This week we started a full exterior repaint on a beautiful home here in the Gainesville area. If you drove by on Monday or Tuesday, you would not have seen us painting much. You would have seen a pressure washer, a lot of caulk, a stack of new trim boards and a deck sitting on jacks. That is on purpose. Here is why we fix rotten wood before we paint, and what good exterior painting prep actually looks like.
Paint is only as good as what’s under it
Paint is a coating. It protects wood, but it can’t fix it. If you brush fresh paint over soft, rotten fascia or trim, it might look fine from the driveway for a little while. Underneath, the wood keeps breaking down, and the new paint has nothing solid to hold onto. Sooner or later it cracks, peels and lets more water in, and you end up paying for the same job twice.
That’s why, when we walk a house for an estimate, we push on the trim, look closely at the fascia boards and check the bottoms of door and garage trim where water sits. We would rather find bad wood up front than paint over it.
Day 1: wash, caulk and find the rot
Monday morning we got started around 8:30. The first job on any exterior repaint is cleaning. We pressure washed the house to get dirt, pollen and mildew off so the new paint bonds to the surface and not to grime.
Washing also shows you what you are working with. On this home there was a good amount of rotten wood: fascia boards, garage door trim and several other pieces that had to come out and be replaced. Painting over those would have been a waste of the homeowner’s money.
Once things were clean, we caulked everything up: gaps at trim joints, corners and around openings. Caulk keeps water from getting behind the trim and siding, which is where a lot of rot starts in the first place.
We do carpentry when it supports the paint job
I want to be clear about this, because people ask. We are painters. We don’t take on general carpentry or remodeling work. But if a repair supports our paint job, like replacing rotten fascia, trim or siding boards we are about to paint, we do it as part of the project. That way you are not stuck coordinating a separate carpenter and a painter, and the new wood gets primed and painted right along with the rest of the house.
Day 2: the deck band that was kicking out
Tuesday morning we turned to the deck. The outer band, the board that runs along the outside edge and carries the ends of the floor joists, was actually trying to kick out from under the deck. That is not something you paint or stain over and hope for the best.
So here’s what we did:
- Jacked the deck up and took the supports out
- Replaced the outer band with new lumber
- Rehung all of the floor joists to the new band
- Set the deck back down on its supports
It was a pretty extensive repair, and it still left time to start painting the same day. Now the deck is solid again, and the finish that goes on it will be protecting good wood instead of hiding a problem. If your deck needs a fresh coat too, see our deck and fence staining page.
Signs you might have rotten wood
You don’t need to be a contractor to spot trouble. Walk around your house and look for:
- Paint that is bubbling, peeling or cracked in one spot more than everywhere else
- Fascia or trim that feels soft or spongy when you press on it
- Dark stains, gaps or crumbling wood at the bottom of door frames and garage door trim
- Deck boards or deck edges that look like they are pulling away or sagging
- Old caulk that has cracked or pulled loose at joints
If you see any of these, it’s worth having someone take a look before you repaint. Catching it early usually means fewer boards to replace. For more warning signs, read 5 signs your home needs exterior painting.
What this means for your estimate
When we give you an exterior painting estimate, we will point out any rotten wood we find and talk through what needs replacing before paint goes on. No surprises. Prep isn’t the exciting part, but it’s the part that decides how long your paint job lasts. You can see the rest of what goes into our process on the exterior house painting page.
Get a free estimate
We work in Gainesville, Hall County and nearby towns like Flowery Branch, Oakwood and Lula. If your home is due for a repaint, or you’re worried about soft trim or a tired deck, call or text me at 678-943-6720 for a free estimate. I’ll come out, look it over with you and tell you straight what it needs.
— James Wheeler, owner, Wheeler Painting
Written by James Wheeler from a Wheeler Painting exterior repaint in the Gainesville area, October 2026.