Painting FAQ

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Can I Supply My Own Paint?

You absolutely can supply your own paint. We would first ask you to check and see what rates that you can get with your suppliers. Because we buy so much paint from one supplier, we get exceptional pricing. Our rates might be more economical for your price range. If you find that the cost of you providing your own paint would be cheaper than us providing the paint, we expect you would make the most economical decision, for yourself. At the same time, please ensure you check with us before you select the paint. Most paints have very different characteristics and qualities and we cannot provide a warranty for paints that you purchase if they do not meet our quality standards.

Do You Repair Drywall?

We certainly do. Although we are primarily a painting company, we do employ workers with multiple skill sets. If this is some type of work you need done alongside the painting portion, we would need to know this information while we’re doing the estimate. If there is a very large job, we would recommend hiring a drywall company because they can typically replace large volumes of drywall at a more economical price. This way, we could ensure that we are giving you an accurate price and making sure we provide the correct crew or business for your project.

Do You Stain Decks?

Yes, we do! But there are a few things you should consider before getting your deck stained. Is this something that you wish to withstand the test of time? How often do you want to get your deck stained? Water-based or oil? Solid or Semi-transparent? Acrylic or no acrylic?

How do you make sense of it all? The good news is you don’t have to. Let CertaPro handle it for you! Generally speaking, water-based materials are the go-to product nowadays. The EPA mandated multiple changes to the industry in the past decade, leading coatings’ companies to place more research and emphasis on waterborne materials.

Many painters primarily use water-based products on their decks, because they are less toxic to humans, pets, and plant life and due to modern technology tend to outlast their oil-based counterparts. The type of stain you choose (semi-transparent or solid) is also heavily dependent on the age of your deck. Once a deck reaches 12 – 15 years old, it typically will not hold a semi-transparent color very long. You may see extensive fading after one year.

Thus, for older decks, you’ll find us recommending solid stain for maximum color retention. You’ll lose the look of the wood grain, but at that age, you need to be focused on maximizing the life of your investment. It becomes less about appearance and more about preservation.

Do You do Lead-based Paint?

We have been certified to handle lead-based paint projects for over 10 years. There are some things to keep in mind when recoating over lead-based paint. First, and foremost, the EPA is very strict when it comes to the regulations of Lead particles allowed in the atmosphere. If we are working within any residential, particularly where children are staying or have access to, the EPA has strong regulations against how many particles can be in the air space. When we are working, within said environments, great care must be taken as to not induce too much exposure to anyone near the establishment. This means we must take extra care, and caution, when preparing these surfaces for painting.

Generally speaking, handling lead-based paints will almost double the normal amount of prep time that would be originally estimated. We must do this to retain a safe environment for everyone involved, and ensure a safe atmosphere to protect our own employees when working within these conditions.

Does Self-priming Paint Really Work?

To answer this simply, yes but not all primer/paints are the same. If you would like to delve a bit deeper, we can offer an explanation.

If you’ve researched paints either online or at a paint store you’ve no doubt come across paints that say they are paint and primer in one, so-called “self-priming paints.” Simply apply one coat of these paints, they claim, and you’ve painted and primed.

While many do-it-yourself painters may take that claim, professionals are more cautious, mainly because primer and paint serve different purposes. A primer is used for:

  • Sealing in tannins, grease, smoke stains, etc. to ensure they don’t bleed through the fresh coat of paint.
  • Improving the surface for the paint to adhere to, making it last longer.
  • Creating a uniform surface to which makes the paint coat more attractive.

Paints are meant to provide a finished look in both color and texture, including a uniform and lasting appearance.

  • While some professionals note that combination paint and primers, such as Sherwin Williams Duration, make an excellent primer or paint on its own, reputable companies do not take the shortcut and use one coat for both.
  • “The primer-paint combinations do have a thicker composition, but we also know that each primer has its own special properties for particular surfaces such as wood, metal, concrete and interior walls.
  • Primers both seal the surface and help paint bond to it. Some primers do both, but they tend to do one better than the other. That means that the primer in a self-priming paint may seal when it makes more sense for a primer to create a surface for the paint to bond to, or vice-versa.