September is a good month to walk around your home and really look at the outside.
Not just the paint color. Not just whether the landscaping looks good.
Look at the trim. The siding. The deck. The places where water tends to collect. The spots you may have been meaning to fix all summer.
Why now?
Because once colder weather arrives, small exterior problems can become bigger ones.
At Taylor Painting & Carpentry, we’ve been working on homes since 1974, and one thing we’ve learned is that exterior painting and exterior repairs often go hand in hand. A fresh coat of paint looks great, but paint can’t solve rotted wood, water damage or a surface that wasn’t properly prepared first.
Fall gives you an opportunity to take care of those problems before winter weather has a chance to make them worse.
What Should I Check on My Home Before Winter?
Before winter, check your home for peeling or cracked paint, soft or rotting wood, damaged exterior trim, water stains, cracked or failing surfaces, worn decks and areas where moisture may be getting into the home.
Taking care of these problems in the fall may help protect your home through winter and prevent a relatively small repair from becoming a much larger project.
Here are seven areas worth checking.
1. Is Your Exterior Paint Peeling or Cracking?
Peeling paint is more than a cosmetic problem.
Exterior paint is one of your home’s first layers of protection against rain, moisture, sun and changing temperatures. Once the coating begins cracking or peeling away, the material underneath is exposed.
Take a close look around windows, doors, trim boards, siding and other painted surfaces.
You may notice:
- Peeling paint
- Cracks in the finish
- Bubbling or blistering
- Bare wood
- Areas where the color has badly faded
A few small areas may simply need preparation and repainting.
Widespread peeling could indicate that the coating has reached the end of its useful life or that something underneath needs attention.
The important thing is figuring out why the paint is failing before putting another coat over it.
2. Do You Have Soft or Rotted Wood?
Wood rot can be easy to miss at first.
Look closely at exterior trim, window frames, door frames, fascia boards, porch areas and other exposed wood.
Wood that looks discolored, cracked or unusually soft may have been affected by moisture.
The temptation is sometimes to paint over an area like this and make it look better.
That’s usually not the right answer.
At Taylor Painting & Carpentry, we handle both exterior painting and wood rot repair and replacement. That allows us to address damaged material first and then properly prepare and finish the repaired area.
Paint should protect solid material.
It shouldn’t be used to hide material that’s already deteriorating.
3. Is Damaged Trim Letting Water Into Your Home?
Exterior trim does a lot more than make your house look finished.
Trim around windows, doors, rooflines and other openings helps protect vulnerable areas from weather.
Look for:
- Cracks
- Gaps
- Loose trim
- Deteriorated wood
- Failed caulk
- Areas pulling away from the house
A small opening can give moisture a place to get behind the surface.
Once that happens, the damage may no longer be visible from the outside.
Repairing exterior trim before winter is one of those projects that may not feel exciting, but it can make a real difference in protecting your home.
4. Are You Seeing Signs of Water Damage?
Water usually leaves clues.
You might notice staining, bubbling paint, darkened wood or an area that seems to stay damp longer than it should.
Don’t assume repainting will solve it.
Water damage needs to be addressed at the source.
We often tell homeowners that preparation is one of the most important parts of any painting project. That becomes even more important when moisture is involved.
Damaged material may need to be repaired or replaced before the surface is painted.
Otherwise, the same problem may simply come back through the new finish.
5. Does Your Deck Need Attention Before Winter?
Your deck spends the entire year exposed to the weather.
Summer sun takes a toll.
So does rain.
Then winter brings freezing temperatures, moisture, ice and snow.
September is a good time to look for:
- Worn or faded stain
- Splintering boards
- Loose boards
- Peeling coatings
- Darkened areas
- Signs of rot
- Areas that no longer seem to repel water
Cleaning, repairing and restoring a deck in the fall can help prepare it for another winter.
Taylor Painting & Carpentry provides power washing, deck restoration, painting and staining services, so we can look at both the condition of the wood and its protective finish.
6. Are There Small Repairs You’ve Been Putting Off?
Every homeowner has them.
That little piece of trim you’ve been meaning to fix.
The spot where paint started peeling in the spring.
A damaged board on the porch.
The area around a window that doesn’t look quite right.
It’s easy to put small exterior projects off while the weather is warm because they don’t always seem urgent.
Then winter arrives.
Moisture gets into openings. Water freezes and expands. Damaged surfaces continue deteriorating.
September is a good reminder to take another look.
A small repair now may save you from dealing with a much larger repair later.
7. Are You Painting, or Are You Covering Up a Problem?
This may be the biggest question to ask.
Sometimes a house simply needs fresh paint.
Other times, peeling paint is telling you something.
There may be damaged wood underneath, moisture, or trim that needs repair.
There may be a surface that wasn’t prepared properly the last time it was painted.
That’s one reason Taylor Painting & Carpentry offers more than painting alone.
We provide exterior painting and staining, wood rot repair, carpentry, water damage repair, drywall repair, deck restoration and other services.
When something needs repair before it needs paint, we can address both parts of the project.
A Simple Fall Exterior Checklist
Take a few minutes this September and walk around your home.
Look for:
- Peeling, cracked or bubbling paint
- Bare wood
- Soft or damaged wood
- Loose exterior trim
- Gaps around windows and doors
- Water stains or signs of moisture
- Damaged porch or deck boards
- Worn deck stain or finish
- Areas you’ve been meaning to repair
- Places where winter weather could make an existing problem worse
You don’t need to know exactly what you’re looking at. Sometimes the most important step is simply noticing that something has changed.
Why Fall Is a Good Time to Take Care of Exterior Repairs
Fall gives homeowners an important window between summer and winter.
The weather is generally cooler, but there may still be time to complete many exterior painting, staining and carpentry projects before colder conditions settle in.
It’s also much easier to look at a questionable area now than to discover the problem after months of winter moisture.
We work with homeowners throughout Ardmore, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Chester Springs, Devon, Downingtown, Gladwyne, Glenmoore, Haverford, Malvern, Merion Station, Narberth, Newtown Square, Paoli, Penn Valley, Phoenixville, Radnor, Rosemont, St. Davids, Strafford, Valley Forge, Villanova, Wayne, West Chester, Wynnewood, and surrounding communities. Many of the homes in this area have exterior woodwork, trim and architectural details that need regular attention.
Keeping up with those surfaces isn’t just about keeping your home looking good.
It’s about protecting what’s underneath.
Should You Repair It Now or Wait Until Spring?
That depends on the problem.
A cosmetic issue may be able to wait.
A problem involving moisture, exposed wood or active deterioration deserves a closer look sooner rather than later.
When you’re unsure, having someone inspect the area can help you understand what you’re dealing with.
Sometimes the answer is simple.
Sometimes there’s more happening than you can see from the ground.
Either way, knowing gives you a chance to make a better decision.
Let’s Take a Look Before Winter Arrives
Your home doesn’t need to be perfect before winter.
But September is a good time to catch the things that shouldn’t be ignored.
At Taylor Painting & Carpentry, we’ve been helping homeowners care for their homes for generations. We believe in doing the preparation and repairs properly before the paint goes on, communicating throughout the project and delivering work that lasts.
Should you have peeling paint, damaged wood, exterior trim problems, a deck that needs attention or simply an area you’re not sure about, give us a call at 610-220-0980.
We’d be happy to take a look and talk about what your home actually needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should peeling exterior paint be fixed before winter?
Yes, especially when the peeling exposes bare wood or another surface underneath. Once the protective coating is gone, moisture can reach the material and potentially cause additional damage.
Can you paint over rotted wood?
Rotted wood should usually be repaired or replaced before painting. Painting over damaged material may improve its appearance temporarily, but it doesn’t correct the underlying problem.
How can I tell whether exterior wood is rotting?
Common signs include discoloration, cracking, crumbling areas and wood that feels unusually soft when gently pressed. A professional inspection can help determine how extensive the damage is.
Should I stain my deck before winter?
A deck with a badly worn protective finish may benefit from cleaning, repairs and staining before winter, depending on the condition of the wood and weather conditions.
Does Taylor Painting & Carpentry repair wood before painting?
Yes. Taylor Painting & Carpentry provides wood rot repair and replacement, exterior carpentry, water damage repairs and painting, allowing damaged surfaces to be addressed before the final finish is applied.
What areas does Taylor Painting & Carpentry serve?
Taylor Painting & Carpentry serves homeowners throughout Wayne, West Chester, Bryn Mawr, Radnor, Wynnewood, Devon, Downingtown, Malvern, Phoenixville and many surrounding communities.