Putting your exterior back in service:
- Exterior paint takes longer to cure than interior paint. It can take up to seven days for exterior finishes to fully cure.
- Once the paint has dried to the touch, you can start putting items back in place but refrain from putting items back that will lean against the new paint or stay in contact with it for a prolonged period. Wait as long as you can before placing items in contact with the paint.
- Exterior floors should wait at least overnight before you walk on them and a minimum of 24 hours before placing anything on the floor. 72 hours would be much better if practical.
- Keep exterior doors open as long as possible so they do not stick shut against weather stripping. The longer you can leave them open, the better. If you close them at night, open them as soon as practical the next day.
- If your windows are painted, like the doors, keep them open as long and as often as practical. Move them periodically throughout the day for the first week to keep them from sticking.
Care tips for exteriors:
Exterior paint requires very little care to keep it looking good and lasting a long time. Here are a few tips you can follow to keep it looking good longer:
- Allow air to circulate around your paint. Keep plants trimmed back from contacting the paint and inhibiting air flow.
- Keep dirt and mildew away by occasionally rinsing off accumulated dirt. If mildew is a problem, a mild bleach solution will not hurt most paints. Northern exposures and protected areas are more likely to accumulate dirt and mildew.
- Keep wood surfaces touched up if breaks occur in the film. Moisture is the #1 enemy of a good paint job. If paint chips off and moisture is allowed in behind, it will cause further peeling. Touch ups don't need to be fancy. You can dab on a little paint with a rag. The important thing is to keep the wood covered.
Putting rooms back to use:
- Furniture can go back in place and you can get back to living in your rooms as soon as the paint is dry to the touch.
- Wall hangings should not be replaced for 24 hours to be sure the paint has cured.
- Try not to touch any painted surfaces for at least 24 hours.
- Painted surfaces like shelves should be left to cure an absolute minimum of 24 hours; 72 hours would be best to allow for maximum cure. The longer you wait, the better. If you do have to start putting items back the next day, try moving them around for a few days to keep them from tacking to the fresh paint.
- Bathrooms should be left to dry a minimum of 24 hours; 48 hours would be better in the case of showers. Always keep rooms with showers well ventilated.
- Refrain from washing newly painted surfaces with cleaners for seven days. If you must wipe off a stain or spill, try just water to remove it.
- Interior floors should be left to dry at least overnight before you try walking on them. Rugs should not be replaced for a minimum of a week.
Care tips for interiors:
- Most painted surfaces will wipe clean with a damp cloth.
- Stubborn stains can be coaxed off with regular household cleaners and a damp cloth.
- You should avoid using abrasive cleaners or abrasive cleaning pads on painted surfaces.
- If a stain fails to release with cleaner and a cloth, touch up the area with more paint. We endeavor to leave you with all the touch-up paint you could require, clearly labeled. If you can't locate your touch-up paint contact our office and we'll consult our records to find the color and sheen used for your project. If you are touching up a wall, apply the touch-up paint with a small roller to maintain the surface texture. If you are touching up trim, use a brush.
We want the exterior of your home to be a pleasure to drive up to every day-even while it is being painted. We ensure that happens by executing your job using our systematic process to provide you with a high quality, efficient exterior paint job.
All we need is a safe out-of-the-way place to store a few items while we are there and we need you to look after a few items in advance of our arrival.
General Considerations
1. Trim back plants from areas to be painted. We need at least eight to ten inches behind plants. Hedges up against the house should be thinned so we can work around them.
2. Remove items such as bikes, hoses, garden implements, decorative objects, planters and sporting goods from the work areas. Balcony furniture must be removed; we'll move patio or deck furniture.
3. Most exteriors get powerwashed before the painting crew arrives. On Powerwash Day, please have all windows and doors closed and securely fastened. After the powerwash there will be water spots on the windows. This is unavoidable. Please do not have your windows cleaned until after the project is complete. Also, any paint chips left from powerwashing are cleaned up after the ground has dried and that may not be until the painting crew arrives.
4. Have a plan for your pets while we are working. For the safety of your pets and our workers, pets cannot be left loose in the yard. In the process of covering walkways, landscaping, etc. the gates will have to remain open.
5. Painted doors and windows need to be left open on days they are painted. You will be able to close them before going to bed. Your Job Site Supervisor will work with you to schedule the best day(s) for that to be done. We prefer a day when someone can be home by 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. We will not leave your home unattended during our work day, but cannot stay late if you are not home at the time our crew finishes for the day.
6. Please make sure lawn sprinklers are turned off after the Powerwash Day if they spray anything that will be painted. We recommend that you water thoroughly on Powerwash Day and turn them off until we finish painting. Your Job Site Supervisor can inform you when you can turn them back on.
Please note, we will be flexible with items you don't feel you are capable of moving. Please just call it to our attention and we will figure out a way to help.
One of the most important aspects of interior painting is that you are prepared for the painting crew to move through you home. You know what works best for you and your family. Think of what order you would like your rooms painted. When the crew arrives, you will meet with the Job Site Supervisor and the will ask you where you would like them to start.
Some points to consider are:
1. We start and finish a room as quickly as possible. We do not need access to every room every day, but some rooms may remain out of service overnight or longer.
2. Areas that are not occupied, such as hallways, stairwells, powder rooms, and guest rooms, make good flex rooms. We can start these when we get ahead of ourselves and we can work on them anytime with minimal disruption to you.
3. Most of the products we use are water-based acrylic latex. The odor is low and dissipates quickly, but it may bother some people. People with a strong sensitivity to paint should plan to sleep in another room the night their room is painted.
4. Rooms that require extensive repairs may be out of service longer than one or two days depending upon drying time of the repair products.
5. Some specialized projects, like wallpapering and faux finishing, may require multiple visits to complete and those rooms may stay out of use longer.
General Considerations
- Remove small and fragile objects from the rooms to be painted. China cabinets especially need to be emptied and the china placed away from any work areas.
- We will cover and protect the furniture and floors, but if there is a delicate piece of furniture or an heirloom that is tricky to move, please remove it before we arrive or make sure you notify the Job Site Supervisor before they start the room.
- Empty bookcases if we are to move and paint behind them. It could be as simple as placing the books on a sofa or chair that we will be covering anyway. Just make sure if we have to move the furniture that it is not too heavy or that you have notified us we will need extra help moving the furniture.
- Remove pictures, paintings, posters, and manageable mirrors from the walls. If they are going back up in the same place, leave the hardware and we will paint around or over it (so if you move it later, the spot is covered). If they are not going back up, remove the hardware or instruct us to do so. Those areas will be filled with spackling and painted over.
- Turn off and, if practical, disconnect electronic items such as computers and entertainment centers. We will be able to move them more easily.
Special Considerations:
Baby's Room
If we are painting the baby's room, you should set up a temporary changing area and sleeping space for a day or so while the paint dries thoroughly. You should also get a few extra changes of clothes out of the dresser.
Bedrooms
If we do not need immediate access to the ceiling over a bed, like to paint around a light fixture or fix a crack, many items in the bedroom can be piled on the bed. Just make sure the bed is not too heavy to move if we need to paint behind it. We will then cover it with fresh plastic to keep it clean.
Bathrooms
Remove any toiletries or medications you will need for the day. Clear off the counters and towel racks and remove any other personal items. If we are painting inside the medicine cabinet or vanity, please empty them.
Closets
If we are painting inside closets, they need to be completely empty. If we are not painting the closet, take out an extra day's clothes in case we seal up the closet and it has to remain like that overnight.
Kitchens
If we are not painting inside the cupboards, make sure all tables and counter tops are cleared off. If we need to move appliances like refrigerators or stoves, make sure they are cleared off too. If we are painting inside the cupboards, you will have to empty them. While our goal is to complete your kitchen in a day, it is best not to plan on having access to the kitchen for 24 hours.
Floors
If we are painting your floors, don't replace heavy furniture for several days. Area rugs should be left off for several weeks.
Hopefully these tips will give you an idea of what you can expect during your interior painting project and will help you plan for our arrival.
