Are you doing interior or exterior painting in Clinton Township or the surrounding cities? Hiring a professional painting contractor will generally save you money, time and help you avoid frustrations that come with DIY painting. At the end of it all, you can expect high-quality painting with extended durability.

While hiring a painting contractor is already a move to save money on your painting project, you can push it further and shave off some dollars from your painting budget without compromising the final results. And here are tips on exactly how to do that:

1. Quality Referrals/Recommendations
   The type of painting contractor you hire has a great impact on the total cost of the project and how the paint job turns out. The best place to ask for recommendations is from within your inner circles. This includes your family members, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Chance are some of them have had positive results with a certain painter, whom they can recommend. A reliable, efficient and reputable painter means value for your money and no need for touch-ups or even a complete repaint due to premature paint failure.
2. Get Multiple Quotes
   Comparing multiple painting estimates is a clever way of getting the best painting deal. The goal is to invite about three painting contractors for an estimate separately, issue them similar requirements and request for a quote from each of them. Now, don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest painter on the list, this could mean that they have made some shortcuts that could either lead to poor results or cost more in the long run. Instead, choose a painter that offers the best value for the money you’re willing to spend. This means they should use high-quality materials, do proper surface preparation and take every step necessary to ensure quality and durable results.
3. Do Some Of Prep Work
   One of the biggest factors painters consider when estimating the cost of a paint job is how long it will take, and there is an hourly rate attached to that, whether they indicate it or not. If you can offer to do some of the paint job prep work, you can significantly reduce the overall cost of the project.
   Some of the things you could do on your own include cutting back shrubbery and tree branches, cleaning, pressure washing the siding, paint stripping, sanding, moving furniture and draping immovable objects, caulking etc. For the technical process like sanding, be sure to let your painter know before proceeding.
4. Buy The Paint and Primer
   Professional painters typically buy paint products for you, which they factor in the expenses. Many times, however, there is a markup on the products they provide such as the paint, primer, caulk, etc. perhaps to compensate for the hassle they go through sourcing for the best products. If you know your way around some of these products, especially the paint and the primer, you could source them directly from the dealers and avoid the markup. It’s however advisable to consult first because you can possibly lose money if you end up buying the wrong product.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, hiring a reliable, efficient and reputable painting contractor is the beginning of saving money on your painting project. Be sure to compare various painting offers, do some of the prep work where possible and only use quality painting products.

At Eason Painting, we delight in putting our customers and their needs first and using only high-quality products. We have years of experience offering interior and exterior painting services in Macomb Township, Washington Township, Ray Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Romeo, Armada, Troy, Shelby Township, Harrison Township, Chesterfield, and Clinton Township, MI. To get started with us, simply give us a call today for a free estimate.

Hiring residential painting contractors in Clinton Township is the best way to achieve quality and long-lasting results. The professionals have the training, experience and necessary tools to paint your home faster, and more efficiently compared to a DIY painter. Contrary to popular belief, you actually get to save money when hiring a painting contractor.

Having said that, hiring a residential painting contractor in Clinton Township can be quite an uphill task, especially if you’re a first timer. One of the biggest questions homeowners ask is how many painters they should interview before finally hiring one. You will be surprised at how many homeowners hire the first painter they meet. While this might work in some cases, doing so increases the risk of landing a frustrating painter-homeowner relationship.

If you’re planning to have your home painted, you should consider interviewing at least three painters. This is because three is the best number to compare skills, experience, training, cost, and reputation. So you will typically need to call the three painters, one at a time and show them the area that needs to be painted, before requesting for a painting estimate.

Where to Get Residential Painting Contractors in Clinton Township

Finding painting contractors in Clinton Township is not as difficult as you might think. One of the best places to start your search is within your inner circles. Ask your friends, family, neighbors or colleagues if they have recommendations for the best painting contractor. This is even better because you can actually get a chance to see some of the work done by the referred painter.

If you can’t find enough referrals within your circles, another place to check is at the local painting stores. They usually have a list of local painting contractors and they could give you a few reliable referrals. If all that fails, it’s time to hit the internet. Search in Google using terms like “residential painting contractors in Clinton Township,” “home painters in Clinton Township,” “Clinton Township residential painters,” “Residential painting company in Clinton Township,” etc.

The point is to narrow down to painting contractors that are based in your area. Other online platforms to search on include Yelp, Angie’s List and Local business directories. You will probably want to search for about five painting companies before you start narrowing down to your top three. While at it, below are some of the things to look for.

What to Look for When Hiring a Painting Contractor in Clinton Township.

As mentioned, you need a list of about five local painting contractors, out of which you will filter based on some criteria. Some of the things to look for include the painter’s reputation, years of experience, insurance and licensing, and referees. Filter through your list to pick top three best painters that you can now interview.

If a painter doesn’t have business liability insurance or workers compensation, for instance, you might be staring at potential extra costs if anything goes wrong during the project. Similarly, you don’t want to be stuck with an unreliable and inefficient painter just because you missed to spot their negative reputation online.

Bottom Line

Finding the best residential contractor depends on the effort you put into searching and vetting the best available local painters. When interviewing the painter, be sure to provide similar instructions to all of them and look out for the value offered in the estimate, rather than the cost. That way, you will not end choosing a painter just because they’re the cheapest on the list.

If you would rather skip all these hassles and work with a reputable, reliable and efficient painting contractor in Clinton Township, Eason Painting can help. We have years of experience offering interior painting services in Macomb Township, Washington Township, Ray Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Romeo, Armada, Troy, Shelby Township, Harrison Township, Chesterfield, and Clinton Township, MI. Give us a call today to get started.

Wood rot is a vital decomposition process in nature –it helps turn the fallen logs into nutritious soil. However, when this happens to your home in Clinton Township, MI, it could lead to major structural problems such as deteriorated support posts and beams, ceiling joists and rotted floor, and destroyed roof decking. In worst scenarios, it could even send your house crumbling down.

The cost of wood rot damage can run anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to losing your entire house, especially for log houses and other designs that predominantly use wood material. Since wood is the more prevalent home building material, we thought in this article we should take a quick look at the causes of wood rot and how to prevent it.

What Causes Wood Rot?
Wood rot is a decaying process that is primarily triggered by a combination of fungi and moisture. Fungi prefer surfaces that are continuously damp or wet for them to grow successfully. The most popular fungi that cause wood rot are loosely classified according to the effect they create during the rot.

• Brown Rot: this is often referred to as “dry rot.” This is because the surface of the wood remains relatively dry during the attack. The fungi destroy the cellulose in the wood causing it to shrink, turn brown and break into small cubicle bits.

• White Rot: this can be characterized by the wood turning whitish or light yellow, and spongy. White-rot fungi break down the lignin leaving the light-colored cellulose behind.

• Soft Rot: this type of rot happens at a much slower pace than the white and brown rot. Soft-rot fungi can survive in both cold and hot conditions, where they break down cellulose, leaving the wood with a honeycomb-like appearance.

How to Prevent Wood Rot
The best way to prevent wood rot from damaging your home is to pay attention to common problem areas because that is where the rot typically begins. Some of the most common trouble spots include:

• Holes and cracks in the caulking around doors, windows, dryer vents and so on. Consider applying new caulk to any of such openings.

• Sagging and leaking gutters and downspouts. You could do a quick DIY gutter repair or replacement. But if you have a multi-story house, you might want to call a pro for help.

• Stains under eaves, on interior ceilings and around fireplaces. These are popular telltale signs of a roof leak. Have your roof inspected and fixed immediately to prevent any further damage.

• Peeling and cracked painted surfaces. Paint is meant to protect your siding against moisture from whatever source. If it’s a small area, you can scrap and sand the peeling paint before applying a primer then painting. However, extensive paint damage might mean your home needs a new professional repaint done.

• Tree branches and shrubbery closer to your siding and roofing. Three branches can rub against the siding and ruin the protective paint. It can damage the roof too if left for too long. This should be trimmed back to at least 3-feet away from your siding.

• Dirt, twigs, and leaves between decking boards. These often trap moisture and creates a conducive environment rot-fungi. Use an awn or a screwdriver to pry out the gunk and flush out any remaining dirt using a garden hose.

The Bottom Line
As you can see, preventing wood rot is really just a matter of proper house maintenance, but most importantly, understanding and paying attention to common problem areas. If you need professional assistance repainting your home, whether it’s the interior, exterior, deck, staircase or floor, our experienced team at Aspen Painting can help.

We offer professional residential painting in areas around Horsham, PA, Ambler, Dresher, Ft. Washington, and Blue Bell. Simply give us a call to get started.

Your home’s exterior is exposed to all sorts of damaging weather and environmental elements such as rain, sunlight, organic growth, temperature fluctuation, and bugs. It’s a less controlled environment compared to interiors. By painting your home’s exterior, you’re protecting it against these environmental abuses and hence less wear and tear in the long run.

Exterior painting is expected to protect your home’s exterior from premature deterioration while adding decorative elements based on color, texture, and sheen. While the exterior paint in your home in Clinton Township, MI is meant to be the first line of defense against the damaging elements, your paint ultimately breaks down and wears off.

A typical exterior paint job lasts about 5 to 7 years, depending on the type of paint used, weather conditions, type of surface and the quality of the paint job. However, if your exterior paint starts failing prematurely, there is a problem. Let’s take a quick look at the three most common possible reasons why your exterior paint is failing sooner than you expected.

Low-Quality Paint Products

Many homeowners tend to use low priced paint products in the hope of saving some money. Well, there is nothing wrong with trying to save a dollar or two, after all, exterior painting can be quite costly. However, using low-priced, low-quality paint makes it impossible to achieve a quality and durable paint job.

Most low-priced paints are manufactured either using inferior additives or a lesser amount of key ingredients such as resins and pigments. Such paints are usually difficult to work with due to splattering and poor coverage. They also tend to show signs of paint failure such as fading and chalking prematurely. So always start with quality paint products for quality and long-lasting paint job.

Painting On A Wet Surface

This is a common mistake most homeowners and DIY painters do. Paint doesn’t adhere well to wet surfaces and painting on wet or partially dry surfaces often leads to paint peeling and cracking sooner than later. Other than peeling and cracking, painting on wet surfaces causes moisture to be trapped under the paint film.

If the paint film is heated, the trapped moisture under it expands and leads to paint bubbling. The paint bubbles might bust or remain bulging, either way, they look unappealing. So when painting your home’s exterior, avoid humid and rainy conditions, and wait for at least three days after raining for the substrate to dry. Additionally, wait until the previous coat of paint has completely dried before applying subsequent coats.

Poor Surface Preparation

The bulk of exterior home painting jobs go to surface preparation (cleaning, sanding, paint stripping, priming, etc.), and this is what determines how great your paint job will turn out. Your home’s exterior usually collects dust, dirt, debris, and stains over time. Additionally, exterior paint breaks down over time through chalking, peeling and cracking.

Before painting can take place, all the dirt, dust, debris and loose paint needs to be cleaned and removed. Painting over dirty surfaces only leads to premature paint failure due to poor paint adhesion. If you paint over loose failing paint, the loose paint will come out together with your new coat of paint.

The Bottom Line
Paint failure can be caused by the use of low-quality paint products, painting of wet surfaces and poor surface preparation. In addition, poor painting techniques will lead to inferior paint quality, poor coverage and ultimately premature paint failure. The best way to avoid premature paint failure is to have your home exterior painting done professionally.

At Eason Painting Company, we offer reliable and durable exterior painting services, currently serving the areas of Macomb Township, Washington Township, Ray Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Romeo, Armada, Troy, Shelby Township, Harrison Township, Chesterfield, and Clinton Township, MI. Give us a call today for a free quote and more details.