Let the condition set the coating, not the can
Humidity trapped in the substrate, chalking, failed caulk, and long hours of direct sun determine the real preparation and coating plan.
What the scope should include
- Existing conditions and likely cause
- Preparation and protection
- Materials, compatibility, and installation details
- Permits, testing, cleanup, and restoration
- Exclusions, warranty terms, and change-order process
Columbia context
Preparation, not product, decides how a Columbia paint job ages, and the reason is the climate acting on shade. Humid heat and mature pine canopy keep siding damp long after the region's thunderstorms pass, so mildew on north-facing and tree-shaded elevations is the recurring problem here rather than sun-driven fading -- and painting over it simply seals it under the new film. The housing stock adds a second consideration. Historic in-town homes carry older wood substrates and, in houses of that age, the real possibility of lead-bearing layers underneath, which changes how surfaces may be prepared. Postwar brick ranches raise a different question entirely, because painting masonry is close to irreversible and traps moisture in a wall that was designed to dry outward. Intense summer storms then test every gap in the detailing.