Salt-air prep
Paint by the sea fails at the edges first
Salt, sun and rain work on every storefront on the south shore. Paint lifts first at trim edges, seams, nail heads and anywhere metal meets wall, so those are where we spend the night before any finish goes on.
The finish is chosen for the coast and named on the estimate. Ask for the product data sheet and we will send it.
The order
Fresh-water rinse before anything else
Scraping back to sound paint
Rust treated, bare metal primed
Seams and joints caulked
Six steps
The prep, in the order it happens
Divina Dumlao leads this part of every job.
- 01
Rinse, then let it dry
Salt left on a wall keeps pulling moisture and lifts new paint. We don't paint salt-damp or wet surfaces, so a damp night moves the schedule.
- 02
Scrape and sand
Loose and blistered paint comes back to a firm edge, with a vacuum on the tool.
- 03
Treat the rust
Removed or converted, then the bare metal is primed the same night.
- 04
Prime
Patches, bare wood and metal get primer and its cure time.
- 05
Caulk
Joints, trim and fastener heads, so water doesn't ride in behind the paint.
- 06
Finish coats
A coating chosen for sun, salt and rain, two coats, recoat time respected.
The year
When the work fits an island year
A rough guide. We plan around your own busy weeks first, then the weather.
Exterior fronts
Drier months are kinder to wet paint and to rinse-and-dry times.
Apr to Oct
Shop interiors
Quiet stretches between your busy weeks, whatever the weather.
Jan to Oct
Nights we hold for rain
Wetter months mean a few more held nights. The plan allows for them.
Nov to Mar
About salt and rust
What happens when it rains?
We don't paint wet or salt-damp surfaces. Rain moves a night; it doesn't shorten the prep. The plan lists the nights we hold and who calls you.
Why do you wash with fresh water first?
Salt left on a surface keeps drawing moisture and lifts new paint. A fresh-water rinse and time to dry come before scraping and priming. The salt-air page walks through it.
Do you paint metal gates, rollers and awning frames?
Yes. We scrape and treat rust, prime bare metal and finish with a coating made for the coast. We paint the frame, not the fabric; your awning maker handles fabric.
My building was built before 1978. Does that change anything?
Yes. EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies to paid work that disturbs paint in homes and child-occupied buildings built before 1978. Tell us the year; the firm number is in the footer. Most shops are not child-occupied, but a school, a daycare or a home above a shop may be.
Ask us to look at the wall
Send a photo of the front, or ask for a walk-through. We will say what the prep looks like before we price it.