Interior and Exterior Painting in Ottawa

What does interior and exterior painting in Ottawa include?

Interior painting starts with furniture protection — moving what can move, covering what cannot — and careful masking of floors, trim, windows, and fixtures so paint lands where it should. Then comes surface prep: patching nail holes, cracks, and dings with compound, sanding patched areas and any rough spots smooth, caulking gaps where trim meets walls to create clean lines, and priming new drywall, dark colours being covered, or heavily patched areas. Once prep is done, we roll two finish coats on walls and ceilings, cutting in carefully at edges and corners, and paint trim, doors, and railings when they are included in the scope. Exterior painting adds more prep intensity: power washing to remove dirt, mildew, and chalking paint; scraping or wire-brushing any loose or peeling paint down to a sound edge; sanding rough transitions; priming bare wood, raw patches, and heavily weathered areas with a primer formulated to seal and bond; and then two finish coats of exterior paint rated for Ottawa’s freeze-thaw cycles, UV exposure, and temperature swings. One contractor handles the whole scope, one fixed quote covers labour and materials, and we clean up at the end of every day so the house stays livable while the work is happening.

How is painting quoted?

The four tiers — single room, main-floor interior, whole-home interior, and exterior — reflect both area and the intensity of prep work, which varies widely. A room or two is straightforward: measure the walls and ceiling, check the condition, note how much patching and priming is needed, and quote it. A main-floor interior covers the connected living areas in one setup. A whole-home interior means every room in the house, which brings some efficiency because the painter is set up on site for days or weeks, but it also requires coordination around furniture, daily routines, and phased access so you are not locked out of every room at once. An exterior involves ladders or scaffolding for second storeys and peaks, weather-dependent scheduling because rain and cold stop the work, and significantly more surface prep on older homes where paint is peeling or wood is weathered. After a site visit we measure wall and ceiling area, count doors and windows, assess how much patching and scraping is needed, discuss the colours and sheen you want, and send a fixed line-item quote. Ceilings, trim, and exterior soffits and fascia are itemized separately because they take more time per square foot than walls, and the quote breaks those out so you know what is driving the price and can choose to defer some items if budget is tight.

How many coats of paint do you apply?

Two finish coats over a sound, primed surface. New drywall, patched areas, and colour changes from dark to light get a primer coat first so the finish colour covers evenly. Exterior bare wood and heavily weathered surfaces also get primed. Skipping primer to save time usually means a third finish coat later, so we do it right the first time.

Which paints do you use?

Low-VOC interior paints from major manufacturers — Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, or equivalent — chosen for the room’s use and your priorities. Kitchens and bathrooms get higher-sheen paints (satin or semi-gloss) that resist moisture and wipe clean when spills happen. Living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms typically get matte or eggshell finishes that hide imperfections and feel softer on the eye. Ceilings almost always get flat white unless you request otherwise. Exterior paints are a different formula: acrylic latex for wood siding and trim, masonry paints for brick or stucco, and rust-inhibiting primers and topcoats for metal railings and doors. Ottawa’s temperature swings from minus-thirty in January to plus-thirty in July, and the paint has to flex with the substrate as it expands and contracts; cheap exterior paint cracks and peels within a few years. We confirm the brand, product line, colour, and sheen in the quote so you know exactly what is going on your walls, and we do not substitute a different product to save a few dollars per gallon unless you approve the change first.

When can exterior painting be done in Ottawa?

Exterior painting needs dry surfaces and temperatures above 10°C during application and curing, which in Ottawa generally means late May through September. Early fall can work if the forecast cooperates. We schedule exterior projects around weather windows and keep an interior job ready as a backup when the forecast turns.

Is painting included in other renovation services?

Yes. Kitchen, bathroom, basement, and addition projects include paint in their quotes — the walls and ceilings in the work area are finished as part of the job. This painting service page is for stand-alone projects: repainting a few rooms, refreshing an entire interior, or tackling the exterior when no other renovation is happening.

Good paint over bad prep is a waste of good paint. We patch, sand, and prime the surfaces that need it so the finish coats go on smooth and stay that way.