When the paint is coming off
Some exteriors just need a fresh coat. Others are shedding paint in curls and flakes, with bare wood showing through. Repainting a peeling house is a different, slower job, and its price depends far more on preparation than on the finish coats. This guide explains what a painter in Missoula, Montana weighs when quoting that kind of exterior, and lists no prices.
First, the cause
Peeling has causes, and painting over them doesn't remove them. A careful estimator looks for:
- Moisture from outside. Leaking gutters, missing flashing, sprinklers hitting walls, or soil and plants against the siding.
- Moisture from inside. Bathrooms and kitchens without working exhaust fans can push water vapor into walls, lifting paint from behind.
- Poor adhesion. Paint applied over dirt, chalk or a glossy surface, or a water-based coat over old oil paint without proper preparation.
- Age. Many layers of old paint can become brittle and crack.
If the cause is moisture, the bid should say so and suggest the fix, even if that work belongs to another trade. Otherwise the new paint will peel the same way.
How much scraping
Scraping is the largest variable in this kind of job:
- Spot scraping removes loose paint and leaves sound paint in place, with edges sanded smooth.
- Heavy scraping strips most of a wall's loose coating by hand.
- Full removal with sanders or heat tools is rarer, slower and much more costly.
Ask the painter which walls need which approach, and how they'll charge if scraping turns out heavier than expected once work starts.
Lead-safe work
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978 must hold RRP certification, firms included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices. EPA runs the RRP program in states it has not authorized, and Montana is not among the states on the list printed here that run their own EPA-authorized programs.
On a peeling house built before 1978, lead-safe setup is a real share of the work:
- plastic sheeting on the ground, extending out from the walls;
- closed windows and doors near the work;
- wet scraping and sanding, or tools with dust collection;
- daily collection and bagging of chips;
- a thorough cleanup at the end.
Ask how the bid handles each of these, and whether the firm can show the RRP certification the rule describes.
Debris and wash water
Missoula Water says the Missoula Valley Aquifer, just below the city, is one of the finest sources of groundwater in America, but in places it lies no deeper than 40 feet below the surface, which makes it very susceptible to contamination. That's the city's statement, printed as worded.
On a scraping job, paint chips, dust, cleaners and rinse water all end up on the ground unless the crew catches them. Ask how chips are collected, how wash water is handled, and where leftover paint, solvent and debris are taken. A crew that lays sheeting and bags debris every day spends more time, and it's time worth paying for.
Primers and repairs
Bare wood exposed by scraping needs primer before finish coats. Weathered gray wood may need a light sanding first so primer can bond. Cracked edges may be smoothed with a filler. Rotten boards, sills and trim are replaced or repaired. Ask which primer goes on bare wood, and how many repairs the bid assumes.
Finish coats
Over a well-prepared, primed surface, most painters apply one or two finish coats, depending on the color and product. Ask for the product, sheen and coat count in writing. Our exterior painting page explains the full process.
Comparing bids on a peeling house
- What does each painter say is causing the peeling?
- Which walls get spot, heavy or full scraping?
- How is extra scraping priced?
- How is lead-safe containment set up, and how is debris collected and disposed of?
- Which primer, which finish and how many coats?
- How are rotten boards handled?
The surface preparation guide and the pricing guide explain more of what drives the price.