What makes a great paint job?

We have been doing a lot of patch and paint work recently, so painting has become a regular topic of conversation around the office. Last week we had a discussion about what makes a great paint job, and I want to share some of our thoughts with you.

One critical step to getting a great paint job is to select a quality product. The home improvement market is literally flooded with options when it comes to paint and applied finishes. Choosing the best product for your needs can be challenging, but we have adopted a system that works famously.

First and foremost, we prefer to use Sherwin-Williams paints and primers. Sherwin-Williams is the industry leader and they gained that status by offering an extensive range of quality products at a fair price. They offer the right combination of primer and paint for every surface and situation.

Sherwin-Williams range of primers includes twenty-eight distinct formulas, seven of which qualify as low VOC products. Selecting the right primer for your surface is vital for the success of your painting project. Primers serve multiple purposes in a great paint finish. Foremost primers serve to provide a surface that paint will stick to as intended. Since the color and sheen come from the top coats the primer is used to make sure the top coats stick to the surfaces they are applied to. Primers also contribute to the smoothness of the top coats by filling and leveling surfaces they cover.

Older homes and walls that have previously supported wall paper may require a stain blocking primer to maintain a consistent final finish. Bathrooms, basements and other damp spaces benefit from moisture shield products that extend the life of the final finish. Kitchens and dining areas require an odor blocking primer to keep food smells from permeating the finish. We assess each room in your home or business separately, to determine the best primer product for your unique needs.

Once we have decided on the primer, we move on to selecting the optimum final finish paint product. We specify two top coats over primer on all our jobs because we have found it to provide the best results. The Sherwin-Williams line includes over forty specific formulas of paint in twelve distinct sheens. Twenty-four of their paints meet low or zero VOC* specifications. Some of their selections include features such as anti-microbial, mildew resistance, thermal barriers, and washable and high impact finishes. Understanding your vision for the space will help us find the right combination of paint, color and finish to achieve the room of your dreams!

Another fundamental step in the process is surface preparation. Each painting project has a different set of circumstances that will require different preparations to make the surface as amenable to the painting process as possible. Some examples of these instances include the removal of the previous coating, sanding an uneven substrate, and patching blemishes. Some techniques will require the application of masking tape or specialized products designed to achieve a particular faux or decorative finish. Flawless execution of the necessary prep work will greatly expedite the priming and painting process.

The final, critical element for a great paint job is a great painter! Our field crews are knowledgeable about the products we use and the techniques we employ. They take pride in their work and they understand that our success is based solely on your satisfaction with our work.

Give us an opportunity to show you just how much that means to us!