Exterior paint job
Hagrinas Mivali
It's hard to make a fair comparison because each estimate is written
differently. I'd like to get an idea of how important each area is,
and what I should get in the agreement before I start. Also, it's not
as if all the seemingly positive points end up on the same estimates.
Some painters specify a name brand paint that I'm familiar with (Kelly
Moore), and others use paint from a commercial supplier with no public
face, but claim in the estimate that it's a top quality paint. Some
offer longer warranties than others. Some specify that they will coat
to cover and others specify two coats explicitly. All say that they
will first power wash and then remove loose paint, repair cracks, and
prime raw areas, but some give more detail, such as "patch and caulk
cracks and holes with elastomeric flexible patching system and
urethane acrylic sealant."
How do I weigh some of these factors? Is the brand of paint
important, or is the warranty the ultimate determining factor, or
should the paint itself be expected to outlast the warranty given by
the painter, thus making the paint the relevant factor?
In theory, two coats could leave something uncovered, but
realistically, "coat to cover" more likely means one coat, and
possibly going over some spots later. But how does this affect
durability? If there were no advantage of two coats over coating to
cover, I wouldn't expect anybody to go through the trouble unless it
were merely to meet an expectation. But what does the real world data
show about multiple coats beyond what is needed to cover?
I'm assuming that unspecified details about sealing and fixing are not
as good as specified ones, but what level should I be insisting on?
Are there any other factors I should be looking for?
Randy
Brand of paint is important primarily because some brands are renowned for paint
that has a large fraction of titanium dioxide (pigment) which is desirable -- it
covers better in a single coat. In my experience, those brands are Benjamin
Moore and Sherwin Williams. I've heard that several other brands are good too
(e.g. Pratt Lambert(?)), but I know less about them.
I don't believe in generic brand paints. They're always only as good as
'contractor grade appliances', that is to say, they're as cheap as possible.
Also, if you have an older home with wood siding, Benjamin Moore makes a paint
which is designed to fill gaps in wood siding. It's called 'Duration' and it's
about $45/gallon, but it's about as good as paint gets.
IMO, paint warranties are pretty much a marketing device. No paint will last 25
years unless it's indoors. But the guarantee may give you some idea of how long
each of a company's paints will last relative to each other. In general, I've
heard that you really can't expect any paint to last more than perhaps 12 years,
especially if it's exposed to the sun.
In comparing estimates, I'd ask that the bidders provide the same set of services:
- Estimate the paint cost independent of the labor. Paint cost is a small
fraction of the overall cost of the job. IMO, don't scrimp here. Of course,
you can do a lot of the prep yourself. I did all my own prep, just to be sure
it was done right.
- Ask whether the paint will be sprayed (bad), rolled (better), or brushed in
(best).
- Estimate a specific number of coats (1 or 2). Generally, the more expensive
the paint, the fewer the coats needed to cover. I got a single coat and then
doubled up in spots. It made sense to me, but I can't verify that it was the
right thing to do.
- What amount of work will be necessary to prep the house. This often varies.
Some painters will do nothing more than a quick power wash. I would
definitely get as much prep done as is affordable. Don't scrimp on the prep.
It makes as much of a difference to the quality of the final paint job as the
paint itself.
- Ask whether they prime bare wood. If they don't, don't hire them. If they
do, get your primer from the same manufacturer as your top coat.
- Make sure that the prep is done best where it's needed most -- generally on
the sunny side of the house or where it's often wet.
- You also may want to consider specifics on when the job can begin and how long
it will last, especially if you have logistical considerations.
- You may also want to see examples of houses they have done before, especially
those that are similar to yours. If you do this, I'd try to see houses with
paint jobs that are at least 10 years old.
Randy