These are the 10 things you need to know when painting your house:

1. Insurance for peace of mind:  The last thing you want is for a contractor to get hurt while working in your home and claim you are liable.  Don’t cut corners, go with a reputable contractor who has the right coverage for his team AND your home!
2. Highest quality painting supplies & materials:  A reputable company can specify high quality paint – but all products used need to be highest quality across the board – caulk,  mildewcide, painters putty, glazing, shutter paint, wood primers, rust primer, metal roof paint, wrought iron, deck paints and stains, stucco paints, etc…  Example: Caulk goes for $1 tube to the finest caulk on the market @ $7/tube.   This not only gives the job greater longevity, but ensures the job goes well and you get your house painted the way you want.  Keep in mind every leading paint manufacturer carries several high quality lines and it pays to go with the best.
3. Exterior Painting for that extra curb appeal:  By just tweaking the exterior you can dramatically improve your homes curb appeal and value by simply tweaking or adjusting the existing colors.  Slight changes to shade and contrast can make this difference quickly.  However it requires a very experienced and skilled color consultant which we provide FREE or charge.  Mike will come to your home to help you pick the colors you want.  You may want the most current and popular color palate, or go with a traditional or classic.  In considering color choices many factors affect curb appeal.  Style of the home, even of neighborhood, color balance, stone, brick, roof color.  Out of date or common color combinations can really hurt a home value and appeal.  Feel good about the way your home looks. (you could pick a paint contractor who gives you a color charge to pick your own colors).
4. Actually an exterior home inspection – checking, inspecting, physical maintenance items, select specific products
5. Choose a no pressure company – some companies camp on your doorstep, call everyday pressuring you to do the work.  We are latterly “no pressure” company.  We believe our customers are intelligent, have reached a certain level of success, know what they want, and have instincts to know who they trust to do their work. (we ask if we can help with any questions and let you make your decision in your own time)
6. How long should a painting estimate take?  Some people think we are more expensive… but a solid carpentry estimate – one done correctly by locating all rotten wood – can be done in one hour.  We make sure the correct high end products for different surfaces and finishing for your home.  Wood, stucco, hardi, cedar & decks also require the correct primers.   As part of our quote we check 11 different areas of the home that are potential trouble areas – saving you unnecessary expenses down the road, whether it be during the job or years away.  The estimates are completed on-site and shared with you the same day. Caveat emptor – avoid ballpark estimates that are done too quickly.
7. Does the contractor have Full-time staff?  Choose a contractor who has a full-time, friendly and helpful office staff that answer the phone when you call.  Does your contractor have a team ready and willing to help you set-up an estimate, get questions answered, check scheduling and ask for Mike to call – we take great pride in getting to know our customers and fulfilling their needs – avoid wasting your time waiting for answers.
8. How long has the contractor been in the business?  Get someone who made all their mistakes decades ago and knows how products perform on the materials you have on your home.  It takes an expert with years of experience to be able to specify correct primers and finishes for different surfaces and surface conditions.  Years of watching products perform is the only way to actually know the longevity of the products used.  We specify only the longest lasting paints for Hardie wood, vinyl, stucco, cedar, metal, etc. and specify the correct proper surface preparation for these surfaces.
9. Should I get a carpentry estimate?   YES!  Always get a physical carpentry inspection!  This inspection takes at least an hour to complete correctly, as a casual visual inspection will not find all the rotted wood areas.  Carpentry materials should be permanent lifetime products such as hardie plank, hardie trim, PVC, etc. to avoid reoccurrences.  Your carpentry estimate should list the specific piece that are to be replaced and their location.   This way you will know what the cost is upfront.
10. Does size matter?  We are biased, but we believe that when you use a smaller company where the owner / manager (who also did the estimates) do the supervision and the final inspection, you get the best results.  Get someone who cares about doing what they said they would do and inspects to make sure it was done.  After all, your home is your pride and joy – getting someone who takes pride in their work is the key to keeping your home a sound investment.