Blog – Painting Kansas City | Crestwood Painting

Lead Paint Certification: Why It’s Important

Crestwood Painting has been EPA Lead-Safe certified since 2011, many of our Job Leads have also been trained and certified, as well.

Lead in paint has been outlawed since 1978. If your home was built before that the EPA says that lead-safe work practices must be followed. That means lots of tape and plastic to protect your home and family (and your contractor).

If a pre-’78 home is proved to have no lead in the work surfaces then lead-safe practices do not have to be followed. But the test procedures are fraught with their own set tangled rules – so we just assume lead on every pre ’78 project and work accordingly.

This means more more prep work than most contractors will do: we cover gardens to keep paint chips out, we sweep and vacuum driveways and decks and very often we’re told the yard is cleaner than it was when we started!

We equip our painters with gloves and proper breathing protection when they’re scraping, too. And soap to wash hands before lunch and at the end of the day.

We keep the soap in a nylon stocking – it’s an old Girl Scout trick (the nylon stocking keeps the soap free of dirt). There was a lot of eye-rolling at first but our painters do use it – while they tease.

Lead poisoning is very serious business. Young children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. Contractors that ignore the EPA’s RRP (Renovate, Repair & Paint) regulations are putting their business at risk. Those same contractors are also unlikely to share the risks with their customers or their employees.

Yes, it’s true – there is a slight cost difference in complying: more time in implementing lead-safe protection, more materials also. On the flip-side, our systems allow us to protect very efficiently and clean up much more effectively than we ever did before implementing lead-safe work practices.

It feels good to do the right thing. All that, and a contractor’s nod to the Girl Scouts, to boot!

Top 3 Must-Haves When Hiring A Paint Contractor

If paint contractors are clear in what they are providing and customers are clear in what they are getting then everybody will be happy, yes? So why are happy customer/contractor experiences relatively rare? The answer is the dreaded Unmet Expectations.

Let’s say the paint contractor hired to paint your house drips on your new patio. You assumed he would properly protect your home, he assumed you wanted the work done fast and cheap. If he didn’t have a written contract then shame on everybody. If he did have a contract did it clearly specify these gems?

Inclusions
Exclusions
Clarifications

Inclusions

This is, of course, the work that will be done. In our case it would read something like “Paint house and garage only, including all previously painted doors, windows, soffits, fascia, etc.” Also included should be the materials used, time to completion, and yes, surfaces to be protected.

A job well specified is half delivered

Exclusions

If your fence will not be stained or painted it should be noted here. If the dog house, garage or porch swing will not be painted that will all be listed in the section. Is it really necessary to describe what will not be painted? Well, yes – everyone wants to avoid Unmet Expectations. If you expect that your beloved white dog house will not be painted and then come home to see that it is now gray you will be, at least, a bit put off.

Now, Exclusions can go too far – it’s not necessary to state that your roof will not be painted, is it? Or the driveway?

Clarifications

So you’re talking with your painter during the estimate and he assures you that he’ll take extra precautions around your new rose bushes. This section is where that assurance should be described – “Rose bushes on east side of garage will be staked off with yellow caution tape to help prevent damage”. Even better is an explanation of the consequences if the roses are not staked off – something like “if roses are not staked off and are damaged contractor agrees to have a qualified nursery replace them.”

If the rose bushes are not mentioned at all you’re setting yourself up to have some dreaded Unmet Expectations. Or, what if the contractor simply forgets what he said about the rose bushes. Or he forgets to tell his work crew?

It’s been wisely said that “a job well specified is half delivered”. Give Crestwood Painting a call if you’d like to see what Met Expectations feel like.

Chameleon Colors

We transformed the inside of a nice Brookside home and the homeowner ran into exactly what’s described here: colors that on one wall or time of day looked completely different than another. The homeowner was surprised, but Debby Zimmer at Paint Quality Institute explains what’s going on:

“Deep, highly saturated shades have been popular for years, but the palette that’s in vogue right now is just the opposite. Interior designers and colorists are favoring lighter hues that just tease the eye with subtle hints of color.

During the daytime, a wall color might appear to be in the pale green family, but at night, under artificial light, it may take on a yellow caste.

Vaguely reminiscent of the “pastels” of yesteryear, the light colors that are gaining popularity today are more sophisticated ensembles, often marrying three or more different hues to create soft color that is often hard to put a name to. Layering color in this way also produces some interesting visual effects.

Because the new tints are so changeable under different lighting conditions, a useful recommendation is to apply some sizable swatches of the paint color to several of your walls and live with them for a day or two before fully committing to the color.

Because the new tints are not pure yellows, greens, or whatever, many have a chameleon-like quality, shifting their appearance slightly when the light changes.

During the daytime, a wall color might appear to be in the pale green family, but at night, under artificial light, it may take on a yellow caste. Likewise, a light bluish tint might gravitate toward pale gray in dimmer light.

Because the new tints are so changeable under different lighting conditions, a useful recommendation is to apply some sizable swatches of the paint color to several of your walls and live with them for a day or two before fully committing to the color. That way, you can be sure you’ll like your new choice at every time of day or night.

The emerging trend to tints is part of the natural ebb and flow that occurs in the paint industry every five years or so, and this stage of the cycle offers some tangible rewards to those who jump on board.

For one thing, repainting walls, ceilings and woodwork in lighter-colored paint tends to “open up” the area, making any room seem more spacious.

Perhaps even more important is the psychological benefit that comes with a lighter indoor environment. Brighter surroundings can lift our spirits, no matter what the color. And soft tints derived from certain color families – green and blue, for example – have a restful quality that can be restorative after a stressful day.

If you’re truly serious about doing some interior painting, there’s no time like the present. Adding some light new paint color is the perfect antidote to winter’s shorter days and gloomier weather. You’ll be right in step with the latest trend in interior painting, and you’ll find 2016 to be a far brighter new year!”

For more information on paint color and painting techniques, visit the Paint Quality Institute blog at blog.paintquality.com or its website at www.paintquality.com.

About the PAINT QUALITY INSTITUTE℠

The Paint Quality Institute was formed in 1989 to educate people on the advantages of using quality interior and exterior paints and coatings. The Paint Quality Institute’s goal is to provide information on the virtues of quality paint as well as color trends and decorating with paint through a variety of vehicles, including television appearances, newspaper and magazine articles, and instructional literature. Please be sure to visit the Paint Quality Institute at www.paintquality.com. PAINT QUALITY INSTITUTE and PAINTQUALITY.COM are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow.

CONTACT:

Deborah Zimmer
The Paint Quality Institute℠
Dow Coating Materials

Another Bright Spot

Met a very nice man to discuss removing grass cloth wallpaper in his home. We quickly struck up a pleasant and wide-ranging conversation – first a book, then back to painting, then on to travel, etc. Add this to the “Why I love my job” list .

I mentioned that we have been doing some ongoing work at a nursing home. This is a new development for our company and is a very enjoyable change of pace from our normal work.

He then asked “which retirement home?” A bit surprised with the question, I answered him. He paused, and then told me that his mother had passed last year and had spent some time in the Alzheimer’s unit at the same home.

“They’re nice people there, they did a really great job for our family.” A bit of an awkward moment, I now saw our new commercial customer (the care facility) not as a pile of rooms to be painted but as a group of caring individuals that affect families.

So if you’re looking for that next stage in someone’s life you might consider Brighton Gardens in Prairie Village. It’s clean and well-maintained, and I’ll bet they’ll do a good job for your family as well.

Does Unfinished Cabinetry Pay?

Vanity unfinished paint stain — Unfinished cabinetry has some downsides to be aware of.

A family called to meet and talk about interior painting – the entire house. They had hired a “friend” that had been “recommended” as a “good painter” that “needed some help”. This painter was not up to the task and had managed to create chaos throughout the home.

Here’s what caught my eye: there were two bathrooms with a vanity in each – both unfinished. They had planned to paint the cabinets themselves. This sort of thing starts with the best of intentions – a nice cabinet for a very attractive price. This is okay, but only if:

You actually do the work yourself
You can accept a less-than-perfect DIY finish

Stain or Paint?

On balance, staining unfinished vanities is easier than painting. Staining eliminates sanding primer and caulking joints. Stain also helps blend normal surface wear and tear – you’re less likely to notice varnish wear off; you’ll very quickly see that wear in a painted surface. Finally, the average homeowner is more likely to achieve satisfactory results when staining and varnishing whereas painting cabinetry requires more deliberate skill.

Purchasers of unfinished cabinetry may not realize the labor that goes into making their purchase look beautiful:

Remove hinges (and re-install when everything is dry)
Remove drawer glides (and re-install when everything is dry)
Find a place to do the work (because every bathroom is too small)
Proper prep
- Ease sharp factory edges with a bit of sanding
- Vacuum to remove all dust
- Prime, let dry, sand primer smooth, vacuum again
- Caulk joints (when painting)
Apply paint or stain
Second coat needed?
Apply varnish over stain

Drawer Boxes

Usually drawer boxes are sealed with a coat or two of varnish. This requires first staining the drawer fronts, dry time and varnish over all. Unless you’re painting – then varnish the drawer box first, then paint drawer fronts. Of course, re-install drawer glides when everything is dry.

Now carry the all components back to the bathroom and install drawer glides and hinges without nicking anything. Remember to clean up the (basement? garage?) work area.

Bottom Line

You’re always better to take advantage of a cabinet manufacturer’s factory-perfect finishing process. You’ll never achieve a similar level of finish on your own and the cost of paying a professional to come in and do it will not yield the expected savings.

What’s it cost to paint or stain bathroom vanities? Generally, $100 per lineal foot is a good guide. So, a 5′ vanity will be about $500 and a 3′ vanity will be around $350. This assumes there is other work being done and, of course, your mileage may vary depending on the painter you call.

interior painting plaster — 5 Star Crestwood Review

Touch-up Paint vs Fingernail Polish

A homeowner asked about touch-up painting for trim and kitchen cabinets – this explanation really clicked for her.

Nails usually follow a three step process:

Base coat
Color coat
Top coat (2X)
(Optional) Chip

When a chip happens there’s really no easy way to make that nail look like all the rest, is there?
She had no more questions.

You’ll notice how similar nail polish lingo is to painting lingo. Same process, really – primer, paint and, in the case of kitchen cabinets, very often a clear coat on top of everything.

Sure, you can apply paint to cover a chip, but it won’t look the same without a lot of extra work. Now, if you’re selling a house that might be OK – but keep this trick in mind when you’re buying, too. What at first appears to be a well-painted home may really be nothing more than clever touch-up work. That’s something that you’re likely to not see until you’ve lived in the house for a bit.

If you’ve got touch up painting questions, give us a call. We’re happy to help and there’s usually no chipped nails in answering questions.

Top 3 Things to NOT Caulk

Caulk kansas city painter crestwood — Sealing moisture out is perfect around doors and windows but sealing moisture in can grow mold and rot.

Caulk is, in terms of aesthetics, the most important part of prepping for exterior painting. It makes for a smooth, seamless appearance – no gaps between trim boards or hairline cracks in stucco. Caulk also protects from moisture infiltration.

Crack sealing (wood or stucco) should not be very noticeable. It’s often done poorly and looks like a finger dragged across a blob of caulk. Which is exactly the cave-man type of repair that is so common. Ideally, a detail-oriented painter will remove excess caulk with a damp rag for a neater appearance.

If you can seal moisture out you can also seal moisture in. So here are the top three places you do not want to seal:

Storm windows
Bottom edge
Soffits

Storm Windows

Sealing storm windows in solves one problem (heat loss / convection) and creates another, far worse problem (trapped moisture). Plus, there’s a much higher risk of damage on removal (say, for painting) of both the storm window itself and the window opening. There are usually weep holes or slots at the bottom edge of a storm window; they’re effective for water run-off but don’t help much with condensation. Sealing storms in leaves no path for condensation to escape. Please, be kind to your home and don’t caulk your storms in.

Bottom Edge

We’re talking about the bottom edge of clapboard siding and shake shingles. When (not if) moisture gets behind your home’s exterior sheathing it will need an outlet path or it will become a breeding ground for mold, mildew and wood-eating fungi. Yes, some siding boards may cup and warp; do not yield to temptation and caulk recklessly for the sake of appearance. You’ll solve one problem and create another – leave an outlet path.

Soffits

Your roof and gutters should be doing their job and directing water away. But sometimes they don’t and water goes where it shouldn’t. If you seal the bottom edges and joints of soffits and fascia trim you’ve effectively created a bathtub. Water will then travel where you don’t want it to or, maybe worse, it will fester and grow mold and mildew. As a general rule it’s best to follow the old adage “think like a raindrop” – if a raindrop continues its downward path will it wind up where you want it? Many contractors tout that they caulk “everything”, now you know that’s not quite the best policy. Want to know more about what not to caulk? Give us a call – we’d love to help.