles during the preparation phase.

We follow a rigorous list of critical steps to ensure your paint application is of the highest quality and compliant with manufacturer specs.

1) Eliminating Organic Growth via Soft Washing

We never apply paint over dirt or organic growth. Our first step in exterior surface preparation is to clean all exterior surfaces with a 12% sodium hypochlorite solution mixed with water. Due to rapid organic growth on homes in Raleigh caused by high humidity throughout the summer months, we use a soft-wash process to kill mold, mildew, and algae at the source rather than just rinsing the surface.

• Property & Landscape Protection: We secure your home by weatherproofing electrical outlets, pre-rinsing and covering sensitive plants, and sealing windows and doors to prevent water entry.
• Specialized Soft-Washing: We utilize a low-pressure application with professional-grade cleaning agents (sodium hypochlorite and commercial soaps) to kill organic growth like mold and mildew at the root.
• Gentle Wood Restoration: For decks, fences, and pergolas, we use dedicated wood cleaners and medium-to-low pressure to remove buildup without fraying or damaging the wood fibers.
• High-Performance Masonry Cleaning: We employ 3,500–5,500-PSI professional machines and surface cleaners to efficiently deep-clean driveways, patios, and brick foundations.
• Detailed Roof & Gutter Rinsing: We offer light-solution washes for asphalt roofs and hand-clean metal gutters to remove stubborn tar and acid rain stains that traditional pressure washing cannot reach.
• Thorough Surface Rinsing: We finish every wash with a complete rinse of all paintable surfaces to ensure every trace of invisible growth and cleaning solution is removed.

2) Surface Inspection and Meticulous Preparation

We thoroughly inspect all doors, windows, and joints for damage requiring repair. In high-traffic areas near the Raleigh downtown core, we also account for higher levels of atmospheric pollutants and dust that can bond to your siding.

3) Professional Trim and Wood Replacement

We never paint over wood rot, decay, or severe wood splits. If we identify degrading structural wood damage, our in-house siding and exterior trim replacement team handles the repairs before our painters begin their work. Our in-house carpentry team specializes in identifying and resolving structural issues before they lead to more significant damage. We conduct professional repairs and upgrades in the following areas:

• Window Sills and Noses: We replace rotted wooden sills and exterior “noses” with durable PVC, utilizing precision fastening to prevent separation and leaks.
• Brick Molding and Window Casing: Our team replaces failing window trim with custom-routed PVC to ensure a flush, water-tight fit against your siding or masonry.
• Soffits and Overhangs: We repair damaged eaves and gables using HardiePlank, providing a smooth, ventilated finish that improves airflow and moisture dissipation.
• Corner Boards: We replace rotted wood corners with full-length PVC boards to eliminate unsightly joints and prevent curling and water from rotting the bottom edge of the board.
• Doorjambs and Thresholds: We custom-build or replace rotted doorjambs using treated lumber, reinforcing the threshold to handle foot traffic and prevent water seepage.
• Garage Door Jambs and Panels: We repair rotted garage door frames using PVC and treated lumber to withstand ground-level water flow and can replace damaged wooden door panels.
• Exterior Door and Window Trim: We restore the architectural detail around all protective openings, upgrading from failing finger-jointed wood to high-quality, weather-resistant materials.
• Siding Transitions: Our specialists repair and replace damaged siding sections where they meet different material types, ensuring every intersection is properly sealed.

4) Scraping and Sanding for Smooth Finishes

We ensure all surfaces are dry before removing loose, flaking, or bubbling paint. Our team sands all rough edges where loose paint was removed to ensure the final finish is perfectly smooth and uniform.

5) Sealing Joints with High-Performance Caulk

We focus on creating a water-tight seal and a smooth substrate through a detailed filling and caulking process:

• Complete Moisture Protection: We thoroughly seal every transition point to create a durable barrier against the elements, preventing moisture intrusion and future wood rot.
• Precision Caulking: We apply Sherwin-Williams Shermax exterior caulk to eliminate gaps and cracks around your doors, windows, corner boards, soffits, and all wood or PVC trim.
• Adhesion Management: We ensure all caulking and fillers are completely dry before we begin priming or painting to guarantee a flawless, long-lasting bond.
• Filling and Patching: Our team utilizes Crawfords painter’s putty for nail holes and specialized wood fillers to patch minor surface damage, ensuring every area is perfectly level.

6) High-Bond Priming for Long-Term Adhesion

We prime all bare wood to promote an adequate bond, often using shellac-based primers to block stains. We always match the primer type to the existing paint to ensure the most durable integrated finish possible.

7) Utilizing Premium Paints Based on the Surface

To ensure your home receives the best possible protection against the Raleigh climate, we select specific high-performance exterior paints based on the unique requirements of each surface:

• Wood Siding: We utilize Sherwin-Williams Duration (Flat) for its outstanding adhesion and its ability to expand and contract with the wood, preventing cracks and water intrusion.
• Fiber Cement & Multi-Surface Siding: Our standard choice is Sherwin-Williams Latitude (Satin) because of its class-leading moisture resistance and superior performance in our local humid environment.
• Vinyl Siding: We apply Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint (Satin) to provide a flexible, durable finish specifically suited for vinyl substrates.
• Wood, PVC, & HardiePlank Trim: We specify Sherwin-Williams Duration (Gloss) to achieve advanced adhesion and a high-performance finish that resists blistering and peeling.
• Stucco & Brick Masonry: We use Behr Elastomeric & Stucco coatings to provide a thick, flexible barrier that seals masonry surfaces against moisture.
• Maximum Durability & Color Retention: For the longest-lasting finish available, we use Benjamin Moore Aura, which features Gen-X colorant technology for vibrant hues that resist fading for years.
• Advanced Oxidation & Weather Resistance: We choose Sherwin-Williams Emerald for properties requiring superior protection against fading, peeling, and environmental pollutants.
• Porches & Outdoor Floors: We apply Sherwin-Williams Armorseal or Benjamin Moore Floor & Patio Enamel to provide a finish that withstands foot traffic and heavy abrasion.
• Exterior Steps: Our team uses Sherwin-Williams or H&C 2-Part Epoxy for an industrial-strength bond on high-traffic masonry steps.
• High-Build Coverage: We utilize Benjamin Moore Regal Select when a thick, high-build coating is required to provide the best hide and coverage on challenging surfaces.
• Peeling & Older Surfaces: On homes with a history of paint failure, we stabilize the substrate using Benjamin Moore Peel Bonding Primer before applying our topcoats.

8) Skilled Brush and Spray Application

Our team approaches every surface with the specific technique required to ensure a flawless, long-lasting finish:

• Precision Brushwork: Our team has a steady hand and uses premium-grade Purdy Pro Extra paint brushes to achieve the crisp, straight lines and uniform strokes that define a professional finish. By carefully loading our brushes with paint, we eliminate drips and ensure a clean, precise application on even the most intricate architectural trim.
• Professional Spraying: We utilize high-grade Titan and Grayco spray machines and accurate tip sizes to deliver a perfectly uniform coating across large or complex substrates. To protect your property, we meticulously mask off all non-painted areas with tape, paper, and plastic, ensuring a factory-like finish without any unwanted overspray.

Managing Heights and Specialized Equipment Safely

We utilize large extension and step ladders to access high eaves and gables safely. Our team is trained to handle 24-ft extension ladders and specialized tools—including sanders, caulking guns, and wire brushes—so you don’t have to take on the physical risks associated with exterior renovations.

Our professional crew utilizes a specialized toolkit to ensure every surface of your home is properly prepared and protected:

• Sander & Sanding Block: We use these to smooth out rough wood fibers and “feather” the edges of old paint, ensuring your new finish is perfectly level and uniform.
• Drop Cord: This provides reliable power to our professional-grade prep tools, allowing us to maintain a consistent workspace around the entire perimeter of your home.
• Drill: Our team uses this to quickly remove hardware or secure loose trim boards, ensuring your home’s structure is tight before the first coat of paint.
• Hammer: We use this to countersink protruding nails, allowing us to patch and seal those points to prevent future rust bleeds and moisture entry.
• Caulking Gun: This is our primary tool for applying high-performance sealants to gaps and joints, creating a seamless, water-tight barrier against the elements.
• Paint Can Hanger: These secure our paint containers to the ladders, allowing our painters to keep both hands focused on precision application and safety.
• Putty Knife & Painter Tool: These versatile tools allow us to scrape away failing paint, clean out debris from cracks, and apply fillers with surgical precision.
• Wire Brush: We use this for aggressive cleaning of metal or heavily textured surfaces, removing oxidation and loose debris that would otherwise prevent a strong bond.
• Paintbrush Comb: This essential maintenance tool ensures our brushes remain clean and their bristles straight, which is key to delivering crisp, professional lines.
• Rags: We keep these on hand for immediate cleanup and surface dusting, ensuring your property remains tidy and the work area stays free of contaminants.
• Ladder Mitts: We place these soft guards on the tops of our ladders to protect your new paint or siding from scratches and structural pressure marks.
• Drop Cloths: These are used extensively to shield your landscaping, walkways, and furniture from any accidental drips or overspray throughout the project.

Advanced Application Techniques for Windows and Doors

When we handle your windows, doors, and shutters, our goal is to deliver a durable, factory-grade finish that protects these high-exposure areas.

Our professional process includes:

• Precision Window Refinishing: We work systematically from the sashes out to the frames. Because window sills are most vulnerable to the elements, we give them extra scrutiny and protection. For older homes, our team provides expert window glazing to ensure structural integrity before we paint.
• A Systematic Workflow: We follow a “top-down” strategy, completing gables and dormers before transitioning to your windows, porch rails, and doors. This prevents drips and ensures a clean, uniform application across your entire home.
• Hardware and Surface Care: To achieve a flawless finish without handprints or smudges, we typically remove doors, shutters, and storm windows to paint them on professional sawhorses. We take the extra time to remove knobs, latch plates, and knockers so that every edge is coated perfectly without messy paint lines around your hardware.
• Meticulous Reinstallation: Once the paint has dried to a factory-like finish, we rehang your doors and shutters using clean gloves and specialized cloths. This prevents oil transfers from hands and ensures your home looks pristine and untouched the moment we complete the project.

The Value of Hiring Professional Painters

While doing the work yourself might reduce immediate costs, it often lacks the long-term protection and expertise required for a truly resilient finish. Our service includes a five-year warranty covering cracks, blisters, and peeling, reflecting our commitment to your home’s longevity. We invite you to contact A Touch of Color Painting and General Contracting at 919-426-4928 to discuss how our professional expertise can preserve and enhance your property.