Don’t Let a Bad Painter Turn Your Home Into a Halloween Horror Story
A bad paint job can be scary. Fixing one can be even scarier.
Halloween is supposed to have ghosts, monsters and things that go bump in the night. Your painting project shouldn’t be one of them.
At Ireland’s Finest Painting Company, we have seen what happens when painting is rushed, preparation is skipped, the wrong products are used, or a painter simply doesn’t have the experience required for the job.
Overspray on brick.
Paint on windows, roofing, concrete or fixtures where it never belonged.
Drip lines running down siding and trim.
Peeling paint.
Uneven coverage.
Crooked cut lines.
Blotchy stain.
Damaged wood.
Paint applied over surfaces that should have been repaired first.
These problems aren’t always easy to fix. Sometimes correcting a poor paint job takes far more work than doing the job correctly from the beginning.
After more than 30 years of painting Denver homes and businesses, we believe homeowners deserve to know what they are paying for.
The Scary Side of Hiring the Wrong Painter
Price matters when you’re hiring a painter. But the lowest estimate can become expensive when you’re paying someone else to correct the work later.
Here are some of the problems homeowners should watch for.
1. Overspray Where Paint Doesn’t Belong
Spraying is an excellent way to produce a beautiful finish when the painter knows how to use the equipment and properly protects the surrounding property.
In inexperienced hands, a sprayer can create a mess.
Overspray can land on windows, brick, concrete, landscaping, light fixtures, roofing, vehicles and neighboring surfaces.
Protection before painting matters. Sherwin-Williams’ professional painting guidance specifically recommends covering floors, woodwork, countertops and furnishings indoors and protecting shrubs, grass and hardscapes outside to keep paint from landing where it isn’t wanted. Sherwin-Williams
The best time to prevent overspray is before the sprayer ever comes out.
2. Drips, Runs and Uneven Paint
We’ve all seen them.
Paint runs down a door.
Heavy drip lines harden on trim.
One section has too much paint while another doesn’t have enough.
Edges look sloppy.
A professional finish depends on controlling the application and knowing how the particular coating behaves.
Once a heavy drip dries, simply painting another coat over it doesn’t make it disappear. Correcting poor workmanship often means additional sanding, preparation and repainting.
3. Skipping Surface Preparation
This is one of the biggest mistakes a painter can make.
Painting isn’t simply putting color on a surface.
Sherwin-Williams says a properly prepared surface should be clean, sound and dry. Dirt, grease, peeling paint, loose material and other contaminants can interfere with adhesion. Painting over a dirty, wet or glossy surface is also listed among the causes of peeling. Sherwin-Williams
Good preparation might involve cleaning, scraping, sanding, repairing, caulking and priming depending on the surface and its condition.
This work isn’t glamorous.
You won’t necessarily notice every hour spent preparing your home.
But you’ll notice when someone skips it.
4. Painting Over Damage Instead of Repairing It
Here’s another scary shortcut.
A painter sees deteriorated wood, damaged drywall, cracks, failing caulk or another problem and paints right over it.
Fresh paint might temporarily make the area look better. The underlying problem is still there.
Moisture is especially important. Sherwin-Williams identifies moisture, leaks, worn caulk and painting damp surfaces among causes associated with exterior peeling and blistering. Sherwin-Williams
A painter should tell you when something needs attention rather than hiding the problem under a coat of paint.
That’s part of being honest with the homeowner.
5. Turning Beautiful Wood Into a Staining Nightmare
Wood staining takes experience.
Wood doesn’t always absorb stain evenly. Different woods and even different areas of the same board can absorb stain differently. Poor preparation or application can leave the surface blotchy, streaky or uneven.
Minwax notes that wood naturally absorbs stain at different rates and discusses proper preparation to reduce blotchiness. Its application guidance also warns that moisture, preparation, application technique and the amount of stain used affect the final appearance. Minwax
Too much stain can create additional problems. Minwax identifies excessive stain application as the most common cause of stain “bleed back.” Minwax
When we’re working with someone’s woodwork, deck, fence or another stained surface, we’re working with part of the home itself. You can’t treat staining like you’re rolling paint onto drywall.
6. Painting in the Wrong Conditions
Denver weather doesn’t always cooperate with exterior painters.
Temperature, moisture and incoming weather matter.
Sherwin-Williams advises against exterior painting immediately after rain, during fog, when rain is expected, or below certain temperatures unless the coating is specifically rated for those conditions. Surfaces also need to be dry. Sherwin-Williams
This is one reason we believe honesty matters.
If conditions aren’t right for part of a project, we’d rather tell you.
We aren’t interested in getting paint on your house as quickly as possible and disappearing.
We want the work done correctly.
7. Ignoring Lead-Safe Requirements on Older Homes
This one isn’t funny, even on Halloween.
Denver has many beautiful older homes, and Ireland’s Finest Painting Company has extensive experience working on historic properties.
For covered renovation, repair and painting work that disturbs painted surfaces in most pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities, federal EPA rules require certified firms and lead-safe work practices. These practices include containment, controlling dust and debris, proper cleanup and verification. Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA warns that sanding, cutting and other renovation work involving lead-based paint can create hazardous lead dust. Environmental Protection Agency
Ireland’s Finest Painting Company is EPA Lead-Safe Certified.
When you’re hiring someone to work on an older Denver home, this is an important question to ask.
The Most Frightening Paint Job Is the One You Have to Pay for Twice
A cheap paint job doesn’t feel cheap when someone has to come behind it and correct peeling paint, remove overspray, sand down drips, repair damaged surfaces or redo improperly stained wood.
Some mistakes are relatively straightforward to correct.
Others aren’t.
Paint that gets into porous brick or masonry, damage to natural wood, improperly prepared cabinets and coating failures can turn what should have been a straightforward project into a much larger one.
That’s why we put so much emphasis on doing the work correctly from the beginning.
More Than 30 Years in Business Means Something
Ireland’s Finest Painting Company has been serving Denver since 1995.
You don’t stay in business for more than 30 years by hiding problems from customers.
You don’t build lasting relationships by cutting corners.
And you don’t earn repeat customers by disappearing when something goes wrong.
Our approach is simple.
We will be upfront with you.
If we see a problem, we’ll tell you.
If something needs repair before we paint, we’ll explain it.
If there is something you should know about your project, we aren’t going to hide it to make the sale easier.
We want you to understand what we’re doing to your home and why.
Our reputation has taken more than 30 years to build. We protect it the same way we protect our customers’ homes.
Know Who You’re Letting Into Your Home
Before hiring a painter, ask questions.
Ask about insurance.
Ask how the company prepares surfaces.
Ask how your property will be protected.
Ask who will be working at your home.
If your home was built before 1978, ask about EPA Lead-Safe certification when the work is subject to RRP requirements.
Ask what happens if the crew discovers damage.
And ask how long the company has actually been doing this work.
A professional painter shouldn’t be afraid of your questions.
We have nothing to hide.
This Halloween, the Painter Shouldn’t Be the Scariest Thing at Your House 🎃
Enjoy the ghosts, skeletons and haunted houses.
Leave the scary paint jobs to somebody else’s nightmares.
If you’re looking for experienced Denver painters who believe in careful preparation, honest communication and doing the job right, talk with Ireland’s Finest Painting Company.
☘️ Serving Denver since 1995
☘️ More than 30 years of experience
☘️ EPA Lead-Safe Certified
☘️ Interior & Exterior Painting
☘️ Cabinet Painting & Refinishing
☘️ Historic Home Painting
☘️ Drywall Installation & Repair
☘️ Wood Staining
☘️ Polyaspartic Garage Floors
Ireland’s Finest Painting Company
303-512-8777
