Exterior House Painting in Austin: Repairs First, Then Paint
Paint is the skin of your house. It is what keeps sun and water off the wood, and in Central Texas both are hard on it. A paint job that looks good on day one can peel in two summers if the prep was skipped or if it went over wood that was already wet.
MTL Construction Services paints the whole exterior the way a builder would. Mark Larson, owner of MTL Construction Services, built custom homes before he focused on roofs and exteriors. The repairs come first, the prep is done right, and the scope is in writing before work starts.
What goes wrong on most paint jobs
- Paint over rot. Soft fascia (the board the gutter hangs on) and trim get caulked, painted and hidden. The rot keeps going underneath.
- Paint over dirt and chalk. Old paint in full sun turns chalky. New paint sticks to the chalk, not to the house, and lets go.
- Bare wood with no primer. Scraped spots that are not primed are the first places to peel.
- One thin coat. It covers the color and little else.
- Nobody fixes the water. If a gutter overflows or a piece of flashing (the metal that seals a roof joint) is missing, the new paint fails in the same spot.
How MTL Construction Services paints a house
- Inspection with photos. Your MTL Project Manager walks the house and photographs rot, failed caulk, peeling paint and anything letting water in.
- A written scope you can read. Products by name, number of coats, and which boards get repaired or replaced.
- Repairs first. Rotted trim, fascia and soffit (the underside of the roof overhang) are repaired or replaced before any paint goes on. See seamless gutters and gutter screens if the gutters are part of the cause.
- Wash, scrape and sand. Loose paint and chalk come off so the new paint has something sound to hold.
- Prime and caulk. Bare wood is primed. Open joints are sealed.
- Paint. Applied to the written scope.
- Final walkthrough. Your MTL Project Manager walks the finished work with you.
Central Texas sun, and larger and older homes
- South and west walls take the most sun. They fade and chalk first, and they are where prep matters most.
- Tall walls, steep lots and detailed trim take more setup and more time. MTL plans for that in the written scope.
- Older homes often have several layers of old paint and trim profiles that are hard to match.
What else MTL paints
- Interior ceilings and walls, including drywall repair after a leak. See roof leak repair.
- Garage doors and their trim. See garage door repair and replacement.
Common questions
Does MTL repair rotted trim, or only paint?
Both. MTL repairs or replaces rotted trim, fascia and soffit first, then paints. One contractor and one point of contact.
Your neighborhood has an architectural committee. Can MTL work with that?
Yes. MTL puts the product and colors in writing so you can submit them before any work starts.
What is the best time of year to paint a house in Austin?
Mild, dry weather. Every paint lists a temperature range on its label, and MTL follows it.
Want to know what your house needs before it is painted?
Serving Austin, West Lake Hills, Barton Creek, Bee Cave, Lakeway, Spicewood and Dripping Springs.