This job centered on roof painting at a two-story residential property in Hilo, with additional exterior cleaning and painting work across the property’s other surfaces. The house sits on a sizeable lot with lava rock perimeter walls, a concrete driveway pad, a side walkway and step system, and a large hip-style corrugated metal roof with multiple valley and ridge junctions. A wood deck runs along one side. Every exterior surface was showing the kind of long-term deterioration that builds up when Hilo’s near-constant moisture meets surfaces that have gone without maintenance. The full scope of work included:
The roof was the surface that needed the most attention going in, and it drove the sequence of the whole job.
Metal Roof
The corrugated metal panels were severely oxidized across all faces. The original paint had chalked to the point where it was no longer protecting the metal, and bare oxidized surface was exposed to Hilo’s rainfall and vog across multiple panel runs. Rust had developed at panel laps and along valley seams, and the ridge cap sealant was visibly breaking down. Debris had packed into the corrugation valleys along the full run of the panels. A roof in this condition needs washing, surface prep, and repainting — a wash alone would have left bare, unprotected metal.
Soffits and Eaves
The wood underside of the eaves had extensive black mold and mildew staining across the full panel surface. The growth was dense and uniform, indicating it had been establishing for a long time without treatment. Mold this heavy on a soffit means moisture is staying trapped in the eave zone, and painting over it without treatment shortens the life of the new coat significantly.
The remaining surfaces each had their own issues:
Roof Washing and Painting
The corrugated metal panels were pressure washed first to remove the oxidized chalk layer, debris packed into the corrugation valleys, and any loose surface contamination. Painting over chalk causes the new coat to fail early, so getting a clean substrate was necessary before any coating went down. After washing and drying, surface prep was completed on any rust areas before the roof was painted across all faces. The after photos show a consistent cream finish across the full hip roof, including the ridge caps and valley junctions. The before-and-after color change across those panels shows clearly how far the original coating had deteriorated before the repaint.
Soffit Cleaning and Painting
The wood soffits were treated for mold and mildew before any paint was applied. Painting over active mold locks the growth in and causes the new coat to fail from behind. Once the surface was clean and dry, the soffits were painted to a uniform white finish. The after photos show both eave corners fully coated with no remaining dark staining on the panel surface.
Deck Cleaning and Staining
The wood deck was cleaned to remove grime and the degraded old coating before a fresh stain was applied. The finished deck shows a consistent warm brown tone across all boards and the matching railing. The stain restores water resistance to the wood, which matters on any horizontal surface taking Hilo’s direct rainfall.
Concrete Flatwork Cleaning
The driveway pad, walkway, and steps were pressure washed to remove moss, algae, and organic buildup. Moss on Hilo concrete holds moisture against the surface and creates a slip hazard on steps. The after photos show all three areas with organic growth fully removed and the concrete surface texture visible.
House Washing
The exterior siding was soft washed to remove algae and rust streaking without forcing water behind the panels. High-pressure washing on siding can drive moisture into the wall, so pressure was kept controlled and appropriate to the surface.
The roof painting result is the most significant visual change on this property, and it is also the most protective one. A corrugated metal roof with chalked, failing paint has no meaningful barrier against Hilo’s rainfall, vog, and UV exposure. The recoated roof now has a uniform cream finish across all faces, ridge caps, and valley junctions, with the surface properly sealed against whatever the next few seasons bring.
Results across all surfaces:
If your Hilo metal roof has gone several years without paint, the chalking and oxidation visible in these before photos is the likely condition of your surface right now. A wash alone on a roof that far gone does not solve the problem because the paint that remains is no longer doing its job. The roof needs to be washed, prepped, and recoated to actually protect the metal underneath.
Property Wash in Paradise handles metal roof painting, rust treatment, soffit painting, and exterior cleaning for properties throughout Hilo and East Hawaii. If your corrugated metal roof is showing the chalking and oxidation visible in these before photos, reach out and we will put together a quote for the full scope or any individual service.
Our roof painting and rust treatment service covers exactly the kind of oxidized corrugated metal roofs shown in this project.
Or call us directly: 808-825-6280
