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Exterior Metal Items rust quickly in Minnesota.  To maintain them it requires regular inspection and maintenance.  On certain items that are required to carry a load (like a swing stage anchor, railing supports in high areas or stairwell headers) a professional engineer should assess them.  On other items (anything aesthetic or any item that if […]

Often times I’ll hear from homeowners who want to change maple or oak (previously stained and sealed) to an enameled finish.   The correct process can produce fantastic, durable results that last for a very long time.  Every once and awhile I’ll see a site where a previous paint or homeowner tried to use a product that claimed to be “pro primer/pro prep.”  […]

Safety is a concern for property owners.  Especially near parking ramps and entrances/exits of buildings where thousands of people walk everyday.  The question for a commercial painter is:  Can you apply a durable coating that is washable and will last.  The answer is yes.  100 percent solids epoxy are available but they need to be […]

Brushing enamel can turn out great.  In high traffic areas there is no substitute for a gloss, oil finish.  There are no products on the market that are water based that are as durable as the oil finish.  It is also easier to brush than the water based products because they stay open longer (dry slower).  […]

Paint is largely and esthetic product that requires maintenance.  Of course certain products and application methods are superior to others, but certain areas or items don’t need the same level of prep/attention (although every item always needs the correct prep/attention).  An obvious example is an concrete floor vs a drywall ceiling.  For the concrete floor […]

To achieve the darkest stain color on Maple you need to do one of the following.  1.  Add dye to the stain (use two coats and wipe each coat) or wet rag off the 2nd coat (this should only be done by someone who has done it before and should not be attempted by a first timer or even […]

The sun, excessive moisture and cold weather are harsh on exterior surfaces.  One clear instance of this is when you see a dark color begin to fade, oxidize, chalk or show lines.  This happens because deeper base colors have more colorant in it and the colorant in paint tends to be less resistant to paint fading than the other ingredients in […]

Here is job we enameled for a cabinet maker.  The homeowner of these new cabinets was adamant she wanted a non-oil product because of concerns about the environment, vocs, etc etc.  After we showed them some samples, the homeowner really wanted the look of oil (which has a different luster than water-based products) however.  There are several […]

It is important to sample the removal of wallpaper for any jobs that involve it prior to submitting a price to a customer. Depending on the time it was installed, brand that was used, surface it was put over etc, wallpaper will pull off more easily or difficult.  This is consistent with 54 inch vinyl paper […]

Exterior paint will fade in the sun.  In order to keep it from fading quickly, you need to do the following:  Always remove any debris, chalking or efflorescence.  This can be done by detergent washing the house with the correct cleaner.  Always use the correct primer.  On concrete composite hard board, you need to use […]