Pioneer Home Services, of Colorado Springs, offers a full range of commercial and house painting and related services, either by my own painting crew, or through other associated contractors in related fields.

Maintenance and upkeep are very significant factors in retaining the value of your house, and it is our purpose to assist you in this by our painting and repair services. I, Michael Clark, am personally involved in every job, from the initial contact with you, the customer, to the putting on of the finishing touches.

Being detail oriented is the hallmark of our business. Efficiency, gained through much experience and product knowledge is important to you, as a consumer, and reflects on the quality and the cost of your painting or other home maintenance project. A job rightly done is the key to maintaining and enhancing the value of your property.

Springtime is Painting Season

As the weather warms unseasonably early this year, our minds, as homeowners turn naturally to the maintenance of the exterior of our houses. Painting is one aspect of that exterior maintenance. A number of signs of painting need may become obvious now that our eyes are more attuned to the approaching change of seasons. If we are like most home owners, the need for painting has been neglected at least somewhat beyond the time when it first began to show itself. My opinion, not based on anything scientific is that Spring will usher itself in fairly early this year. It has already warmed unseasonably here in Colorado Springs. I haven’t seen any crocuses popping up yet, but I did see a honey bee buzzing around my van the other day, and I did hear some finches chirping this morning.

If the decision is reached to pursue the painting of one’s house this year, a search for capable contractors for advice on the matter might be the first step. We are certainly available for this in the way of a no-obligation consultation and estimate for a paint job, if that is desired. When contacting contractors, it is advisable to carefully evaluate exactly what is being offered by each one, and carefully compare these offers.

PREPARATION

The duration of a painting job on a house is directly linked to a number of factors, not the least of which is preparation. In order for the new paint to properly adhere to a surface care must be taken, and sufficient time needs to be  expended in order for this to occur. Preparation also affects the attractiveness of a house, especially when repairs become necessary by neglect and/or damage of some kind. It is possible and often happens that a minimum amount of preparation is done to the outside of a house, supposedly to lower the overall cost of the paint job. However, the end results will not be nearly as lasting as if the preparation were done correctly and carefully, as it should. As in every other endeavor in life, cutting corners in this area yields it bad fruit in the end. Therefore, it is very important for the homeowner to obtain the confidence that the contractor will, in fact do all of the preparation that is needed before he applies the paint. Preparation for painting usually entails washing, scraping, sanding, priming and caulking of a house, as well as any needed repairs to skin of the structure.

APPLICATION OF PAINT

What kind of paint is used, how it is applied to the house are equally important questions to be asked of a painting contractor. Each manufacturer of paint has various grades of product. The thickness of product applied to the exterior surface of a building is important, as well as the quality of the product itself. Most painting contractors will state that they use a high quality product, and that they apply that product in sufficient amounts to cover the surface adequately, usually in two coats. Two things here are worthy of being checked out from the painting proposal. First, ask the contractor what brand of paint he intends to use, and what is the name of the particular product of that brand he will use. For example, if told that Sherwin-Williams is the proposed brand, find out the name of the grade of Sherwin Williams paint that he intends to use. A call or visit to the local Sherwin-Williams store can be made to evaluate the various products available from that company.
Then the contractor needs to be asked how thick the product will be applied to your house. If he states that two distinct coats will be applied, ask if the second coat will be applied while the first coat is still wet, or after it dries. A wet on wet second coat does not qualify as a two coat paint job because the wet paint cannot gain sufficient build up in order to produce the necessary thickness of the new surface. The amount of paint applied in a wet on wet application cannot approach the amount applied as a wet coat on an already dried surface.

THE PIONEER METHOD

By experience and competition I have arrived at a method that is much more than adequate for the protection and beautification of a house. First, the preparation must be thorough. Time and effort must be expended in this effort. When this is accomplished, then one coat of a high-grade, high build-up paint product is applied carefully to the surface of the house. A one-coat paint product is certified to be able to be applied with sufficient thickness in order to insure recommended build up on the surface without sagging or running. These products are generally more expensive than regular two-coat paints, but their superior quality and the time they save in application justify the higher cost of material. In short, the entire job is done right from the beginning to end, and the house not only looks good when we are finished, but the job will last as long as it should. Cost is always a consideration in painting and maintaining a house. However this cost must be measured in terms of ultimate results and durability, rather than just the immediate expenditure it entails. I know that this is true in any profession or service offered.

Won’t you give us the opportunity to demonstrate our abilities and our desire to make your home a nicer place in which to live? I would be very happy to consult with you about your proposed project, and provide a no-obligation estimate if needed.

Let’s get it done with the Pioneers! Wagons HO!