Paint, Finish, and Walk-Through: Completing a Waterfront Exterior Project

With the prep work complete and every surface primed and ready, it's time for the part most people think about first — the painting. But even here, there's a method behind every decision we make.

Choosing the Right Paint System for a Waterfront Home

Before we start, we take into consideration the environment of the home and the specific painting system that should be used. This house is located in Point Richmond, California, and it sits on the water, so we want a product that can hold up well to a lot of weather and a lot of salt coming off the water.

For this project, we recommended a low-sheen paint for the main body. That might go against the norm — typically you'd use flat for an exterior body and semi-gloss for trim — but for SF Bay Area waterfront homes like this one, weather protection is the priority. In this environment, there's a lot of moisture, and having the weather fall off the exterior is critical to protecting the surfaces long-term.

Applying the Paint

We used the low-sheen paint and applied two coats, since we were converting the color from a medium gray to a dark bluish-black. Applying two coats protects the exterior better and allows the true color to show.

Here's how we apply it:

• First coat: We spray onto the surface.
• Second coat: We spray, but then back-roll into the surface. Back-rolling allows the paint to penetrate inside the surface, creating a seal on top and a more uniform look.

If you only applied a spray application, you'd end up with lap lines on the exterior body and an uneven finish. This two-step process gives the exterior colors a uniform and longer-lasting finish.

Trim, Garage Doors, and Details

Onto the trim — same color, but we step up the sheen level to create contrast between the body and the trim. We apply two coats onto all the trim, garage doors, metal railing, and detail designs.

Scaffolding Removal and Patching

While working on the house, we complete the scaffold sides first so we can let the company know it's ready to come down. When they remove the scaffolding, there are holes left behind from where it was drilled into the house for stability. We want to make sure we're on site when that happens.

As they drop the scaffolding level by level, we go up and patch the holes, prime them, and finish painting them — so everything is protected and nothing is left undone.

The Final Walk-Through

Once the site is cleaned up, we walk around with the homeowner. We check for any touch-ups or items that need attention. If anything comes up, we take care of it on the spot.

That's a completed painting project — and a happy homeowner.

This is just one project we've done at Cutting Edge Painting. We do many more like it, and we would love to do yours. Contact us today to get started.