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The key to a great looking professional paint job is good masking. And as most know, masking tape is the most important tool used in preparing your home for new paint. Here are the top 6 masking tape tips to help you with your next painting project:

1. Choose the right tape for the job

• Masking tape comes in varying degrees of adhesion based on a scale ranging from 1-100 represented by different colors (tan, blue, green, yellow, purple etc).
• The less the adhesive strength of the masking tape the longer it can be left on a surface or used on more sensitive surfaces.

2. Clean the surface to be taped

• All surfaces should be clean and free of dust or dirt before placing any tape on them. For best results, dust the surface and then wipe the area down with water and detergent or rubbing alcohol. However, rubbing alcohol can dull certain surfaces, so try it on a small, inconspicuous area before applying on a large scale.

3. Use tape as a guide not a crutch

• When painting with a brush, apply the first stroke a few inches from the tape to unload the brush. Once you’ve spread some paint on the wall away from the tape use the tape line as a guide. Brush in-line with the tape instead of brushing directly onto the tape to reduce the likelihood of paint seeping under the tape.

4. Use caulking for the perfect line

• To create a perfect, crisp line between 2 colors, first lay down a line of blue painter’s tape, and then wipe latex caulk over the edge where the two colors will meet. Next apply a coat of paint slightly onto the tape where the caulking was applied. Finally, remove the masking tape before the paint dries to reveal a flawless straight line.

5. Score the edge of the tape to avoid peeling

• When protecting baseboards or other molding, before removing masking tape, run a knife along the edge of the tape at a 45 degree angle to ensure the fresh paint doesn’t peel away with the tape.

6. Remove tape at a moderate speed

• Keep a 90 degree pulling angle and don’t pull too slowly when removing masking tape. Pulling slowly can leave behind adhesive residue.
• Masking tape pulled too quickly has a tendency to tear.

Many of this areas top Real Estate Agents choose and recommend Bowles Painting for their residential and bathroom, tub and tile coating and painting.

In order to keep our Earth safe and clean for future generations it is very important for paint companies to adopt more eco-friendly practices and procedures. Our industry is known for using products that have the potential to harm the environment, but there are many steps painters can take in order to reduce their negative impact on the planet.

1.     Recycling

• Reusing leftover paint as primers for other jobs.
• Recycling empty clean metal paint cans.
• Having a recycling program for the office to limit paper and plastic waste.

2.     Lead RRP (Renovation, Repair and Painting)

• Completely containing and disposing of hazardous lead-paint waste to reduce contamination to the surrounding soil and pollution of the air.

3.     Asbestos Removal

• Proper removal of asbestos to ensure that the harmful, microscopic fibers are not released into the air (where it can be inhaled), water (where it can be ingested) and soil.

4.     Air Quality Control

• Using paints, thinners, and primers that have the lower VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), yet are still durable and effective for proper adhesion and longevity.

5.     Paint Disposal

• Drying latex paint or using paint hardener is an effective solution to old product. Once the paint is dry it can be safely disposed of in the trash.
• Donating leftover materials to local charities, church groups or theater organizations that can use the paint.

6.     Energy Efficiency

• Conducting energy audits on your commercial building to quickly identify areas to save on energy costs.
• Purchasing Energy Star® appliances and office equipment.

Not only does adopting environmentally friendly and energy efficient business practices help save the Earth, they also provide numerous benefits to painting company owners looking to control costs, attract customers and become socially responsible.

Although interior and exterior paint may look the same, exterior paints have traits and chemical properties that are very different. For example, exterior paint needs to be flexible enough to withstand the strain of a shifting home, as well as expanding and contracting due to temperature change. To compensate for the ever changing conditions of a house’s outer surface, exterior paints contain pigment binding resins that are more flexible. Exterior paints also contain other additives that help to prevent fading, stop mildew, and resist tannin bleed. The flexibility of exterior paint, however, tends to make the paint softer and more prone to scuffing.

Interior paints, on the other hand, are less flexible and formulated with additives that make them easier to clean, scuff/stain-resistant and with good hiding ability. The inside of your home also experiences much less flexion than the outside, so interior paints can be lighter and more rigid when dry. Because people are directly exposed to interior paint on a daily basis, they contain less VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and have a lot less odor than exterior paints. Keeping all of these details in mind, it is very important to use the right type of paint in the right areas inside and outside your home.

If you have any questions regarding interior and exterior paint, please contact Bowles for further assistance.

The term “paint sheen” refers to the amount of light reflected by the paints surface. When choosing the sheen that best suits a given room one must consider two things: style and primary use of the room. It is also important to understand the different types and qualities that each sheen possess to ensure the best sheen for the room you are painting.

Flat/Matte
– Flat paint absorbs light and provides a smooth, subtle finish that camouflages imperfections. It is ideal for low-traffic areas and surfaces that won’t be touched because flat paints hold in dirt and are very difficult to clean.
Recommended for:

• Ceilings
• Adult bedrooms

Eggshell
– Eggshell paint offers an elegant low-sheen finish that looks great on smooth surfaces. It is slightly more cleanable than flat sheens but still is best suited for low-traffic areas.
Recommended for:

• Living rooms
• Dining rooms
• Adult bedrooms
• Foyers
• Family rooms

Satin
– Satin paint has a soft sheen that reflects light and provides an elegant finish that is ideal for more active rooms. Better suited for families, this very versatile paint is easier to clean and can even be used outdoors.
Recommended for:

• Family rooms
• Playrooms
• Laundry rooms
• Kitchens
• Guest bathrooms
• Dining rooms
• Children’s bedrooms
• Trim
• Shutters
• Doors

Semi-gloss
– Semi-gloss paint provides a smooth sheen that reflects light slightly more than satin. Ideal for high-traffic areas in the home, this sheen is very easy to wash and like satin can also be used outdoors.
Recommended for:

• Playrooms
• Laundry rooms
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Cabinets
• Doors
• Trim
• Molding
• Hallways

Gloss
– Gloss paint offers a smooth, high-shine finish that is very similar to plastic or enamel. The most durable of paint sheens, gloss is ideal for surfaces that require frequent washing.
Recommended for:

• Trim
• Woodwork
• Molding
• Doors
• Cabinets
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms

* Note: Gloss and semi-gloss paints require more preparation work to ensure that surface flaws are not exposed.

Paint chalking is the formation of fine powdery substances on the surface of the paint due to exposure to the elements. All paints chalk to some degree as a normal way for the paint to self clean. However, excessive chalking can cause color fading and is a sign of paint failure. In dry arid climates where there is little rain, like Arizona, paint chalking has a tendency to happen more quickly than other parts of the country so proper paint preparation and maintenance is crucial for a long lasting paint job.

As well as looking faded, severe chalking also makes repainting a problem because the extreme porosity of the surface powder adversely affects adhesion and doesn’t allow the paint to bond directly to the surface. Instead the paint bonds only to the chalky powder and usually washes away after a few months.

Excessive Chalking Causes:

• Extended exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
• Excessive moisture from rain or sprinkler systems.
• Over thinning or overspreading paint.
• Not using the proper primer.
• Using a low-grade paint.

Excessive Chalking Solution:

• Wipe surface with hand or dark cloth to determine the extent of chalking.
• Hydro-wash all surfaces to be painted using at least 2000 PSI pressure washer.
• Once the surface is completely dry, prime chalked surfaces using special sealer/primer to lock down remaining chalk for proper adhesion.
• Use a high-quality latex paint to repaint.

Taking on a project like this (especially if you own a large home) can be a difficult and sometimes dangerous task. Don’t take the chance of getting hurt, call Bowles and our expert painters will bring your home’s exterior back to life.

Painting contracting is dangerous work, and we at MTS Painting take the safety of our crews, customers, and the public very seriously. Safety is everyone’s concern. Human life is precious and deserves respect. Some paint work can present certain dangers and require specially written safety plans such as below. This Operations Plan is for a commercial bank property, but could be scaled down, in part, for a large 2 or 3 story residential painting contracting job as well.

Abrasive Blasting and Painting Operations Plan

Abrasive Blasting

• Public Safety

• Method of Operations

• Dust Generation

• Clean up and Containment

We get the tough jobs done!  Bowles Painting is known for taking on the tough painting jobs and keeping the job as reasonably priced as possible. Our contracting services never sacrifice our painter’s remarkable craftsmanship and job safety. As a smart buyer, how do you know that you have a tough painting job and need a thorough professional? Continue reading, and see if you have the tough job that needs more than your average painter.

• Does it have safety issues?
• Is it excessively chalky?
• Are there uncontrollable paint failures?
• Tricky substrates?
• Severe color changes?
• Special surface texture issues including drywall texture, stucco texture, wallpaper, or unwanted textured faux coatings?
• Substrate repairs such as: drywall, doors, wood trim, or stucco?

Painting those tall walls over a challenging stairwell should be left to professionals who are practiced in safe work practices and have the specialized equipment to keep the work efficient.  Bowles Painting’screws are trained and use specialized safety equipment such as ladder jacks, scaffolding, ladder levelers, and planks, spray poles, extension poles, tall stepladders, even powered aerial lift equipment to access hard to reach areas. Many times we paint just those difficult areas for homeowners and they finish off the rest. No job is too big or small for the professionals at Bowles Painting.

Where MTS Painting really shines is solving those tough surface prep issues. Our many years of local experience and thorough industry training have made us exceptional at diagnosing coating and substrate failures. Paint coatings have a limited lifespan and if left too much to their demise, can cause expensive prep issues.

At BOWLES Painting our specialty is repainting all kinds of residential, commercial and industrial structures. Dealing with existing surfaces and coatings are a way of life for our estimators and painters. Of course, the ideal approach would be to remove all (not just loose) existing paints to the bare substrate, but price-wise that’s not usually feasible, so our professional expertise has to balance between reasonable prep and a warrantable substrate. For most jobs that balance is simple, but some issues are not obvious and can cause huge failures that will require severe paint removal. This can happen sooner or later, and a professional can advise to this extent, and design the specifications accordingly. Again, all coatings fail, so let’s make it fail so it’s easier for the next paint job, whether you’re the future owner or not.

Complete paint removal is completed by abrasive blasting or chemical paint stripping. Large scale paint removal operations easily quadruple the paint job cost, and many times it’s easier to cover over major substrate issues rather than remove the coatings/weak substrates.

During the current recession many property owners have had to wait to complete exterior painting due to budget constraints. We are estimating more and more extremely heavy chalked structures, and we’re seeing many owners and contractors not preparing the surfaces properly. I predict many upcoming, difficult to deal with, paint failures due to a lack of adhesion to the microscopic granulars of the chalky substrate. It will be evidenced by small and large popping of the paint especially on fully exposed sides of the structure. And if one area fails, who’s to say the next area will not fail soon. Thus the competence of the estimator is crucial, as is the choice of hiring a professional painting contractor, to ensure the job is done correctly.

I was told that the best way to paint my house is by roller instead of sprayer. Is this correct and is this how you would be painting the house? 

From a nationally accredited professional painter’s standpoint, the “best” way to apply the paint only depends on the on-site conditions. With your home, I am not aware of any circumstances such as special dust control issues, level 5 smooth drywall texture, or worry’s of touch-up-ability (our paint types touch up well). Professionally, there is no difference between spray and brush & roll, MTS’s consistent crew member training solves any such issues. Plus, there is more labor costs involved with brush & roll in your situation.

Also, it was recommended to me that I have 2 coats of paint on the walls and I think your bid only calls for one. What do you recommend?

When the existing coatings are adhering well and will allow good adhesion of the topcoat such as in your home’s case, two coats are usually only needed for radical color changes. Which, from our discussions is not the case. Also the quality of the coating can affect it’s hiding ability. Another advantage of professional spray (evenly applied) type application is we can apply the paint at a heavier rate for more hide. Additional coats of paint are always better for durability and scrub-ability but, is it cost effective? I would suggest not. For better coatings characteristics see question 3 below. Also, if 2 coats are contracted for, make sure the proper drying time is performed between coats. Believe it or not, I’ve heard of some painters considering just rolling up then down as a 2 coat process.

And about the paint, I was told there were specialty paints from Dunn Edwards which are easy to clean that do not smudge or come off easily if I was to bump the wall or rub up against it. Is this the type of paint you use?

There are many choices of topcoats to improve durability, the greatest factor for your case will be cost. Also, the sheen can make a paint more burnish resistant (smudging), but the more shinier the paint the more harsh it feels and effects the aesthetics greatly. The better the paint characteristics the more the cost. MTS’s basic product selection, included in my proposal, is either Sherwin Williams (SWP) Pro Mar 400 or Dunn Edwards (DE) Versasatin. Both a medium grade with very good durability and usually competitive with most decent painters. If you would like to pursue a better quality I can suggest a range of products that best fit your needs ranging from $20 to $50 per gallon.

The Mineer residence sits on the foothills of  Usery Mountain in Maricopa County, Arizona. Mr. Jack Mineer is a thoughtful, exacting construction type looking for the best deal through a competitive bid process. The three and four story construction, built on a pitched grade, required technical safety costs balanced with the tight competitive nature of the local painters to get the job.

Since the garage  addition was added after the taller portion had been built  the narrow area between structures contributed to ladder use challenges. Calculated ladder angles versus the heights and was able to forego scaffolding costs, adding value for the owner. The owner expressed his confidence in the sales presentation and the initial project management by expanding the scope of work almost as soon as he met our painting crew. In performing the prep work, our highly trained crew members showed excellent consistency to the salesman’s presentation, and Mr. Mineer added the whole body colored portion of the project, thus doubling the size of the job.

Because much of the roof pitch was unclimbable without assistance, we conferred with Jack and decided to add a safety tie-off bolt. Evidently, we had the same idea roofers must have had while traversing the pitch, because a secure eye-bolt was located in the same place we had selected. Our senior crew leader’s experience at rock climbing really came in handy.

The estimator was on his game regarding how the wind would affect the safety and spray applications. Ladders were secured properly, employees were reminded of possible reduction in their balance, and the spray portions were planned for in the early mornings during the calm of the day. When the siding was added and scope increased, so did the spray operations. We were unexpectedly blessed with little wind for the days of spray and elevated work.

The job was a huge success and was perfect as reported by the owner, the pride of the crew, and shown by the profitability, albeit average.

The hard thing about “hard times” is keeping it from getting “harder” down the road. Rory Vaden in Seven Principles of a Balanced Life puts it this way: “The short term easy leads to the long term difficult, while the short term difficult leads to the long term easy.”

I share this to point out the value of maintaining the protective paint coatings on your home. This applies mostly to exterior painting, but can apply to some interior situations also. Many people, because of the economy, have deferred painting of their homes until their budget allows. Very understandable, but at some point the long-term damage should begin to override the short-term gains.

Many people don’t realize, that as painting contractors, our first priority is to protect the surfaces we coat from damage. Our coatings are actually sacrificial so the substrates don’t have to be. And that’s a good thing because painting is cheaper than replacing. Of course, aesthetics, or how it “looks” is usually what’s most important to the property owner, and keeps us as professional estimators and craftsmen sharp. Protective coatings in balance with decorating permeate our painting processes and specifications. The goal is to have a well preserved substrate with a perfectly pleasing look.  Sometimes Bowles Painting is called upon to paint a car.  Electrostatic painting works on cars.  They were asked to paint a chevy corvette Grand Sport Special Edition in Louisville ky.  It turned out beautifully.

Consider these concepts when you contemplate exterior painting:

• Foundation stem walls and wood fascias are the first to go. Bare wood substrates become damaged quickly.
• Hairline stucco cracking is most likely an aesthetics issue only. Find a coating solution, and don’t allow “patching” of every hairline crack. It could telegraph through permanently destroying the aesthetics.
• A faded coating probably all ready signifies substandard substrate protection Heavy chalkiness is not solved by a simple pressure washing, and paint cannot stick to a chalky surface for long, and then it becomes a nightmare to correct.
• Even small quantities of lead paint dust is dangerous especially to renovators and children. Pre-1978 homes see the EPA/lead website.
• There is no universal primer!
• Pressure washing the “haboob” dust out of your stucco could brighten the look enough.
• Low bid is not necessarily the best bid, and “apples to apples” is hard to get to.
• Highly regarded manufactures have low-end, poor quality paints also.
• Paintjobs should last 8 to 12 years at least (with MTS’s suggested specifications). Many painters sell a 2 year paintjob which coincides with the Registrar of Contractor’s required warranty. Contractor warranties should be for labor & materials.
• Proper prep simply equals = clean, tight, dry, & dull
• Color matters! Especially to you the homeowner, but also to the type of material and application processes specified, and to bring out the best of the substrates applied to.
• Instead of investing in a 2 coat system try increasing the quality of coatings for more cost-effectiveness. The labor cost is much more expensive than the materials.
• 2 coat painting system equals = full manufactures recommended thickness with proper dry time between coats.
• Backrolling and spaying 2 directions is rarely needed and is a replacement for improper spray technique. Training matters!
• Naturally finished (stain & clear coat) wood and fiberglass doors with high UV ray exposure have shorter life spans than opaque coatings. Usually 2 years or less with original coatings and maybe 4 years for well maintained and very high quality coatings.
• Consistent moisture intrusion (sprinklers) is difficult to protect against by any coating.
• Efflorescence (white powdery substance that tastes salty) is not a paint coating failure.
• Without a contract, proper contracting license, and Liability & Worker’s Compensation insurances YOUR monetary risks increase greatly, and reduced abilities to recoup damages if poor workmanship issues and/or injury lawsuits occur.

Bowles Painting is proud to be a fully legal company with protections for our clients, the public, and our employees. Trust Bowles Painting for the most professional paintjob available. Ask us these questions and more before you hire a painting contractor. PAINTING WITH INTEGRITY is our motto for good reason!