Spring Exterior Painting in Wilmington, NC: How Anderson’s Prep Process Outlasts the Humidity Ahead
With this winter’s unusually cold temperatures, above-normal snowfall, and the consecutive winter storms that ushered in the new year, you may be looking at the exterior of your home or business and realizing it’s definitely time for a repaint. With longer days upon us and spring around the corner, now is the perfect time for those in Wilmington, NC, to plan for exterior painting. However, with summer’s humidity also on deck, proper preparation of your exteriors for the painting process is crucial.
As Wilmington’s trusted paint contractor, our team at Anderson Painting is celebrating 20 years of serving local property and business owners and clients in Holly Ridge, Ogden, and Porters Neck, Surf City, Topsail Beach, Carolina Beach, and surrounding coastal communities (as well as Raleigh, NC, and the Greater Triangle area). Now a leading exterior house painting company in Wilmington, we’ve refined a meticulous prep process designed specifically for high-humidity environments. We understand that the coastal North Carolina region presents unique challenges, which is why we’ve become the region’s go-to contractor. We follow a rigorous step-by-step prep process that sets the stage for a three-coat system considered a best practice in the industry.
Can You Do Exterior Painting in High Humidity?
Paint cures best when humidity is below 50%, and temperatures are between 50°F and 85°F. In Wilmington, those conditions are most common in March through May and October through November. Successful painting in Wilmington, NC, requires a detailed approach to prevent moisture-related issues by August.
At Anderson Painting, we time our paint projects around weather patterns, monitoring the forecast and scheduling projects within an ideal window. Rushed work in poor conditions will lead to premature bubbling and premature peeling, and nobody wants that.
A Prep Process That Makes a Difference
What sets our Wilmington painting projects apart is what happens before the three-coat system (primer and two coats of paint).
We begin by pressure washing exteriors at a controlled PSI level to remove dirt, salt residue, and any accumulated algae and/or mildew. We also incorporate mildewcide treatments to kill spores and prevent growth during summer, and we use a moisture meter to ensure substrate levels are below 15% before we move forward.
Next comes a rigorous scraping and sanding process that removes chipped and peeling paint. Painting over loose material can lead to an uneven primer coat and trap moisture beneath the surface. We sand glossy areas to ensure proper adhesion and handle any wood repairs. As highly experienced carpenters and professional painters, we can conceal or remove soft or rotted wood to provide a stronger foundation for your place’s new paint.
We’re also careful to caulk and seal windows, as well as trim and siding joints, with high-flexibility or silicone-based sealants. This barrier blocks driving rain and salty coastal moisture from entering your property’s structure.
Finally, we apply a moisture-resistant, mold-inhibiting primer. This step locks in adhesion and creates a stable base for the first coat of paint. When consulting with you on your color and tone, we’ll ensure you choose a 100% acrylic latex that’s formulated for high-humidity regions like Wilmington.
Why Detailed Prep Matters
When you hire an exterior painting company in Wilmington, you’re investing in both paint performance and contractor performance. Any shortcuts in the prep process will be obvious and costly. A bad prep job is one of the key reasons exterior painting fails in coastal North Carolina, which is why we follow an uncompromising prep process that resists crackling, peeling, or blistering once the humid summer months arrive.
As we celebrate 20 years as Wilmington’s top contractor, we remain committed to delivering the highest levels of craftsmanship and exceeding expectations. If you’re planning spring exterior painting in Wilmington, NC, now is the perfect time to schedule your project.
Get in touch with Anderson Painting today for your free estimate and see how an experienced team of contractors prepares and paints surfaces that withstand humidity for years to come.
