Albany in two counties
The City of Albany says Albany is the county seat of and largest city in Linn County, and the second largest city in Benton County. For a homeowner, the practical point is simple: when you ask a painter whether they work in your area, give your street address rather than just the county, since the city sits in both.
This page doesn't quote weather figures for Albany. Instead it walks through what a good paint job involves on each part of a house, and the state and federal rules that apply when someone is paid to do it.
Surface by surface
Every surface fails in its own way, and the prep should match.
Wood lap siding. Peeling usually starts at the bottom edge of each board and at the cut ends. Prep means washing, scraping loose paint, sanding edges smooth, priming bare wood and sealing end grain. Boards that are soft or split should be replaced before painting, not painted over.
Fiber cement and composite siding. These hold paint well when clean. The work is mostly washing, caulking the butt joints where the product's instructions call for it, and choosing a paint the siding maker approves.
Stucco. Hairline cracks are common and can be filled with an elastomeric patch. Stucco is porous, so it often needs a masonry primer, and it soaks up more paint per wall than smooth siding.
Trim, doors and windows. These get handled, bumped and rained on. They usually need the most sanding and a harder enamel. Window sashes take patience: paint should not seal the sash to the frame.
Interior walls and ceilings. Filling holes, sanding patches, caulking trim gaps and spot-priming come first. Our surface preparation guide shows how it's done.
What Oregon law says
Oregon law defines a contractor as anyone who, for compensation, undertakes to alter, repair, add to or improve a building or other improvement attached to real estate for another, and the Construction Contractors Board issues the license and residential endorsements.
That's how the statute and the board word it. If you want the specifics, the source linked from the fact card on this page goes to the statute and the board's licensing page.
Older paint: what the federal rule requires
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 must hold RRP certification. Firms are included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices.
Almost every prep step in the list above disturbs paint. If your Albany home predates 1978, ask whether the firm holds RRP certification, and expect containment as part of the job: plastic sheeting below exterior work, closed windows near it, sealed doorways inside, and a careful cleanup.
How to set up the job
A few decisions before the first bid make every proposal easier to compare:
- Write a list of surfaces. Name every wall, room, ceiling, door and trim run you want done.
- Mark the repairs. Point out soft wood, cracked stucco and water stains during the walkthrough so they're priced, not discovered.
- Choose sheens ahead of time. Our sheen guide explains flat, eggshell, satin and semi-gloss.
- Ask for product names. A vague grade word means different things to different crews; the name on the can does not.
- Agree on cleanup. Who removes debris, leftover paint and masking at the end?
Which service you need
Whole-house color changes and repaints are covered under exterior painting and interior painting. Kitchen cabinets are their own trade within painting; see cabinet painting and refinishing. For decks and fences, see deck and fence staining, and for how the price is built, read the pricing guide.