As professional house painters, we know that even when you think you’re prepared to have the interior or exterior of your home painted, unexpected problems that either aren’t immediately apparent or are even hidden can crop up, causing you distress. Whether it’s blistering paint, chalking, mildew, interior or exterior moisture or other issues that leave you scratching your head, there’s usually a solution. Sometimes it’s something you would never dream of, such as an issue we encountered recently – a huge hole in a wall that was “hidden” by decorative paneling!
One thing we’ve learned over our decade of providing exceptional service and results to our residential and commercial painting customers – there is nearly no obstacle that cannot be overcome. While most of the time a problem is one we can solve ourselves, there was really nothing we could do in this situation as a serious plumbing leak was revealed when we removed the paneling, which the client requested we do. Because we are a reputable Overland Park painting company, we always plan ahead for the job by evaluating interior walls and trim, but that isn’t a guarantee that problems won’t be encountered as the job progresses! In this situation, we presented the problem to the homeowner along with a few suggestions on how to remedy the situation.
Ultimately, the best way to ensure our customers are satisfied with our services and the result is clear communication. Regardless of whether its an exterior or interior painting job, we believe firmly in assessing and evaluating the area to be painted before the first brushstroke, avoiding any unwanted or unpleasant surprises for either ourselves or the homeowner.
As we mentioned earlier, there are several issues that we may recognize as painters that perhaps a homeowner wouldn’t give a second thought to. Here are our thoughts on a few of these “problems.”
Blistering paint. Most common on homes with wood siding, blistering paint has an appearance of bubbles or “blisters” under the surface of the paint. This can be caused by painting a surface when it’s extremely hot, painting damp wood, or even moisture inside a home escaping due to inadequate ventilation inside the home. How to fix? Thoroughly scrape off the loose paint, sand where appropriate and let the wood dry. Then prime and paint when conditions are dry, and avoid direct sunlight, using a high quality latex paint.
Mildew. Homes in shaded areas that get no or very little sunlight often experience problems with mildew. Poor ventilation and excess moisture, or painting bare wood without priming can lead to mildew as well. How to remedy the problem? Remove mildew by scrubbing vigorously with a solution of 1 part household bleach to 3 parts water, or a trisodium phosphate cleaning solution. Either solution should be allowed to set for about 10 to 15 minutes, then rinsed clean. Once it is completely dry, it’s ready to paint – again using high quality paint, extremely important for lasting beauty and durability.
