Blindly surfing the internet for Mantoloking residential painters can be risky business. It doesn’t take much more than a paint brush, bucket and ladder to claim to be a painting contractor. The residential painting business offers the many opportunities for novice workers to pass themselves off as experienced pros. It’s also easy for shady sorts to work a scam on homeowners. It’s important to hire Mantoloking residential painters you trust. Much of the work takes place when you aren’t around, and it is difficult to check a painter’s work. Once the job is complete, you won’t be able to tell if they primed the entire surface or even if they applied two coats rather than one. Below are some tips to help you choose a reputable Mantoloking Residential painting contractor
Mantoloking Residential Painters | The Checkup
Mantoloking Residential Painters | The CheckupBefore you hire someone, check their certificate of insurance to guarantee he has general liability insurance. Also, verify that workers’ compensation insurance is in effect, if he has any other employees. Checking the quality of work isn’t as easy. Mantoloking painters will offer photos of past jobs as testimony of their skill, but these won’t tell you much. For an exterior job, for example, they’re usually shot from the curb. This is too far away to show visible brush marks and wobbly cut lines on windows and trim. You have to go to a site and take a close look.
When you ask for references, the painter will likely steer you to a current or very recent job. Most freshly painted houses look great. But because the real test of a paint job is how well it stands up over time, inspect a job that was done at least three years ago.
Look for the following when you check out work:
- Consistent wear over the entire surface.
- Peeling or flaking paint.
- Cracked glazing compound around windows.
Also check for signs of overspray, splatter or spilled paint, especially on the roof, driveway, sidewalk and shrubs. Ask the homeowners if they’ve noticed any problems with how the paint is weathering, if their landscaping suffered any ill effects while the painter was working, if the painter kept to the budget, and if they would hire the painter again.
Residential Painters in Mantoloking | The Contract
A contract with a Mantoloking residential painting company is more than an agreement to paint your house for a specific price; it’s also your chance to commit the painter to following specific prep and application methods, use quality materials, protect the site, and clean up properly. It’s also the way to set a payment schedule.
Mantoloking Residential Painting Company | Prep Work
For outside work, proper prep is crucial to the durability of the paint job. Don’t settle for vague contract language like “properly prepare all surfaces.” If you have wood siding, the contract should state that the painter will power wash the house with a bleach or TSP mixture. Also request that the power wash operator be experienced. In the wrong hands, these high-pressure water guns can blast through windows, scar siding and tear screens.
For inside work, make sure the painter checks all drywall joints for smoothness and fixes damaged walls. For wood trim, stipulate that the painter fill nail holes, seal knots and prime with a slow-drying primer. A contract for premium work calls for all woodwork to be sanded between finish coats.
Mantoloking Residential Painting Company | Application Methods
The contract should specify how the paint will be applied. For exterior work, primer is best applied by brush. I don’t notice much difference between spraying and brushing for topcoats and for exterior work, though spraying uses more paint. What’s more, a painter experienced in spraying and ample overspray protection are a must.
Also write in minimum drying times. Painters who want to speed through a job will spray over wet caulk, and even want to apply a second coat before the first has time to dry properly. Leave at least a day between each coat. Also make sure your painter isn’t putting latex-based paint over oil-based paint without the proper primer. Latex over oil without priming is a recipe for serious peeling.
Painting Contractor in Mantoloking | Material Quality
Write into the contract the paint you want by listing the manufacturer name along with the grade, color, gloss and base. Painters may recommend a paint, but it’s usually because they’re getting a good price on it, not because it’s a high-quality finish. So, do your own research. You’ll find, as I have, that you get what you pay for.
Painting Company in Mantoloking | Site Protection & Cleanup
Painting Company in Mantoloking | Site Protection & CleanupThe contract should require your painter to use drop cloths (or masking tape and paper) to cover everything at risk from spillage, splatter, or overspray. For exterior work, this means shrubs, the driveway and even sections of the roof. For an interior job it should include floors, cabinets, and electrical fixtures. If you walk onto a site and don’t see a sea of drop cloths, it can be a sign that the painter isn’t thorough enough.
Mantoloking Residential Painting | Payment
Never give the painter more than 10 percent of the total job cost at the contract signing. Thereafter, disperse one-third of the remainder on the first day of work, a third at the midpoint (use a job milestone, like “all prep done, primer and first coat applied”) and the final third after the painter has cleaned the site and removed his gear and you have approved the job. Once you hand over that last check, it will be tough to get the painter to return for touch-ups.
Looking for Great Residential Mantoloking Residential Painters?
Productive Painting offers professional, high quality exterior and interior commercial and residential painting services to the Ocean County, NJ area as well as other parts of New Jersey. With over 20 years experience, you can trust Productive Painting with all of your NJ commercial and residential painting and needs, as well as a variety of other expert services including power washing, gutter cleaning, wallpaper, drywall, carpentry, and more! Service towns include: Jackson, Brick, Wall, Toms River, Lavallette, Mantoloking, Freehold, Barnegat, Bay Head, Stafford, and many more! For more information, call us at (877)298-9688 or check out our website.
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