How to Choose the Right Sheen

We spend a lot of time picking the right color, but choosing the right sheen is just as important.  Here's a couple of suggestions for choosing the right sheen for your project:

The Most Common Sheens:

Flat

 Recommended for interior level 5 smooth wall and slightly imperfect smooth wall.  Also good for ceilings or inconsistent areas.  Because there is no sheen, the light won’t reflect off of the inconsistencies or patches and so it will hide them much better than any sheen.

Low Sheen 

 Is the most common exterior sheen.  It sits between flat and eggshell and offers a little more protection than flat, but does have a noticeable sheen. 

Eggshell 

Generally used on interiors and available in all interior products.  It works well for bathrooms and kitchens. 

Semi-Gloss 

High sheen, generally used on trim, doors and cabinets and occasionally in kitchens and bathrooms, especially if there is little to no ventilation.

General Tips to keep in mind

• ·       More sheen = more UV protection on exteriors, and the more sheen you use on an interior, the longer it will stay scrubbable.
• ·       Less sheen = better hiding.  Using a flat shows a lot less imperfections over the surface.
• ·       More Sheen = Longer color retention.  Because sheen gives more UV protection, the colors will fade less.
• ·       Make sure to use Semi-Gloss on areas that get handled more (i.e. Doors, baseboards, cabinets, etc…)

5 Ways to make sure your Exterior Paint job Lasts as long as possible:

Your home is a lot like your car, if you don’t keep it clean then the paint may fail much faster than intended. Here’s a few tips to make sure your painting investment lasts as long as possible!

1) Pressure wash Once a year (Or every other year).

Have the house pressure washed once a year to clean off dirt building on the siding and trim. The longer the dirt stands there, the more harm it can do to the paint job.

2) Treat mildew.

Most exterior paints have a mildewcide built right into the product, so if you recently had your home painted then it shouldn’t be an issue. As the paint ages, it’s good to keep an eye on the it (Especially on the shaded sides of your home) to make sure that you treat mildew before it starts to eat away at the paintcoating. Make sure to check the labels: don’t use any cleaners that contain amonia. (Caution: Bleach may fade the exterior colors, so use with caution and.)

3) Check Caulking and spackle.

The old saying goes: “Caulking and spackle won’t hold the house together.” Keep up on the exterior caulking and take a quick look around the house once a year to see if any of the caulking or spackle has cracked. Caulking is elastic, but it can only stretch so far, and if your house is settling, it will probably crack the caulking in some areas. By keeping on top of the caulking on your home, you can prevent expensive projects that require dry rot replacement and prevenet water damage. If your looking for a good caulking to use, we suggest using DAP Powerpoint 230, or “Big Stretch” caulking.

4) Touch ups.

Once a year, have touch ups done over areas that get more sun, and over the places that tend to settle more. If you do make any additions, or add new wood anywhere, make sure that it’s primed and painted right away to seal it from moisture. There should not be any bare wood on your home. If you add in a deck or railing, seal it right away (Well, not right away, with new wood, you generally want to wait a few weeks for the wood to off gas before staining), but once it has sat for the lumber providers specified time frame, seal it. If you want to keep the bare wood look, use a “natural stain”. This won’t add any color to the wood.

Extra Note for homes:  If you own an older home, go easy with the pressure washer to make sure you don't disturb the older layers of paint and you may want to check the house 2 times a year for any issues or movement because older homes tend to have more maintenance.

Finished Exterior Project in Petaluma

After a lot of scraping and sanding, and a full coat of primer the house looks great!

After

Before

Larson Bros in the Sonoma Index Tribune - "Movers and Shakers"

       The Owners of Larson Bros Painting were recently featured in the Sonoma Index Tribune.  You can take a look and read the full article here:

See the Full article here "Movers and Shakers"