Painting your home is one of the quickest and most affordable way to improve its value and appearance. But because it is so easy to do, painting the house is often overlooked as an authentic way to improve its worth.

A nicely painted home communicates two important things to visitors and passersby. The first and obvious effect is that the house makes a good impression. Secondly, a nicely painted house suggests that the house is well cared for.
 
People judge your home by its exterior. Even if the home is in the best condition possible, that fact is not immediately obvious if the exterior looks shoddy. The way you paint the home’s exterior is the first thing that attracts people to the property.
 
If the exterior is not appealing, you may not get a chance to show people the other aspects of the home. Moreover, even if the rest of your home is in great condition, a rundown exterior will drag down its value, warns Windermere Management.

·Improved curb appeal
Exterior paint can damage your home’s curb appeal as much as it can help it. This can happen if you do not choose your paint colors and paint design carefully. Before you add a coat of paint to your home, be clear on what you want the home to communicate. The way you paint your home can put people off or draw them in because colors have the power to influence emotions.
 
This is why your choice of colors, as well as, your use of those colors matter so much. Note that your personal color preferences may not be the best for your home. To determine the best way to paint your home, think of the impact you want to make and choose colors and designs that will help you achieve that result.
 
·Protect your home
The least obvious benefit of painting your home’s exterior is how exterior paint protects your home’s external surfaces from damage. Paint is your home’s first line of defense against the forces of nature. The process of painting your house gives you the chance to uncover and address every defect on the building’s exterior surfaces.
 
If you periodically renew the paint on your home’s exterior, you reduce the possibility of damage to the building. Also, paint actively protects the surface from the impact of physical force, organic agents, chemical corrosives, and the actions of the elements. By painting the home’s exterior, you give it a protective layer that helps to maintain it in good condition.

As previously stated, all paint colors and designs are not equal. Some colors and designs will work against the appeal of your home and devalue it. On the other hand, choosing the right colors and design will boost the home’s value far above the cost of repainting the house. What are the things you should know before painting your building?

·Does the paint match your home style?
Homes from different eras or with a defined architecture have to be painted in ways that complement their unique characteristics. Painting your home in a way that is more appropriate for homes of a different style will diminish its value.
 
The home should be painted to reflect its unique identity and most attractive features. This will be evident in the paint colors you choose and in how you deploy those colors.
 
·Does the design fit the neighborhood?
In addition to the style of your home, you must preserve the distinct characteristics of the neighborhood. Your goal should be to make the home different in a nice way. This means painting it according to the overall pattern of the homes in the area while giving the building a unique level of individuality. If the design does not agree with the neighborhood design, you create problems for yourself and your neighbors.
 
·Is there underlying material you want to show off?
You may not need to paint the entire surface of your home’s exterior if the building is made of materials that are worth showing off. For instance, if some aspects of the exterior are made of bricks or there are some eye-catching stone details, you probably want to leave those unpainted. On the other hand, you may also choose to paint those features in a way that will still make their appeal more obvious.

·Paint preparation is vital
Lastly, paint preparation is the most important part of painting the home. Good paint preparation will detect problems with the various surfaces and repair them before the paint is applied. Good paint preparation also determines how well paint adheres to the surface and, therefore, how long the paint job will last. Do not overlook proper paint preparation because you think it takes time and costs more money.

You may have noticed a large time gap between this blog post and the last one.  Truth is, this has been such a busy year for us that I haven't had the chance to put thought and effort into an article.  But a recent occurrence kind of stirred my soul and I felt the need to respond to a comment from an irate client. He was incensed that our crew was washing paint brushes in house. Having been a professional painter himself, he let us know that no 'professional painter would ever re-use a brush.' He also indicated that latex paint going down the drain would damage his plumbing.

First off, I had to take some time to let my 'professional ego' simmer down. And then I needed to do some research to make sure that I was actually following industry best practices.  After 35 years in the business - which included an apprenticeship with a master painter - I had never heard of disposing of brushes at the end of a job.  Not unless you actually were using disposable brushes with some sort of finish that was difficult to clean up.

So I did plenty of investigating. And while we probably could have taken better care of this customer and asked if cleanup at his house was fine with him (or else taken the brushes back to clean at our shop, as we most often do), I would like to address his two points.

I've known and worked with a lot of professional painters over the years, and I have never encountered a single one who didn't reuse brushes.  In fact, good painters are very particular about the brushes we buy, because we expect them to last for years, with the proper care.  You get used to how a certain brush feels in your hand, and it actually makes your job easier.  Breaking in a new brush can be a bit of a pain.

So contrary to his belief that we were using 'crappy brushes,' we in fact buy some of the best in the trade. (I did have to double check to make sure this was true. And it is. (PainterGuide rated the 12 best brushes this year, and out of the 12, the two brands we use most often - Purdy and Wooster - occupied 8 of those 12 spots.)  Those brushes may cost a bit more up front but they pay for themselves in a short time because they perform well and they last.

Which brings me to my next point regarding disposing of paint brushes.  It's my belief that a painter who regularly does this ends up spending a lot more money on tools than he needs to, and his costs he passes along to his customers by way of the prices he charges are going to be excessive.  In short, he's wasting the customer's money.  Now, while we know we're not the cheapest painting contractor in town, we believe in giving our clients great value for their dollar.  And judging from the reviews we get, they agree that we do. 

So why do we wash brushes on-site at times?  Periodically it's because we're changing paint colors.  Or perhaps we didn't have the materials available to wrap up the brushes for storage for use the next day.  (Most painters will do this with latex brushes, and it is an accepted industry practice.)

Does latex paint damage plumbing?  Absolutely not.  Household cleaning products and chemicals like Draino can be harder on your pipes than latex paint.  (Never put oil-based paint down the drain, but that's a moot point because it's not water-cleanup anyway.)  You should never wash brushes used with latex paint where it could get into ground water - such as in your yard - but water treatment plants can easily processing highly diluted latex paint residue.

The belief may be based on the prohibition against washing latex paint brushes in a home that has a NEW septic system.  Unless the septic is well established, latex paint can inhibit development of the bacteria necessary to break things down in the septic tank. And because of that, contractors working on new construction will often arrange to have a tank pumped when they are finished. 

Yes, it's fine to re-use paint brushes.  In fact, we're highly in favor of it.  If that were not a good industry practice, there wouldn't be so many articles and video tutorials for PROFESSIONAL painters showing them how to do it properly.  And we try not to waste our customers' money, so we watch our costs and try to avoid unnecessary spending. 

Yes, it's fine to rinse off latex paint from brushes and let it run down your drain. There won't be an issue with your plumbing, and you won't have trouble with your sewer.  People put far worse things down their drains than a trace amount of latex paint, and their water pipes seem to do just fine. 

Apologies to the customer for not asking first, but we will have to agree to disagree about best industry practices when it comes to re-using and cleaning paint brushes. 

Enough said.

- John Schweiss

Vinyl siding is still the #1 choice among homeowners.  But it has its drawbacks - lack of color choices being one. 

Vinyl siding is a terrific option for damp climates like here in Bellingham - it's not susceptible to wood rot, and it's relatively low maintenance because it's easy to clean.

But what has kept many homeowners from installing vinyl siding is the lack of color options.  Most siding companies offer a variety of tans and earthtones, with a Wedgwood blue thrown in for variety, but not much else.    That means if you want color, your only option was wood siding.

Not anymore.

Can I paint vinyl siding?

The short answer is, Yes.  The long answer used to be, only with light colors.  That kind of defeats the purpose, because those light colors are what's available.  Until recently, dark paint colors weren't recommended, since dark paint absorbs heat, and that heat could cause the siding to warp, bubble, buckle, distort, or crack. 

Sherwin Williams has fixed that. 

With their VinylSafe® Color Technology,  heat absorption is no longer an issue.  And with over 100 colors to choose from, you can paint your vinyl siding just about any color you want.  (Click here to see the color choices).  If you can't find a color you want, Sherwin Williams has some terrific custom color matching software to get you what you want.

Colors are available in Sherwin Williams Duration®, Resilience®, and SuperPaint® lines.  

So if your vinyl siding is looking a little faded or you'd just like to change its color, give us a call.  Now with Sherwin Willliams paints, we can do that! 

If you stop by our blog regularly, you've probably noticed I've been AWOL - and with good reason.  This summer's incredibly nice weather has meant I've been working overtime getting those exterior painting projects done that got postponed last fall.  But I thought I'd stop by and leave some thoughts for those of you who are contemplating painting your own house before the rainy season starts. 

Many homeowners think that painting can't be all that hard.  I know it's true, because I've done lots of jobs over the years that were finishing up what people started and then realized they were in over their heads.  But even if you're an experienced DIY'er and are handy with a paint brush, painting your home's exterior is something you may want to leave to a professional painting contractor (like  North Pine Painting), for a number of reasons:

If you're trying to save money, chances are a painting contractor will pay much less for the paint than you will.  Painters usually get substantial discounts from paint stores like Sherwin Williams based on the volume they buy.  While you're totaling up your savings, you may want to figure in your own hourly rate - what are your labor costs?  Yes, you're not paying yourself, but if you're painting your house rather than working for pay, it's costing you. 

Choosing the appropriate paint for your home, the type of siding you have, and the local weather isn't as easy as you might think.  You have to select a paint that will work well over the existing (or prime it), as well as one that will cover well.  A painting contractor has the experience to select a paint that will cover well and hold up without needing multiple coats.  That bargain closeout paint you bought may take you two or three coats, while the more expensive paint I'd select only takes one. 

Have you planned out all the prep steps?  There's the power washing ($$$ to rent one if you don't own one), plus scraping, sanding, and spot priming any loose paint.  If you don't take the proper steps (or even know what your house needs), the paint you put on will most likely peel, flake, chip, and/or bubble.  Then you'll need to hire a painter to remove that and re-do it. 

Do you know all the factors in Bellingham's weather than can cause your paint job to be a flop?  Moisture and hot sun are two things that can wreak havoc on a new paint job.  A professional painting company knows how to deal with these issues. 

And last of all there's the stress element, plus the inherent safety issues of working outside on a ladder. 

Tell you what - if you're thinking about painting your home yourself, why not get an estimate from us just to find out what it will cost.  We offer no-cost estimates, so you're not out anything but a little time.

By the way, if you want to get that paint job in this year, we've only got about another 6 weeks before the weather will make it somewhat dicey - so give us a call today. 

It looks like winter has finally decided to leave the Bellingham area, and the overnight temps are staying above freezing.  Add to that the sunny days we've been having, and before too much longer those of you who have had your exterior painting jobs on hold can expect a call from me to schedule your project. 

I always enjoy spring time, because so many homeowners are fixing up their houses, and my phone is ringing off the hook.  These days when it comes to homes, curb appeal is one of the most important things you can have for your house.  A real estate professional will tell you if you're choosing between interior and exterior remodeling, always go with the exterior.  While that advice helps sell houses, it's also a good tip even if you're planning on staying in your home indefinitely.  After all, you want to feel good about your home's appearance when you drive up, and you want your guests to enjoy the view, too.

One of the easiest ways you can do that is with a new exterior paint job.  While siding companies will tell you it's a waste of money to keep painting your siding over and over, if you compare the price of new siding with the cost of getting your house painted, you may want to re-check that logic. 

Depending on the size of your home and whether it's more than one story, the average cost to repaint the exterior in this area is about $1900-$2500.  Of course, if you want multiple colors and you've got an historic-era home with lots of gingerbread trim, it will be more, but this is a good number to use for comparison. 

Now for the siding numbers.  The best siding options for this area aren't wood (which needs to be repainted anyway).  If you choose vinyl, you can expect to pay about $7000.  For fiber cement such as HardieBoard, the cost doubles - $14,000.  And fiber cement often needs repainting.  Metal siding costs are about $8000 for aluminum, and a bit more for steel.

Now here's a bit more math to help.  A good paint job will last about 7-10 years, so for the cost of vinyl siding you can get your home painted three  times.  Will your vinyl siding last 30 years?  I've seen numbers ranging from 20-30 years, but usually after about 10 it has faded and needs repair or replacement.  Fiber cement siding that comes pre-finished (not all of it does) usually is warrantied for about 15 years, but you've paid more than 5 times the cost of a paint job, which in those 15 years would need to be re-done once. 

If you're considering having your wood siding replaced, perhaps you may want to request an estimate from a local Bellingham painting contractor like me to find out just what paint would cost.  One thing about having a paint job - it's a lot more economical to change the color if you get tired of it than having to replace the siding! 

We're now doing estimates for spring exterior painting - contact us today for a quote.  360.594.2430.

There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint to freshen up your home.   Now that winter is coming to an end here in the Bellingham WA area, if you haven't thought about giving your home a facelift by having it painted, you may want to give it some consideration. 

We found a helpful article from Angie's List recently, and after you've read it perhaps you'll be in the mood for adding some dramatically different looks to your home, like Sherwin Williams' 2014 Color of the Year, Exclusive Plum.  The gray and blue tones are definitely extremely popular right now, and this luscious color could be at home in just about any room of the house.

If purple tones aren't what you have in mind, pop on over to our Pinterest board on Interior Color Trends for a look at some of the other popular colors.  No matter what your taste is, you'll find a color that could give the inside of your home a refreshing change. 

Or maybe it's the outside of your home that needs some sprucing up.  After all the rain in March already, the greens are bursting out, and here and there spring flowers like crocuses and tulips are emerging.  The blah days are over for the weather; how about for your home?  Our Pinterest Exterior Color Combos board has some inspiration for that, too. 

Still not sure?  Just give us a call - we offer free color consultations in the Bellingham / Whatcom County WA area.  Call us today - 360.594.2430360.594.2430.

Here's a glimpse of Benjamin Moore's 'Breath of Fresh Air 806,' which they have named their Color of the Year.  This color could work well anywhere from an entryway to a bath to a bedroom or a sitting area.

I've always been a fan of painting walls in luscious pastels like this in the spring.  It seems to bring outdoor freshness into a home.  Pastels work well in smaller areas - they can make a space look larger. 

Contrasts are popular this year, too, as this vibrant kitchen combo shows.  Blue and yellow are reminiscent of early-spring crocuses and wildflowers, and the blue ceiling overhead almost makes you feel like you're outside!  This yummy pairing is Behr's 'Summer Harvest 380A-3' and 'Liberty 580D-6.'

If you're having a hard time making up your mind, I'd be happy to arrange a free color consultation.  I've got a wide range of color decks for you to see for yourself some of the beautiful interior paint colors available for 2014.  Contact us today to arrange a no-obligation, no-cost appointment:  360.594.2430. 

After nearly twenty years of operating my business in the Midwest, where it's too cold to do much outdoors for almost six months out of the year, let alone paint or stain houses, I was looking forward to milder temperatures here in the Puget Sound area.  Seeing as I had been told it rarely dips below freezing in the winter, I was looking forward to having a longer exterior finishing season. 

Then several things happened.

First of all, until late summer, all of the work I got was indoors. Since I was working steady, I wasn't complaining.  I had sent out a number of bids for exterior jobs, but with the nice weather, I guess the property owners were enjoying being out in their yards without scaffolding and painters in their way.

Then fall hit, and it was a short fall, apparently in comparison to most years.  As the temperatures began to drop, I had a number of owners call somewhat urgently requesting to get their projects done before winter.  Much as I wanted to accommodate everyone, fall turned out to either be rainy with only a break of a day in between, or else unseasonably cool.  And for exterior house painters, either one spells trouble, and both mean it's just about a sure thing you won't get your job done this year. 

For those of you who were counting on getting your house painted or or stained before the end of the year, I'm sorry to have disappointed you, but the weather just didn't cooperate.  For future reference, here are a few basic things about exterior painting and staining that depend on the weather.

• Several dry days in a row are necessary.  I can power wash in the rain, but at least one day afterward is needed to dry the wood out, sometimes two if it's cool or cloudy. 
• Once the wood is dry, a couple of days are needed to apply the paint or stain.  If more than one coat is needed, extra time for drying in  between is required (4-6 hours of temperatures above 40°-45°). 
• Then another 4-6 hours at this temp is needed for the paint to cure properly.  Darker colors may take longer to cure due to the tint content. 
• Humidity level and shade affect drying times as well. 

Some painters may tell you that it's possible to apply paint so long as the outside temperature is above freezing, and perhaps some paint manufacturers might say it's okay, but after nearly 30 years in the business, it's been my experience that below 40° you're asking for trouble. 

So for those of you who are disappointed I didn't get your job done before winter, I apologize - Bellingham is touch and go for outdoor painting in the fall.  I'll get back with you in the spring, and I can promise you that you'll be a lot happier with the results when the weather warms up and the sun comes back around again. 

 Meanwhile, it's always a good time for interior residential painting, so give us a call to make an appointment before spring, because then hopefully I'll be back outdoors.