After prep work

Here the hole has been patched with sheetrock, taped and blended with the surrounding ceiling with joint compound, the peeling paint has been removed and the surface leveled with a skim-coat of joint compound. It's ready for painting.

We painted this house inside and out when it was first built in 1996. Over the twelve intervening years, the paint held up well, but a mildew problem had developed. Not only did the mildew need to be thoroughly removed, but the cause of it had to be determined with as much certainty as possible, if it was to be prevented from reoccurring.

Often, mildew is a result of poor ventilation, causing the house to "sweat" from within. If we had determined that to be the source of the mildew in this case, paint would only provide a temporary mask and curing the problem would have been expensive.

We were able to determine that the source of the problem was not structural in this house. We found that the mildew problem was caused by environmental dampness and was isolated to the shaded areas of the house. Having made that determination, we felt confident that, through proper preparation and careful application, a new protective coating of paint would help prevent it from recurring.

In this photo, you can see the extent of the mildew on the shaded side of the house.

This detail of the previous photo shows the mildew on the siding and eaves and the presence of soffit vents. The vents indicate that ventilation was appropriately handled in the construction of the house.

In this detail, you can see both mildew and dirt collected in the corners of the windows. It would be easy to drive the dirt farther into the trim in cleaning it, rather than properly removing it.

Here's another shot showing the mildew on the lower corner of the window casing and forming a trail from the runoff in the corner under the bump-out.

Added November 30, 2008

The following images show the deck and stairs before and after the first coat, and a detail of the finished job.

Before

After the first coat

Finished

If you've got a mold or mildew problem, whether it's outside or in, call (888) 243-0304 today for a free, no-obligation estimate. We don't just get rid of the symptoms - we find the source of the problem and fix it.

Sometimes the simplest jobs present the toughest challenges. This simple lake-front cabin is a case in point. It had lots of potential - especially for painting problems that were likely to come back like the proverbial bad penny. Preparation is always important, but in this interior job, it was especially critical.

The "ceiling" was actually the underside of the roof structure, with vaulting provided by the roof joists. There was a lot of staining throughout, which required sealing in equal proportion to prevent it from bleeding through the fresh paint.

After proper preparation and a fresh coat of paint, the cabin had an airy feel, far removed from the claustrophobic atmosphere of the stained plywood.

The loft had a small balcony that had the potential of being truly inviting, but it fell far short, due to the dinginess. The staining on the plywood and structural lumber was especially prevalent in this area.

Once done, the balcony became one of the highlights of the cabin.

Whether your second home needs a face-lift or your first-and-only home is in need of some TLC, call (888) 243-0304 today for a free, no-obligation estimate.

This house was a great challenge due to its age.

The facade of the house was in disrepair. To prep the door, we had to fill the holes and prime new construction to blend the old with new work.
The back of the house also required a lot of prep work.
The completed job…
…and the restored facade.

Call us at 888-243-0304 for a quote on your classic house!

In 2003 we did this job in Great Barrington. We returned to see how it was holding up. We take pride in doing a job that lasts.

We worked on this house about 4 years ago. Most painting contractors will show you the work they did last week or month. We at Berkshire Painting are proud to show you what a job looks like four years after it was completed!

Look close at the windows and see that the paint still looks great. This is an excellent indicator of a good job.

Look at where the wall meets the foundation. Notice there's no cracking or peeling. That's because we took the time to prep the job properly and used only quality products throughout the job. If we paint your house, it stays painted.

The job looks great where the trim meet the clapboards, even on the south side of the house after years of sun, snow and rain.

Call us today at 888-243-0304 and let us give your house the care it deserves.