The Sharper Impressions team has worked diligently to provide top customer service and quality workmanship for all their customers. These qualities have played a roll in the company’s continued success and climb in the Inc 5000 list. Companies nationwide vie for an opportunity to be included in this list, and it is an incredible feat to be honored four years in a row.

Founder Geoff Sharp describes the secret to the company’s success; “good management that focuses on customer satisfaction, which results in bottom-line profitability and continued growth.”

Sharper Impressions Painting is a residential and commercial paint contractor with over 19 years experience in exterior and interior painting. Founded by Geoff Sharp, the company focuses on sustainable work practices and charitable outreach within the local, national and global community. For more information, call 1-877-665-5566 or go to: www.sharperimpressionspainting.com.

We know it’s a busy time of year with back to school shopping for new school supplies and clothing, so when you are finished spoiling the youngsters why don’t you spoil yourself with a fresh coat of paint!

During the summer months, homes can be like a battlefield with kids running around and playing outside in the dirt; now that the kids are back in school we would love to transform your home into a mom sanctuary. If you are looking to revitalize the look of your interior or exterior, now is the perfect time of year to get the fresh colors on your walls. Summer is starting to wind down and the temperatures are getting cooler. With the kids back in school, fall is the perfect time to paint your home.

With all the last minute shopping and driving the kids around to sports and activities, we understand it may not be easy to schedule time to get a free estimate… which is why we offer free evening and weekend appointments for busy moms. Our quotes are computer generated and printed for you at the time of your estimate, no need to wait for a price.

We even offer free color consultations to make the whole color section process fun and hassle-free for stressed out moms.

This service is available to any homeowner looking to make a change of paint color on the interior or exterior of their home. For those who are looking to merely spruce up their current paint job, we have another free service which offers custom color matching services by professional color specialists. We will make sure the new paint matches the current color guaranteed.

As soon as the homeowner chooses Sharper Impressions Painting as their residential painting professional, a manager is able to set up an appointment for a local color specialist to visit the home and aid the homeowner in choosing the perfect color(s) for his or her project. The appointment times are flexible around work schedules (evenings and weekends appointments are available) and are completely free of charge. This is just one of the several free services Sharper Impressions Painting offers to ensure the beauty of their customer’s homes.

Making copies is not one of the chores around the office that we love. So, in honor of the summer season, we BEACHED UP our beloved copy machine.

Now, every time we make a copy, we go on a little vacation…in our mind.

Summer is the best time to get your home painted, so give us a call!

REFERENCES, REFERENCES, REFERENCES! Ask for both old and new references to ensure the current quality of work and confirm that the painter has jobs that have lasted a long time.

It is critical to make sure the contractor has:

• Liability insurance,
• a BBB membership (Better Business Bureau)
• a material and labor warranty provided in writing, and
• have been in business for several years

Before the painters start painting, be sure to confirm:

• whether they are going to apply 2 coats or 1,
• what brand and level of paint will they apply (you can buy good paint brands that have cheap paints or top quality paints, you get what you pay for in paint, so make sure your painter buys a top level product)
• your home should be power washed (pressure washed) prior to painting,
• preparation work should be detailed on your quote/contract,
• exact price of the work should be clear and discuss any additional charges that may be added to a paint job like yours

How often should exterior paint be refreshed?

There are different general guidelines for renewing exterior paint

• Decks 1-2 years
• Fences 1-4 years
• Trim on homes 5-10 years
• Wood siding on home 5-10 years
• Stucco 10+ years
• Hardie plank or aluminum siding 10+ years

Why was it important for you to run a “green” company?

We are only renting this big blue planet and it is imperative we leave it as clean as we can for the next generation. Often, damages to the environment can be permanent; fortunately, painting your home does not have to cause any damage to you or the environment. Latex paints, (hardly any oil based paints are used anymore) are waterborne and the norm now for the residential repainting industry. Low VOC paints, which dry without harmful emissions, protect the home, the occupants and the air.

In the past year, my company has erased our server carbon footprint, gone nearly paperless in our office, operated temperature control units that turn off heating and cooling during down office times, installed energy efficient insulation and new skylights to reduce the amount of energy used for lighting and heating the office and warehouse.  Hopefully your painting contractor is doing his best to protect our environment also.

Why is prep work (preparation) so important?

90% of any good paint job is prep work; it makes the final paint job look good and last a long time

• Power-washing – to ensure the surface is clean and the paint will stick. Click Here for more information.
• Tape and tarp – to protect surfaces and create nice clean cut lines
• Caulking – seals gaps and joints from weathering, bugs and makes the surface look solid and universal
• Scrape – removes old paint so it doesn’t cause the new paint to flake/peel/blister
• Prime – protects and seals the exposed wood grains, then has a nice smooth surface for the top coat to stick
• Paint – always 2 coats, any color, will last twice as long, looks thick and rich

What are common reasons your interior needs repainted?

The most popular reason for painting an interior is to update/change the color of the walls.

Another reason is for upkeep. Some common reasons to freshen up are:

• dents, scuffs, dirt, dust, animal hair, moisture stains, and faded walls from sunlight

The third biggest reason to repaint is to upgrade the quality of paint. When you repaint the walls with a top quality, deep, rich paint, the colors are deeper and the final result will look beautiful for a long time.

Ceilings usually last twice as long as the walls.  So often customers paint the ceilings every other time they get their walls painted.

• Over time they yellow out from sunlight, and smoke/moisture/oils.
• When you properly paint a ceiling, it can add an amazing amount of brightness to any room

Often a room’s trim, windows and doors will need painted as well. There are generally two reasons people choose to repaint these areas:

• To freshen up the area that gets a lot of abuse from foot traffic, vacuum cleaners and everyday wear and tear.
• To change an old, dated and dark wood trim color to an updated, fresh, bright glossy paint

This certification ensures that Sharper Impressions Painting is educated and capable of testing your home for lead, quoting lead removal, and safely painting homes built before 1978. We are able to test for lead and then proceed to prepare, clean and paint the home properly. As a certified renovator for homes with lead present, we use proper containment procedures outlined by the EPA.

First of all, it is important for us to answer one crucial question: Why is lead dangerous to your family? Lead is very dangerous to children, and can cause damage to the brain and nervous system. Pregnant women are also in danger of the lead paint causing damage to their unborn child. Adults can be affected by having high blood pressure, and different types of physical fatigue. Lead exposure can cause permanent damage and should be properly prevented by using a certified paint contractor like Sharper Impressions Painting.

Sharper Impressions Painting has been taught the correct way to test for possible lead paint throughout the home. Surfaces that are suspected to have lead paint need to be scratched to the bare wood, ¼”, and the testing device should be used over the area to check for traces of lead. Once the test is complete, a formal lead sheet will be provided to the homeowner outlining any problem areas. If lead is present, the homeowner must sign the form acknowledging the issue before the paint contractor is able to move forward and start the painting project.

In order to contain lead on an interior painting jobsite, we cover everything in the room; including all vents, windows and doors that may be open, as well as taping all covers to the floor and walls to ensure no saturation into other areas. Containing lead on an exterior painting jobsite requires plastic sheets be spread out and taped to the wall, along with a barrier set up around the work area.

A certified painting contractor like Sharper Impressions Painting will test a home prior to painting to determine if lead is present. The painter will then contain the lead dust, water run off and chips, and proceed to apply two coats of safe, non-toxic waterbourne acrylic latex paint or stain on the home.

This is an imperative first step when preparing to paint or stain any part of a home. If a proper cleaning is not completed prior to painting, the new paint won’t stick to the surface and the new paint usually will peel off in big chunks and/or small flakes.

Power Washing Overview

Power washing cleans and prepares surfaces that will be painted by removing dirt, mold, mildew, pollutants, pollen and dust. Power washing also removes most chalking that may have taken place. Chalking is the naturally occurring breakdown of the paints skin surface from sunlight ultraviolet rays.

Using the right pressure washing machine will ensure the perfect preparation for exterior painting projects. The right amount of pressure will clean any surface, including wood, without causing damage. Also, using the proper nozzle will keep the appropriate angle and fan trajectory of water for each different surface. Experienced painting and power washing contractors will be able to prevent wand marks (or etching of the surface), which can be caused by too much pressure applied at the wrong angle.

Power Washing the Exterior

Often, a homes exterior will have dirt, mold, mildew, pollutants, pollen and dust; these all need to be removed prior to applying 2 coats of quality paint.

Cobwebs will be naturally present in the corners of many homes; most cobwebs and wasp nests will be washed away during the power wash, but some may stick and it is the job of a good painter to remove them by hand before later applying paint.

Paint chips will literally fly off the home while being power washed; however, a power wash will not remove all chips or peeling. Using too much pressure or applying pressure too close to the surface may result in unnecessary damage. The removed paint chips on the ground can be removed by hand once dry, by the painter. Also, a good painter will walk around your property to clean up any paint chips that may have landed around the homes yard, roof, landscaping and mulch beds during the power wash.

Stains are a tricky thing to try and power wash away. Simply put, power washing will not remove all stains around the home. Some stains are actually discolorations from years of weathering and will still be around even after a good power wash. After the proper preparation and two coats of fresh paint, the house will look great and fresh with any lingering stains covered and forgotten.

Power Washing Decks and Fences

Decks and fences are often prime candidates for power washing; and both stand to benefit from the cleaning. Decks can be power washed with bleach or deck brightener to penetrate the wood fibers. This will wash away old stain and brighten up grey wood fibers caused by foot traffic, sun and sitting rain water. Fences often have mildew on the surface that is caused by being a soft wood, and being so close to the ground and vegetation. Power washing will help remove these types of mildews and rejuvenate the look of any wood.

Chemicals

Some of the most common and best chemicals to use while washing the exterior of a home is water, bleach and tri-sodium phosphate. Other specialty chemicals do exist, but for the average project preparation, this will get the job done right. Many of the chemicals are organic which prevents harm to plants, lawns, flowers, and landscaping. The bleach is so heavily diluted with water; that the power wash should be like a spring rain storm to the shrubs and landscaping.

Dry Time

The time it takes for a home to dry after a power wash varies greatly on the humidity, rain and temperature. Usually, most homes can be painted within one day after power washing; although, the person who quotes the painting project, should walk the homeowner through a time table for the project.

Power Washing without Painting

For relatively low cost, a home’s exterior can be power washed to easily remove dirt and mildew. This cleaning will actually extend the life of an exterior paint job. Often, customers think their home needs a new coat of paint, when a simple power wash will give them the same desired result and add life to the current paint job. An honest and experienced painting contractor will inform the homeowner of this mistake instead of having them spend money on unnecessary work.

Price

Power washing should always be included with a turnkey painting price quote. Any painter who does not instinctively want to power wash a home prior to painting, is not taking the necessary steps to ensure the paint sticks and lasts a long time.

Final Thought

Receiving the proper preparation and power wash (pressure wash) prior to an exterior paint job is essential to the life of the paint job. The information outlined above is a great reference to maintaining the look of the exterior. The process should be simple with the choice of an informed, professional, residential paint contractor.

For more information, feel free to visit our power washing page: http://www.sharperimpressionspainting.com/power-washing.html

Our most recent deck staining project was completely covered in snow when I came out for the initial free painting quote.  As you can see below, not a good day for BBQ!

This deck staining project obviously needed to wait for warmer weather and a slight melting before we were able to move forward with the powerwashing . Once the spring weather finally arrived (YES!), we were able to start the preparations for the deck.

My painters had some problems with several spring birds that made their job a little more complicated. After the deck was cleaned, power washed and ready for staining, our painter returned to begin the project when he saw that it was covered in bird droppings. Turns out these birds were ready for the season too!  Our second attempt at cleaning was much more effective; 2 coats of new, rich stain resulted in a beautifully coated and weather resistant deck.

The homeowner, Mr. Goldman was thrilled to see the final product. He had spring fever when we started his project, (as we all did) and by completion he was ready to enjoy the weather on his freshly coated deck. We love making warm weather more enjoyable for all of our customers …and he didn’t have to lift a finger.  Now, that is the way it should be when you hire a great painter!

I  returned recently to take pictures for this article and my customer and I walked around looking at the final project on a sunny 80 degree day.  The customer did a great job planting some seasonal flowers, the new colors abound and the season is here.  BBQ anyone!?

Chipping and Peeling

There are two signs you need to spruce up your exterior paint; there are obvious mass coating failures, or there are small amounts of chipping and peeling, about the size of a dime, which expose the wood underneath. These are both signs your top coat isn’t protecting the wood from weathering. Paint is the same at protecting your wood as the way your skin protects your body.

There are several other ways to tell if your home needs to be painted and renewed; the color is fading and is noticeably lighter, there are water streak lines, the white colors are turning grey, and/or deep colors are losing their base and depth. Also, if you find chalking on the surface of the paint, it may mean you need to get your home power washed and painted. To test for chalking, touch the paint surface with your finger; if it leaves paint residue on your hands this is a sign the paint is breaking down and ready to be recoated.

The mixture of wet snow and ice, coupled with dry winter air can leave paint needing a new coat and some troubled mildew spots heading into the spring season.

Mildew

Contrary to popular belief, mildew does grow in cold weather. It lays dormant throughout the winter and springs to life with the moisture of the spring season. Mildew will look like little spores and/or dark spots on the paint. Mildew is a sign that your slick, glossy paint surface needs refreshed; it allows spores to grow in the nooks and crannies of the paint surface.

Often, honest and reliable painters will let you know if a simple and very cost efficient power washing is enough for your paint upkeep for that particular year. Mildew can easily be removed with a professional pressure wash, although sometimes it will require a new coat of paint to keep your home protected.

Caulking

Caulking failure can also be extremely dangerous for your home. The caulk can pop-out or split open leaving you with three potential problems:

1. Lose of energy efficiency.
2. Weather and insects can enter where failure occurred.
3. Moisture can get behind the wood and paint, which leads to peeling of paint, rotting of wood and mildew growth on the surface and inside the home.

Caulking is also important cosmetically; if it is done properly, it will look seamless with your paint and will be tight and secure. The look will be more complete and your home will instantly benefit from a solid and intricate caulking application.

Other Problem Areas

During the winter months, snow and ice settle into your home’s gutters; this means moisture got behind the fascia and paint. A few ways to tell if your gutters need a new paint job are: water stains, peeling and blistering of the paint, and bowing of the wood. If you notice these warning signs, it is best to have someone come out and fix problem areas.

The snow, ice and cold weather can also be a detriment to the staining on decks, fences and trellises. Seeing exposed wood means its time to protect the wood for spring; you may see heavy wood graining or see fibers in the wood, but they both require the same maintenance.

Walkway surfaces and aggregate stone also need some help after the long, cold winter. One way to tell if your walkway or aggregate stone needs attention is when the spring rain hits; if the rain water doesn’t bead up, it means the water can penetrate the surface and cause decay and unforeseen underlying problems. The cure to this is to get the surfaces power washed and coated so that the next time it rains, the water will bead up preventing saturation of the surface of your walkways.

Final Recommendations

The tips outlined above are a good guideline to use when determining what type of work your home may need after a harsh winter. Whether it is a new paint job or getting your home power washed to eliminate mildew, each improvement you make will help your home stay beautiful longer.  A good painting contractor will provide an honest and detailed quote for what painting and preparation your home may or may not need.  Quotes should be free and you should always meet your contractor to walk around your home, so that the contractor can point out and explain issues and solutions.

Steve loves the outdoors and being active in his community. With his experience and passion for painting, he is a great match with the Sharper Impressions Painting family. “Steve has excellent references and I feel confident that he will serve the area with great customer service and quality craftsmanship,” said Founder Geoff Sharp.

Recently, Steve joined the rest of our Managers and Owners and traveled to the annual Paint-the-Brain conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. While in New Orleans, Steve participated in executive leadership training on new operating policies and technological advances, including the custom painting software and revolutionary color consulting system. Steve is now fully equipped to help homeowners beautify their homes.