The Most Important Questions to Ask Your Potential Painter

The search for the right company to take care of any home project can be a daunting task, and home painting is no exception. You’ll need to research several companies, schedule multiple estimates, compare pricing, history, reviews, and the list goes on. To top it all off you will have endless questions for your potential painter. There are several questions we consistently get from homeowners such as:

• How long will the project take?

• What does your warranty cover?

• Do I need to be home when you paint?

• What colors do you recommend?

These are all valid and necessary questions to get answered; however, one question many homeowner’s don’t think to ask their potential painter is: How much paint do they plan on using? Keep reading and watch our short video below where Michael Sutton, Owner/Operator, discusses the importance of getting this question answered when you get your paint estimate. 

The reason this is the most important question to ask your painter is it brings up two very pertinent factors to your paint job––the type of paint they will use and the amount of coats they will be doing. Most painters do not share with a homeowner the amount of gallons they are quoting them for, which seems crazy! Every paint quote you receive will be budgeted for the gallons needed to give your home full coverage, so you would think every homeowner would like to know this information, right?

The type of product used will determine the amount of coats needed. Historically, paint products required two coats from the manufacturer, but more and more high end paint products are being designed to only require one coat of paint. As paints become more specialized and sophisticated, the idea of two coats providing better protection for your home is becoming less valid. Top quality paints contain better ingredients and solids, which create a longer lasting and easier to apply coat of paint. The beauty is that one coat of a higher quality paint will actually last longer than two, three or even five coats of a cheaper paint.

One of the main ingredients that is vital to any paint is titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is used for pigment and opacity. This will help your paint job to retain its color longer and not oxidize as fast. Better ingredients in the paint will also help it to adhere to your substrate better and avoid problems such as pinholes. Pinholes are something that occurs when moisture gets below the surface of the paint and causes the paint to break down from the inside out. That moisture will form bubbles on the surface of the paint, which then collapse in on themselves creating tiny holes in your paint job.

How Much Paint Should I Expect To Be Quoted For?

On average, a one coat project will use 14-18 gallons of paint for an exterior. This number can vary greatly depending upon the size of the home, the substrate being painted and the method used to paint your home. When applying two coats, you will traditionally use less paint on the second lap. So, for a two coat paint project you can expect to need anywhere from 24-30 gallons on average. 

If your painter tells you he plans on doing two coats and he only quoted you for 15 gallons, that should be a red flag. There are only a few ways to accomplish this. You either need to do thinner coats than what is recommended for the best protection of your exterior, or you need to water down the paint. That may sound crazy, but some painters really do this to stretch their paint further! That’s why it is so important that they are clear on exactly how many gallons of paint they are estimating your home for and how many coats they plan to do. If they are using a top tier paint they should only quote you for the one coat. If they tell you two coats will better protect your home you should be wary. Every painter should always apply the paint based on the manufacturer specifications. 

When considering the cost associated with a higher quality, one coat paint, you should look at the cost life-cycle of the product. Cheaper paints break down much faster and often require those extra gallons to provide you with proper coverage. If your painter offers a higher quality paint, you may pay more up front, but you will save a lot of money, time and hassle in the long run. This is especially important to consider in Colorado, because of our temperamental weather and the fact that we are so much closer to the sun. All that added stress on your exterior will cause the paint to fade at a much faster rate. Furthermore, your paint contractor will likely provide a better warranty when using a higher quality paint. To learn more about paint warranties, check out this blog here. 

At Kind Home Solutions we only use the highest quality paint products and we always apply them according to the specifications of the manufacturer. And to put you further at ease, we include the estimated gallons right on each quote, so you can see exactly how much paint we plan to use.

Hopefully this article helped you understand the importance of knowing how much paint will be used on your home so you can feel fully comfortable with your painter! If you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you. Give our office a call at 720-370-3063 or send us a message online. #kindnessmatters