Why paints fail

January was a very busy time for me as I spent valuable time at two premier Contractor events in North America – The PACE National Convention in LA, and the CertaPro National meeting in Tucson. I engaged numerous contractors in discussions about their favorite paints and favorite paint jobs. There was genuine interest in proper paint selection and in understanding how to avoid premature failures. Hence this month’s newsletter looks at some factors that influence paint failure:

a. Film Thickness and Uniform Coverage: Thicker films are desirable for some obvious reasons. Since coatings provide barrier properties, then one can envision that thicker films would help prevent moisture, UV and other harmful elements from getting to the surface. In the case of bare wood and masonry, thicker films can better absorb changes in the surface, while thin film coatings would tend to crack as the substrate moves. Thicker films generally provide for better hiding and stain blocking, as well as better mildew and corrosion resistance. Non-uniform paint coverage (resulting in peaks and valleys) can enable dirt build up on the coating.

b. Substrate Effects: The type and condition of the surface to be painted, significantly influences the paint selection. The market place has evolved to offer products engineered for specific substrates. Most manufacturers today offer products that are uniquely suited for wood and masonry applications. With aged and weathered substrates, proper surface preparation becomes critical to avoid premature failure. It is extremely important to paint on a surface with no loose or foreign particles. Appropriate techniques, for example power washing, must be employed to remove those loose particulates from the surface. We strongly recommend the use of an appropriate primer as well.

c. Impact of Priming: The use of the proper primer is essential to ensure that the paint finish delivers acceptable performance over the lifetime of the paint. Priming needs will vary depending on the substrate and conditions under which paint is applied and will be dealt with in more detail next month. For this newsletter, we focus on the role of priming in enabling adhesion and providing a uniform appearance. Primers are especially important when painting over aged or chalky surfaces. Quality primers, based on 100% acrylic binders, provide good adhesion and result in longer durability of the topcoat. Testing done at the Paint Quality Institute shows a clear trend with primer plus 2-topcoats out-performing primer with single topcoat.

Read more.

6 things to consider before bidding for a paint job

1. When getting prepared to do painting estimates you first need to know your target market or markets. Are you going to be painting in middle-class neighborhoods or are you going for the high-end glitzy neighborhoods?

Are you going after commercial accounts, industrial, etc.? Only then can you best gauge how high you are going to set your painting estimate rates. High-end, low-end or a middle-priced.

Personally, when it comes to painting for residential customers, I keep my rates the same. I don't care if it's high-end or middle class. If they cannot afford my painting services, I am out of there. Once you have painted at a higher price, it's hard to go low unless of course, you are hard up.

If you are estimating painting jobs for big business you can aim extremely high without much competition as you would in residential painting. Plus larger commercial customers have deep pockets. Also, if you are tackling those types of accounts you will need extra painters anyways so you should be able to aim high in your bidding to cover their wages and benefits.

2. You need an accurate estimating method that works perfectly every time without fail. Whether inside or outside. You can stand and stare at a project all day and try to guesstimate exactly how long it will take you to paint something or you can use an accurate method for bidding paint jobs and walk away smiling and not wondering if you just bit the bullet.

3. You need to allow for fuel, travel time and even the government's cut. If your going to be driving long miles you definitely want to account for fuel and travel time, even overnight expenses if you get that radical in your business. Again, if you have employees you will need to account for their wages and benefits in your bids also.

4. You need to be aware of hidden expenses or projects that add extra time and extra materials to a job. Things like hard to cover colors, excessive prep time, high-work, down time due to outside sources that are common in new construction, etc.

5. You need to know how much paint and materials you will be using. (Note: A good estimating system can automatically include all your paints and materials.)

6. Your estimating system should be based on three basic ways of estimating. Just like a set of golf clubs, some times you need a different driver to make it on to the next green. Different jobs require different painting estimating techniques.

For example: painting ceilings, walls and woodwork estimating can change if you have excessive woodwork like walk-in closets with tons of shelving. Or rooms with high walls.

The same goes for exterior work in residential painting. Are the surfaces smooth and clean or is there stucco or shingles that require extra time and materials? When you have an easy system in place you can build up an estimate to meet the type of project you are facing.

How to choose a painting contractor

When considering which painting contractor to utilize, be sure to do or determine each of the following:

• Talk with several contractors and get quotes from each. Ask about
insurance and bonding.

• Determine what will be done for each type area (any wood trim,
stucco, aluminum siding, walls of each room, etc.) for:

- surface preparation

- priming; what primer (type and brand) will be used

- finish coat: type and brand, where the brand fits into the
manufacturer's line (premium, first, second, economy, contractor's,
etc.) how many coats

• For exterior work, what will be done to protect plantings; for interior work, what will be
done in regards to moving furniture, protecting furniture

• When will the work be started? And finished? How many painters will be working on the
job? What will the remedy be if the job is not completed on time?

• What is the warranty on the work? Length of time, what type failures are covered, what
is the remedy if there is a paint failure?

• Get names of previous customers from each contractor as references, and contact
them to get their recommendation.

• Note whether the contractor was courteous and businesslike, punctual with appointments
or in returning phone calls, quality-oriented, experienced ,and generally interested in doing
business with you.

Then, take into account the information on each contractor and the asking price, to make an informed decision on which one to choose for your job.