Why Light Carpentry Makes a Big Difference Before and After You Paint Your Home's Exterior

An exterior home painting project often involves more than merely painting your home’s outside surfaces. Even if applying a new coat of paint is the ultimate goal, considerable prep work must be completed beforehand. In many cases, this prep work includes various types of repairs. If, for instance, your deck’s boards have seen better days, it’s important to repair or replace damaged boards before staining or painting your deck -- no amount of coverage will fix or conceal the problem at hand. The same applies to broken window frames, outdated doors, deteriorating handrails, and more.

If the features mentioned above are made of wood, minor repairs and replacement jobs fall under the umbrella of light carpentry. There are many reasons to invest in light carpentry both before and after applying exterior house paint. Let’s explore what light carpentry entails and why these services make a big difference before and after you paint your home’s exterior.

The Difference Carpentry Makes

What is Light Carpentry?

Light carpentry refers to a variety of tasks involving the minor repair, replacement, and installation of wooden features inside or outside a property. The term “light” is used to distinguish this range of tasks from the broader category of “carpentry,” which also includes major repairs and installations, rough carpentry (i.e. structural woodworking), detail work (finish carpentry), and more. In other words, light carpentry encompasses a smaller spectrum of duties that are largely aesthetic in nature but can also have structural implications.

To be more specific, light carpentry jobs include (but are not limited to):

• Repairing or replacing damaged/rotted
  • Deck boards
  • Fencing
  • Window frames
  • Doors
  • Trim, moldings, baseboards
  • Hardwood floors
  • Stars
  • Support rails
• Installing
  • Small cabinets
  • Moldings
  • Baseboards
  • Chair rails

...and more.

Any wooden features affixed to or surrounding your house exterior that require attention fall under the purview of light carpentry. When it comes time to paint your home, these wooden elements are among the first components to inspect and attend to. Let’s dig deeper into the benefits of investing in light carpentry services before and after painting your home’s exterior.

Benefits of Light Carpentry Before Exterior Painting

Simply put, when wood has been compromised by damage or rot, even the highest quality paint will fail to perform its job. As such, light carpentry is inextricably linked to the exterior painting process. All surfaces must be in proper shape before receiving new coatings. The tangible benefits of taking care of your woodwork before painting it are as follows:

Uncover Underlying Issues

Rot, mold, mildew, and other forms of wood deterioration often stem from a deeper problem that, if left unresolved, will continue to damage your wooden features down the line. By focusing on fixing up your wooden surfaces, you and your contractor can locate and identify the underlying issues harming your property. For instance, perhaps your property has a pest problem (i.e. termites, carpentry ants, bees, etc.) and your deck is suffering as a result. Even if you repair the damage and paint over it, the root cause still remains. Experienced light carpentry services can help you address the problem at hand and resolve it so your wooden features and new paint job stand the test of time.

Fortify Your Property

While much of the work done by light carpenters is cosmetic (i.e. straightening out trim, filling in cracks, etc.), their efforts also serve to strengthen and protect your property. If structural components of your deck are rotting, for instance, it’s at risk of collapsing at some point in the future. Light carpenters have the tools and knowledge to replace these deteriorating components to ensure your exterior features remain sturdy and safe for use. Major repairs and installations may have to be handled by other types of carpenters, but don’t discount the positive impact light carpenters can make on your property’s stability.

Ensure an Excellent Exterior Paint Job

When it comes to residential exterior painting, the best-looking and longest-lasting results rely on a few key factors: surfaces must be sturdy, clean, and receptive to new coats of paint or stain. Sure enough, light carpentry work helps ensure these parameters are met. Repairs make for more structurally sound features, replacement jobs ensure a fresh, clean surface, and the process of sanding down wooden features increases their receptive qualities so new coats properly adhere. In other words, the necessary prep work for painting wooden surfaces is baked into light carpentry duties.

Benefits of Light Carpentry After Exterior Painting

While it’s clearly important to invest in light carpentry work prior to exterior home painting, there are also advantages to performing this work after you’ve painted your home, which include:

Complement Your Newly Painted Property

Before investing in minor installations or refinishing jobs, it often helps to have a clear picture of your property as a reference point. In other words, being able to look at your newly painted home can inspire and guide you when it comes to adding or adjusting wooden features. For example, you might hold off on painting your front door until you’ve finished coating the rest of your exterior. This way, you can decide whether you want to install a brand new door, refinish your current door, or simply paint your door with a color that complements the rest of your home. Whatever the case may be, light carpentry services can help you with these key cosmetic decisions after the majority of your painting has taken place.

Stay on Top of Small Problems

Post-painting light carpentry isn’t all about aesthetics. If you want to maintain a beautiful exterior, you need to focus on regular maintenance. In addition to cleaning your home’s face once or twice a year (usually via power washing), it’s wise to routinely inspect your wooden features for signs of damage. Your new paint job is meant to protect your surfaces from harm, but environmental forces are still at play and can lower your property’s defenses over time. If you do notice minor signs of damage, such as fracturing, warping, discoloration, etc., light carpentry services can help resolve the issue and make necessary fixes and touch-ups.

Light Work, Heavy Outcomes

The best exterior painting outcomes depend on the condition of your surfaces, both before and after they’ve been coated. Light carpentry is essential in making sure your wooden features are prepared to be painted and in maintaining your painted wooden features so they remain sturdy and beautiful for a long time to come. Best of all, Nash Painting offers both light carpentry and exterior painting services (among our many other offerings) to customers in Brentwood, Franklin, and Nashville, TN.

Make sure your home’s unique features are beautiful and built to last. To learn more about us, our services, and our values, call us at 615-829-6858 today!