In the Pacific Northwest, paint is your home's only armor. We specialize in deep restorative prep, elastomeric caulking, and applying premium exterior coatings built to survive heavy rain and driving wind.
Painting an exterior in Seattle or Tacoma is fundamentally different from painting a house anywhere else in the country. Our unique environment—characterized by continuous winter moisture, freeze-thaw cycles, aggressive algae growth, and intense summer UV rays—will destroy a poor paint job within a single season.
At Coles Painting, we view exterior painting as essential preventative maintenance. We don't just "paint over" problems. Our crews spend the majority of their time on rigorous preparation: digging out failing caulk, treating mildew, neutralizing organic growth, and sealing your siding tight. When we finally apply the premium finish coats, they bond flawlessly and provide years of vibrant, weatherproof protection.
Our crews are trained to properly prepare and coat the diverse siding materials found throughout the Puget Sound.
Common in Seattle's Queen Anne and Tacoma's Stadium District, older wood-sided homes require a gentle touch. We specialize in safe lead-paint scraping, oil-based stain blocking for cedar bleed, and restoring intricate exterior trim details without damaging the historic integrity of the wood.
Modern developments often utilize composite siding. While highly durable, the seams and butt-joints are vulnerable to water intrusion if the original caulk fails. We excavate failing sealants, apply highly flexible elastomeric caulk, and recoat the boards to factory-like perfection.
Properties facing Puget Sound or Commencement Bay deal with extreme wind shear and corrosive salt air. For these homes, we utilize specialized marine-grade epoxies for metals and ultra-premium exterior acrylics capable of withstanding lateral, driving rain.
Eighty percent of a successful exterior paint job is the preparation phase.
We don't just blast water at your house. We use a gentle, chemical soft-wash system that eradicates deeply rooted mildew, algae, and dirt without forcing water upward behind your siding panels.
Once dry, our crews manually scrape failing, blistered paint. We feather out hard edges by sanding, creating a smooth transition. If your home was built before 1978, we deploy EPA-compliant plastic containment to capture hazardous lead dust safely.
This is where most generic painters fail. We carefully seal all gaps, cracks, and joints around windows, doors, and fascia boards using premium, highly flexible elastomeric caulking that expands and contracts with the wood, permanently blocking water.
All bare wood and heavily repaired areas receive a coat of high-build exterior bonding primer. Simultaneously, we meticulously mask off your roofline, brickwork, windows, concrete, and landscaping to prevent overspray.
We apply top-tier exterior acrylics (such as Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams) using a combination of airless spraying and back-rolling. This technique forces the paint deep into the wood grain or siding texture, ensuring maximum adhesion and a vibrant, uniform finish.
When exterior paint begins to crack or peel, it isn't just a cosmetic issue—it is an active structural threat to your home. In the Puget Sound area, exposed wood will quickly absorb moisture from the humid air and winter rains.
This trapped moisture leads directly to dry rot in your siding, fascia boards, and window sills. Fixing rotted wood is incredibly expensive, requiring carpenters to tear out sections of your home's exterior. A professional, watertight paint job by Coles Painting acts as an impenetrable shield, saving you thousands in structural repairs down the road.
"Our cedar siding was in terrible shape. The old paint was flaking off, and we had algae growing on the north side. Coles Painting came out, power washed everything perfectly, spent days just caulking and scraping, and finally painted it. The house looks brand new, and knowing they sealed all the gaps before winter makes us feel so much better. Highly recommend their exterior crew!"
— Mark T., Homeowner
Why do some paint jobs peel after a year while others last a decade? It all comes down to the standards of the contractor you hire.
| Project Aspect | Coles Painting | Generic Painters |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation Time | 70-80% of the Project Time | Quick wash & immediate paint |
| Caulking Standard | Premium Elastomeric (High Flex) | Cheap Painter's Caulk (Cracks easily) |
| Paint Application | Spray AND Back-roll | Spray only (Sits on top of grain) |
| Property Protection | Extensive landscape & roof masking | Overspray on windows and bushes |
| Safety & Liability | Fully Insured & EPA Lead-Safe | Often uninsured / Ignores lead laws |
While summer (July through September) is traditionally the busy season, modern exterior paint technology has evolved. We use advanced moisture-resistant, low-temperature acrylics that allow us to safely paint exteriors from late spring through early fall, provided the surface temperature is above 35°F and it is actively dry. We monitor the weather radar closely.
The Pacific Northwest is notorious for rapid algae growth on shaded siding. We begin by deep-cleaning your home with a specialized antimicrobial wash to kill existing spores at the root. We then finish the project using premium exterior paints formulated with high-grade mildewcides to actively resist future organic growth.
Yes. Homes built prior to 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Coles Painting employs strict EPA Lead-Safe certified practices. We do not dry-scrape. We utilize safe containment scraping techniques, HEPA-filtered vacuums, and proper disposal methods to ensure your family, neighbors, and soil are protected from hazardous lead dust.
No, you do not need to be home while we are working on the exterior. As long as our crews have access to a water spigot and an electrical outlet, we can complete the job independently. Our project managers will communicate with you daily via phone or text to provide progress updates.
Don't let the Pacific Northwest weather destroy your siding. Get a free quote today.
(253) 478-2745Fast, Accurate Local Estimates
We take immense pride in defending the homes of the Pacific Northwest. Whether you are restoring a classic Craftsman in Seattle or protecting a bluff-side estate in Tacoma from marine winds, Coles Painting brings advanced elastomeric technology, EPA lead-safe practices, and unmatched customer care to every single project.