Question 1

Oil or Latex?

Accepted Answer

Short answer - latex.

Improvements in paint technology are all directed at latex as oil paint is gradually being phased out (it's not environmentally friendly). Latex is more durable, flexible and won't fade or chalk. While there will always be adherents to the Oil-Primer-Latex-Top-Coat school of thought, advances in latex primers have made that argument less convincing. We favor latex, but will use oil where conditions require it.

Question 2

What does "Licensed & Insured" mean?

Accepted Answer

"Licensed" means a business license issued by the city you are doing business in. "Insured" should mean the painter has general liability insurance to protect the business and the homeowner. The cheapest, bare minimum coverage is rarely a good move for either party. Some contractors believe that having car insurance entitles them to say they have "insurance". Ask for (and get) a certificate of insurance issued for your specific address.

Painted storm windows "disappear", enhancing the look of the window rather than covering it up. This is particularily striking when the storms and sashes are painted to complement the window trim.

Question 3

Can I paint my storm windows?

Accepted Answer

Sure - properly cleaned, aluminum storms will hold paint very well. Painted storm windows "disappear", enhancing the look of the window rather than covering it with that unflattering silver rectangle. This is particularily striking when the storms and sashes are painted to complement the window trim.

Question 4

Flat, eggshell or glossy?

Accepted Answer

Here's the pecking order: glossy, semi-gloss, satin, eggshell, flat. Different manufacturers may use different terms or may offer a smaller selection of sheens. Higher gloss is easier to clean but shows off surface imperfections. Front doors are often painted with a glossy finish, trim often is satin or semi-gloss and exterior walls are often flat, although some homes are quite nice with a satin sheen.

Question 5

What about lead paint?

Accepted Answer

The EPA's lead brochure is a good overview.

Question 6

How long should a paint job last?

Accepted Answer

There are painters that guarantee their paint jobs for 20 years - but few homeowners will pay for the prep work that requires. Paint over well-prepped new wood, high quality primer and the recommeded finish coat thickness should yield a life of 15 to 20 years. Paint over poor prep (no power washing or scraping), cheap primer (if any) and a thin finish coat may fail in less than one year. That's quite a range.

Painting older houses is a series of trade-offs. Cost is weighed against desired appearance, proper prep, hassle, lead paint concerns, materials used and durability. Generally speaking, paint on a well-prepped house should last 7 to 10 years. Longer if the underlying paint is in good shape, shorter if you've got problems like excessive interior moisture, leaky gutters or mildew.

Question 7

Are more colors better?

Accepted Answer

The use of color should be driven by the style of the home. Victorian, brick colonial and Arts & Crafts styles will each use color differently to show the home to its best advantage. Whether your home is brick, wood siding or shingles, stone or stucco, the natural colors and textures can be enhanced by the use of color. Often similar colors with slight shading differences are used to subtly "suggest" details and features rather than "advertise" them. Think of a blue house with bright red trim and a yellow door - fine for a quirky beach cottage but not suited for most Kansas City neighborhoods. See the Color Ideas page for some ideas on how to make it happen.

Question 8

The case for inexpensive paint.

Accepted Answer

There is none. As with almost any product, you usually get what you pay for. Purchasing paint strictly on the basis of price will end up costing you more in the long run. Here's why. As long as you're comparing two similar types of paint (i.e. interior wall paint, exterior trim paint), price differences usually reflect a difference in the quality and/or the amount of the key ingredients. Since it's the ingredients that affect such important qualities as durability, flow, hide and leveling, the better the quality of the paint the easier it will be to apply and the longer it will normally last. In fact, a top-quality paint (or primer, or caulk) can last up to twice as long as a low-end paint, lowering the cost per year of service. Materials are a relatively small part of the overall cost of a paint job. Saving a few hundred on materials simply doesn't pay.

Question 9

What is involved with the "average" paint job?

Accepted Answer

First, an assessment is made of anything on the property that might need special protection (plants, play sets, etc.). After protection is in place, we'll power wash to remove loose paint, spider webs and other goodies. Then we'll hand scrape with carbide scrapers (they stay sharper longer and remove more paint), replace loose or missing window glazing, do agreed-upon repair work and carefully caulk as needed. Finally, we apply primer as needed and paint. All work will be specified in our agreement so everybody knows what to expect and there are no surprises. Every home is different so each step in the process is adjusted to meet the particular needs of your home.

Question 10

What color for the front door?

Accepted Answer

Here's an oldie-but-goodie. Photograph the front of your house filling as much of the frame as you can. Cut out the front door with an exacto knife and hold the picture against enough color chips until you find the perfect color. Easy trial and error and no brush cleaning! There's a more thorough overview of front door colors here.

Question 11

What is the best way to apply paint?

Accepted Answer

Brushing is slow but precise, spraying is fast but not so precise and rolling falls right in the middle. Trim is either brushed or sprayed and larger areas are usually sprayed and then back-rolled (rolling over the still-wet sprayed paint). Spray for speed and back-roll to work the paint into all the nooks and crannies. In general, spraying followed by back-rolling will deliver a more even film of paint across a larger area than spraying or rolling alone.

Question 12

Where can I go for more answers?

Accepted Answer

Your local professional painter or paint retailer is the best place to start. A great online resource is the Painter Forum - a professional problem-solving exchange.

Question 13

How will you send the proposal?

Accepted Answer

Proposals are usually three pages, always emailed.

Question 14

How will you communicate with me?

Accepted Answer

Questions are best answered via email or phone, proposals are always emailed. We email expected scheduling as well as a helpful list of to-dos. We find texting once things are underway helps to keep things moving.

Question 15

How far out are you scheduling?

Accepted Answer

It depends, of course – project size, repair work and weather are among some of the factors. Summer is always busier (four to eight weeks), less so in winter (one to three weeks). Smaller homes easier to squeeze in between larger homes.

Question 16

Do more colors cost more?

Accepted Answer

Yes. More colors mean more trips up the ladder. And another gallon of paint and another roller cover. It doesn’t cost much, but it can add up.

Question 17

What about color consultation?

Accepted Answer

There are local color consultants as well as options through professional paint companies. Take advantage of them - they'll keep you from making a color blunder.

When you drive up to your home you want to say “That’s my house and I flippin’ love it!” and not “uh, it's still tan”. A professional that knows exterior paint colors will make that happen.

Question 18

How can I compare estimates?

Accepted Answer

Start here to compare Apples to Apples. And yes, we have done line-by-line comparisons of paint proposals - just give us a call.

Question 19

How about just a “ballpark” estimate?

Accepted Answer

Of course it depends. Exterior painting projects are only sometimes under $5000 and are usually less than $15k. Larger homes with certain requrements can be over $30k.

Question 20

What about repair work that might be needed?

Accepted Answer

Repair work is generally subjective and so no clear consensus on just what should be done. We'll make recommendations, but it ultimately comes down to the customers' preferences and budget. Where appropriate we'll have our in-house people do repairs. If we can't do something with the expectred level of craftsmanship we'll make suggestions on whom you might call.

Question 21

Is a meeting required? Why not just come by and then email an estimate?

Accepted Answer

That would be a “drive-by” estimate – we don’t do that. Painting is expensive, it's a business transaction and everybody (both you and us) want to be very clear on what is expected. That requires clear questions and clear answers so that everybody’s expectations are met. And, like they say: "A job well planned is half delivered".

Question 22

Tell me about your painters.

Accepted Answer

Our professional painters are pleasant and very competent – no creepy dudes. We hire subcontractors and hold them accountable to deliver on clear expectations. The language they get is the same language we send to the customer - same language, same expectations.

We pay well enough to attract high quality people. Our painters are real people with real lives and real families, living right here in Kansas City.

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