Santa Clara – Painting - Contractor

As you’re interviewing local painters in Santa Clara County, it’s wise to use a list of set questions. This will ensure you get the answers you need to make a wise decision. It’s also a good idea to write down the answers you get from each painter. That way, you’ll be able to recall which Santa Clara County painting company answered your questions acceptably and may make it clear which company is the best choice for you.

• Have you earned and maintained a Diamond Certified rating?
• Do you have a valid contractor’s license?
• What is your license number? (You may want to verify this license number and look for any complaints against their record 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.
• Do you charge for painting estimates?
• Do you have your own painting crew?
• How are your painters trained?
• Who will be in charge during the painting work?
• Do you recommend a specific brand and type of paint (Pratt & Lambert, Kelly Moore, Benjamin Moore or Dutch Boy, matte paint, semi-gloss, etc)? Why?
• What guarantees do you offer on your painting work?
• How long have you been a painting contractor in Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 you received from _(painting company name)_?
  
• What type of painting did they do for you (interior or exterior painting, kitchen painting, living room painting, ceiling painting, accent wall painting, etc.)
  
• Did the painters finish the work on time?
  
• Did the contractor have good communication skills?
  
• If you live in a smaller town such as Blossom Valley, Stanford, New Almaden, San Martin, Holy City, Los Altos Hills or Monte Vista or in the rural Santa Clara County area, 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?
  
• When you need new painting in the future, will you consider hiring this painter again?
  
• Would you recommend this painting company to your friends and family?
   

Now that you’ve found the local painting company that can satisfy all of your needs, it’s time to ask for a contract. This contract should include written details on the price, quality and paints to be used, the start date and completion date.

Before you sign the contract, understand all terms and limitations. The contract is binding, and should protect your property and your interests and those of your contractor. For this reason, you should never sign a blank or incomplete estimate.

You may write into the contract any special requests or put into writing the verbal agreements you’ve made with the painting company representative. This will protect you and 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 unexpected results of exterior painting jobs.

But you can proactively protect your property. Before the work begins, schedule a walk through with the supervisor and conduct a pre-work inspection of your property. 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 you’ve reached an agreement. When the work is done, accompany the contractor on a final inspection and verify that your expectations were met.

Get Ready for New Interior and Exterior Painting
Professional painters in San Jose, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Milpitas and throughout Santa Clara 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 items. Remove all furniture, decor, rugs, and other objects from the rooms slated for painting. Anything that’s not removed should be pushed to the center of the room and covered with drop cloths or plastic. You may want to store heirlooms and expensive items that are in high-traffic areas to prevent them from being broken or damaged. Some painters will move and cover furniture, but there may be an additional charge for this service. Ask about who should prepare the room for painting, and, if the painters offer the service, how much they charge. It may be worth it to you to have them do it, or you may be able to knock a few hours worth of time from your final bill by doing it yourself.

Provide enough clearance and parking space for work trucks. Some painting companies have large work trucks that require more clearance or parking 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 with your contractor ahead of time so they can point out potential clearance issues or hazards you can move or reduce before the painting begins.

Trim plants and bushes before exterior painting. If you’re hiring an Santa Clara County painting company for exterior painting, you may 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.

Keep children and pets away. Your painters will be focused on the work and shouldn’t have to watch out for children and pets. Close off the rooms you’re having painted and keep pets and children away until after the work is done and the paint is completely dry and cured. This will prevent accidents, possible injury and the expense of touch-ups and repainting.
 

When the new painting is completed, most good painters will give you a written invoice for the completed work. This usually includes:

• The contractor’s name, business address and license number.
  
• A list of all services completed.
  
• An itemized list of all paint and painting supplies purchased, including brands, quality and amount.
  
• The total cost for painting services, including the amount charged for labor.
  
• Any relevant warrantees or product guarantees provided by the paint manufacturers and the painting company.
  
• It’s smart to compare the completed work to what was promised on the official invoice. Ask your painting company representative to walk through the job site with you and show you the work. During the walk-through, ask if there are any specific 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.
   

The top 10 requests for residential painting services in Santa Clara County including those in Santa Clara, Milpitas, Mountain View, San Jose and Sunnyvale and the surrounding areas are listed below. The paragraphs below the table define each painting service request.

Paint Color Selection Services
Paint color selection is a service many painting companies in Santa Clara County offer. The paint selection process involves paint color choices, existing colors in the home and overall room and decoration scheme. Paint matching services may also be available in cases where homeowners want to match new paint to an existing color.

Exterior Painting
Exterior paint is applied to the outside of homes and buildings. Exterior paints must be more elastic and fade-resistant than interior paints so they’re able to stand up to harsh weather conditions and fading from the sun.

Interior Painting
Painting on the interior surfaces of a home is referred to as 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 from color selection, paint prepping, taping, priming, painting and sealing. Many painters specialize in painting homes, while others paint commercial buildings, industrial buildings and government buildings. You may want to consider hiring a house painter that has experience in the types of materials, techniques and 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.

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.

Low VOC Paint
Low VOC paints have lower quantities of volatile organic compounds, or potentially harmful chemicals. Low-VOC paints are often used in homes and offices where people spend a large amount of time. Low-VOC and no-VOC paints may help improve indoor air quality and avoid toxin-related illnesses.

Industrial Painting Services
Industrial painting services in Santa Clara 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.

Painting Services
Painting services encompass all paint products and painting specialties offered by local painting companies in Santa Clara County. Popular painting services include house painting, interior painting, exterior painting, residential painting, commercial painting, preparation, spray painting and paint rolling.

Top 10 Brand Requests

• Valspar Paint
• Dutch Boy
• Kelly-Moore
• Glidden Paint
• Dulux Paint
• ICI
• Sherwin-Williams Paint
• Behr
• Benjamin Moore
• Olympic Paint
   

acrylic paint
Acrylic paints are water-based synthetic paints known for performance and long-lasting color. Acrylic paints are water-soluble when wet but become flexible, durable and water-resistant once dry. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water and can be mixed together to create new paint colors.

Also known as: acrylic house paint, acrylic latex paint, acrylic enamel, acrylic interior paint, acrylic exterior paint, acrylic painting, acrylics

antique finish / antique faux finishing
A specialized finish usually applied to furniture and woodwork to give the appearance of age and antiquing. Antique finishes may appear worn, cracked, rough or hand-rubbed and are often used on furniture, accent walls and room trim to complement décor.

Also known as: antiquing, antiqued wood painting, faux antique finish, antique oil finish, shabby chic painting, antique painting, distressed paint, distressing, aged-look painting, country-antique finish

cutting in
The painting technique that creates a neat line where two edges or colors meet as “cutting in.” When cutting in, painters usually use a trim brush with beveled or angled bristles to apply a finished-line edge.

Also known as: cutting, cutting in paint, cut-in, cut-in walls, cutting-in ceilings, cut-in paint

eggshell finish
Eggshell finish is a type of paint finish that has a slight sheen and appears mildly shiny. It often has the same appearance as an eggshell, hence its name.

Also known as: egg shell finish, eggshell paint finish, satin finish paint, eggshell paint, egg-shell paint

elastomeric paint
Elastomeric finishes are thick, flexible and waterproof rubberized paints. Elastomerics create a waterproof barrier on almost any surface, including masonry and stucco. Elastomeric paints are generally used on home exteriors and are available in almost every brand and color.

Also known as: elastomeric exterior paint, elastomeric masonry, elastomeric stucco paint, elastomeric rubberized paint, rubber paint, elastomeric coatings, waterproof paint barrier

enamel finish
A type of household paint that dries to a hard finish. Enamel finishes may be flat paint, gloss paint or semi-gloss paint.

Also known as: enamel interior paint, enamel exterior paint, hard enamel finish, glossy enamel paint

epoxy finish
Epoxy is a type of paint that is made from tightly-binding chemicals. Epoxies resist standing water and extreme surface conditions, so epoxy finishes are a good choice for industrial painting and other areas that need a tough, protective coating.

Also known as: polyester epoxy, fusion bonded epoxy powder coatings (FBE), epoxy resin, powder coatings, two-part epoxy coatings

faux finishing
Faux finishing encompasses a wide range of decorative painting techniques used to make one surface appear like another. Common faux finishes include: texturizing, color washing, paint combing, marbleizing, wood graining, stria, rag painting, stenciling, metallic paints, glazing, plaster of paris, sponge painting, faux brick finishes, wall murals, smooth finishes, and other similar wall treatments.

Also known as: faux painting, faux finishes, faux finish painting, faux paint texture, decorative painting, decorative faux finishes

finish coat
The final coat of paint applied to walls, ceilings and other structures is referred to as the finish coat.

Also known as: finishing coat, final coat, top coat, finished coat

flaking paint
When paint fails and small pieces flake off, the paint is said to be flaking. Like peeling, cracking and blistering paint, flaking paint occurs when a layer of paint detaches from the surface it has been applied to. Once a paint job starts flaking, the best fix is to completely strip and sand the surface and reapply a better quality paint.

Also known as: paint flakes, flaking paint, chipped paint, peeling paint, paint flaking off

flat finishes
Flat finish is the most common paint finish used for interior painting. Flat finishes reflect the least amount of light, and have no sheen or gloss. They are common interior and exterior paint choices.

Also known as: flat paint finish, flat finish, flat finish paint, no-gloss paints, flat paint, flat paint colors

gloss paint finish
Glossy paints have a shiny sheen and reflect light. Gloss finishes are shiny and durable, although they may be more prone to scratching and flaws than flat paints. Glossy finishes are generally used as accent paints on cabinets, trim and furnishings.

Also known as: glossy paint, glossy paint finish, gloss finish, high gloss paints, demi-gloss finish, gloss paints, semi-gloss

lacquer finishes
Lacquers are fast-drying, clear or lightly-pigmented varnishes. Lacquer dries as solvents evaporate and often requires a curing process to develop a hard coating. Lacquer is commonly applied to wood and furniture.

Also known as: lacquer, lacquer spray, gloss lacquer, clear lacquer, lacquer sealant, lacquer sealer, shellac, varnish

latex paint
Latex paint are synthetic, water-based paints that dry quickly and are easy to clean. Latex paints are opaque and are easy to paint over with another latex-based paint.

Also known as: acrylic paint, acrylic latex paint

metallic paints
Metallic paints are interior paints that have metal flecks. The metal flakes are reflective and create a shimmery, luminous appearance. Metallic paints are often used on accent walls and with dark paints in large rooms.

Also known as: metallic paints, polychromatic paint, metal flake paint, metal paint, metallic-finish paint, metallics

paint fading
Paints that are exposed to high amounts of light, heat and weathering can experience fading. Fading can be postponed by choosing higher quality paints, choosing lighter colors and applying more coats of paint.

Also known as: paint fading, residential paint fading, faded paint, paint fade restoration, sun faded paint, sun fading paint

paint thinner
Paint thinners are solvents used to thin and clean up oil-based paints. Many paint thinners are made of toxic or potentially dangerous chemicals. Paint thinners should be used carefully and sparingly. Using a water-based paint will make it unnecessary to use paint thinners.

Also known as: paint solvent, acetone, mineral spirits, turpentine, naptha, touline, xylene, MEK, DMF, liquid thinner

peeling paint
When a layer of paint detaches from the lower layers of paint, it is referred to as peeling paint. Paint peeling can be caused by moisture or poor adhesion due to improper preparation. Peeling paint must be stripped, sanded and reapplied to a clean surface.

Also known as: paint peeling, interior peeling paint, exterior paint peeling, fixing peeling paint, peeling house paint, peeling bathroom paint, peeling paint texture

primers
Coats of primers are painted onto a surface before applying paint and finish coat. Primers assure a strong bond and prevent paint from peeling, chipping and flaking.

Also known as: primer, priming, paint prepping, preparation, primer coat, wood primers, primer sealer, primer spray

satin finish
Satin finishes have a rich texture and a slight glossy finish. They are also known as eggshell finishes. Satin finish paints are hard-wearing and easy to clean.

Also known as: satin interior paints, satin finishes, satin wall finish, satin-finish paint

stain
Stain is a water-based or oil-based glaze that is applied to surfaces to add color. Unlike paint, which sits on the top of the surface, stain is absorbed into the surfaces. Stain is often used on wood and to permanently stain the surface.

Also known as: wood stain, staining, interior stains, exterior stains, surface stains, wall staining, paint staining

textured paints
Textured paint has grainy material within the paint or that can be applied with brushes, rollers, trowels or other tools to create special effects. Textured paint effects are often used to hide flaws, imperfections, accent furniture and decor, or hide stains and wall damage.

Also known as: texture paint, texturized paint, paint texturing, applying texture to paint