Is There Really A Difference in Paint Quality?

Is There Really A Difference in Paint Quality?

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When shopping for paint or hiring a professional, you have many details to consider. Like others, your primary focus may be the cost of the project. After all, you only want to spend so much money to transform the overall look of your home. But did you know there is something else you should consider? Quality.

Many are under the impression that all paint is the same. For this reason, they spend most their time focused on the color and no time focused on the overall quality of the product. While this may not appear to be a big deal upfront, especially if you are saving money, over time you will begin to realize that a mistake was made.

Before we go any further, here is something to keep in mind: the best professional painters are serious about the quality of the products they use. If you are not comfortable with the paint selection offered by a professional, it may be time to move onto another.

There is no denying the fact that some paints are of better quality than others. Here are five points to consider, all of which we will touch on in more detail later in the article:

  • Price does matter
  • The type of paint you choose should be based on the location and your personal lifestyle
  • Which paint company is best?
  • Interior vs. exterior
  • Do you know the pigment percentage?
  • When it comes to better understanding the quality of different paints, you can get started by learning more about the five points above.

Price Does Matter

It is easy to get caught in the trap of shopping for the cheapest paint you can find, however, this is not the best practice.

Simply put, you should expect to pay more for higher quality paint. Knowing this, it will be easier to set your initial budget for the project.

Choose the Right Type of Paint

This is when hiring a professional comes in handy. If you are painting on your own, you may not know the first thing about your many options.

For example, if you are painting a family room, a space in which your family spends a lot of time, durability is extremely important. You know the walls will be subjected to lots of wear. On top of this, cleaning the painted walls from time to time will be necessary.

When painting bathrooms and kitchens, a high quality semi-gloss finish is often times suggested. This is extremely easy to clean, meaning that dirt, grime, and food particles will never harm the overall appearance. Instead, this finish can be cleaned, time and time again, without any negative impact.

Which Paint Company is Best?

Let’s face it: this is often times nothing more than a matter of opinion. You may have fallen in love with one paint company, while the next person has a different idea as to which provider is best.

Once again, when you hire a professional you never have to worry about this on your own. You can rely on the pro to rely on the paint company that provides a high quality product at an affordable price.

If you are not comfortable with their selection, ask them for a comparison to other similar companies. This will soon give you a better idea of why you should take their advice.

Interior vs. Exterior

This is one of the most important points to consider when it comes to painting in general, as well as the quality of the product you choose to use.

You are not going to use the same type of paint indoors as you would outdoors, and vice versa. Remember, outdoor paint is going to be exposed to intense conditions ranging from sunlight to rain to snow and much more.

If you choose low quality paint for an exterior project, for instance, don’t be surprised if you find yourself paying for the job again in the near future.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is using interior paint on the outside of your home or exterior paint on the inside.

Do you know the Pigment Percentage?

As a novice, this may not be a question you have ever asked yourself in the past. Professional painters know just how important this is, so they only use paints with the appropriate pigment percentage.

While there is no “set rule,” most agree that a pigment percentage of 45 percent is ideal. Anything lower than this can result in poor uniformity. If the percentage is much higher, the chance of blistering greatly increases.

One Final Thought to Consider

To go along with the points above, here is one final thought to consider if you are going to purchase low quality paint: the job will likely take you much longer to complete, and you may end up spending more money in the long run.

With cheap paint, you are going to spend more time completing the job since you will likely require multiple coats. Subsequently, you end up wasting a lot of time while also spending twice as much on paint. By purchasing a high quality product the first time around, you can save yourself time and money.

What Now?

There is most definitely a difference in paint quality, and you need to keep this in mind at all times. No matter if you are doing the job yourself or hiring a professional, if you choose anything but a high quality paint you may be disappointed with the end result.

A $10/gallon can of paint may better suit your budget, but if you bump your price range up to $30/gallon (give or take) the end result is going to be more in line with what you are hoping for.

Commercial Painting

What It Takes To Be a Good Commercial Painting Company in Orlando, FL.

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What It Takes To Be a Good Commercial Painting Company in Orlando, FL

In a way, the world has had their eyes on Orlando, FL for the last four decades or so.  Ever since a certain theme park set up shop in the city, this central Florida city has been a global hub of great times and lasting memories.  And since the city has earned the reputation as being one that attracts the world, it’s important that it looks pretty.

Businesses in Orlando are savvy enough to know this, especially if their company is one that appeals to the out-of-town market as well as the locals.  As such, the need for a good commercial painting company is a very vital element that is needed in order for a business to maximize their success.  They know that working with the right painting company could very well be the difference that turns a moderately successful company into a business that truly booms.

Because of this heightened need, it makes sense that the commercial painting industry in Orlando is a rather competitive market. To that end, there are a few things that a good commercial painting company should always be doing in order to stand out from the pack.

The Importance of Reputation

A commercial painting company is probably more familiar with the old adage “image is everything” than other businesses.  However, this matter of image these days extends past the paintbrush and is tied to the Internet, where online reviews and other forms of commentary from current and former customers can make a huge impact on how a painting company is viewed.

While a company will most likely never have a flawless online reputation, there are several steps that a painting company can do to make sure their standing as an excellent company is built up and protected.

Some of these steps include:

  • Securing solid employees – In a way, a commercial painting company is only as good as the commercial painters that they employ.  This makes sense; after all, those painters are going to be the people that ultimately perform the work that a company requested.  Having painters that not only can meet the desires of the client, but do so in a way that is professional and approachable, goes a long way in making a commercial painting company seem easily approachable.
  • Having well defined business practices – Any clear indication that a painting company can demonstrate that the manner in which it conducts business is one built on integrity will be of huge interest to a prospective business, especially if they are new to the concept of needing such services.  Being able to share something like an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau will put a lot of questions that future customers to rest before they are even asked.
  • Online documentation of past work – There’s a reason why “before and after” images are an effective advertising tool.  They work to give potential clients a clear image of what a good commercial painting service can do.  Therefore, having this kind of imagery ready to view online through a business’s website or Facebook page gives customers the opportunity to see exactly what they may be able to expect – an important step, considering the nature of commercial painting.

Proper Paperwork

There are two things that are typically attached to a commercial paint job; lots of paint, and lots of paperwork.  Any client that is serious about obtaining the best commercial paint service is going to demand to see a host of paperwork pertaining to licensing, general liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance in addition to the detailed quote breaking down a project’s scope and cost.  Therefore, it is crucial that a painting company have all their ducks in a row in order to make sure that when a customer requests this vital material, it can be provided to them in a manner that is smooth and efficient, as this will give off a clear indication that the level of project seriousness is a two-way affair.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Because of the nature of the beast, prospective clients may be armed with a certain level of caution when approaching a commercial painting service.  This form of concern can stem from a business that is new to the need of a painting service and may feel the process is not unlike searching for an honest plumbing or company.  It can also come from a company that has used a commercial painting service before and got burned in the process.  Either way, a painting service will need to do whatever is possible to make prospective clients feel absolutely comfortable with the potential service they may need.

Achieving this may go beyond building a reputation and having solid paperwork, too.  It could be tied to making sure that there are no products offered that can be misconstrued as gimmicky.  It could even be tied to the way that the service is advertised:  As good as a phrase like “We’ll beat anyone’s price, guaranteed!” may sound, considering the serious nature of commercial painting, those words may have carry a subtext that a company is more concerned with cost-effectiveness than they are with providing a top-flight service.

As such, the best thing that a commercial painting company can do is to simply be as open and honest with their potential clients.  Strip away the games and remove all traces of gimmickry relating to any price quotes, services offered, or products used.  Doing so will allow a painting company stand out before the first application of color is applied to a wall.

Building for the Future

The Orlando market continues to grow and thrive.  What’s more, it’s showing no signs of slowing down.  Therefore, it is important that any commercial painting company is making sure that it is building up a sterling reputation and is making sure that it is being refined and protected now.  By operating on platform based on a solid reputation, efficiently providing paperwork, and a commitment to honesty, a commercial painting company will put them into a position to grow right along with Orlando every step of the way.

Choosing the right paint for the exterior of your house

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Choosing the right paint for the exterior of your home is not as difficult as you may think. Figure out what your main concerns are and go from there.

  1.  If your main concern is existing stucco cracks and the possibly of future cracks appearing, then a highly permeable elastomeric or waterproofing coating is what you need.

My recommendation would be to use Sherwin Williams Loxon XP High Performance Waterproofing Coating. This product has a lot better color retention as a finish coating than Elastomeric Coatings. Elastomeric coatings are better as an undercoat. They are notorious for fading very quickly. You should always top coat elastomeric coatings with a premium top of the line 100% acrylic exterior paint.

2.    If your main concern is combating water intrusion, same as above.

3.    If your main concern is keeping the true color of the paint for a long time and resisting fading, I would recommend using one of Sherwin Williams premium lines of exterior paint.  Sherwin Williams has 4 premium lines of exterior paint.

  • Emerald Exterior Acrylic
  • Duration Exterior Acrylic
  • Resilience Exterior Acrylic
  • SuperPaint Exterior Acrylic

The prices vary obviously, but you cannot go wrong with any of these paints. All of these paints come with an outstanding manufacturer’s warranty and a high level of UV inhibitors and mildewcides.

4.   If you have raw wood on your home that needs to be painted, no matter what you are told, make sure an oil-based wood primer is applied prior to applying the finish paint. The wood graining will never bleed back through the finish paint if an oil-based primer is applied first. It also seals up the wood very well. Do not use a latex primer over raw wood.

5.    Choose a paint with a sheen (satin preferably). A paint with a sheen will stay much cleaner outside than flat paint.

Best Orlando house painter

How to select the best Orlando painter?

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Having trouble finding a qualified and trusted Orlando Painter? Well you are not alone. With the declining economy over recent years, people have lost their jobs and all of the sudden there are tons and tons of new Orlando painting contractors. Unfortunately, these are the contractors you would not want painting your home or business.

The big question is, how can i find a great painting company? The answer is, do your homework. Make sure the contractor is licensed, insured and carries Worker Compensation. Always have the contractor have his or her insurance provider fax or email the insurance coverages to you. That way you know the coverages are current, valid and up to date. Never settle for or accept a contractor handing you his paper insurance binder from his notebook. That proves nothing at all. In fact, any painter that would even do that, is obviously hiding something and is certainly not a reputable Painting Contractor.

Secondly, thoroughly view their company website. Look to see how professional it actually is. If it looks very amateurish and cheesey, the company may be as well. A serious minded reputable painting contractor generally is trying to display the best possible image for their company. Also, if a contractor does not even have a website, i would personally stay away all together.

Thirdly, all the painting contractors bidding on your project should have their body of work on display at all times. Seriously, we are painting contractors here. Real photos and videos of a painting company’s body of work means everything. If a painter does not or cannot prove to you his body of work, what does that tell you? I think in our line of work that is one of the most important selling points to a paying customer. The contractor should be able to provide you access to before, during and after photos of many many painting projects. These photos and/or videos should clearly display pictures of his uniformed staff of painters, their company logoed trailers, the cleanliness of the work area, products used for that particular project and their final results. Since Facebook has a billion users, i would say that a Facebook Business Page would be an amazing platform to show off your work.

Central Florida’s Superior Coatings has a Facebook Business Page and is available for our customers and potential customers to view at any time.

Fourthly, AVOID any contractor who states “we will beat any competitive price” or “low price guarantee”. Seriously, how ridiculous of a statement is that? Can these contractors get any more desperate? The cheapest painting contractor will never be the contractor who provides you with the best materials or provides you with the best quality of work. These type of contractors use unskilled cheap labor and are notorious for adding water to your paint. Example: lets say it takes 20 gallons of paint to paint your house. They will buy 15 gallons of paint and box in 5 gallons of water. This is just 1 of many examples of what cheap priced contractors do to shave overhead on a project.

Remember, you are not buying an object. You are buying a service. Always keep in mind when choosing between painters in Orlando Fl,  you get what you pay for!

Lastly, go with your gut instinct when choosing a contractor. Figure in the company who made you feel the most comfortable. Also, avoid the contractor who harrasses you with phone calls or emails attempting to push you into making a decision. Again, another sign of a desperate contractor.

Choosing an interior painter in Orlando

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If you are looking for an Orlando painter to paint the interior of your home or business, please choose wisely. Please remember this contractor and his crew are strangers coming into your home. 95% of the time, the contractor who provided you with the cheapest quote is probably the least reputable. 

The most important step to take when hiring an interior painting contractor in Orlando is to investigate the company. Could you imagine how devistating it would be to find out something extremely valuable to you came up missing? How about another scenario? What if the painting contractor you hired didn’t have a valid General Liability Insurance policy and he spilled paint all over your carpet, or scratched your hardwood floors or tile with a ladder? Who do you think would be stuck paying for the damage? There are many other horror stories about unqualified painters i could talk about, but i think you get the point.

Never make the price of a painting project your number 1 concern. The reputation of the Painting Company is what is really important. Please talk to people in your community about the contractor in question, call the paint store from where the contractor is planning to purchase the paint for your project and view before, during and after photos of some of their recent projects.

I understand choosing an interior painter in Orlando is difficult. Here at Central Florida’s Superior Coatings, we will prove to you from the very first phone call to the completed project that we are the painting company in Orlando that you can count on. Our client list is second to none.

 

Painting in Baldwin Park

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This week, we completed another exterior house painting project in Baldwin Park. This project was at the Negron Residence on Shaw Lane. This was a 4,000 square foot project with tons of detail and a high degree of difficulty. This house is technically a 2 story but had a 3rd story section on the front. The 2 sides of the house were 40+ feet in height. Due to the height of the sides and the small spaces between the heighboring houses, we brought in a 60′ boom lift. For safety, quality and Workers Compensation purposes, i feel it is always in the best interest of everyone involved to use high reaches. There is no question at those heights, you can provide much better quality workmanship than using ladders.

This beautiful home was definitely in need of a facelift. The existing paint on the house was completely faded, quite a bit of mildew growth on the walls, trim and pvc handrails, and a lot of hairline stucco cracks.

The first thing we had to do was to get this house thoroughly cleaned. We use an eco-friendly cleaner during our pressure washing process. Our eco-friendly cleaning solution removes mildew, mold, algae, dirt and all other contaminants while causing NO harm to your landscaping and ecosystem. Do not allow a contractor to use chlorine or household bleaches. These are very harmful products. I think we have all seen what it does to your plants. Most contractors use such products because they are a lot cheaper than using what they should be using.

Secondly, we had to deal with the hairline cracks. Due to the amount of cracks, i recommended using Sherwin Williams Loxon XP High Performance Waterproofing Coating to Mr. Negron. He agreed. When applying a patching compoung to stucco, you obviously change the existing texture of that surface. When you paint over the patched cracks with your typical premium paint, you can always see exactly where the patches are. These patches marks are even more noticeable on smooth sand finish stucco. This particular house has smooth sand finish stucco. The use of the Loxon XP eliminates this problem. I will explain the benefits below.

The benefits to using Sherwin Williams Loxon XP:

•           High Elongation (bridges cracks without using fillers & the cracks DO NOT reappear)

•           Prevents Water Penetration

•           Flexible & highly permeable (allows vapors to pass without getting trapped)

•           Breathable (will not bubble)

•           Resists Efflorescence (resists white crystalline or powdery deposits from forming on the surface of the stucco)

•           Hides unsightly caulk lines

Sherwin Williams Loxon XP is a thick, elastic coating that hides hairline cracks, patches and surface irregularities.  It eliminates the passage of water to interior surfaces, even in wind-driven rain conditions. Also, Loxon XP holds its true color, unlike elastomeric paint.

Next, we applied Sherwin Williams Resilience to all of the trim. In my opinion, the best finish paint on the market. I will give a brief description of the product below.

Resilience Premium Paint is the perfect choice for residential and commercial exteriors. It has excellent hide, the easiest brushability of any of our exterior coatings and exceptional resistance to moisture.

Product Features

  • Excellent hide and durability unmatched by the competition.
  • Provides resistance to moisture 50% faster, so you can paint later in the day with confidence and less concern about dew or impending rain.
  • Meets or exceeds stringent environmental regulations with a low 50g/L VOC.
  • Flows and levels for a smooth finish.

When it comes to residential painting in Orlando, we lead the way with our unmatched quality of workmanship and the use of the best available products. Our experience, attention to detail and my absolute strive for perfection shows through on every one of our painting projects.

We finished off this painting project by re-coating both the front porch and the back porch using H&C Solid Color Concrete Stain. When applying any kind of floor coatings, we always incorporate a non-skid additive to help prevent slip and falls.

In conclusion, i am very proud of my team for the hard work they displayed on this project. It definitely had it’s challenges. The house looks amazing!  Most importantly, my customer is extremely happy with our results.

When looking for painters in Baldwin Park, call Central Florida’s Superior Coatings. We have many satisfied Baldwin Park customers.

How to choose a legitimate Industrial Painting Contractor in Orlando?

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We here at Central Florida’s Superior Coatings are a true Industrial Painting Contractor. We service such major clients as Taylor Farms Inc., The Sherwin Williams Company, CBRE & The Orange County Convention Center on a regular basis. We have the experience, proper training, certifications and the equipment to handle any project.

When painting industrial facilities, it is extremely important that your contractor has extensive knowledge on the many different types of  industrial coatings. The coatings applied have to hold up to daily wear and tear. In some cases, they must hold up in very harsh environments. Different environments could include:  extreme cold, extreme heat, wet conditions, etc. There are many different elements to take into consideration when choosing the correct products to use. We have the experience and education to ensure that we are applying the proper coatings.

We are up to date on all of the newest and latest application methods. We are also 100% educated on all of the latest specialty coatings, mixing times, sweat in times and their proper reducers for thinning and cleaning.

We also use the correct coatings at each individual facility.  For example, when working in food processing plants, all coatings must conform to USDA/FDA Standards.

Industrial coatings provide aesthetic beauty to these facilities and also protect big investments. There is no room for error.

In Orlando and the surrounding cities, the crew at Central Florida’s Superior Coatings are the Industrial Painting Contractors of choice.

One of  our specialties is applying steel structure coatings. Steel structure coatings are crucial for the longevity of your steel structures. We all know that steel itself is extremely strong but it is also very susceptible to corrosion.

There are several conditions that cause corrosion:

  • Extreme sunlight/heat
  • Cold weather
  • Salt water and/or salt air
  • Moisture

Epoxy primers are excellent corrosion inhibitor coatings to apply as an undercoat before applying epoxy or polyurethane finish coatings.

Epoxy coatings are very commonly used in corrosion control. They are highly durability and are very resistant to chemicals, water and heat. Epoxy coatings also possess amazing adhesion properties.

Polyurethane coatings are also fantastic for exterior steel structures. These coatings contain a very high amount of UV Inhibitors which fight against fading. These products also possesses amazing adhesion properties. These products are also commonly known as corrosion control coatings.

We have applied many different types of corrosion control coatings to:

  • Tanks
  • Silos
  • Water towers
  • Generators
  • Buck Ramps
  • Locomotives
  • Metal buildings
  • Bridges

Lastly, there are many different aspects of industrial painting. It truly takes a lot of knowledge and experience to understand what it takes to handle these particular projects in the correct matter. Choosing the right products and applying them correctly are vital in industrial environments. There is expensive machinery that needs to be protected. Food safe-non skid floors must be coated correctly to prevent slip and falls. In food processing plants, rust must be combated on a regular basis. Rust debris cannot be allowed to travel airborne and get into food products that the public consumes.

Please ask your contractor for Industrial references and follow up on them before signing any contract with his or her company.

 

 

 

 

 

Choosing a Painting Contractor

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Choosing the correct painting contractor is extremely important. In the Central Florida area, there are so many to choose from. Make no mistake, there are several contractors out here that are knowledgeable about certain areas of painting. Example: Residential Painting or Commercial Painting or Industrial Painting. There are very few that can honestly say provide all 3 services on a daily basis. There are some very technical aspects of Industrial and Commercial Painting.

For starters, providing commercial painting services and industrial coating services, you must obtain higher amounts of general liability insurance, higher amounts of Workers Compensation coverages and commercial auto insurance coverage. That weeds most contractors out alone. The biggest factor that separates real commercial and industrial contractors from contractors who just say they are,  is the knowledge, experience, credentials & education.

When choosing an Orlando painting contractor or any contractor, please be very careful! Choosing the wrong contractor could turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes you will ever make. I will explain in detail.

MOST, i repeat, MOST painting contractors in Orlando and the surrounding areas are not running legitimate businesses. Believe me, the person who suffers the consequences for hiring a contractor who is not 100% on the up and up, is you the customer.

Let me explain, what most contractors do is come to your home or place of business and talk a big game about how great they are and what they’ve painted. Am i right? They tell you how big of a company they are and that they have a huge crew of guys to do the work. They always use the terms employees. Do not be fooled when you look out your window and see a few guys wearing the same company t-shirt. That certainly does not mean they are employees of a company. 90% of the time, those guys are just a group of guys that the smooth talking contractor pays a flat fee to. In return, they handle your project. The problem with that is, if one of those guys get hurt on your property, you will undoubtedly be getting sued!!!!! If he is not an actual real employee of the company, he is not covered under that contractor’s workers compensation policy.

Make the contractor provide paperwork on every man working on your property.

If the gentlemen working on your house are not actual employees of the company you signed the contract with. The only possible way you can ensure your protection against being sued is to make sure every person working on your property is carrying an inc. or llc, occupational license, general liability insurance & workers comp. Please protect yourself!

If you want to check and see if your contractor is being honest about telling you that he employs a lot of people, just visit the Florida’s Workers Compensation website and see what his actual payroll is. If he has a lot of employees, he should have a big payroll $ number. If it is a small number, well i think you just learned something about your contractor. This kind of deception goes on everyday.

These contractors are the ones who are stating that they will beat anyone’s price and other phrases to that effect. Legitimate painting companies obviously have bigger overhead because they are actually doing business legally. Therefore their prices will be higher than these fly by nighters. Also, companies such as mine that follow proper business practices, also take much more pride in their work as well.

When it comes to the service industry, cheaper will never be better. You are not buying an object, you are buying a service.

Orlando Painting Company

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For over 20 years Central Florida’s Superior Coatings has been leading the way in the Central Florida painting industry.  We are a very well established Orlando painting company. We have an extremely loyal customer base. We are famous for our extensive product knowledge and high quality workmanship.

We service some of the biggest commercial businesses in the state of Florida. We have earned widespread acclaim for our ability to fight water intrusion & combating rust and corrosion. All buildings and houses at some point will have to deal with these problems. We at Central Florida’s Superior Coatings have the answers to these problems. Your water intrusion problems can be something as simple as stucco cracks and expansion joint sealant failure to actually voids in the concrete itself (vertical or horizontal). We know for ceratin exactly what materials to use and exactly what application processes to use to solve your problems. Most painting contractors in Orlando have no idea the proper way to actually combat water intrusion the proper way. Their idea of solving the problem is, shooting in tons of caulk into a crack or brushing on an elastomeric patching compound. An elastomeric patching compound is a great product. However, it only works on your basic hairline stucco cracks.

The jist of this blog is, you as a homeowner or business owner are spending your hard earned money, please please please research your contractor thoroughly. Some contractors will tell you anything to get a job. Make the contractor prove his body of work to you. Pictures and videos speak volumes. Before, during and after photos should be available for you to examine. These pictures should also illustrate the team of gentlemen who will be working on your particular project. Do these gentlemen appear to be professional, in uniform, well groomed & trustworthy??? These pictures should also show you the vehicles and trailers that will be parked outside of your place of business or residence. Do you want a true professional outfit with nice trucks , custom trailers and state of the art equipment outside your place of business or residence? Or would you rather have beat up trucks and rusty oil dripping vans outside your place of business or residence???

I can assure you when you hire Central Florida’s Superior Coatings for next painting project, you are hiring a true professional painting company. We not only take pride in our work, we take pride in how our company is displayed to the community! We are fully licensed and fully insured. That includes real workers compensation, not workers comp exempt. As a result of our unmatched surface preparation and the use of the best available products, we provide the longest written labor warranties in the industry.