Know Your Paint: A Guide to Quality and Durability in Home Renovation

12/13/2023


In home renovation, the choice of paint is critical. The disparity between low-quality "contractor grade" and high-quality paint can drastically impact both the look and longevity of your project. Don’t take paint for granted; there is a significant difference in quality and cost between low and high-quality options.

Sherwin Williams's paint lines illustrate this difference well. Their Emerald line offers a lifetime warranty, contrasting with the A100 line's 15-year warranty. The key differences lie in mil thickness and solids content. High-quality paints have a greater mil thickness and more solids, ensuring superior coverage, appearance, and durability.

For stucco and other masonry surfaces, priming is essential due to their unique characteristics. High pH levels in stucco can damage paint, causing premature or peeling. Additionally, stucco often has salt deposits that appear as white stains, a condition known as efflorescence. This occurs when water interacts with the stucco, drawing salt deposits to the surface during evaporation. Raw stucco can also absorb paint, especially low-quality types, leading to an uneven, blotchy finish. We feel that the contractors were fully aware of the importance of properly priming the surface, yet they chose to neglect this critical aspect. This deliberate oversight, seemingly a conscious decision to maximize profit, led us to believe that their actions were not just a result of negligence but intentional, leaving us wronged and the quality of our renovation project significantly compromised.

Our experience was further soured by a classic bait-and-switch tactic. Contractors promised high-quality paint but used the cheapest available instead, charging us double the standard rate. This deceptive practice exploited our trust and resulted in substandard work. Don’t allow dubious contractors to take advantage of you by cutting corners on paint quality only to line their pockets with your money.

Adding insult to injury, when we sought bids to redo the entire deceitful paint job, every quote we received, even for the highest quality paint, came in under what the dubious contractor charged us. This was a stark reminder of the importance of always getting multiple bids. Never let yourself be swayed by a "reputable" name-brand or assume that nothing can go wrong. Multiple bids not only provide a range of cost estimates but also offer insights into the standards of workmanship and material quality expected in the industry.

Professional painters respect the craft and follow the paint's specifications, which almost always includes applying two coats. For instance, both Sherwin Williams A100 and Emerald require two coats, which is defined as applying the first coat and waiting four hours before the second. A single thick coat or "cross-hatch" pattern is not equivalent and leads to an unprofessional, uneven appearance. Contractors who claim that a 'cross-hatch' pattern suffices are often motivated more by profit than by quality. In our case, the contractor unprofessionally applied a single coat of thin, low-grade paint on a never-before-painted stucco surface. This 'cross-hatch' application resulted in an unsightly appearance, marring the beauty of our home.

Additionally, many paints, especially for rough exterior stucco surfaces, need to be "back rolled" to ensure proper penetration. In our case, the contractor failed to back-roll, despite falsely claiming otherwise in arbitration. Such negligence is why it's crucial to have a contract that explicitly details the paint application process.

When contracting a painting job, it's essential that the contract specifies the paint brand, the total gallons, and the application method, including the necessity of two coats and back-rolling where needed. This level of detail contrasts sharply with what we received in our contract, which lacked such specifics. Learn from our mistake: a well-defined contract can save you from the headaches and financial losses we endured. Vigilance during the job is key to ensuring compliance with the contract and preventing scams. Stay alert and involved to ensure the work aligns with the agreed terms, protecting your investment and your property's aesthetics.

In summary, informed decisions about paint quality and careful selection of contractors, backed by detailed contracts and vigilant oversight, can protect you from the frustration and financial loss of a substandard paint job. Opt for quality materials and skilled licensed labor for a renovation that is not only visually appealing but enduringly robust.