Remember that, here in the South, it is hard to keep creepy crawlies out of the house. They really like to set up home in cracks, so I caulk every crack.
When we first moved into our home we had a blower door test done and air leaks showed up in odd (to me) places, so caulking all cracks will prevent some air leakage.
I have been very disappointed in the past with the caulking and painting we had done by "pros." Before we started our first project I asked the neighbor if he could recommend a painter. He said he only knew of 2 good painters in Georgia and they were both dead. :shocked: So we have gone through 4 different painters and were disappointed in all of them. 2 of them we fired immediately.
The wife and I are now doing our own painting and I would rather take a beating than paint. The painting is turning into a multiple year project because I'm slow.
We are spending a lot of time/effort in the prep work which is the most important step in painting. However, I believe we're getting a good paint job, just as good if not better than if we had a true pro doing it. We spent some time on a couple of paint forums and read a couple of books. One can learn some good techniques by reading the forums and also learn what not to do and what some jackleg painters will try to get away with. But the best way to learn is by doing. When something didn't turn out they way we wanted, we figured out what we did wrong and adjusted accordingly.
When you first asked about painting I didn't respond because I am not a pro and there is a lot to getting a good paint job. I'm a very slow typist also.
I will mention a few things.
It's really true; cleanliness is next to godliness. Clean and clean again. Vacuum, with HEPA filter, every surface prior to painting, then damp wipe just prior to painting.
If more time is being spent on the prep work that the actual painting you are probably getting a good paint job.
Don't specify just the color of paint you want. Either specify the exact brand and quality level of paint or buy the paint yourself. Some painters prefer a specific brand of paint which is fine, just make sure they don't use the brand's low quality paint. This applies to caulk also. One problem with this is some paint, or more likely, caulk will disappear and end up being used in some other house.
We prime and apply 2 top coats on everything.
One of my pet peeves is the poor caulking done by some contractors. They start off by using a poor quality caulk. To save time and caulk, some will drag instead of pushing the caulk, so the end result is a crack that is covered and not filled. The cracks will reappear in less then a year.
I tool all my caulking with my finger except in tight spots like corners where I use a 1 inch putty knife or even a quarter inch chisel. The first thing I do when I start to caulk (or paint) is get a bucket of water and a rag to clean my finger or clean off caulk where it doesn't belong. I have seen the results of a so called pro wiping off his finger on an adjacent surface. The results are not pretty.
Some will round out or fill inside corners with caulk which makes it darn near impossible to tape off and get good crisp lines.
I have read that the priming should be done before the caulking. The reasoning is that unprimed wood will absorbed more out of the caulk which will cause the caulk to shrink more. That makes sense to me but I'm doing a "repaint."
I have seen "pros" use painters putty to fill nail holes which is quick to use and they immediately paint over it. The manufacturer's instructions of this particular brand was to use with oil based paints only. The end result was not only was there a great deal of shrinkage but after awhile the paint over the putty turned a slightly darker color. The end result is very unsightly. We use wood filler, overfill slightly and sand down.
I understand that with contractors it's all about profits. The less time spent on a project, the more profit and some will do the darnest things to save a little bit of time. I, also, am fully aware that there are good ones out there and are truely professionals. It's just that that I haven't been able to hire one yet.
That's all for now. Oh, and I have some specific thoughts about trim carpentry, but I have to get busy doing some prep work.
