WELCOME : PAINTING
PAINTING
Exterior Painting
Have you ever looked at a freshly painted house only to immediately see paint chips all over the ground? Why couldn’t the painter have used a drop cloth? There’s paint on the windows and foundation. How did the painter spill paint on the roof of all places?
When painters work for me I always insist on the entire area be drop clothed. So absolutely all the paint chips and drippings can be caught and removed from the property.
Painters have an affinity for power washers. Obviously mold or mildew can not be painted. But is it necessary to blast the house with a high powered power washer? Why not use a hand pump sprayer filled with a mixture of detergent and a little bleach. Then wash the house down with a garden hose. Hand wash those stubborn spots with a brush dipped in solution. Remember do not get Clorox on unpainted wood. It will rot.
Power-washing if necessary, doesn’t mean blasting paint off. It means getting water up high enough to rinse the house. If the person running the machine isn’t careful they can force water up under siding and it can take weeks to dry. Almost as bad are painters, who blast so hard siding and trim are scared.
I’m a strong advocate for hand scraping with a sharp putty knife. I don’t advocate sanding. It’s too dangerous. Caulk takes time to dry (read the tube). Painting with a caulking gun in one hand and a paint brush in the other is looking for trouble. If you are having a peeling problem, it is best to oil prime the entire house. After the prime is thoroughly dry, a latex paint can be applied. But don’t wait long between priming and painting or the house will have to be re-primed.
Unfortunately, many customers do not understand why painting windows are so expensive. Even though the house has been painted, the windows normally have not been touched in years. The wood is all dried out, glaze is falling out, and the storm window sash can not be removed from inside the house so the frames have to come off. Plus, there is usually some broken glass. The cost is upsetting to the customer. Why is this taking so much time and costing so much?
A trick some painters will use to speed up the process is to paint the flats, then the detail. They then apply another coat to the flats before the first coat is dry. The glazing is ignored. This dried-up, old window will soon peel and what is left of the glazing falls out, resulting in another drafty window. Usually the storm windows that had not operated properly in years fall apart, as they are being re-installed. Think seriously about having a carpenter evaluate the windows before any painting begins. It may make more sense to either rebuild or replace the windows.
In order to stay within a budget, it is not unreasonable to ask a painter to paint one side of the house this year - so you can afford to have a carpenter repair the porch steps or replace a couple windows. The other three sides can be done at a later date.
Remember; only hire a painter with insurance. It will cost more but an accidental fall of a ladder could be a devastating expense.
