Tolbert Painting: How to avoid the 

pesky paint bubble (DIY)

The mysterious paint bubble: I have seen it on many occasions. This phenomena generally occurs on the outside of a building on decks, wood siding, or even stucco. You may finish painting an area and think everything looks fantastic, but you return in a few hours to dry paint and bubbles. This bubble is a pocket of air between what you are trying to paint and the dried top coat itself. Bubbles can occur for a number of reasons:

1) Surface tension. Surface tension occurs when the new paint dries and shrinks, creating tension on the top coat. If what you are painting underneath has not been prepped properly by cleaning, sanding or priming, the new top coat will pull away, causing a bubble.

2) Multiple layers of paint. Bubbles may also occur when you paint over a surface that has already been painted multiple times before. You may have prepped the surface you plan to paint, but one of the layers under that may be failing and the shrinkage from the new paint could cause a bubble.

3) Moisture and weather conditions. This is the most common problem. Because we live in a coastal region, we are subject to heavy fog and dense moister from time to time. It’s common for folks to apply coatings in these conditions and not think twice. Why not – it’s only fog, it’s not rain.

However, things like temperature and humidity can negatively affect your paint. When paint is applied in high humidity the moisture from the air gets trapped between the paint and the sub straight. When the area is dry and then heats up, the trapped moisture will begin to evaporate under the dry paint and cause a bubble.

The label on the pain can usually will tell you the conditions the manufacturer recommends for applied coatings. Pay attention to this.

If your thinking about painting your deck or siding this summer, make sure you have good prep and you have read your product label before applying your coatings. If you get in to trouble it never hurts to contact a professional for advise.

Happy Home Improvements,

Joel Tolbert

Updating your Cabinets

                                                 Tolbert Painting: How to change            

 

the color of your wood cabinets

   

by Joel Tolbert

Lately, I have been hearing this: “We just bought this house and the cabinets are a light natural wood color and we want them to be dark, is that possible?”

The answer is yes, but with a caveat. Make sure the person saying “yes” is a skilled painter who can prove that he or she can accomplish this feat, otherwise there is a good possibility more damage will occur.

When houses were first being built in this area (San Luis Obispo County), light color cabinets were popular and good wood (such as Oak, Mahogany, and Maple) was prevalent to build those cabinets. Today, wood like Oak, Mahogany, and Maple has become more scarce, making the price of good wood outside of the normal budget. That’s why I’m seeing more Alder, Ash, and Poplar. So if you have good cabinets made of great wood and they are functional for you, it may be best to keep them and simply have them re-done – a common misconception is that brand new cabinets are always an upgrade.

The problem with changing the color of pre-finished cabinets is that they already have a finish on them. The color process was done before the finish or lacquer coat went on during the stain process. For instance, first a stain is applied and then wiped off, leaving the wood grain stained, and then a clear coat is put on top.

Here are a few ways to get around this problem:

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Strip and Refinish

The first and most common solution to have done is a “Strip and Refinish.” This is the process of having the cabinets chemically stripped, sanded, and stained the color of your choice, and then finished with several coats of clear.

Cons: This would likely be the most expensive and invasive way to have this done. It would create lots of fumes and debris.

Pros: A constant more durable finish and guaranteed new look to the cabinets.

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Glazing

Another Process is “Tinted Clears” or “Glazing.”  This is when a topcoat or clear finish is tinted or colored to match the desired color of the cabinets. After the cabinets have been prepped, cleaned, and sanded smooth, the colored topcoat is applied to the already finished cabinets (changing the color) and then a clear coat is applied after that for durability.

Cons: This is subject to chipping because the color coat is between the wood and the topcoat. This needs a professional touch. It is a very tricky procedure and can have disastrous results if done incorrectly.

Pros: Looks great when done right. It is cost and time effective and is less invasive than a Strip and Refinish.

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Dry Brushing

The final way to change the color of clear finished cabinets is by “Dry Brushing” or “Gel Staining.”  This method is closer to the modern interpretation of “Glazing” in the way that a product is hand manipulated to create a desired effect; in this case color change can happen through gel stains. Gel stain is a thicker stain product intended for consistent results and can be used as a glaze. When the cabinets are prepped, cleaned and sanded a gel stain is applied lightly with a very soft bristle brush, hence the term, “dry brush”. The product is whisked lightly on the surface to evenly distribute the product creating the desired color. Lastly, the clear coats are applied.

Cons: Chipping and possible uneven color, again very difficult process requires a professional who is skilled in this specific style

Pros: Cost and labor effective. It looks great when done right.

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I have seen too many of these go terribly wrong in the wake of the return to darker wood colors.  It is important to know that the person you are hiring is skilled and knows how to accomplish the task you need done. Always remember to have them do a sample and to show references to this specific type of work.

And lastly, remember: updating the look of your cabinets is a great way to add value to your home.

Tolbert Painting: The Statement Door

by Joel Tolbert

Is the front of your house starting to loose its pop? Why aren’t you getting the compliments you deserve for all your hard work to make your place look great? Is your current paint job in relatively good shape?

Maybe it’s time for a “Statement Door.”

You may have heard the term “statement bag” or “statement necklace” used in fashion for something that draws attention to itself, thus making a “statement” for its wearer. But is it possible to make a tasteful statement with your front door? The answer is yes!

Joel Tolbert of Tolbert Painting blogs about house painting tricks and trade secrets.

First take a look at your door hardware. You see it everyday, but what condition is it in? Before considering a color change on your front door, think about replacing your hardware – most people never replace it and it could be in bad shape. You might find some great inexpensive options at your local hardware store (and remember to get it keyed to match your current set).

The SLO County Locals blog explores the spirit of the Central Coast, seeking out the local businesses, activities, and events that make this place so unique.

The painted exterior of your home usually consists of two or three colors and these colors are dictated by the number of items on your exterior to paint. Examples being:

THE BODY – the main portion of the house (siding or stucco).

FASCIA BOARD and GUTTERS – the board that lines the roofline of the home.

WINDOW TRIM

BODY TRIM – this could be a structural outline usually in wood to accent a gable or separate upper and lower levels of the home.

POP-OUTS – these are stucco structural pop-outs used to accent architecture.

CORNER BATS – the corners of the home on siding homes.

These items are all on the exterior of a home, tied together with a common theme in color. The front door, on the other hand, stands alone as a wild card. I have painted doors red, black, purple and even turquoise.

The color schemes you see on houses in San Luis Obispo are often neutral and for the most part safe, whether by builder choice or HOA regulation, but by picking a bold color for the front door, you can bring some much needed color to the front of your house and really make it pop.

So the next time you pull up into your driveway and think that your house is looking bored, consider a quick and inexpensive change and paint your door a statement color.

[Photo courtesy of Juli Kinrich]

Joel Tolbert is a professional house painting contractor and owner of Tolbert Painting. You can reach him by email at tolbertpainting@gmail.com.

when to use elastomeric paint?

by Joel Tolbert

A common question that potential clients bring up during initial talks about an exterior projects is: “Would you recommend elastomeric paint?” The answer is yes and no.

When if first came out, elastomeric paint was designed to waterproof stucco and it had very specific guidelines for how to achieve a watertight application. Since then, the product has been altered, it can be used for various applications, and each paint company has its own version.

Some elastomeric paints still stand by the waterproof warranty and the requirements for this process are mostly still the same. In this case, the surface should be stucco, free of other paint (meaning never painted before), cleaned of debris and mold, and primed. The elastomeric paint should be applied at 12 to 18 mils thick when wet in two coats to leave a dry mil thickness of 16 to 20, with a minimum number of 10 pock marks per 12” square on the surface.

Joel Tolbert is a professional house painting contractor and owner of Tolbert Painting. You can reach him by email at tolbertpainting@gmail.com.

Unless you have major leaking issues on your home, this process is overkill. What made this process popular when the product was introduced to the residential market in the 1990s was stucco cracks. Foundations settle or an occasional 3.4 earthquake rolls through, leaving no stucco house on the Central Coast exempt from some sort of cracks. So the local paint representatives began to market Elastomeric paint as a solution to this problem. Unfortunately, there is no real solution to prevent a moving void in a wall. The house settles, a void is created, and there just isn’t an application on earth strong enough to glue a house together (and paint was never intended for that purpose anyway).

The purpose of paint is to protect the surfaces of the building materials that make up the design of your home. If cracks or separation occur, it is a result of faulty construction or forces of nature beyond our control. When voids are created they can be filled to prevent further erosion of the paint finish or building surface.

That being said, there are times to use elastomeric paint. If a stucco home has never been painted and has a web of thin cracks, known as Spider cracks, then an Elastomeric paint might be a good choice because the paint is a thick viscose and would be able to fill those small voids. If a stucco house has been previously painted then Elastomeric is not recommended because of “surface tension”, which is created when the top coat begins to expand and contract creating tension on the previous coat of paint, eventually causing it to pull away. Some older houses (made before the 1960s) have plaster on the exterior (often if not made of wood), and elastomeric should never be used on old plaster because of surface tension as well.

Elastomeric paint can be a good choice for a stucco house but might not be the best choice. I recommend you consult with a paint professional you trust to evaluate the surfaces of your home and find the best products that work for your home and environment.

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Tolbert Painting: How will I know if I hired a professional to paint my house?

Recently, a new friend of mine said to me, “I wish I knew you a few months ago when I needed my house painted.”

I asked him, “Who painted your house?”

He replied, “some college kids were going door to door asking if I needed paint work done.” Then he asked me, “Do you think they did a good job?” To which I replied, “I don’t know I guess we’ll find out in a couple years.”

A good paint job will stand the test of time, and a true craftsman painter (who has experience and cares about the product) will do a job that will look excellent up front and remain just as excellent down the line. So how do you identify and hire a professional?

Luckily, we live in California (for so many reasons). Unlike some states, California doesn’t let just anybody legally do construction work without a license. This means that any person performing specialty construction work without a license is subject to a hefty fine. A person must have a minimum of 4 years experience and be able to pass a state mandated test both for the specific field they are applying and for contract law.Once they have passed the test they are required by state law to be bonded. No licensed contractor in the state of California will be able to have an active license without an active bond.

These regulations protect the consumer from poor work and exposure to damages. You can know if your potential contractor is licensed by going directly to the Contractors State License Board website HERE.

When vetting a Painting Contractor for some potential work, here are some questions to consider:

• How long has he/she been in the area?
• Does he/she have good local references?
• Can you go and see something he/she has done?
• Has he/she done work for anyone you know?
• Does he/she have Liability Insurance?
• Did he/she work for any Painting Contractors in the area before he/she became licensed? If so who?
• Does he/she have employees? If so are they covered under Workman’s Compensation or do they work through a temp agency?  (Sometimes a contractor will hire help and have them go through a temp agency so as to lesson the cost of Compensation, which gives them a way to make sure they are covered while providing part-time employment).

House painting is like buying a car: you get what you pay for. Everything in the paint and prep process takes time and materials, both of which translates to money. Also like buying a car, paying the highest price might not guarantee the best value for your dollar. Here are some other qualities of a good Craftsman to consider: likable, easy to talk to, and easy to work with. Use your best judgment.

Joel Tolbert is a professional house painting contractor and owner of Tolbert Painting. You can reach him by email at tolbertpainting@gmail.com.

Tolbert Painting: Tips for choosing a new paint color for your home

by Joel Tolbert

For a home owner, the most difficult part of a paint project is choosing a color- it’s the reason I often end up painting a house the exact color it was. This doesn’t have to be the case, though. Picking the right color is a great way to update the look of your home and bring some refreshing change to your dwelling.

Home owners often ask my opinion for a paint color. This is shaky ground for most painters, because no painter wants to be responsible for a bad color choice that would cause a repaint. Typically, painters shy away from helping in the decision making process, even though the title of the C-33 paint license from the state of California includes both painter and decorator.

Picking a paint color doesn’t have to be this tricky; you just need to have the right tools and know where to start. Here are some tips to make the often overly-stressful process of choosing a paint color a bit easier for homeowners:

•  If your home is in a Home Owner’s Association (HOA), there is a good possibility that your HOA has set some close parameters on your color choices.  It could be as simple as taking a look around and finding the home in your neighborhood that has a color scheme you like, and mixing and matching those color choices given by the HOA to find what works for you and the style of your home. This method is also effective for non-HOA neighborhood, driving around to see what colors work, and how different colors are flowing for your neighborhood is a good way to narrow down a color choice.

• Often times architecture can dictate the direction of a color. If you live in a Spanish Colonial style home with a mission tile roof, you’re more likely to go with more Natural colors. If you live in a Victorian style home then Craftsman colors might be more to your liking.  I recently had a client whose color choice for her exterior was inspired by eucalyptus bark.   She had planned to isolate some of the sienna’s and silvery browns in the tree and make those color choices into a pallet for her home.

• Your local paint store is a great resource for color selection. Using a Fan Deck from your local paint store is a great tool for finding and isolating colors. If you find a color in the fan deck you like, the paint store will have the formula on file for that color. Typically, paint stores also have pre made color schemes available to look at and take home with you.

When it comes down to it, color is all about personal preference and color choices very from person to person. Choosing a new paint color for you home becomes very subjective- it’s all about what you like and what you have envisioned for your home. By using some of the above tips, hopefully the process of choosing a new paint color for your house becomes more fun than stressful.

Joel Tolbert is a professional house painting contractor and owner of Tolbert Painting. You can reach him by email at tolbertpainting@gmail.com.

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The Art of brining Cabinets back to life.

Tolbert Painting: DIY, the importance of personal protective equipment

by Joel Tolbert

Personal protective equipment or PPE is the barrier between you and injury. PPE can range from clothing to eye protection to gloves or kneepads. As a professional painter, I use PPE on a daily basis, so in this article I’m going to talk about some practical applications for the use of personal protective equipment in the home.

From head to toe:

Hat – A great piece of PPE is a Hat, one that preferably keeps the sun off of you. I regularly wear a sun hat or wide brim hat while working outdoors and believe it or not, extreme sunburn is a job related injury. How does this apply at the house? Unfortunately, no one is immune to the sun’s harmful, radioactive, cancer causing, UV rays. So this summer when you’re working outside, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat and applying sun block.

Eye Protection – Eye Protection seems like a no brainer.   You would be surprised how rarely I see it being used. When using power tools or anything that’s going to send flying debris into your Cornea, be sure to wear eye protection.   This also includes working with caustic materials like household cleaners and bleach. Eye protection in the form of tinted lenses, are important to wear when working out in the sun as they help to prevent Cataracts.

Ear Protection – Long-term exposure to continuous loud noises can cause lasting hearing loss. I highly recommend using ear protection when running any type of noisy equipment for even a short period of time. This could include electric or gas powered equipment.

Dust masks and Respirators – These are great in the field as they protect us from harmful dust being created in the prep process.   Respirators are used to protect us from harmful fumes when working with volatile compounds. I recommend using a dust mask to protect you from dust while cleaning or while doing yard work. I can tell you from experience that it only took me a couple of sinus infections for me to now wear one anytime I’m exposed to air born debris of any kind. A disposable Organic filter cartridge respirator can be purchased at any hardware or paint store.  A dust mask will not protect you from caustic fumes. If planning a project that includes exposure to a caustic breathing hazard, consult your local paint store on what precautions you can take. Closed quarters without proper ventilation or proper protection can produce a deadly environment with lethal consequences. If you have difficulty breathing while wearing any kind of mask, remove it immediately.

Gloves – These not only protect you from hand injuries like cuts and scrapes, they also prevent toxins from entering your blood stream through your skin. True, hand injuries are the number two most common of the reportable work injuries, however; exposing your circulatory system to foreign materials in my book is a close second. While working with caustic household materials; wear rubber gloves, not only will this keep your hands looking young but your kidneys as well. Leather Gloves should be worn while lifting heavy objects with sharp edges or working with any cut or scrape hazard like cutting tools or grinding tools. A bad scrape can be just as bad as a bad cut.

Knee Protection- My Aunt Dee is always raving about her new Titanium knee.  I’m sure it’s awesome, but I’m just not in a real big hurry to go out and get one, and so I use kneepads. Kneepads are great for doing work that’s near to the ground and it helps to prevent cartilage loss and wear and tear on your knees.   If you find knee pads uncomfortable or just as much of a pain to put on than what they prevent, I recommend a Foam Kneeling board (also great for quick little jobs like getting that one pesky weed, or putting that door stop back on).

Proper footwear -lets just say that flip-flops may not be the best choice of foot wear to mow the lawn or clean the gutters. That being said, a good work shoe is a sturdy leather shoe with ankle support.   Feet are usually injured when something falls on them and a sprained ankle isn’t any fun either so, when working outside be sure to have the proper footwear.

Stretching- Remember all those stretches from Gym class? It’s time for some review. The number one “on- the -job injury” is; Sprains and Strains. You may or may not be an athlete but if you’re going to do some work, you will be engaged in a physical activity, possibly using muscles you may not normally use. So to prevent any unwanted strains; stretch prior to work, use proper lifting techniques (avoid stress on your back) and if something is to heavy or awkward to carry, get help.

So now you’re ready to get out there and tackle all those summer projects.   Be safe and have fun

Joel Tolbert is a professional house painting contractor and owner of Tolbert Painting. You can reach him by email at tolbertpainting@gmail.com.

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Tolbert Painting: How to paint straight lines and avoid paint bleed

by Joel Tolbert

Every once in awhile I get a call from a homeowner who has attempted to do a paint job themselves, and the caller is apologetic and almost embarrassed by the damage they have done. Then they ask me to fix it.

By the time I get there it’s to late, but it’s never as bad as they make it sound. Most people do a good job of protecting their belongings, flooring, and other areas from unwanted splatter or drips. Most folks are good at rolling out a wall and often take the extra time to apply two coats. Overall, from what I can tell, the paint jobs aren’t half bad. So where do they go wrong? 

The “cut in” is the line that separates the painted area from the non-painted area. If we are just changing the color on an interior wall for example than that area would be the door casing, base board the ceiling and so on.

Hand brushing a straight line can be difficult and it takes years of practice to be fast and efficient, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. Folks can give up right away on the idea of cutting their walls in with a brush, and reach first for the tape. Give it a shot! You might surprise yourself. I hand cut with a brush 90% of all my interiors so I know it can be done. I recommend spending a little extra on a nicer 2 ½ “angle sash brush.” It might take you some time to get the hang of, but you might find it effective – especially for the ceiling.

Let’s say the brush thing is just not working out: here are a couple of tape tricks you might want to try. The biggest problem with tape is what we call “bleed”. “Bleeding” occurs when unwanted paint seeps through your tape line and onto what you didn’t want painted. It is caused when the edge of the tape does not fully adhere to the area that you are protecting and then makes its way through the tiny divots and spaces that already exist in that area. The more textured an area is the more likely the tape is to bleed; for example, if you were taping out glass, “bleeding” would be less of a danger.

There are some newer tapes on the market that have adapted to this problem and are designed specifically to cut down on bleeding. Frog Tape and Scotch 3M Orange Core are a couple of examples. Frog Tape has a product in the adhesive that reacts to water, causing it to inflate so when your paint comes in contact with the tape line the product puffs up and fills the tiny void keeping your line intact.

My favorite method to keep a good tape line is called the Old Timer. This method involves a caulking gun and some low tack tape – preferably 3M Blue. First you will make your line on the surface you are protecting (lets say the base board), then make sure the edge that is being protected is tacked down good by going over it lightly with a putty knife. The caulking tube tip should be cut small, preferably at the ¼ “ line. Run a fine bead of caulking over your tape line between the wall and the base board. With a damp cloth remove the caulking from the tape line. Now apply the paint to the wall at that line lightly not to heavy. Give it about a minute to set and pull the tape before the caulking has a chance to dry. You should have a perfect line free of tape bleed. This is also a great trick for color transitions in the middle of walls or at a Bull Nose.

How (and why) to deal with peeling paint

by Joel Tolbert

House paint functions first as a protective application and second for aesthetic value. For example, I recently looked at a potential exterior project involving some failing wood on my client’s porch. The area was a 2 x 10 board that went along the top of a stucco wall that closed in her front porch like a shelf. The wood was completely dry rot all the way through.

The house had been painted about 10 years ago, but this is not long enough to justify this kind of damage. I began to investigate, and apparently the wood was not primed before it was painted and none of the seams were caulked. Skipping these two steps in normal prep led to a total removal and replacement of all the wood on her front porch. The bottom line is this: I’m sure the previous project looked great – the paint may have been a color she liked and solidly done, but the end result was failure. The first painter didn’t do the most important part of the job, which is to protect the materials he was painting from the sun and the weather.

It’s important to identify when paint is failing around the exterior of your home not simply because “it’s looking bad” but because the protective coating that secures the materials that were used to build your home could be failing. Paint is your first line of defense against the natural erosion from elements such as sun, wind, and rain, and also termites, insects, algae and mold growth – all of which contribute to the structural damage of your home.

The most common place to look for damage would either be the part of the house that receives the most sun, or the south-west facing side of the home. UV rays are by far the most destructive force to paint and wood on your home. First you will notice the paint becoming discolored or “bleached out.” There will be some cracking in the outer surface and then actual peeling at the point where it is exposed to moister and rain. This is where the building materials begin to fail.

Also be wary of termites. In all my poking around in eaves and fascia boards it has seemed like the “sunny side” was constantly where I found termite damage. I ran this theory past a termite inspector buddy of mine and he confirmed my findings. Peeling paint makes it easier for our little wood -chomping friends to get their favorite snack – your house!

The trouble on the north-east facing side of your house may be a little different. Here, the trouble areas on this side are traditionally down low, where you are more likely to have growth of mold and lichen. I have seen lichen on second story walls and on rain gutters, but for the most part It’s usually along a grass line behind plants or under a tree mold. Lichen can grow through paint causing it fail. Remember that mold can be prevented, as we discussed in my last article.

Think of the exterior maintenance of you home like the maintenance of your vehicle: as long as you keep up on the normal maintenance, you usually avoid break downs and expensive part replacements. Your home is the same way, and the longer you let it go the more costly things can be due to extra prep in paint removal and priming exposed areas… or worst case scenario you need a part on your home replaced.

Feel free to give me a call with any questions.

Joel Tolbert

Tolbert Painting (805.544.4100)

tolbertpainting@gmail.com