Painting & Decorating LLC

Painting your home can be a bit overwhelming with all the choices on the market. There are different kinds of paint for different kinds of jobs. For instance, there are seven different kinds of paint described below to help you make the right decision for your project: oil vs. water based paint, primer, specialty paint, interior and exterior paint, latex paint, enamel paint and acrylic.

Oil vs. Water Based Paint

The two basic types of paint are oil and water based. The main differences between these two types of paint is how quickly they dry, how easy they are to clean up and the application. Oil paints take longer to dry and are typically known as alkyd. They also require a chemical or paint thinner to help with the cleanup process. Oil paints are typically used for painting doors, windows, and woodwork trim. Water based paints dry quicker, clean up easier and their finish is not as glossy as oil based paints.

Primer

Although primer is not considered paint, it is usually necessary to use primer as the first coat. It can be either water or oil based. It is important to use the same color of primer as the house paint color and if you are using a water based paint, then the primer should be water based too.

Specialty Paint

Paints that have additives are considered specialty paints. These paints may have fire retardants, anti-mold or anti-mildew included. It is recommended for painting a kitchen to use a paint that has anti-condensation additives because of the moisture.

Interior and Exterior Paint

Interior and exterior paints differ because of the elements. Interior paints tend to be water based and exterior paints tend to be oil based. Depending on the room and location you will be painting will depend on the type of finish. For instance, for ceilings, walls and low trafficked areas, a flat paint is more desirable because it is harder to remove stains. For high trafficked areas, such as hallways, children’s rooms, kitchens and bathrooms, a low-luster satin is recommended. These paints are easier to remove stains. Use semi-gloss and high gloss paints for surfaces you want to accentuate.

Latex Paint

There is no actual latex in this paint. It is a commonly used term that simply means water based paint.

Enamel Paint

Oil based paints are sometimes referred to as enamel paint. They come in both gloss and semi-gloss finishes and are best used for shelves, kitchen cabinets, banisters, railings, furniture, windowsills and doorjambs.

Acrylic

Acrylic paints are known as water based paints with the binding ingredient as acrylic. There are different varieties of acrylic paints, such as acrylic enamel, acrylic latex and acrylic latex enamel. It is very durable paint and is not mixed with oil or water. A word of caution: Even if the name on the paint says acrylic, it does not necessarily contain acrylic. Be sure to read the labels. An advantage of using acrylic paints is they will not yellow.

It’s that time of year to get the paint brushes rolling and slap a fresh coat of paint on the house. There are four major types of paint in the industry today, but which ones will give you the coverage you need. While all these plants are similar in price, which one is the best? Here is the breakdown on the paints:

Sherwin Williams-

Consumes give Sherwin Williams an 80% satisfaction rate. For outdoor painting projects, the “Duration Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint” won hands down. While this type of paint will cost around $50 a gallon, the reviews show it is well worth it. Sherwin Williams has excellent color selection, and nice online features to help select the perfect color. They will even allow you to try a color with an uploaded picture of your home before you buy. With over 37 years in the business, they have always been a fan favorite.

Pittsburgh Paints-

Also known as PPG, Pittsburgh paints has a great reputation in dealing with areas that contain a great deal of moisture. PPG does not have the broad color spectrum that Sherwin Williams does, but they do carry a great deal of the traditional colors for outside painting. Many report that there is no need to use a primer and it will cover successfully within 2 coats. The paint is thick and there is no dripping or roller spray. At around $30 a gallon, these paints are said to last 10 plus years.

Rodda-

Rodda paint products are not as commercialized as the other 3, but that does not mean there is no value. With a consumer rating of over 85% satisfied, these paints make the Seattle hometown proud. With a wide variety of colors to choose from, they have coordinating wallpapers and decor if you choose to use inside the home as well. Around $35 a gallon, they are known for their one coat coverage and incredible customer service.

Benjamin Moore-

Benjamin Moore has a customer satisfaction rating of 98%, which is pretty impressive. MoorGard is a great mildew resistant exterior paint that gets rave reviews for its economical price and superior quality. At $41 a gallon, it is average priced for custom paints and has a higher customer rating than all the other brands. They have been in business since 1883 and the quality of their product has not changed, only improved.

You have realized that you need to repaint your house.  Its starting to fade, chip and look worn.  A fresh coat of paint on the exterior would make your home,that you love so much, look brand new again.

However, you do not know any painters in Bend. You ask some friends and they do not know of any painting companies either.

So, you go online and do a search for some contractors nearby.  You get several of them and call them for an estimate.

Wait!  How do you know who to choose? How do you know you can trust them? How are you going to be certain that you will get a good price, a good job and a guarantee that the paint job will last and not fade the very next year.

The following are some suggestions that might help you.

Licensed and Insured

There are many fly-by-night operations out there that are operating without any contractors license and are definitely not insured. Many times they charge really low fees and hundreds of them can be found on Craigslist on any given day.

If you are looking for the absolute cheapest deal then maybe these guys are suited to your needs.  Keep in mind, however, that they do not guarantee their work and you cannot get compensated if they do bad work.  If the paint starts to crack after a couple weeks you might call them and see that their number is no longer in service.

Any professional painting company in Oregon needs to have a CCB license and some proof of general insurance. Its just part of doing business and if a company doesn’t have it then I would be wary.

Look At Their Past Work

When they are giving you an estimate I would recommend you look at some of their past projects.  Most painters will take before and after photos.  Have them show them to you.  The quality of work varies with every painting company and you want one that can deliver a superior paint job that will last a long time.

Ask For References

If a person has been in business for any length of time he should be able to supply you with at least three references.  You do not have to call them all. In fact, calling one reference or past customer will suffice. You just want to make sure that  their past customers were happy with his work. Professional paint jobs are not cheap and you want to make sure the company you chose excels at their work and customer service.  Problems will arise but you want a company that handles them promptly and can fix them.

Type of Paint

This is something that many people do not do because they do not know any better.  You want to know the exact brand and type of paint that will be used on your home or building. We let our customers choose their paint and explain the differences between the four major brands.

Look at the bid carefully.  Many times a painter will submit a bid that is really lower than everyone else but will be using the cheapest paint he can find.  You might save some money but will need a new paint job in just a couple years. Make sure you are told what type of paint is going to be used, its quality and how long its expected to last.  There are 5 yr paints, 10 year paints and 20+ year paints.

Are you a brand new homeowner? Welcome to the club! I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that according to most statistics your net worth is now 41 times that of an average renter. This is because you now have the ability to build some type of home equity.

It might not seem like a lot at first but it adds up over time. Owning your own home is your first step to long term financial security and there are numerous authorities that back that up with a lot of research.

The bad news is that you are going to quickly learn about the maintenance and upkeep costs associated with keeping your house in good working condition.

If you thought maintaining your automobile was tough, just wait!

Lawn maintenance, carpet cleaning, new wallpaper, roof repairs, gutter cleaning, driveway repaving, pest control, plumbing repairs and furnace replacement is just the tip of the iceberg.

There will be many other weekly, monthly and yearly inspections and repairs you will need to have completed if you want your home value to stay high. Get used to opening up your checkbook because you will be doing it an awful lot 

One of the items you will have to check off your list is getting your home repainted.

No matter what brand or quality of paint was used on your house or who did it no paint job will last forever. The elements outside will eventually weather any paint that man can create. This includes but is not limited to the sun, rain and snow.

How long the paint job will last will greatly depend on the paint quality and how well the house was prepped and primed. You will get what you pay for. Look at bids carefully because there might be a huge difference between the lowest bid you receive and the highest bid you receive by a wide margin once you look at the details.

The exterior paint can begin to fade in a little as several years or last for more than twenty years.

All of the major paint suppliers have lifetime warranty paints that are supposed to last forever but as you well know there are a lot of factors and restrictions in the fine print for a homeowner to qualify for that. If one factor is not meet then the lifetime guarantee is null and void.

Nevertheless, I would rather pay $10,000 for a paint job that will last twenty years than pay $3,000 for one that will last five years. I guess at the end of the day your choice will be determined by how long you plan to stay in your house and what your current budget is like.

The four major paint suppliers on the market are Sherwin Williams, Rodda, Benjamin Moore and Pittsburgh.

Which one is better? All four brands are good.

It is a matter of personal preference. Some people swear by Sherwin Williams and others have been using Benjamin Moore their whole lives and will not accept any other brand.

Here is some other valuable advice for you. This applies to people who bought a house that was recently built in the last five years.

New houses do not get a good paint job. The jobs that most painting contractors do on new homes are terrible.
Why? New home builders want to build houses at the absolute cheapest cost they can manage.

They will usually do whatever it takes to get the lowest bids possible. They will go with a contractor who submits a bid to them that is $300 cheaper than the other guy, even if the quality is lower.

Subcontractors who paint new homes are forced to practically work for bare bones just because they figure that cheap work is better than no work and try to make it up on volume.

They use the cheapest paint and do the most minimal amount of work possible to cut costs and get the job done as quickly as possible.

My advice for a new homeowner is to immediately get a $2,000 paint job upgrade from a real painting contractor in Bend.

From the standpoint of a person who has been doing this type of work his whole life, painting a home is much easier when most of the underlying paint is still in decent condition.

Once the paint is flaking and peeling then my workload is doubled with extra scraping, priming and sanding and I have to charge more for that.

If you have any more questions or need help with anything you do not quite understand feel free to give me a call at 541-280-7340.

I love talking with homeowners around the Central Oregon area and will try to answer any questions or concerns you might have. We service not only Bend but Redmond, Black Butte Ranch and Sunriver.