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exterior[paint]
[surfaceprep]
proper surface
preparation is the key to any successful coatings application.
without a clean & stable substrate, the finish will nearly
always fail. the following steps are taken in preparing most
exterior painting projects for the final finish:
1.
powerwash
. a thorough powerwash
with a mild detergent will remove mold, mildew, dirt, oxidized paint
& other loose debris from the surface.
2.
hand wash
. often a careful
hand-washing is required in tight areas, behind fixtures & deep
in the eaves to ensure a clean & contaminant free surface.
3. repair
. on many homes,
preparation begins with replacing rotten or damaged clapboards,
shingles, shutters or trim.
4.
sand & scrape
. a combination of
disk sanders, random orbit sanders, paint scrapers & old
fashioned elbow grease are employed to address any loose, peeling,
cracked or flaking material. surfaces will be solid (though
not perfectly smooth) upon completion.
5.
fill & smooth
. any existing holes
& cracks will be filled with an appropriate exterior filler
& sanded smooth.
6.
finish sand . a final once-over with an orbital sander
will ensure a thorough job.
7.
clean-up . before applying any
primer or caulk the entire work area will be thoroughly cleaned to
keep dust & debris from infiltrating the finish coat.
8.
prime
. a coat of
penetrating oil (alkyd) primer is applied over all bare wood
surfaces. a water-based primer is applied over bare masonry
surfaces.
9.
caulk
. a premium siliconized
acrylic latex caulk is applied to gaps & joints around all
windows, doors & trim & where any two materials meet.
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[coatingsapplication]
after
a thorough surface preparation we can begin to apply the finish
coat(s) as follows:
1.
clean, cover &
protect .
lanndscape, hardscape, fixtures, etc. will be carefully covered with
clean drop-cloths. in addition, any windows, doors, fixtures
& accents will ba masked with tape & plastic. any
residual dust, dirt or debris will be removed.
2.
apply .
on most sided or shingled homes material will be applied by airless
sprayer. using minimal pressure settings & the proper
spray tip for each material, we are easily able to guide the spray
directly onto the area to be coated.
3.
brush .
all material applied with the sprayer will be carefully distributed
& finished by brush. this process (called 'back-brushing')
sufficiently works material 'into' the surface to promote adhesion,
coverage & evenness of sheen. THIS
STEP IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE APPLIED COATING.
4.
trim & accents .
any trim & accent representing a second color will often be
painted by brush alone.
5.
windows . all
included windows first will be thoroughly prepared. loose
glazing will be removed & replaced with new. paint will be
removed from the glass. windows will be painted
completely. (following window painting, we ask our customers
to 'exercise' their windows for a few days to avoid sticking).
6.
doors . doors will
be prepared as other surfaces prior to final finish. doors
will often be coated early in the day to allow time for the coating
to dry before closing. painted doors will not fully cure for
number of days. we recommend handling doors carefully until
the coating has hardened completely.
7.
clean-up . the
final phase of any project is a thorough clean-up. we treat
the exterior of your home as carefully as we would the
interior. your Pennsylvania bluestone patio, for example, is
no less precious than your Persian rug. we take great pains
throughout the job to be neat, organized & efficient. your
property will be thoroughly cleaned & all evidence of our
efforts will be picked up, swept up & carried away.
8.
presentation .
at this point, we are happy to present you with your completed paint
job, in all its glory, for your enjoyment.
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