Tag Archives: University Painters

If you have recently painted your home or business exterior or had a professional paint company perform the job, it should not be surprising that the occasional touch up may be required. Unfortunately, exterior surfaces of any structure are under constant assault by the weather and even the best paint jobs will need the occasional touch-up to keep them looking great. Let’s talk about touch-ups in this blog.

First, let’s agree that ‘touch up’ means to perform a quick restorative job or improvement to the appearance of something. In this case we are talking specifically about the outside of a structure. The first thing to determine is when the original paint job was completed. If your home or business was painted several years ago, then a touch up might be obvious because the color of the exterior may have faded from the weather. As a result even the tiniest addition of new paint can be obvious, creating a sheen that reflects the light differently than the paint around it.

One way to minimize this is to do a thorough annual inspection of your home or business exterior in search of areas that show signs of wear that would benefit from a touch up. Of course, this is best done in the spring or early summer in most climates but fall and winter are optimum for homes in the extreme southern climates.

Take into consideration whether the paint job or home itself is still under warranty and determine how this information can be useful in the touching up process. If the paint itself has a warranty you may contact the company for proper remuneration and satisfaction. If the company that did the painting offers a warranty, then they would be the next choice for contacting and addressing your concerns.

If you decide to undertake the touch up process yourself keep a few things in mind. First, lightly scrape any areas that you intend to touch up and make sure the surfaces are free from any debris. You may want to wash down the areas you are repairing and let them dry. Also do not overcoat the areas with the fresh paint – this will make the touch up more obvious. Finally, make sure your colors match as closely as possible.

Looking for a paint company to touch up the exterior or interior of your home or business? The professionals at University Painters, Inc. are at your service!

Summer is one of the best times to refresh the exterior of your home by adding a new coat of paint. It’s dry for longer periods of time, the sun helps to dry the paint more quickly and you have extended time frames where inclement weather won’t prevent you from working. Even so, there are some tips that will make summer painting more worthwhile and help to get more bang for your painting buck.

• The paint you are using will be exposed to the sun and heat throughout the painting process. When paint is open for any length of time the liquid within will begin to evaporate and the paint will feel thicker and be less likely to apply smoothly. As a result, you will probably need to ‘reconstitute’ the paint to keep it fluid. This means adding water to the paint itself. The formula is about 10% of the paint volume to keep it viable. When reconstituting it is also better to do this in ‘batches’ or smaller amounts of paint than putting the water directly into the gallon paint cans. The latter may cause your paint to become too watered down over time. Fortunately, there are products on the market that take the guesswork out of reconstituting.
• We cannot remind you often enough that the outcome will only be as good as the surface the paint is applied to. In other words, prep your surfaces in advance. Take the time to scrape off peeling paint, repair holes in the siding or wood, and wash down the exterior – giving it plenty of time to dry before applying that first coat of paint.
• Layer ice in your paint trays to help prevent evaporation when you are painting. Put a layer of ice in the bottom of the tray and then cover it with a disposable liner before pouring in the paint!
• Paint in the earlier hours of the day – after the dew is gone but before the sun is beating down!

If you need more advice or are looking for a paint company to complete your job, contact the professionals at University Painters, Inc.

Your home’s exterior is going to be subject to the ravages of weather no matter where you live. If you reside in the Northern, Eastern or Midwest states you are likely going to have evidence of snow, sleet and hail damage to the house as winter comes to an end. But, if you think that people who live in the sunny southern states don’t have their fair share of weather problems wreaking havoc on their homes, then you are mistaken. The unrelenting sunshine can cause just as much damage to a home as any of the elements.

The heat and sunlight that beats down on homes in Arizona, New Mexico and adjoining states can quickly degrade the variety of materials that makeup the exterior of the home. For example, plastics that comprise parts of the windows can crack, and the paint itself will wither and peel. Of course, there are many other issues that come with owning and maintaining a home in places where the sun always shines.

Southern states may receive as many as 300 days of sunshine out of 365 days in the year. At least five of those months also average temperatures well into the hundreds so that it is nearly as hot in the middle of the night as it is in the middle of the day! In these circumstances it doesn’t take long for the sun and heat to cause weather damage. The important thing to note about this is weathering does not just affect the home’s appearance – it compromises the home’s structural integrity as well. Even the most advanced plastics will become brittle and wood will succumb to warping. And no matter how high-quality the paint you apply, it will also degrade, particularly if it is a south or west-facing wall that gets the most exposure.

One way to combat these problems is to purchase paint that has UV-resistant qualities. Be proactive in walking the house and checking for areas that may need to be refurbished with new paint, caulking or other materials. Also it’s a good idea to speak to an architect and/or landscaper to find places where the roofline can be extended, awnings added, and trees planted that will all help to prolong the pristine exterior of your home.

Need some updating to your home’s exterior? Contact the professionals at University Painters, Inc.

Summer is a great time to refurbish and refresh your properties both business and home. Sometimes this only involves cleaning and painting the exterior to give it ‘curb-friendly’ appeal. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to sell it. The point is you are creating a point of pride for yourself and your family with your residential and commercial neighbors appreciating the efforts.

If you are throwing in some remodeling prior to painting what follows are some suggestions that should help you pay homage to the importance of being eco-friendly in today’s sensitive environment.

• Go all out. Begin by having your home inspected by experts in the field of environmentally friendly homes and businesses. Energy efficiency is one of the most important considerations and there are many professionals who can come in and advise you of upgrades and changes that will save you money in the end. The same is true of keeping your indoor environment as free of pollutants as possible. You want your home (and business) to be a safe haven for your loved ones and customers. Attending to the environmental safety by getting advice and collaborating with professionals who are knowledgeable in this field is an essential start to your summer projects.

• Are you a fan of some of the most upscale retailers who use recycled materials to create their furniture and home good products? Then you should be willing to take that upscale taste to a new level by considering the use of recycled materials when you are refurbishing and upgrading your home and business. Not only is this an environmentally-friendly approach to renewing your property but it is cost effective as well. Recycled products can cost a quarter of what the price of new materials go for. Speak with your contractor in advance and make the use of recycled materials a priority.

• Choose paints that are environmentally friendly when you begin to address the updating of your interior and exterior surfaces. Low VOC refers to volatile organic compounds that are not harmful to the environment and humans. Many painters now use this type of paint exclusively in their work and recommend it to their customers. It can also be described as ‘organic’ paint and should be your first choice when painting your home.
Finally, recycle the materials you remove and/or use in your upgrading process. The less materials going to the dump or being discarded the better for the environment. Need advice on your summer painting project?

Contact the professionals at University Painters, Inc. It will be our pleasure to serve you!

Now, you know your business! You probably live, eat and breath every tiny aspect of keeping it up and running because research shows that small and medium-sized business owners make their livelihood from this endeavor. So, this blog is not intended to give the impression we do not respect your broad and deep intellect when it comes to your company. However, we have been in the business of commercial and residential painting for years and have found that a well-placed reminder on occasion ensures you are proactive in maintaining an exceptional presentation!

• When you are budgeting, whether you do it quarterly, semi-annually or annually, include the cost of updating your building’s façade and interior on a regular basis. In fact, several times a year you should walk the interior and exterior of your property with an eye towards assessing how it looks to the public.
• Check your parking lot. Be sure that it looks fresh and clean and the parking space lines and other markings are visible and easily identifiable. This is especially true of the handicapped features. If these are mismarked or not clearly visible, it could result in a fine or lawsuit.
• Do not allow graffiti to take away from your building’s presentation. If you find graffiti anywhere on the building contact a graffiti removal company or commercial painting business to rid your exterior of it immediately. Also contact the police and take pictures of the graffiti for documentation purposes. You are able to press charges if the culprit (s) are found and ask for restitution.
• If you are not able to repaint the entire exterior or interior of your business, consider updating the look of the trim and perhaps the door. Freshly painted parts of the building can complement the current paint job and make it look newly updated altogether.
• Don’t forget to budget for painting fencing if you have that on your property. No matter what kind of material your fence is made of it will need to be updated occasionally.

You are the steward of your business – embrace the responsibility knowing that a nice presentation invites business. If you need more input on painting your commercial property, contact the experts at University Painters, Inc.