Our goal is to empower you to make informed decisions about your home.
Sometimes garage doors should be replaced instead of being painted. In such cases, we recommend 716 Garage Door.
The reason we no longer offer deck services is due to the inability to acquire quality materials that will last longer than 3 months before there is a substantial degradation of the coating.
Contrary to popular belief, paint won't actually penetrate dirt. Instead it will lay on top of it. Which is why thoroughly washing all surfaces to be painted first is so important.
Prep work is vitally important when it comes to exterior painting projects. A sanded surface will allow paint to have a stronger mechanical bond with the existing surface if its not glossy, sharp and jagged.
However in some cases, such as cedar shake, or aluminum siding, sanding first will damage the substrate. The same is true with clapboard siding as the siding itself will turn to dust as you sand it, forever changing the profile of the siding (bad).
Knowing what to use, and how to prepare the many different siding materials found on the exterior of homes in Western New York, requires extensive experience in the local painting industry in order to avoid causing unintentional damage, that will cost thousands of dollars to fix.
Something to Remember:
At the end of the day, when you re-paint the exterior of your home, the new coating must rely on the adhesion of the existing paint it is going over. If the existing paint is flaking off, bubbling, pealing or otherwise losing adhesion to the substrate whatever primer, or paint you put over it, will rely on the adhesion of the previous coating. This is why prep is vitally important, especially on exterior re-paints.
The Cost of Materials, Matter
The cost difference between lesser quality paints, and more expensive paints on most projects is marginal when you consider the savings on labor and longevity. For instance, a good quality paint will cover in 1-2 coats and last 7-10+ years in WNY. However a lesser quality paint may only last 2-5 years. The savings in labor and longevity out weighs the higher cost of better paint. The difference in material costs is often a few hundred dollars on a multi-thousand dollar project.
So why not use the better quality products for the longevity and best coverage? Good quality house paints are also easier to work with and increase overall efficiency.
Vinyl siding is paintable
Painting vinyl siding may not always be your best option. It may be better to have a siding company come in and re-side your house instead. (This coming from a Painter!) At the moment -assuming your siding isn't painted, it's maintenance-free. The moment you paint the siding, you turn virtually maintenance-free, cost-free siding into an expensive maintenance item. Not only that, but due to expansion and contraction, it can lead to holidays in the paint job requiring touch-ups.
Also, you're limited on your color selections. Light-colored vinyl siding is chemically different from dark-colored vinyl siding. They're literally two different products. The reason for this has to do with the heat from the sun. If you paint light-colored siding darker, you run the risk of warping the siding, causing irreparable damage. Once it's warped, your only option is to replace it.
Below is an example of warped siding. Don't make this costly mistake!
We had NO involvement with house pictured below!!
Given the increased costs associated with painting exteriors of homes, you can spend thousands upon thousands of dollars every 7-10 years repainting your siding or spend the money once and just have the house re-sided.
Re-siding the home has other benefits, like house-wrap and added insulation behind the siding, leading to lower energy bills. Also, it will allow you to inspect the outer shell of your home and repair any damage that would go unnoticed had you just painted the siding.
Why is exterior painting so expensive?
Exterior painting often requires the extensive use of extension ladders and scaffolding which can take longer, and carries more risk of injury than interior painting. Also insurance for anything over 2 stories costs substantially more for the Contractor. Exterior paints also cost more due to their need to withstand changing environments and weather. All of which adds to the cost of the job.
I think the only other part of painting that is more labor-intensive is painted popcorn texture removal.
What is the best time to paint outside?
Spring and fall. As long as we have dry weather, and overnight temps are above 50F. When temps drop below 50F condensation can become an issue and lead to premature paint failure. Sure you can paint down to 35F according to the can, doesn't mean you should. In the summer, high tempuratures can cause the paint to flash-dry which can leave an undesired finish among other problems.
The Truth About Paint Chips
Unless your contractor masks off the ground, all around your home for the duration of the job, which would be prohibitively expensive, and create difficult working conditions, there is no way to gaurentee no paint chips and paint crumbs will be left in your gutters, bushes, and gardens.
A responsible painting contractor will protect the work area, contain as much debris as reasonably possible, and clean up when the job is done. Even after a thorough cleanup, however, some leftover paint chips and crumbs are unavoidable.
If you plan to install fresh mulch, wait until after the house has been painted.
Is it necessary to pressure-wash a house before painting?
Absolutely. The removal of years worth of dirt from the areas to be painted is required for primer and paint to properly adhere to the underlying surfaces. Contrary to popular belief, paint wont penetrate dirt, but instead lay on top of it. Also pressure washing can aid in the prep stage of the job by loosening/removing pealing paint. (This can create quite the mess)
How many coats of paint does the exterior of a house need?
We always did 2 full coats of paint. Plus primer where necessary. This provides the optimum coverage and durability our clients demand from our exterior coatings.
Why Did Carrigan Painting Stop Offering Exterior Painting?
Over the past two years, we completed four relatively small exterior repaints. After accounting for labor, insurance, materials, equipment, estimating time, and weather-related delays, we lost money on all four. That is not a sustainable service. Despite those losses, we were told in every instance that ours was the most expensive estimate.
Properly covering a professional painting crew with liability and workers’ compensation insurance costs more in New York than anywhere else in the United States. With more than 150 painting companies operating in Western New York, exterior painting has potentially become a substantially better value for homeowners while worse business for legitimate, properly insured painting contractors.
If you need a complete exterior repaint, see the Western New York exterior painting contractors we recommend.