Sonoma – Painting - Contractor

As you’re interviewing local painters in Sonoma County, it’s wise to use a list of prepared questions. This will keep you on track during your interview and will help ensure you get the answers you need to make an educated decision. It’s also smart to write down the answers you get from each contractor. You’ll be able to keep straight which Sonoma County painting company answered each question most satisfactorily and may make it clear which company is the best choice.

• Do you have a valid contractor’s license? What is your license number?
  
• Do you have active liability and workers’ compensation insurance?
  
• Tell me about your residential painting experience and the experience of your employees.
  
• How many times have you done a job like mine before?
  
• Do you charge for painting estimates?
  
• Do you have your own painting crew, or do you hire subcontractors or outside painters?
  
• How are your painters trained?
  
• Are you personally 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 (Sherwin Williams, ICI Dulux, Kelly-Moore, Glidden, Behr, Valspar, enamel, matte finish, flat paint, semi-gloss, high-gloss)? Why?
  
• What guarantees and warrantees do you offer?
  
• How long have you been a painting contractor in Sonoma 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 companies can’t pass. If you want quality from a painter in Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area, you can have confidence choosing a Diamond Certified company. Diamond Certified reports are available online at www.DiamondCertified.org for all certified companies. And you’ll never be fooled by fake reviews. That’s because all research is performed in live telephone interviews of actual customers.

If you can’t find a Diamond Certified painter within reach, you’ll have to do some research on your own. If you do, it’s wise to call some references provided by your contractor. Keep in mind, though, that references they 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 given to customers from companies are rarely randomly selected from all their customers. Instead, contractors will likely give out contact information for a few customers that they know are satisfied.

If you do call references on your own, 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 satisfied.

• Were you satisfied with the services from _(painting company name)_?
  
• What type of painting did they do for you (interior or exterior painting, single room painting, faux finishing, ect.)
  
• Did the painters you hired finish the work on time?
  
• Did the contractor keep you up-to-date with the status of the project? Or did you have to call in order to get information?
  
• If you live in a smaller town such as Penngrove, Fulton, Roseville, Fort Bragg or in West County, did they charge extra to travel to your home?
  
• Did the company show up on time?
  
• Did they clean up after completing the job?
  
• When you need new interior or exterior paint in the future, will you consider hiring this painting contractor again?
  
• Would you recommend this painting company to your friends and family?

Now that you’ve found the local painting company that meets all your ideals, it’s the perfect time to ask for a written contract. This contract should include written details on the price, quality and materials to be used, as well as the job start date and intended completion date.

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

When signing the contract, don’t be afraid to write in special requests or verbal agreements. This will protect you and help ensure you get the services you have agreed on. Along with end dates and any special instructions, these add-ons may also include related issues that aren’t always covered by a standard contract. For example, regardless of how careful your contractor promises to be, rutted lawns, damaged shrubs and crushed flowerbeds are often unexpected results of exterior painting jobs.

But you can protect your property by being proactive. Before the work begins, schedule a walk through with the company supervisor and conduct a pre-work inspection of your property. List or photograph your landscaping, home and property and talk with a company representative about reasonable expectations for protecting your home and yard during the work. When you’ve reached an agreement, both you and the contractor should sign and date the document. When the work is done, do a final inspection together and verify that your expectations were met.

Prepare for Your New Interior and Exterior Painting
Professional painters are able to handle the large and small aspects of their work. But there are a few things you can do in preparation to their arrival and while the work is in progress to help their job go more smoothly. You may even cut down on billable hours or the possibility of damage to your home and belongings.
 

• Remove furniture and movable items from the workspace. Before the work begins, remove all furniture, decorations, rugs, and movable objects from the rooms slated for painting. Anything that’s not removed from the room should be moved away from the walls to the center of the room and covered with drop cloths or plastic. You may also want to temporarily store any heirlooms or expensive items that are in high-traffic areas of your home to prevent them from being broken.
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• Provide adequate clearance and parking space for work trucks. Some painting companies have large work trucks that require more clearance or parking space than average vehicles. Contact the company before the scheduled start date and ask them how many work vehicles will need parking space and whether the vehicles are oversized. You may find it helpful to walk through the site with your contractor ahead of time so they can point out any potential clearance issues or possible hazards you can move or minimize before the painting begins.
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• Trim plants and bushes outside your home before exterior painting. If you’re hiring a Sonoma County painting company for exterior painting, you may be able to save time and money by trimming trees, bushes and other plants that are close to your home’s exterior. Talk with your contractor about the amount of space they require around the perimeter of the job.
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• Keep children and pets out of freshly-painted rooms. Your contractors will be focused on the work at hand and shouldn’t have to watch out for children and pets before, during or after the work. Cordon off any rooms that are to be painted and keep pets and kids away from those rooms until after the work is done and the paint is fully dry. This will prevent accidents, injury and the expense of touch-ups and repainting.

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

• The contractor’s name, physical address and license number.
  
• A list of all services performed.
  
• An itemized list of all the paint and painting supplies purchased.
  
• The total cost for painting services, including the amount due for labor.
  
• Any applicable warrantees or guarantees provided by the paint manufacturers and the company.

It’s smart to compare the completed work to what was promised on the written invoice. Ask your company representative to walk through the job site with you and show you the work. Check what was done against the invoice. During the walk-through, ask if there are any special instructions for maintaining your new paint. If you have questions about the work that was done or the materials used, this is the time to ask.

The top 10 requests for residential painting services in Sonoma County are listed below.

Paint Color Selection
Paint color selection is a service offered by many painting companies in Sonoma County. Paint selection considers possible colors, existing colors in the home and overall room scheme. Paint matching may also be available in cases where homeowners want to match new paint to an existing color.

Interior Painting
Any painting done 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 and clear finish. Many modern interior paints are available in environmentally-friendly formulations that have lower toxicity than exterior paints.

Exterior Painting
Exterior paint is applied to the outside of homes and buildings. Exterior paints must be more flexible and fade-resistant than interior paints to stand up to changing weather conditions and the fading effects of the sun.

House Painting
The term house painting can include interior and exterior painting, and often takes into account the entire process from color selection, prepping, taping, priming, painting and sealing. Many painters specialize in painting homes, while others paint commercial buildings, industrial buildings and government buildings.

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

Faux Painting
Like decorative painting techniques, faux painting is a technique that adds a faux finish to the surface. Venitian plastering, faux suede, faux marble or marbleizing and wood graining are examples of popular faux painting.

Commercial Painting
Any painting in commercial buildings, including stores, schools, offices, museums, public buildings and hospitals is referred to as commercial painting. Some contractors only offer commercial painting, while others provide a combination of services that includes commercial, industrial and residential painting.

Low VOC Paint
Low VOC paints have lower quantities of volatile organic compounds, or chemicals that may be harmful to human health. Low-VOC paints are often suggested for use in homes and office buildings where people spend a great deal of time. The use of low-VOC and no-VOC paints may help improve indoor air quality.

Industrial Painting
Industrial painting services in Sonoma County offer painting for large industrial and commercial buildings. Industrial painting often includes metal building interior and exteriors, ceilings, walls, floors, metal siding, metal roofs, office buildings, parking structures, factories, manufacturing plants and warehouses.

Painting Services
Painting services is a term that encompasses all services offered by local painting companies. Common painting services include house painting, interior painting, exterior painting, residential and commercial painting, paint preparation, spray painting, paint rolling and high-volume painting services.

Top 10 Brand Requests

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

Q: Why choose a Diamond Certified Painting Contractor?
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 and why should I be concerned about it?
A: Lead paint is a leading source of lead poisoning in children and adults, and it can causebrain damage and slowed physical development. Lead-based paints are found on interior and exterior surfaces of older homes, primarily those built before 1978. This isn’t usually a problem if the old paint is covered with new, lead-free paint. However, when the paint chips, cracks, peels or is scraped off, the lead paint underneath can pose a threat to children and pets in the home.

If your home does contain lead paint, your painting contractors legally need to take precautions when removing it. These containment procedures may include sealing off the rest of the home, wearing respirators to avoid inhaling the lead, disposing of the clothes worn while removing the lead paint, and using special filtration systems and post-removal cleaning procedures to remove all lead particles.

Q: How do I know if my home has lead paint?
A: Most homes that were built before 1978 were painted using lead paint. A simple lab test can prove if your paint contains lead. Some painting contractors in Sonoma County will test for lead paint, and lead paint tests are available at most hardware stores.

Q: Can I paint my home myself?
A: As with may home improvement projects, it is possible to paint your home yourself. If the area you want to paint is small or you have experience painting, you may be up for tackling the job yourself. However, painting can be 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 already 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.

Q: Does the quality of paint used matter?
A: With paint, the old saying usually holds true: You get what you pay for. Top-quality paints are more expensive, but they often have better ingredients that allow them to go on smoother, be more durable and last longer than cheap paint. Over the long run, you’ll have to repaint less frequently and your home will look better between painting, meaning you may save more money by spending a little more at the outset.

Q: What is the difference between paint finishes?
A: Exterior and interior paint is labeled according to its sheen and gloss. The higher the sheen, the more light reflects off of the paint and the glossier, or shinier, it appears. Your choice of paint will depend on the area and surface you’re painting, the color of paint you’ve chosen and the need to clean the painted surface and hide imperfections.
 

Matte and flat paints have very little to no sheen. They are generally used on walls and ceilings and are best for hiding imperfections in the surface. Eggshell finish has a slight sheen and has 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 a shinier, glossier paint. It is easy to clean and resists staining. However, the glossier a finish is, the more likely it is that imperfections in the paint will be obvious.

Q: Why can painting estimates vary so widely?
A: Painting contractors base their prices on a number of factors—the cost of labor, the time needed for surface preparation and needed repairs, the quality of paint applied and the number of coats needed. Cheaper bids may reflect a lower quality of work or less experienced painters. However, it’s smart to question the contractors when one bid is much lower or much higher than the other bids you’ve received to make sure the painting company is bidding on the same work.

Q: My exterior paint is peeling. Why is this happening and what can I do about it?
A: Paint can peel when exposed to moisture and weathering. Your paint may be peeling because it is the wrong type of paint for the surface, it was applied in a poor manner, or the surface was not properly prepared before it was painted. If your paint is peeling, there isn’t much you can do about it. The peeling paint will need to be removed, the surface sanded and prepared, and a new coat of paint applied. 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 Sonoma County painting company to assess the damage and advise you on your specific situation.

Q: I’ve been hearing a lot about low-VOC and no-VOC paints. What are they? Should I consider using them?
A: VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are chemicals that emit potentially harmful gasses when applied and over time. Paint, lacquer, varnish, paint thinners and paint strippers often contain these chemicals. In recent years, paints with lower concentrations of these toxic compounds have become available. 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.