This Whirlpool exterior repaint covered a home a street off the beach near the King and Prince on St. Simons Island, from the lap siding and trim to the garage, stair rails and stained porch ceiling. Along the way we replaced rotted fascia, siding and cattle rail boards and rebuilt part of the garage ceiling.
Project at a glance
- Location: Near the King and Prince, St. Simons Island, GA
- Project type: Residential full exterior repaint with carpentry
- Siding color: Sherwin-Williams Whirlpool (SW 9135), with the soffits and fascia matched on site
- Siding: Fiber cement (Hardie) lap siding: Loxon masonry bonding primer on chalky areas, then 100% acrylic low-luster latex
- Trim, doors and cattle rail: Seal Grip primer on raw wood, then 100% acrylic satin
- Carpentry: Rotted fascia on the rear gable replaced with KDAT pressure-treated #1 pine; six siding pieces and four rotted cattle rail pieces replaced; warped cattle rail boards re-attached
- Garage ceiling: New blocking and Type X drywall finished to a level 4 finish
- Metal stair handrails: Two coats of high-performance acrylic industrial enamel
- Stained porch ceiling: Cleaned, stain touched up, two coats of marine-grade urethane
- Completed: August 2026
Why the homeowners called
The house was last painted about six years ago. The homeowners also had a problem on the garage: its pressure-treated wood had been painted before it had time to dry out, and the paint was peeling. They asked us to price the garage and a full exterior repaint of the house.
They were going out of town for two weeks when the job was ready to start, so our crew began while they were away.
Choosing the Whirlpool exterior color
The siding color is Sherwin-Williams Whirlpool (SW 9135). We put two samples on the house, and the owners asked a neighbor to weigh in on the final pick. The soffits and fascia were matched on site.
The eaves, shutters and garage door had an older glazed faux finish. We priced matching it with a glaze coat, and the owners chose to go with solid color instead. If you want to keep a glazed look on your house, see our faux finishes.
What we did
- Pressure washed the entire exterior with a chlorine solution to remove mildew and chalky paint, and cleaned the glass to prevent spotting
- Soffits, fascia, rafter tails and shutters: scraped, sanded, caulked, spot primed and painted two coats of 100% acrylic satin
- Lap siding: scraped, sanded, caulked, primed chalky or discolored areas with Loxon masonry bonding primer and painted in 100% acrylic low-luster
- Doors, door and window trim, band boards, corner boards, garage door trim and the cattle rail around the ground floor: scraped, sanded, caulked, primed raw wood with Seal Grip and painted in satin
- Garage door: sanded, primed with a direct-to-metal wash primer and painted two coats of satin
- Stair stringers: primed raw wood and painted two coats of satin
- Metal stair handrails: scraped, sanded, spot primed and painted two coats of high-performance acrylic industrial enamel
- Stained porch ceiling: hand cleaned, sanded, stain touched up and finished with two coats of marine-grade urethane
Carpentry and a rebuilt garage ceiling
- Replaced rotted fascia boards on the rear gable with KDAT pressure-treated #1 pine
- Replaced six pieces of siding and four pieces of rotted wood at the cattle rail
- Re-attached warped or twisted cattle rail boards with finish timber screws
- Garage ceiling: removed the plastic and trim above the air handler, added blocking, installed new Type X drywall and finished it to a level 4 finish, then repaired the rest of the ceiling, primed and painted it
Type X is a fire-rated drywall, and a level 4 finish means the seams are taped and coated smooth enough to paint. See more about our exterior wood repair.
Why the garage paint was peeling
New pressure-treated lumber holds a lot of moisture from the treatment process. When it is painted before it dries out, the paint can lose its grip and peel, which is what happened on this garage. The fix was heavy scraping and sanding to get back to sound wood, then priming and repainting.
What the homeowner said
Your team has done a wonderful job.
Homeowner, St. Simons Island
The homeowner sent that note after stopping by mid-project, along with a short list of touch-ups for the punch list. After his final look at the finished house, he told our office he was very happy with the results and asked us about painting the interior next.
Questions about a project like this
Can you paint my house while I am out of town?
Yes. These homeowners were away for two weeks when the work started, and our crew began while they were gone.
Why does paint peel on new pressure-treated wood?
Pressure-treated lumber holds moisture from the treatment. Paint applied before the wood dries out can peel, which is what happened on this garage.
Do I have to keep an old faux finish?
No. These owners chose solid color on the eaves, shutters and garage door instead of matching the old glaze.
Planning a similar project on St. Simons Island?
If your house was last painted several years ago, see how long an exterior paint job lasts, or let us look at it and give you a written estimate at no charge. Learn more about exterior painting on St. Simons Island and our exterior house painting process, or see more of our work across St. Simons Island.
Every project is backed by our 3-Year Coastal Warranty. Creating delighted customers since 1986.
