Quality craftsmen, the best available products & prepwork are our main ingredients in creating
a beautiful & long lasting paint job. Preparation is the most important ingredient in any interior or exterior painting project.

The 4 biggest mistakes made by Orlando Painting Contractors is not using quality well trained insured painters, not knowing the correct patching materials and correct repair process to use on stucco cracks, not using the best available paints for the particular project at hand and using the wrong primers on various substrates.

We provide thorough prep-work on every Orlando interior and exterior painting project. No excuses! No exceptions!

 

Pressure wahing:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              An EcoFriendly Cleaner should always be used in any cleaning situation where landscaping is present. Household bleaches and chlorine are extremely harmful to your plants and ecosystem. Eco-friendly cleaners clean just as effective without the harmful effects.

The reason most painting contractors use household bleaches and chlorine is because it is alot cheaper than eco-friendly cleaners. Any painter stating in his contract that he will be using bleach or chlorine, please avoid. This is a tell-tale sign that this is not a reputable contractor with your best interest at heart. He is obviously more concerned about how much money he can put into his pocket by shaving overhead at your expense.

When having your sidewalks, driveways or any other horizontal surface cleaned, floor scrubbers should be used. Floor scrubbers clean deeper and leave no unsightly pass marks.

 

The use of drop cltoths and plastic sheeting  for protecting against overpray or paint sprinkles:

Whether we are working inside or outside, everything that is not supposed to be painted is properly protected at all times. We cover all flooring, bushes and plants, fencing, light fixtures, screening, glass, etc. during the entire painting process. We always use lightweight plastic when covering delicate flowers. Using heavy drop cloths will smash down flowers and destroy them.

 

Caulking:

We caulk around every window, every trim band, under all window ledges no ensure no future water intrusion. We also caulk all gaps in fascia boards, where all trim meets wall and all ceiling and walls meet. A lifetime warranty, shrink free, crackproof and mildew resistant elastomeric caulking is always used.

 

Patching Cracks:

Remember, never allow a contractor to repair a stucco crack using caulk. Caulk’s intended purpose is not to fill stucco cracks. It truly depends on the width of the crack what patching material should be used. If a crack is relatively narrow (1/16″), an elasomeric patching compound can be used. If the crack is an 1/8″ or wider, a cementitious patching mateial must be used. 

Patching cracks the proper way is possibly this most important part of a great paint job. All commercial buildings and houses aquire cracks over time. The 2 main reasons why cracks must be repaired correctly is because you do not want them opening back up and leaving an invitation for water intrusion and/or termites. The 2nd reason is, you do not want to change the existing texture so dramatically that you can see exactly where you patched the crack after you have applied the finish paint. This is a very common mistake made by painters.

We have an amazing technique for patching cracks in which it is virtully impossible to tell where the repair area was. Once we have applied the finish paint to your home or commercial building, there is a flawless finish.

 

Priming:

I cannot stress enough how important it is to use the correct primer on a particular substrate. Whatever you are told,  latex primers are worthless on rusted metal, water stains & raw wood.  There is absolutely no substitute for an old fashioned oil based primer in these situations.

When you are primimg raw wood, an oil-based wood primer must be used. A great product in this case would be Sherwin Williams Oil-Based Wood Primer.

When priming over interior water stains, try Sherwin Williams Multi-Purpose Oil-Based Primer or Oil-Based Kilz Primer

When priming over rusted metal, you really have to step it up on the quality of primer if you do not want the rust to reappear in a very short period of time. A great product for this type of situation is Sherwin Williams Universal Metal Primer. This product is a very easy to use single component primer with outstanding rust inhibitive properties.

In cases of severe corrosion, you would have to move up to a specialty coatings line of primer. These type of primers are generally 2 part epoxy primers which take experience using.

 

Sealing:

This sealer penetrates deep into the pores of concrete, binding sand and cement particles to form a tough, flexible yet breathable film. It’s excellent for binding chalky surfaces to improve paint adhesion on either painted or unpainted substrates. It strengthens mortar joints, reduces efflorescense on brick and acts as a color rejuvenator on older painted or colored surfaces.

The correct application process for applying sealer is by spraying a thin uniform layer to the paintable surfaces of the house prior to applying finish paint.   CAUTION!!!!  Do not oversaturate surfaces with sealer. Avoid  any contractor using the term “flood coats of sealer” or “Drenching”. When it comes to applying sealer as an undercoat, less is more.

 

Due to our vast experience, knowledge, quality of our painting staff & project management, we provide the longest Written Labor Warranty in the Central Florida Painting Industry!

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

[box title=”Our Interior Painting Prepwork consists of:“]
[checklist]

• We place a 3m Dirt Catcher Sticky Mat at your front door in order to catch as much dirt from our shoes when entering your home.
• All furniture is moved away from walls in designated painting areas and covered with lightweight plastic.
• All floors are thoroughly covered during entire painting process to ensure no paint sprinkles or splatters
• Patch all nail holes and minor drywall imperfections
• All blinds, curtains, window treatments, etc. will be removed prior to painting & re-installed after painting project is completed.
• All patches will be sanded prior to applying any primer or finish paint
• All light plate covers will be removed before painting begins and re-installed after painting is completed.
• Painters tape is used to create razor sharp paint lines.
• All trim will be sanded (This will leave your trim nice and smooth & help bonding of new paint).
• All trim will be wiped down clean prior to applying finish coat
• An oil based primer will be applied to any pen marks, magic marker spots, coffee stains, water stains, etc. prior to applying finish paint to walls.
• In some cases a latex primer will applied to walls to help hide vibrant colors before applying finish coats of paint. Also, in certain situations, a latex primer will be applied to walls first before applying a vibrant color. In those cases, we tint the primer gray.
• Drywall primer will be applied to all raw drywall
• Sherwin Williams Oil Based Wood Primer will be applied to all raw wood if present
• If an oil based paint is present on any doors or trim, an oil based primer must be applied before applying a latex finish coat (latex paint will adhere to the oil primer but not to an oil based finish paint)
• Once I personally inspect that all the prepping has been thoroughly completed, the actual painting begins.

[/checklist]
[/box]
[box title=”Our Exterior Painting Prepwork consists of:“]
[checklist]

• Pressure wash exterior structure using an Eco-Friendly Cleaner to remove mildew, dirt, loose paint, insects & nests, etc. Using our Eco-Friendly cleaning solution will ensure that no harm is done to your landscaping.
• Repair all cracks in stucco with the proper patching material
  Note: This product will be applied correctly as well
• All windows and doors will be sealed around using an Elastomeric Patching Compound
• All landscaping, light fixtures, fencing, concrete, glass, screen enclosures, etc. will be covered up and protected during entire painting process.
• All windows on house or building will be completely covered using a clear 3m. This clear 3m film allows daylight inside while providing protection from overspray and paint sprinkles. We tape off perfectly around window frames to ensure razor sharp paint lines when plastic is removed.
• A light trenching around structure will occur. Only about 2’ to 6” at the most is needed. Just below the grade. This procedure should be completed with extreme caution! Be very careful of underground cables & piping. For example: cable lines, telephone lines and irrigation piping. Also, you never want to destroy the aesthetic beauty of a well -manicured lawn.
• We will seal your entire structure with our favorite waterproofing sealer. This helps fight against water intrusion as well as help the new paint/coating bond to the surface of the house or building.
• We always use the correct primers for each individual substrate & individual needs. This step is vital!
• Once I personally inspect that all the prepping has been thoroughly completed, the actual exterior painting process begins.

[/checklist]
[/box]