Choosing a House Painter by Eco G Painters
Submitted by ecog on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 15:36.
A great paint job not only enhances the appearance of your house, but it also protects the surface from wear and the elements. Regular painting prevents rot and mildew and extends the life of your house while preserving its resale value. It follows that painting your house is a vital part of any homeowner’s home maintenance regimen, and that finding a good painting contractor to do the job is important.
A great paint job using high-quality paints should last you five to ten years. Conversely, poor workmanship and inexpensive paint will have you repainting in less than four years! In the long run, investing a few more dollars up front can save you the hassle of perpetually painting.
Ask About Their Process
At Eco G, we provide you a full list of what we do before we buy the first gallon. I’d suggest you ask the same of any prospective painting contractor. Here’s what we do for interior paint jobs:
- Move furniture outside of the working area (if possible) or move furniture to the center of the room
- Remove all outlet covers and electrical plates
- Protect carpet, furniture and surfaces not to be painted
- Prep and fill all nail holes
- Spot prime or full prime (per contract)
- Sand and paint walls
- Prep and paint cabinets, doors, windows and wood work
- Detail all work
- Inspection
- Furniture relocated
- Final touch up
- Final walk through
And exterior:
- Inspect surfaces to be painted
- Water blast surfaces
- Scrape and patch affected areas
- Protect windows, doors and surfaces not to be painted
- Spot prime or full prime on areas to be painted (per contract)
- Inspect before finish coat is applied
- Paint wood trim, doors windows and misc metals (per contract)
- Clean up
- Final detail
- Final walk through
Moving the furniture can be done by either you or the painting contractor and is negotiated in the price.
Get a Full Description of the Paints They Plan to Use
We only use high-quality eco-friendly paints. Make sure they use paints certified to contain low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by industry-independent testing organizations such as Greenguard, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), and Green Seal. VOCs have been linked to health issues. Ask if the paints are pet-friendly and if you can sleep in the newly-painted room that night. If they answer to the affirmative, the contractor is probably planning on using no VOCs paint.
Ask to See Prior Work
The service industry lives on referrals, and house painting is no different. You’ll want to ask the prospective contractor if you can see past jobs, preferably ones that are at least a few years old. Every newly painted house looks good—the difference shows over time. It’s also key to speak to prior customers themselves to see how the contractor operated on a personal basis.
Know What You Want
Educating yourself about the process is a good start (like reading this article), but before you call your first contractor make sure you know what you want. Do you want just the exterior painted? Do you know what colors you want? (Sometimes painting over an existing darker color with a lighter color can cost more because more paint is required.) What about the trim color? Gloss or flat? Are you prepared to move the patio furniture yourself? What is your timeframe and how flexible are you? Would you prefer eco-friendly paints? (We do, but they usually cost a little more.) If you see something you like in Sunset, be sure to rip out the page so you can show the contractor exactly what you want.
Shop, Shop, Shop
Get quotes from at least three contractors, and don’t be afraid to negotiate once you have those quotes.
Good luck in your search!
Brando Giron, Owner of Eco G Painters
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