The Secret to a Good Paint Job

In today’s world there are many people who paint. Homeowners, DIY’s, Painting Contractors, Remodelers, and Handymen are just a few that come to mind. To some of them painting seems to be viewed as a trade that is easy. “Anyone can paint”, and “It’s just painting” are a few remarks I have heard over the years. However there is one key ingredient that sets apart an average paint job, from an outstanding painting job.

That key ingredient is preparation. Now when I speak of preparation, I mean preparing the surfaces to be painted. This can be anything from cleaning to caulking. Prep work not only enhances the beauty of the finished project, but also the longevity of the coating.

It’s a very simple concept. Let’s use an exterior substrate as a common sense example. Some siding has an abundance of dirt and mildew all over. Obviously, cleaning the surface with a solution which will  kill the mildew and clean the dirt off is important. It not only enhances the look of the coating by giving it a clean, even surface but also, creates a better bond between the substrate and coating used. It’s important in this situation to thoroughly clean the surface. That is just one aspect of a thorough prep job on an exterior surface. We haven’t even mentioned any necessary scraping, sanding, priming, caulking, puttying, or patching.

Now let’s look at some interior walls. Sanding the walls thoroughly with a pole sander is normally an extremely important, but often overlooked step in the painting process. It not only enhances the look of the surface by ridding it of contaminants (i.e. fibers off a roller cover from the last time it was painted), but also allows for a better bond between the new coating and the existing coating. Just as was stated above about the exterior prep, we have only mentioned one minor detail of a thorough prep job on walls. There is still the cleaning, patching, priming, and caulking to trim.

Now in both instances mentioned not every aspect of a perfect prepartion job was mentioned. There are steps that are unique for every situation of every project. Some might be needed for one project, all or more for another project, or none for yet another project.

It may seem like “the secret” is really common sense, but it is way too often overlooked. To many, painting is just painting, but to get the most of out your painting, the key is simple - preparation!

Spring is close!

Spring is coming. We can all feel it. Less snow. Slightly warmer temperatures (and I emphasize slightly). Have you been thinking about getting your exterior painted? Dont’ hesitate to call us for a free estimate. Protecting your biggest investment, your home, is very important. Not only will we give you an estimate for painting your exterior, but we will look for problem areas that might need to be addressed. This will help you save money by taking care of those areas before they become a major ordeal. Clogged gutters, improper drainage, and rotting wood are just of few of things that should be closely looked for. Catching these things early helps prevent major damage down the road as well. Don’t hesitate. Give us a call. Get on the schedule early!

Painting Vinyl Siding?

Can our vinyl siding be painted? We have been asked this question many times. The answer is yes you can, but first let’s look at some issues with vinyl siding.

Vinyl siding has become popular because of the “no maintenance” belief. While it is considerably less maintenance, over time it can become dull, or even chalky. This is not necessarily a good thing when trying to maintain your most important investment, your home. You want the exterior of your home to shine. You want it to stand out in the neighborhood (in a good way). As with any other substrate, such as wood siding, cedar siding, hardi siding, or even aluminum siding, mildew and dirt are still an issue. These two problems need to be addressed the same way they would on any other substrate – cleaning!

Pressure washing is not the sole answer. Mildew should be removed using a mixture of bleach and water (usually about 5 parts water to 1 part bleach). Dirt shoudl be removed by mixing a good cleaning detergent with your bleach and water mixture. Applying the mixture and letting it do it’s magic for about 10 minutes is key. Next, we usually pressure wash the surface clean, with low pressure, but sometimes a simple rinse with a garden hose and decent nozzle does the trick. Cleaning the vinyl siding is extremely important just as with any other exterior painting. This will allow the paint to have a good, clean surface to bond to, with no contamination of dirt, mildew, etc.

Painting vinyl used to be an issue. Whenever it was painted with a color darker than the existing color the siding would warp with sun exposure. Companies now have reformulated certain lines of paint that allow for virtually any color to be painted over exisiting siding colors.  This is helpful for those who even just want to change the exterior color of their home. Rather than re-side the whole house, and be limited to specific vinyl siding colors, you can choose virtually any color from your local paint store!

So, is that vinyl siding looking like it needs a facelift? Didn’t think you could afford to replace it? Paint it! Southern Michigan Painting always gives you a free detailed quote, so call us today!

Selecting the Right Coating

Selecting the right coating for the task or project at hand can sometimes be an overwhelming task. There are many different paint manufacturers and with each of them comes many different lines or grades of paint. Will the paint be used for interior or exterior? Is oil or latex best? Does the surface need a primer prior to application of paint? If so, should it be an oil or latex primer? These are just a few of the common questions that must be answered prior to painting any surface.

When hiring any contractor for your painting project, it is a good idea to ask a few questions about what products that the contractor prefers or commonly uses. You will usually get a variety of responses. How do you know which contractor knows his stuff? Well, you can usually tell by their response. Most good painting contractors have experience with a variety of coatings. They know the positives and negatives of using different types of products and they can usually recommend several different lines of paint that would be appropriate for your situation.

Selecting the proper coating is essential for your painting project. It can make your project look extremely beautiful, but it
can just as easily cause many headaches down the road.