A paint job that begins after the water leaves
Repainting after water damage isn't an ordinary repaint. It starts after the leak is fixed, after the wet materials have dried or been removed, and after any drywall repair. Paint is the last layer, and it only lasts if everything under it is sound and dry.
Greenville knows water. The National Weather Service records that after Hurricane Floyd in 1999 the Tar River rose to 29.74 feet in Greenville, flooding highly populated areas of the city. FEMA's records list Pitt County in major disaster declarations for Hurricane Floyd (DR-1292), Hurricane Matthew (DR-4285) and Hurricane Florence (DR-4393). Most interior water damage, though, comes from much smaller events: a roof leak, a burst supply line, an overflowing tub. This guide covers what drives the painting part of the cost for any of them. It names no prices and no companies.
First: is it dry?
Painting over damp drywall or framing traps moisture, and the paint can blister, peel or stain again. A careful painter uses a moisture meter on the wall and doesn't start until readings are normal. If the wall is still wet, the price you're quoted isn't the problem; the timing is.
Where drywall was soaked by flood water, it's commonly cut out and replaced rather than dried and painted. That work, and drying the cavity behind it, comes before the painter.
Stains and the primer that stops them
Water leaves tide lines and brown stains. Ordinary paint won't cover them; they bleed through within days. A stain-blocking primer sealing each stain, or the whole wall, is part of the cost. Ask which primer the painter plans to use.
Drywall repair and texture
The painting proposal may include, or exclude:
- cutting out and replacing sections of drywall;
- taping, mudding and sanding new joints;
- matching existing texture on walls or ceilings, which is skilled and slow;
- priming new drywall, which absorbs paint differently from painted surfaces.
The drywall repair and surface preparation guide explains each step. Ask who does the drywall work and whether it's in this price.
Whole walls, not patches
New paint on a repaired patch almost never matches the faded paint around it, even in the same color. The usual approach is to paint the whole wall, corner to corner, and often the whole room so walls match. Ceilings are the same: a patched ceiling gets a full coat.
Mildew
If the damage sat wet for a while, mildew may have grown on surfaces. It has to be treated and removed before primer; paint doesn't stop it. If the growth is extensive, that's a remediation job before it's a painting job.
Cutting out walls with old paint
In homes built before 1978, drywall and trim being cut out or sanded may carry old paint. The EPA rule on the card below applies to paid work disturbing it, and EPA lists North Carolina among the states running their own EPA-authorized program. Ask the painter how they would handle older paint during repair.
Insurance paperwork
If an insurance claim is involved, ask the painter for a proposal that itemizes prep, primer, repairs and painting separately. Clear line items make the paperwork easier.
What to compare
When two repair-and-repaint bids differ, look at moisture checks, stain primer, drywall scope, texture matching, rooms included and coats. The pricing guide and the interior painting page explain more.