What should I expect to pay for exterior wood siding painting in Orleans?

Orleans has a wide range of homes with wood siding, from the established neighbourhoods of Convent Glen and Chapel Hill built in the 1970s-80s to newer developments in Avalon and Mer Bleue. Here is what exterior wood siding painting costs in the Orleans area.

Exterior Wood Siding Painting Costs in Orleans

For a standard two-storey home with wood lap siding (roughly 1,500-2,200 sq ft of paintable surface), budget $5,500-$10,000 in Orleans. A bungalow with 800-1,400 sq ft of siding runs $3,500-$7,000, and a large executive home can reach $10,000-$15,000 or more.

Per square foot of siding surface, the breakdown looks like this:

• Power washing: $0.25-$0.50/sq ft
• Scraping and sanding: $0.75-$2.00/sq ft (condition dependent)
• Priming bare or exposed areas: $0.50-$1.00/sq ft
• Caulking all joints, windows, and penetrations: $0.25-$0.50/sq ft
• Two coats of premium exterior paint: $2.00-$3.50/sq ft
• Total range: $3.75-$7.50/sq ft

Orleans pricing tracks closely with broader Ottawa rates, running about 10-15% below what you would pay in the GTA for comparable wood siding work.

Why Wood Siding in Orleans Needs Extra Attention

Orleans sits at the eastern edge of Ottawa's urban area, slightly more exposed to weather coming off the Ottawa River and from the east. Homes in Orleans tend to experience:

• Higher moisture exposure from Ottawa's 200+ cm annual snowfall, particularly on north and east-facing walls
• Intense sun exposure on south and west walls, causing UV degradation and paint chalking
• Ice damming effects at the siding-soffit junction from Ottawa's freeze-thaw cycles

Wood siding that has gone too long between repaints (more than 8-10 years) often shows bare wood, grain cracking, and early rot on the most exposed faces. The south and west walls of Orleans homes deteriorate noticeably faster than the protected sides.

Prep Work Drives the Cost

The condition of your existing paint determines whether your project lands at the low or high end of the price range:

Good condition (paint mostly intact, minimal peeling, no bare wood): Light power wash, spot scraping, spot priming, caulking, and two coats. This is the $3.75-$5.00/sq ft range.

Moderate condition (widespread chalking, peeling in exposed areas, some bare wood): Thorough power washing, extensive scraping, sanding of all peeling edges, full priming of bare areas with an alkyd or shellac-based primer, complete recaulking, and two coats. This lands in the $5.00-$6.50/sq ft range.

Poor condition (extensive peeling, bare and greyed wood, early rot, failed caulking): Full prep including possible wood consolidation with epoxy hardener on soft areas, Dutchman repairs (splicing in new wood) for rotted sections, complete scraping to sound paint, full priming, and two coats. Budget $6.50-$7.50/sq ft plus $15-$40 per board for replacement sections.

Paint Selection for Orleans Wood Siding

For wood siding in Ottawa's climate, your painter should use a 100% acrylic latex exterior paint from a professional-grade line. The top choices are:

• Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior ($75-$85/gallon): Self-priming, excellent adhesion, outstanding colour retention. The premium choice that delivers a 15-20 year service life when properly applied.
• Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior ($70-$80/gallon): Comparable performance with strong flexibility for wood's expansion and contraction.
• Benjamin Moore Regal Select Exterior ($55-$65/gallon): Excellent mid-range option with very good durability.

A two-storey Orleans home typically requires 15-25 gallons depending on surface area and porosity, putting material costs at $1,000-$2,000 for premium paint.

Sheen recommendation: Satin or low-lustre for the siding body, semi-gloss for trim, fascia, and window frames. Flat exterior paints hide imperfections but collect dirt faster and are harder to clean.

Orleans Neighbourhood Considerations

Older Orleans neighbourhoods like Convent Glen, Queenswood Heights, and Fallingbrook have many homes with original 1970s-80s wood siding that may have multiple layers of old paint. When paint builds up beyond 3-4 layers, it becomes brittle and prone to alligator cracking. In severe cases, full paint stripping may be recommended before repainting, which adds significant cost.

Newer Orleans areas like Avalon and Cardinal Creek sometimes feature wood accent siding combined with vinyl or engineered products. If only a portion of your home has wood siding, costs drop proportionally.

For detailed estimates from painters experienced with Orleans homes, check Ottawa Paint Contractors on the Ottawa Construction Network directory. Getting three written quotes ensures you understand the prep scope and can compare approaches for your specific siding condition.