Sharper Impressions Painting wants to reward all those busy moms who have withstood the long summer days with the little rug rats, and deserve a beautiful, newly painted home.

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.

We here at Sharper Impressions Painting are busy painting homes this summer. But, we like to work hard and play hard.

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!

What is the most important thing to look/ask for from a painting contractor?

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

Power washing (also called pressure washing) is defined as using a machine, wand and water to spray surfaces with high pressured H2O and sometimes chemicals to clean areas.

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

Sharper Impressions Painting has been helping transition homes from cold, dreary winter weather to warm summer days with several local painting projects. This time of year the most exciting projects for our customers are deck staining . Decks are the perfect spot for friends and family to come together and create great memories. While you sit back and enjoy the sun, we make sure your deck is beautiful, colorful and protected!

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!?