How We Do Exterior Painting
Kirbyworks Painting is a top-rated Exterior Painting company for the Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick area. This is how we do it:
Your Bid
We don’t do estimates – we give you a bid. We do not come back after the job is over saying we are charging more unless you have added work beyond the original scope we agreed on in the beginning and then only if we agree to the scope and bid price. After we are done with the job and find we should have bid more for the project because it took longer than expected that’s our problem, not yours. You pay what we agreed to.
For Jobs over $1000 I’ll need a 50% down payment, which is an industry standard.
Color Consultation for Exterior Painting
Is your color scheme looking a little dated but you’re not sure what colors are being used today? Having trouble figuring out what goes with your brick or roof color? Let me help you with a free color consultation.
Exterior Painting Prep
When we paint your exterior we:
- Pressure wash the house.
- Scrape peeling paint.
- Prime bare wood if we don’t use a paint that has primer in it.
- Remove light fixtures.
- Remove wires if possible.
- Mask off and cover up everything that doesn’t get painted.
Exterior Painting
Our Go-To Paint for Exteriors
Generally, we use Sherwin Williams SuperPaint Satin. This exterior paint and primer in one delivers outstanding performance and protect against the elements. Cold and frosty or hot and humid, this formula goes on smooth and resists fading and peeling. And thanks to its advanced acrylic resin technology, you’ll enjoy outstanding adhesion and color retention. SuperPaint offers a dirt-resistant and mildew-resistant coating.
Exterior SuperPaint isn’t the most expensive paint that Sherwin Williams offers but my inside sources say it’s just as good if not better than the more expensive ones.
We use SuperPaint Satin for the body, soffits, fascia, trim, and even the doors.
Paint Your House Glossy?
Some with period homes and others wanting a house that cleans up better with a pressure washer have asked for a glossy finish. The problem with that in the Tri-Cities is after one summer the sun will flatten the paint to either a satin or eggshell finish. It won’t retain that shine in our brutal sun.
Painting Stucco Homes
For painting stucco homes it is recommended to use an elastomeric type paint which offers the flexibility needed to handle contraction and expansion, but not necessarily the Elastomeric brand because that is a high-build paint that puts on a thick coat that will smooth out your stucco, making it look less like stucco. SuperPaint is an elastomeric type of paint that doesn’t go on too thick and so preserves that stucco look. In addition, we use SuperPaint Flat rather than Satin because stucco naturally has a flat sheen to begin with.
Application
After the house has been adequately prepped we:
- Spray on the body color, including the soffits.
- Hand paint the fascia and trim – either brush or roll.
If we are painting the doors we do that toward the end of the process. We usually take the doors off to paint so let us know when would be a good time to do that.
Clean Up
Water-based paint dries fast enough we can start cleaning up as soon as we are done painting. Clean-up includes putting everything back on the house that was taken off, such as the light fixtures.
After we are done painting we will stand back and admire how beautiful your house looks and be glad that you get to enjoy it every day for years to come.
Helpful Exterior Painting Information from our Blog:
12 Must-Have Tools to Make Your Painting Job Go Faster
You’re moving your mother into an assisted living facility and you’ve been tasked with painting her house to get it on the market to sell. Lucky you. You’re looking at a week or two of work and want to knock off a day or two by using the tools the pros use to get...
Picking the Right Paint for Exterior Painting
If this doesn't answer your questions about picking the right paint for exterior painting please feel free to call me at 509-551-1060 for advice. I would also suggest going to a store that specializes in paint such as Sherwin Williams, Rhoda, or Standard Paint &...
Online Help for Choosing Colors
Selecting Colors for Your Home Sometimes choosing colors can be the hardest part about painting a house. Here is some help. Please keep in mind that there is a big difference between how a color looks on your monitor compared to how it looks in real life. Not to...
Don’t Tint Low or Zero VOC Paint
If you are buying zero or low VOC paint to reduce the air pollution in your home be sure to either not tint it or tint it to a very light tint. So far tint is a non-organic material which can increase the VOC's in the paint to more than 5 grams per liter and sometimes...
Will I Recover My Investment if I Remodel My Kitchen or Paint the Exterior?
Many people go to sell their home and their realtor takes one look at their kitchen and tells them they need to get it remodeled before trying to sell the house. They also tell them they need to get the house painted to which of course I certainly agree, but then what...
Thinking of Painting Your Foundation or Retaining Walls?
If given the chance, I'm going to try to talk you out of it. Not that a painter wouldn't want the business but some things just trump that desire to make another buck. Here's how the conversation between you and me might go: "But it's so ugly," you will say, to which...
Get Those Sprinklers Off Your House
We Have a Water Problem Here in the Desert in the Tri-Cities Home exteriors in the Tri-Cities sure take a beating. Not only does the sun fade even the best paint and practically burns the paint off leaving bare, unprotected wood, we also have a water problem here in...
Paint Quality – Why It Matters
A high-quality coating starts with ingredients that allow paint to apply more easily, look better and last longer. The following four key ingredients affect the quality of paint: Pigment Two types of pigment go into a can of paint – “prime” and “extender.” Prime...
Why Not Paint Your House Red?
I just got through painting my second red house. For my first red house, the owner already knew he wanted it red. It was an assisted living facility in Kennewick. This time however the owner just wanted something bright and bold. She was trying to figure out a yellow...
House Paint Jobs that Would Only Fly in San Francisco
San Francisco is certainly a unique place with lots of character. The folks there don't seem to mind standing out in a crowd. That and maybe they just don't worry too much about what the neighbors think. As for me, a couple of these houses would be fun to see in a...
The Internet House Painting Guide
My friend John Shearer of Shearer Painting in Seattle has put together a boat load of useful information regarding house painting called The Internet Guide to House Painting. Between our two blogs you will get plenty of good information and advice. If you prefer a...
When is it Too Hot or Too Cold to Paint Exteriors?
Too hot: 100 degrees is the recommended maximum, including the surface temperature of your siding. Does that mean we can't paint on days when the temperature exceeds 100 degrees? We still can because there are ways to compensate for the heat. For example, we can...
How The Cable and Satellite Guys Will Destroy Your House
If you are having satellite or cable TV installed at your house you are probably concerned about the aesthetics of having all those black or grey wires running around the outside of your house. Back in the day they would find the shortest route from the satellite...