Exterior Painting in Charleston, SC
We wash it, prep it, and paint it right — mildew treated, surfaces sound, and premium coatings built for Charleston's heat, humidity, and salt air.
The Prep Is the Whole Job
In the Lowcountry, exterior paint fails from the bottom up — dirt, mildew, and salt. We stop that at the source.
Pressure Wash First
Every job starts with a thorough wash — dirt, chalk, salt, and grime gone, so new paint bonds to a clean surface.
Mildew Treated at the Source
We kill and treat mildew and algae, not just paint over it, so it doesn't bleed back through your fresh coat.
Scrape, Sand & Seal
We scrape loose paint, sand rough spots, caulk gaps, and prime bare wood before a drop of color goes on.
Coastal-Grade Coatings
Premium coatings chosen for Charleston's heat, humidity, and salt air — so your finish holds its color for years.
Wood Rot Repair
We find and repair rotted trim, fascia, and siding before painting — not seal problems in behind the coat.
5-Year Warranty
Every exterior job is backed by a written 5-year warranty against peeling, mildew bleed-through, and fade.
Prep, Wash & Exterior Painting
The full exterior job, done in the right order for a finish that lasts.
Charleston's Prep-First Painters
In the Lowcountry, an exterior repaint has one job: survive the climate. Charleston's heat, humidity, and salt air are merciless on paint, and the number one reason a repaint fails early is simple — someone painted over a dirty, mildewed, or unprepped surface. Cleanslate was built to be the opposite of that.
For fourteen years we've painted exteriors across Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and the barrier islands, and every single job starts the same way: a thorough pressure wash and mildew treatment, then careful scraping, sanding, repair, caulking, and priming. Only then do we paint, using premium coatings chosen specifically for coastal exposure. We repair wood rot instead of hiding it, seal the gaps salt air loves to sneak through, and back the whole job with a five-year warranty. It's more work up front, and it's the entire reason our finishes still look fresh seasons later. If you want a repaint that actually lasts down here, it starts with the prep.
- ✓14 years painting Lowcountry exteriors
- ✓Wash and mildew-treat before painting
- ✓Coastal-grade coatings
- ✓5-year written warranty
Exteriors We've Refreshed
A few recent Charleston washes and repaints.
Why Ours Doesn't Peel
The three reasons our Lowcountry exteriors outlast the paint-and-pray version.
A Truly Clean Surface
Paint can't bond to dirt, chalk, or mildew. We wash and treat first, so the coating grips bare, clean substrate.
Prep That Doesn't Cut Corners
Scrape, sand, repair, caulk, prime. Every step, every time — because the finish is only as sound as the prep.
Coatings Built for the Coast
Products rated for heat, humidity, and salt air, applied at the right thickness. Backed by a 5-year warranty.
A Clean Slate Is Half the Job
Here's the uncomfortable truth about exterior painting: the paint is the easy part. Anyone can roll on a coat. What separates a finish that lasts a decade from one that peels in a season is everything that happens before the paint — and in a humid, salty, sun-baked climate like Charleston's, that's doubly true. A film of dirt, a patch of mildew, or a chalky old surface will lift even the best paint right off the wall.
That's why we named ourselves Cleanslate. We don't consider an exterior ready for color until it's genuinely clean, dry, sound, and sealed. We wash off years of grime and salt, kill mildew so it can't grow back through, scrape and sand the failing spots, repair rot, and prime every bare inch. It's slower and it's harder, and it's exactly why our customers are still admiring their paint jobs while their neighbors are already peeling. Give us a clean slate to work from, and we'll give you a finish that holds.
- ✓Wash off grime, salt, and chalk
- ✓Kill mildew so it can't return
- ✓Scrape, sand, repair, and prime
- ✓A sound, sealed, paint-ready surface
Give Your Home a Clean Slate
Get a free estimate for a wash-first, prep-first exterior repaint built for the Lowcountry — mildew treated, surfaces sound, and a 5-year warranty.
Exterior Prep & Painting FAQ
Why do you pressure wash before painting?
Because paint cannot bond to a dirty surface — and in Charleston, exteriors collect dirt, chalk, salt, and mildew fast. Painting over any of that traps it under the new coat, where it lifts the paint from below and causes early peeling, bubbling, and mildew bleed-through. A thorough wash gives us a clean, sound surface for the coating to grip. It's the single most important step for a finish that lasts in the Lowcountry, and we never skip it.
Can you get rid of mildew for good?
We treat it at the source so it doesn't come back through your fresh paint. Simply washing or painting over mildew doesn't kill it — it keeps growing beneath the surface and reappears within months. We apply treatments that kill mildew and algae, address the moisture conditions feeding it where we can, and use coatings with mildew-resistant properties. In a humid coastal climate nothing is truly permanent, but proper treatment plus the right paint keeps it away far, far longer.
Do you paint over wood rot or repair it?
We repair it — always. Painting over rotted trim, fascia, or siding just hides a problem that keeps spreading underneath and will ruin the new paint around it. During prep we inspect for rot and damage, and we repair or replace the affected wood before we prime and paint. Any repairs are included in your written estimate so there are no surprises, and you end up with a sound, solid exterior rather than a nicely painted one that's failing beneath the surface.
What kind of paint do you use on the coast?
Premium exterior coatings specifically rated for coastal exposure — high UV resistance to fight fade in the Charleston sun, excellent moisture and mildew resistance for the humidity, and durability against salt air near the water. We match the product to your specific surface, whether it's wood siding, fiber-cement, stucco, or brick, and apply it at the correct thickness. The right coating on a properly prepped surface is what earns our 5-year warranty.
How long does an exterior job take?
Most homes take several days to about a week, depending on size, the amount of prep and repair needed, and drying time — the surface has to be fully dry after washing before we prep and paint, so we schedule around Charleston's weather and humidity. We'll give you a realistic timeline at your estimate and keep you posted. Because we prep thoroughly, the painting itself goes smoothly, and we won't rush a coat onto a surface that isn't ready.
How do I get an estimate?
Call (843) 555-0128 or fill out the form and we'll schedule a free on-site visit. We'll walk your exterior, check for mildew and wood rot, talk through colors, and send a clear written estimate — usually within a day or two. There's no obligation. When you're ready, we'll get you on the schedule and give your home the wash-first, prep-first treatment that makes an exterior repaint actually last down here.
Get Your Free Exterior Estimate
Tell us about your home and we'll set up a free on-site visit and send a clear written estimate — wash-first, prep-first, and a 5-year warranty.