What is Residential Painting

 

Residential painting is any interior painting or exterior painting that occurs within or on your home. Residential painting includes ceiling painting, wall painting, door painting, trim and molding painting, as well as cabinet painting and cabinet refinishing, floor painting or epoxy resin application, exterior siding painting,

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Is Residential Painting Really Very Different From Commercial Painting?

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You will often see painting trucks, vans, and yard signs that list "Residential & Commercial Painting" as services offered by lots of companies. Residential Painting and Commercial Painting both involve "painting", so many companies believe they can do both equally well. But residential painting and commercial painting are really two very different trades.

 

Residential Painters Are Neater and More Careful than Commercial Painters

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While residential painting and commercial painting both involve the application of paint to walls, doors, and possibly floors, in commercial spaces, no one is living in the space as it's being painted--so commercial painters tend to be less careful as they work. Commercial painters are accustomed to working in unfinished, unoccupied spaces, so neatness and care are less important.  

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For commercial painters, spilling paint, making a lot of dust, making loud noises, and yelling on the job site are typical. The most important consideration on a commercial project is speed. There is a hard deadline to be met and an end-use business client who is waiting for the commercial project to be finished so that the business can start or get back to operations. "Hurry up and get it done" is the expectation on a commercial project. 

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On a residential paint job, the project is more than a construction site, it's a home. Whether you are living in the home as it's being painted, or are having the house painted before you move in, you expect that the painters working in your home will take care of it in the same way that you do. You want floors to be covered, dust to be contained and cleaned up promptly, and furniture to be properly protected. You want the painters you hire to take their time to avoid spilling paint, keep the noise level, like radios, reasonably low, and to focus on doing a thorough job. 

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Experienced residential painters understand these concerns and expectations. And they strive to meet and exceed them. 

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Residential Painters Care More About Quality and Durability Than Commercial Painters

 

In addition to that, the expectation of quality in a commercial painting project is usually far less than it is for a residential painting project. In a commercial space, from the business's perspective, there is very little value in painting: painting doesn't generate revenue, it doesn't increase profits, it doesn't make the business more efficient. Sure, new paint looks nice, but for a business, it's just a necessary expenditure. And it will have to be done again in a year or two anyway to keep up with color trends, customer preference, and to keep ahead of wear and tear.

 

Residential painting, by contrast, adds a lot of value to a home. It adds appeal to you as you live in the home, and it adds value to the home by making your home more appealing to potential buyers down the road. Because of that, when you paint your home, you are considering not only how you want the home to look immediately after it's painted, but you are also likely to think about how many years you anticipate living in the home and whether it will be necessary to repaint at some point in the future. Unlike a business owner seeking a painter for painting a commercial space, for your residential painting project, you want a paint job that will look as good in five, seven or ten years as it does the day your painter completes the work. 

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Residential Painters Use Better Paints and Products Than Commercial Painters

 

Because commercial painters just want to get the job done, as quick as possible, for the lowest cost possible, the paints they use tend to be commercial contractor grade paints. These are paints that cost the commercial painters between $15 and $25 per gallon, apply quickly, and hide wall imperfections. The paints, being relatively inexpensive, also fade quickly, burnish easily, are not moisture resistant, do not clean well or stand up to scrubbing, and have a pronounced stipple. If you have ever had a room painted that looked beautiful the day it was finished but maybe didn't look so great six months later, your painter probably used a commercial painting contractor grade paint. 

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By contrast residential painters use longer lasting paints that cost $50 to $85 per gallon, or more for specialty finishes. These paints resist fading and yellowing for a long time, they contain mildewcides that inhibit the growth of mold on the paint surface, and are moisture resistant. These better paints stand up to repeated cleanings, are strong enough to prevent burnishing, and apply and lay out extremely smoothly for a silky appearance that looks warm and soft on your walls.  These residential painter paints continue to look for years after the paint job is completed. 

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Over the Long Run, Better Paints Cost Less than Inexpensive Paints

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Experienced residential painters know that paint that costs a little more always pays dividends over the life of the paint. When you paint with premium paint products, you have to paint less often. Which saves money over the long run.

 

For example, if you paint the walls in room in your home and the labor to apply the paint is $400.00, you likely need 2 gallons of wall paint. If the wall paint is $25/gallon, the total cost of the room painting will be $450.00. That $25/gallon paint will look new, for about two years before will probably need to be repainted.  Over the course of a 10-year period, that room will required repainting 5 times, for a total room painting cost of $2,250.00. ($450.00 x  5 paint jobs).

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If you paint the same room in your home using a premium paint product, the labor remains the same: $400.00. The price of the paint is more, say $75/gallon. And you still need 2 gallons. So the total cost for the paint job will be $550.00.  But if you use a paint that costs $75/gallon, assuming all of the prep and application was done correctly, you won't need to paint again for 10 years. So the total cost to paint the room after 10 years is still $550.00.

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By spending the additional money on the upgraded paint product, you actually save $1,750.00 over the 10 year life of the paint job. Commercial painters focus too often on the immediate benefit of low prices. Residential painters look at costs today and the long term benefits of using better products. 

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On an exterior project, the cost of using a low quality paint in the long term far exceeds the savings realized today. For example, assume the labor to paint an aluminum siding that is approximately 1,500 square feet is $5,000.00, and the paint needed to complete the two coat job are 12 gallons total. Exterior paint is a bit more expensive than interior paint, so let's assume a contractor grade paint costs $40/gallon and will likely last about 3 years before it starts to look tired and faded. The total cost to paint this 1,500 square foot aluminum siding home this one time will be $5,480 ($5,0000 labor + $480 paint). But over a fifteen year period, to keep the home looking new, the home will have to be painted 3 to 5 times. Over 15 years, the cost to maintain the paint on this aluminum siding home can range from $16,440.00 to $27,400.00.

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On the other hand, assume you would like to use the best exterior paint available so you don' have to paint again for 15 years. That paint will cost you about $100/gallon. Using a high quality paint, the labor remains the same, $5,000.00. The number of gallons needed also remains the same, 12, so the total paint cost will be around $1,200.00.  All-in, you can paint this aluminum siding home one time for $6,200.00 and won't have to worry about painting it again for years, if ever. Not for resale, not because the HOA is complaining, not because the paint was cheap the last time. 

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That's how better paints save you money. Oh, and better paints don't just save you money long-term. With better quality paints, because they look better and are more durable, you're actually going to be much much happier with the paint job for a lot longer. 

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What Are Some Examples of Commercial Contractor Grade Paints & Better Alternatives

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If you are having your home painted, these are some paints to stay away from: they're beloved by commercial painters for their inexpensive price tag, but you'll pay the cost of using these cheap paints for years to come. 

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Inexpensive, Contractor Grade Interior Paints 

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Benjamin Moore's Ultra Spec 500--$24.99/gallon: A great paint for painting a warehouse or office closets. Good if you expect to paint every year or two, for example in an apartment rental unit. Inexpensive paint from Benjamin Moore. It works as advertised, but it's not a good paint for long-term residential paint jobs. 

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Sherwin Williams ProMar 200--$26.99/gallon: This is a reliable, economical choice of commercial painting contractors for years. Easy to apply, inexpensive, and intended for spaces that will be repainted often. Good for keeping your painter busy, but not so much for long-lasting residential paint jobs. 

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Glidden Speedwall--$11.99/gallon: I see this paint product often on new construction residential projects I lose to lower-priced painters. Sold in big-box stores, commercial painters buy this paint by the barrel. This is not suggested for use in a residential setting where long-term value from a paint job is sought--even Glidden advertises this paint as for use in "high volume, multi-family housing." 

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Premium, Experienced-Residential-Painter Grade Interior Paints

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Benjamin Moore Aura $72.99/gallon: This low VOC interior paint covers well, resists fading, is moisture resistant, and is made to level when applied with the appropriate high-quality premium applicator. Durable and burnish resistant in a low-shine matte finish, it's a premium paint product made for discerning homeowners who want a high quality paint job that lasts for a long, long time. 

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Sherwin Williams Emerald Acrylic--$74.49/gallon; Designer Edition--$94.99/gallon: This acrylic resin paint dries exceptionally hard, and has an amazingly smooth final appearance. Exceptionally washable, superior coverage and hide, formulated to resist water streaking, and helps prevent stains from penetrating and making it easy to clean.  This paint also contains anti-microbial agents that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew on the paint surface. The Designer Edition is even more durable and dries even more smoothly. The Designer Edition is a new product from Sherwin Williams in 2020 intended to rival Fine Paints of Europe and Farrow & Ball. 

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Inexpensive, Contractor-Grade Exterior Paints

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Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec EXT--$38.99/gallon: This waterborne exterior paint will do the job required of an exterior paint, but the service life of the coating will require regular maintenance coatings--likely every 2-4 years. You'll see fading pretty quickly, especially in high sun areas. 

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Sherwin Williams A100 Exterior--$49.49: This exterior paint from Sherwin Williams has been around a long time. It is self-priming on a variety of surfaces and is an economical choice for exterior surfaces where you "just need to get it painted." It's easy to use and covers pretty well, so commercial painters love it. It doesn't have the best final appearance compared to other, higher-quality paints offered by Sherwin Williams. But in a flat sheen, it really is dead flat. 

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Premium, Experienced-Residential-Painter Grade Exterior Paints

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Benjamin Moore Regal Select--$63.99/gallon: Advertised as having a "durable finish that resists fading, cracking and peeling so every job looks freshly painted for years", in my experience, this paint performs as advertised. A great looking, durable paint. 

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Benjamin Moore Aura--$74.99/gallon: The finest exterior paint Benjamin Moore makes, this paint lasts and lasts. High adhesion, durable, looks beautiful. Worth the cost over less expensive, lower quality paints. 

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Sherwin Williams Duration--$80.99/gallon: This paint has been a premium SW choice for almost 15 years. It is formulated to cover well, stick to difficult surfaces, level nicely when applied by brush, roll, or spray, and, as the name implies, is incredibly durable. This is my go-to exterior paint. 

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Sherwin Williams Emerald Rain Refresh--$105.49/gallon: A new product for SW in 2020, Emerald Rain Refresh is a "self-cleaning" paint that is designed to clean itself each time it rains. Normally, to clean a homes exterior, a powerwashing is required to get dug in dirt and grime off the paint's surface. With Rain Refresh, each rainfall, or a simple hosing off, carries the dirt away--even in a flat sheen. This is a great option if you have an old home and want a dark color. A flat sheen will hide the age of the substrate, but without compromising the long-lasting look of the paint. 

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Hiring a Residential Painter

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If you’re a homeowner thinking about painting the interior or exterior of your greatest asset, we at CB3 Painting understand that engaging and hiring a painting company can be a daunting and intimidating undertaking.  We’re here to help you through each step of that process.

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When you contact us regarding your painting project, we will set up a time to meet with you for a free consultation at your home on a date and at a time convenient for you. Or, for your convenience, we offer online estimate scheduling. During your in-person or online estimate, we will walk through each aspect of your painting project with you, allowing us to understand your specific needs and expectations, and allowing you to get the answers and information you need before moving forward with painting you home.  We will evaluate whether any wall, ceiling, or trim repairs are necessary, discuss colors, recommend paint brands and lines, and suggest appropriate sheens and finishes.  From that initial consultation we will prepare a detailed, no-obligation proposal.

 

If you decide to hire us, and we hope that you will, we will work with you to schedule a start date that fits your schedule.  On the day we are to begin, we will arrive when scheduled, and take great care in and around your home.  We will discuss the various stages of your project with you during our work and ensure that we leave your home in the same condition as we found it when we arrived--other than the beautiful paint job, of course!

 

We offer references for you to contact regarding our prior projects, and are fully insured.  We can supply all paint and materials, and, in most circumstances, payment is due only upon completion of the job. 

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