A fresh paint job has the power to totally transform the look of your house in less time and for less cash than any other remodeling project. That thin skin of resin and pigment also protects your investment, shielding it from sun, wind, and rain—until the paint begins to crack and peel, that is. Then it's time to button up with a couple of new coats. Properly applied, new paint should last for a good 15 years, provided you use top-quality materials, apply them with care (and with an eye on the weather), and, most important, clean and sand every surface first. Here's what you need to know to get a first-class finish on your home's exterior. House Painting Arvada
File the necessary business documents. For starters, you’ll need a general business license to begin taking on contract work. You may also have to have other specific licenses that permit you to operate in off-limits zones or handle certain materials. A separate home business permit will be required if you plan on using your own residence as the headquarters for your contracting business.[12] House Painting Arvada
Complete the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) program. As of 2010, all painting contractors in the United States must be officially certified to work with lead-based paints. The purpose of the RRP program is to inform new contractors about the risks and proper safety procedures for working on properties that contain hazardous materials.[2] House Painting Arvada
Even if you think you'll probably do the job yourself, it's good preparation to seek estimates from professional exterior home painters near you. Then you'll have a financial point of comparison and you may benefit from what a home painting contractor has to say about the condition of your home, color choices and types of paint available. Let the painter make his pitch for a professional job before you decide what to do. You can still opt to do it yourself while having learned something worthwhile. House Painting Arvada CO
A thorough scrubbing is a must before painting any exterior surface. It removes the dirt and broken-down paint residues that keep fresh coats from adhering and gets rid of mildew that grows on paint in all but the most arid climates. Most contractors clean with pressure washers, but in the hands of someone unfamiliar with the equipment, these can gouge wood, shatter glass, and drive water behind siding and trim. Using a hose, a pump sprayer, and a scrub brush is slower but safer, and just as effective. House Painting Arvada
You can paint much more than just your walls. Acrylic paints are ideal for home decor and craft projects. Since they’re water-based, they clean up easily and dry fast. You can use acrylics to add a colorful stripe to a wall, work with large format stencils to make a pattern or even create your own unique look by mixing two sheens. Use spray paint to refinish your old bicycle or give any surface an updated look – glitter, mirror or just a new solid color. Arvada House Painters CO
Even if you think you'll probably do the job yourself, it's good preparation to seek estimates from professional exterior home painters near you. Then you'll have a financial point of comparison and you may benefit from what a home painting contractor has to say about the condition of your home, color choices and types of paint available. Let the painter make his pitch for a professional job before you decide what to do. You can still opt to do it yourself while having learned something worthwhile. Arvada Home Painting
For tough, all-purpose paint with a touch of For tough, all-purpose paint with a touch of style, choose BEHR Premium Plus Low Odor, Paint & Primer in One Eggshell Enamel Interior paint. This soft, subtle sheen resists dirt and grime, so it's perfect for all of your home's busiest rooms. The soft, velvety, reflective appearance will also brighten up your hallways. More + Product Details Close House Painting Arvada
Homeowners report that painting a home’s exterior costs an average of $2,849 with a typical range between $1,710 and $3,993. The average price per square foot ranges from $0.50 to $3.50 depending on your location, condition of your exterior and accessibility. Stucco and brick cost an average of $1 per square foot more than vinyl or wood. The average 2,500 square feet home costs an average of $4,000, though it can range from $1,250 to $8,750. House Painting Arvada
Take and pass your contractor’s certification exam. Like the licensing requirements, the content and format of the exam will vary depending on your location. However, the test will almost always include a comprehensive written section, on top of which you may be asked to describe or demonstrate key skills. Upon passing your exam, you’ll have between 1 and 4 years to complete the process of formally registering your business.[10] Arvada House Painters CO
Complete the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) program. As of 2010, all painting contractors in the United States must be officially certified to work with lead-based paints. The purpose of the RRP program is to inform new contractors about the risks and proper safety procedures for working on properties that contain hazardous materials.[2] Arvada House Painters CO
Whether you decide to do the preparation work yourself or have a professional do it as part of your project, proper preparation makes all the difference in creating a smooth and lasting finish. Do it correctly the first time or you’ll quickly end up spending more to fix peeling and chipping paint. Follow this process before starting on your home's exterior. Keep in mind that the process may vary based on your siding materials: House Painting Arvada CO
When determining the total cost of a home’s exterior project, you’ll want to include things like the trim, a garage, foundation, windows and doors. All work is calculated by square footage and sometimes by the linear foot, such as in the case of trim. Your contractor will give you a price for the entire project unless you specifically ask for each item separately. Arvada House Painters CO
File the necessary business documents. For starters, you’ll need a general business license to begin taking on contract work. You may also have to have other specific licenses that permit you to operate in off-limits zones or handle certain materials. A separate home business permit will be required if you plan on using your own residence as the headquarters for your contracting business.[12]
O'Neil patches shallow holes and divots with Ready Patch because it dries fast, sands smooth, and stays flexible. Deep cracks and rotten spots are best repaired with two-step epoxies, such as those made by Advanced Repair Technology. (For a step-by-step instructions, see Repairing Rot with Epoxy.) The days of using polyester auto-body fillers on wood are over. "They cure too hard," says Portland, Oregon–based painting contractor Kathleen George. "They look good at first, but then they peel away." Arvada Home Painting
The other difficult part is getting a painting contractor to show up. While this generalization does not apply to every painter, you can rarely get a paint contractor to show up to look at the house and to later produce a written estimate. It's hardly the fault of the painting contractors; it is a combination of the contractors being smaller operations along with a high demand for their work. Arvada Home Painting
The rule of thumb has always been to apply a good coat of primer, sand, then apply your color coats. This is still a good rule to follow, but new paint technologies have combined primer and paint into one product, which manufacturers assert will cut down on the number of coats you will have to apply. This newer paint is more expensive, but may be comparable to the purchase of separate primer and paint. Look at reviews of these newer paints, particular from folks that have used it in your area.
Take and pass your contractor’s certification exam. Like the licensing requirements, the content and format of the exam will vary depending on your location. However, the test will almost always include a comprehensive written section, on top of which you may be asked to describe or demonstrate key skills. Upon passing your exam, you’ll have between 1 and 4 years to complete the process of formally registering your business.[10] House Painting Arvada CO
Expect to pay between $600 to $3,500 or $1.25 to $3 per square foot to coat vinyl, with prices likely increasing for the finish. It is one of the more inexpensive siding materials to have repainted, especially with recent innovations in materials. Changing the finish on your siding is not recommended unless it's completely degraded and worn away by the weather. You can save nearly half the vinyl siding installation cost of $4 per square foot by painting rather than replacing. Before adding a new coat to vinyl siding, Arvada Home Painting
Because it is next to impossible to find out information about local painting contractors on the Internet, the adage “talk to neighbors” applies here. Some painting contractors display signs on the lawns of houses they are working on, but you find this more with general contractors and siding and replacement windows companies. So, other than the painter’s white panel van out front, you often do not know what is going on inside your neighbors’ houses. Arvada Home Painting
Climate is another factor to consider. Sunlight, wind, rain and salty weather can all wear out exterior paint. Oil-based paint is durable against wind, rain and temperature changes, but sunlight tends to degrade it. Alkyd paint chalks and sheds very thin layers when it begins to wear. Latex paint is the more durable option for very sun-drenched and relatively dry climate areas. Latex paint with high vinyl content should be avoided, however. Acrylic resin is by far the more durable binder for outdoor latex paint.
Every painting job develops a unique choreography as ladders go up and come down and tarps are unrolled and folded up. But two basic principles remain: 1) Start at the top and work down. 2) Work in the shade, out of the sun's glare. As the dance proceeds, keep an eye on the weather. Rain can wash freshly applied latex right off the wall, and a temperature dip below 50 degrees F two days after application can interfere with adhesion and curing and dull the sheen of glossy paints. (Latexes like Sherwin-Williams's Duration and Benjamin Moore's MoorGard Low Lustre are formulated to tolerate temps as low as 35 and 40 degrees, respectively.) House Painting Arvada CO
