The Importance of Maintaining the Exterior of Your Home

Most people don’t realize that water damage poses the greatest threat to both the interior and exterior of your home.
As we move into the heart of the Summer season, it’s time to make sure your house is sound and protected in preparation for the colder months to come. Here are some tips on where to start and what to look for.
1 – Start at the Top: It’s always a good idea to have your roof, any flashing, tops of chimneys and gutters and downspouts inspected every few years to avoid costly repairs in the future.
    
2 – Out of Sight often translates to Out of Mind:  If you have 2nd or 3rd story dormers, make sure to have the sides inspected for wood rot and/or peeling paint and take care of any needed repairs before things deteriorate any further.
You’ll also want to inspect all horizontal surfaces (as they wear more quickly than other areas on your home) paying particular attention to window sills and bases of doors and columns.
     
3 – Keep it Clean: Just like washing your car regularly helps maintain the durability of the finish, Pressure Cleaning your house every 2-3 years also helps extend the life of the paint job. Stone, stucco, brick, and siding can all be pressure cleaned as well as shutters, patios, pool surrounds, decks, and walkways.

Exterior Carriage House Restoration in Chestnut Hill, Pa.

If time has gotten away from you and you now require a little more than just a standard repaint, you can rest assured that our craftsmen can handle the job. We are currently in the process of completing three such projects in Chestnut Hill, one of which is an exterior Carriage House Restoration project.
The project featured here is the restoration of a carriage house. After a thorough pressure cleaning, our carpenters repaired and replaced rotted fascia board, trim boards, window frames and siding in preparation for the painting. Next, our team of craftsmen tackled the exterior of the carriage house, with extensive prep work being completed before oil priming and applying two finish coats of paint. The front entrance was also given a brand new look with the use of the Fine Paints of Europe in a high gloss finish.





 
 
 
 
 

Front Door Refinishing

One thing you might not know about John Neill Painting & Decorating is that we also do front door refinishing in Philadelphia and The Main Line. If your front door is looking a little dull, you may want to consider having it refinished this summer so it will be sound and properly protected before the colder months arrive. Depending on the condition of the door, it may only require cleaning and applying a fresh coat of varnish. If the door gets direct exposure to the sun however, stripping, staining and applying 2 coats of marine varnish may be the best option. This was the case for these two doors in Gladwyne, PA and Chestnut Hill, PA, and I think it’s safe to say the results are stunning. Let our team of craftsmen update your front entrance with the best and most durable products on the market.

 
 
 

Exterior Stucco Color Change in Haverford, Pa.

After 41 years in business, there are still times when we’re completely amazed at how much something as simple as a color change can transform a house. We are sometimes asked, can stucco color be changed? Absolutely! Take a look at this exterior stucco color change job we did in Haverford, PA. The first step in this process was to remove the shutters for repair and painting in our shop. Next the house was pressure cleaned to remove all dirt and debris to create a clean surface for the new stucco color. Thirty gallons of StoCoat® Lotusan® exterior masonry coating* were applied to the exterior of home, and once complete the shutters were reinstalled. With updates to the exterior landscaping as well, this home has undergone a complete makeover in just under a month and is ready to welcome family and friends all summer.
 

* John Neill Painting only uses the finest products available for each substrate that is to be painted. For stucco we use StoCoat® Lotusan® Lotus-Effect® technology.
Dirt particles are unable to hold on the leaves of the lotus plant and simply flow off with the rain droplets that fall on the plant. The Lotusan® exterior coating possesses a high water-repellent surface similar to that of a lotus leaf. Its microstructure has been modeled on the lotus plant to minimize the contact area for water and dirt. The surface additionally offers enhanced hydrophobic properties.
 The problem with conventional exterior paints is that the soiling of the façade becomes increasingly visible over time. On weather exposed sides in particular, microorganisms find an ideal environment for colonization in the form of adequate moisture and nutrients from the dirt deposits. With the Lotus-Effect® technology on façades, water and dirt flow off immediately. The façade remains dry and attractive.
StoCoat® Lotusan® featuring a pronounced self-cleaning effect:

Very high level of water and dirt repellence after drying of the coating.
Highly resistant to soiling, pronounced self-cleaning effect.
Resists the growth of mold, mildew, and algae.
Excellent weather and chalk resistance, UV-stable.
Ideal for new construction and recoat projects over stucco and fiber cement board substrates.
High water vapor permeability.
Available in virtually any color.

Spring Cleaning and Exterior Pressure Cleaning

Pressure cleaning in Philadelphia & The Main Line is another of a long list of quality services offered by John Neill Painting & Decorating. Does your spring cleaning list include the exterior of your house? We wash our windows, wash our floors, and even wash the lovely coat of green pollen from our cars, but we often forget that the exterior of our house could benefit from a good cleaning as well. Aside from just freshening up the appearance of your home, pressure cleaning every few years also removes build up of algae, mold, and mildew, extending the life of your paint job. Most houses can be washed within 1-2 days with very little disruption to your daily routine. Other areas that can also be pressure cleaned include patios, walkways, stairs, and pool surrounds. Here’s to a clean start this Spring!

 
 
 

The Fine Paints of Europe

Have you ever walked through Society Hill or Old City Philadelphia or among the high-end homes on The Main Line and seen one home that seemed to stand out from the rest? It’s most likely a result of using The Fine Paints of Europe on their front door and often shutters as well. It’s high gloss mirror-like finish not only leaves a beautiful and reflective surface, but also provides a level of protection and depth of color that cannot be achieved with a standard exterior paint.

 

Visit our Painting & Decorating page to see the full gallery of interior and exterior paint and stain applications.

Shutter Repairs and Painting in Society Hill Philadelphia

When we received the call to restore the exterior of this lovely Society Hill home to it’s true beauty and splendor, we knew it was a project our craftsmen would take great pride in completing. We began by removing all of the shutters from the front of the house to be repaired and painted in our shop. Next we pressure cleaned the exterior of the home before addressing additional carpentry repairs to the trim and stucco, and finally painting both the stucco and the trim.





 
 
 
 
 

Replacing Exterior Pillars in Merion, Pa.

This stately home in Merion Pa. welcomes visitors and guests with a covered front porch framed by four 18 foot pillars. The original wooden pillars had been repaired many times over the years, but when we were called out to take a look, we discovered that the best course of action was to replace them. New fiberglass pillars (weighing 600 pounds each) were ordered and installed by our team of carpenters, followed by a fresh coat of white paint.


 


 
 
 

Painting the “White Picket Fence”

Painting the white picket fence is a must to keep your property looking its best and John Neill Painting & Decorating is the best quality paint company serving Philadelphia and The Main Line. The white picket fence has become an iconic image for life in the suburbs in America, but just like any other wooden surface that’s exposed to the elements, it too needs regular maintenance to stay looking it’s best. A thorough pressure cleaning will remove all of the build up, and a little prep work before applying a fresh coat of white paint will ensure the durability of the final outcome. On this particular fence in Devon, PA, we used an oil-based primer followed by two coats of solid stain. We suggest inspecting all exterior wooden surfaces every year for wear and tear to avoid costly repairs, which is often the result of leaving things unattended. Here’s to living the American dream, white picket fence and all.



 
 
 

Historic Restoration in Society Hill Philadelphia

In this historic restoration in Society Hill, this week we had the privilege of painting all of the ironwork at the historic Powel House in preparation for their 250th Anniversary Celebration. The flagship home of the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, this 18th century Georgian home is one of the finest examples of the architecture of the time, and also played a major part in the more recent reconstruction of Society Hill. If you’ll be in the city this weekend and are looking for something to do, consider attending their Garden Party to see this Historic Landmark up close in all it’s glory.