When a repaint becomes a restoration
A house whose paint is merely faded can be washed, spot-primed and recoated. A house whose paint is curling off in sheets is a different project. Most of the cost goes into getting back to a surface that will hold paint, and that work is slow, dusty and, on older paint, regulated. This guide explains what a painter weighs when pricing it. No prices are quoted.
New Haven's land area in 2020 was 18.69 square miles, according to the Census Bureau's QuickFacts. Houses there, as anywhere, vary a lot in siding, trim and condition, so each one has to be looked at on its own.
How bad is the failure?
Painters usually sort a peeling exterior into degrees:
- Spot peeling on a few boards or sills, usually from a local water problem.
- Widespread peeling on the weather sides, where the paint has lost its grip but the layers underneath are sound.
- Failure through all layers, where scraping keeps going down to bare wood, or the paint film is cracked into small squares.
The further down the list, the more of the house needs removal rather than scraping, and the larger the quote.
Scraping, sanding or removing
- Hand scraping removes loose paint back to a firm edge. It's the baseline for any peeling job.
- Sanding feathers those edges so they don't show through the new paint.
- Full removal with heat tools or chemical strippers takes paint down to wood on the worst areas. It's the slowest method and needs care around glass and trim.
Ask which method the painter expects for each side of the house, and how they'll decide where to stop.
The federal lead rule
EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule says anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978 generally must hold EPA lead-safe work practice credentials, including sole proprietorships. EPA also says about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint.
On a peeling exterior, almost every prep step disturbs paint. Lead-safe work usually involves plastic sheeting on the ground, containment of chips and dust, and careful cleanup each day. That adds labor and materials, so a quote that follows the rule will often be higher than one that doesn't. If your house was built before 1978, ask whether the painter holds the RRP credential; EPA's page in the card below explains the rule.
Wood repair
Peeling often hides rot at sills, trim ends and lower boards. A good painter probes suspect areas and lists repairs separately, with a price for each, or a unit price for boards replaced. Expect the final repair count to change once scraping exposes the wood.
Drying, priming and caulking
After scraping, bare wood needs primer before it weathers. Wood that's been washed or rained on needs time to dry.
NOAA's engineering weather data for Bridgeport/Sikorsky, about 18 miles from New Haven, count about 305 hours in an average year with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 1,261 hours above 67°F. Those hours are when heavy, damp air slows drying, so a painter may need to wait longer between washing, priming and finish coats on some days. Ask how they plan for that.
Primer goes onto all bare wood and edges. Joints get a paintable sealant after priming. Then two finish coats are typical over this much prep.
Access
Tall walls, gables, dormers and porches add time for ladders, planks or staging, and lead-safe containment on a tall wall takes more setup. Tight side yards make every move slower.
Comparing quotes
Make sure each quote covers:
- the removal method for each area;
- lead-safe setup and cleanup, described;
- wood repairs, itemized;
- primer on all bare wood;
- caulking;
- finish product and number of coats;
- protection of plants, walks and neighbors' property;
- disposal of paint chips and debris.
See our exterior painting page and pricing guide for more.