Exterior Painting for Vancouver Homes
Vancouver's Pacific climate is hard on exterior paint. The combination of heavy winter rain, coastal humidity, and UV exposure during summer creates conditions that cause standard exterior paint to crack, peel, and fail within a few years. A proper exterior repaint in this region requires more than rolling on fresh colour — it requires the right materials, thorough surface preparation, and sealing every potential entry point for water.
Moisture Protection & Surface Prep
Whether your home has cedar siding, Hardie board, stucco, or wood trim, the prep process starts the same way: a thorough assessment for moisture damage, mould, and failing paint. Vancouver properties — especially in areas like Kitsilano, Shaughnessy, and Arbutus Ridge — frequently have cedar siding that needs to be checked for rot before any new coating goes on.
Pressure Washing & Mould Treatment
We pressure wash every exterior surface before painting, using a mildewcide solution in the water stream to kill mould and algae at the root. This step is essential in Vancouver's damp climate. Painting over mould without treating it first just traps the problem underneath the new paint, and you'll see it come back within a season.
Scraping, Caulking & Priming
Once the exterior has dried completely, we scrape all failing and blistering paint down to a stable base, then sand the edges smooth. Every seam around windows, door frames, and corner trim boards gets re-caulked with a flexible elastomeric caulk. This sealant moves with the house through freeze-thaw cycles without cracking open, which is what keeps water out over the long term. Then we prime all bare wood and patched areas before applying colour coats.
Elastomeric Exterior Coatings
We use elastomeric-grade exterior paints for siding that is exposed to heavy weather. Unlike standard latex, elastomeric coatings stretch and flex with the movement of the wood through seasonal expansion and contraction, rather than cracking apart. This is particularly important for cedar homes in coastal Vancouver neighbourhoods where moisture levels cause significant wood movement throughout the year.
Deck and Fence Refinishing
We also refinish wooden decks, fences, and patio structures. Flat horizontal surfaces absorb more UV and standing water than vertical siding, which means they need penetrating stains or oil-hybrid treatments that seal the wood grain from the inside out. We recommend semi-transparent stains where the wood grain is worth showing, or solid-colour stains and paint where the wood needs to be covered and protected.