Quick primer explanation.

Our friends at the Paint Quality Institute are some of the most knowledgeable around. They recently blogged about the different primers and thier usage. If you are interested, read on:

Many people think that primers are useful only when doing exterior painting, but that's a mistaken notion. Like exterior primers, interior primers make surfaces more uniform and help paint adhere better, but they can do a lot more.
Interior primers can actually help prevent a host of problems and enhance the appearance of a finished paint job. By choosing the right type of primer for a particular project, it's even possible to pinpoint the performance benefits you'll get.
Following is a quick sampling of some of the more common types of interior primers and how they can help improve your next paint job.
Happy Painting,

Debbie Zimmer
Editor
dzimmer@dow.com

• Stain-blocking Primers. Walls and other interior surfaces often have water stains, smoke residue, grease, or other contaminants that can "bleed" right through a new coat of paint to ruin its appearance. To prevent that from happening, apply a stain-blocking primer before painting to seal off the stain-producing agents. These primers come in both latex and oil-based formulations, but latex stain blockers have much less odor, which is always a plus when working indoors.
• Vapor Barrier Primers. These interior primers are typically used in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms to help prevent moisture from passing through the walls. By doing so, they help keep the wall insulation dry and reduce the chance of an exterior paint failure due to moisture exiting the interior. Vapor barrier primers also help maintain a comfortable level of humidity inside the home during the heating season.
• Kitchen and Bath Primers. These coatings are often used in the same areas as vapor barrier primers, but they serve a different purpose. Specially formulated with biocides and stain blockers, they help control the growth of mildew and mold in rooms that tend to be damp or humid.
• Drywall Primers. While these coatings are called primers, they really function as sealers, which are close cousins of the primer family. As the name indicates, they are applied over drywall and joint compound to help conceal the differences in their appearance and impart a more uniform look to the completed paint job.
• Latex Enamel Under-coaters. These primers are excellent for use under semi-gloss or gloss paint to ensure that the paint will develop its maximum gloss. After applying a latex enamel under-coater and letting it dry. It's important to lightly sand off any visible brush marks before applying the glossy paint.
• Bonding Primers. When painting a slick material like glass, tile, Formica®, or vinyl-coated paneling, it is always wise to use a bonding primer. These primers are specially formulated to adhere to slippery surfaces and help create a more secure bond between the primer and paint.

Even if you're on a very tight budget, you shouldn't fail to apply a primer when the circumstances call for one: the primer may actually save you money. That's because you may need fewer coats of paint, especially on a previously unpainted surface. Likewise, if you are applying a dark-colored paint, you can often get away with fewer coats by applying a tinted primer beforehand. The net effect may very well be a more economical paint job!

  Family Professional Painting can help you with all your primer and painting needs. If you have any questions just contact us.

We always cherish the testamonials from our customers. Here's one of the latest. Feel free to send yours!

 

 

"I cannot recommend Family Professional Painting highly enough. Dale was immediately responsive, both by email and with any questions I had along the way. Dale and Lenny worked around some sizable upheaval around our house and the daily chaos of dogs and kids with humor and professionalism. It was a great feeling to leave for work in the morning and know I would come home to a beautiful paint job and a clean work space in the evening. The initial estimate was the price we wrote the check for when the job was completed--no surprises. I will be recommending Family Professional Painting to friends and family who need trustworthy, quality professional painters.

*sorry for the lateness of this, Dale. Have a great long weekend!

Rachel"

Be More

Don't multitask. Focus is key to productivity. "These people who think that they can multitask are wrong," says Kate Wendleton, president of career coaching firm The Five O'Clock Club. Focus on one thing, get it done, and move on. "The people who are able to focus and get something done well are the people who are most productive," she says.
"Multitasking can eat up 40 percent of your workday," says Marla Tabaka, a life and business coach who helps entrepreneurs in achieving their business and life goals. "Employers want people who can focus."
Instead of doing two things at once, block out time to do certain tasks. "You're not putting things off, you're scheduling things," Tabaka says.

Easy distressed finish.

  Love the look of wood. Clears, toners or stains it doesn't matter it is fun and love the end results.  We recently posted a photo of a room done by Jean McHale Antiques on our Google + page. It featured a cool distressed shutter.

   Found this video from Old Masters stains that shows how to produce that hand rubbed distressed finish. They make it look easy. Plus there are a few coupons for stain.

Do It Yourself Distressed

 If you are interested in controlling dust when sanding drywall check this out. Just completed a product review for "The Blogging Painters", click the link to see one of the ways we control dust.

Click here.

Details, details.

We go through this over and over with prospective clients, don't go straight to bottom line. Value (what kind of "deal" you think you are getting) should be determined by a combination of price, quality and service.

We painted an exterior over the weekend. The weather was beautiful at Kent Island on Maryland's eastern shore. Removong downspouts so they can be painted behind is something Family Professional Painting normally does. The last paint contractor didn't. (note the stripe in the middle of this trim board.)

It took about 30-40 minutes for two guys to remove and later re-install the downspouts.  Maybe you don't care, but its the little things that add up to make your investment in any paint job last. We care about the details and so should you. Make sure your estimates list the procedures that the contractor will take to accomplish the project.

Sights you see on the way to the job.

   Driving can be a pain, specially if you go to the same location day after day. Luckily for most contractors our locations change often and we get to view new and different scenery. Recently, while doing a project on Marylands eastern shore we got to see the most creative private Christmas display I've ever seen. 

  
      Turn out that the gentleman who owns this farm is also one of the largest private collectors of fighter aircraft in the world. You can find the rest of the photos at Family Professional Paintings Facebook page here.