There's some soft wood around our window frames and along the bottom of the siding. Do painters handle rot repair, or do we need a carpenter first before getting the house painted?

Many experienced exterior painting contractors in Metro Vancouver handle minor to moderate wood rot repair as part of their scope of work, since rot is so common here given our damp coastal climate. However, the extent of the damage determines whether a painter can handle it or whether you need a dedicated carpenter or even a building envelope specialist.

For small areas of soft wood — such as window sill corners, trim ends, or isolated spots along the bottom course of siding — painters typically dig out the soft material, treat the area with a wood hardener like Minwax or PC-Petrifier, and fill it with a two-part epoxy filler such as PC Woody or Bondo Wood Filler. Once cured and sanded, these repairs hold up well under paint and can last many years.

If the rot extends deeper than about 25 millimetres, or if the framing or sheathing behind the siding is compromised, that crosses into carpentry territory. Structural rot around windows can also indicate a building envelope issue, which is particularly relevant for Vancouver homes built during the leaky condo era of the 1980s and 1990s. In those cases, you should have the damage assessed before painting over it.

A good painting contractor will be upfront about what they can repair themselves and what needs a specialist. Budget roughly $150 to $400 per area for minor epoxy rot repairs done by the painting crew, while full board or trim replacement by a carpenter typically runs $300 to $800 per section depending on accessibility.

As a next step, poke any suspect areas with a screwdriver — if it sinks in more than a few millimetres, mark those spots so your painter can assess them during the estimate.

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