Exterior paint in Ann Arbor has to live through snow, freeze and thaw, and humid summers. Much of the city is old wood clapboard, where the scraping and priming decide how long the job lasts. We wash, scrape, caulk and prime, then apply two coats in the dry months from late spring to early fall.
Ann Arbor has a mix of outside walls that few towns its size can match. There is painted clapboard and cedar shingle on the Old West Side, brick and stucco Tudors with dark wood trim in Burns Park and Ann Arbor Hills, aluminum siding on postwar ranches and vinyl or fiber cement on newer streets. Each takes paint differently. Old wood needs scraping and an oil or bonding primer on bare spots. Chalky aluminum must be washed until the powder is gone. Stucco needs its cracks filled with a flexible patch first.
Weather sets the calendar. Michigan winters freeze water that has soaked into open joints, and the ice pushes paint off from behind. Humid summer mornings leave dew on the siding until mid-morning. So the painting season runs through the warmer, drier months, and each day's work starts after the wall is dry and stops before evening damp returns. We follow the minimum temperature printed on the paint can, for the air and for the wall itself. South and west sides get checked hardest, since sun wears them first.
The job begins with a low-pressure wash and a few dry days. Loose paint is scraped and the edges sanded, soft or rotten boards are pointed out to you before anything is covered up, joints are caulked and bare wood is primed. Two finish coats follow, by brush, roller or sprayer depending on the surface. On houses built before 1978 the scrapings are caught on ground sheets and bagged, because old layers can contain lead. Plants, walks and windows are covered, and we walk around the house with you when it is done.
Exterior painting in Ann Arbor: common questions
Why is the paint on my Ann Arbor house peeling down to bare wood?
Usually moisture is getting behind it. Open joints, failed caulk, gutters that overflow or damp air escaping from a bathroom or kitchen push paint off from the back. We look for the cause and fix or flag it before repainting, or the peeling returns.
Can aluminum siding be painted?
Yes, and it holds paint well once it is clean. The gray powder you get on your hand is old finish that has chalked. It is washed off fully, any bare metal is primed and two coats of acrylic paint go on.
Do I need city approval to change my exterior color in Ann Arbor?
Normally not. The city's preservation guidance says paint color is typically not regulated, even in the historic districts. Painting brick or stone that has never been painted is discouraged there, so ask the city's historic preservation staff first. An HOA may have its own rules.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.