Exterior painting

Roughly May to October, with the best stretch from late spring to early fall. Standard exterior paint wants the surface and the air above about 10 degrees for the whole drying period, including overnight. Both brands make low-temperature lines that go down to a few degrees above freezing, which stretches the season at either end, but frost, dew and short days still close it in winter.

Yes. Aluminum takes paint well once it is washed and the chalk is removed. Vinyl can be painted with a vinyl-safe colour, which means a shade no darker than the original, so the siding does not absorb heat and warp. We check the colour against the manufacturer's vinyl-safe list before quoting.

Yes, with a masonry primer and a breathable exterior paint so moisture in the brick can escape. We talk you through it first, because painted brick is hard to undo. Lime wash and masonry stain are options if you want the look without a solid film.

A properly prepped job with a quality acrylic typically goes [n] years before it needs attention, with south and west faces wearing first. Fresh caulking and primed bare wood are what make the difference. Our [2-year] written workmanship warranty covers peeling caused by our prep.

Trim and siding painted before 1980 may have lead in the lower layers. We avoid dry sanding and power grinding on those surfaces, wet-scrape instead, collect the chips on sheeting and prime the rest to seal it. If the paint is failing across the whole house we talk about testing and the safest way forward before we quote.