Will I be able to open my windows while the house is masked?

Not the ones covered for spraying, while they are covered. Masking is usually done elevation by elevation, so only part of the house is closed at a time, and windows are uncovered as each side is finished. If you need a particular window or door open for air, a pet or a medical reason, say so at the estimate and it is planned for.

What do I need to move before the painters arrive?

Outside: potted plants, patio furniture, decorations, hoses and anything stored against the walls. Inside: small items, valuables, photos and anything fragile on shelves near the walls. Heavy furniture is usually moved to the middle of the room and covered. Ebenezer will go through the list with you before the start date.

How do you protect plants next to the house?

Plants are watered and covered with breathable drop cloths or light sheeting while work is going on near them, and uncovered as soon as that section is done, because a plant left under plastic in the sun can scorch. Branches that touch the wall may need tying back.

What happens if paint gets on something that was not masked?

It is cleaned while it is fresh, which is the best time to remove it without damage, and it is part of the final walk-through. If anything is not right when the job is finished, Ebenezer comes back and repairs it. That is his guarantee.

Masking and Protection on Prep Days

Before any paint goes on, everything that is not being painted is covered: windows, doors, fixtures, floors, roof edges, concrete, plants and anything that cannot be moved. Inside, furniture is moved and covered and floors are protected. The masking plan changes with the method, spray or brush, and with the wind on the day, and it is checked again before the tape comes off.

The day the masking goes up is the day the house stops looking like your house. Windows disappear under paper and film, the doorstep turns into a canvas runway and the shrubs along the side yard are wearing sheets. It looks like a lot of fuss before a single brushful of paint has gone on.

It is also the day that decides whether the finished job has clean lines and clean floors, or a fine mist of color on the windows, the car and the neighbor’s fence.

Why does masking take so long?

Masking is precise work done on every edge of the house that meets a painted surface. On a typical exterior that means every window, door, light fixture, vent, hose bib and the roof line, plus the concrete and the plants. It is slower than painting itself on many homes, and it is what lets the painting go on cleanly.

On Ebenezer’s exteriors it comes third in a fixed order: power wash, check and repair the stucco and wood, mask, then paint. Masking after the repairs means the protection goes on clean, dry surfaces and stays put.

What gets covered on an exterior?

Windows and glass doors, with paper or film taped to the frame or the glass, depending on whether the frame is being painted.
Doors that are not being painted, and their hardware.
Light fixtures, house numbers, doorbells, cameras and meters. Some are removed; some are wrapped.
Roof edges and gutters where they meet painted fascia or stucco.
Concrete: driveways, walkways, patios and steps, covered with drop cloths where people walk and anywhere paint could drip.
Plants and planters near the walls, with breathable covers.
Air conditioning units, pool equipment and anything else fixed in place.
Vehicles and neighboring property, by moving cars and checking the wind before any spraying.

Spray days and brush days

The masking plan depends on the method. Ebenezer chooses spray or brush per job, and your preference comes first. Spraying covers stucco well and lays down an even film, but it needs much more masking because mist travels. Brushing and rolling needs less, and is often used for trim, doors and detailed areas even on a sprayed job. The estimate tells you which parts get which method, and that tells you how much of the house will be covered at once.

Wind changes the plan

A light onshore breeze is normal most afternoons in San Diego, and close to the coast in places like Imperial Beach it can be steady. On Santa Ana days the wind turns hot, dry and gusty from the east. Overspray carries on any of them. Spraying is planned around the wind, and on a gusty day the sensible answer is to brush and roll, or to work the sheltered side of the house. In closely spaced neighborhoods such as Eastlake and Otay Ranch, where the next house is a few steps away, this matters even more.

What gets covered inside?

Interior protection follows the same idea with different materials.

Furniture is moved to the center of the room, or out, and covered.
Floors are covered with canvas drop cloths, which stay put and absorb drips. Hard floors in walkways may also get a heavier protective board.
Switch plates and outlet covers are removed and kept together, so the paint goes behind them rather than around them.
Fixtures and hardware that stay in place are wrapped.
Trim, cabinets and ceilings are taped where they meet a wall that is being painted a different color.
Doorways into rooms that are not being painted are closed off when there is sanding or spraying.

Interior work follows the same sequence as an exterior without the wash: repairs, then protection, then paint.

The materials matter

Not all tape is the same. Some tapes hold well outdoors in sun and dew; others are made to release cleanly from fresh or delicate paint without lifting it. Tape left on in strong sun for too long can bake on and leave residue, so exterior masking is put up and taken down on a schedule rather than left for the whole job.

Drop cloths differ too. Canvas is used on floors and walkways because it lies flat and does not slip. Plastic sheeting covers things that must stay completely dry, such as an AC unit during washing. Breathable fabric goes over plants, which can scorch under plastic in a sunny afternoon in Santee or anywhere inland.

Living in the house while it is masked

You will be living with some of this. A few things make it easier:

Masking goes up in sections. One or two elevations at a time, uncovered when they are done.
Exits stay open. At least one door is always usable, and doors are never sealed in a way that would trap anyone inside.
Tell us what you need. A window you open for a pet, a door the dog uses, a medical need for fresh air, a delivery you are expecting. It is planned in.
Keep pets inside or away from the work area on spray days.

When the tape comes off

Unmasking is part of the work, not an afterthought. Tape is pulled at the right time and at a low angle so it leaves a clean line instead of tearing the new paint. Any spot where paint has crept under is touched up. Then comes a walk-around with you. If something is not right, Ebenezer comes back and repairs it; that is his guarantee.

Masking is part of every exterior painting job he does, and every interior one. The full process is written out step by step.

If you would like to know how your house would be protected, room by room or wall by wall, ask for a free estimate. Ebenezer will walk it with you and tell you what will be covered, when, and what you can leave exactly where it is.