That means humidity that lingers, and it means the shaded, river-side elevations grow mildew that will stop new paint bonding if it is not washed off first. A failed exterior in Oshkosh is very often a failed wash rather than a failed paint.
The building stock splits three ways. There are the grand old homes along Algoma Boulevard and around Washington Avenue, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival, carrying more trim, brackets, spindles and porch detail than anything else we paint. All of it is brush work. There are the mid-century ranches and capes further out, which are straightforward. And there is a large rental market near the university, where owners need work scheduled tightly around tenant turnover.
Summer storms that build over the lake put real wind on this city, and the roofs that suffer are the ones with wide, unbroken slopes and shingles that were never properly sealed down.