September | 2014 | House Painting Concord

22 Sep

For House Painting in Concord Is Oil-Based or Latex Paint Recommended for Exteriors?

If you have decided it is time for house painting in Concord, you may wonder which type of paint is best for your home’s exterior. You may be surprised that many house painters will recommend using the same type of paint that was previously used on the home. Do you know how to tell the difference between the two? An experienced painter will be able to tell what type of paint was used the last time the home was painted.

Professional painters often use this trick to help them determine the type of paint used on an exterior surface. They saturate a rag with denatured alcohol. Then they rub the cloth on the paint. If the paint softens, it is latex paint. If the surface is cleaned, it is oil-based paint.

You may be surprised to find out that latex paint does not contain latex or rubber in its ingredients. Usually it is made with urethane or acrylic. One of the main advantages of using this paint type is its ability to expand and contract with the temperatures. This makes the paint, because it is flexible, less likely to develop cracks. It doesn’t give off the hazardous fumes often associated with oil-based paint and it dries quicker than oil-based. Once it is dry, it is moisture resistant and often provides excellent coverage because it is opaque. It also resists fading. You don’t need chemicals to clean up latex paint because of its water-base. You cannot add latex paint over the top of oil-based paint. You also want to avoid using latex on steel because it could cause the steel to rust.

There are advantages to using oil-based paints, as well. It is often weather-resistant and is durable. You can paint in temperatures as slow as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It dries slowly but the surface is often smoother than latex paint. If the surface is chalky, oil-based paint will cover it where latex will not penetrate the surface. Most people like the fact that oil-based paints are less likely to scratch, stain, or see fingerprints on the surfaces. It is washable, but because it takes a while to dry, it is often seen as a negative. Oil-based paints are often more likely to crack because they do not expand the way latex paint does. The surface may also become chalky or dull over time. When it is time to clean up after painting, you will need to use paint thinner or mineral spirits in order to break up the paint, which is often more difficult than some people want to experience.

No matter which type of paint is currently on your home, you will want to prepare the surfaces before applying a fresh coat of paint. Scrape off any paint that is peeling and sand the surface smooth to get the best paint adherence. Again, you do not want to use oil paint over latex because the paint won’t adhere. On the other hand, if you determine the previous paint was oil-based, you can use either type of paint this time. You will want to use good quality primer before using the latex paint, however, to ensure the paint does well.

Homes that were built prior to 1978 often used lead-based paint. If you believe your home has lead-based paint, you can test it to be sure. The National Lead Information Hotline (800-424-LEAD) provides information or you may visit their website www.epa.gov/lead to discover the recommendations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Covering the paint may be the easiest way to protect your family, but either the hotline or EPA website will help you decide.

If you are considering painting your home, it is helpful to know what type of paint was used previously. This will help make house painting in Concord easier and could save you time and money.

16 Sep

House Painting Concord – Painting Can Make Your Home Feel New

You may be like many home owners who decide that a fresh change from their usual routine is needed. This includes the look of their homes. It doesn’t necessarily mean you want to move to a new house, but rather you would like a new look for your home. House painting in Concord can do wonders to break from the old, humdrum colors you’ve gotten used to. Besides, it’s definitely a cheaper and less painful option than buying a new house!

That’s what new colors on your walls are worth when you choose Custom Painting, Inc. for house painting in Concord! We apply quality paints to make your home seems brand new, whether it’s a fresh coat of paint, or an entirely different color on your walls. It’s all up to you in choosing the colors of your own home. It can set a whole new tone in your house and release a more harmonious energy than the usual, blah color you’ve gotten used to seeing. Custom Painting, Inc. ensures that you’ll get exactly the paint color you want as well as the mood that you desire to create!

With Custom Painting, Inc., interior painting is just a breeze. You may save some money by doing the painting yourself; however, you may encounter some trouble especially if you don’t know the proper painting techniques. Leave it to the Custom Painting, Inc. professionals to do the job for you. You may pay a little more for professional painting service as compared to do-it-yourself, but you’ll enjoy the benefits of a painting job well done and it will take less time than if you did the painting yourself.

There’s no need to move out while we do our job. Custom Painting, Inc. ensures your furniture, carpets, and floors remain dip-free by covering them. We even make sure that your furniture goes right back where it belongs after the job has been done. We guarantee that your furniture or floors won’t be left with paint marks, smudges, scratches, or nicks.

Custom Painting, Inc. is serious about your satisfaction and we stand behind the quality of paint we use. The excellent paints from Kelly Moore Paints are our choice because they are mostly water based so they will dry within hours. This is often the option you need when you want home improvement projects successfully wrapped up in a relatively quick timeframe. Custom Painting, Inc. helps you decide which areas to be painted first, and we will guide you on what types of paint, type of paint finishes, as well as colors that can be used. When it comes to coating a water-based paint over an oil-based paint, it’s better if you leave this to professionals as we understand how to accomplish this without having sheets of paint peeling from your walls. Along with painting, we also do repairs on holes and dings in the walls, matching texture, and fixing cracks so they won’t happen again.

Custom Painting, Inc. is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured painting company so you don’t have to worry about safety and security. When you choose us, you will have well-executed painting and repair work done in your home because we know how special every home is to those who live there. Contact Custom Painting, Inc. whenever you want professional house painting in Concord. We will make your special home look and feel like new.

12 Sep

Make a Great First Impression with House Painting in Concord

Make a Great First Impression with House Painting in Concord You may have heard that cliché, “First impressions last,” which is true in many situations. This is no exception in the case of house painting in Concord, especially if you’ve put your house up for sale. People may have seen some of those “Home for Sale” signs that show off the interior of the house yet its exterior is peeling or has chipped paint, or the old paint that’s not well done. People who have driven past these houses might nod their heads in wonder as to what else could be wrong on the inside, if the owners don’t pay much care about the exterior.

Of course, many potential buyers care so much about the outside of a home as much as they do about the inside. Would you risk buying a house that looks ugly on the outside, even when the inside looks gorgeous? You wouldn’t, and neither would most potential buyers. To prevent this from happening, don’t short change yourself or else you’ll turn off potential buyers when you want to sell your home. The phrase “first impressions last” is quite true when it comes to your house’s exterior. It may end up making or breaking a deal.

Give your home’s exterior a nice, fresh coat of paint. You may do it yourself, but if you want a professional-looking finish and convenience, hire a paint contractor such as Custom Painting, Inc. Even if your home has gorgeous interiors, if your exterior has old peeling paint you may still turn off potential buyers. Custom Painting, Inc. is aware that exterior painting is the easiest, most affordable and most noticeable way to update the curb appeal of your home.

You may wonder, “Where’s the time to find a good painting contractor?” “Why the hassle?” and “Who can afford to have the entire house exterior painted by someone else?” Well, those are types of questions many clients asked before they found Custom Painting, Inc. The company is aware that both time and finances are of prime importance. That is why they use the best quality paint, employ only trained specialists, and are licensed, bonded and insured. You’ll get nothing but premium service results in your exterior painting job being done right the first time. What’s more, they keep their prices affordable without scrimping on quality!

Not only does a fresh coat of paint on your exterior enhance your home’s curb appeal, but it also protects your home from natural elements such as the sun, weather and moisture (depending on your house’s location). Giving your home a fresh coat of paint before it is overdue will not only save laborious prep work, but it will also prevent damage to your exterior surfaces (fascia, trim boards, siding, stucco). When these are damaged, it could be expensive to repair them. The damage can be avoided by painting the surfaces.

Usually, painting the entire home exterior takes about 2-3 days. At Custom Painting, Inc., you wouldn’t experience many inconveniences or interruptions in your everyday routine. You can still live in your home with no hassle while they do the painting outdoors. Their work is covered with a five-year guarantee on the workmanship and product. As for paint, they use only high-quality paints from Kelly-Moore Paints. When you are not sure about picking the right color, you can refer to Custom Painting, Inc.’s computer generated color consultation to help with your color decisions. This is included with every paint job. You can check out the color center online (http://www.kellymoore.com/site/colorXperience_all) to look at color catalogues, gather design ideas, download demos for exterior painting and so much more. If you would like to try out a color on your walls as a sample, contact Kelly-Moore Paints at 1-888-KMCOLOR or send an email to colorsamples@kellymoore.com.

A new, well-finished and attractive exterior is the key to impressing potential buyers and finding one in a short space of time. This is what you will want remember when you do house painting in Concord.

9 Sep

Learning About Concord, California

Learning About Concord, California Concord is a city in Contra Costa County, California. You can locate Concord northeast of San Francisco and Oakland, southwest of Sacramento, and north of San Jose. The city encourages diverse housing communities and has beautiful homes. To maintain their beauty, house painting in Concord is often done by Custom Painting, Inc. Learn more about the city of Concord with this brief history

Before Concord arrived at its present state, the valleys of the area were inhabited by the American Indians (Miwoks), who made a living by hunting elk and fishing in the many mountain streams that ran into the San Francisco Bay. In the 18th century, Spanish conquistadores explored the area but didn’t settle there.

After Mexico was removed from Spanish rule, the former Spanish land grants were accorded to some private individuals. The area was founded as a town under the initial name “Todos Santos” (“all saints” in Spanish) on the initiative of Salvio Pacheco, one of the individuals who waw conferred a land grant. The exodus of residents coming from the nearby town Pacheco (named after Senor Pacheco) resulted in the growth of the Todos Santos, which would later be renamed Concord.

Concord opened its first post office in 1872, and the town was incorporated on February 5, 1905. Like many surrounding areas in California, Concord was also largely an agricultural area which produced crops such as grapes, walnuts, wheat, hay and tomatoes. Cement production had also begun during that era.

Concord was then considered primarily as a sleepy “commuter town” whose residents mostly worked in San Francisco and Oakland. However, its economy and industry grew and diversified over the last forty years, with companies and large corporations such as Round Table Pizza headquarters opening their businesses there. It meant more job opportunities for the city’s residents who didn’t need to go too far just to work. Concord prides itself on its strong retail industry with businesses such as Sunvalley Mall, which used to be one of the biggest malls in the country.

Present-day Concord is a General Law city, and is among than 300 cities in California that administer under the Council-Manager type of government. The current mayor of Concord is Tim Grayson.

Like many other towns and cities in California, the population of Concord is quite racially diversified. According to the 2010 US Census, the city’s population was approximated at 122,067. More than half of the city’s number of denizens are white, with black, Native American, and Asian minorities.

As the largest city in Contra Costa County, the city of Concord offers many things for its residents and for those who want to settle there. The city has a wide variety of residential dwellings, as well as shopping and places to do business. Concord is also a place for relaxation, recreation and fun. The city boasts a lot of things for tourists and residents alike, to do and enjoy — several parks, resorts, playgrounds, picnic areas and scenic hiking trails.

The city of Concord is committed to enhance its economy vitality, safety, friendly environment, and premium quality of life of its residents.

Residents enjoy the beauty of the city. Custom Painting, Inc., serving the house painting needs in Concord and the surrounding Bay Area for over 30 years, helps beautify the homes and businesses.

3 Sep

House Painting Concord – Things to Consider for Homes That Have Lead

You are about to start house painting in Concord, but you may not be aware what is contained in your old paint. If your home was built before the 1980s, it is possible that your old paint may contain lead, as lead-based paints were widely used way back then. It is important to have this knowledge before you begin.

Scientists had discovered the harmful effects of lead poisoning, especially in children, pregnant women and the elderly. Since then, removal of paint that contains lead is highly recommended when you are about to do house painting in Concord or any other location.

Many homeowners think that they can do the job themselves by removing old paint that may possibly contain lead. However, the reality is that it requires a lot of work, not to mention that it’s also hazardous. There are several methods of removing lead-based paint, but if the homeowners don’t know the best and proper way to do it, they could be exposing themselves and their family to the risk of lead exposure. The job of removing a lead-based paint is best left to the professionals.

If you live in a house that was built in 1960s and 1970s and really want to replace its old paint, it’s important that you first have your old paint tested for lead. This is especially true if you discover chipped or peeling paint. There are lead testing home kits you can find and purchase at home improvement stores and some bigger department stores. Most of these tests can be done on any surface and give immediate results. When the presence of lead is confirmed, a laboratory analysis follows and will inform you the amount of lead present. It’s also highly recommended that you also get your children (under six years of age) to be tested for lead.

You have two available options on how to remove the lead-based paint in your own home. The best and safest way is to hire a professional and licensed paint contractor who is trained to do the job. However, this deemed to be costly, professional paint removal may cost you around $8 to $15 per square foot, which would amount to about $10,000 for a regular-sized home. If you are short on that amount of money in your budget, there are other options on how to do it.

1. Use an encapsulant to cover surfaces painted with lead-based paint. An encapsulant is not the same as an ordinary paint — rather, an encapsulant is a specially formulated liquid coating that gives an effective and lost-lasting barrier over lead-based paint. It’s like a de-leading liquid. However, it’s necessary to have your home inspected by a licensed lead inspector in your local area BEFORE you are able to apply an encapsulant. You can also contact and hire licensed paint contractors who conduct lead testing.

2. Remove the items and fixtures that contain lead-based paints such as doors, windows, and woodwork such as trim. These kinds of things are easier to remove and replace with newer ones. By choosing this method, you don’t have to attempt to remove the lead-based paint yourself, saving yourself and your family from the hazards of lead exposure.

3. It is also all right to cover surfaces with lead-based paint with other materials such as wallpaper, paneling or sheet rock.

4. The Environmental Protection Agency’s website (http://www.epa.gov/) discusses more about lead paint, and has an article called “Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting.” This will help you in how to deal with surfaces coated with lead paint, including the crucial step in proper disposal of debris containing lead. The EPA also has guidelines regarding proper lead disposal.

5. Unless you find it really necessary to do remove the paint, you can just leave the surfaces in their normal state. This is an alternative as long as the paint is in good condition. This may also be the option to choose as long as you don’t have any small children or someone else in the family who is physically sensitive and weak, allergic or asthmatic. However, if you do intend to put up you home for re-sale, it’s best to disclose that your house contains lead-based paint.

Contact the painting contractors in your area if you are considering house painting in Concord. They will know how to test your home and will be able give you suggestions for the proper way to handle lead-based paint in your home.