Frequently Asked Questions
Are you insured?
Yes, I do carry a Commercial General Liability policy at all times.
What kind of exterior warranty do you offer?
I provide a three year labor warranty against failure due to faulty application on most surfaces (exceptions will be noted on individual estimates). Nobody can guarantee that a new coat of paint will last 20 years, or a lifetime for that matter, at least not in Colorado. UV light fades colors and weather slowly erodes away the paint film. Which brings us to our next question.
Why does the paint on my windows always fail first? One of the first places for paint failure to take place in Colorado is the horizontal parts of the windows and their trim work. One cause is moisture that permeates the paint film and then evaporates back out again. But a more significant cause is ultraviolet light(UV). I have found several studies on the internet that indicate that horizontal surfaces receive 90% more UV than those vertical surfaces surrounding them. This would definately explain most of the paint failure that I see. I like to use a clear primer called Peel Bond that is made specifically for trouble areas like these, but there again this primer has only been out a few years. So we will see if this holds up.
What brand of paint do you use?
There are many excellent products available. However I primarily use Sherwin-Williams and Benjamine Moore Paints.
What exterior repairs do you do?
It depends on the item(s) needing repair. If it is a few warped or rotting trim boards then I can do that. If the repairs are more extensive then I suggest using a carpenter.
What interior repairs do you do?
I do perform minor drywall repairs. If walls have a heavy texture with major damage, I suggest contacting a drywall professional to perform those repairs. Heavy knockdown textures are difficult to blend even for a seasoned professional.
Is there a difference in quality between spraying and rolling?
I get this question all the time; everybody has an opinion. You probably get the same mail I do. Brush and roll: the better thicker way. I will agree that if you have cracks in the surface, or edge swell on your siding than you really have to brush and roll a first or second coat into these areas to push in the paint and create a smooth surface. But once this is achieved, or if you already have a smooth surface than spraying is far superior, in my opinion. I have talked to paint chemists and numerous paint sales reps over the years about this with the same consensus. If you have a smooth surface, what are you rolling the paint into? I rarely see any inter layer boding problems. Most of the coating failures on a home are where the paint meets the wood, usually no matter how many coats of paint have been applied. I have a wet mill gauge that I keep in my truck. It’s nothing special; it’s about the size of a credit card with graduated edges on the sides. By pushing an edge into a freshly painted surface, you can measure the thickness of that coating. I don’t use it that often but I usually have it around if anyone wants to see it. I challenge anyone to roll an 8 or 10 mil. thick coating on a wall and make it look as uniform as you could if you used a sprayer. What is a mil? It is a measurement for the thickness of a coating. Most acrylic house paints will recommend a good coat as being applied around 4-5 mils wet. Saran wrap is probably somewhere around a mil and a half. When the paint drys and all the water and other solvents that are in the paint evaporate it will probably dry to 1.5 mils. With a sprayer it is actually hard to only put on 4-5 mils wet coating. The spray gun has to be moving pretty fast to only put on this amount of paint. I usually spray around 8-10 mils wet. I would venture that most people who know how to use a sprayer probably spray at least 6 mils wet or more. It’s hard not to, especially in our dry climate, since the paint doesn’t run that easily. Now one last note about the thickness of a coating. Obviously any exposed surface needs to have enough paint on it to withstand the elements. But once you achieve the necessary thickness to protect the surface, it’s up to the quality of the ingredients of the paint to keep it looking good on the outer most layer. Now with all this said. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having the outside brused and rolled. I did hundreds of houses this way years ago when I worked with people who didn’t have a sprayer. I just want people to know that they are not necessarily getting a better job with a roller.
