7 Questions for Exterior Painters in Tsawwassen
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Prep, coating, weather, rot, lead paint, the warranty and scope: here is each question to put to a Tsawwassen exterior painter, what a good answer sounds like and how we answer it.
Exterior painting in Tsawwassen runs roughly May to September, so the winter months are when the job gets lined up. We at Texora Painting & Drywall are one of the exterior painters in Tsawwassen homeowners can call, so read our answers as one painter's answers.
The questions are the useful part. Put them to anyone who quotes on your house, us included.
1. What does your exterior prep include?
Our exterior prep includes pressure washing, drying, scraping and sanding loose paint, caulking open joints, spot-priming bare wood and masking windows and fixtures. Prep decides how long exterior paint lasts, and it is the first thing a low quote leaves out.
A good answer names each step in order: pressure washing, letting the surface dry, scraping and sanding loose paint, caulking open joints and spot-priming bare wood. Windows and fixtures should be masked before any paint is opened. If all you hear is "we wash it and paint it," ask again.
On our jobs every surface is pressure washed and left to dry before scraping. Caulking and spot-priming come after that, once you can see which joints have opened up and which patches are down to bare wood. Patio furniture and planters near the work are moved and protected first.
2. Which exterior coating will you use on my siding?
We match the coating to your siding: elastomeric, 100% acrylic or alkyd, from lines like Sherwin-Williams Duration and Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior. Wood, Hardie board, stucco, vinyl and cedar do not take the same product, and the sun exposure on each side of the house changes the choice. Ask for the coating by product line and get it named on the estimate.
We use elastomeric, 100% acrylic and alkyd exterior coatings, matched to the siding type, the substrate and the sun exposure, from lines like Sherwin-Williams Duration and Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior. The written estimate names the paint line.
3. What happens to the exterior job if rain is in the forecast?
If rain is in the short-term forecast, we do not start the exterior job, because the coating will not bond. Paint needs the right temperature and humidity to bond and cure, and Tsawwassen weather does not always cooperate. A good answer says when the painter will not start and how the schedule moves.
We work exterior jobs roughly May to September, when temperatures stay above 10°C and rain is less frequent. We do not start an exterior job when rain is in the short-term forecast, and we do not paint in rain or ahead of frost, because the coating will not bond. Your written estimate sets out the schedule.
4. What about soft wood on the exterior fascia or trim?
Soft wood on the fascia or trim gets repaired before any paint goes on. Paint over rot fails, so ask what happens when the crew finds soft wood. A good answer is that it gets repaired before paint, not painted over and left for you to find next winter.
Soft or rotten siding, trim and fascia are repaired first. We do that work ourselves under wood rot and fascia repair, then caulk and prime before the topcoat.
5. My house is older. What about lead paint on the exterior?
If your home was built before 1990, we talk lead paint through with you before anyone starts scraping. Health Canada notes that homes built before 1960 probably contain lead-based paint, and homes built between 1960 and 1990 may still have lead in the exterior paint. Its guidance is not to sand it, run a heat gun over it, or strip it with a blowlamp, since any of those releases lead dust or fumes.
Ask every painter on your list the same question.
6. What does the exterior warranty cover, and who do I call?
Our workmanship warranty runs up to 5 years, named in your written estimate, and you call us before anyone else touches a problem. Read the exclusions as closely as the term.
On an exterior job it covers paint peeling, blistering or losing adhesion because of how it was prepped or applied, caulking that fails, and carpentry we installed. It does not cover normal wear, sun fading, moisture getting in through the building envelope, settlement, or damage from someone else's work.
Before the job counts as finished, your project manager walks the exterior with you and anything in the agreed scope gets fixed first. If something comes up later, call us before anyone else touches it, so it stays covered. The warranty page has the full terms.
7. Can you quote just part of the exterior?
Yes, and it is a fair question. Sometimes only the street-facing side or one weathered wall needs work this year. A good painter will price the scope you actually need.
We quote whatever scope you need, down to one side or one damaged section of siding. One of our two partners walks the outside with you, and the written estimate lists the surfaces, the coating and your warranty term.
How long a repaint lasts depends on the siding and the prep, and our guide to how long exterior paint lasts in BC gives ranges by surface. If the inside needs work too, the same crews handle interior painting in Tsawwassen.
Sources for these exterior painter questions
The facts in this article come from Health Canada and our own service pages, listed below.
- Health Canada guidance on lead-based paint in older homes, as summarized on our exterior painting page.
- Our own pages: exterior painting in Tsawwassen, wood rot and fascia repair, the workmanship warranty and our FAQ.
Get an exterior painting quote in Tsawwassen
One of our two partners walks the outside of the house with you, and the written estimate names the surfaces, the coating and your warranty term of up to 5 years. Or call (778) 907-9846.
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