John Brown Restoration - Exterior Prep & Paint

Can you believe it’s been 3 years since we purchased the John Brown House in Halifax - crazy right? My goal has always been to have this entire project completed by year 4. I’ve always seen the potential for this property to be a thriving Airbnb vacation rental or an event venue.

COVID-19 sure put a damper on things and slowed the restoration of the property. I’m glad I found a willing and able local painting company that could help us during these crazy times - Flying Colours Painting in Roanoke. Darryl and his crew started the prep work in the beginning of August. The prep work consisted of power washing, scrapping, and sanding down the exterior siding (prior to primer/paint). Here are a few of the progress shots:

The crew did a phenomenal job and definitely worked hard on getting the house ready for primer and paint. This was a project we for sure wanted to sub out and not take on ourselves. We just didn’t have the time (with the new baby) or the additional help. We decided to go with a similar color to Sherwin Williams Greek Villa for the exterior color. We wanted something off-white and we wanted to stay true to the historic charm of the house. We will introduce some color on the shutters and potentially on the trim that was left untouched (surprise surprise).

What do you think of our color choice?

Next up will be to restore the front facade/porch. We will need to pour new concrete footers in the front and address the crumbling brick piers that are holding up the porch. The majority of the woodwork is in great condition, just a few minor repairs. The deck has to be replaced, as the majority of the boards were rotten. I’m thinking of using tongue and groove composite boards for the porch/deck flooring. I need something that will hold up for another 100+ years.

If you are looking to hire a local painting company in Halifax, North Carolina my recommendation would be Flying Colours Painting. Communication was great throughout the entire project.

Flying Colours Painting: Facebook