Some homes just need a fresh coat of paint. This one needed more. The townhouse sits in The Springs, one of Longwood's most established communities, and it had gone more than 10 years without a new paint job. Over that time, the Central Florida sun, heavy summer rain, and constant humidity had done real damage. The cedar siding had wood rot. The gate was rotted, broken, and chipped. Even the mailbox had started to rot away.
The homeowner wanted a company that could fix the wood rot, repaint the whole exterior, meet HOA requirements, and do it all for a fair price. That is exactly the kind of project GEM Painting & Trim was built for. Because we handle both carpentry and painting in-house, there was no need to hire one contractor for repairs and another for paint. One family-owned team took care of everything, from the first rotted board to the final coat on the driveway.
The Before
When we first walked the property, it was clear the paint was only part of the story. Faded paint is easy to see from the street. What most people miss is what happens underneath. After a decade of Florida weather, the protective coating on this townhouse had worn thin, and moisture had found its way into the wood. Once that happens, rot follows. Painting over it would have looked fine for a few months, but the problem would have kept growing behind the new paint.
The Problem
Here are the main challenges we found before any work began.
Wood Rot in the Cedar Siding
Cedar is a beautiful siding material, and it holds up well when it is protected. The trouble starts when the paint fails. In a climate like ours, where the air stays humid for most of the year and afternoon storms roll in almost daily in summer, unprotected cedar soaks up water again and again. Several sections of siding on this townhouse had soft, rotted wood that could not be saved. Those areas had to be cut out and replaced with new wood before we could even think about paint.
A Gate That Fought Back
The wooden gate was in rough shape. It had wood rot, it was broken in places, and the surface was chipped. On top of that, the latch did not work properly. Every time the homeowner wanted to open the gate, he had to tug on it to get it to move. It is a small daily frustration, but it is the kind of thing that makes a home feel worn out instead of cared for.
A Rotting Mailbox
The wooden mailbox had the same problem as the siding and the gate. It had been exposed to the weather for years without enough protection, and the wood had started to rot. It is one of the first things neighbors and guests see, so leaving it as-is was never an option.
HOA Requirements to Meet
The Springs is a well-kept community with standards that homeowners are expected to follow. For many of our clients across Seminole County, HOA notices and fines are a real source of stress. This homeowner needed an exterior that did not just look better, but also met his HOA's requirements for color and condition. Getting that right the first time mattered.
Open Seams Where the Siding Ends
Along the vertical edges where the siding stops, the seams had opened up over time. These gaps are small, but they are one of the most common ways water gets behind siding. Left alone, they would have kept feeding moisture into the same wood we were about to repair.
The Solution
At GEM Painting & Trim, we believe in doing the job right, not just doing it fast. Our approach is simple: measure twice, cut once, and never cover up a problem with paint. Here is how we brought this townhouse back to life, step by step.
A Clear Plan, Written Into the Contract
Before any work started, we walked the homeowner through everything the house needed. We explained what was damaged, why it needed to be fixed, and how we would fix it. Then we put every item into the contract. No surprises, no hidden add-ons, and no vague promises. The homeowner knew exactly what he was paying for, and we held ourselves to every line of that agreement. Clear communication is one of the things our clients value most, and it starts before the first tool comes off the truck.
Repairing the Wood Rot
Our crew started with the carpentry. We removed the rotted sections of cedar siding and replaced a good amount of wood and several siding pieces with new material. We repaired the gate, fixing the broken and rotted parts so it was solid again. We also repaired the mailbox, replacing the rotted wood so it would stand strong for years to come.
Every piece of new wood was primed before painting. Primer seals raw wood, helps the topcoat bond properly, and gives the finish a much better chance of lasting. Skipping this step is one of the most common shortcuts in the industry, and it is one we never take.
Sealing Every Vertical Seam
With the repairs complete, we moved on to weatherproofing. We caulked all of the vertical edges where the siding stops, using a 60-year exterior caulk. This closes off the gaps where rainwater likes to sneak in and helps keep the siding protected from now on. We completed all caulking before any paint went on, so the paint could cover and protect the caulk as well. It is detail work that most people never notice, but it makes a big difference in how long an exterior paint job lasts in Florida.
Premium Paint in SW 6061 Tanbark
For the paint, we used Sherwin-Williams Emerald Rain Refresh, one of the top-tier exterior paints in the Sherwin-Williams line. We chose it for a reason. Emerald Rain Refresh is built with Self-Cleaning Technology, which means dirt washes away when rain or water hits the surface. For a Central Florida home that sees regular rain, that means a cleaner look with less maintenance. It also offers strong UV and weather protection, which is exactly what an exterior needs under our intense sun.
The color was SW 6061 Tanbark by Sherwin-Williams, a rich, warm earth tone that gives the townhouse a grounded, classic look. It fits naturally with the mature trees and green surroundings of The Springs, and it helped the home meet the community's HOA standards. We painted the whole exterior, including the new wood, the repaired gate, and the mailbox, so every surface matched and every surface was protected.
At GEM, we use Sherwin-Williams products exclusively. We trust them because they perform, and because our name is on every job we finish.
A Fresh Coating for the Driveway
To complete the exterior transformation, we repainted the driveway with H&C Heavy Shield Plus, a premium Sherwin-Williams concrete coating. It is made for high-traffic surfaces like driveways and is designed to resist peeling, flaking, and hot tire pickup. The result is a clean, even driveway that ties the whole property together and holds up to daily use.
The Little GEM: A Gate That Finally Works
We like to go the extra mile on every project. We call it a little GEM, and we add one to every job. On this townhouse, it was the gate latch. The old latch was not working, and the homeowner had been tugging on the gate just to open it. So we replaced the latch and adjusted the gate so it now opens and closes smoothly. It was not a big-ticket item, and it was not the main reason we were there. But it is one of those little things that makes a big difference in how a home feels every single day.
Before & After
The After
The change was dramatic. A townhouse that had not seen fresh paint in over 10 years now looks like new again. The rotted siding is gone and replaced with solid, primed, and painted wood. The seams along the siding are sealed tight against the weather. The gate is strong, clean, and easy to use. The mailbox stands straight and looks sharp. The driveway is fresh and even. And the whole exterior is wrapped in a warm, rich coat of SW 6061 Tanbark that looks right at home in The Springs.
Just as important, the home now meets the HOA's requirements, so the homeowner can stop worrying about notices and start enjoying his property again. He was very happy to see his house looking like new, and we were proud to deliver exactly what we promised in the contract.
This is what we mean when we talk about the Diamond Standard. It is not only about how the house looks on the day we finish. It is about fixing what is underneath, protecting it from the next storm season, and treating every home the way we would treat our own. With over 35 years of family experience in painting and trim carpentry, the Mujica family has built GEM Painting & Trim on one simple belief: a good name is worth more than great riches. Every project we complete is a chance to earn that name again.
Need Exterior Painting or Wood Rot Repair in Longwood, FL?
If your home in Longwood or anywhere in Seminole County is showing faded paint, soft or rotted wood, or an HOA notice you would rather not deal with, GEM Painting & Trim is here to help. We handle the carpentry and the painting in-house, so you work with one trusted, family-owned team from start to finish. We use only Sherwin-Williams products, we put everything in writing, and we stand behind our work.
Contact GEM Painting & Trim today to schedule your free estimate. Call (689) 337-5115 or request a quote at gempainting.com.
