Frequently Asked Questions for Painting Exterior of Your Home
If you are thinking of getting the exterior of your home painted professionally and have some questions here are some that are asked all the time.
How do I know if I am getting a good painting company?
When looking for a painting contractor best way is to ask questions and do a little research. If they are referred by someone you trust
this is always a good bet
Are they Licensed and Insured? Do they belong to any painting groups such as PDCA
Do they have good reviews AND do you feel comfortable with them!
When getting a bid why do prices vary so much?
If you are getting bids from reputable companies and they are "Apples for Apples" then bids normally do not vary too much.
Reasons why they could vary would be no insurance, inexperienced painters, not the same detail in prep work and painting, sending subs out to paint your home, adding extra charges along the way, etc.
At CHS Painting we only know one way to paint your home and this is the correct way. We have professional, skilled painters, we pay them well, we have all insurances, we use top of the line materials, we follow all PDCA procedures and we put a 7 year guarantee on all our work so you can be sure it was done right.
Will your contract price change?
Never, we honor the price of contract. The only way price would change is if customer adds something, or if rot is found and needs to be replaced. At that time we would give a price and get an OK from customer before proceeding.
Will weather effect our schedule or the painting?
This is the Pacific Northwest and weather is always an issue. When you book a job with us we give you exact dates and there is a possibility that your dates may get moved some do to weather delays. We do our very best to stay with dates promised, but if it looks like we will not be able to be there on exact date, we will contact you with as much notice ahead of time as possible.
While painting we are also watching the weather and our painters have radar apps on their phones to keep track all day long. If it looks like rain may develop we may have to stop and come back the next day. We will not take a chance on the integrity of your paint job.
What type paint do you use?
We use Sherwin Williams and Miller Paint mainly. These are both great paints made for the Northwest that last very well and both companies back up their paint products.
Do you caulk the home?
Of course! This is very important in our area. Before any painting begins we go around the home and look for failed caulking joints. We will cut out the bad caulking and re-caulk windows, doors, trim, siding as needed. We use only the very best caulking to be sure it last a long time.
Does someone need to be home the whole time you are painting?
We ask that someone be there at the start so crew leader can go over colors and all that is getting painted. And at end of job we ask that someone be there to walk around and look at finished job in case of any questions. Other than that the only other reason we need someone present is when we are painting the doors, if not left unlocked, we need to be able to open these to take off hardware and put back on after painting.
How long does it take to paint a home?
Typically it takes 2 to 4 days to paint a home start to finish, although this could vary some depending on size of home and complexity.
What about our landscape and flowers!
We will go out of our way to protect your landscaping. We are very careful where we walk, cover plants and shrubs, tie back shrubs and trees away from home when painting, clean up all paint chips and do our best to make it look like we were never there.
What do I need to do as the home owner before you arrival?
We try to make the whole process as easy as possible for you and normally you do not need to do anything. We will take down wall hangings, move flower pots if movable, take off lights-now is also a good time if you were thinking on new lights to get them as we will re-hang all your new lights when finished; as long as they fit.
What time of the year do you paint exteriors?
Our exterior house painting normally begins in April and ends by about second week of October.
What if I need help with Colors?
Sometimes colors are the hardest part. Some people are great with colors others could use some help. Let us know if we can help in any way, we can drop off color books, give ideas, or hook you up with a color consultant to help make your choice easier
Do you inspect home for rot at all?
Yes at time of estimate - will try to look for any rot that needs to be taken care of and will tell homeowner. Also when crew is doing prep work on ladders - if they notice anything we will let you know right away and if we can - take care of problem. We will let you know if there are any additional charges to fix.
That covers most of the questions we are asked. But as always if you have any other questions at all just let us know at CHS Painting we are here to help!
