Preparing For Exterior Painting

You should spend some time examining your home before you decide to paint it. This is how you should address the situation in order to provide your home with the glamour it deserves.

Exterior House Painting Denver
Remove Mildew

Among the many problems that mildew will cause to your exterior paint are peeling, blistering and chalking. Water leaks for instance will bear discolored patches, and mildew and rot as well. Specialists from the Paint Quality Institute instruct that you should remove mildew with a solution consisting of three parts water and one part bleach. This mixture needs to be placed on the surface and allowed to breathe for about 20 minutes – when it dries out, you should apply more and rinse thoroughly. You should be mindful of your safety and wear eye and skin protection at all times while doing so.

Clean the Surface

Since paint will not remain fixed on dust or other types of dirt, you should clean the exterior of your house thoroughly. If you use a power washer, you should know that it extends pressure up to 3,500 pounds per square inch when it leaves the wand. If you have enough experience, the power washer will prove to be a remarkable tool. If you do not use this tool properly however, you might cause a lot of damage. When the pressure is high, the stream might etch wood, break glass and will moisturize the whole area, which naturally means that you will need to wait for it until it dries out before you start painting.

Denver Exterior House Painting
Sand and patch

You will need to commit to some scraping and sanding when everything is cleaned out. If there are gouges or holes on your wood siding, you should use an exterior-grade patching compound in order to pluck them. You should place new siding on areas, which are too damaged to fill. All cracks or gaps in the wood need to be filled with paintable exterior caulk of high quality. Make sure you fill in any holes, which are situated between windows, doors, corners and edges on the exterior.

Cover Edges and Trim

For the areas which are not to be painted, you should mask them. The edge of the house trim should be covered by painter’s tape, and this should apply to door frames, window frames and part of trim, which you want colored differently. In order to protect them from drips, you should place newspapers or cloth on windows and doors. Make sure you place drop cloths on various portions you do not want covered in paint, such as plants, porches and roof areas.

Apply Primer

You might want to use a primer or sealer before starting, if you want to get the best results. The primer will make the paint react better to the surface you are painting. Primer is useful in pretty much all occasions, but it is especially needed when you are painting things that have never undergone the process before, or when you are working on new wood or bare stucco. Primer finds its use greatly on highly damaged surfaces as well.

It might sound like a long process, and it is – preparation might take you more than half the time of the whole Denver exterior painting project. It is important however, since a properly preoared surface will last for up to 15 years.

Employing a Professional

If you think that you cannot cope with the job yourself, or you don’t have the time to do it, you should consider hiring a professional. In order to make sure you have found the right person for the job, you should meet up with more than one contractor and ask them the following questions:

What are the materials they will use? Who will decide on the paint – the contractor or you? If the choice would fall on the contractor, will they offer a paint of high quality?

Make sure you inquire about and then check out references. Ask all referred customers whether they are satisfied with the job at hand and how the contractor treated them. You might want to go for a visit and see their homes yourself.

Inquire whether the contractor has the right licensing and insurances. What is the timeframe in which the company has been operational? Does the company have any business affiliations? The Better Business Bureau will tell you about any complaints against the contractor. Ask about the terms of payment before any work is started. Never pay anything before the painting job begins.

At DOWD RESTORATION we not only do a great Denver house painting job at a great price, we believe that its the “little” things that can make a BIG difference in your overall satisfaction, whether you are selling your Denver home or plan to live in it for decades to come.

Call Us – 303-522-8730

Professional Denver Exterior Painting


Denver exterior painting professionals and contractors are usually challenged by various conditions or requirements that differ from one project to another. Throughout the last few years, Denver exterior painting professionals have been able to successfully accomplish thousands of projects and overcome several challenges. Most contractors agree that the most popular factor that needs to be considered in these projects is the location.

Geographical differences can be very apparent when it comes to construction, painting styles, and the preference of materials. For example, Denver is known for being the home of stuccos exterior and these substrates usually require primers or top coats. In this condition, Denver exterior painting professionals also use formulations that are weather resistant to protect the paint from exposure to wind or rain all the time.

On the contrary, Denver exterior painting professionals will have to use resinous formulations during summer to protect the paint from excess exposure to the sun. Denver exterior painting professionals have been able to develop special formulations to successfully cater for the most important factors that are influencing their projects and this is the weather. The changing climatic variables in Denver are always considered by contractors especially when it comes to the products they are going to use, application of the paint, and the different techniques utilized.

All the Denver exterior painting professionals comply with federal laws on environmental protection and this is why their work is outstanding all the time. They also focus on decreasing the negative effects of paints that emit VOC. Other important factors that need to be considered during the process of exterior painting is the type of paint that is going to be used and the type of surface that the paint is going to be applied on. There are two popular types of exterior paint that are commonly used and they are latex and oil. Latex paint is usually easier to apply as it dries very quickly and can be removed using soap. It is usually used by Denver exterior painting professionals during colder weather conditions and it is also known for being extremely durable.

On the other hand, oil paint takes a very long time to dry and this is something that needs to be considered during exterior painting projects especially if they need to be done quickly. However, it can be used if there isn’t a tight deadline to the project. Most professionals use special rollers to apply it and usually use two coats to ensure that it won’t get removed in warm weather conditions.

Before the Denver exterior painting project begins, the surface will have to prepared and this includes it being clean and completely dry. This is even more important if the surface is wood because holes can easily appear and this will ruin the overall look. Most professionals first come to the location and assess it before they start working on it because this will give them a better impression on what needs to be done such as the tools and paint that should be used.

At DOWD RESTORATION we not only do a great Denver house painting job at a great price, we believe that its the “little” things that can make a BIG difference in your overall satisfaction, whether you are selling your Denver home or plan to live in it for decades to come.

Call Us – 303-522-8730

Exterior Paints – So Many to Choose From

Denver Exterior PaintThese days, manufacturers have created a variety of exterior painting products for an assortment of projects and painting problems. Whether your painting concrete block or need a protective coating for raw wood you can be assured a paint manufacturer somewhere more than likely makes it, and you can easily find a Denver painting  contractor to apply it.

Below you will find a list of exterior painting products followed by information regarding the type of paint, solvent, coating or filler.

Oil Based Paint

Oil Based Paint contains pigments usually suspended in oil (normally linseed oil), a drier, and mineral spirits or some other type of thinner. The oil serves as the binder for the color pigments, the drier controls drying time and the thinner controls the flowing qualities of the paint. As the thinner evaporates, the mixture of color pigments and oil gradually dries to an elastic skin. As the oxygen is absorbed from the air by the oil (or curing), the curing action bonds a tough paint film to the surface. Oil paints are used inside and outside and are regarded as the traditional house paint.

Varnish

Varnish consists of a solution of resins in a drying oil. Varnish contains little or no pigment. It dries and hardens by evaporation of the volatile solvents, oxidation of the oil, or both.

Varnish is recommended for both outdoor and indoor applications where a hard, glossy finish that is impervious to moisture is desired. For a satin finish, the gloss varnish surface can be rubbed down with steel wool, or a satin varnish can be used. As a floor finish, varnish provides a hard, durable film that will not greatly alter the tone of the wood.

Enamel

Enamel is a varnish with pigments added. Enamel has the same basic durability and toughness of a good varnish. It produces an easy-to-clean surface, and in the proper formulation, it can be used for interior and exterior applications. For the highest quality interior work, an undercoat is required.

Latex Paint

Consists of a dispersion of fine particles of synthetic resin and pigment and water. Latex paints are quick drying, low on odor, and thinned with water. They permit the repainting and decorating of a room within a day. Because latex paints set quickly, tools, equipment, and splattered areas should be cleaned properly with warm, soapy water.

No special primer is required for interior applications except over bare metal or wood, or over highly alkalined surfaces. Spot priming with shellac should be avoided because shiny spots will bleed through the latex film.

Exterior latex house paint can be applied directly to old painted surfaces. On new wood, it should be applied over a primer. For other surfaces, follow specific label directions.

Water-Reducible Paints

The term “Water-Reducible Paints” has come into wider use in the paint business within the past few years. These products are also called water-based or water-borne paints. They include the well-known latex products, as well as products based on new synthetic polymers. While both groups employ water as the reducing agent, the chemistry of each is different.

For example, most latex coatings dry by solvent evaporation or coalescence. The new synthetic polymeric paints dry by a combination of solvent evaporation and chemical cross-linking.

Chemical cross-linking frequently requires the blending of two materials (these products are called two-component coatings) and a digestion time before the coating can be applied. The blending of specific materials results in chemical cross-linking and outstanding performance features, such as mar resistance, scratch resistance, washability, and stain resistance.

Alkyds

Alkyd finishes are produced in four sheens: flat, semi-gloss, low-luster, and high-gloss.

Flat finishes have a velvety texture and are used to produce a rich, softly reflective surface. Alkyd flats can often be applied to painted walls and ceilings, metal, fully cured plaster, wall board, and wood work without a primer. When required, the primer should be a similar material. For high alkaline surfaces, an alkali-resistant primer should be used.

Semi-gloss or low-luster types add just enough sheen to wood work and trim for contrast with flat finish wall surfaces. Each offers great resistance to wear and washing. Low-luster enamels are preferred in such areas as kitchens, bathrooms, nurserys, and school rooms.

Alkyd high-gloss enamels are often used for even greater surfacability and washability.

At DOWD RESTORATION we not only do a great Denver house painting job at a great price, we believe that its the “little” things that can make a BIG difference in your overall satisfaction, whether you are selling your Denver home or plan to live in it for decades to come.

Call Us – 303-522-8730

Denver Exterior Painting – Increase the Value of Your Home

Painting the outside of your house is a great way to improve the look and feel of your Denver home. The popularity of exterior painting in Denver is increasing. It does wonders for people who are looking to sell their homes.

Exterior painting adds a new layer of life to your house and gives off a vibrant look appealing to the eye of the public. You can find a number of exterior painters in the local Denver area.

Changing the outside color of homes today has become a common place. Others prefer to stick to one solid color. It’s all personal preference, but you still have the option to do what you want. It’s finding a paining contractor who is experienced, reasonable, honest, and who takes their line of work seriously.

It is a good idea for your Denver home to be synchronized with the other houses in the neighborhood. Drive around your community and see what other colors are being used. Perhaps there is a color scheme you would like to stick with or create. Either way, you’re going to choose what color you want in the end. Painting the outside of your home is a big project and requires a team of effort. You must know what you’re doing and being careful at the same time.

Local exterior painting businesses in Denver are equipped with the right tools, the manpower, and the knowledge to give you a quality service. A good professional painter will take his time (but not too long) when coating your home with a new look. It is a skilled art to paint. It takes an artisan to create a good feel and a likable imagery. The same applies if you’re painting a house inside or outside, molding a sculpture, or painting a picture. Each require a mind frame that is willing to focus and concentrate doing great work.

There’s nothing wrong with improving the value of your home by fixing things up and making fine adjustment along the way. As long as you’re in a position to do so, then by all means, paint it. Remember, the exterior part of your home is what people see before they pull up and enter into your driveway. The front of your house is part of the face of your neighborhood.

At DOWD RESTORATION, we know that you have a lot of choices when selecting a professional external painter to complete your Denver house painting project. We believe that it is the “little” things that can make a BIG difference in your overall satisfaction.
Call Us – 303-522-8730

Restoring Your Historic Denver Home

Denver Historic Home Restoration

There’s nothing more exciting than going through the actual experience of owning your own historic home. The best part is when you are able to engage in home restoration. When you restore your home, historic home or not, it makes you feel good. Let’s face it, it’s quite an accomplishment. You can do this anywhere in the United States, such as places like Denver, Colorado.

In addition to the fact that Denver is a great place to live, the historic home renovations in the city of Denver are growing in numbers. You will feel good about yourself once you start seeing results and the value of your home increasing. It helps better your overall lifestyle.

Before you consider doing this, you must do your homework and find the best home restoration company available. Here’s an analogy for example: The quality of the paintbrush has to be equivalent to the quality of the painter. Or else, you’re better off using a white out brush to paint the outside of your house.

When it comes to restoring your historic home, you want to have confidence in the workmanship that’s going into your house. Not to mention, the confidence you gain in making your own decisions for home improvement reasons.

You must decide what areas of your historic home you want to restore. Is it the roof, the floors, the kitchen cabinets, opening up a new area, raising the top floor and expanding it by a certain amount of feet? The choice is yours, just be wise in your choosing. Restoring your historic home is a project and an adventure all by itself.

The other good thing about historic home restoration is building up equity. When you add value to your home, it enhances the resale value to help improve the possibilities of getting a good return on your investment. This is true when it comes time to selling your home. Make sure it’s at the right time!

Keep in mind, Denver Colorado has a lot of great communities and areas that have historic homes and vintage houses that will immediately catch your eye. The next time you look to buy a home, be sure to check out some of the historic home restorations in Denver so you can see the elegance and craftsmanship for yourself. You may want to someday own a historic home in Denver.

DOWD Restoration has restoration experience from repairing weathered worn and damaged structures to recreating historic architecture to both private homes and commercial properties. Refurbishing a timeworn, derelict or mistreated piece of the past and renovating it for future generations to relish is tremendously satisfying work. Let DOWD Restoration help you with your next historic restoration project!

Abdul Suraj (Sat, 29 Dec 2012 12:43:51 +0000): The Leader in Exterior Repair, Restoration and Structural Repair A specialty contractor large enough to undertake any repair to the exterior or garage of any facility, and yet small enough to be completely service oriented We perform Concrete Repair, Recaulking, Masonry Repair, Waterproofing Repair, Balcony Repair, Parking Garage Rehabilitation, Brick Repointing Through Wall Flashing Repair from Connecticut to Florida C A Lindman, a rock solid reputation with award winning quality and integrity. Website: http://www.calindman.com/

Why Hiring a Professional For Your Denver Exterior Painting is The Smart Choice

professional painters in denverA new coat of paint can help you bring your home alive. You can change the color scheme, make it look new again and fix all the minor signs of wear in the process. It’s like choosing a new outfit for your house and hiring a professional can help to ensure your exterior painting job is completed in the best possible way.

There are many companies that say they can paint your home, but not all of them come with the professional experience you need for this type of project. Just imagine if the project goes wrong and you end up living in a home that isn’t painted all the way or not correctly. This job is best left to a professional, but you must be careful when choosing a contractor for the job.

Five Tips to Ensure you Get the Best Contractor Possible

1. Experience

You always want to choose an experienced contractor. Even if your best friend just opened a painting business, you want someone with plenty of experience to provide you with the exterior painting service you desire. You can usually find out how much experience they have from a company brochure or their company website.

2. Proof

The most powerful thing an exterior painting contractor can show you is proof of their work. Since they will most likely be local, you may even have the option to see the homes in the area they painted. At the very least, you should view some pictures on their website or from their portfolio before finalizing your decision.

3. Free Estimate

If a company doesn’t offer to provide you with a free estimate for the job, you may want to look into another company. Nearly all good contractors will provide you with a free estimate of the necessary work needed to complete the job. They will also provide you with different prices depending on the paint you select.

4. Paint Quality

You will also need to look at the type of paint the company offers. They may offer more than one type of paint for the outside of your home and that is a good sign. The quality of the paint will determine how soon you will need to get your house painted after this job. Some paint is guaranteed to last longer than other types and you want to make sure the contractor offers the quality of paint you desire.

5. Comparison

The best way to find the right company for your exterior painting job is to compare a few companies. Get a few estimates done and compare them side-by-side. Understand, however, the cheapest quote is not always the best. You must also take into consideration how professional the company is, the quality of paint included in the quote and anything else they offer you that another company might not.

professional painters denver

Take your time when choosing the right contractor to paint your home. With the right company, you can gain experience and knowledge that can help you choose the right color scheme and paint to make your home look amazing.

At DOWD RESTORATION, we know that you have a lot of choices when selecting a professional external painter to complete your Denver house painting project. We believe that it is the “little” things that can make a BIG difference in your overall satisfaction.

Call Us – 303-522-8730

 

Denver Exterior Painting Services and Costs

Exterior Painters Denver

Do you know how your painting estimate is being calculated? There are specific things looked at when quoting a price for this type of job and understanding these things will help you get a more accurate estimate for the total cost.

First, a proper painting estimate is not calculated by square footage alone. Whether the painting job includes wall space or floor space, the contractor will take into consideration the total square footage that needs painted but there is much more to it than that. Many contractors won’t give you an estimate over the phone because they need to come out and look at your home or business before they can calculate an accurate number for you. Every project is different.

Second, Denver exterior painting companies must also look at the surfaces that need to be painted. If they include both walls and trim, then the job is different from just painting walls. This is especially true if the trim is to be painted in multiple colors, as this requires more time on the job. They must also take into account any repairs and preparation needed to complete the job properly – how much scraping, sanding, caulking priming etc. Dowd Restoration can provide a full exterior restoration package.

Third, if you plan to hire an exterior painting service in Denver, then you can expect a few different choices for the paint itself. Paint cost differ more than others did and this needs to be taken into consideration with the estimate. If you want a paint with a 6 year warranty, then you can expect to pay more compared to a paint with only the typical 3 year warranty. We use premium products and detailed preparation – our standard exterior paint warranty is 6 years.

Finally, before any estimate for exterior painting in Denver is complete, the contractor must consider any custom work included in the job. Not all painting jobs are the same and if your project includes anything out of the ordinary that is not typical of a standard exterior painting job, then it must be included in the estimate.

Taking all of these things into consideration, you should be able to get an accurate estimate of how much the job will cost. If a contractor comes out to give you an estimate and they don’t measure the area, inspect the condition of your home or business and talk to you about what type of warranty you want – what you are looking for, then you may not be able to trust their estimate. It’s important to make sure each contractor is bidding on the exact same scope of work – using similar products and preparation. It is always a good idea to get more than one estimate for your Denver exterior painting project before choosing the service that is right for you.

It is important to hire a reputable and professional contractor for your exterior painting project to ensure the job it done right the first time. The company you hire should act in a professional manner, answer all questions you may have, and give you an accurate estimate for both cost and time up front. With the right company, you will get the service you pay for and the job will look amazing.

We have proudly served the Denver Metropolitan area since 2004. Dowd Restoration is experienced in all phases of exterior painting. Give us a call today for a FREE estimate. 303-522-8730

Denver Exterior Painting Advice

Exterior Painting

Everyone wants their home to be the envy of the Denver neigborhood. Popular Do it Yourself shows spend hours and hours as well as dollars working the landscaping and really trying to bring curb appeal to the property, but often the exterior of the home itself is overlooked. Painting your Denver home is an integral part of having that “pop” that sets your home apart. Not only is it essential to the looks of your home, but exterior paint serves as a barrier between the elements and your investment. That’s why painting deserves special attention!

Painting the exterior of your Denver home improves the overall appearance of your property and extends the life of your homes exterior surfaces by many years. One coat of paint is all that is needed on your home if you’re not changing the color, it is not peeling or chalking and the substrate is in good condition. Even the slightest change in color will require at least two coats for optimal coverage. Two coats of paint are always preferred and sometimes necessary. Many premium paints require two coats for their warranty to be in effect.

A trained eye can spot when the exterior of your home needs a new paint job. If the paint is starting to rub off on your hand when you rub the surface it is time to paint! Putting this off can mean more money later! When exterior paint begins to chalk, it is breaking down and no longer protecting the exterior of your home the way it should. Peeling paint means moisture is penetrating the surface. When paint is peeling, it allows moisture to come in contact with the underlying substrate and can damage the structure of your Denver home.

A good exterior paint job should last from five to ten years. This depends on many factors including the quality of the coating being applied, mil thickness of the paint, the substrate, and most importantly, how well the surface was prepared before the exterior paint was applied! Different colors can also play a pivotal role in how long the painting job is going to last. Lighter colors do not fade as quickly as darker ones. However proper preparation is by far the single most important part of any exterior painting project. A professional exterior painter will be able to explain exactly what is going to take place during the preparation process.

After the house has been scraped, sanded, caulked, pressure washed, primed and dried it is ready to receive the exterior paint. Keep in mind the quality of the paint. Premium exterior paint can leave you with a sense of sticker shock when comparing price per gallon. If you compare this price to the amount of labor involved to apply any coating, the pro’s outweigh the con’s and premium exterior paint is the way to go!

The substance of all this is that homeowners need to be informed. Do your research and check to make sure you are getting what you pay for. If you get three painting bids and the bottom line is drastically lower on one, throw it out! Make sure you are not comparing apples to oranges. Just because the least expensive painting contractor assures you he will do all the preparation needed, does not necessarily mean he will. The cheaper painting contractor has to do the same amount of work a more expensive painter has to do. So how come his price is so cheap? It is because they are not going to do a professional job. They will cut corners and finish quickly so they can make a profit. Most homeowners assume when hiring a professional, they will not have to check up on his work. Unfortunately this is not always the case and you should always check up on your painting contractor to ensure he is doing a quality job.

It is very important for you to feel comfortable with the exterior painting contractor you hire. A professional exterior painter will take the time to educate you and fully address all of your questions and concerns. You should not feel intimidated or embarrassed to ask even the simplest of questions. The unfortunate fact is cheap painting contractors almost always do cheap work and skips on quality materials. A professional painting contractor who takes satisfaction in their work will show up early, dress the part and work with pride.

It is essential to get the best exterior painting contractor for your Denver home painting project. Dowd Restoration is experienced in all phases of exterior painting. Give us a call today for a FREE estimate. 303-522-8730