Monterey & San Benito – Painting - Contractor

As you’re interviewing local painters in Monterey County or San Benito County, it’s wise to prepare a list of questions. This will ensure you get answers that will help you make a wise decision. Write down the answers you get from each painter. That way, you’ll be able to recall which Monterey County / San Benito County painting company answered your questions acceptably and may make it clear which company is the best choice for you.

• Has your painting firm earned and maintained a Diamond Certified rating?
• Do you have a valid state contractor’s license?
• What is your license number? (You may want to verify this license number and look for any complaints filed against their license at the Contractors State License Board.)
• Do you have liability and workers’ compensation insurance coverage?
• Tell me about your understanding of residential painting and the experience your employees have.
• How many times have you done a job like mine before?
• Do you offer free painting estimates?
• Do you have your own painting crew?
• How are your painters trained?
• Are you on site during the work? If not, who will be in charge during the project?
• Do you recommend a specific brand and type of paint (Valspar, Sherwin-Williams, Dutch Boy, ICI, eggshell finish, matte paint, semi-gloss, etc.)? Why?
• What guarantees do you offer on your painting work?
• How long have you been a painting contractor in Monterey County and San Benito County?
   

It’s best to choose a Diamond Certified painting company because all certified companies have passed an in-depth ratings process that most other painters can’t pass. If you want quality from a painter in Monterey County and San Benito County and the greater Bay Area, you will have confidence choosing a Diamond Certified painting company. Diamond Certified reports are available online at www.DiamondCertified.org for all certified companies. And you’ll never be fooled by fake reviews, because all research is performed via live telephone interviews of actual customers.

If you can’t find a Diamond Certified painter within reach, you’ll have to do some research of your own. It’s wise to call references provided by your painting contractor. Keep in mind, though, that references painting companies give to you are not equal in value to the large random sample of customers surveyed during the Diamond Certified ratings process. That’s because references are rarely randomly selected from all of a company’s customers.

If you do call references, ask for a list of the company’s 10 most recent customers. This will help avoid them giving you the names of only customers they know were pleased with the work.
 

• Were you satisfied with the painting services from _(painting company name)_?
• What type of painting did they do for you (exterior painting, interior house painting, kitchen repainting, faux painting, decorative painting, etc.)
• Did the house painters finish the work on time?
• Did they seem to have a good work ethic?
• Did the contractor communicate with you about the status of the project?
• If you live in a smaller town such as Ridgemark, Sycamore Flat, Valleton, Watsonville Junction, Wunpost, Elsa, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Dunneville, South County) did they charge extra to drive to your home?
• Did the painting company show up on time for work?
• Did they clean up after the job?
• Will you consider hiring this painter again when you need new painting?
• Would you recommend this painting company?

Now that you’ve found the local painting company that meets your expectations, it’s time to ask to sign a contract for the work. This document should consist of price, quality and paints to be used, the start date and completion date, and any warranties or guarantees the painters offer.

Before you sign the contract, be sure you understand all terms and limitations. Contracts you sign are binding, and should protect your property and interests as well as those of your painting contractor. For this reason, never sign a blank or incomplete estimate.

When signing the contract, don’t be afraid to write in special requests or agreements you’ve made with the painters. This will protect you and help ensure you get the services you have agreed on. These add-ons may also include end dates and special instructions related issues that aren’t always covered by a standard contract.

For example, rutted lawns, damaged shrubs and crushed flowerbeds are often unforeseen consequences of exterior painting jobs. But you can take steps to protect your property. Before the work begins, schedule a walk through with the supervisor. List or photograph your landscaping, house and property and talk with a representative about reasonable expectations for protecting your home and yard during the work. Both you and the painting contractor should sign and date the document. When the work is done, accompany the contractor on a final inspection and verify that your expectations were met.

Prepare Your Home for New Interior and Exterior Painting
Professional painters in Salinas, Soledad, Seaside, Monterey, Hollister, Pacific Grove, Marina and throughout Monterey County and San Benito County should be able to handle all necessary preparations for the painting work. But there are a few things you can do before their arrival and during the work to help their job go more smoothly. You may even cut down on invoiced hours or damage to your home and possessions.

Remove furniture and other large items. Before the painters arrive, take out all furniture, decor, rugs, and other objects from the rooms scheduled for painting. Anything you can’t remove should be pushed to the center of the room and covered with drop cloths or thick plastic. Some painters will take the time to move and cover furniture, but there may be an additional charge for this service. Ask about who should get the room ready for painting, and, if the painters offer the service, if they charge extra. It may be worth it to you to have them do it, or you may be able to save on your final bill by doing it yourself.

Store valuables or family heirlooms. You may want to remove for safekeeping heirlooms or expensive items that are in high-traffic areas of your home to prevent them from being broken or damaged. Accidents can happen no matter how careful your painters are. Removing valuable items will limit that possibility.

Provide clearance and parking space for work trucks. Some painting companies have large work trucks that need more space than standard vehicles. Contact the company before the start date and ask them how much parking space they’ll need and whether their work trucks are oversized. You may find it helpful to walk through the site ahead of time with your contractor so they can point out potential clearance issues or hazards before the painting begins.

Trim plants before exterior painting. If you’re hiring a Monterey County and San Benito County painting company for exterior painting, save time and money by trimming trees, bushes and other plants that are within reach of your home’s exterior. Ask your contractor about the amount of space they require around the perimeter of the job. Some painters will trim back bushes or shrubs that are in their ways, but not all are able to do so in a way that’s safe for the plants or most aesthetically pleasing. So you may be wise to trim back yourself or hire a professional arborist to trim plants that are expensive or main features of your landscaping.

Keep children and pets away. Your painting contractors will be focused on the work and shouldn’t have to keep track of kids and pets. Barricade off the rooms that are being painted and keep animals and children away until after the work is done and the paint is completely dry. This will prevent accidents, injury and the expense of touch-ups and repainting.
 

When your new painting is completed, most good painters in Monterey and San Benito counties will give you a written invoice. Compare the completed work to what was promised on the official invoice.

You may want to ask your painting company representative to walk through the job with you and show you the work. Check what was done against the invoice to verify everything that was promised was done in the way the painters promised to do it. During the walk-through, ask if there are any instructions for maintaining your new paint. If you have questions about the work that was done or the materials used, now is the time to ask.

Written invoices usually include the following information:
 

• The painting contractor’s name, business address and state license number.
• A list of all painting services done.
• An itemized list of all paint materials and painting supplies purchased, including brands, quality and amount.
• The total cost for painting services, including the amount for labor.
• Any warrantees or product guarantees offered by the paint manufacturers and the painting company.
   

The most common requests for painting services in Monterey County and San Benito County including those in Monterey, Marina, Soledad, Salinas and Seaside and the surrounding areas are listed below. The paragraphs below the table define each painting service request.

Exterior Painting Services
Exterior paint is applied to the outside of homes and buildings, so it must be resilient and fade-resistant so it’s able to stand up to harsh weather conditions.

Interior Painting
Interior paint for walls and ceilings comes in many colors and finishes, including faux and decorative finishes, wood stains, clear finish, matte paint, glossy paint and texturized paint. Many modern interior paints are available in ecologically aware formulations that are less toxic than exterior paints.

House Painting
House painting can include interior painting and exterior painting, and often takes into account the entire process of color selection, preparation, taping, priming, painting and sealing. Some painters specialize in house painting, while others exclusively paint commercial buildings, industrial buildings and civic buildings. If you’re hiring for a residential painting job, you may be best served by a house painter that has experience in the materials, techniques and painting methods you’re looking for.

Decorative Painting Techniques
Also known as faux finishing and faux painting, decorative techniques including tromp l’oeil, rag rolling, venetian plaster, sponge painting, marbling, stripe technique (striping), color washing, pickling, liming, wood graining, verdigris (aged copper-like finish) and antiquing are fashionable methods that add a custom look to homes.

Faux Painting / Faux Finishing
Like decorative painting techniques, faux painting is a technique that adds a faux finish to the surface so that the wall or ceiling appears to be made of something else. Examples of popular faux painting are: Venitian plastering, faux suede, faux marble or marbleizing and wood grain faux effects.
Paint Color Selection
Many larger painting companies in Monterey County and San Benito County offer paint color selection services. Paint selection involves evaluating potential color choices, existing colors in the home and overall decor. Paint matching services may also be available for homeowners who want to match new paint to an existing paint color.

Low VOC Paint
Volatile organic compounds, or potentially harmful chemicals are found in most traditional paints. New low VOC paints are on the market that have lower quantities of these harmful chemicals. Low-VOC paints are often used in homes, offices and other areas where people spend large amounts of time. Low-VOC and no-VOC paints may help improve indoor air quality and avoid toxin-related illnesses. Many parents also favor low-VOC or non-VOC paints when painting nurseries, children’s rooms and other areas where their young children will be sleeping or living.

Painting Services
The term “painting services” includes all products and services offered by local painting companies in Monterey County and San Benito County. Popular painting services in South County and the surrounding areas include house painting, interior painting, exterior painting, residential house painting, commercial painting, preparation, spray painting, paint rolling and high-volume painting services.

Commercial Painting Companies
Painting for commercial buildings, stores, schools, office buildings, museums, public structures and hospitals is known as commercial painting. Some contractors do only commercial painting, while others provide a combination of services for commercial, industrial and residential painting.

Industrial Painting Services
Industrial painting services in Monterey County and San Benito County paint large industrial and commercial buildings. Industrial painting is often done on metal building interior and exteriors, ceilings, walls, floors, metal siding, metal roofs, office buildings and large professional buildings, parking garages, factories, manufacturing plants and storage warehouses.

Top 10 Brand Requests

1. Behr Paint
2. Valspar Paint
3. Dutch Boy Paint
4. Kelly-Moore Paint
5. Sherwin-Williams Paint
6. Glidden Paint
7. Dulux Paint
8. ICI Paint
9. Benjamin Moore Paint
10. Olympic Paint
     

Q: Why choose a Diamond Certified Painting Contractor in Monterey County and San Benito County?
A: Diamond Certified helps you choose a painter with confidence by offering a list of top-rated local companies who have passed the country’s most in-depth rating process. Only painting companies rated Highest in Quality earn the prestigious Diamond Certified award. Most companies can’t pass the ratings. American Ratings Corporation also monitors every Diamond Certified company with ongoing research and ratings. And your purchase is backed by the Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee. So you’ll feel confident choosing a Diamond Certified painting company.

Q: What is lead paint?
A: Lead paint is the leading source of lead poisoning in children and adults, which can cause brain damage and slow physical development. Lead-based paints were applied to interior and exterior surfaces of older homes before 1978. Lead paint contamination isn’t usually a problem if the old paint is covered with new, lead-free paint. However, when the old paint chips, cracks, peels or is scraped, lead paint underneath can become exposed and pose a threat to children and pets.
If your home painting contains lead, the painting contractors you hire need to take precautions when removing it. Legally-mandated containment procedures include sealing off the rest of the home, wearing respirators while removing the paint, disposing of the clothes worn while removing lead paint, and using filtration systems and post-removal cleaning procedures to remove all lead particles from the home and surrounding area. If your contractor doesn’t use proper lead paint removal techniques, you can legally be held responsible for contamination.

Q: How do I know if my home has lead paint?
A: Most homes built before 1978 were painted with lead paint. An easy lab test can prove if your paint contains lead. Some painting contractors in Monterey County and San Benito County will test for lead paint, and lead paint tests are available at most hardware stores for DIY lead paint testing.

Q: Can I paint my house myself?
A: As with many home improvement projects, it is possible to apply new paint to your home yourself. If the area you want to paint is small or you have experience painting, you may be up for doing the job yourself. However, painting is often time-intensive, messy work. And depending on the size of your project, you may be wise to hire a professional to do the job. Professional painters have the knowledge, skill and the tools to do the job right. Most will also guarantee their work, so you’ll be more assured of getting a quality paint job that lasts for years longer.

Q: Does it matter what paint I choose?
A: With paint, you often get what you pay for. Top-quality paints are more expensive, but they often have better components that make them smoother, more durable and last longer than cheap paint. You’ll have to repaint less frequently and your home will look better between painting.
Even if you purchase a top-quality paint brand, you should be aware that most paint manufacturers make paints in good, better and best grades. So it’s possible to buy a good manufacturer but a lower-quality paint. This is the reason it’s especially important to request that your painting contractor specify what manufacturer and grade of paint they’ll be using.

Q: What is the difference between paint finishes?
A: Exterior and interior paint is labeled according to sheen and gloss. The higher the sheen, the more light reflects off of the paint and the shinier it appears. Your choice of paint depends on the area and surface, the color of paint and whether you’ll need to clean the painted surface or hide imperfections.
Matte and flat paints have very little or no gloss. They are often used on walls and ceilings and hide surface imperfections. Eggshell finish has a slight sheen and a lustrous appearance. It is often used on interior walls. Satin and silk finish paints have a finish that is in between that of eggshell and semigloss. They are easier to clean than flat paint. Semi-gloss finish is shinier, glossier paint. It is easy to clean and resists staining. However, the glossier a finish is, the more likely imperfections in the paint will be noticeable.

Q: Why do painting estimates vary?
A: Painting contractors base their prices on labor, the time needed for painting preparation, the quality of paint applied and the number of coats. Cheaper bids may be a sign of lower quality of work, cheaper paint materials or less knowledgeable painters. When one bid is much lower or much higher than the others you’ve received, you’re wise to ask the contractors to ensure the painting company is bidding on the same project and same details within the project that the other contractors are. You can avoid most of this uncertainty by requesting detailed bids that are itemized and include quality and brand of paint materials, details about paint application and number of coats.

Q: Why is my exterior paint is peeling? and what can I do about it?
A: Some paint will peel when overexposed to moisture and weathering. Your paint may be peeling because it is the wrong type of paint for the surface, it was applied poorly, or the surface was not properly prepared before painting. If your paint is peeling, there isn’t much you can do. The peeling paint will need to be scraped and removed, the surface sanded and prepared, and a new coat of paint applied. If you hired a local painter in Monterey County and San Benito County, call them back to address the situation. Good painters will usually stand behind their work, and they may repair or repaint your home based on the warranty they promised when they first did the job.

Q: What can I do about peeling house paint?
A: Your best course for dealing with peeling paint is to remove the entire coat of paint, not just the peeling area. That’s because the rest of the paint will most likely also fail since it was applied in the same way to the same surface. Contact a local Monterey County and San Benito County painting company to assess the damage and advise you on your specific situation.

Q: What are low-VOC and no-VOC paints?
A: VOCs are volatile organic compounds, or chemicals that emit potentially harmful gasses over time. Paint, lacquers, varnishes, paint thinners and paint removers often contain these chemicals. Paints with lower concentrations of these toxic compounds have become available recently.
There are also some paint brands that offer products with no VOC content. These natural paints and finishes are durable, cost effective and less harmful. Talk with your painting contractor and ask if they are familiar with low-VOC paints and whether they would recommend them for your home. Most customers who chose low VOC paints or no VOC paints do so because they are concerned about indoor air quality or have children or pets they want to protect over the long term.