Paint School

Why does your house stucco look faded out, mottled in color, dull and streaky when it is only three to five years old?

Chances are good that you have a bad case of a condition called efflorescence and lime burnout. The difference between this condition and the common cold is the cold will go away. I am telling you this because there seems to be an epidemic of this problem throughout the valley. I am sure you have seen it either on your own home or on entire subdivisions.

The extreme conditions are evident by the fact that the stucco looks like it is thirty or more years old. You are probably asking yourself what causes this problem and what can I do to fix the problem. Well, I am glad you asked.

Here is the short version, although there may be other factors and issues at work, which accounts for most of the problems going on out in the real world. Everyone seems to be in a hurry today. We want faster cars, faster computers, faster food, faster service, etc. You will see advertising signs “one day service”, “loan approved in one day”, “delivered in thirty minutes or it’s free”, “3g”, “4g”, I suppose 5g is on the way. The same thing is going on in the home building arena; “sign today and move in your new home in three months”. You say ok, what’s wrong with that? Well, nothing if you are buying fast food, but it is a big problem if you are painting new stucco which has not fully cured.

properly ( which almost none of the homes are fully cured and kept moist as they should be for 28 days). This means that the stucco ph level is what they call in the industry as too hot. Typically the painter paints the stucco soon after the stucco contractor has finished the job. Often the stucco is not primed properly, if at all, and if it is the product being used is often the wrong primer for painting hot stucco. The acrylic paints used for exterior stucco painting are made to breathe. Moisture is constantly going through the paint membrane to the stucco substrate and drawing back out as it dries from the inside out. This constant in and out of moisture vapor draws calcium and mineral deposits, commonly called efflorescence, and brings with it lime from the stucco.

Once this condition is in effect it is hard to stop the process. Many professional painters still think that simply power washing the stucco and re-painting it with good quality paint will do the trick. I hope you have not experienced this as the condition will often be back in as little as one to two years. This leads to a waste of time and money.

The solution is to talk to an expert who understands the problem and who can specify the proper primer as well as the proper finish paint. This is not an easy fix as most so called industry experts are not aware of the problem or do not have the product to solve your problem. My recommendation is ask questions of your industry expert and see if they seem to be aware of this problem. Ask if they have other homes which you could look at or get a referral of someone whom you could talk to regarding this problem.

Or you could talk to us for free, no obligation consultation regarding your painting needs. Just think of us as your painting consultant. We are serious about protecting your investment with quality work at a reasonable price.

When Should I Paint My House?

This is probably the least asked question and is definitely the most important question any homeowner should be asking. If you are like most homeowners you likely don’t think about it or you think it is a silly question. The answer for most is “You paint your home when it looks like it needs paint”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Don’t feel bad, the majority of people feel the same way. Let’s back up a little and look at what paint is designed to do in the first place.

Paint and paint coatings are supposed to protect the surface which they are applied on by sacrificing itself thereby protecting the substrate from deterioration from the elements. Well, you may say that sounds good but what does it mean? It means that the paint coating takes the beating from the sun, rain, wind, dust storms, hale, snow, (forget the snow in the desert), and anything else which would be harmful to your home. It’s kind of like sunscreen; it protects the skin from the sun which left unprotected results in sunburn and aging and in the extreme cases when left unprotected for long periods of time, skin cancer.

You may say o.k. I get your point but why all the fuss over a paint job? Before I answer that question, do you realize that if a building is properly maintained and painted on schedule (wood, stucco, cement, plaster, etc.) it will look the same as the day it was installed for thousands of years? Now I can’t promise that sunscreen will do the same but I think you get the point. Who wouldn’t want their home to look the same as the day it was built 30 or forty years later?

This is the first advantage of properly maintaining your home with a paint coating. Some of you may be thinking “Well, that’s all well and good but who cares if the house doesn’t look as good as the day it was built? I will let it go for a couple more years and will save the money I would have spent on maintaining it properly.” You have probably heard that old saying,” When it comes to painting, preparation is the most

important part of the job.” Well, that and the right coating for the job of course. What this really means is if a house is deteriorated beyond what is acceptable conditions it will cost more money to prepare the substrate before finish painting can occur. The longer the painting job is prolonged the more it will cost to prepare the surfaces and finish paint. Beware of painter who will not discuss the condition of your home

and is willing to give you a cheap job with little or no preparation. This could end up costing you, the homeowner, not only the cost of the job, but also a much higher cost to re-paint the home at a later date.

The moral of the story is; In the long run, it is much more cost efficient and effective to maintain your home with a properly planned painting schedule.

How Much Money Did You Lose At Your Last Home Sale?

Bam! That’s right, if you didn’t do some well defined painting on that house you just sold, I guarantee you left money on the table, or should I say in the buyers pocket. Not yours!!! If that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will. The professionals who use our services have found the secret to increasing profits 10%, 20% and more in every real estate deal that they close. This will work for the individual novice as well as the seasoned professionals we currently work with.

Here is a real time example of a project we were involved with. I got a call from a client we had done work for in the past. He asked me to help out his son who had a home for sale for over six months with very little interest. The house was in a prime Scottsdale location and was priced at $1.1 million. I met the client and put together a game plan. I told him that we had to change the exterior color of the home, add some high end faux finishes at the entry area (for a WOW factor) and the garage floor needed to be a high gloss epoxy finish with a showroom look. As I was telling the client the game plan, I could see a look of panic on his face. All he could see was more money going out the door. He then asked, “How much is this going to cost?” I told him not to worry about it as it would all come back to him. He pressured me for a final dollar amount. Just as the entry needed a WOW factor he needed a trust factor that I was looking after his best interests. I told him it would cost $13,000 and that he should raise the price of the home by $100,000. He looked at me like I was crazy! Who wouldn’t? Guess what? We did the work and the house sold for full asking price within two weeks after our work was completed.

Two things happened as a result of this transaction:

The client got mad at me for not making him raise the price $200,000.
I have a client who received his WOW factor. I also gained the trust factor, which is why I have a client who wouldn’t think of selling a property without putting together a strategic game plan.

I must stress that every house is different and every game plan will depend on many factors to determine what should be done and where. Colors, that is, the right colors, are of utmost importance and knowing where and when to spend your money is critical. Curb appeal is just as important as keeping within a budget. You don’t want to throw money at a project with little or no return. This is where our team of professionals comes in. We know how to maximize your investment as well as your return.

Remodel Your Home With Paint

hat’s right! Nothing transforms your home like a well designed paint and decorating job. After thirty years in this business I still get excited when I see the look of amazement and appreciation from our clients for a professional painting and decorating job.

When you hear the word remodel most of us will have thoughts of long drawn out construction with ripped out walls, dirt moving, hammers, saws ringing in your ears, meetings with your builder and architect, budgets, construction financing, extra charges, delays, on and on, well, you get the picture. I know when I hear the remodel word I immediately think “This is going to cost me a small fortune”.

An average bathroom remodel will cost $15,000 – $20,000 and goes up from there. The average kitchen remodel will run $50,000 on the low end and if that doesn’t get your attention the upper end can go over $100,000. This is why I love the painting business so much. We remodel bathrooms and kitchens every day with new paint and finishes. We remodel entire homes, inside and out, at a fraction of the cost of remodeling contractors by putting together the right painting designs and color schemes. In fact, remodeling contractors rely on the painting crew to bring it all together to make the job look good and give the homeowner the wow factor.

“Man, I love my job!”, and you should too. We fix the holes in walls, water damage in ceilings, dings and dents in doors, re-caulk windows and baseboards, texture walls, repair stucco, remove popcorn ceilings, repair concrete floors, etc. I think you get the picture. We make things look like new in no time and do it at an affordable price. Let us help you make your home all it can be. As I said, “I love my job” and you will too.

We guarantee it!

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