The Art of Wood House Painting

By Kelly Hopkins 

July 1, 2017

            Did you ever walk or drive down a street and stop to gaze at the magnificent facade of a gigantic, stunning Victorian home with three or four different colors painted on it?  Well, Vincent Bentler of Bentler Painting is a professional painting contractor who specializes in exterior painting of these wood-sided beauties.  Vincent has spent the past twenty years perfecting his craft in painting and restoring the exteriors of wood houses to their original glory.  He has learned all of the tricks of the trade, so to speak, on what it takes to get a fresh coat of paint on a wood house to last at least ten years (or much longer).

            It takes an honest-to-goodness love, passion and desire from the painter (and the home owner) to want to preserve the historic attractiveness and character of a wood-sided house that is anywhere from one-hundred to two-hundred+ years old.  Properly preparing the wood for a fresh coat of paint is absolutely the most labor-intensive aspect of the job. 

            First step - clean the outside of the wood house.  It is very important to mention that pressure-washing wood siding before painting is a huge mistake made by many contractors.  They choose pressure-washing because it is quick, easy and convenient; however, it forces incredible amounts of water underneath the wood siding.  The siding will never fully dry after being hit with a pressure-washer, so, as the sun beats down day after day on the new coat of paint, the moisture deep down within the wood is drawn out to the surface, and because of this, the existing coat(s) of paint will begin to peel off within a couple of years.  Vincent's tried-and-true secret is spaying the outside of the home with a mild house cleaner and gently washing it off with a garden hose.  After a few days of dry time, he checks the wood with a moisture meter to be certain it is dry. 

            Step two – Vincent takes a carbide blade and scrapes all of the existing loose paint off every square inch (the entire surface) of the house by hand.  It is unbelievably physically demanding on Vincent to do this necessary step and scraping incurs the highest cost in the labor section of the contract.  Often, the paint may appear intact on the wood, but in actuality it is barely hanging on and falls off after being scraped with a carbide blade.  Scraping ensures the surface is as smooth as possible before primer is applied.  If a painter chooses to skip this step and applies new paint on top of loose paint, the new paint will fall off after a short time.  Vincent also fills/caulks any holes/gaps in the wood siding, sands any rough areas, and repairs or replaces any bad wood within the siding, window frames/trim, and porches.

            Step three – apply (by hand-brushing) a product from Zinsser called “Peel-Stop” which is a triple-thick bonding primer.  It appears milky white when applied and dries clear. This product seals in the existing layer(s) of good paint and creates a smooth, even surface.

            Last step – apply (by hand-brushing) 100% acrylic latex exterior paint.  Vincent flaunts his steady hand and superior brushwork with hand-painting the multiple colors on the trim and accents first.  Stretching with a paintbrush to the left, right and up above his head while standing at the top of a forty-foot ladder, three stories high involves an abundance of talent, experience, and nerve!  The siding and porches are the last parts of the home to receive a hand-brushed coat of paint. 

            These days, most painters are all about “production” which means turning over jobs as quickly as possible.  Many pressure-wash, do little-to-no surface preparations and priming, and use a paint sprayer to apply paint.  This quick, low-cost method may be attractive to price-conscious homeowners, but the lack of quality always results in a wood house with peeling and fading paint within a few years.  You know the old saying, “you get what you pay for.”

            Vincent Bentler's style and approach to painting wood houses truly is an art.  He puts his heart and soul into each project, and the level of quality found in his preparations, products and painting is amazing.  No need for vinyl siding on wood houses with a passionate, old-school painter like Vincent Bentler of Bentler Painting!  

Please visit www.bentlerpainting.com to find out more!

The Importance of a Written Painting Contract

By Bentler Painting (Vince Bentler) and Kelly Hopkins

When a homeowner in the Scranton, PA area hires a painting contractor to perform house painting it is extremely important that the scope of the work and other agreed upon terms are spelled out in writing.  Whether it's a large exterior paining project or a small interior painting project of 1 or 2 rooms, have the painting contractor write the details out.

Look it over thoroughly and make sure you understand exactly what is on the piece of paper.  Are you a little confused about something on the contract?  Ask questions.  Maybe it will turn out to only be some painting "lingo" you didn't understand.  No biggie.  But, maybe you and the painting contractor unknowingly misunderstood each other during the estimate/walk-through about the some elements of the exterior painting or interior painting.  Now, that can turn into potential problems.  So, ask for clarification on any uncertainties you may have with the contract before you officially hire the painting contractor.

Also, make sure all of the work discussed during your meeting is listed on the contract.  For example, the painting contractor might forget to list the trim in the rooms for interior painting or a bilco door or porch ceiling for exterior painting.  The total price of the job should have all of the agreed upon work listed at the agreed upon price.  You don't want to get stuck with surprise "add-ons" which put the total cost up when you thought the items were already included.

I have heard many stories over the years during consultations with my Scranton, PA area customers who told me that they were unhappy with some type of past work that was done on their home by another contractor.  Usually, there is a common theme - the work was done without a written contract and was strictly a verbal agreement; or, if there was a contract, it was vague with ambiguous terms.

Keep in mind, even if your interior painting or exterior painting work will be performed by a close family friend or by a company who comes highly recommended by a friend/family/neighbor/co-worker, it is still in your best interest as the homeowner to get all of the details of the job in writing to avoid any possible confusion between either party.

Also, during the course of the painting, if the homeowner and the contractor mutually agree to modify any item(s) in the original contract, make certain the contract is updated to reflect these changes.

Included in the contract should be:

• The exact scope of the work (the more detail the better and ask questions if unsure about something.)
• Total cost and a payment schedule.
• Warranty (warranties are usually included with exterior painting and good exterior painters always warrant their work.)
• Brands of materials that will be used and whether or not they are included in the price.
• Approximate start date and approximate time frame to complete the job.
• The painting contractor's Home Improvement Contractor Registration # (ask for a copy to make sure it is up-to-date.)

It also doesn't hurt to ask for a copy of the painter's insurance and references.

Exterior painting and interior painting are wonderful ways for homeowners to express their creativity, project feelings of comfort, or strike a particular mood with colors to generate an amazing and satisfying atmosphere within the exterior or interior of their homes.

If you are interested in exterior painting or interior painting and live in the Scranton, PA area contact us today by visiting our website: www.bentlerpainting.com

Why Contractors Should NOT Pressure-Wash Wood Siding Before Painting

By Bentler Painting (Vince Bentler) and Kelly Hopkins

Most painting contractors in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre areas use pressure-washing as their magic bullet to cleaning wood houses before painting.  The loose and peeling paint will be lifted up and blow off right off the wood siding and trim from the "power" of the water.  Painting contractors often see it as a way to save time during a project and avoid the labor-intensive task of hand-scraping loose paint off a house board-by-board.

However, to achieve a long-lasing paint finish, the cleaning phase during the preparation process of wood houses must be approached differently than it would for other types of siding such as aluminum, vinyl, and masonry.

Why?  Moisture is wood's worst enemy.  Pressure-washing forces incredibly high levels of water into the wood's pores.  Even a pressure-washer set on a low setting is strong enough to push moisture into the existing film(s) of paint, into the wood pores, and reach underneath the backside of the wood siding itself which is a cause for concern with mold formation.  Several weeks of dry time is often still not enough time for the wood to become fully dry. Although the surface of the wood may feel dry to the touch, moisture still lays in the deeper levels of the wood.

So, what happens to the new (and existing) layers of paint after the house is power-washed?  As the home's wood siding heats up each day from being hit with the sun's rays, the lodged-in moisture will try to escape, and it will do so by lifting areas of the paint off in bubbles.  The appearance of peeling paint won't happen instantly on the freshly-painted home; but, very noticeable areas of peeling paint will be seen after only 2 years.

Well then, how should a painting contractor clean a wood house before painting?  The proper method of cleaning wood siding and trim is to apply a house cleaner, tsp, or bleach/water with a spray nozzle hose and scrub the siding by hand with a siding cleaner brush.  Next, rinse off the cleansing solution with a the gentle spray of a simple garden hose.  The wood siding and trim will be ready for the next stages of the painting preparations within a few days of dry time.

If you are a wood house homeowner in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre areas and would like your new paint job to last a long time, it is highly advisable to choose a contractor who does not use a pressure-washer to clean the wood surfaces before painting.  Yes, this may seem very hard to believe since pressure-washing has become extremely "trendy" around here the past decade or so.

Most home builders and carpenters would "cringe" at the thought of a painting contractor applying water from a pressure-washer to wood house, and so should you.

Bentler Painting specializes in wood house painting; if you have any questions for us, feel free to contact us via our Google+ page or our website, and we would be happy to help you out.

Wood House Painting Demo, Scranton PA, Bentler Painting

By Bentler Painting (Vince Bentler)

Bentler Painting of Scranton, PA specializes in painting and repairs of wood-sided houses.  Watch this video to see Master Painter Vince Bentler demonstrate how he first prepares the wood surface with scraping and priming, followed by top-coating with paint.

Our method of painting wood houses achieves a long-lasting finish, and we stand by our high-quality workmanship with a 5 year warranty on every wood house we paint.

At Bentler Painting, we are customer and quality driven.  This is precisely why we take the proper steps with our house painting services to ensure our customers are satisfied with the long-term results and the monetary investment they are making in their home.

If you need house painting services in the Scranton, PA area for wood siding and/or wood trim, please watch the video below to see what Bentler Painting can do for you.

Wood House Painting in Scranton, PA - Hand-Brushing vs. Spraying

By Bentler Painting (Vince Bentler) and Kelly Hopkins

Vince Bentler of Bentler Painting, Scranton, PA hand-brush painting a wood house

  

For a superior end result when painting a wood house in Scranton, PA, hand brushing is the best choice for a home owner.

So, I bet you are wondering why hand-brushing is the higher-quality option over spraying?    

Hand-brushing pushes the paint into the wood pores.  It gets the paint into more holes, cracks, crevices, and knots; therefore, providing a more uniform, long-lasting, and protective seal for your home.

If you decide on a painting contractor who sprays wood houses, yes, it will be faster and cheaper for you; however, it is important to remember that spraying does not provide the same level of protection as hand-brushing and a spray finish usually starts showing the signs of aging at around 3 years.  In fact, I have seen wood houses that were sprayed with the paint already peeling off after only 1 year! 

Also, spraying wood often results in unevenness because of the inability of the paint to get into the nooks and crannies of wood.  If the paint is sprayed on too heavy, too lightly, or inconsistently, that can also cause an uneven looking appearance to the paint color on the house.

A hand-brushed wood house will last a long time, generally a minimum of 7-10 years (provided the contractor is skilled, performs the proper surface preparations, and uses quality paint.)  

In addition, hand-brushing wood is cleaner than spraying because there are no worries of over-spray and/or wind drifting sprayed paint onto neighbor's houses, cars, personal property, etc.

At Bentler Painting, we specialize in hand-brush painting of wood houses.  Click on the link to the Wood House Painting page at the Bentler Painting website to learn more - http://www.bentlerpainting.com/wood-house-painting.html

                                 

                                        

                                                             

                         

Getting What You Pay For, House Painting in Scranton, PA

By Bentler Painting (Vince Bentler) and Kelly Hopkins

Bentler Painting is a registered home improvement contractor in the 
Scranton, PA area and has been doing business for nearly 20 years.  
In that time, I have learned that not only are there varying degrees of 
skill level in painting contractors, but various "levels" in the way they 
price themselves.

This brings me to my next point.  There is a saying, "You get what you pay for."  When a homeowner selects a painting contractor to perform work at their home, it is important to remember this - there are three types of painting contractors - the low-end, the middle, and the high-end.  

So, which one does the customer pick?  Let's break it down. 

The low-end priced painting contractor mainly focuses on two things: production and materials. 

With "production" what I mean is "cranking out" or "turning over" as many jobs as they can, as quickly as they can.  And, as far as "materials" it means using the cheapest products that they can get their hands on.

For a low-end painting contractor to make a profit, they must use low-quality products and sell a very large amount of jobs.  Think of it as the "Walmart Painting Contractor."

What does all this mean?  Well, it means low-end painting contractors are not quality and customer conscious and do not take the time to perform proper preparations.  Combine that with cheap, inferior materials and it is a recipe for problems.

With low-end painting contractors, the customer loses money and pays more in the long run.  Why?  Because the customer will have to have the work done again in a short amount of time because the job wasn't done right the first time. 

For example, when you buy a cheap pair of sneakers, you do not get much time wearing them before they start to fall apart.  Well, the same concept could be applied to house painting - the paint on your house will be peeling and/or fading in a year or two so after being painted by a low-end painting contractor.  

Next, the middle-end priced painting contractor.  These contractors do substantially better quality work and use quality materials.  They are more experienced in both business and their trade.  Middle-end contractors' prices will definitely be higher than the low-end painters; however, middle-end painters work both effectively and efficiently, so the extra price is a good investment.

Middle-end painting contractors job cost the work correctly and they do the job right the first time.  Their work stands the test of time which is usually reflected in a warranty being included in the contract.  The customer saves money in the long-run in not having the job done over and over again.  Everybody wins.

And lastly, the high-end painting contractors.  These contractors are set-up for those customers who want "the best."  High-end painting contractors do outstanding work, go to the most extreme levels in preparations, use high quality materials, and warrant their work.  These bids generally will come in at highest price.  

Because high-quality paint jobs cost the most, high-end painting contractors usually have a specific target market - quite simply, it's customers who purchase many different types of high-quality products and services for their home on a regular basis.

Lastly, it's important to remember that sometimes customers have more elaborate details within the architecture of the interior and/or exterior of their homes.  If the scope of the exterior painting or interior painting work is extremely involved requiring painters to have very advanced skills, use special equipment, or to have to carry out caution which is above and beyond normal, expected reasonable caution, these painting bids will come in high.  So, in these instances, it would be wise for the homeowner to choose a middle-to-high end painting contractor because these painters will take the proper steps and have the proper skills and expertise to get the job done right.

The word "value" means different things to different people; so, whether it's a high-end, middle-end, or low-end priced painting contractor, the customers ultimately are "getting what they pay for."