We were recently featured in an article titled “House Exterior Painting: Beauty Versus Waterproofing”. This article provides tremendously valuable information that will aid homeowners in South Florida. We want our readers to understand Why Painting Goes Beyond Just Colors.
Many are unaware of WHY painting of the exterior of the home needs to be done by a professional who is licensed and insured; and when we say licensed, we mean as a painting and WATERPROOFING contractor. South Florida undergoes many weather pattern changes over the year and making sure your home is waterproof is a very vital step in protecting your home from these weather changes. What many are unaware of that is mentioned briefly in this article is the fact that many South Florida homes are constructed WITHOUT needed leak prevention components. Since most homes are built from concrete and so moisture intrusion does not in most cases create situations of structural rotting of the home as it does where homes are stick built, contractors and technicians as well as code officials largely ignore code requirements regarding flashing, moisture barriers, and proper clearances from soil and roof materials. What does this mean to you? YOUR HOME PROBABLY HAS SOME MOISTURE LEAKAGE PROBLEMS. Yes, painting goes beyond just colors.
This being the case, it can be a very costly mistake to go get that handyman or local neighborhood yard worker to come out and roll on a fresh coat of paint. Often, the paint and caulking are really forming the skin of the building protecting against moisture intrusion. Since other preventative components under the siding or stucco are often not installed, this makes the paint and caulking your ONLY component preventing leaks through areas like window frames and door thresholds, or at the base of your exterior walls. Additionally, many home owners will try to save money by hiring a licensed painting contractor, but then declining a very expensive part of the contractors estimate, namely removing window and door sealant, cleaning out the caps and openings, and re-caulking these seams in the building. This work can sometimes account for 50% of the total cost of painting and homeowners will see this as unnecessary as the painting is what makes the building look pretty, not the caulking. However, something to think about: When we are called out to perform a thermal imaging moisture scan to locate the source of leaks after that big storm that came through, now you might be facing drywall repair, mold cleanup, and other costly repairs; maybe even nightmare insurance claims, all because one tried to spare himself a few thousand dollars of the re-painting bid from the contractor. Yes, this is why painting goes beyond just colors.
My advice to you is, really invest in, not just the appearance of your home, but the performance. Seek out highly qualified professionals and be open to paying a margin more for better quality workmanship. Many times, it will save you in the long run. As this article states, a great painting contractor we found who has been a solution to many of our clients in the past is Augusto Alagia, owner of The Captain Painter. We have attached the link to the article: March Advertorial Layout.
For more information regarding the different processes involved in the painting process here is the contact information for the Captain Painter: