Painting questions, answered

Generally late spring through early fall. Interior painting can be done any time of year.

The limit is temperature and moisture: paint needs the air and the surface to stay warm enough while it cures, and early-spring and late-fall nights in the Rockford area drop too low. Summer humidity and storms slow drying and shape each day's schedule. Booking an exterior early in the year gives the best chance of the timing you want.

Usually moisture. Northern Illinois winters cross the freezing point again and again, and water that gets behind the paint - through a split caulk joint, an open seam or rotten wood - freezes, expands and pushes the paint off.

Where to look first:

• Window sills and the bottoms of trim boards.
• Joints where caulk has cracked open.
• Wood near gutters and downspouts.
• The shady side of the house, where mildew holds moisture.

Fixing the source - caulking, replacing rotten wood, keeping gutters clear - matters as much as the paint itself.

Signs it is time:

• Paint that leaves a chalky powder on your hand.
• Peeling, flaking or cracking, especially on trim.
• Caulk that has split open at joints and corners.
• Bare or gray wood showing anywhere.
• Color that has faded unevenly.

Repainting before the paint has failed completely is usually cheaper, because less repair and prep is needed.

Most cracked plaster can be repaired. Replacing it with drywall is messy, expensive and removes original material from an older house.

Hairline and settling cracks can be filled and painted. Plaster that has come loose from the lath, sags or sounds hollow needs to be secured and patched first. Plaster that is crumbling across a whole wall is the exception.

Older plaster walls may carry lead paint in the old layers if the house was built before 1978, so any sanding needs to follow lead-safe practice.

Stain soaks in and shows the grain; paint sits on top and gives a solid color. Penetrating stain is usually easier to keep up on boards that get walked on, because paint wears through in traffic lanes.

Paint suits railings and trim, and can even out an older deck with mismatched or patched boards. Whichever you choose, the deck has to be cleaned and dry, and loose old coating removed, or the new finish will not last.

Often, yes - if the cabinet boxes are solid and you are keeping the layout and counters. Refinishing changes the look of the room for a fraction of the disruption of a tear-out.

It is not worth it if the cabinets are swollen from water, delaminating or poorly built, because the new finish will not fix the material underneath.

It may have lead-based paint under the newer layers. Lead paint that is intact and in good condition is not an immediate hazard, but sanding, scraping or cutting into it creates dust that is.

Contractors paid to work on painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes are covered by the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which sets how the work must be contained and cleaned up. Mention the age of the house when you ask for an estimate, and ask any painter how they handle it.

Winnebago, Boone and Rock Counties - including Machesney Park, Rockford, Loves Park, Roscoe, Rockton, South Beloit, Belvidere and Poplar Grove in Illinois, and Beloit and Janesville in Wisconsin. Not sure if you are in range? Call (815) 543-4750.

Yes - commercial and industrial, as well as residential.

Sherwin-Williams.

Every job is priced after Brandon has seen it. Size alone does not set the price - the amount of prep, repair and protection does - so no prices are quoted over the phone or in chat. Customers describe the final price as in line with the estimate.

Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Call (815) 543-4750, email affordpaint@yahoo.com, or send the form on the contact page.

Brandon Lund. The business is based at 221 Wilshire Drive in Machesney Park.

Yes - Affordable Painting Services has an A+ rating from the BBB.

No. There are unrelated painters with similar names in other parts of Illinois and beyond. This is Brandon Lund's Affordable Painting Services, based at 221 Wilshire Drive, Machesney Park, phone (815) 543-4750.

Yes. Drywall repair, plaster repair, carpentry repairs and woodworking, and handyman work are all part of what Affordable Painting Services does, so the repair and the paint are handled by the same team.