Fall is here

Posted on September 26, 2018October 2, 2018 by Brook Painting

Fall is here

Better Way to Paint a House

Fall is by far the best time to paint a house in most locations. The cooler, drier weather allows the paint to cure properly and also makes the work more enjoyable rather than suffering through the summer heat or spring showers.

Keeping your house painted is the best way to keep issues like rot or termites at bay and should be a regularly scheduled part of your maintenance every 5-10 years on Atlanta’s climate and the condition of your paint.

If you let a paint job go too long you run the risk of damage to the underlying structure AND increased costs for more involved surface prep. Heavy sanding, scraping and carpentry repairs can be budget busters so keeping your house painted regularly is a time and money saver.

Picking a Color Scheme

Before you do anything you need to start shopping for colors. Today there is an almost endless choice of colors for house paints. I have put together a list, Use Colors for 2018 to help you find the right colors for your house.

While you should start with color swatches nothing beats seeing the color actually on the house. Once you have some ideas of the colors Brook Paining will come to you house and help you with best options and color examples.

Prepping Like a Pro

My Dear Friend Marco was a painter and he always told me “the paint job is in the prep.” Anyone can slap some paint on a wall but only a meticulous person can make it last a couple decades. The secret to a lasting paint job is the proper prep. I’ll go through the steps we use for the best preparation and therefore best looking, longest lasting paint job you can get.

If your house was built before 1978 you’ll first need to test for lead paint. If the test comes out positive then you’ll either need to hire an EPA certified professional who has been properly trained in dealing with lead paint or you’ll need to follow the precautions listed in my post Working Safely With Lead Paint in an Old House.

Wash – Give your house a good washing. I recommend a good rinsing with a hose end sprayer and a long brush to get the surface thoroughly clean. A pressure washer can cause damage than you think if you not properly trained for. Give the house at least between a day or two days to dry out depending on weather tempeture. Even if the wood isn’t wet to the touch it may still have too high of a moisture content to hold paint.
Remove Loose Paint – Depending on the condition of your existing paint job this might take 10 minutes or 10 days! Paint is only as good as the surface it adheres to and if you paint over loose or chipping paint it will be a matter of weeks before your new paint job starts to fall apart. Paint adheres best to bare wood so for the best adhesion you should strip all the old paint off using a ProScraper, Speedheater or chemical stripper ; however this will take a lot of time and cost a lot. At the least you want all the loose paint off. Once that’s done you’ll want to sand down the rough edges where the paint chipped off to smooth the transitions out. And keep the remaining paint from peeling further.
Repair Damaged Wood – Now is the time to repair your rotted wood. Whether it’s replacing a battered clapboard or rotted trim, don’t skip this. Paint will not hold onto rotted or weathered surfaces and you’ll wish you had replaced them when you had the chance. Any grey weathered wood should be sanded until it reveals healthy brown wood again. If the rot damage is small you can use wood fillers or epoxies for nail holes wood filler is fine.
Caulk & Prime – Before you start caulking everything spot prime any bare wood or filler/epoxy repairs with an oil-based primer. For extra adhesion prime everything including the old paint. While not always necessary it results in a better finished product. Next, make sure to caulk any gaps around siding and trim junctions. My caulking plan is to caulk all vertical joints. Horizontal joints between siding or above and under doors were designed to be left open in most causes in order to accommodate for movement of the wood and to allow water to drain out. For gaps 1/4″ or larger you’ll may need backer rod before caulking to help the caulk bridge the gap.

Applying The Paint

You’re almost there! If you’ve done all the extensive prep we’ve talked about, your house probably looks like a mottled mess, but that’s all about to change. Here’s just a few tips for the main attraction.

Buy quality brushes and quality paints. You DO get what you pay for!
Start your painting from the top and work down to avoid repainting any spills or splatters.
Try to avoid painting in direct sunlight because it can cause poor adhesion and uneven drying.
Clean up spills and drips quickly before they dry.
One coat is enough to protect your house from Mother Nature.
Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for drying time between coats and don’t rush re-coating even if it feels dry to the touch. Hurrying the 2nd coat is a sure fire way to get peeling paint that doesn’t adhere.
Cold or humid weather will slow your drying time so adjust accordingly. If temps are forecast to fall below 50 degrees then it’s best to hold off on painting until you can have temps consistently above that threshold.

There you have it! The right way to paint your house. Don’t settle for a bargain basement paint job because the short term savings inevitably ends with greater long term costs. As with anything, doing work the right way is expensive and time consuming, but in the end very satisfying .

Do it yourself painting is fun but also can be dangerous and challenging remember give a call to Brook Painting Atlanta’s trusted company get a free estimate and go with the best.

Paint brushes up!

Right tools for the Job! For a interior painting Job

Posted on September 18, 2018February 18, 2019 by Brook Painting

Right tools for the Job!

Before David Arroyo become a Painting Business Owner, were a painter on the field so he consider himself a not ordinary sales person, he does believe importance of knowing the field where you serve, this helping him to believe and train his crews about the need of the right tools for right application.

he’s learned that a good paint job starts with quality materials.

“If you’re going to do it yourself,” says, “the key is correct preparation, and using the right tools and right products.”

To help DIY painters do things right, David put together a foolproof shopping list of the essential supplies. Here you’ll find a good starting point for the average interior paint job that doesn’t require too much damage control or problem solving for difficult surfaces. Many of these products will be found at independent paint specialty stores, as opposed to big box home improvement centers.

Wall preparation supplies

After thoroughly cleaning the surface you’ll be painting, it may need a little TLC. “If you have holes and cracks, you have to use the right patching material.

There are many different caulks, spackles, and compounds to treat the potential surface problems. Make sure that the one you choose is appropriate, paintable, and also fairly fresh this is why Brook Painting Exterior and Interior Painting is here to help you .

“Don’t use stuff that’s been sitting around for years, cautioning that expired products won’t perform well. He’s had good experiences using the 3M Patch plus primer, as well as Sherwin Williams products, such as the Power house sealant .

For eco-minded prep products, he likes the spackling paste and putty from Crawford’s. When sanding, use sandpaper and make sure to use the correct grit. (For more how-to painting guides, We recommends visiting the Paint Quality Sherwin Williams.)

Tape

When first started his painting business, he remembers there being only three or four types of tape on the market. “Now it’s just tape overload,” he says. “Tape for every type of surface, every type of paint, and every type of application.”

Homeowners need tape to protect certain elements from seepage, like baseboard or the line where the wall meets the ceiling. When choosing a tape, ask yourself how long the tape will be left up—the longer it’s left to stick, the more likely it will allow drips to creep through.

First choice is Frogtape Multi-Surface Painter’s Tape. It’s green as opposed to the typical blue and can be left up to 21 days. He also likes 3M ScotchBlue.

Primer

“Primer is a painter’s friend,” “It can help our jobs look good and take care of problem areas.”

There are many different types of primers, so it’s important to use the right one for your wall conditions. For instance, a grease or water stain on a wall would need the right primer to seal the stain prior to painting. Or, brand new drywall needs to receive primer that seals the surface.

Once you’ve identified any problem areas, read the labels thoroughly to make the right match. “There’s a specialty primer for everything,” We considers Problock from sherwin williamsa good go-to brand for these.

Beyond the specialty versions, Hamberg suggests the following two as good all-around primers for basic interior jobs: Sherwin-Williams Multi-Purpose Primer for its stain-killing capabilities and Rustoleum’s Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 water-based primer.

“For about 80 percent of the cases of where you need a primer, those would work,” he says, including on surfaces like wood, brick, and metal, as well as drywall and exterior siding. Another good primer for concealing rough spots or “alligator areas” on the exterior of your house is XIM Peel Bond, which is a primer and sealer.

“It’s like paint assurance in a can, Another exterior product to try is Sherwin-William’s Rejuvenate Siding Restoration, which is a combined paint and primer that’s designed for adhesion and smoothing marginal areas.

Sunny Eckerle

Rollers

A paint roller is a great option for covering a lot of wall area rather quickly. It comes in two parts, the roller frame and its corresponding cover. You’ll only need to buy the roller frame once, and then change out the covers according to your paint job needs over time.

You may also need an extension pole to help reach the ceiling or a tall wall area. To start,We recommends purchasing a basic 9-inch frame for your walls, and a smaller 4 ½-inch frame for interior doors, woodwork, and trim.

Covers come in different fabrics—natural, synthetic, and foam—so it’s important to choose a fabric that fits the job and the paint. Use natural fibers with oil paint, synthetic fibers with water-based or latex paint, and a foam roller for high-gloss results.

When choosing woven covers, pick up one that is “non-shed,” says Hamberg. These types of covers are supposed to prevent the roller’s tiny fibers from detaching during the paint application process and getting stuck in the finish. (One trick is to wrap the roller cover in painter’s tape and remove it, in order to eliminate any loose fibers.)

Finally, choose the nap according to the surface texture that’s being painted. “They have everything from ¼-inch nap to 1 ½-inch nap,”. For a smooth surface, such as interior doors and trim, pick a roller cover with shorter pile, such as a ¼ inch or sponge roll.

For a semi-smooth surface, like plaster or drywall, pick up a 3/8-inch nap or a ½-inch. And for a semi-rough to rough surface (like stucco or brick), the best range will be between a ¾-inch nap to a 1 ½-inch nap. We prefers buying rollers from either the Purdy or Wooster brands.

Brushes

Brushes are needed to control the finish, reach difficult areas, and execute touch ups. Hamberg recommends starting with either the Purdy Clearcut or the Purdy Clearcut Elite(both with bristles cut at an angle).

“It mimics some of the natural bristles and lays off smooth,” says Hamberg. Most homeowners will accomplish their needs with a 2-inch brush for trim and a 2 ½-inch brush for walls, and these should work for all different types of paint. We also likes the performance of Corona brushes.

Most important is to clean the brush properly after each use. “Dawn dishwashing detergent probably works the best to get the paint out.

Bucket and grid system

His team utilizes the tray and bucket and grid system “When you’re dipping the roller into a bucket with a grid screen, you’re going to get better absorption of the paint,” says Hamberg. “You want that paint to go into the core of the roller cover, rather than just on the surface.”

Any five-gallon bucket will work. Then just pair it with a grid that fits your roller size (9 inches) and clips onto the outside of the bucket. (There are handheld, quart-size buckets with built-in grids for smaller rollers and brushes.) “You’ll wont have the need of use a tray.

4 Ways to Withstand Fading Paint Used on Exterior Settings

Posted on September 5, 2018October 1, 2018 by Brook Painting

A home’s curb appeal can go a long way. But keeping your home or bussines in pristine condition year after year can be quite difficult, considering that all interior and exterior surfaces will eventually deteriorate.

Fading exterior paint color is the first sign of paint film degradation. However, Atlanta’s top commercial and residential painting contractors admit that people don’t usually notice the changes in the color intensity mainly because fading occurs gradually. This may prevent property owners from implementing the right remedial measures that could stop the deterioration of the wall system.

Preventing Exterior Paint from Fading

Fading should not be confused with chalking. Fading represents the excessive lightening of the paint color especially on the surfaces exposed to sunlight. Chalking, on the other hand, refers to the formation of a powdery residue on the wall surface as a result of a chemical reaction in the paint film.

Although all exterior surfaces inevitably fade over time, here are four simple ways to ensure your business puts its best face forward and keeps it on for many years to come.

Evaluate the things you cannot change – One of the things you cannot change is the position of your building. To reduce the adverse effects of different weather elements, always opt for paint products that can work harmoniously with the environmental factors which exert a heavy toll on your building. If your commercial property gets a lot of direct sunlight, for instance, you should choose light paint colors, which have been proven to absorb less sunlight than darker shades. Aside from color variations, wall paints also vary in terms of sheen. A higher gloss finish will reflect more light compared to flat paint, reducing the amount of light a paint color may otherwise absorb. The amount of UV light absorbed by a paint product dictates how long a paint job will last.
Choose fade-resistant paint – Though it may seem obvious, opting for fade-resistant paint is one of the few things you can do to avoid fading exterior paint color. The best fade-resistant paints contain high-quality pigments and a sufficient amount of binder, which binds the pigment particles to the other ingredients to form a durable paint film. In addition, the binder ensures good adhesion between the paint film and the wall surface. As less expensive exterior paints often contain low-quality ingredients and lower volume concentrations of pigments and binders, they usually start to deteriorate after only several months from the application. As a general rule, high-quality acrylic latex paints have better color retention compared to oil-based paint products.
Consider the quality of paint products – Paint technologies and products have evolved considerably over the past years. Nowadays, the type and quality of paint systems have a dramatic impact on the overall appearance, performance and service life of an exterior paint job. Adequate surface preparation along with the correct application of a high-quality paint product can help you avoid premature paint failure in the form of fading exterior paint colors, bubbling, peeling and cracking paint, efflorescence, mold growth, dry rot, etc. This will limit the maintenance and repair requirements, reducing your operating expenses.
Don’t use paints prone to fading – Inorganic pigments like tans, beiges and browns are more stable on exterior surfaces than certain organic colors. As an example, bright reds, blues and yellows are particularly vulnerable to UV radiation and consequent fading. Using alkali-sensitive paints on highly alkaline surfaces like new masonry is another mistake that can lead to fading exterior paint color. Also, tinting certain types of paints or over-tinting a paint product may cause the paint to fade prematurely.

At Performance Painting Contractors, one thing we cannot stress enough is the importance of timely maintenance and repairs. The moment you see fading exterior paint, small cracks, peeling paint, mold growth or dry rot, give us a call at 678-349-4988 . Atlanta’s painting contractors to paint the exterior or interior of your company may seem like a big expense, it is nothing compared to what you might pay later if a paint job isn’t up to the mark.

Pressure Washing Importance

Posted on April 19, 2018January 31, 2019 by Brook Painting

Along with brighter days, warmer temperatures and good feelings, spring also serves as a reminder that it’s time to tend to our homes after a long, harsh winter. This is why in the mid-19th Century, the term “Spring Cleaning” came into common use in England. It wasn’t long before the tradition spread to America. Our ancestors picked up the habit of giving their homes a thorough scrubbing every March, because it was warm enough to open every window, but still not time for the arrival of those pesky flying insects. Also, with their coal furnaces turned off for the year, Americans of an earlier era could remove a winter’s worth of soot from walls and furniture.

America today honors this tradition by celebrating National Spring Cleaning Week at the end of every March. Brook Painting Atlanta’s trusted company likes to remind people at this time of year, that spring cleaning should not stop at the interior walls of a home. Along with dusting shelves and throwing away those old souvenirs from last summer’s cross country road trip, home owners should give the outside of their home a complete spring cleaning too, says David.

Perfect Power Wash offers an extensive variety of services that will help get a home’s exterior in top shape this spring. These include power washing driveways, patios, stoops and decks as well as power washing siding.

The power washing services offered by Brook Painting’s team of highly trained professionals are safe, fast, effective and environmentally friendly. A recognized expert on power washing.

Power Wash offers unparalleled speed of service. The professionals who staff those vehicles are not only fast, they also know their way around the block when it comes to home exterior cleaning. For example, Brook Painting’s team have power washed the exteriors of over 40,000 homes in Atlanta, GA and it’s surrounding areas. As far as power washing concrete goes, they’ve cleaned over 20 million square feet of driveways, enough to cover 400 football fields.

A call to have a Perfect Power Wash should be on every home owner’s “Spring Cleaning To Do List.” David and his staff are Happy to answer any questions. Here is a brief guide to some of their services:

DRIVEWAYS AND CONCRETE – Despite its great strength, concrete is a very porous material. When debris and water gets trapped in the tiny pores below its surface they can cause considerable damage. Perfect Power Wash protects the concrete in driveways, patios and other areas around the home with a three-step process that begins with the application of a cleaning solution.
HOME SIDING – Winter is rough on home siding; its winds and storms often bringing contaminants that can become trapped within crevices. Perfect Power Wash’s Safe Pressure House Washing System works to remove debris from all types of siding, from vinyl and aluminum, to brick, wood and stucco. The process includes a do application of biodegradable cleansers to remove contaminants from siding. This is followed by a selective and Perfect Power Wash’s signature double fresh water rinse

Giving your home’s exterior a spring cleaning with Perfect Power Wash will not only enhance its appearance, it will also protect your family by removing potential health hazards posed by contaminants – and it will save you money as well. Of course, cleaning the exterior of your home can also make you money. According to the National Association of Realtors, power washing a house before putting it on the market can increase its value by up to $15,000.

Turning to the pros at Brook Painting for Power Wash will help you realize the benefits of home exterior cleaning quickly and easily. Using their professional service saves money over less effective do-it-yourself options that call for using rented equipment. It will also let you finish your cleaning faster, which is a good thing, because this will give you more time to get out an enjoy the party nature throws every year around here during our beautiful Georgia spring.