Wood trim, fascia and rot on older Torrance houses

Trim enamel does one job on wood: it makes a hard skin that sheds water before the water reaches the grain, and the figures kept at exterior painters torrance sam sparro for older houses in Torrance, CA show that most failed trim paint fails because rot or open joints were painted over rather than repaired. Exterior painting on an older home spends real time on wood.

Where the rot starts

Fascia boards, window sills, the bottom ends of door casings and the ends of rafter tails take on water first. Houses built in the postwar boom across Los Angeles County often have original pine or fir trim that has been painted many times. A screwdriver pressed into the wood tells the truth: sound wood resists, rotted wood sinks.

What gets repaired and what gets replaced

Small soft spots get dug out, treated with a wood hardener, and filled with an epoxy wood filler that sands like wood. Whole boards that crumble under the screwdriver get replaced. The crew marks both kinds with tape before any painting starts, so nothing gets painted over by mistake.

Sanding and scraping

Loose paint is scraped back to a sound edge. The edge is feathered with sanding so no ridge shows through the new coat. Glossy old enamel gets a scuff sand so the primer can bite. Dust is wiped off before anything else goes on.

Primer on bare wood

Bare wood takes an oil based or a stain blocking acrylic primer, depending on the board. Knots and resin streaks bleed through ordinary primer in strong sun, so they get a spot coat first. End grain, where water enters fastest, gets an extra coat of primer.

Caulk, joints and enamel

Joints between trim and stucco, and between trim boards, get a paintable caulk after priming, not before. Caulk applied to dusty bare wood pulls away within a year. The trim enamel goes on in two coats, brushed and tipped off, in a semi gloss or satin sheen. Semi gloss sheds water and wipes clean. Satin hides flaws a little better on a board that has seen better years.

Keeping it from rotting again

Painted trim lasts when every surface is sealed, including the bottom edge of a door and the back of a board when it can be reached. Salt air off the Pacific Ocean pushes moisture into any gap that stays open. Gutters that overflow onto fascia boards undo most of the work, so the crew notes them for the homeowner rather than paint around a wet board.