Call (610) 664-5555
Call (610) 664-5555
A professional exterior paint job should leave your entire property looking better than when the crew arrived — not just the siding, trim, or stucco, but the gardens, walkways, patios, and outdoor living spaces around it.
It’s a fair worry: paint splatter on a prized flower bed, overspray drifting onto boxwoods, a ladder set carelessly in a planting bed. Your landscaping represents years of investment and care, and it deserves the same protection as your home’s exterior throughout the project.
Experienced painters treat protecting landscaping during exterior painting as part of the job, planning for it from the moment the crew arrives until the final walk-around. Here’s what you should expect from the contractor you hire.
The obvious risk is paint ending up somewhere it shouldn’t. Overspray can settle on leaves, flowers, mulch, and decorative stone, drips can coat foliage and block sunlight, and even today’s water-based paints can leave a residue that’s stubborn to remove from plants and natural materials.
Exterior painting also means ladders, scaffolding, drop cloths, extension poles, pressure washers, and a steady stream of foot traffic. Handled carelessly, that activity compacts soil, snaps branches, and scuffs or stains hardscaping that took years to establish. For homes across the Main Line where mature plantings often frame historic properties, protecting those features is as important as the paint finish itself.
When you hire professional painters, protecting the areas around your home should be part of the job. You shouldn’t have to worry about how ladders will be positioned around your flower beds or whether your patio will be protected from paint drips. An experienced crew will prepare the work area and take precautions to protect your landscaping and outdoor spaces.
Here’s what you can expect your painters to handle:.
When painters are working close to shrubs, flowers, or other plantings, they’ll shield them from drips and overspray with lightweight coverings. Those coverings should be removed as soon as work in that area is complete so plants aren’t unnecessarily deprived of sunlight and airflow, particularly during warm weather.
Rather than covering the entire yard for the duration of the project, an experienced crew works section by section, protecting plants where they’re needed and uncovering them when the work moves elsewhere.
Mature trees, shrubs, and planting beds aren’t always easy or possible to move, so your painters should plan around them. That includes positioning ladders and equipment carefully, limiting unnecessary foot traffic through planting beds, and taking precautions to avoid causing any damage. When paint is being sprayed, the crew should also account for conditions such as wind and use appropriate shielding to help keep overspray from reaching nearby plants.
Stone walkways, brick patios, decorative concrete, retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, pool decks, and other finished surfaces can all be exposed to drips, spills, and overspray during exterior painting. A professional crew will cover these areas with appropriate drop cloths and masking materials before any work begins. They’ll also choose a place to stage paint, ladders, and other equipment that reduces the risk of spills or damage to these surfaces.
Professionals begin protecting your landscaping during exterior painting before the first coat of paint is applied. Pressure washing, for example, is an important part of preparing many exterior surfaces, but your crew should manage the process carefully around planting beds and decorative stonework. Throughout the project, you can also expect professional painters to keep supplies and debris contained, address spills promptly, and remove protective materials as work progresses.
Your painting crew will handle protecting the work area once the project gets underway, but there are a few things you can do beforehand. Taking care of these tasks before your painters arrive gives the crew the access they need while leaving the actual jobsite protection to the professionals. If you’re ever unsure whether something needs to be moved, trimmed, or covered, ask your painting contractor before the project begins rather than taking on unnecessary prep yourself.
If shrubs, hedges, or branches are growing directly against the siding or trim, cut them back before the crew arrives. Painters generally need about 8 to 10 inches of clearance behind landscaping to properly prepare and paint the surface. Creating that space also helps prevent branches and foliage from being damaged while the crew works.
Move hoses, bicycles, lawn décor, garden tools, hanging baskets, small planters, and other portable belongings away from the house. You don’t necessarily need to empty your entire patio or deck; the painters can let you know which larger items they’ll move or cover as part of their jobsite preparation.
If you have lawn sprinklers or another irrigation system, turn it off for the project. Unexpected watering can interfere with surface preparation and painting, causing delays while exterior surfaces dry again.
Keep pets indoors or otherwise away from the work area. Crews may need to move through gates or temporarily leave them open while carrying ladders, equipment, and supplies, so even pets that normally stay in a fenced yard should be kept somewhere secure.
Professional painters typically use breathable drop cloths to shield plants while painting nearby and remove those coverings as soon as possible to restore sunlight and airflow. Homeowners can also help by trimming shrubs away from the house and temporarily relocating potted plants before work begins.
Modern low-VOC and water-based exterior paints are much safer than older products, but fresh paint should never be allowed to soak into soil. Professional painters prevent contamination by containing overspray, managing runoff during washing, and cleaning up spills immediately.
Most modern exterior latex paints are water-based and considerably less hazardous than older solvent-based products. Even so, responsible painters include spill prevention and proper cleanup as part of every project.
Not necessarily. Early fall is often an excellent time for exterior painting because temperatures are moderate and humidity is lower than in summer. The key is choosing days with temperatures that stay within the paint manufacturer’s recommended range and allowing enough time for the coating to cure before freezing weather arrives.
A quality exterior paint job is reflected in how the entire property is treated along the way. A professional crew should arrive with a clear plan for protecting your landscaping during exterior painting, covering your hardscaping, staging equipment thoughtfully, and keeping the jobsite clean from day one to final walkthrough. Your flower beds, patios, gardens, and walkways deserve the same care as your home’s exterior.
At John Neill Painting, we’ve spent more than 50 years painting homes across Philadelphia and the Main Line. Our artisans prepare every jobsite with care, protect the landscaping and outdoor living spaces around it, and leave your property looking better than we found it.
If you’re planning an exterior painting project, we’d be glad to walk you through our preparation process. Request an estimate, browse our portfolio, or give us a call at (610) 664-5555 to see how we protect every part of your home.
info@johnneillpainting.com (610) 664-5555
231 Linwood Ave. Ardmore PA 19003
PA Contractor No. - PA014716
Licensed in PA, NJ & DE
Meticulous Preparation, Skilled Craftsmanship and a Commitment to Excellence
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We serve the following areas: Center City Philadelphia, Bala Cynwyd, Gladwyne, Narberth, Penn Valley, Merion, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Wayne, Devon, Berwyn, Paoli, Malvern, Chester Springs, Newtown Square, West Chester, Blue Bell, Gwynedd, Jenkintown, Rydal, Meadowbrook, and Chestnut Hill.
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