Clean comes before color
After Hurricane Helene, the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County (October 2, 2024) advised that items soaked with flood water that cannot be cleaned or dried completely within 24 to 48 hours should be thrown out, that wet surfaces be scrubbed with detergent and water to remove visible mold, and that visible mold be removed before painting or caulking.
That advice was written for flood cleanup, but its last point applies to almost every paint job: paint is not a way to cover mold. If visible growth is painted over, it tends to come back through the film, and the new paint may peel where the surface underneath was never clean. We don't publish NOAA weather figures for North Port, so this page sticks to what any homeowner can see and control: the surfaces themselves.
Where growth shows up on a house
Outside, look first at the places that stay damp or shaded:
- soffits and the undersides of eaves;
- walls behind shrubs or under trees;
- the bottoms of walls where sprinklers hit;
- porch and lanai ceilings;
- the shaded sides of fences and outbuildings.
Inside, check bathroom ceilings, the walls behind furniture against outside walls, closets, and anywhere a leak has stained the drywall.
Exterior repaint: the order of work
A sound exterior repaint usually follows this order:
- Treat and wash. Discolored areas are treated, scrubbed and rinsed, and the whole house is washed.
- Dry. Surfaces are left to dry before anything else goes on.
- Repair. Loose paint is scraped, cracks filled, failed caulk cut out and replaced, soft wood repaired.
- Prime. Bare spots and repairs are primed.
- Finish. The finish coats go on, top down.
Skipping the first two steps is the most common reason a repaint looks tired early. Our exterior painting page explains the product side.
Interior repaint after a leak
If a ceiling or wall was wet, the source of the water has to be fixed and the area dried before painting. Drywall that stayed wet, softened or crumbled usually needs cutting out and replacing. Once the area is sound, a stain-blocking primer stops old water marks bleeding through. The surface preparation guide explains each step, and our interior painting page covers the rest of the job.
Finishes that help
A mildew-resistant exterior finish and a moisture-tolerant bathroom paint can slow regrowth on a clean surface, though they don't treat growth that's already there. Sheen matters too: smoother, higher-sheen surfaces shed dirt and are easier to wipe down. Our sheens guide compares them.
Florida's statements on licensure for painting
Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation lists paint and wallpaper among examples of work that do not require state licensure. Florida law lists painting among job scopes for which a local government may not require a license (Florida Statutes s. 489.117(4)(a)). We quote both as their sources word them.
We don't check or recommend painters. A detailed written scope and proof of liability coverage are what protect you.
Questions to ask before you hire
- How will you clean and treat surfaces with visible mold or mildew?
- How long will you let surfaces dry before priming?
- If there was a leak, what will you replace, and how will you block stains?
- Which caulk joints will you redo?
- Which primer and finish, and how many coats?
The pricing guide explains what moves the cost.