Aluminum and Vinyl siding
Prior to refinishing, there are steps that must be followed to ensure proper long-term adhesion to all surfaces. they are as follows:
1a. Power Washing: All painted surfaces are pressure washed thoroughly and hand- scrubbed where necessary. Simply put, paint will not bond to chalky surfaces, so this step is VITAL.
1b. FYI: Be weary of companies that sell pressure washing only or pressure washing and hand-scrubbing your home to be sufficient in their endeavor to bond paint to a chalky surface. The truth is is that you cannot remove all chalky residue without removing the original finish completely, which is completely cost prohibitive. The answer is doing a complete cleaning and the addition of an appropriate bonding agent directly to the paint, thus irretrievably bonding the paint to the surface. Many companies don't use bonding agents for one of two reasons. They either don't have knowledge of them, or are cutting a corner.
2. Covering Unpainted Surfaces: Areas of the house that do not get painted (such as windows, roofs, doors, foundations, decks, etc.) will be covered with plastic sheeting and tarps to protect from unwanted overspray.
3. Scraping: All loose, flaking, and blistered paint will be thoroughly scraped, and then sanded to minimize the appearance of scarring caused by scraping away loose paint. However, it is important to note that the results of this process depend on the age, condition, and number of layers of paint on the wood , and it is possible that these areas will not have a totally smooth surface after being scraped and sanded.
4. Caulking: Proper caulking around window and door openings and wherever necessary assures that no moisture will seep in, and help to reduce heating and cooling energy loss.
5. Priming: Exposed wood and metal will be primed. Wood with an ultra premium high build primer made by Zinsser Brand that is designed to further minimize scarring from being scraped, and to glue down the edges of scraped areas in order to prevent them from peeling further. Metal primed with the appropriate Zinsser Brand Primer, which, also is ultra premium primer.
6a. Painting: Once preparation is done, aluminum / vinyl surfaces are sprayed with two (2) coats of premium paint such as Sherwin Williams Superpaint. Many companies apply only one coat, or a "wet on wet" application system, which is spraying a second coat while the first is still wet. Both of these systems are inferior in terms of finish and longevity to a true two-coat system with drying time in between coats. Wood and metal surfaces will also be painted with premium paint such as Sherwin Williams brand Superpaint.
6b. FYI: We use industry-leading bonding agent added directly to the paint. What this does is make up for a human's inability to remove every bit of chalky residue from the original finish that is actually caused from the high chalk content of the solvent based coating that was originally applied. Superman himself couldn't remove our paint job!!
7. Clean-up: Each job site is meticulously cleaned up, leaving the home owner with nothing to do after we're gone but enjoy their beautifully rejuvenated home!!
8. Warranty: Your aluminum / vinyl paint job will be covered by Mike's Painting Company Ten (10) year no-worry warranty. If any peeling, bubbling, or chipping occurs, we will touch-up as needed at zero cost to the homeowner. Wood surfaces are covered by a three (3) year no questions asked warranty. Horizontal surfaces such as decks, porches, and floors ARE NOT COVERED by our warranty. This program is designed to give the homeowner confidence in knowing that their investment is guaranteed.
