Exterior painting in Charleston, SC asks more of a finish than most places do: steady humidity, salt in the air, strong summer sun and storm-driven rain. We prepare and paint your home with all of it in mind.
The outside of a Lowcountry house rarely wears evenly. South and west walls take the hardest sun, the side nearest the marsh or ocean collects salt film, and walls shaded by live oaks stay damp long enough for mildew to settle in. A good exterior paint job starts by reading those differences before anyone chooses a primer.
Our preparation usually begins with a careful low-pressure house wash that lifts mildew, pollen and salt without forcing water behind the siding. Once the surfaces dry, we scrape and sand failing paint, replace tired caulk, probe for soft wood, and prime anything bare. Only then do finish coats go on: siding first, then trim, shutters, doors and porch details.
We work on fiber-cement, cedar and other wood siding, stucco, painted brick, and the decorative trim that gives so many Charleston homes their character. When wood needs more than paint can fix, our home repair team replaces rotted boards first, so the new finish isn’t hiding a problem that will surface next summer.
Exterior work is one part of our broader residential and commercial painting services, and many clients protect the result with periodic washing between repaints.
Every exterior is different, but most projects involve some combination of these surfaces.
Fiber-cement, cedar, clapboard and other wood siding, prepared and coated with exterior products suited to the material. Fiber-cement holds paint well when properly cleaned; wood siding needs closer attention to bare spots, end grain and trapped moisture before a new coat goes on.
Trim and fascia boards are where coastal paint usually fails first. We scrape and sand back to sound edges, re-caulk open joints, and prime exposed wood so corners, window casings and rooflines stay sealed against wind-driven rain.
Shutters and entry doors carry much of a home's personality. We paint them with care around hardware and louvers, or strip and refinish mahogany and oak doors when you would rather show the wood grain than cover it.
Porch floors, ceilings, columns and railings deal with foot traffic, standing water and constant humidity. We choose coatings appropriate to each surface and take extra care with railings and balusters, where paint tends to wear quickest.
Stucco and previously painted brick need careful crack repair and coatings that let moisture escape rather than trap it and blister the finish. We clean, patch and prime masonry before applying products made for it, and we match patch texture so repairs disappear.
On older homes we favor hand preparation, repair before replacement where practical, and a gentle approach to original millwork. If your house is in a historic district, we help you find out what review is needed before work begins.
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We walk every side of the house, note peeling, rot, caulk failure and mildew, and discuss colors, sheen and any HOA or review requirements.
A low-pressure wash clears the surface. Rotted wood is flagged for repair, and the house is given time to dry fully before painting.
Loose paint comes off, edges are feathered smooth, open joints are caulked, and bare wood and patched areas are primed so the finish coats bond evenly.
Finish coats go on in suitable weather, at proper intervals, with landscaping, walkways, light fixtures and windows protected from start to finish.
We walk the exterior with you, handle any touch-ups you point out, and leave beds, driveways and porches clean and clear of debris.
An exterior repaint is one of the larger investments in maintaining a home, and it's the part everyone who passes by will see. We've cared for Lowcountry exteriors since 2008, and because we also wash homes and clean windows, we understand what keeps a finish looking right long after the ladders come down.
We plan around rain, heavy dew and peak heat, and we will reschedule a day rather than apply paint in conditions that compromise adhesion.
Beds, shrubs, hardscape and outdoor furniture are covered or moved before work begins, and the property is left tidy every afternoon.
Periodic soft washing keeps mildew and salt from shortening the life of a new finish, and we can schedule it for you.
We are licensed and insured, and we're happy to share documentation with you, your HOA or your property manager before work begins.
Timing depends on the size of the home, the amount of preparation and repair, the number of colors, and the weather. Preparation often takes as long as the painting itself, and rain days add time. Your written estimate includes an expected schedule, and we keep you updated if weather forces adjustments along the way.
The usual culprits are moisture, salt and sun. Paint applied over damp wood, chalky old paint or salt residue doesn't bond well, and unprotected bare wood swells and shrinks with the humidity. Strong afternoon sun then breaks down weaker coatings. Thorough washing, drying time, scraping and priming address most of these causes before the finish coat goes on.
Cleaning is essential, but high pressure usually is not. We typically use a low-pressure soft wash with appropriate cleaning solutions to remove mildew, pollen and salt film without driving water into siding or gouging soft wood. The house then needs time to dry thoroughly before any primer or paint is applied.
We take care to prevent it. Before work begins, we cover beds and shrubs near the house, move outdoor furniture, and protect walkways and hardscape. During washing, we rinse nearby plants as appropriate. At the end of each day we collect paint chips and debris so your yard remains usable while the project is underway.
Many Charleston-area neighborhoods, including HOA communities on Daniel Island and in Mount Pleasant, have architectural guidelines that cover exterior colors and materials, and homes in historic districts may need review for certain exterior changes. Check before you settle on a color; we can help you prepare samples and details for a submission.
Yes. It's common to find soft fascia, sill or trim boards during preparation, especially on the weather sides of a house. We point them out, explain the options, and our home repair team can replace damaged wood so the new paint goes onto sound material instead of covering decay that will keep spreading.
Call (843) 926-6554 or request a free estimate, and we'll walk your home's exterior with you and talk through colors, preparation and timing.
