By D&R Painting Uncategorized 0 Comments

How to Patch a Hole in Drywall – Fix It Don’t Hide It

Drywall-holeAt some point in time every homeowner, from Vinings and Smyrna to Roswell and Alpharetta, will experience one of life’s little annoyances that takes the form of a hole in an otherwise perfectly fine wall or ceiling. The hole won’t be very big as it likely has been caused by a doorknob slamming into the wall or a golf fanatic practicing his or her swing indoors or a kid performing his “kung foo fighter” moves. Never the less, you will need to know how to properly patch drywall.

Fortunately patching a hole in wallboard isn’t all that difficult.

Every “big box” home improvement store carries a wallboard patch kit that will include some variant of flimsy material with an adhesive backing. The idea is to slap it on, prep the surface and paint. Voila the hole has disappeared…but it hasn’t. The hole is simply covered up, not gone.

Patching Drywall Like a Pro

When we take on an interior paint job it’s not all that uncommon to find damage to a wall or a ceiling. We don’t slap on a patch. We believe in restoring the wall to its original condition and that means patching the hole with a piece of wallboard that is the same depth as the wall, usually 1/2″.

If you want to make a permanent patch for your drywall this is what you are going to need: Read more

By D&R Painting General Information • Painting • Tips and Tricks • • 0 Comments

What Does A Good Painting Job Look Like?

good house paintingWhat’s Your Definition of a Good Paint Job?

When it comes to interior or exterior house painting the term “good” is going to be defined by the homeowner’s objective.  If the house is an upscale home in Smyrna or Vinings that the owner intends to live in long term, then most likely the owner will want a quality job performed that will last 8 to 10 years. Another homeowner may have a house that needs to be painted but doesn’t have the budget to afford top notch job and would settle for getting 4 to 5 years of service out of a house painting.

Then there is the person looking to sell their home. Often times this homeowner just wants a fresh coat of paint as a marketing ploy. So long as it looks good this homeowner could care less how long it will last.

Not surprisingly the cost difference between these three types of “good” can be dramatic. Ironically, in many cases the most expensive price can be the best value when the project is amortized over the life of the paint’s life.

Start at the Top and Work Your Way Down

So why is there such a big difference in cost? It’s not the materials. Granted there can be a $30+ difference per gallon between the lowest quality and best exterior paint but the real cost comes from how the paint is put on the house. Just like paint, painters come in different levels of quality except they aren’t as easy to identify.

Let’s take a look at the top-of-the-line painter who uses best practices regardless of the quality of paint involved. How does he go about performing the task?

Preparation

Preparing the surface to be painted is the biggest part of the project and there is only good preparation or bad. Either the paint sticks to the surface or it blisters, peels or flakes off well before its time. The preparation process is also one of the favorite labor saving shortcuts of less than professional painters.

Here’s what should happen.

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