Exterior Painting Expectations

Exterior Painting Expectations

Deciding to paint the exterior of your home is something most everyone has to do at some point.

Even if you have vinyl or aluminum siding, wood or other there will be a time you need to paint that dull or faded siding.

Expectations are the most important thing you need to express to the estimator who comes out to your home. Not every painting company will prepare and paint your home the same way just as each restaurant you go to doesn't prepare your food the same way.

There is a level of service for every different person and budget. To expect that to be the same from the company top company can be ripe for disappointment.

First things first preparation of the surface

Here is an important area for any paint job, with aluminum siding or vinyl siding there isn't too much for confusion, make sure it is cleaned, any damaged pieces should be replaced by a siding contractor and then properly paint it. 

What about wood 

Here is where differences will come into play.

In our area, we have a mix of new and older homes that have been painted countless times already.

Without contracting with your painter to completely strip your surfaces it will not be completely smooth like new if you have many old layers of peeling paint. We believe this is the number one area of confusion with exterior painting

Preservation

We use the preservation method of preparation of the surface. This would include scraping loose paint, not removing old layers that are sound, caulking gaps and voids where needed and typically overlaying the caulk. Spot priming any bare wood and lightly sanding (feather sanding) the surfaces.

You will still see the old layers of paint however you will have a protected sound surface that will last for years. This is acceptable for 9 out of 10 people but if they are expecting a stripped smooth surface you will be disappointed. The issue is, that type of service is expensive and not many people would want to go that costly route but do want those results. It's comparable to having the budget for a used car but expecting a brand new BMW.

Restoration

Restoration is the total restoring of a surface, we do not offer this service personally. It is costly because it takes a long time, very expensive labor and top of the line materials usually matching historical trim pieces. Not many people would go this route but some do expect it.

Be At the Estimate

It sounds simple but to avoid any missed expectations, be at the estimate and have a real conversation with the estimator. You would not believe how many people call for an estimate and either will not be home or not walk around the home with me. Those jobs have a 50/50 shot of going bad in one way or the other. Be at the estimate and take the time to walk around the home, point out areas that are concerning to you, remember it's your home and you know it's in and outs. An estimator is only there for maybe an hour. The more you can tell us, the better so we can prescribe the correct paint job and meet or exceed your expectations.

If you would like a free no-hassle consultation please call us at 484-821-7112 www.ryanamatopainting.com

What it costs to hire a professional painting contractor

What it costs to hire a professional painting contractor

When you call to make that first estimate you may have no idea what the costs will be

We are referring to reputable, licensed, insured with workman's compensation and highly trained painters here.

A typical days work for a painter could normally cost between $500-750 dollars depending on what is being done and the difficulty and risk involved but for this blog let's assume we're referring to a simple bedroom, here is a cost breakdown on a typical 10x12 bedroom and what to expect using three colors, one for the ceiling, one for trim and one for walls

The breakdown of costs

• Materials, tape, plastic, roller covers, let's assume that is it and it costs about $35
• Paint, you will need one gallon for the ceiling with two coats, 2 gallons for the walls and one gallon for the trim with baseboards, a few doors, and 2 window sills, using a quality mid grade paint figure $50 a gallon so $200 total
• You're already at $235 of materials and the painter hasn't stepped on site yet
• This room we would bill at a one-day rate of about $500
• So your total for this room would be around $750
• This includes the painters, insurance, taxes, fuel, overhead, and profit. 
• When you break it down the painting company may make $225 if they are lucky
• So when the customer starts to lower or negotiate all of that is coming from the profit of the company to train, get new equipment and benefits for the painters

A typical painting project

This is a typical scenario and yes you will certainly find lower prices and higher ones but this is a good one to go off of, again the difficulty and preparation will change this price

If you use this as guide you won't be surprised when the quotes start coming in, anything too low I would certainly question as the difference in price will be made upon the quality of your job for sure.