# Painting Soffits the same as trim color



## ezpaintks

I have a HO that wants her house the "same" as it is now. Build in 1994 and has soffits the same color of the trim/gutters. I have never run into this before....I know it may be odd but I havn't.

Anyone have and tips/tricks on getting that done in an efficient mannor. Not sure if I should spray the body first and then some how "sheild" the body. or vise versa. Or even what to sheild it with....thought paper.
Any tips would be great! As I am trying to get a bid out asap. 

Also, not that I would want a number but does any one charge extra for that since there is more prep work. I would assume yes, but you know where that gets ya.


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## Workaholic

This side of PT the soffits are normally painted with the trim unless a 3 tone job is being done. What do you normally paint them with the siding? 

I would spray the siding and then do the soffit and fascia by hand. Of course you could spray the soffit and fascia and the siding but just use shielding such as spray shields.


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## TJ Paint

just get it done


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## ezpaintks

Workaholic said:


> This side of PT the soffits are normally painted with the trim unless a 3 tone job is being done. What do you normally paint them with the siding?
> 
> I would spray the siding and then do the soffit and fascia by hand. Of course you could spray the soffit and fascia and the siding but just use shielding such as spray shields.


Almost all of our homes around here have soffits the body color, not sure quite why but that is just how most are look/done. 
Thanks for the info.


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## Harry

ezpaintks said:


> Almost all of our homes around here have soffits the body color, not sure quite why but that is just how most are look/done.
> Thanks for the info.


So if the soffits are trim color, it's easier, right?


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## jack pauhl

I do soffits and trim first then body last. I trim body with a 311, some paper or film some shield.

Recently we are seeing 1 color on entire house, looks odd.


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## ezpaintks

Harry said:


> So if the soffits are trim color, it's easier, right?


Easier for sure


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## ezpaintks

jack pauhl said:


> I do soffits and trim first then body last. I trim body with a 311, some paper or film some shield.
> 
> Recently we are seeing 1 color on entire house, looks odd.


That is what I was thinking at first, spraying the soffits and upper trim/gutters first then going back and doing the body. Then finishing the rest of the trim by hand.

I think the 1 color house is odd also. In my area we still trim out the house though but our soffits usually match the body. I just didn't know the most efficient way of doing it as time is money , however I don't want to be on that job forever.


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## Last Craftsman

ezpaintks said:


> Easier for sure


Not necessarily.

A lot of times it's way easier to spray the fascia and gutters, then reverse mask them taping to the bottom of the fascia, then spray out the soffits with the body color when you spray the body.

A lot of times there is no where good to tape to if you need to mask off the entire soffit, and it requires more masking length to wrap the soffit so it's more of a bitch to deal with in the wind, or if it rains etc.

Unless you spray the body first then drop plastic down all the way, but that wastes a lot of plastic, and having huge sails of plastic around lots of wet trim paint can produce it's own problems, and also sometimes ladders need to go on top of the plastic which can yank on the tape seam.

It can be a bitch whichever you do first. A lot of times, it depends on the house and the situation.


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## Visenhance

We usually run into that here. Although there has been a run lately of painting soffits & fascia the body color. We always spray soffit & fascia first, then shield it off and spray & backroll the body.


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## ezpaintks

ezpaintks said:


> Easier for sure


Sorry I mis spoke/typed. If the soffits are the body color it is earier. That is why I posted my original question as I have not had to paint soffits the same color as the trim/gutters. Usually then "paddel sheild" off the facia.


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## y.painting

Soffits in the same color as body looks terrible!


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## Harry

Last Craftsman said:


> Not necessarily.
> 
> A lot of times it's way easier to spray the fascia and gutters, then reverse mask them taping to the bottom of the fascia, then spray out the soffits with the body color when you spray the body.
> 
> A lot of times there is no where good to tape to if you need to mask off the entire soffit, and it requires more masking length to wrap the soffit so it's more of a bitch to deal with in the wind, or if it rains etc.
> 
> Unless you spray the body first then drop plastic down all the way, but that wastes a lot of plastic, and having huge sails of plastic around lots of wet trim paint can produce it's own problems, and also sometimes ladders need to go on top of the plastic which can yank on the tape seam.
> 
> It can be a bitch whichever you do first. A lot of times, it depends on the house and the situation.


I was referring to the soffit (just the underside portion). If this is a different color than the fascia or trim or even the lip of whatever intersects the underside, it's more work than if you just sprayed fascia, soffit and all trim, same color.


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## BC_Painter

I've only ever done 1 soffit the same color as the siding because they used the same board and batton type material for the soffit.

Every other soffit I've done in my career was trim color  ( if not already aluminum ) :thumbsup:


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## jack pauhl

It helps to have soffits/trim painted prior to siding... you might find it difficult to spray soffits and keep it off the siding. You dont have to spray the top 2-3 laps if that helps your spraying to keep it off already finished soffits/trim. 

I'm fairly clean/accurate when shooting and ive used a 210 to get close enough leaving only the top lap for a brush.


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## aaron61

About half way through this video you can see where we have allready sprayed the gutters,soffits & fascias the same color and are now spraying the stucco.This is the way it is usually done on the nicer homes. Down here the soffits are the same as the body on the less expensive homes.


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## BC_Painter

jack pauhl said:


> It helps to have soffits/trim painted prior to siding... you might find it difficult to spray soffits and keep it off the siding. You dont have to spray the top 2-3 laps if that helps your spraying to keep it off already finished soffits/trim.
> 
> I'm fairly clean/accurate when shooting and ive used a 210 to get close enough leaving only the top lap for a brush.



I rarely spray soffits at all, then again it's rare that I do a house that would require it since most of the time they're aluminum....:whistling2:


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## aaron61

BC_Painter said:


> I rarely spray soffits at all, then again it's rare that I do a house that would require it since most of the time they're aluminum....:whistling2:


Doesn't the aluminum become discolored over time?? Most of the ones we are doing are vinyl & aluminum and they just look like crap if you don't paint them.


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## BC_Painter

aaron61 said:


> Doesn't the aluminum become discolored over time?? Most of the ones we are doing are vinyl & aluminum and they just look like crap if you don't paint them.


I haven't had a house with aluminum soffits yet that looked bad.

Eaves are another story, but it's still rare to paint those as well here at least.

I've done plenty of aluminum siding that was in rough shape, but never once done an aluminum soffit


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## aaron61

Interesting............we do them on almost every home


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## BC_Painter

aaron61 said:


> Interesting............we do them on almost every home


It could be that all the older soffits that need painting up here were just before we adopted aluminum soffits, for the most part they're fairly new, nothing too old.

Anything that is older tends to be wood here.


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## jack pauhl

aaron61 said:


> Interesting............we do them on almost every home


Is there an advantage spraying vs rolling the stucco portion on a house like the video? Looks smooth.


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## aaron61

jack pauhl said:


> Is there an advantage spraying vs rolling the stucco portion on a house like the video? Looks smooth.


Yes,it's faster and more efficient for us


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## ReNt A PaInTeR

aaron61 said:


> Yes,it's faster and more efficient for us


I agree, Do you use Elastomeric for stucco ??


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## dvp

i guess im backwards. i spray and backroll stucco, then mask the soffets with 2" tape and 18" paper and spray them. works for me. our soffets usually have exposed rafters.


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## VanDamme

dvp said:


> i guess im backwards. i spray and backroll stucco, then mask the soffets with 2" tape and 18" paper and spray them. works for me. our soffets usually have exposed rafters.


That's what do, too. I'll mask (get my line) with 2" tape and then hand-mask with 9" or 12" paper, and use a 310 or 311 tip to spray with.


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## aaron61

dvp said:


> i guess im backwards. i spray and backroll stucco, then mask the soffets with 2" tape and 18" paper and spray them. works for me. our soffets usually have exposed rafters.


Do you guys do your walls first then ceilings on interiors as well??
I don't know,I guess i'm kinda looking at the gravity thing as well.Paint is more likely to fall down on to the walls then up to the soffits!

:whistling2:


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## VanDamme

aaron61 said:


> Do you guys do your walls first then ceilings on interiors as well??
> I don't know,I guess i'm kinda looking at the gravity thing as well.Paint is more likely to fall down on to the walls then up to the soffits!
> 
> :whistling2:


Aaron, I'm still learning. Speak to me about this gravity thing you mention.


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## dvp

aaron61 said:


> Do you guys do your walls first then ceilings on interiors as well??
> I don't know,I guess i'm kinda looking at the gravity thing as well.Paint is more likely to fall down on to the walls then up to the soffits!
> 
> :whistling2:


our soffets here(SO CAL) are not a flat easily mask-able surface like yours in the photo,, they look like a row of open boxes and are uneven and virtually un maskable. if they are ever enclosed they are usually stuccoed along with the body.it is normal here for soffets and trim to be same color. i dont think anyone would paint ceilings last, inside, but i could be wrong.


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## johnpaint

VanDamme said:


> Aaron, I'm still learning. Speak to me about this gravity thing you mention.


Don't you know (Mean old Mr Gravity) and what he can do.lol


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## nEighter

a ton of the homes here in KC are like this dude, where in ks are you painting?


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## aaron61

ReNt A PaInTeR said:


> I agree, Do you use Elastomeric for stucco ??


Not very often.


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## Dunbar Painting

I spray soffits, then spray shield them when I spray the wall. When I go back to paint the outer fascia I touch up any overspray on the soffits.


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## ezpaintks

nEighter said:


> a ton of the homes here in KC are like this dude, where in ks are you painting?


Topeka


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## nEighter

Hey I will be headed to salina soon, dad's place is there (where I grew up) have one of my best buds that live in Topeka. I will get ahold of you when I come through.


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