Painting the Exterior or Interior of your Chicago Home

Chicago homeowners looking to spruce up their homes for warmer weather may want to consider painting either the inside or the outside of their home. If so, they need to find a reputable contractor to get the job done properly. Here are a few of the more notable factors to consider when hiring a painting company:

Quality of materials – In addition to having a number of different finishes – flat, satin and glossy to name a few – interior and exterior paints are manufactured in a number of different grades. In general, there are two types of pigments that go into a can of paint. the first are the  “prime” pigments which provide color and coverage. Second are the lower-cost “extender” pigments that only add bulk to the product and essentially offer no other value.

Quality of application – Regardless of which paint is finally chosen, it must be properly applied to produce a quality finished job. While most sub-par painting contractors will try to get by with a single coating, the better ones will apply a white primer and then two or even three coats, if painting a light color over a dark one or a gray primer if doing the opposite – that is, applying a dark color over a lighter one.

Quality of customer service – There is far more to a superior paint job that just slapping on a sufficient coat of paint. Instead, there are numerous preparatory steps that need to be accomplished before the first drop of paint is applied. These include fixing any holes in the surface, sanding it properly and taping off any other areas that should not be painted at all.

Quality of follow-up – The most successful painting contractors do not forget about their customers once the job is done. Instead, they take the time to follow-up on an already finished job to ensure that no complications have occurred. If a contractor performs this task, it is one of the surest signs that they stand by their work and will do everything to totally satisfy their clients.