Paint and Wood Coatings

PaintSource Videos

2012-01-04T11:37:00.005-05:00

The PaintSource Network features various types of paint and wood coatings projects on houses, decks, commercial buildings, and other structures. We discuss common problems, and demonstrate the better solutions we have researched and tested for a variety of projects over the last 20 years. We are a network of industry professionals who share a passion for educating our clients. We hope the following videos are helpful for your projects.
Interior Painting			Hardwood Floors
Preparing and Painting Walls			Choosing a Finish for Hardwood Floors
Painting Paneled Doors- Project Guide			Guide to Finishing Hardwood Floors
Caulking Trim
Caulking Baseboard			Decks
Preparing Walls to Paint			Applying Deck Stains
Discussion - Wall Prep and Patching
Dust-Free Drywall Sanding
Masking Trim and Ceiling
Taping Baseboard
Painting Baseboard
14 Inch Roller for Walls
Exterior Painting			Exterior Wood Care
Paint Failure New Wood Window			Deck Care Discussions at YouTube
Exterior Oil Paint Failure			Sanding Wood Decking
Sanding Wood Windows
Paint Failure Porch Rail and Spindle			Testing Moisture in Wood
Painting Porch Rail			Applying Coating to Deck Spindles
Caulking Window			Airless Spray and BackBrush
Paint Failure Wood Window			Roll and BackBrush Siding

Featured Articles:

The PaintSource Guide to Painting and Finishing New Homes.

PaintSource Guide to Exterior Painting

Deck Care Blog

PaintSource Network Channel at YouTube

Dust Free Drywall Sanding

2011-02-11T22:24:00.011-05:00

by Will Selby

Here is a brief description of some simple-to-use equipment to prevent exposure to hazardous drywall dust.

Drywall dust is a known health hazard and a huge nuisance in remodeling and new construction.

Discussion: Dust-Free Drywall Sanding Equipment

Sanding Walls before Painting

Smoothing Walls

Porter Cable model 7800 Dust-Free Drywall Sander.

Dust free sanding is the only way to go when finishing drywall. We see excessive drywall dust remaining in most new homes in the ventilation systems, outlets and switches, can lights, etc. Drywall dust is extremely light weight, and should be prevented from becoming airborne, and traveling throughout the job site. This is an easily controllable nuisance when utilizing readily available tools and techniques.

See Equipment Description

For remodeling jobs, or an occupied job site, dust-free sanding is an absolute must. Drywall dust is a nuisance to both workers and homeowners. Drywall dust harms computer and audio equipment. Drywall dust can contaminate every finish in the home including wall and trim paint, wood finishes, hardwood floors, and all surfaces.

Drywall dust can also cause various adhesion problems, and contaminates paint finishes. We have had clients spend hundreds of dollars trying to remove drywall dust from ventilation systems. We had one client who spent several thousand dollars replacing duct work, after dealing with continual dust the first two years in their newly constructed house. (The furnace was operated during drywall sanding, without covering the return air ducts). We continually talk to homeowners who have had major cleanup issues in the rest of their house after a remodeling project. This nuisance can easily be avoided with some widely available tools and equipment.
We see great results with a system consisting of:

The Porter Cable Automatic Sander is light weight, easy to use, and fast. It can be especially useful to do-it-yourselfers who are inexperienced at drywall mudding and finishing. You can easily sand and apply additional mud as needed to achieve the desired finish. The sander is also great for sanding between paint coats or sanding after priming new drywall. This system is available for rent in some areas, or can be purchased through our online store.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

We see a tremendous amount of dust remaining in recently constructed homes. Dust-free drywall refinishing during new construction can greatly reduce or eliminate the amount of drywall dust remaining in a new home. The added cost of dust free sanding versus traditional sanding is minimal, and we encourage homeowners to seek contractors willing to utilize readily available methods to control drywall dust when sanding and finishing new drywall.

Before installing drywall, be sure wall studding is sufficiently dry. Later shrinking of damp studs is a prominent cause of nail pops- a common drywall problem. Be sure to check moisture content of studs before drywall installation using a Moisture Meter to help prevent excessive stud movement leading to cracks and nail pops.

More about Wood Shrinkage

Drywall Imperfections and Nail Pops

Drywall Dust Causes Paint Problems

Full resurfacing (skim-coating) of drywall during new construction can greatly enhance the finished appearance of walls, giving a uniform appearance, and eliminating the surface variations of face paper, joints, and fasteners. This can be especially beneficial for areas that will be highly illuminated by natural or artificial lighting, not always available during the construction phase. A full skim coat is also called for when finishing with a velvet, eggshell, or gloss finish paint. The automatic sander can be utilized for quickly sanding fully skimmed walls, providing a much more uniform and smooth finished wall.

Use 500w halogen lights to illuminate at a right angle down walls and across ceilings before priming or painting new drywall. It is easy to make drywall repairs and re mud before you paint or prime. If you plan to make repairs after priming, the result is generally visible slick patches, and paint appearance problems. Many drywall flaws are not discovered until painting is done and the lights come on. So light it up! Use your judgment which walls will be highly illuminated once finished, or walls that will get a lot of natural light, and consider a full skim coat of mud on those critical areas.

These tools and systems are available for rent in some PaintSource Paint Centers.

( See all Topics )

The PaintSource Guide to Painting and Finishing New Homes.

2011-01-26T14:45:00.002-05:00

Many common preventable paint and caulking problems continue to cost builders and frustrate new homeowners. These problems can be minimized or eliminated by using proven solutions and procedures outlined in The PaintSource Guide to Painting and Finishing New Homes.

Discusion of New Home Painting and Deck Care featured on HomeSmart Radio.

Topic	Discussion of common Problems / Better Solutions
Drywall Preparation / Finishing	Drywall finish problems lead to unacceptable paint finishes, and Nail-Pops lead to inconvenient and generally unacceptable repairs for the builder and new homeowner. Drywall Dust is a controllable nuisance. Homeowners should encourage their contractors to utilize dust-free solutions for all drywall and prepaint sanding. Studs must be dry before drywall is installed in order to prevent most common Drywall Finish Problems
Hardwood Floors	Choosing a Finish for Hardwood Floors Coordination and sequencing of Floor finishes and Wall finishes many times leads to damage to walls by floor finishers, or damage to floors by painters. More on sequencing finishing of wood floors.
Exterior Wood Trim	Exterior Paint Failures resulting from the use of finger-jointed or Pre-Primed exterior wood siding, windows, and trim. See video
Decks	Failure of inferior Deck Coatings, and improper drying and preparation of new wood leading to subsequent cupping, splitting, and warping of treated decking material. Listen to discussion DeckCare Blog
Oil Based or Acrylic?	Use of Oil-based Paint on exterior wood leading to a brittle and non-breathable paint film that will crack and trap moisture; resulting in costly repaint, and wood deterioration or rot. See video
Paint Problems	Failure to maintain a constant temperature or using temporary heat during paint application, or painting in low temperature leading to inability to match color when Touch-up Paint is applied at higher or normal temperature leading to problems for the painter, builder, and new homeowner. More...
Exterior Wood Stains / Finishes	The use of Marine Spar Varnish and other Polyurethanes on wooden entryways and doors leading to moisture entrapment, brittle film cracking, and guaranteed coating failure on exterior wood surfaces.
Caulking	Moisture damage to a variety of surfaces and substrates resulting from the common use of inferior or incorrect Caulking Products, or the "one caulk does it all" approach.
Fiberglass Doors	Unsatisfactory results and coating failure when staining and protecting Fiberglass Doors. more..
Mildew Resistant Paint for Kitchen / Bath	Improper preparation, and incorrect coating and caulking selection for Bathroom Walls. We see excellent performance from Perma-White Mildew Resistant Paint.

2011-01-25T23:05:00.004-05:00

Other Topics:

Why We Like Waterlox

Waterlox Images

One Time Wood Protector Review

One Time Wood Protector Discussions

Log and Wood Siding Care

Wood Deck Care

Painting Walls

2010-11-12T22:53:00.002-05:00

We have been getting a lot of requests for an organized list of our interior painting videos. If you are preparing for an interior painting project, we hope you will go through the following short clips.

Painting Interior Walls.

We hope these videos are helpful for your projects.

Waterlox Images - Choosing hardwood floor finish

2010-08-11T12:08:00.064-04:00

PaintSource continues to get (and give) fantastic reviews for Waterlox Tung Oil Finishes. Everybody loves to live with Waterlox. We hope you will explore this option for beautifying and maintaining hardwood floors. Waterlox is a superior option to polyurethane.

A Tung oil and resin blend like Waterlox can offer the ease of maintenance, and lack of peeling of a natural oil finish, but with the hardness of varnish. Waterlox soaks in and cures with oxygen, hardening the surface, but with no heavy surface film buildup. It does not give a "plastic" look to wood like polyurethane finish, but gives a hand polished, natural looking elegant finish.

On Waterlox, scratches that might occur are much less visible than on a polyurethane, which is prone to show "whitish" scratching. Polyurethane scratches on dark hardwoods are even more pronounced. The other big advantage of Waterlox is that no sanding is ever required for recoating. Just clean, and refresh every few years.

Waterlox Reviews

Below are images of various Waterlox projects recently completed by our clients.
Click images to enlarge.

Here is a great example of Waterlox "popping" the natural color of this "branded" pine floor.

Below we see the difference in color enhancement of wood floors with Waterlox Tung Oil Finish, compared to the appearance of a water-borne finish applied to walls and vertical surfaces.

Many water-based finishes leave wood quite bland, as you see here on the walls. Waterlox naturally enhances the true beauty of this pine floor.

Color enhancement with Waterlox Tung Oil is even more pronounced on this this heart pine floor by Authentic Pine Floors. The cabinets have a water-based finish.

Here is Craig's workbench, finished with 4 coats of Waterlox Sealer/Finish on various wood species. Again, notice how the true wood colors are uniquely enhanced.

Waterlox Staircase

More Images

Waterlox Blog

PaintSource Guide to New Home Construction.

Visit PaintSource.net

Spare Time

2010-04-29T18:33:00.014-04:00

Please click "Play" below for information about "Night of the Stars" held June 19, 2010 in Lexington Kentucky.

We hope all will help support a fantastic program, and increase awareness of the benefits of therapeutic riding. More Info

Go to CKRH website

My wife and I have been involved with Central Kentucky Riding for Hope for several years. CKRH is a therapeutic riding program based at the Kentucky Horse Park. This program has provided diverse therapy to thousands of children and adults using the unique bond between man and horse.

Central Kentucky Riding for Hope is dedicated to enriching the community by improving the quality of life and the health of children and adults with special physical, cognitive, emotional and social needs through therapeutic activities using the horse.

We hope you will visit the CKRH site for information about this special program. The new covered arena for the program that was a dream 5 years ago has become a reality, as we moved into our new facility and held our first sessions there in June and July 09, with added classes all day long, allowing to the program to assist many many more students. More details here. Therapy can now continue year around, even in rain, heat, and snow.

CKRH still needs additional support to carry on the efforts of many.

Please Read More Here about helping this effort.

Hoof Notes - Summer 2008
Hoof Notes - Summer 2009
Hoof Notes- Winter 2010

CKRH TV

Therapeutic Riding is offered by similar programs in many communities across the country.

About Therapeutic Riding

Find a Center

Wikipedia Article on Therapeutic Horseback Riding

Contact me to discuss therapeutic riding

Doug Wilson
Founder, PaintSource.net
Lexington, KY

Varnish or Stain for Ipe, Mahogany, and other Hardwood

2009-12-01T15:33:00.034-05:00

Exotic hardwood like Ipe, Mahogany, Tigerwood, Cumaru, and others are fast becoming a popular building material for a variety of wood products including doors, wood trim, lawn furniture, flooring, and various wooden structures.

Coating and Maintenance is quite different with these hardwoods. Due to their high natural oil content, and extremely dense wood fiber, tropical hardwoods are difficult to protect with coatings and stains because very little volume of most products are absorbed into the wood. Only a small layer of surface wood deteriorates and needs rejuvenated (re oiled) seasonally. Therefore any oil type wood sealer or stain will require more frequent maintenance. Unfortunately, many oil and acrylic products are not suitable for exotic hardwood. Most dry out very quickly leading to frequent maintenance. Most Spar Varnishes and exterior polyurethanes lead to disappointing results and repeated costly failures. We can help you choose the appropriate product based on your specific conditions.

Below is a summary of products that have tested well with us.

Exterior

Hardwood Decks and Porch Flooring

For a satin finished look on partially covered exterior porch flooring, an oil and resin blend like Waterlox Marine can offer the ease of maintenance, and lack of peeling of an oil finish with the hardness of varnish. It does not give a "plastic" look to wood, but gives a hand polished, natural looking finish. Waterlox Marine is available in a clear satin or gloss. Waterlox gives a very finished, elegant and natural looking surface, but does require maintenance at 8-18 months depending on exposure.

Waterlox is not recommended for fully exposed decks facing south and west.

More on Hardwood Decks

The deck in this photo is constructed of Garapa hardwood decking finished with One TIME Golden Honey. One TIME Wood Protector offers longer protection than traditional oil stains, and cures by sunlight. It gives the look of an oiled finish, but not a shine. There is no water or solvent to evaporate. Maintenance is simple detergent wash and recoat every couple of years depending on exposure. One TIME is not shiny, has very translucent pigments, and accentuates the natural beauty of exotic hardwood.

Doors and Trim

For exterior hardwood doors and trim , Waterlox Marine is a great system to consider.

Film forming products like Sikkens Door & Window products can offer good protection, and are widely available.

There is no single best product, but there is a best product for each specific exterior project.

Interior

Exotic Hardwood Floors

Wood floors, countertops, walls, trim, doors, and other hardwood surfaces can be naturally beautified and protected, eliminating the difficult application, maintenance issues, and other disadvantages of polyurethane finishes.

Oily hardwood requires a compatible sealer for positive adhesion. Thick polyurethanes lay on the top, where they are prone to lose adhesion. A Tung oil and resin blend like Waterlox can offer the ease of maintenance, and lack of peeling of an oil finish, but with the hardness of varnish. Waterlox soaks in and cures with oxygen, hardening the surface, with no film buildup. It does not give a "plastic" look to wood, but gives a hand polished, natural looking finish. On Waterlox, scratches are much less visible than on a polyurethane, which is prone to show "whitish" scratching. Polyurethane scratches on dark hardwoods are even more pronounced. The other big advantage of Waterlox is that no sanding is ever required for recoating. Just clean, and refresh every few years. This is just an elegant finish for exotic hardwood flooring. Waterlox Reviews

Paint and Caulking Choices

2009-10-17T13:18:00.005-04:00

Paint and Caulking Choices carry tremendous consequence for Homeowners

Despite tremendous advances in paint and coatings technology, many builders, contractors and property owners still use products that have costly long-term consequences when wood rots, metal rusts, bricks crumble, walls crack, or paint peels.
Most painting and wood care products sold by the mass merchandisers and national chain stores demonstrate repeated failure and costly maintenance issues. Many widely sold products cost consumers and the environment. We encourage clients to shop in local independent paint and decorating centers for their projects.

The bidding process for most projects forces minuscule cost cutting with costly results in the long run. Material and caulking supplies should be specified by the owner, and separated from labor costs for most projects. Many times, a project will require 2-3 specialty caulks for various specific purposes.

We frequently see property owners bearing the cost of preventable paint failures and wood replacement on homes only a few years old. Many times, product choices are made based on short term savings on material, or simply a lack of awareness of newer, superior performing products availability. Many times, clients force the contractor to use inferior products by seeking continually lower bids their projects. Material costs should always be separated from a project bid, evaluating option costs based on long term expectations.

Miniscule savings on materials results in cheaper products being used in all phases of many projects. We can help you evaluate cost-effective choices and long -term value for every aspect of your project.

New Home Painting Guide

By helping our clients choose and acquire all the products and supplies needed to complete a project, there is no pressure on the contractor to even consider cost minimizing of materials for your job at the expense of quality.

We strongly encourage the use of water-based paint technology for your painting projects. There are superior performing, environmentally friendly alternatives to solvent based paints and primers.

Many readily available paint and caulking products boast from 10-45 year durability, yet we see widespread problems and failure, inside and out, within 3-5 years on many new homes and other types of buildings. Many paint failures result from the "one product does it all" approach. We seek manufacturers committed to the highest levels of performance and quality.

We are obligated to the manufacturers of none of the products that we discuss. We will present our products of choice for various painting, caulking, and specialty coatings projects. These choices are based on continual evaluation of past projects, and various products' durability and performance. Our history has enabled us to evaluate the long-term performance of numerous brands and types of paint products. We continually research and evaluate new products, tools, and procedures available for a variety of painting and specialty coatings projects. Our team consists of experienced paint sales representatives, certified coatings consultants, and specialty contractors.

By considering existing conditions, as well as product requirements and expectations, we seek to provide you the best wood coating systems and paint products available. We continually consult with other professionals to further expand the information made available here.

Using professionally proven superior-performing products and systems can prevent many common paint and wood coating problems. We help you implement these solutions through local independent paint stores who are part of the PaintSource Network.

Deck Stain Problems

2009-07-08T13:58:00.020-04:00

We are in the middle of deck season again and we continue to receive calls from clients across the country continually dissatisfied with the deck products they have used to protect their deck or other exterior wood. We continue to fight the fight for homeowners confused by the array of products advertised and sold and the various confusing choices available.

I believe deck care is probably one of the most frustrating and disappointing aspects of home care and maintenance for many homeowners. There are many false claims with regard to frequency of maintenance and long-term performance. Most of the products heavily advertised and sold in the big warehouses and depot type stores continue to fail, yet are difficult to strip and maintain. Many of the products are chosen based on consumer publications and various so-called “test results”. We seek to share here and on our website the input we received from clients as well as a results of our continued testing of the various products available.

One of the best-known water sealers available is mostly paraffin wax and mineral spirits. The wax does a great job of beading water for a few months, then weathers away, and the wood is left unprotected the rest of the year. Once wax is applied to the wood it makes future wood care difficult and generally will compromise future results of anything applied later. Many of the new acrylics and water-based stains are proving problematic after the second or third maintenance coat leads to buildup of product, trapping of moisture, and peeling. The acrylic products however are very difficult to strip if you have a failure. Most readily available deck strippers will not break the bond of an acrylic resin product. We are highly frustrated at the amount of stripper needed to undo the disappointing results of many of the water-based deck and log care products being sold. Even the good old fashioned oil base stains are short lived, and many times lead to darkening and mildew issues in some climates.

A majority of the products currently sold lead to future stripping at some point in the maintenance process. By choosing the proper application techniques and the proper products for any particular project, we can eliminate millions of gallons of strippers and harsh chemistry being rinsed into backyard soils and streams.

The horizontal nature of a deck exposes the wood the maximum sunlight and whether exposure. Rain, snow, and ice lays on the surface for extended periods of time, the sun heats and degrades the surface , moisture is drawn into end grain and uncoated backside, grit and sand are ground into the surface, and the deck faces abrasion from furniture, dogs, and humans.

In the past, the majority of decks were built with pressure treated wood. Old-growth forests, which were a great source of quality stable wood are virtually nonexistent now. Second growth forests are younger fast-growing trees that are high in sapwood and knots. Milling procedures for smaller trees result in mostly face grain lumber which leads to various problems with staining or coating.

In some cases treated lumber is “pre-coated” and some new wood must be stripped before the proper stain can be applied. Look at the tags on wood for finishing schedule instruction.

Once a poor performing product is applied, homeowners are faced with a vicious cycle of repair and maintenance that usually ends up leading to stripping the failed product. During the first few years, the wood becomes deteriorated, and future results with any product are somewhat compromised. Clients will then try another product that may lead to equally disappointing results and the cycle continues.

Common problems with deck care and deck stains:

Historically, there are several other factors that led to the common dissatisfaction with deck care in general.

1. Decks constructed with wet wood

2. Incorrect product choice for staining or finishing.

3. Lack of a sealer or coating on the bottom side and end grain saw cuts.

4.Many confusing choices available that are heavily advertised and sold by suppliers with little experience or real-world testing. Most employees in the warehouse and national paint stores are seasonal and temporary help with little wood care experience.

The ultimate key to proper wood care and satisfactory deck maintenance should start before the deck is even constructed. We should assure that the wood is properly dried, coated on the backside, and sealed on the end grain where saw cuts are made. Once the deck is constructed, it is difficult to seal the end grain (a big source of moisture intrusion), and it is difficult to seal the underside (a cause of cupping). With these two sources of moisture intrusion, you have a deck that is prone to the boards expanding and contracting as moisture levels in the wood increase and decrease due to existing conditions. The expansion and contraction of the wood, combined with moisture exiting the wood will cause compromised results with most stains and wood coatings, and will usually lead to eventual warping, splitting, and cupping of the wood.

Seal all saw cuts when the deck is built and saw cuts are made. Open end-grain is another tremendous source of moisture intrusion. Saw cuts cannot be sealed once the deck is built. The solution to this common problem is to get your wood a few weeks before the deck is going to be built, and stack it with spacers allowing air movement through the stack . This allows the wood to dry slowly before the deck is built. Once the wood is dry, a sealer or waterproof or can be applied to the backside and all saw cuts as the deck is being built. Once construction is completed, the topside of the deck can be stained, sealed, or finished with the appropriate product.

So what do you do if your deck is already constructed? We recommend a waterproofing sealer to be applied to the bottom side of the deck either by mini roller on an extension, or a pump sprayer. Try to flood material into cracks between the boards and end grain saw cuts when coating the top of the floor. By eliminating all sources of moisture intrusion, we reduce the expansion and contraction of the wood that leads to cupping, warping, and splitting.

Selecting your stain or wood protection

There is no single best product for every deck or log home, rather there is a specific best product for each individual project based on existing conditions, client expectations, and maintenance capabilities.

Before making a choice of the wood stain or finish, a few questions need to be asked of the client:

1. Is this new or existing wood? Is it pressure treated?

2 Is the wood IPE, or Other Exotic Wood? Cedar, or Redwood?

3 Is the deck covered or in full sun?

4 Is the client willing to completely remove any existing coating? Many times when a previous sealer or stain has been applied, we must completely remove any existing failed stain to get good performance out of a new product.

New wood also presents a variety of issues to consider as to when to stain or coat, the preparation required, and the best longest lasting protection.

Ipe, Mahogany, Tiger Wood, and other exotic hardwoods always present a unique challenges to successful staining and beautifying.

One TIME on Ipe (Brazillian Walnut)

Painting Walls Project Guides

2008-12-15T09:34:00.005-05:00

Here are a few new videos for painting projects at You Tube. I hope this is helpful to your projects.

New links

2008-11-12T20:42:00.010-05:00

Here are a couple of new articles. I hope this is helpful.

Doug

http://waterlox.blogspot.com/ Waterlox Tung Oil Blend for Wood.

http://onetimewood.blogspot.com/ Long-Lasting Deck Protection.

http://wood-deck-care.blogspot.com/ About Deck Care.

Here are a few new links to some other resources we have created for homeowners for their projects:

New Home Painting Guide
Exterior Painting
PaintSource TV
About PaintSource

Painting Exterior Doors

2008-10-22T19:55:00.002-04:00

For the exterior, a painted metal or wooden door is a tough surface to protect. Acrylic finishes will usually outperform oil-based paint on a wooden door due to their breathability and flexibility. While oil-based finishes offer superior flow and leveling during application, oil- based coatings generally chalk, crack, and fade rapidly. If the door is already coated with an oil based product, it is usually best to sand the door, clean, prime, and apply a finish of 100% Acrylic Paint if the door gets a lot of sun.

Acrylics exhibit good color and gloss retention, and offer the flexibility needed for exterior wood. The disadvantage of the acrylics is that they dry quickly, making a slick smooth finish more difficult. You need to use flow additives, the right premium Acrylic Paint , and good technique. Try to paint in cooler temperatures, and protect the door from direct sun during application and curing.
Be careful on wooden doors covered by an unvented storm door. Trapped heat can cause some coatings to bubble, especially dark colors.

Painting Doors Video Guide

( More Topics )

Spare Time

2008-10-04T19:25:00.010-04:00

CKRH is a therapeutic riding program located at the Kentucky Horse Park. This program has provided diverse therapy to more than 1000 children and adults using the unique bond between man and horse.

Central Kentucky Riding for Hope is dedicated to enriching the community by improving the quality of life and the health of children and adults with special physical, cognitive, emotional and social needs through therapeutic activities using the horse.

We hope you will visit the CKRH site for information about this special program. The new covered arena for the program that was a dream 5 years ago has become a reality, as we have moved in our new facility and held our first sessions there in June and July 09, with added classes all day long, allowing to the program to assist many, many more students. More details here.
Therapy can now continue year around, even in rain, heat, and snow.

CKRH still needs additional support to carry on the efforts of many.

Please Read More Here about helping this effort.

Hoof Notes - Summer 2008
Hoof Notes - Summer 2009

Therapeutic Riding is offered by similar programs in many communities across the country.

About Therapeutic Riding

Find a Center

Wikipedia Article on Therapeutic Horseback Riding

Doug Wilson
Co-Founder, PaintSource.net
Lexington, KY

Drywall Dust Causes Paint And Caulking Failures

2008-09-11T11:51:00.010-04:00

Question:

I am experiencing a paint problem in my new home. We've been living here since March. I was painting the white walls a custom color so I trimmed the ceiling and the baseboards with 3M blue tape I purchased from Lowe's Home Improvement. The tape promptly took the paint off the ceiling when I peeled it off after only 5 seconds of being applied. The paint and drywall contractors and the homebuilder superintendent have been here to inspect the home and have determined after 2 months, that nothing is wrong, but that walls were not intended to be taped unless you use the $11 per roll 3M tape. Not only did my tape peel off paint, but there is a spot on my wall where the paint just rolls off. There are numerous walls with orange peel, I think they call it, where there are many little cracks in the paint. Any advice?

Answer:

Your problem is common for a couple of reasons. On new construction, we see a lot of drywall dust remaining on walls prior to painting. You always have a mud joint at the ceiling and wall joint, and when sanded prior to painting, you get a tremendous amount of dust accumulating in the corners. If this dust is not vacuumed off, and the surface wiped, the remaining drywall dust on the surface keeps paint from soaking in. You will likely see a white powder on the back side of the paint chip, and from the surface where the paint peeled. Wipe with a dark rag to check, looking for this white residue. This residue should be removed from the failed areas prior to repairing.

This problem is typically compounded by the use of inexpensive flat latex paint as a primer and finish on ceilings. Many paint companies are promoting "self-priming" builder flat finishes for new construction, so I can't even blame the builders and contractors. These products typically do not wet through this dust. If the finish was sprayed on the ceiling, and not brushed or rolled in the corners, this will compound the problem. We do not like Blue tape, especially 3ms. It will pull flat latex in most cases, even if little dust is under the surface, which is almost always. I feel it is too aggressive for any flat acrylic. I do not like the "$11.00 3m " tape you refer to if it is the white paper tape. It will fall off the surface. We have a purple delicate surface tape that is featured on our site: Delicate Surface Tape from Shurtape. Use for For taping Flat Wall or Ceiling Paint. We have found this to be the best choice after testing every safe-release available to us.

Here is a brief taping discussion, and demonstration for great project results.

If the dust underneath is severe, you may still get some slight pulling, so please test this tape as well. Also, DO NOT pull the tape quickly after painting. After painting walls, a lot of moisture and humidity will be in the room, and this will wet and soften the ceiling paint temporarily, making it extremely sensitive to pulling. Wait at least 4 or 5 hours, and possibly overnight. On the area that has peeled, or any additional pulls, you may need to put on a little drywall mud to fill the area, but if there is not a lot of light on it, it may be acceptable to just "touchup" the pulled areas with the ceiling paint. You will probably still see the rough surface, but it may not be overly obvious.

As far as who is to blame for the failure, it is hard for me to address that. This is common practice in most new construction, and we have been promoting dust free drywall sanders, and better procedures, with little success. We always recommend sweeping drywall and damp towel wiping of sanded surfaces, especially corners. We also encourage the use of a drywall 1st coat primer, or better yet, a high end acrylic enamel primer. It is just hard to find many painters or builders who budget these procedures into a project. Bottom line, I would recommend the use of the Purple Delicate surface tape to minimize pulling, and make sure dampness is out of the room before pulling tape. If you are going with a slight sheen on the walls, you may want to consider painting walls first, hand cutting line at the ceiling, then taping walls after a few days, and paint the ceiling edge last, using the masked walls as the guide. We have some short video clips on taping and other topics at PaintSource.TV. I understand your frustration, because we see this problem all the time. Let me know if you need clarification, or further details.

Dust Free Sanding

Doug

Common Exterior Paint and Finish Problems

2008-08-28T19:21:00.004-04:00

The PaintSource Guide to Painting and Protecting the Home's Exterior

Many common preventable paint and caulking problems continue to cost homeowners and frustrate contractors. Many of these problems can be minimized or eliminated by using some of the proven solutions and procedures outlined here. We will be happy to consult with you about the causes and simple solutions to common paint and finish problems that most homeowners find on new and old houses.

1. Exterior Paint Failures resulting from the use of finger-jointed and / or Pre-Primed exterior wood siding, windows, and trim.

2. Failure of inferior Deck Coatings and subsequent cupping, splitting, and warping of treated decking material.

3. Use of Oil-based Paint on exterior wood leading to a brittle and non-breathable paint film that will crack and trap moisture; resulting in costly repaint, and wood deterioration or rot. See Video

4. The use of Marine Spar Varnish and other Polyurethanes on wooden entryways and doors leading to moisture entrapment, brittle film cracking, and guaranteed coating failure on exterior wood surfaces.

5. Moisture damage to a variety of surfaces and substrates resulting from the common use of inferior or incorrect Caulking Products, or the "one caulk does it all" approach. See Video

6. Poor results and coating failure when painting or staining Fiberglass Doors. See Video

7. Painting Wooden Door

Our systematic approach encompasses all aspects of exterior painting and starts before the job is bid. You must specify the specific steps and products required to paint and caulk your home. We can consult with you or your contractor to give you the best looking, longest-lasting exterior protection. We have observed and tested these proven procedures to reduce callbacks, and to provide a better quality and lower maintenance home for satisfied clients.

All the best.

Doug

Exterior Porch Floor Paint

2008-01-14T13:23:00.001-05:00

This article is a continuation of our common problems/ better solutions series at the PaintSource Network.

A common problem with painted exterior flooring is the use of oil based paint on wooden floor surfaces and decks. Unfortunately many national paint stores and builders warehouses continue to sell oil based floor enamel for exterior wood surfaces. This type of product is extremely hard, and will never withstand the expansion and contraction of exterior wood flooring. Even some acrylic floor enamels will be too hard or not breathable enough for certain construction designs. Extreme changes in moisture content and temperature of the wood cause hard coatings to be sheared from the surface as the wood expands, and the coating doesn't. Many times, new wood is extremely high in moisture content, and the wood surface is slick with mill-glaze. Primers (especially oil-based) are unable penetrate the surface of damp slick wood, and just lay on top with little adhesion. This also contributes to early paint failure.

Moisture entrapment also commonly occurs. Many times the wood is uncoated underneath, so moisture is drawn from the ground beneath the porch into the bare backside of flooring. This is the result of the non breathable nature of oil based products. Moisture trapped just beneath the coating surface fosters the growth of wood-decaying organisms. It also freezes in the winter months. The decay of this wood fiber leads to the release (peeling) of the paint film. Hairline cracks in the paint film, resulting from expansion and contraction of wood, allow further moisture intrusion, causing greater expansion of the wood, causing more cracks, allowing in more moisture, leading to rapid coating failure. If the floor is totally enclosed with no ventilation, our only choice is to use a solid color stain on properly prepared bare wood.

Sometimes we see only spot failure. Unfortunately, oil base paint never stops hardening. This is especially problematic on older coating systems that have been hardening to the point of eventual failure. Much of the paint that is currently intact, will eventually release. When we encounter a situation like this, we have two options. We can scrape the currently loose and peeling paint, and repair failed areas, and repeat this cycle every few years until the old hard underlying coating peels, or we can consider total coating removal. If lead is present in previous coatings, we need to consider chemical stripping as to not create a health hazard during coating removal and sanding.

For spot repair and repaint, we scrape off as much failed paint as possible, then sand with a dust-free palm sander (using 60 or 80 grit abrasive ) to blend in the bare areas. Final sand the remaining coating with 80 grit to leave a good profile for the coating. Prepare and prime the bare areas and recoat with an Acrylic Floor Enamel. Be aware that coating not removed now will continue to fail over time as any remaining old coating will always continue to harden. The second option involves total coating removal. There are several biodegradable strippers available. We also final sand the entire floor to remove any wood fiber damaged by trapped moisture, or the stripping process.

We have found very few good-performing floor paints for exterior wood floors. If the wood is already installed, and unprimed on the back, you have limited choices. If you absolutely want a solid painted finish, you could consider an acrylic solid stain like Enduradeck from California Coatings, or a solvent-based product like Sikkens Rubbol DEK, which is a flexible, breathable oil based wood floor coating (not a paint). It looks like paint, but performs like a stain--no film to peel. If you want to go back to natural wood, you have a variety of good options.

Each of your coatings options has distinct advantages and disadvantages depending on your specific requirements and whether you are recoating bare wood, or remaining paint. If you have failed paint, and choose not to strip the entire porch, you will need to sand the remaining coating so the new coating will adhere to it. Solid color stains are for uncoated wood only, so unless you get to completely bare wood, you should consider an acrylic floor paint , priming bare wood and existing paint with 2 different specialized primers. I hope this helps.

Doug
PaintSource.net

Staining or Painting Wooden Deck

2007-11-09T09:28:00.001-05:00

Decks and Porch Flooring

Keeping decks well protected is a big challenge. The wood is in a horizontal position, full of nail holes allowing water to seep into the wood where it will swell, shrink and warp the wood and stress your stain or coating system. Wood that is inaccessible , such as end grain, can't be properly sealed once the deck is already constructed. Most times, furniture scrapes the surface, people and dogs track grit and mud on it, and Mother Nature takes a toll.
The following discussion explains reasons we must sand wood for best results with any stain or finish when wood has been allowed to weather in the elements, or if a previously applied coating has failed. Many times, it is highly beneficial to sand even new wood for a variety of reasons.

SANDING DECK SURFACE
Sanding opens the pores of wood to accept stain, and also removes loose or deteriorated wood fiber that generally leads to premature coating failure and poor results. Sanding can also be utilized to blend or remove remaining stain after the deck stripping process. Even NEW Wood usually needs sanded due to "mill-glaze" resulting from the Planing Process , which compresses wood fiber, and POLISHES new wood making coating penetration virtually impossible. Wood that has weathered unprotected while drying over the first few months after installation should be sanded as well to remove weathered surface.

DECK COATINGS
Many products available have their own distinct appearance, performance, and application characteristics. The premium wood coatings discussed below are all proven solutions we choose for various specific conditions. Trans Oxide pigments provide the highest level of ultraviolet resistance, and impart a very natural look to the wood. Most of the coating choices outlined below utilize this premium pigment type. New wood should be sanded to remove possible mill glaze, or to remove grayed wood fiber if deck has weathered during the drying process. Sanding will always increase the adhesion and performance of your coating system.

Natural Finish
A product we discovered in recent years is OneTIME Wood Protector. It is uniquely long-lasting, and is very natural looking compared to many stains available. We believe solvent free OneTIME Wood Protector is good choice with respect to environmental issues and ease of maintenance. This is a great choice for docks and severe exposure. It offers beautiful protection with extended easy maintenance procedures. The most unique characteristic about the OneTIME is that it is virtually impossible to get lap marks or drip marks due to the unique way the product works on wood. We have coated 1/2 way across a board one day, then coat the second half the next day, and amazingly -NO LAP MARKS.

If you desire a varnish-like shiny finish, and ventilation is good, deck is at least two feet off the ground, and boards can be sealed on the underside, you could consider a thicker film-forming coating like Sikkens Dek Finish . This is a two coat brush applied alkyd protective translucent finish system for exterior wood decking. On properly prepared wood surfaces, this coating gives practically a look of furniture, imparting a varnish like shine while beautifully accentuating grain and color of the wood. This system requires a maintenance coat about every 3 years if in full sun. You need to have the pores of the wood grain open for proper anchoring of the sealer. The first coat preparation is the most important factor in longevity of the entire coating system. This product is suitable if the bottom side of the deck is sealed, and is at least 2 feet off the ground.

For a water-based Satin finish consider Structures Nature One. Structures is a great alternative to oil based varnishes, it looks and performs great, and is environmentally friendly.

If the decking wood is 2 feet or less off the ground, you should consider only a non-film forming wood sealer like OneTime. Maintenance for color rejuvenation is generally around 3-4 years, but wood is well protected for several years.

Hardwood Decking
One TIME is a great solvent free protector offering long lasting protection on hardwood decks. The UV cure is a great feature, since new exotic hardwood exhibits a high oil content which can sometimes interfere with drying and curing of many coatings.

Read more: Staining Ipe, Mahogany, and other Exotic Hardwood Decks

(See Video One TIME for Hardwood).

If an oil finish is required, Sikkens SRD is a proven solution for most mahogany and other dense hardwoods.

We have proven solutions and specific preparation procedures when dealing with exotic woods. Please contact us for specific project advice.

Porch and Deck Flooring
Porch and deck floors are sometimes difficult surfaces to protect, as the softer a coating is, the easier it wears off, but the better it tolerates moisture transfer and wood expansion cycles. Conversely, the harder wearing a coating, the less able it is to handle expansion and contraction of the wood, so most coating choices represent tradeoffs to consider.
It is very important to seal the underside of a deck or porch floor. The best method is to seal the bottom side of boards and end grain cuts before construction. If wood is near the ground, and the sun beats down on the top surface, moisture is drawn from the cool ground underneath up through the bottom side of the boards. This causes expansion and contraction of the wood, leads to cupping of the boards, and greatly reduces the long-term performance of any coating.
The product choice for your project should be determined by finding the most suitable product available given your specific project requirements.

Solid Color
For a solid painted look on exterior porch floors, you could consider Sikkens Rubbol DEK, which is the only flexible, breathable oil based wood floor coating (not a paint) that we are aware of. It looks like paint, but performs like a stain--no film to peel. It is breathable and flexible when applied to bare wood. For an acrylic solid stain, we prefer California Coatings Enduradeck Acrylic Floor Stain System for many projects. The Acrylic makeup gives this coating excellent satin sheen and color retention.. It offers excellent adhesion to properly prepared surfaces that have been previously coated. Enduradeck is flexible and breathable and is a great choice to consider when coating exterior wood decks and flooring.

Previously Coated Wood
Regardless of your coating choice, it will still be best to try to strip or sand any old, failed coating. After using strippers, many times wood is "fuzzed" and should be sanded using 3x Sand Paper 80 grit following the stripping process.

3x Sand Paper is also designed for coating removal. The paper really does make a difference. Most floor coatings will recommend 80g or 60g bare wood sand, but it depends on the coating you choose. We use a Dust Free Palm Sander . If you have sharp corners on boards that could be slightly sanded round, that would be helpful. We always do a final brush vacuum prior to coating application, and actually wipe the surface to insure no dust can interfere with coating absorption and adhesion.

Visit us at Timbercoatings.net for project assistance BEFORE you build your deck. Wood must be back and end-grain coated for optimal performance.

All the best, until the next.

Doug

Cold Weather Painting

2007-09-20T09:38:00.002-04:00

Cold weather exterior painting is always a dilemma. We have fought this issue for years in our market. Painters love oil for the low temp tolerance, and also because it is easy to get a smooth finish with slow dry oil paint. On the downside, oil based house paint will always eventually lead to hard brittle paint that chalks and cracks. We usually see some chalk, and cracking at joints within 1-2 years. Moisture that is under paint film, either from interior moisture migration (on window sills), or water that enters through cracks at joints, will be trapped under the paint film causing microscopic wood decaying organisms to thrive. Mildew and fungus just beneath the paint film will cause the paint to release along with a very thin layer of damaged wood fiber. By the 3d to 5th year, we will generally see big problems on sills and wood joints, with cracking, and moisture damage to wood. Oil paint never stops hardening, so this type of failure is inevitable, it just varies by existing conditions, and product used. Bottom line, we never condone the use of oil based paint on exterior wood, and only a few special circumstances will ever warrant the use of old technology oil based paint.

There are a few Low temp Acrylics on the market that allow painting down to 35 degrees, but you must have at least a few hours of good temperature. My worry is that painters get the low-temp paint and assume they can paint until late in the day, then temperatures drop to the teens at night and the uncured paint is exposed to unfavorable conditions at the most critical time for the paint film. Many times, cold nighttime temperatures leads to dew formation , especially on sills and horizontal surfaces. Hot sun during the day will heat the surface, then cool temperatures at night willl cause moisture condensation on freshly painted surfaces. Surfactant Leaching is likely in these conditions.

Low temp acrylic can be a viable option if used properly, greatly extending our paint season (painting when 40 degrees to 50 degrees ). I would always pick a low temp Acrylic over oil based paint, but we have done no extensive testing, so most of the low temp applications we are looking at are only a couple of years old, but doing well. We still favor conventional 100% acrylic house paints applied in the 50-70 degree range) for the majority of work, and use the low temps when absolutely necessary. Caulking and patching products may be sensitive to low temperature as well, and if you are unable to caulk properly, Why Paint?

Coronado paint makes a low temp line called Maxum M9000. Coronado's 410-11 House Paint Primer also carries a low temp specification. If you are applying acrylic paint over existing oil that is failing, any existing chalk or mildew or other contamination must be removed from the surface. Clean with TSP and bleach (bleach to kill mildew and TSP to loosen chalk). A top quality bonding primer like Coronado 410-11, or in some cases Coronado 116-11 will be recommended on oil paint that is still shiny. Any extremely shiny surfaces must be dulled by sanding especially under eaves and areas not dulled by the sun. If the job requires a specialty primer, it would need to be low temp as well. There are various other specifics to converting from oil to acrylic on an existing house, such as failed coating removal, and caulking issues.

The main point I want to emphasize here is to only use the low temp paints when absolutely necessary, and plan projects during appropriate and favorable temperatures and conditions.

I hope this helps.

Doug
http://www.paintsource.net/

Featured Articles:
Exterior Paint Guide
Paint, Caulking, and Drywall Issues on New Construction

For the finest, natural looking interior floor finish, consider Waterlox Tung Oil Blended Varnish. Thousands are switching to the Waterlox advantage. Contact us for details. We will be glad to help.

About Oil Based Paint

2007-08-24T19:58:00.001-04:00

We still, after several years of preaching the evils of oil based paints, have clients experiencing costly failures as a result of choosing oil based products for their projects. There are numerous product performance issues, as well as health-related reasons not to use oil based paint products for most interior and all exterior service. I acknowledge some specialized instances where solvent based products are required. We just see so many painters who choose oil based products for their ease of application and smoothness, at the expense of long-term performance. In most cases involving home finishes, oil based products generally contribute to early costly failure and inconvenience of use.

About Oil- based Paint
Oil-based Paints have long been associated with smoothness, hardness and durability. Numerous ingredients that gave oil base paint its durability have been banned or regulated, with good cause. There are numerous recognized health concerns related to solvent exposure among workers and homeowners. Oil-based products require solvents for cleanup. Paint thinner costs over $6.00 in most markets, and it is a PETROLEUM BASED product. The dirty solvent then must be disposed of, which, when done properly, is costly, and inconvenient. Many times dirty solvent is simply stored, or improperly disposed of. We discourage the use or storage of painting solvents in the home. It is a preventable risk, especially if within the reach of children or pets. Waste thinner on a jobsite can sometimes be a hazard. Besides, water is free. For times when a safe solvent is required, consider Soytek for a variety of safer, effective solvents for projects.

Interior
We observe frequent failure of alkyd (oil) based enamels on interior doors and trim. Most oil based products have superior performing, environmentally friendly alternatives available. We strongly encourage the use of water-based paint technology.

All interior wood expands and contracts, and oil based enamel gets much too hard and brittle, leading to cracks in the finish within a year or two of painting. Interior oil based paints continually yellow and harden as they age, leading to perpetual maintenance as the finish begins to chip and crack in corners. http://www.paintsource.net/pages/solutions/yellowing_paint.htm

In summary, Premium Acrylic enamels will outperform oil-based products on interior woodwork and doors with respect to performance, cost, dry time, and ease of use.

Exterior Acrylics
For the exterior, Acrylic house paint will expand and contract with changes in wood, where oil- based paint will not. We frequently see residential customers bearing the cost of preventable paint failures and wood replacement on homes only a few years old, as the result of the continued use of oil based paint. Alkyd oil-based primers and paints grow brittle with age, causing them to lose flexibility and ultimately lose adhesion. Alkyd oil-based primers and paints are non-breathable, limiting their life over naturally moisture-containing wood surfaces. The oils in alkyd oil-based primers and paints are natural organic materials which serve as mildew food and actually promote mildew growth. We frequently observe poor color and gloss retention, and often see poor chalk resistance, when compared to top-quality 100% acrylic paints. See Failure: http://www.paintsource.net/pages/solutions/video_pages/paint_failure_exterior_wood_surface_video.html
We highly discourage the use of oil based paint on most exterior wood. In summary, top-quality 100% acrylic primers and paints are clearly more effective than alkyd oil-based paints in all critical areas of product performance: wood protection, long-term appearance, durability, and reduced maintenance.

When coating over existing oil based paint with acrylic paint, be sure to follow manufacturers recommended preparation procedures, and use only PaintSource Approved Premium 100% Acrylic Finish.

Priming Exterior Wood
About Alkyd Yellowing
Wood Shrinkage
Wood Finishes
Exterior Oil Paint Failure

( More Topics )

All the best until the next..

Doug
http://www.paintsource.net/

Choosing Interior Paint...By BJ Andriot......Choosing the right color and finish for your project:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3227689514635253944&pr=goog-sl

Hardwood Floor Finishing. How to Schedule with Painting on New Construction

2007-08-13T21:47:00.001-04:00

Today we will discuss Hardwood Floor Finishing. We hope to help you decide how to Sequence Floor Staining and Finishing with Painting on New Construction projects.

Builders, subcontractors, and homeowners many times find it difficult to sequence the various steps during new home construction. Hardwood floor installation, staining, and finishing typically create one of the biggest logistical challenges to the project manager. Wall and ceiling painting many times involves ladders and scaffolding, which can damage freshly installed and finished floors.

So you might think to paint before you install the floors, right? No. The problem is that newly installed floors must be sanded prior to staining and finishing, creating a tremendous amount of dust. The machines used for sanding are bulky and heavy, and many times result in dented or damaged walls and moulding. The dust generated by sanding would certainly compromise the quality of any freshly painted surfaces. Even small amounts of dust on freshly painted walls will make touchup of paint virtually impossible, as the seemingly invisible dust becomes quite visible in the presence of the moisture in the paint.

So you might think to install wood, sand it, and then call the painters in, right? No. Even if flooring is installed, sanded, and left unfinished, drywall mud and paint can impregnate unfinished and unsealed floors making staining and finishing difficult for the installer.

The concensus among many hardwood and painting professionals is to install, sand, stain, and 1st coat and even second coat all hardwood. Allow the finish to dry sufficiently, then cover the floor with Builder Paper. Attach the paper with Safe-Release Green Tape at the perimeter only, then use conventional masking tape to tape the paper sheets where they overlap each other. For scaffolding or heavy ladders, lay down thick cardboard over the paper where needed to protect from dents or gouge s. For heavy work, use 4x8 sheets of thin plywood or sheeting to prevent damage from tool drops and ladders. Once the painting process is complete, the floors can be uncovered, and the floor finisher can prepare the floors and apply the final coat or coats of finish.

Good luck on your projects.

All the best.

Doug
PaintSource.net/

More about Hardwood Floors

Common Paint and Wood Coatings Problems.

2007-08-06T17:42:00.000-04:00

Many of my articles will be dedicated the next couple of months to existing and prospective homeowners who are faced with paint and wood care projects for new or existing homes. We constantly are asked to advise on a number of common paint and wood coatings projects. I will attempt here to share with you here, and on the Painting Information Network, all that we know so that you can make the best choice when choosing products, procedures, and contractors for your projects.

We are obligated to the manufacturers of none of the products that we discuss here. We will present our products of choice for various painting, caulking, and specialty coatings projects. These choices are based on continual evaluation of past projects, and various products' durability and performance. Our history has enabled us to evaluate the long-term performance of numerous brands and types of paint products. We continually research and evaluate new products, tools, and procedures available for a variety of painting and specialty coatings projects.

If you are building a new home, PLEASE visit our Guide to Painting New Homes before you begin your project:
http://www.paintsource.net/pages/solutions/new%20construction/paint_new%20_construction.htm

We present many Common Problems and Better Solutions on The PaintSource Network. Despite tremendous advances in paint and coatings technology, many builders, contractors and property owners still use products that have costly long-term consequences when wood rots, metal rusts, bricks crumble, walls crack, or paint peels. We continually see preventable paint problems and costly failures due to the use of incorrect or inferior primer/paint/caulking combinations. It is usually the homeowner who bears the cost of these choices. We hope to assist you in making an informed decision when choosing paint, deck finishes, hardwood floor finish, and other wood coatings products for your home.

Many widely used paint and caulking products are old technology historically proven to fail. We frequently see residential customers bearing the cost of preventable paint failures and wood replacement on homes only a few years old. Many times, product choices are made based on short term savings on material, or simply a lack of awareness of newer, superior performing products availability. In many cases, homeowners or builders may force contractors to use cheaper products by encouraging and demanding lower bids and cost-cutting approaches to paint and finishing projects. Miniscule profiteering on materials results in cheaper products being used in all phases of many projects.

We hope to help you evaluate cost-effective choices for every aspect of your project. By helping our clients get all the products and supplies needed to complete a project, there is no pressure on the contractor to even consider cost minimizing of materials for your job at the expense of quality.
We strongly encourage the use of water-based paint technology for your painting projects. There are superior performing, environmentally friendly alternatives to solvent based paints, primers, and wood coatings.

Many paint failures result from the "one product does it all" approach. We seek manufacturers committed to the highest levels of performance and quality. Many readily available paint and caulking products boast from 10-45 year durability, yet we see widespread problems and failure, inside and out, within 3-5 years on many new homes and other types of buildings.

By considering your existing conditions, as well as product requirements and expectations, we seek to provide you the best advice for coating systems and paint products available. We continually consult with other professionals to further expand the information made available here. This information contained here and on our website is intended as a tool for you to evaluate different options and products available. Final product or procedure decisions must be made based on your specific existing conditions and requirements.

All the best until the next.

Doug

Featured Article Today: http://www.paintsource.net/pages/solutions/drywall_dust.htm

Featured Video Today.: http://www.paintsource.net/pages/solutions/deck_coating.htm
(Deck Refinish Project)