Fall is a good time to walk around your house and really look at it.

After more than 25 years in the painting industry, I’ve learned that some of the bigger repairs we come across start with something that doesn’t look like a big deal. Peeling paint on a windowsill. Cracked caulk. A gutter that isn’t draining properly. A shutter hanging loose. A window that suddenly doesn’t close or lock the way it should.

Sometimes it really is a small problem. Other times, it’s the first visible sign that water is getting somewhere it shouldn’t.

At Artisan Painting, we’ve spent the last 12 years working on homes throughout Delaware County, the Main Line and surrounding areas. Painting is obviously a big part of what we do, but taking care of a home often involves much more than paint. We regularly find wood rot, damaged trim, failed caulk, broken window panes, drywall and plaster issues, and other repairs that should be addressed before the painting ever begins.

Fall is a great time to catch some of these things before another Pennsylvania winter puts them to the test.

What Should You Check Around Your House Before Winter?

You don’t need to be a contractor to do a basic fall inspection. Take a slow walk around the exterior and pay attention to windows, doors, trim, gutters and anywhere water can collect or different materials come together.

Here are some of the things I would look for:

• Peeling, cracking or flaking exterior paint 
• Soft or rotted wood, especially around window sills and other water-holding edges 
• Cracked, loose or missing caulk 
• Clogged or damaged gutters 
• Loose or damaged shutters 
• Broken window panes 
• Windows and doors that don’t close or lock properly 
• Buckled or separating wood boards 
• Mildew or heavy organic growth 
• Ivy, shrubs and other landscaping growing against or behind the house 
• Loose or missing pointing, cracked masonry or damaged concrete 
• Interior moisture stains, cracks or peeling paint that may be telling you something is happening outside 

None of these automatically means you have a major repair ahead of you. They’re just signs that something deserves a closer look.

   

Peeling Paint Isn't Always Just a Paint Problem

Exterior paint does more than make your house look good. It helps protect what’s underneath it.

When paint starts peeling, cracking or flaking away, wood can become exposed to rain, snow and moisture. Window sills and other horizontal surfaces are especially important because water can sit there instead of immediately running off.

That’s why we don’t believe in just painting over a problem. Loose paint needs to be scraped, bare areas may need to be primed, failed caulk needs to be addressed and damaged or rotted wood may need to be repaired before the finish coats go on.

Sometimes the paint failure is the problem. Sometimes the paint is telling you there’s another problem.

What Are the Warning Signs of Wood Rot Around Windows?

Window sills are one of the first places I look on an exterior. Peeling or bubbling paint, soft wood, discoloration, cracked caulk, gaps and wood that looks swollen or damaged can all be signs that moisture has been getting into the area.

The next question is why.

It could be failed paint or caulk. It could be flashing. Water could be coming from somewhere above the window. The important thing is figuring out where the water is coming from instead of simply covering up what you can see.

And sometimes what you can see from the outside is only part of it.

When a Rotted Window Sill Turns Into a Bigger Repair

We recently worked on an exterior in Penn Valley after being referred by an existing client. During the project, we found rot around one of the window areas. Once we opened it up, we realized the damage went farther than what we could see from the outside.

We removed the rotted and damaged wood, rebuilt the area, properly prepped everything and painted it so the finished repair looked like it belonged with the original architecture of the home.

That same house had old double-hung windows with traditional weights and pulleys. Some had broken panes, and some of the windows weren’t operating the way they should. Instead of assuming that old windows automatically needed to be replaced, we repaired the weights and replaced the broken glass. The windows could close and lock properly again, helping them seal against the elements to the best of their original efficiency while also making the home more secure.

Projects like that are why I tell homeowners:

Fix the small stuff while it’s still small.

That doesn’t mean every peeling window sill has a major repair hiding behind it. It means that if something doesn’t look right, figuring out why is usually better than ignoring it.

Water Doesn't Always Come From Where You Think

Gutters probably aren’t the first thing you think about when talking to a painting company, but clogged gutters can send water exactly where you don’t want it. Water can overflow onto fascia, soffits, trim and other painted surfaces. Once winter arrives, clogged gutters can also contribute to ice damming and leak issues.

This is why I’d check your gutters and downspouts in the fall, but I’d also look at the surfaces around them. If water has been overflowing for a while, there may already be staining, peeling paint or damaged wood nearby.

The same idea applies to masonry and concrete.

Concrete and masonry aren’t our field, but that doesn’t mean we ignore them when we’re looking at a house. Loose or missing pointing, cracked masonry, damaged concrete or another opening can allow water to go somewhere it shouldn’t. Then winter comes, that water freezes and thaws, and an existing problem can get worse. Eventually that moisture can make its way to trim, windows, painted surfaces or even somewhere inside the house.

If we see something that isn’t our specialty, we’re going to tell you. We’ve built a friendly neighborhood of professionals over the years, so if you need a mason, roofer, gutter professional or another trade before we can properly repair and paint our part, we can usually help point you in the right direction.

Sometimes taking care of a house takes more than one trade. What matters is finding the actual problem and fixing things in the right order.

Check Your Windows, Doors and Exterior Trim

We work on a lot of older homes throughout Delaware County and the Main Line. The character is part of what makes these houses great, but older homes need maintenance.

Check windows for broken panes, loose or cracked caulk, peeling paint and soft wood. Open and close them. Make sure they still lock. Do the same thing with exterior doors.

Look at shutters to make sure they’re secure. Check wood siding and trim for buckling or movement. Older trim can also have many coats of paint built up over the years, which can create its own challenges.

If something used to close or operate correctly and suddenly doesn’t, don’t just force it and forget about it. Normal settling, moisture, damaged wood, old hardware and years of paint buildup can all affect how older windows and doors operate.

Don't Forget About What's Growing Against the House

Landscaping can create problems too.

Ivy, shrubs and other plants growing directly against or behind exterior surfaces can trap moisture and make it difficult for those areas to dry. They can also hide problems until they’ve gotten much worse.

The same goes for mildew and organic growth. Keeping the house clean and keeping landscaping under control makes it easier to maintain the surfaces, but it also makes it much easier to see when something starts changing.

What Can Homeowners Take Care of Themselves?

Quite a bit, depending on your comfort level.

Basic cleaning, filling small holes, replacing accessible caulk, scraping loose paint and properly priming exposed areas are all things some homeowners can handle themselves. Sometimes you can even patch or temporarily seal something to protect it until the weather or your schedule allows for a bigger repair.

The important part is doing the prep correctly and using the right materials and tools. A quick fix that traps water or doesn’t bond properly can sometimes create another problem instead of solving the first one.

I’m a big believer in helping DIYers when we can. I’m also a big believer in knowing when you’re outside your comfort level.

High ladder work is an obvious one. Water or mold damage and significant wood rot are others. Finish work can be deceptive too. A homeowner can often get a drywall or plaster patch pretty close, but getting that final skim to disappear once everything is painted is where an experienced finisher can make a big difference.

You don’t have to hire someone for everything. You just need to know what you’re looking at and when it makes sense to ask for help.

How Late Can You Paint Outside in Pennsylvania?

We typically paint exteriors into November when the weather permits, but there isn’t a date on the calendar when exterior painting suddenly stops.

The product matters. The air temperature matters. The temperature of the actual surface we’re painting matters. Moisture, overnight temperatures and the manufacturer’s specifications matter too.

Some exterior coatings can be applied at lower temperatures than others. That’s why we don’t simply look at the weather app, see 50 degrees and decide we’re good to go.

Late-season exterior painting can absolutely be done successfully in Pennsylvania. The conditions just have to be right for the surface and the product we’re using.

Take a Look Inside Too

Some exterior problems introduce themselves from inside the house.

Pay attention to moisture stains around windows and ceilings, new cracks, bubbling or peeling paint and caulk that’s separating. Water can travel before you actually see it, so the location of a stain doesn’t necessarily tell you exactly where the water entered.

Cracking is a little different. Homes settle and move, especially some of the older homes throughout Delaware County and the Main Line. Not every crack means something is seriously wrong.

I would pay attention to what’s new, what’s getting bigger and what keeps coming back after it’s been repaired.

Take Care of the Home You Already Have

Fall home maintenance doesn’t have to become a giant project.

Once or twice a year, walk around your house slowly. Look at the places you normally walk past. Check the windows. Close the doors. Look at the gutters and trim. Pay attention to the paint. Look at the masonry. See what’s growing against the house. Think about what has changed since the last time you really looked.

Older homes are going to need maintenance. That’s part of owning them.

The goal isn’t to make a house maintenance-free. It’s to catch manageable problems before they become unnecessarily expensive ones.

After more than 25 years in the painting industry, that’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve learned: take care of the home you already have.

Sometimes that means repainting an entire exterior. Sometimes it’s a rotted window sill, a broken pane, a piece of trim, some failed caulk or getting the right professional involved before water turns a small problem into a bigger one.

At Artisan, that’s a big part of why we’ve put so much emphasis on Home Care & Repair and projects of all sizes. You don’t need to wait until you have a huge project to call us.

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