Pro Painting Contractors – How to Hire
Key questions for long-lasting exterior paint
Anyone can slap paint on a house and make it look good. But a lasting paint job requires tons of tedious prep work, and some painters take shortcuts around those time-consuming steps. Here’s how to find one who won’t.
How will you prepare the surface before painting?
Preparation is the key to a lasting paint job. Make sure your contractor is planning to wash the surface to remove dust, dirt and other contaminants, either by scrubbing or with a pressure washer. The next step should be scraping all loose paint followed by sanding and another wash or wipe-down to remove sanding dust.
Will you prime before caulking and painting?
Primers are absolutely necessary over bare wood and a good idea over old paint too. If there are layers of old paint with exposed edges, ask your painting contractor to use a binding primer on these areas. Binding primers form a flexible seal to help prevent old layers of paint from peeling off.
What areas are you planning to caulk?
A thorough job of caulking extends the life of the paint job by preventing water from seeping under the paint and loosening it. Your painter should caulk cracks where the siding meets windows and doors, and any other cracks where water could enter (but not the cracks under lap siding).
What kind of paint do you plan to use?
Good painters use good paint, but they may not plan to use the best paint. Ask the painting contractor to include 100 percent acrylic exterior paint in the estimate. Even if you’re charged a little extra, you’ll save money in the long run.