Real Estate Investor · Cabot, AR · Member since 2014 · 70 posts · 38 votes
I spent many years as an industrial/architectural paint sales rep. I feel like I could answer and have probably dealt with most issues you encounter so please feel free to shoot me a message if I can ever help you out!
@Jay Granger check out www.creativemulticare.com , I can't give a personal reference but they do seem to be a market leader in the Atlanta area for epoxy style refinish jobs.
@Paul Staszel is more expensive paint worth the extra $$....yes and no. It really depends on the situation. Example, if you are building a home and painting fresh sheet rock it's no better to use the expensive brand verse the contractors grade. Why is that? Because the walls will require a coat or two of primer, then a coat or two of paint to look good so really you are getting solid coverage all combined. Now if you were repainted a house and one of the rooms was bright red or yellow that needed to be repainted, then you would want to spring for the more expensive or higher quality paint. It will have more titanium dioxide in the base, therefor offering much better coverage. Or maybe if you were painting a white wall to bright red, you would want to purchase the more expensive "red base" high pigmented paint to get the job done in two coats guaranteed. Time is money and you don't want to rely on hope when painting, hoping that it covers well enough.
As far as the smoking tenants goes, I would give the walls a good washing with TSP then once dried come back with some Kiltz -oil based- primer. That's the one two punch for smoking tenants.
Wow! What an awesome thread. Thank you @Dan Ward for sharing your expertise.
I have a question:
I'm about to paint the exterior of a little brick house. Yes, yes, I know, you're not supposed to paint brick, because it's porous and when it freezes it might start cracking the brick and once you've painted you can't go back. I know all that, but I'm going to paint it ;-).
What should I pay attention to? What's the best primer for brick and can I use normal exterior latex paint?
Dan. Thank you again. This is a great thread and I'm learning tons.
I may have missed it somewhere, but do you have a paint sprayer you would recommend for someone who does rental turnover and occasional rehab but no large scale painting?
@Michaela G. I'm a fan of painted brick oddly enough! If done properly it will last years, look great, and add tons of curb appeal. People that complain about it are the same ones that think you can paint a house once and never touch it again for 100 years. So the trick to a super nice brick paint job would be the following:
*Clean with TSP or just give a good washing. Let it set for 24+ hours to dry
*Use elastomeric caulking on any decent sized cracks in the brick to stop moisture from getting behind the paint
*look for ~elastomeric paint~ this is the secret weapon used on commercial jobs where brick is painted (and it's done quite often). You can get both paint and primer as an elastomeric product. The pricing isn't horrible per gallon but you won't get the same coverage as you would a normal gallon of paint. This paint will flex with the temperature changes and last the longest.
Now if this is just a rental and you really don't want to go the elastomeric paint route....you could use a high quality exterior latex primer followed by a good quality exterior top coat. If you go this route one more pearl of wisdom would be to use something called "Seal Crete" it's made by a few different companies. It's like Thompson watersealer for brick and concrete. It helps cut back on efflorescence and seals the brick which helps cut back on the amount of primer to absorb into the brick.
@Sebby Gabre Madhin I'm a fan of the smaller Graco 350 model from PPG or Sherwin Williams. It's generally around $300 or less and will last a lifetime. Ive use a ton of spray rigs in my day and it really comes down to personal preference and how often you use it. I've seen people use super cheap ones from a pawn shop but still put out quality work, while I've also seen people do horrible work with super expensive units.
If I were you I would put in the effort to become an EXCELLENT painter with just a brush and roller for the rehabs. It will help you better understand the bidding for jobs, and will let you know when a painter is too proud of their work and charging a crazy price. I hope this helps! Thanks!
This is a great thread and I've picked up a ton of info in the 5 pages! I live in the midwest where we encounter the cold winters hot summers. It seems that on exterior painting no one gets nearly the amount of years that the manufacturers warranty the paint for. I have a general contractor friend that swears that using an oil based primer under a latex paint will add years to the paint job. Is there any truth to that? Also, is there any paint, primer combo for exteriors you'd recommend for durability and long lasting results? We've got all the major paint suppliers and I'm more than willing to pay for long lasting products so I don't have to re paint often. Also, any tips on exterior prep for just regular wood siding?
@Andrew D. I have heard the same about using an oil based primer then a laxtex top coat on exteriors, I also know many that use an oil based primer on molding and trim pieces then latex top coat. I'm not sure if there is any data to show if it is more durabler just a wise tale of the old painters BUT I will say in general oil based primers are really good. I would much rather use a kiltz oil based than some cheap latex if money were not a question. The oil base primers are excellent at stain blocking, adhesion, and sealing. As far as exterior latex goes I would 100% spend the extra money and go for the premium product like -Timeless- from PPG. It is such a good product they offer a 100 year money back guarantee (I'm quite certain it's valid for 100 years...you may want to fact check me haha!) I seen many historical home restorations use this product with rave reviews from anyone who has used it. It is a pretty penny but is well worth it in the long run.
On the paint prepping regular wood siding I would just say an important step many skip would be to fill any cracks and crevices you can with a resin filler, repair/replace caulking, and smooth over any areas that would allow moisture to get behind that paint. I would do this after a reallly good TSP and power washing to remove any loose paint. From that point solid coverage with that paint will leave you will a really nice paint job for many years to come.
I have a tenant (being evicted) that got mad and threw a full gallon can of enamel exterior pink paint against a concrete house that was painted with latex paint. I assume that I can't paint over the enamel, because it'll end up peeling off.
Do I need to sand the enamel off or is there some primer that I can use to cover and then use the normal exterior latex paint over it?
@Dan Ward This is a great thread, over the course of several years! I've learned a lot.
I do have one paint problem I'd like some advice on. Last summer we painted a porch. It had paint on it but was in rough shape so we washed it and put a few coats of exterior paint on it. Now, every time the sun hits it in warmer weather it bubbles up. It doesn't crack or chip but it forms what look like squishy air pockets, some as big as 2" by 4". Later in the day when it isn't in direct sun and on cooler days the bubbles go down and it looks great. So what could we have done wrong? And is there a relatively easy way to repair it without scraping it off and repainting?
@Michaela G. sorry for the delayed response, I was driving for a majority of the day yesterday! You will definitely want to get that enamel off before painting on top of it. Your best bet is to use a chemical stripper, Kiltz offers a "concrete paint stripper" as do many other companies. I would shoot for something biodegradable otherwise they will repackage aircraft paint stripper and it will kill any grass or vegetation it touches. Generally the chemical removers are as simple as apply.....let it set for a period of time....then wash/scrub the area clean. This will then leave a clean enough surface to apply some good quality primer then you will be good to go. I would also send the bill for all of that to the former tenant haha!
ps. there are some primers out that would be able to really chew into the enamel paint, maybe like a shellac based or specialty primer BUT I would just go ahead and remove all I could to save for future headaches.
@Account Closed Question for ya Adam, is the porch concrete or wood? 99% of the time when you see air bubbles like you have mentioned its just because the concrete has not been sealed or it was painted in the summer heat. A few things can causes air bubbles in general, those are: moisture under the paint (not letting it fully dry), dirty concrete (maybe some debris or an oil spot), or painting in pretty hot weather. When you paint in the summer heat, let's say the common dark brown porch paint, it has TONS of colorant pigments in the paint so it takes longer to cure/dry. In the summer heat it will nearly bake the top layer of the paint not allowing the bottom layer to fully cure. This then forms air pockets as the bottom later never really adhered to the concrete. Good thing is, areas that do not have air pockets are cured and pretty well attached to the concrete. I would give the surface a good pressure washing, scrap away any areas that have been issues in the past, apply a concrete primer/sealer, then apply two top coats with adequate time in between coats. It is a pain in the butt to do this but it will alleviate the issues you are having and ideally you wont have to mess with it again for many years.
ps. There are these new "resurfacing" paints offered by most major brands, you get HORRIBLE coverage with them but they are pretty awesome. They have some texture to them and can smooth over just about anything. It this was a wooden deck I would definitely just pressure wash, dry, then apply something like this. The same can be done for concrete but some feel the texture looks a little uneven on smooth concrete surfaces. Hope this helps!
Thank you, Dan. I will look for a specialty primer. He did it really high on the 2nd story. to scrub would require me to buy a longer ladder than I have. as it would likely be very difficult to have the strength with long handled tools.
I appreciate all of your great knowledge on this thread.
@Michaela G. I totally understand, just ask for an acrylic bonding primer. This is great quality and will really hold tight to the enamel spits under it.
@Dan Ward Thanks for the reply. I should have specified that this is on a wall - part of the rear wall of the house and a small entryway on the porch. It is wood and had been painted previously. In hindsight it was a very hot, humid day that we painted and it may not have dried completely. That is probably the problem. From what I understand my best option is to scrape away wherever it is bubbling and repaint. I'll just make sure I do it on a less humid day this time.
Just got note of this 25% coupon for PPG that is good until December 2017. It can be used on just about anything so if anyone plans to paint a rental property or refurb a house it could save you a solid chunk on the total paint material bill. Each major manufacturer drops similar coupons sometimes up to 50% off each year because they are looking to clear some warehouse inventory out. Keeping your eyes peeled for them can really save some dollars!
Dan Ward I just bought a duplex (living in one unit and renting the other) and I'm looking to repaint the entire inside of the house. In your opinion, what's the best primer/paint to use? Thanks!
@Michael Zack id have to say it could be a few variables into my choice of the best paint/primer to use. Are the walls in good shape and Sheetrock...or paneling? Do you plan to paint the ceilings also? You would were having to patch areas....tape off areas...and really give a from scratch paint job I would say that honestly the commercial "speed hide" version of paint and primer would do just fine. The current color of the walls and the new color would also come into play if you were just painting over some super red walls, maybe super yellow walls....I would use a higher quality paint and primer like "Manor Hall" just to get better coverage on top of the harsh base color. I would definitely go with a beige color such as...toasted almond, just because in my experience it seems like beige touches up the best, being a rental you will end up doing a lot of touching up haha.
@Dan Ward Thank you for the feedback. The walls upstairs are in good shape. The walls downstairs are in pretty good shape. I need to do some patchwork before painting. How do I determine what the walls are made of? I don't think I need to do the ceilings, but I need to reassess. So I shouldn't use any color, but rather paint the entire unit the same color? Won't this make it less appealing to prospective tenants?
@Dan Ward you sure do know a lot about paint. I saw the previous post about what primer to use after removing wallpaper. But I have just purchased a 100 year old house and the plaster below the wallpaper is really soft -- it has horsehair in it, and the neighbors say it crumbles if you try to remove the wallpaper.
So if I leave wallpaper on the walls, what primer can I use? My favorite all purpose primer is Glidden Gripper. Will that work over wallpaper, or is there something else I should use? Thanks.
@Michael Zack sorry for the delay! I didn't notice a notification for your response. And I apologize for any confusion about the color, I just meant that when doing the assessment for repainting, the current paint color would somewhat matter. If its a rental property you will have to repaint and scrub walls at some point so I'm always a fan of using a color that is friendly to touch ups. Some examples would be a light grey such as "flagstone" or "elephant grey" or maybe even a nice beige like "kilim beige" or "sandstone".
@Andrew Stephens you are correct that I am always a fan of removing the wallpaper vs painting over it. It sounds like you have plaster walls (Venetian plaster) which is good because they are more than likely solid and great at dampening the sound. I have seen many many people remove wall paper from Venetian plaster and it generally does require some touching up of the walls with plaster. Again, these are historic properties that I've seen this done to so I'm sure it was a very high budget.
Moving on to painting the walls. The good thing is that more than likely the wall coverings were well sized and not going anywhere. Wipe the walls down with some warm TSP on a damp sponge just to make sure they are super clean and ready for the primer. Oddly enough I would use....wait for it....oil based primer. Kiltz is always my go to as a primer/sealer. I don't know tons about the Glidden Gripper but I see that its a water based primer and I'm sure it would do similar to comparable latex primer/sealers. Every old school painter I have dealt with in the past always used oil based primer on top of wallpaper just for the fact that water-based primers saturate and soak into the wallpaper and can cause some bubbling and peeling of the glue. Seems odd but I've seen it used on massive hotel repaint projects and other residential jobs. So I would clean the walls gently and check for any peelings, then oil-based Kiltz primer/sealer, then a high quality latex top coat.
@Dan Ward thanks for the informative response. I was kind of dreading that you would say to use an oil based primer - I'm not a great painter so I always prefer latex because it is easier to clean up. I will try KILZ oil based primer. Thanks.