Leesburg & Loudoun County, VA.
Looking for affordable, licensed & insured local barn painters? Based in Leesburg VA, Boyer Cook Painting is a “Family Owned & Operated” painting company in operation since 2003. We specialize in repainting barns and historic barns.
Painting or staining a barn involves more than just slapping a fresh coat of paint over the old one. It's a bigger undertaking – if done right!
Step 1: Evaluate the Barn's ConditionLook for signs of wet or dry rot where boards need replacing; check window sashes, the bottoms of doors, and hinges for signs of rodent damage, rot, or insect infestation; keep an eye out for missing nails, warped boards, damaged vents, leaky roof, and other types of damage. Make a note of everything that needs to be fixed to restore the barn to its former glory.
Step 2: Have Significant Structural and Foundational Repairs Fixed
Pay special attention to any areas where the paint has fallen away completely, as these exposed sections are more at risk of insect or weather damage.
Smaller areas of rot can be removed and replaced by wood plugs. More extensive damage may require whole sections of new wood siding. Warped planks also need replacing before painting can begin.
Step 3: Make Minor RepairsReplace missing nails, caulk around windows, doors, corners, and other exposed joints. Caulking is an important but often overlooked task. It protects the wood by preventing water seeping into vulnerable areas like the window trim.
Step 4: Clean the Exterior of the BarnPrep the surface for painting/staining, starting with giving it a thorough cleaning. Assuming the barn isn't too old, the wood is of good quality, and the majority of the previous paint or stain is still there, power washing is a great option.
If, on the other hand, you have an older barn that's at risk of damage from a pressure washer, it should be washed by hand with hot water and a stiff brush.
Step 5: Remove Loose PaintNo matter the option you choose, the cleaning process will also likely remove or flake up some of the old paint. To properly prepare the surface for the new coat, you need to scrape and sand away as much old, loose paint as possible. Sanding also roughens up the surface for better adhesion of the new stain or paint coat.
After washing and cleaning, the barn needs a couple of days to fully dry before you can apply a coat of primer to the exterior. This step is worth the extra time and effort. A primer undercoat improves topcoat adhesion, and gives a smoother, longer-lasting finish that resists flaking and bubbling.
If your barn has previously been treated with linseed oil, use two coats of oil-based primer, with 24 hours between each application. The first will soak into the wood and recondition it like plain linseed oil would, and the second coat serves as a standard primer coat. For newer barns not previously conditioned with linseed oil, you can use a single coat of latex primer.
Step 7: Paint the Barn
From here you’ll want to leave a full 24 hours for the primer to dry thoroughly. Then it's time, finally, to paint and restore your barn to its original beauty.
Latex paint is the favored type, as it's flexible, resilient, fade-resistant, and has along lifespan. On average, a gallon of latex exterior wood paint covers between 225 and 300 sq. feet. However, this coverage depends on how thick you apply the paint and how many coats the barn needs, so it's smart to overestimate and have some left over for retouches.
If you've done all the prep work right and you go for a good quality paint, it should last 7 years before it needs another staining or repainting.
Why Hire Us for Your Barn Painting Project?
· Deal with local owners based in Leesburg, VA. Since 2003
· Affordable written quotes for homeowners, realtors, businesses
· Color matching and color selection, expert advice
· Special Stain formulations, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Sashco
· We take care of drywall, carpentry, trim & molding work
· Licensed & insured painters in VA
· Pay by Check, VISA, or PayPal
Our Service Area
Our remodeling services cover Loudoun County and Northern Fairfax County VA. Leesburg, Lansdown, Purcellville, Ashburn, Aldie, Sterling, Broadlands, Brambleton, Round Hill, Lovettsville, Hamilton, Potomac Falls, Belmont, Dulles, Luckett’s, Hillsboro, Waterford, Middelburg.