3 min read
Painting fiber-cement and wood siding vs replacing it
When does Houston siding need a repaint, a repair, or replacement? How to tell sound siding from failing siding, what partial replacement involves, and how painting fits in.
Field notes
Written for the person holding the budget. Buyer problems, not company news: for Houston homeowners, and for the people who run communities.
Featured · For property operators
Why you cannot compare renovation cost between your own communities
If make-ready means something different in every market, cost per unit is not a comparison — it is two different numbers wearing the same label. What to fix, and in what order.
2 min read
Read the articleFor homeowners
Painting, prep and upkeep for Houston houses. Cover images are illustrative.
3 min read
How long does exterior paint last on a Houston home — and the signs it's time
Exterior paint in Houston wears out unevenly — sun-facing walls first, damp shaded walls next. Here is what decides how long a paint job lasts and the signs that a repaint is due.
3 min read
What drives the cost of exterior house painting in Houston
Two Houston houses on the same street can need very different painting estimates. These are the factors that set the price — prep, siding, height, repairs, colours and the coating system.
3 min read
Prep is the paint job: pressure washing, scraping, caulking and wood repair
Most of a lasting exterior paint job happens before the first coat. Here is what washing, scraping, sanding, wood repair, caulking and priming involve on a Houston house — and what changes on a house built before 1978.
3 min read
Choosing exterior paint for Houston heat, humidity and mildew
How to choose exterior coatings for a Houston house — paint types, sheens, primers and mildew resistance — and why preparation matters more than the label on the can.
3 min read
The best time of year to paint a house exterior in Houston
Houston's heat, humidity and rain all affect exterior paint. Here is why fall and spring are usually easiest, what paint labels say about temperature and dew point, and how to plan around the weather.
For property operators
Scoping, turnovers, budgets and envelope failures, for managers and owners.
4 min read
Make-ready before the holiday move-outs: a Houston property manager's turnover plan
How Houston property managers can line up make-ready before the holiday move-outs — walk each unit, write the scope down, keep one point of contact and close every turn on a punch list.
4 min read
Exterior repairs Houston property managers should finish before winter
A pre-winter exterior repair checklist for Houston property managers — gutters, door and window seals, damaged siding and trim, exterior stairs and roof edges — and how to scope it in writing.
2 min read
The item that never appears on a walk sheet
If the same homes in your community keep needing subfloor repairs, the subfloor is not the problem. Here is the thing nobody records, because nobody looks underneath.