Summer is in full swing now and we are painting exteriors as quickly as we can get to them. Our list of exterior jobs is pretty long this year due to the crazy wet Spring we had in the Portland area. We are still giving exterior bids this year but are not sure if we can get to all of them before the weather turns on us again.
Everyday when I am out giving painting estimates I run across all kinds of wood rot on homes. Many homeowners do not even realize they have this problem but it can be very important to get fixed the right way as it can cost more money if it is not. We try to point out these issues when we give an estimate so you are not caught off guard while someone is painting your home. You can’t paint over rotted wood with any success. Many homes built in the last 25 years had very inexpensive wood trim that does not hold up well to the Portland weather and rot is the result.
The best thing to do if you do find rot on your home is to call a licensed contractor or handyman that has experience doing this type of work. Some painting contractors will attempt to fix rot with a bad patch job that usually does not last very long. We prefer to get it fixed the right way so the problem does not get worse. Some very small rot areas can be fixed with a rot patch kit but it is still just a temporary fix. Replacing the cheap wood that your builder may have used on your home with a better quality product like cedar will help the problem from coming back.
You should also make sure that all areas are caulked properly so water is not getting to places it should not. If you know what to look for the problem can be spotted early and fixed for less money. We will show you what wood rot looks like so you can keep an eye out in the future for it. If the painting contractor you are speaking with is not concerned or does not spot your rot issues they are likely not going to do quality work. Take the time to find the larger problems before painting over them as paint does not fix everything. Call us at Absolute Painting & Power Washing with any questions or concerns you have on your home.
