Wood Painting
Wood Painting in Vancouver, BC
Painting wood looks easy until you've watched a coat of latex peel off cedar in a single Vancouver winter. Real wood — cedar, fir, pine, hemlock — needs the right primer, the right number of coats and the right finish to hold up. We've spent a decade dialling in systems that bond, breathe and last.
If you paint cedar without a tannin-blocking primer, brown stains bleed through every white topcoat within weeks — we see it constantly on Vancouver re-paints. We always prime cedar with an oil- or shellac-based stain-blocker that locks tannins in for good, then top with two coats of a flexible 100% acrylic exterior. Knots in fir and pine get the same primer treatment so they never bleed through.
Interior wood — paneling, beams, built-ins, mantels — needs a different approach. Old varnish or polyurethane has to be sanded to break the sheen so primer can bite, then a bonding primer goes down before topcoat. Skip this and the new paint chips off the first time someone touches it. Done right, painted wood reads as smooth and modern as drywall.
On exterior wood we caulk every joint where water can find its way in, back-prime any cut ends, and seal end grain with extra primer — this is where 90% of premature paint failure starts. We finish with a breathable 100% acrylic so trapped moisture can escape without lifting the film.
- Cedar siding and shingles — primed to lock in tannin bleed
- Fir trim, pine paneling, hemlock beams and built-ins
- Failing finishes scraped, sanded, spot-primed
- Stain-blocking primer on every knot and bare wood face
- Two coats premium 100% acrylic finish — flat to satin
- Caulked, back-primed and sealed end grain on exterior wood
Our Process
How we deliver wood projects
On-site assessment
We identify the wood species, check existing finish, moisture and any rot, and write a fixed quote.
Scrape & sand
Failing finishes scraped to a sound edge, glossy areas sanded, dust vacuumed cleanly.
Stain-block & prime
Tannin-blocking primer over cedar, knot-blocker on fir and pine, bonding primer on varnished interior wood.
Two coats premium acrylic
Hand brushed, rolled or sprayed-and-back-brushed for full coverage and breathability.
Caulk, seal & warranty
All joints caulked, end grain sealed, project walked through and backed by written warranty.
Built for Vancouver homes & weather
Vancouver is built out of wood — cedar siding on Kitsilano character homes, fir trim throughout the West Side, pine paneling in 70s East Van rec rooms, hemlock beams in modern North Shore builds. Each species behaves differently when painted, and our climate is unusually hard on every one of them. We know which primer-and-topcoat system actually lasts on each.
Wood painting questions, answered
How much does wood painting cost in Vancouver?
Exterior cedar siding repaints typically run $4,500–$15,000+ depending on home size and prep level; interior wood (paneling, beams, built-ins) is usually quoted by the room. Free on-site quotes.
Why does paint peel off cedar?
Almost always because of skipped primer or trapped moisture. Cedar tannins bleed through latex, and any moisture in the wood expands and lifts non-breathable film. We use stain-blocking primers and breathable 100% acrylic topcoats so neither happens.
Can you paint over stained or varnished interior wood?
Yes. We sand to break the sheen, then apply a bonding primer rated for slick urethane and oil-based finishes before two coats of a hard, washable enamel.
Will painted wood look like real wood?
No — painted wood reads as smooth and uniform like drywall. If you want grain visible, look at our wood staining service instead.
How long does a wood paint job last?
Properly prepped and primed cedar siding in Vancouver typically holds 8–12 years before any maintenance is needed; interior painted wood lasts indefinitely.
Is your work guaranteed?
Yes — every wood painting project is backed by our written workmanship warranty against peeling, chipping and tannin bleed-through.
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