Wayne County's seat
Wayne County, North Carolina was carved from Dobbs County and established on November 2, 1779, named for the Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne. Goldsboro is the county's seat; acts passed in 1845 and again in 1847 moved the courthouse there from Waynesborough, provided the people voted for it.
This page leaves history there and turns to the outside of a house. Siding materials differ in how they take paint, what goes wrong and what preparation they need, and the right approach to one is the wrong approach to another.
The station's moisture count
NOAA's engineering weather data gives these figures for the Seymour Johnson AFB station: in an average year at Seymour Johnson AFB, NOAA counts about 1,240 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 2,687 hours above 67°F.
Those hours of warm, moisture-laden air are worth keeping in mind for every surface below. They slow drying between coats and favor mildew on shaded walls, which is why washing and patience run through every section.
Wood siding and trim
Wood moves with moisture, swelling and shrinking through the year, and paint on it has to move too. Failure usually starts where water gets in: end grain, lap joints, the bottom edge of boards and the joints around windows. Prep means scraping to a firm edge, sanding the ridges, priming bare wood the same day it's exposed and caulking joints that should be sealed (but not the gaps under laps, which let siding breathe). A good painter checks moisture before priming.
Fiber cement
Fiber cement holds paint well, but it's cement: it can carry efflorescence, dust from cutting and old factory primer that has chalked. Washing and a primer suited to masonry-type surfaces, where bare, usually come first. Cut edges left unpainted take on water.
Brick
Brick that has never been painted is a decision more than a job. Once painted, it has to be repainted for good; stripping is slow and can damage the face of the brick. If you go ahead, the brick needs washing, any loose mortar repaired, time to dry out and a coating made to let masonry breathe. Previously painted brick that's peeling needs the loose paint removed first.
Vinyl
Vinyl can be painted if the color chosen isn't darker than the original. Dark colors absorb heat, and vinyl can warp as it warms. Paint makers sell colors labeled safe for vinyl; ask the painter to use one. The surface needs a thorough cleaning, since chalk and grime stop adhesion.
Metal: gutters, doors and railings
Galvanized and aluminum surfaces need cleaning and a primer that bonds to metal. Rust on steel railings must be removed to firm metal and treated with a rust-inhibiting primer; paint over rust fails from underneath.
Lead under any siding
On a house built before 1978, scraping and sanding the old layers on wood trim, siding or doors may disturb lead. The EPA rule on the card below applies to anyone paid to do that work. It's reasonable to ask whether the painter's firm holds RRP certification.
What a proposal should say
For each surface, the proposal should name the prep, the primer and the finish product. A single line for "siding" on a house with brick, wood and vinyl hides the differences above. See exterior painting for the product side and our pricing guide for how surfaces affect cost.
Having the siding looked at
One independent painter takes requests for Goldsboro. Reach them through the contact form, and expect each wall material to be inspected before a written figure.