Exterior Painting and Staining Services by Five Star Homes
Paint vs. Stain: Which is Best for You?
Paint and stain are not interchangeable, and using the wrong one on the wrong surface is one of the most common reasons exterior finishes fail early.
Paint sits on top of the surface and creates a protective film that seals out moisture, which is what you want on siding and trim, where a clean, opaque finish makes sense. Stain penetrates the wood grain rather than forming a film, allowing exposed wood to breathe and move with the seasons. That's the right call for decks and fences, as well as other natural wood features where moisture exchange matters.
The pain point most homeowners experience isn't picking between the two. It's the cost of getting either one done right. Exterior work in the Portland metro has gotten expensive enough that families put off projects they shouldn't, then pay more later when underlying wood starts to rot or paint failure spreads to surfaces that didn't need it.
Five Star Homes is a family-run contracting company offering exterior painting and staining services throughout the Portland metro and Pacific Northwest. We use Sherwin-Williams products, run a lean operation without the overhead of canvassing-driven competitors, and start every project with a complimentary estimate.
What We Paint and Stain
Our exterior coating work extends beyond the main siding area. Most homes have multiple surfaces, each with its own prep and product needs, such as:
Siding (wood, fiber cement, engineered wood, and similar cladding)
Trim and fascia
Soffits and overhangs
Decks and deck boards
Fences and wood enclosures
Garage doors and exterior doors
Exposed architectural wood features like columns and beams
Before any paint or stain goes on, we address what's underneath. Damaged trim boards get replaced. Gaps get caulked. Minor wood repairs come first because a coating is only as good as the substrate it's sitting on.
Residential Painting and Staining Services
A full exterior repaint or restain is one of the highest-impact improvements a homeowner can make to a home's curb appeal and long-term protection. We handle complete home repaints, accent trim work, door painting, and architectural detail finishing. On the staining side, we work on wood siding, decks, fences, and exposed beam features where penetrating stain is the right call.
Every residential project begins with a thorough surface wash using softwash, which removes biological growth and surface contamination without the high-pressure damage that can open wood grain or force water behind siding. Clean surfaces are non-negotiable for proper adhesion.
HOA and Multi-Family Exterior Services
We also handle exterior painting for HOAs and multi-family properties. These projects come with their own coordination challenges, including communication among multiple stakeholders, unit access scheduling, and maintaining consistent finishes across buildings.
Sherwin-Williams Products: The Paint Behind the Work
We use Sherwin-Williams exterior products because the difference in long-term performance is real. Our standing relationship with Sherwin-Williams means we work with their professional product lines and draw from their full color range, including the Duration and Emerald exterior lines engineered to handle the moisture and UV loads that Pacific Northwest exteriors face, on top of freeze-thaw cycling year after year.
For staining projects, Sherwin-Williams penetrating stains protect the wood without trapping moisture underneath, which is the failure mode that ruins deck stains in this climate. Low-VOC and eco-friendly formulations are available for households where off-gassing or material sensitivity matters.
Color selection is part of our consultation. Sherwin-Williams offers a color visualization tool that lets you see options on your actual home before committing, and we walk through choices together rather than handing you a fan deck and walking away.
Why Pacific Northwest Paint and Stain Jobs Fail Early
A paint or stain job that fails within a year or two almost always traces back to one of two things: rushed prep or the wrong product for the surface.
This region puts coatings through more than most. Wet winters soak everything that isn't sealed. Summer stretches push past 90 and occasionally hit triple digits. The freeze-thaw cycling in between forces every coated surface to expand and contract repeatedly, which is what cracks paint and lifts stain that wasn't applied correctly.
We don't shortcut prep, and we don't use product that wasn't designed for the surface. Washing removes the contamination that blocks adhesion. Caulking seals the gaps where water gets in. Replacing damaged wood means new coatings aren't sitting on a substrate that's already failing. Those steps are what separate a five-year paint job from a 15-year one.
Why Homeowners Work With Five Star
The biggest reason customers choose us is that we don't carry the overhead structure that drives regional pricing. We're family-run, our crews include family members, and our operation is built to deliver quality exterior work at fair prices rather than fund a canvassing department.
That structure also means accountability isn't diffused across a franchise. When you call us, you reach people invested in your specific project. We're licensed through the Oregon Construction Contractors Board with a clean record, licensed in Washington, Google Guaranteed, listed on Angi, and accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A rating.
Areas We Serve
We operate out of Forest Grove, OR, and Covington, WA, serving the Portland metro, Salem, coastal Oregon counties, the Seattle area, and Covington, WA. For a full breakdown of the communities we serve, see our service area list.
What our customers are saying about our roofing services
Thank you five star homes Northwest! You guys came in and took care of my roof at a competitive rate and with the quickness and quality that we needed in order to get this thing on the market. Definitely will use you guys again.
These guys are the best to work with. Honest and on time. Thank you Chris and Omar for all your help. They were the only company that looked at my small roof repair job. No other company wanted to do small job.
Had 5 star out to do a roof inspection just to stay on top of maintenance. Omar did a great job, and took pictures of all potential issues. If those issues do lead to leaks, I wouldn’t hesitate to have five star out to do the work.
The 5 Star Roofing representative that came to my house was very professional, knowledgeable & detailed. His explanations were clear & easy to understand. I highly recommend 5 Star Roofing for your home repair or replacement needs.
These guys did a great job replacing my roof for a fair price and within a short timeline. I’d reuse them in the future and recommend for other roofing projects
Common Questions About Exterior Painting and Staining
Most projects run three to five days. That shifts based on home size and the actual prep work the project requires. Homes with significant wood repair or heavy oxidation take longer.
Yes. Sherwin-Williams maintains professional product lines designed for contractor application, which are different from the consumer products sold through retail channels. The professional lines are formulated for longer wear and better performance under the prep conditions a contractor controls.
Cost depends on home size, surface condition, the product line selected, and the prep work the project needs. Square footage alone doesn't tell us much. For a deeper look at what drives exterior painting costs, our exterior painting cost guide covers key variables.
Get a Free Exterior Painting or Staining Estimate
Picking the right product for the right surface is the easy part once we've walked the property together. The harder part is finding a contractor who actually does the prep work, uses the Sherwin-Williams products engineered for this climate, and quotes a fair price without the canvassing-company overhead.
Five Star Homes has been the family-run option for exterior painting and staining services across the Portland metro and Pacific Northwest since 2013. Estimates are complimentary. Reach out today, and we'll come look at your home.
