News
Fade to black….
Posted by: cherri | Posted on: May 1st, 2013 | 0 Comments
Tip of the Month-May 2013
Fade to black….only in the movies! This is the director’s way of ending a scene….it just fades to a black screen. In the world of paint, colors just fade, period! If you look at the picture below, you can see where a sign had been installed and then later removed. The area at the bottom that was protected from the sun and the elements is very close to the original color, while the surrounding color has faded quite markedly.
Why is this important you ask? Well, as professional painters, we are frequently asked to provide color information about projects that we did a number of years ago. The good news is that we track that information, the bad news is that the paint that you purchase now to touch up something that was painted years ago will not match, even if you have the right product/color information. Communities that decide to repaint and specify that the “existing” colors are to be used are sometimes surprised when their new paint looks dramatically different than what is really the existing (faded) color. Odds are that if your left-over paint is more than a year old it may not be a good match. Of course, this points out the necessity of doing color samples prior to painting. It also means that when touching up an area, you may have to paint an entire wall, from corner to corner, to avoid creating the appearance of a giraffe. If you are painting a small surface, like a door, it is no big deal just to paint it all and then you don’t have to worry about touch-ups showing.
If you are considering repainting, I strongly suggest you make your color selection very early in the process. If more than one person will be involved with the choice of the colors it is guaranteed that the time needed for this process will lengthen. Knowing the colors before bids are requested will enable your contractors to know if there will be coverage issues that may require more than one coat. Generally, we can steer you toward colors that will cover in one coat, saving you thousands of dollars.
Please let us know if we can help you and your community with paint specifications, color selection and methods to save money on your paint job.
Free of heart?
Posted by: cherri | Posted on: April 1st, 2013 | 0 Comments
Tip of the Month-April 2013
Free of heart?
No, I’m not talking about the Tin Woodsman 
, I’m talking about wood that is not cut from the heart 
or center of a tree. Heartwood is the non-living central part of a tree or woody plant and is also called duramen. Sapwood is the outer layers, or rings of the plant, where nutrients and water are transported up and down the tree. Lumber that is free of heart will not twist and turn as much as wood that is cut close to or from the center of the tree. Twisting is what causes some of the larger cracks that are visible on the wood’s surface.
When ordering wood for various projects, it is important to know just a little bit about wood, its characteristics and how it will perform in a given application. Most of us are aware of the difference between soft woods and hard woods. Hard woods (Maple, Oak, Walnut, Cherry, etc.) are great for applications like flooring because they can take the abuse but their downside is cost….they are pretty expensive. Softer woods (Douglas Fir, Pine, Spruce, etc.) are generally used in framing, wood trim and other exterior locations because they are less expensive and provide a good paintable surface. Other woods, such as Cedar and Redwood are better used in exterior applications such as fences, trellises, etc.
Having a knowledge of wood and paint products is of great value. For example, Redwood has a lot of tannins in it and knowing the proper primer to use on it will help keep those tannins from bleeding through the finish paint coat. Spruce may cost a little more than Douglas Fir but it paints better. Pressure treated lumber is great for fencing but not aesthetically pleasing for handrails or other highly-visible areas.
and experience…..PrimeCo Painting and Construction!2 Guard or not 2 Guard….
Posted by: cherri | Posted on: March 1st, 2013 | 0 Comments
Tip of the Month-March 2013
2 Guard or not 2 Guard……that is the question! Of course, the answer is yes, guard your exposed metal surfaces. Most frequently, this is done with a paint product but there are some metal surfaces that don’t lend themselves to paint. Mailboxes are clearly an example of this. Some of them are made of cast metal and others are powder-coated in the factory. Both present re-finishing challenges in the field, due to logistics. Painting mailboxes in general is a cumbersome process because it typically involves the Postal Service having to suspend mail service for a day or two. There is also the challenge of adhesive lettering that may have to be removed for painting and then re-installed, which is time-consuming and costly.
2 Guard is a coating that can be applied directly over painted surfaces and it makes them look like new. The photo below shows a set of mailboxes where three were coated with the product and one was not. Unlike paint, the doors of the mailboxes did not have to be left open for hours to allow dry-time. It dries in minutes and can be applied over the painted surfaces and adhesive numbers alike. It made coating the mailboxes shown below much easier than painting them.
The coating has a useful life of about 3 years and is easily re-coated. It can be used on other surfaces such as light poles, street light fixtures, street signs and anodized aluminum windows and a multitude of materials, including fiberglass, metal, wood, and PVC furniture.
Please let us know how we can assist you with any special concerns or specialty coatings.
