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The Importance Of Prep Work For Painting

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Importance Of Preparation Blog

The start of a quality commercial paint job begins way before a single brush stroke is made. A lot of the time, the prep work that occurs before any painting determines the quality of the finished project. Poor prep work can ruin a lot of projects before they even get off the ground. Before you dive headfirst into a project, understand the importance of preparing your workspace. From the walls to your tools, our painters in South Jersey provide some tips and insight. 

Surface preparation is extremely important and time-consuming work. However, it must be done to ensure the paint adheres to the surface properly. You cannot rush the preparation process because it will end poorly and result in more money being spent trying to correct the result. When working as a commercial painter, this can be a disaster and ruin your reputation in the area very quickly.

Protecting Items And Surfaces

When beginning your preparation, all items and surfaces that are not being painted should be protected. You can protect these items by simply removing them from the area or covering them with tarps. If you are painting a surface that has intricate trim work, you should utilize painter’s tape so the paint doesn’t drip on the wrong spots. The toughest spots to protect are doorways, outlets, and windows. 

Power Washing 

Surface preparation comes to play with outside surfaces as well. The most popular way to prepare an outside surface is by cleaning it with a power washer. Outside surfaces can have many contaminants such as dirt, rust, algae, mud, and much more. The pressure and temperature of the water will easily remove these contaminants from any surface. If contaminants are not removed, it can jeopardize the durability of the paint job. 

Scraping & Drying

After cleaning a surface, you want to let it completely dry before you start moving on to the next step. If a surface is still damp, primer or paint will not adhere properly. For power washing, the surface may remain damp for a few days. Be mindful of this when time is of the essence for a project. After cleaning a surface, loose paint might still be present. Paint leftovers need to be scraped off to make sure a bare surface is available for your new paint. Again, failure to do this may create problems with the new paint adhering properly. 

If you have any questions or concerns about your painting project, reach out to Rainer Painting at 856-786-8121! 

What Are The Differences Between Latex And Oil-Based Paints?

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Differences Between Latex & Oil-Based Paints Blog

There are two common types of paint that are used for interior and exterior paint jobs. Both types of paint have unique characteristics that make one preferable over the other. The kind of project you are working on will influence and determine what type of paint you should use. The two main types of paint are latex and oil-based. How do you know when to use which? Our professional painters in South Jersey outlined the differences and similarities.

Ease Of Use

Both types of paint have difficulties when applied. Generally, oil-based paints require more energy and effort to apply to a surface. Oil-based paints are more difficult to spread on a surface due to their composition. Oil paints are a lot more viscous and thicker, which require multiple brushes to be used. Oil paints take longer to dry as well. On the other hand, latex paints are a lot thinner, which results in an easier spread and less equipment use. Oil-based paints require a good primer as well. Latex paints don’t require a primer, but it is still strongly recommended to prevent a failure to adhere to the surface.

Chemicals Used

Both paint types offer similar colors that can achieve various looks for your home. Each paint type differs based on its chemical makeup. In particular, both paint types use different chemicals to bind to surfaces. Latex paints use an acrylic mixture that acts as a binding agent for the paint. The acrylic binding element is non-toxic and very flexible which makes it a popular choice for areas exposed to intense temperature changes. Oil-based paint uses a form of oil as a binding agent. Oil-based paint is quite thick and more susceptible to issues such as mold. 

Durability

Each type of paint has different degrees of durability. Oil-based paints are harder to work with, but offer a higher degree of durability. Oil-based paints are a lot more resistant to stains but are more prone to cracking over time. Latex paints stain very easily but rarely crack or peel over time if applied correctly. Oil-based paints are the go-to choices for high-traffic areas like bathrooms, trims, and exteriors. Latex paints are used for other interior rooms and are easier to clean if an issue occurs. Oil-based paint requires a lot more effort to clean and heavy-duty solutions.  

If you have any questions or concerns before starting your next project, reach out to Rainer Painting at 856-786-8121!

How To Preserve Your Exterior Paint Job

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How To Preserve Your Exterior Paint Job

Exterior paint jobs take a lot of abuse from the elements. It can be very costly to routinely repaint the exterior of your home every time a form of damage or wear occurs. The best way to keep the exterior paint job in the best shape is to not constantly redo it, but preserve it. Our expert painters in Haddon Heights provided tips to help preserve your exterior paint job.

Manage Your Vegetation

A yard that is flourished with plants, trees, flowers, and bushes may provide a much-needed aesthetic and private barrier to the public. Time and time again, many people will face the issue of vegetation damaging the exterior of the home. We are not saying to clear out the lot completely, but it is important to manage it. Branches and vines can quickly grow out of control. Once out of control, they can become hazards to falling on or growing up the side of your property. It is important to maintain this before it happens. On the flipside, trees can be beneficial for your exterior paint job if they are placed properly and keep the elements like sunlight off of your siding.

Cleaning Your Gutters

The gutters of your property function as a way to properly distribute excess water and protect your roof. Unfortunately, certain roofs and gutters can cause debris to be pushed down the siding of your home. This debris can cause staining of the exterior siding of your home. The best way to avoid this is by regularly cleaning your gutters and roof to avoid a buildup of sludge above. This will not only preserve your exterior paint job but your gutters and roof as well.

Clean Your Siding

It is no surprise that exterior parts of your home can become very dirty. It is impossible to prevent particles and dirt from building up on your siding. It can both tint the beauty of the paint job as well as the damage it. You should make a point to powerwash your siding every so often to keep your paint job vibrant as well as clear of nasty particles. Be mindful of any cleaning products you may use. These cleaning products could strip away the protective coating that lines the paint. The best bet is to utilize a power washer and specialized cleaner that was designed for your type of siding and paint.

If you have any questions or concerns about maintaining the exterior of your home, reach out to Rainer Painting at 856-786-8121!

The Proper Way To Paint Wood Paneling

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How To Properly Paint Wood Paneling Blog

Wood paneling was a popular aesthetic in the mid to late 1900s in housing designs. Wood paneling was seen as a cheap, easy to install way to achieve the trendy style of the times. From the 50s into the early 80s, manmade materials such as laminate, vinyl, linoleum, and paneling dominated the interior design scene. Fast forward to today, it is not as widely popular as it used to be. Wood paneling can add a sense of warmth to a warm or complete turn you off a room. With that being said, painting wood paneling is a popular request for our painters in Mount Holly. Here are some tips to do it the right way.  

Cleaning

Before you start painting your paneling, the paneling and molding need to be cleaned. Over time, dust and dirt can create a film over the paneling which can be a nasty surface to paint over. A dirty surface makes it difficult for the fresh paint to adhere to. If you do happen to get any paint to adhere, the paint will show off a clumpy look that could easily make the paneling look worse than before. 

Filling & Sanding 

After you clean the wood paneling, you want to fill in any blemishes with putty then let dry out. After minor cracks and holes are filled, it is a good idea to lightly sand the paneling to create a dull and gritty surface for the new paint to adhere to. Be sure to not sand too hard because you can start chipping away at the paneling itself, which creates more spots to fill. Once you are finished, remove the dust by using a damp washcloth. 

Caulking

With paneling, there are usually gaps between each individual panel that lines the walls. Caulk should be used to fill in these gaps between each panel as well as the trim, windows, and doors. Once finished, let the caulk fully dry before moving on to priming the wood paneling. 

Priming

Next, an oil-based or water-based primer should be used to prepare the wood paneling for applying coats. A roller and a fine brush should be enough to get the job done. A roller can be used to efficiently cover the surface while the brush is good for when you get into tight areas of the paneling and cracks. Oil-based and water-based primers will prevent any stains from showing through your completed project.  

Painting

Lastly, you want to get started painting and seeing the makeover come to life. For your first coat, apply a thin layer of paint from top to bottom. Ensure that all grooves are covered between each panel as well as remove any drips down the paneling. After the first coat dries, apply the second coat to make sure the paint job is durable and the best coverage possible was achieved. Once the paneling is painted, carefully work on the trim underneath to either match the wall or create a beautiful contrast. 

If you have any questions or concerns about your painting project, reach out to Rainer Painting at 856-786-8121!   

Why Prime Coat Is Important

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2024 painting trends

Before you get knee-deep in your next painting project, there is specific planning and preparation that needs to occur to make sure the result is what you want to see. After you plan out what rooms, colors, and coats are going to be used, make sure you pull back the reigns and start off on the right foot. The right foot for any painting project is starting with using the correct prime coat(primers). There are many benefits of using primers. What primer you use is based upon the surface you are painting on and what paint will go on top. Our seasoned painters in Mount Laurel provided some information regarding primers and primer selection. 

Benefits Of A Primer Coat 

There are many important benefits of a primer coat that can allow for a durable, beautiful makeover to take place. The goal of prime coat is to seal the base surface so extra coats of paint are not needed and don’t soak into the base surface. Primer does an amazing job of hiding natural blemishes and eyesores like joints and seams. Primer prevents anything from showing through the main coats to allow for a long-lasting paint job for your rooms. Primer can be applied to many surfaces such as masonry, metal, wood, and much more. 

Primer is usually a neutral color or completely clear. Neutral and clear colors are used to make sure the desired coats are shown through as much as possible. In most cases, you should look for a primer that has a slight pigment that gets close to your final color to be on the safe side. It ensures that nothing will bleed through and your final color is shown perfectly. 

Different Types of Primers 

There are three main types of primers. These three main types are oil-based, water-based, and all-in-ones. Each type of primer has certain characteristics that make them more effective based on the project. 

Oil-Based Primers

Oil-based primers are a great option for surfaces that are prone to be touched a lot. A young kid’s playroom, doors, windows, and cabinets are ideal areas for oil-based primers to be used. Oil-based primers can be a pain to apply to an extent due to mineral spirits being required for thinning and post-cleanup. Oil-based primers work incredibly well with sealing tough surfaces such as wood and rough stains. 

Water-Based Primers 

Water-based or latex primers are great stain-blocking agents and work well on surfaces that have spots filled with binding paste. If strong cracking resistance is important, water-based primers are recommended and should be used against new drywall and bare wood. If you are priming wood, be sure to test it out on a small area to ensure the wood grain does not rise. Water-based primers can be effectively used on brick, metal, and plaster as well. 

All-In-One Primer 

An all-in-one primer is designed to not only seal but cover a surface within one coat. An all-in-one primer combines the properties of primer and paints together to offer a time-efficient solution to painting. All-in-one primers work best on new drywall or surfaces that have been previously painted. All-in-one primers do a great job covering an area but sometimes may require an extra coat. All-in-one primers are very thick and may not be the best solution depending on the situation. All-in-one primers are not recommended for surfaces that require a high degree of bonding, sealing, and stain prevention.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding primers, reach out to Rainer Painting anytime at 856-786-8121!

Holiday House Preparation

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Holiday House Preparation Blog

The winter holidays are finally about to arrive! These holidays can be filled with lots of joy and happiness or anxiousness and messiness. The emotions felt around the holidays largely depend on one question. Are you hosting for the holidays or are you traveling elsewhere? If you are hosting family and friends, a lot of holiday house preparation occurs before anyone even arrives. Holiday decorations and house cleaning can be frustrating when you know that you are having many guests that you may only see once a year. Outside of decorations, what else can be done rather quickly to get your house in tip-top shape? Here are some tips from painters in South Jersey that can help.  

Repaint And Restain Your Front Door

Your guests have arrived! Their first interaction with your house is no surprise, the front door. A quick and relatively easy way to spruce up your house is by repainting or restaining your front door. A freshly painted or stained door makes a welcoming first impression on guests. Your front door is relatively cheap to redo over and has the range of getting pretty creative with color schemes. Give it a shot!

Touching Up Your Bathroom 

A bathroom on the floor where most of your guests will hang out is another space that can quickly get a facelift. A commercial painter can have a bathroom completely refreshed within a day. A fresh and clean bathroom can wow your guests and serve as a conversation topic (only for a little). 

Touching Up Your Baseboards 

Baseboards can be a forgotten part of rooms that don’t really get attention until it’s too late. Baseboards can easily be overlooked but still have the ability to brighten a room up. Look into getting your baseboards touched up and repainted to provide a pop to a room where guests will be hanging out in. 

Repaint Your Cabinets

Holidays are centered around friends, family, and homecooked meals. The kitchen is often the most used space in the home whether you are entertaining guests or not. During the holidays, your guests are going to be bringing dishes and going for seconds in your kitchen a lot. Since it’s a central gathering place, it makes it a great room to redo before you have guests over for the holidays. One project you could start up before the holidays is repainting your kitchen cabinets. Cabinets take up the most space in kitchens. It can only help if a fresh coat of paint on cabinets welcomes all the new foot traffic brought to the kitchen. 

If you have any questions or concerns about your holiday house preparation, reach out to Rainer Painting at 856-786-8121!

How To Choose Your Color Palette

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How To Choose The Right Color Pallette Blog

Before you can start filling your new home or commercial space with lovely furniture, the most important part of the design has to be decided. That part is choosing the right color palette for your space. Choosing your color palette can be the most nerve-wracking decision to make when decorating the home. Luckily, paint is only temporary, right? To avoid going back and forth with your friends and family on what to do, here are some tips from our expert painters in Mount Holly.

Choosing The Colors

Time to break out the trusty color wheel. The color wheel consists of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Primary colors consist of your red, blue, and yellow colors. The unique property of these colors is that they cannot be created through mixing, only different shades. Secondary colors are orange, green, and purple. These colors are formed when equal amounts of two primary colors are mixed together. In most cases, painters start with picking their secondary colors before anything else. Tertiary colors are your mixture of various parts of primary and secondary colors that create different shades and hues.

Choosing Your Color Scheme

Now that you understand what is on the color wheel, it is time to choose a color scheme. Your color scheme should best fit your personality and lifestyle. There are four primary color schemes for people to choose from. The four-color schemes are monochromatic, analogous, contrast, and complementary. Monochromatic uses different tones of the same color with the addition of white or black to alter the color by lighting it or darkening it. If you use blue for example, a pale blue or a dark night blue and other varying hues of each would make up your scheme. Analogous uses colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel. This creates a scheme that has a wide range of soothing colors. Contrast is a scheme where three sets of contrasting colors are used to create an environment of energy in your home. Complementary is a color scheme where you choose two opposing colors to create a bold and energetic color scheme.

Things To Consider

It is important that you choose other aesthetics for your room before selecting a wall color. Wall paints are relatively cheap and are fluid which allows for any color or hue to be created. Furniture and carpeting are a lot more narrow in terms of color options and more expensive. Once furnishings are picked out, that is the sign that your wall paint is next on the list of chores. While choosing each, determine what is going to be the contrasting item. Some people prefer the vibrant color to be on furnishings rather than the walls. Others prefer more neutral furnishings that are complemented by bold wall colorings.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please reach out to Rainer Painting at 856-786-8121!

Safety for Contractors Entering Homes During COVID-19

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Safety For Contractors Entering Homes During COVID-19 Pandemic Blog

With homeowners spending more time at home now than ever before, the renovation and investments list keeps growing and growing. Whether it be painting a room or giving your wife that dream kitchen, contractors are needed now more than ever before.

For some, that list isn’t too worrisome. The DIY’ers of the world will tackle it during these slow work-at-home hours or an upcoming vacation. For others, contracting services are their only hope. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it unsafe for people to open their doors as wide as before to outside people. 

Safety measures and sanitation practices are able to prevent COVID-19 and make it a must-do before, during, and after workers enter your home or business. Only wearing a mask is not enough to quell the potential safety risks. Our professional contractors within different verticals such as commercial painters in Cherry Hill spoke about their worries and precautions they have been taking. Here are some takeaways.

Ask The Contractor About Their Precautions

The most basic precaution to take as a homeowner and contractor is to wear a mask while in each other’s space. Masks have become quite a controversial topic in society whether it not it actually works to keep both parties safe or not. According to the CDC and other medical professionals, both parties wearing masks does significantly lower the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Alongside this basic precaution, be prepared as a contractor to face questions about company prevention mandates. In many cases, customers will vet you with safety questions before you enter their home if they are wary of the transmission of COVID-19. Some good mandates to utilize and discuss with your customer are temperature checks, frequent handwashing, and maintaining a safe working distance from residents of the home.

Ask The Homeowner About Their Precautions

On the flip side, it is important as a homeowner to make sure contractors are comfortable with conducting their services in your home. As mentioned, masks should be worn at all times to ensure the basic form of transmission prevention. However, there are some more precautions homeowners should take. First, homeowners should be sure to thoroughly clean the rooms where contractors will be working or passing through. COVID-19 can live on surfaces which makes this an important point to make. Second, residents of the home should try to avoid the contractor’s workspace as much as possible. Not only does it harm productivity, but it limits contact with one another which can result in germs being passed. Thirdly, keep your home ventilated well. With contractors working and possibly kicking up dust and dirt, make sure your home is ventilated to let out nasty irritants that can cloud up your home. Lastly, work together to be safe. Check to make sure everyone is following precautions as work and interaction are happening.

If you have any questions about our services or COVID-19 precautions, reach out to Rainer’s Painting at 856-786-8121!

Top 5 Reasons To Use a Local Painting Company

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Top Five Reasons to Use A Local Painting Company Blog

Painting your home is a lot of work: it is no DIY project that anyone can tackle. When hiring a professional painter, you will save a lot of time and effort in the long run. You can either hire a large chain or a local painting company. Although both are great there are differences, and hiring a local painting company such as painters in South Jersey has its advantages. 

Local Painters Have a Reputation to Protect 

Local painters have a reason to protect their reputation as a company because they work and live in the area. Word of mouth is a large part of gaining customers. Referrals are relied on heavily. Word of mouth is how they are mainly getting their customers; they have to please their local customers and businesses. 

Boost Local Economy 

Hiring a local painting company will boost the local economy in your region due to the money staying within your area. They will purchase supplies from local stores, which benefits the local economy. 

Quick Completion 

When working with a local painting company, they can get the job done faster and in a timely manner because they are closer to you. A local company can come for an estimate within the same day of a request making it much easier for the customer. 

Easy to Check for Reliability 

The first thing you do when hiring anyone for work is look at their previous work. It is much easier to see the work a painting company has done locally in your area for reference. The chances a local painting company has completed a home in your neighborhood or area is very high. You can talk to the owners of the homes to ask about their experience, which is where word of mouth comes into play.

More Local Jobs 

Small local businesses employ the most people meaning that more people will get jobs in your community. Local businesses are owned by people who live locally and are more invested in the future of the company and community. 

At Home Best Practices Against COVID 19

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At Home Best Practices Against COVID-19 Blog

South Jersey Painters have received a detrimental hit towards its services during the COVID 19 pandemic. Homeowners and business owners are not only facing economic hardship but are scared to let anyone into their space, especially a painter in the form of a local contractor. We are all battling this pandemic together, so we decided to create a list of helpful tips and practices to do at home to keep COVID as far away as possible.

Self Care

Not only during the pandemic but 365 days a year, self-care should be practiced. Your body is the most important thing in the fight against beating and slowing the spread of COVID 19, so it’s best to give it all the help it needs. Everyone should practice a daily routine that includes eating healthy meals, hydrating, and exercising daily to keep your body’s immune system in peak condition. Sleep is important as well. These current times are stressful and can lead to restless nights. However, keeping the news and social media off will help you relax and get the sleep you need to keep your body healthy day after day.

The Household

If you are currently being exposed to COVID 19 or taking care of someone who has been diagnosed with it, household upkeep is extremely important in stopping the spread through your family and living in your home. As always, keeping your hands clean and away from your face is extremely important to protect yourself from exposure. Be sure to wash your hands and face for at least 20 seconds after coming in contact with someone suspected or confirmed to have been diagnosed. Common areas such as doorknobs, tables, and bathrooms should be cleaned frequently to kill off any germs harboring on surfaces. Be sure to handle laundry properly when dealing with a diagnosed individual or potential exposure. Make sure exposed clothes are washed on the warmest setting and dried fully. If any bodily fluids appear on the clothes, handle with the addition of rubber gloves to avoid any contact.

Protecting Others When Ill

Unfortunately, a positive diagnosis can be a result even with the healthiest individual. After diagnosis, it is important to limit the spread by going through a self-isolation period. A self-isolation period involves staying home from work and activities for roughly two weeks. This means avoiding shared spaces in your home as much as possible and practicing healthy habits like promoting air circulation in a room. Masks should be worn when applicable by healthy and unhealthy individuals in the home. Fluids and over-the-counter medicines can help accelerate how quickly you recover from COVID 19 but don’t change the time frame of it being spreadable. Self-quarantining is essential.