On a typical Detroit house the walls are brick and the paint is on the wood: windows, sills, soffits, dormers, gables and the porch. Snow, ice and freeze and thaw lift paint from that wood every winter. A lasting job means scraping to a firm edge, priming bare wood and caulking open joints, in the dry months from late May to early October.
Exterior painting in Detroit is mostly wood and metal work on brick houses. The brick stays as it is. The paint goes on window sashes and sills, soffits and fascia, dormers, gable ends, porch posts, railings, doors and garages. Frame houses add full walls of wood clapboard or mid-century aluminum siding. Every one of those surfaces takes snow, ice and many freeze and thaw cycles each winter, then humid heat in summer.
That weather is why prep decides how long the job lasts. Loose paint is scraped back to a firm edge and the edges are sanded. Soft wood is repaired or replaced. Bare wood is primed, open joints at trim are caulked, and chalky aluminum siding is washed until the powder is gone. Only then do the finish coats go on. A full exterior usually takes three to five days, depending on the weather.
Two local rules shape many jobs. Houses built before 1978 may have lead in the old paint, so scraping and clean-up must follow federal lead-safe work rules. In Detroit's local historic districts, the Historic District Commission must approve a new exterior color, though touch-ups in the exact same color do not need approval. The outdoor season here runs from about late May to early October, so it pays to ask for a quote early.
Exterior painting in Detroit: common questions
When can you paint exteriors in Detroit?
Roughly late May through September, and often into early October. Paint needs dry surfaces and temperatures above the minimum on the label, day and night.
Do you paint aluminum siding?
Yes. Old aluminum siding is washed to remove the chalky powder, primed where bare metal shows and painted with acrylic paint. It holds paint well when it is clean.
Should I paint my brick?
Usually not if it has never been painted. Paint can trap moisture in brick, and in a freeze and thaw climate that can damage the brick face. Already painted brick can be repainted.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.