Why We Don’t Skip Prep — Even When You’re Ready to See Paint
Exterior paint season is here, and if you’ve been eyeing your home’s faded siding, sun bleached brick, or a deck that’s seen better winters, you’re not alone. May in Utah is when homeowners get serious about the outside of the house. But before a single drop of paint hits a surface, there’s a lot of work that separates a job that lasts from one that fails in a year.
We asked Olga de la Cruz, co-owner of HQ Painting and a specialist painter with over 25 years in the industry here on the Wasatch Front, to walk us through what actually goes into a proper exterior job and what most painters skip.
The caulking problem nobody talks about
“A lot of painters do not caulk,” Olga told us. “They might paint it and it looks great, but it hasn’t been caulked. And anywhere there’s a seam like a wall surface and a window sill or window trim, if it’s not caulked, water can sit there.”
That sitting water is what eventually makes paint crack and fail. It’s not just cosmetic, either. Without a proper seal at every seam, moisture gets into the wood or substrate underneath. What looks like a fresh paint job from the street might already be working against the house. This is one of the most common shortcuts in the industry, and it’s one HQ Painting doesn’t take.
Yes, you can paint stucco. And brick.
A lot of Utah homes, especially older ones in Sandy, Murray, and the surrounding areas, are sitting on surfaces that homeowners assume can’t be painted. Not true.
Stucco can be painted. Brick can be painted too, and for homes with serious sun damage, it can be a total transformation. Olga described a 1960s home in Murray with an east facing brick exterior that had faded from red to nearly pink after decades of UV exposure. After painting, the home looked completely refreshed.
Painting brick also has a practical side. When mortar begins to separate from brick over time, professional painters can help protect and stabilize the surface. Full brick repair is expensive. Proper paint prep and application can extend the life of that exterior significantly.
Decks and pergolas: staining is not a one and done
Utah’s climate is hard on decks. The combination of intense sun, snow, and freeze thaw cycles means deck staining typically needs to be redone every three to four years. Olga recommends stain over paint for any surface you’re walking on. Paint will chip. Stain won’t.
The DIY version of this job usually goes something like: grab a brush, get on your hands and knees, start applying. The HQ approach is different. The crew protects the concrete underneath, stains the underside of the deck boards (yes, that surface needs protection too), and applies consistently from start to finish so the color is even across the entire deck. Running out mid job and picking up a second can at Home Depot, even the same color, almost always results in visible inconsistency.
The 3 day process
Prep is not glamorous. But it’s where exterior jobs are won or lost.
HQ Painting’s standard exterior process runs three days before a brush ever touches the wall. Day one: power wash the entire surface to remove dirt, dust, and cobwebs. Day two: let it dry completely. Day three: painting begins.
Between the wash and paint days, the crew also covers windows and any surfaces that aren’t being painted. This isn’t optional prep. It’s the baseline.
“You don’t want to delay maintenance on chipping exterior paint,” Olga said. “That means water is getting into your wood. It just gets worse.”
Ready for an estimate?
If your home’s exterior is overdue, whether it’s faded paint, weathered stucco, sun damaged brick, or a deck that’s seen too many Utah winters, learn more about exterior painting in Northern Utah and schedule your estimate. We serve Sandy, Holladay, Draper, Park City, and communities throughout the Wasatch Front.
Call us at (435) 772-9426 to schedule your estimate.
