Q: Why does Paint Bleed behind the tape?
A: You are not burnishing it or cleaning the surface.
Lots of times when I am visiting a homeowner who wants their walls painted I'll note a few paint dots that got behind the tape and stained the baseboard or door frame. I always try to point that out to the homeowner in a subtle way before I start painting because if they chose a similar color their may be confusion as to who got the paint there.
I would make the following points for homeowners who are going to do it themselves or homeowners who are hiring a professional painter:
1. Clean the surface. Lots of small particles sit on the surfaces of baseboard and sides of door frames and you have to wipe them, tack cloth them, or at the very least sweep them with a brush prior to taping the surface. The surface may look clean but I would make a point to sweep over it with a clean paint brush after giving it the feel test.
2. Use the appropriate tape. I'm not sure it makes a huge difference between 3m tan, 3m blue, frog tape, or inter-tape tan with regard to preventing bleed (depending on the surface). All of them will prevent bleed if you apply them correctly on the correct surface and all of them will fail if you do not apply them correctly. Generally stick to the instructions on the tapes wrapping. Delicate tape for freshly painted surfaces and the higher adhesion tape for wood that has fully cured varnish and paint, etc etc.
3. Burnish you tape line: Finally, make sure to take a small putty knife (preferably plastic or at least dull) and score over the top of the tape line prior to cutting. This will get rid of air bubbles and make sure all of the tapes adhesive surface will have been pressed into contact with the surface you are trying to protect.
4. Make sure to pull out the paint over the top of the tape line. This basically means that you shouldn't let a bunch of paint pool on the top of the tape line. Although, it shouldn't matter as much if you follow steps 1 through 3. It is still a good habit to make sure you have a nicely even pulled out surface.
It should work every time.
Complete Custom Painting
651-336-0561 cellular
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Measure Moisture on any exterior painting project
Q: If the the bid prices appear the same, what can I ask to help in choosing a painting company for my exterior painting project.?
A: Ask them how long they plan to let the surface sit after they wash it before they apply the primer/paint? Their answer will let you know if they are qualified to paint your house or building
A crucial step in an exterior painting or staining job is making sure you have a clean surface. After the scraping/sanding/grinding and other prep work usually comes the washing. Depending on the surface you can use a gentle hose wash with some detergent or a power washer with a higher psi in some commercial settings.
In most cases water is involved. After the surface is clean but before you prime (or paint) you are absolutely going to want your painting contractor to measure the moisture level in the surface. When I first started I had heard through others in the industry that the general rule of thumb was to let wood surfaces sit in warm sunny weather for 5 days to a week before coating and composite or concrete surfaces sit for the same. Since I wasn't sure one way or the other, I purchased a moisture meter. I figured I needed one to measure moisture for deck staining anyway. I was pretty surprised what I found. Concrete, while it may appear totally dry may have too high a moisture content to paint. The same is true for wood. Never assume because the surface has sat in warm weather for a "general" amount of time that it will be dry and ready to paint. Any painter or painting company should always test the surface with a moisture meter.
Back to the original question. If you are having a painting bid and ask the painting contractor how long they are going to let the surface sit before they paint and they tell you that they have a set amount of time and don't need to test the surface for moisture, then throw their proposal out.
Complete Custom Painting LLC
651-336-0561 cellular
A: Ask them how long they plan to let the surface sit after they wash it before they apply the primer/paint? Their answer will let you know if they are qualified to paint your house or building
A crucial step in an exterior painting or staining job is making sure you have a clean surface. After the scraping/sanding/grinding and other prep work usually comes the washing. Depending on the surface you can use a gentle hose wash with some detergent or a power washer with a higher psi in some commercial settings.
In most cases water is involved. After the surface is clean but before you prime (or paint) you are absolutely going to want your painting contractor to measure the moisture level in the surface. When I first started I had heard through others in the industry that the general rule of thumb was to let wood surfaces sit in warm sunny weather for 5 days to a week before coating and composite or concrete surfaces sit for the same. Since I wasn't sure one way or the other, I purchased a moisture meter. I figured I needed one to measure moisture for deck staining anyway. I was pretty surprised what I found. Concrete, while it may appear totally dry may have too high a moisture content to paint. The same is true for wood. Never assume because the surface has sat in warm weather for a "general" amount of time that it will be dry and ready to paint. Any painter or painting company should always test the surface with a moisture meter.
Back to the original question. If you are having a painting bid and ask the painting contractor how long they are going to let the surface sit before they paint and they tell you that they have a set amount of time and don't need to test the surface for moisture, then throw their proposal out.
Complete Custom Painting LLC
651-336-0561 cellular
Monday, January 24, 2011
How to hire a good painter.
How can you be sure you are getting a good paint job (large or small)?
There are a lot of painting companies that run around with a lot of sub-contractors who paint for them and give them different names like "production managers" and then grade them on some type of "sign off" system where the homeowner or manager grades the painters. The claim is that this "sign off system" ensures a quality job. There is also the school of thought that only employees provide top quality work.
The truth is that only individuals provide top quality work. Work status (regarding employee or subcontractor) has nothing to do with performance. Generally a "sign off" system doesn't ensure the job will go smoothly (after all, you can give them a poor grade for the job and none the less have to pay for it).
Nor does an employee of a company ensure quality. I don't even need to expand on this point because it is simply human nature that some employees are good and some are not.
So how do you make sure you hired a good painter?
While some painters or paint companies may not agree with my style, here is how my company makes sure to do a great job on every project:
(I've broken it down into 4 points)
1. The owner of the painting company (me) is on site or at least stops in every day.
This is important because nobody cares more about the job then the owner of the company. If the painting company is so big and disconnected from the field that the job is left to employees or sub-contractors who have THEIR best interest in mind, not the companies, then they probably care more about their work schedule, their breaks, their profit (if they are a sub-contractor) then if you are getting the best job possible. So make sure the owner of the painting company is on site (at least for awhile everyday)
2. I give lots of references. We suggest our customers actually call the references and ask the questions that are relevant to their painting job. If it is a small residential job then you may want to call homeowners. If it is a big Multi-housing project then you may want to call some Multi-housing property managers we have worked for.
3. We pay our painters a bonus on a sign off system. After the job is done we ask the homeowner/builder/manager to grade our performance. It only makes sense that on larger jobs that require more painters, you pay them an incentive for better performance. Sub-contractors specifically should be paid (at least in part) on performance.
4. We give before and after pictures (on the appropriate jobs) and ask a TON of questions on the front end. If you hire a painter (weather you are a homeowner, a builder or a property manager) and you can't be on site for the project, you'll want a painter who is in contact with you a lot. Make sure they bring this up before they hire you. Some keys to look for are: Did they ask for your email, cell phone number, questions on scheduling, questions entry to the house, questions on working late, questions on potential unforeseen work. Here is the bottom line, if they were not detailed in the first meeting prior to selecting them for your painting project then the likelihood is they are not that detailed a person. You can then decide for yourself if you want a painter in your house who is not that detailed.
Call Complete Custom Painting for top quality painting jobs in the Twin Cities Area
651-336-0561 cellular
There are a lot of painting companies that run around with a lot of sub-contractors who paint for them and give them different names like "production managers" and then grade them on some type of "sign off" system where the homeowner or manager grades the painters. The claim is that this "sign off system" ensures a quality job. There is also the school of thought that only employees provide top quality work.
The truth is that only individuals provide top quality work. Work status (regarding employee or subcontractor) has nothing to do with performance. Generally a "sign off" system doesn't ensure the job will go smoothly (after all, you can give them a poor grade for the job and none the less have to pay for it).
Nor does an employee of a company ensure quality. I don't even need to expand on this point because it is simply human nature that some employees are good and some are not.
So how do you make sure you hired a good painter?
While some painters or paint companies may not agree with my style, here is how my company makes sure to do a great job on every project:
(I've broken it down into 4 points)
1. The owner of the painting company (me) is on site or at least stops in every day.
This is important because nobody cares more about the job then the owner of the company. If the painting company is so big and disconnected from the field that the job is left to employees or sub-contractors who have THEIR best interest in mind, not the companies, then they probably care more about their work schedule, their breaks, their profit (if they are a sub-contractor) then if you are getting the best job possible. So make sure the owner of the painting company is on site (at least for awhile everyday)
2. I give lots of references. We suggest our customers actually call the references and ask the questions that are relevant to their painting job. If it is a small residential job then you may want to call homeowners. If it is a big Multi-housing project then you may want to call some Multi-housing property managers we have worked for.
3. We pay our painters a bonus on a sign off system. After the job is done we ask the homeowner/builder/manager to grade our performance. It only makes sense that on larger jobs that require more painters, you pay them an incentive for better performance. Sub-contractors specifically should be paid (at least in part) on performance.
4. We give before and after pictures (on the appropriate jobs) and ask a TON of questions on the front end. If you hire a painter (weather you are a homeowner, a builder or a property manager) and you can't be on site for the project, you'll want a painter who is in contact with you a lot. Make sure they bring this up before they hire you. Some keys to look for are: Did they ask for your email, cell phone number, questions on scheduling, questions entry to the house, questions on working late, questions on potential unforeseen work. Here is the bottom line, if they were not detailed in the first meeting prior to selecting them for your painting project then the likelihood is they are not that detailed a person. You can then decide for yourself if you want a painter in your house who is not that detailed.
Call Complete Custom Painting for top quality painting jobs in the Twin Cities Area
651-336-0561 cellular
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What to do when another contractor is reponsible for a change in your schedule
Something happened to me on a commercial job site that may change the way I approach all commercial jobs.
Here is what happened: We were given a deadline for a very nice commercial project. The painting portion of the project consisted of 14 days of work. All trades had roughly 2 months 2 finish by the time I got involved. The drywall contractor was more than 2 weeks off schedule and as a result, moved me very close to the overall deadline for the project (and well past the painting deadline). Any potential reader of this article would know that you can't paint drywall that has not been taped and sanded so it is obvious that the painter can't start until the drywall is complete. Being that the drywall was completed 2 weeks late, us painters started 2 weeks late and had to work along side lots of contractors that would otherwise not be in our way. Electricians, flooring contractors, network wiring, finish carpentry, etc etc. In the original schedule we were supposed to have the place to ourselves for the period that it would take to finish. In the new scenario we had to work around multiple contractors and instead of completing individual rooms or sections we were forced to do portions of rooms and then come back to them. When it started occurring that we were working in the exact same area as a contractor who needed the area to themselves (like the concrete staining contractor) sparks started to fly. He started yelling about how this was his area and he needed it to himself and I pointed out to him that I had not had my allotted time to finish my area. It caused for a lot of confusion.
The project got done and it looks great but what a mess the scheduling became because of one contractor who got off schedule.
My old philosophy went as follows: Do your best, show up on time, be on schedule and do excellent work and if the schedule gets thrown off by someone else, the General Contractor will know that all following schedules my be backed up as a result (or you'll have to work longer/ bring more guys in order to finish on time)
That philosophy worked well until got a call from the General telling me that the Concrete Staining Contractor called him all upset about how I had put him off his schedule and was in his way. I couldn't believe that the General wasn't aware of the fact that the Drywall guys had put me off schedule by better than 2 weeks.
My point of course is that you should never assume that a General actually knows what is going on, on a job site. Point out everything. Do it in a polite, professional way. Take pictures of finished work and send a lot of completion schedule updates. Had I sent a email saying that the drywall contractor was way behind and as a result the painting portion would get started late, the General would have been prepared for the concrete staining guy's complaint and told the concrete staining guy that the area belonged to the painters.
It is not in my nature to complain or point out how someone else is screwing up on a job site. I try to mind my own business and do my work. Unfortunately, you are not always the only factor in the completion of your work on a commercial job site so be detailed, take good notes and let the general know of every single...(and I mean every single) change. It can save you a phone call.
COMPLETE CUSTOM PAINTING LLC
651-336-0561 cellular
Here is what happened: We were given a deadline for a very nice commercial project. The painting portion of the project consisted of 14 days of work. All trades had roughly 2 months 2 finish by the time I got involved. The drywall contractor was more than 2 weeks off schedule and as a result, moved me very close to the overall deadline for the project (and well past the painting deadline). Any potential reader of this article would know that you can't paint drywall that has not been taped and sanded so it is obvious that the painter can't start until the drywall is complete. Being that the drywall was completed 2 weeks late, us painters started 2 weeks late and had to work along side lots of contractors that would otherwise not be in our way. Electricians, flooring contractors, network wiring, finish carpentry, etc etc. In the original schedule we were supposed to have the place to ourselves for the period that it would take to finish. In the new scenario we had to work around multiple contractors and instead of completing individual rooms or sections we were forced to do portions of rooms and then come back to them. When it started occurring that we were working in the exact same area as a contractor who needed the area to themselves (like the concrete staining contractor) sparks started to fly. He started yelling about how this was his area and he needed it to himself and I pointed out to him that I had not had my allotted time to finish my area. It caused for a lot of confusion.
The project got done and it looks great but what a mess the scheduling became because of one contractor who got off schedule.
My old philosophy went as follows: Do your best, show up on time, be on schedule and do excellent work and if the schedule gets thrown off by someone else, the General Contractor will know that all following schedules my be backed up as a result (or you'll have to work longer/ bring more guys in order to finish on time)
That philosophy worked well until got a call from the General telling me that the Concrete Staining Contractor called him all upset about how I had put him off his schedule and was in his way. I couldn't believe that the General wasn't aware of the fact that the Drywall guys had put me off schedule by better than 2 weeks.
My point of course is that you should never assume that a General actually knows what is going on, on a job site. Point out everything. Do it in a polite, professional way. Take pictures of finished work and send a lot of completion schedule updates. Had I sent a email saying that the drywall contractor was way behind and as a result the painting portion would get started late, the General would have been prepared for the concrete staining guy's complaint and told the concrete staining guy that the area belonged to the painters.
It is not in my nature to complain or point out how someone else is screwing up on a job site. I try to mind my own business and do my work. Unfortunately, you are not always the only factor in the completion of your work on a commercial job site so be detailed, take good notes and let the general know of every single...(and I mean every single) change. It can save you a phone call.
COMPLETE CUSTOM PAINTING LLC
651-336-0561 cellular
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
What is Paint Leeching
I had a rare occurrence at a high profile job. We finished and the job looked spectacular. I did a normal final walk around and didn't find much of anything that my painters needed to touch up. A few days later (perhaps 4 or 5 days later) I got a call from the homeowner that there were stains all over his paint job. He had guessed that it was tannin from the cedar wood but the wood was old and I used a primer followed by two full top coats so I was skeptical that it could be tannin and after looking it over I was very doubtful because it was not in one confined area but all over the shake siding. After looking at it more closely and getting the Benjamin Moore Rep involved ( I used Benjamin Moore's Arbor Coat in a Neutral Base) we found out it was Surfactant Leeching.
Surfactant Leeching happens when the colorants in the paint take a long time to dry and end up raising to the surface of the coating and making a temporary stain mark. This cleans up with a cloth and some water ( and actually goes away on its own) but can cause a headache. It normally happens when the paint manufacturer uses a deep base (because a lot of colorant is added and thus takes longer to dry. The other circumstance that makes it happen is if you have a lot of rain shortly after the application or it is too cold. In this particular job we followed the manufactures recommendation regarding application temperature and technique (as we always do) however a day or so after we were done it rained harder than it had all year. I think that this rain (that went on for 2 days) caused the top coat to dry more slowly and thus produced the Leeching Colorants. We cleaned it up with some slightly damp cloths and the homeowner is sleeping easier. Of course we didn't charge for the extra cleaning. Even though the leeching would have gone away on its own, we'd rather have a happy customer with a perfect looking house then squabble over a few hours of cleaning.
Always apply products under manufacturers suggested temperatures and humidity and you should be fine. In the even you experience a rain storm 2 days after you finish and your paint starts looking funny. It is probably leeching and can be wiped off or will go away on its own.
Call Complete Custom Painting for a free Estimate
651-336-0561 cellular
Surfactant Leeching happens when the colorants in the paint take a long time to dry and end up raising to the surface of the coating and making a temporary stain mark. This cleans up with a cloth and some water ( and actually goes away on its own) but can cause a headache. It normally happens when the paint manufacturer uses a deep base (because a lot of colorant is added and thus takes longer to dry. The other circumstance that makes it happen is if you have a lot of rain shortly after the application or it is too cold. In this particular job we followed the manufactures recommendation regarding application temperature and technique (as we always do) however a day or so after we were done it rained harder than it had all year. I think that this rain (that went on for 2 days) caused the top coat to dry more slowly and thus produced the Leeching Colorants. We cleaned it up with some slightly damp cloths and the homeowner is sleeping easier. Of course we didn't charge for the extra cleaning. Even though the leeching would have gone away on its own, we'd rather have a happy customer with a perfect looking house then squabble over a few hours of cleaning.
Always apply products under manufacturers suggested temperatures and humidity and you should be fine. In the even you experience a rain storm 2 days after you finish and your paint starts looking funny. It is probably leeching and can be wiped off or will go away on its own.
Call Complete Custom Painting for a free Estimate
651-336-0561 cellular
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