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Painting answers

Practical detail for homeowners on the Front Range, written by the people doing the work.

How to prepare your home before interior painters arrive

A couple of hours of preparation the night before saves time on the first morning and keeps your belongings out of the way of a working crew.

  1. 1. Clear the walls

    Take down artwork, mirrors, shelves and wall hangings, and remove the anchors you do not want back in the wall.

  2. 2. Move what is fragile

    Relocate anything breakable or irreplaceable out of the work area yourself, rather than having a crew move it.

  3. 3. Pull furniture off the walls

    Move furniture toward the middle of the room so there is working space at every wall. Heavy items can be left for the crew.

  4. 4. Note the problem spots

    Point out cracks, stains, previous patches and any water damage during the walkthrough so they get addressed before paint goes on.

  5. 5. Plan for pets and parking

    Decide where pets will be during the day and where the crew can park close enough to carry materials in.

Why exterior paint fails early in Colorado

Most exterior paint failure on the Front Range is not caused by cheap paint. It is caused by moisture getting behind the coating and by ultraviolet exposure at altitude breaking the binder down faster than it would at sea level.

Water gets in through failed caulk at the trim joints, through unsealed end-grain on siding, and up from grade where soil or mulch sits against the wall. Then the freeze-thaw cycle expands it and pushes the coating off the substrate. That is why peeling usually starts at edges and bottoms rather than in the middle of a clean wall.

The fix is in preparation: wash, scrape back to sound material, sand the edges so there is no ridge, caulk the joints that move, and prime bare substrate before topcoating. A bid that comes in dramatically below the others is usually skipping some part of that list.

Want this looked at in person?

We will come out, look at the actual condition of the surfaces, and tell you what it needs.

Request an estimate (720) 290-3513