Time to Start Thinking About Exterior Painting
I bet with all the snow and cold here in Connecticut, you’re not thinking of painting the exterior of your home. It’s not a really good time to do anything outside, but maybe snowmobiling or skiing.
But, you may want to start thinking about it for a spring project. Executive Craftsman wants you to know that the spring weather, with mild temperatures and low humidity is the best time for paint to cure.
The way a home looks says a great deal about the person living in that home, and most homeowners wish to make a good impression. One way to achieve that is by giving your home a new paint job.
A good paint job also helps to protect a home from the potential consequences of weather, protecting and preserving wood and other materials. For these reasons and more, it is important for a homeowner to choose not just a painting contractor, who will do an acceptable job of painting a home, but one who will do a masterful job. Executive Craftsman is that contractor! Many times when we are preparing a house we find rotten wood that is not visible until the sanding process is started. Once a small amount of rot starts, it spreads quickly. This attracts termites and carpenter ants. It also will allow water to penetrate the house and cause more damage. Executive Craftsman has full time carpenters on staff to handle any repair needs while painting a house.
One of the keys to finding a good contractor and to getting the best paint job possible is to hire locally, and to ask the right questions. Executive Craftsman is dependent on a local reputation, and cannot afford to have his or her reputation tarnished by doing a poor job.
It is important to do some homework to assure you hire the right contractor for the job. Many people consider themselves painters but it takes many years of experience to learn how to do a first class job that will last and hold up in our tough weather conditions.
Here are some important questions to ask when looking for a contractor.
Can you provide a list of recent customers who will provide references?
I am amazed when I drive by a house being painted and there are 2 guys on the job with their shirts off and a radio blasting. We pride ourselves in being as professional as possible, looking and acting professional. We have as many men on the job as needed to get the job done in a timely manner. There are not many jobs, weather permitting, which take more than 2 weeks from start to finish. We realize that it is an intrusion having 8 guys running around your house for 2 weeks so when we start the job we are there every day until the job is completed.
Is the contractor licensed and covered by Workers compensation and liability insurance?
Home owners don’t realize how important this is. Most home owners take this for granted and assume that the contractor is covered or think that it is not that important. We are asked maybe twice a year to provide this information. Rest assured, Executive Craftsman is fully licensed and insured.
What is the process for a painting job?
This is where a lot of painting contractors cut corners. Anybody can pick up a brush and slap on some paint. If the preparation process is not done correctly the paint job will fail quicker and the job will not look good when the paint is applied.
First, the house should be washed with a chemical solution to remove mold, mildew, and dirt. Once washing is complete an extensive sanding job should be done. This will remove loose or peeling paint and feather out the rough edges from the built up paint. All surrounding areas should be protected during the preparation and painting process. All open seams or cracks should be caulked. If imperfections can’t be sanded out they should be repaired with a wood filler. Between coats of paint, all areas should be lightly sanded. This will increase the cost of the job but in the long run, it pays off and will make the job last much longer.
Have the contractor put the entire process of preparation in writing and make certain that he or she dates and signs it. Holes and open seams should be repaired. All surfaces to be painted must be scraped and/or sanded to remove as much of the old paint as possible. Ask how many people will be part of the preparation process.
What material will be used?
All good paint manufacturers carry a less expensive line of paint. Just because a company claims that they are using a good quality company does not mean that they are using their better line of paint. A good quality line of paint now costs $60.00 per gallon. Make sure that the better line of the paint is being used.
Executive Craftsman gets all of our work from word of mouth. We want to drive by your house several years from now and have your house looking as good as the day it was painted. We take pride in our work and consider our customers “long-term investments”. We want to make sure you are 100% satisfied. Our prices are competitive and we will give you a long lasting job that will give you many years of satisfaction.
Make the exterior painting of your home a priority on your list of spring “to dos”.
Call Executive Craftsman today to schedule your appointment!
203-324-6383
www.executivecraftsman.com
