Continue reading »]]> There are many steps involved with evaluating, preparing, and painting different types of home siding if you want to achieve professional results. In today’s post Mile High Coatings will cover some of those steps starting with the most important part: surface preparation.

Evaluating Your Home Siding’s Current Paint

Every professional home painting job by Mile High Coatings of Fort Collins begins with careful preparation. This can be a time consuming process, but it is a critical step for that perfect result. Some important things to look for include:

• Rust (In the case of steel siding)
• Powdery residue
• Peeling of previous house paint
• Cracked, missing, or split caulking
• Corrosion

Prepare Your Metal House Siding for Painting

The first step is to give your home a good once over with a high quality soap wash. Power washing is an even better solution, but be very careful. Power washing should be done by one who is experienced with power washing. Particularly in the case of aluminum siding, a misapplied power wash stream can damage your siding, blow sections off, or cause water to rush up behind the siding and cause leaks in your home. If you need a professional to give your home a high quality power wash, feel free to give Mile High Coatings a call! Don’t be alarmed if you see some old paint being washed off… this is perfectly normal and desirable. Keep rinsing off the surface until there are no detectable paint chips or dirt in the runoff water. Once done, allow your home to dry off completely.

It is also important, in the case of steel siding, to remove any rust prior to priming, as primer typically has problems properly adhering to rust, and the tendency for the metal to continue to oxidize will eat away at the foundation of your new home painting job. Rusty areas should be removed using a wire brush or via sanding, which will also remove loose or chipped and rusted metal. Next, the oxidization process must be neutralized using a rust converter. These typically work by converting the rust into a black stabilized metal which is then ready for primer.

Repairing damage to sealants and caulking will be dependent on the type of siding you have and the method with which it was installed. You will typically use a elastomeric or silicone-acrylic caulking for the best results. Make sure you include areas around windows and doors where needed.

Pick the Right Primer for Your Metal Type

This step is as important as using high quality paint on your home. The primer acts as a bonding intermediary between the metal and the paint. Additionally, the primer acts to keep the metal from touching the paint directly! The reason for this has to do with chemistry. Most types of latex house paint as well as many types of primer contain ammonia. If, for example, ammonia comes into contact with oxidized aluminum, it releases a gas that results in small bubbles forming under your paint job. Not only does that look bad, but it greatly reduces the lifetime and resilience of your house paint. If the bond between metal/primer/paint is broken, there will be poor adhesion and the paint will begin to prematurely separate from your home siding.

There are many ways to mitigate this problem. One common method is to thin down an oil-based metal primer with paint thinner. Generally the ratio works out to about one gallon of high quality paint primer to a pint of paint thinner. There are other methods available however, and it does depend on your specific situation. If you have any questions you can always call Mile High Coatings and ask!

Painting Your Steel or Aluminum Siding

After your preparation is complete it’s time to choose the best exterior paint and application method for your house painting project. The most common exterior painting method for aluminum and metal siding is brushing, or spraying for the most even coat. High quality 100% acrylic exterior paint a good choice for painting metal siding in the dryer Fort Collins environment. Selecting a satin sheen coat will shed water more easily than a flat coat, and will thus look better for a longer period of time.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, or are interested in a FREE paint estimate, please give Mile High Coatings a call today at (970) 214-1703, or contact us online here!

Continue reading »]]> After the warmest April ever on record in Colorado, all attention is shifting to the outdoors. Springtime calls every homeowner to clean up their gardens, yards, and tend to their needed home repairs. The average “to-do” list is pretty long in spring! Where to start? If your exterior paint is reaching the end of it’s life, it’s a good place to start.

Here are a few reasons why it’s best to start Spring chores with exterior repainting:

• The lifespan of a paint job is elongated when the painting is done in mild weather.
• It’s smart to paint before the plants start to get too big, as it becomes more difficult to paint around them later in the year.
• It’s a good idea to get your painting done before graduations, barbecues and get-togethers begin. The summer days tend to get packed with events, so repainting should be done first!

Once your Fort Collins, Loveland, or Greeley home have a high quality, beautiful, and long lasting paint job, you’ll feel a lot better about the rest of the items on your to-do list!

For a free estimate, give Mile High Coatings professional exterior house painters a call at (970) 214-1703. We provide thorough and dedicated service to the greater part of northern Colorado!.

Continue reading »]]> Spring has arrived in Fort Collins! If you are heading outdoors to enjoy the warm weather, you might have noticed that winter has taken it’s toll on your home paint job. If your house is starting to look dingy and dirty or your home paint is starting to crack or peel, a professional power washing and / or professional paint job can make your home look brand new! Moreover, a high quality paint job will enhance a property’s ‘curb appeal’, increase its market value, and protect a home from the wear and tear caused by Mother Nature. If you would like to schedule a free consultation on making your home look great this spring with a professional exterior home paint job or pressure washing, please call us at (970) 214-1703.

Exterior House Painting in Fort Collins

Why choose Mile High Coatings?

• We have some of the most satisfied customers in Northern Colorado!
• We know the Colorado climate and we have the best paint to take on the extremes of Fort Collins weather! Weather can be unforgiving on a home. Snow, rain, wind, and the harsh effects of the sun all create problems which need attention. At Mile High Coatings home painting we closely examine your home to look for signs of weather related deterioration, and we offer high quality and long lasting solutions to these problems.

Fort Collins Interior House Painting

Interior house painting can also give your home an entirely new look and feel. A change in wall color can bring energy and life to a once dull room. Mile High Coatings is currently offering in-house color consultations and free estimates on all interior painting in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Longmont, and Windsor Colorado. To schedule a free consultation for interior house painting, please call us at (970) 214-1703.

Continue reading »]]> As a painting professional, it is our duty to provide information and educate our prospective customers about our services and the industry. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the house painting market has tightened up over the last few years, along with the rest of the economy. With all the conflicts overseas, whether it’s the financial crisis of 2008-09, the housing market bubble crash, rising tensions between middle-Eastern countries, rebellions and revolutions in Libya, Syria, Tunisia and other countries, it can be difficult to take stock of our local market and economic conditions. On one hand, we are still very fortunate to be in the best part of the country, living in the best country in the world. It’s amazing how we can drill down and see the chain reaction that all these events have on our local economy. Again, as a painter living and working in the Fort Collins and Northern Colorado region, I see the effects every day.

Our economy seems poised for continued, slow growth. Locally, we can look forward to businesses coming into the region, including NASA and Halliburton, which will no doubt add strength to the region. Currently, in the painting industry, with commercial building still slow, many of those companies have wandered into the residential painting market. There are significant differences between commercial painting and house painting. Many commercial painters are accustomed to shortcuts, they don’t have to worry about customer service or communication, they generally use low quality materials and different sheens of paint, which result in different finishes. For instance, a flat paint can be applied by anyone and look fine because there isn’t any flashing of paint. With a satin finish, which is typically found on the exterior of homes, the paint will flash if not applied correctly. It’s amazing how many houses I see in Fort Collins that have been recently painted and the lap marks (flashing) are all over the house. The other trend is that with the economy slowing down, many former employed painters are trying to run their own little painting company. When the economy picks up and companies start hiring again, they will abandon their solo gigs. They likely don’t have relationships with painting vendors or own their own equipment. The primer, materials and paint is likely all the cheapest they can find. Most of them do not carry insurance or warranty their work. These are your typical “fly by night” painters. However, they’ll probably work for cheap and you get what you pay for. There is also a huge risk involved, especially if they damage something or get injured. Just be careful when considering hiring these types of painters.

One difference between Mile High Coatings and much of our legitimate competition is that we always apply two coats of paint – whether it’s exterior painting or interior painting. See my blog about “what two coats of paint really means.” Many painting companies in Fort Collins will estimate just one coat. Then, after the contract is signed and the painting crews show up, they tell you the house needs two coats and that it increases the price of paint job significantly. We always give you a quote for two coats because even if you are re-painting the same color, the paint job will look much better, perform longer and it’s within the manufacturer recommendations. There are actually painting manufacturers that advertise single coat coverage or a single coat warranty. We still believe in two coats on every paint job.

Another way that painters can manipulate their customers is by using flat exterior house paint. This is pretty much the standard east of the Mississippi River. Out here in Northern Colorado, satin is the standard. The reason that flat paint is used out east is because it does a better job of hiding imperfections and layers of paint. Remember, there are many homes that are nearly a hundred years old with multiple layers of paint. If a satin sheen is used, the light reflects off the imperfections and they become more apparent. A satin sheen paint does a better job of standing up to the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays. It’s also slightly more difficult to apply than a flat paint. A wet edge is required to prevent lap marks and flashing. Only if you have an old home with several layers of paint would we consider painting a house with flat paint. So, to bring this back, house painters will use a flat because it’s cheaper and easier to apply, thus reducing the amount of the job. It also means that you’ll be repainting your house sooner than you anticipate.

If you’re looking for a quality, honest painting company in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley or Northern Colorado, let us provide a free estimate and we’ll show you a new peak in quality.

Continue reading »]]> When Mile High Coatings comes to complete a project for you, trust that it will be done professionally by trained and experienced crew members. When we paint a house, we have all the tools and materials necessary to complete the job safely and effectively. Our flooring projects sometimes require extensive preparation before we can apply the coatings.

One question I get asked a lot is if we “acid wash” the floor before putting an epoxy coating down. The answer is “not unless we absolutely have to.” The term we use is acid etching and while it is effective, it’s not ideal. First of all, it means that water gets introduced to the floor. Epoxy and polyaspartic coatings rely on minimal vapor pressure and a dry floor. By acid-etching the concrete floor, it prolongs the time on the job because we have to wait for it to dry. Another drawback is that it alters the pH of the concrete. Unless it is heavily and carefully pressure washed, and in some cases neutralized, it will be inferior to mechanical profiling, or grinding. It also means that acid residue is being washed down the drain or gutters. Mile High Coatings employs an industrial diamond grinder and edge grinders to ensure a properly profiled floor. Each floor is unique and sometimes water must be used. Such is the case when de-greaser is used. We have to pressure wash the floor. We’ll use an industrial grade oil/grease emulsifier which does a much better job than your typical consumer brand de-greasers. You have to ensure the floor is extremely clean prior to applying the epoxy or polyaspartic coating.

Customers often ask if garage floor paint can be used. Simply put, it is a waste of time and money unless the floor is never going to be driven on or walked on. You can’t really wash the floor because the paint will wear off quickly. In the end, you get what you pay for. We believe in high quality preparation and materials and your ultimate satisfaction. Whether it’s house painting, floor coatings, or concrete staining we strive for great customer service and a finished product that you’ll be excited to share with your family and friends!

Continue reading »]]> Colorado kids are active! …and with that activity can come ball-bounce marks on the wall (which of course the cat is responsible for), finger prints, and scuffing. Even the cleanest adults will eventually see the accumulation marks and scuffing around door frames, light switches, thermostats and other high traffic areas. This leaves nearly everyone wondering how to remove them without damaging the paint.

Not all paints are equal. In many cases, repainting is the only effective way to restore the wall to an immaculate state. When a wall has accumulated enough marks, it usually also has some scuffs, chips and faded areas, and the time and money spent on repainting it is well worthwhile. Mile High Coatings paints are less susceptible to wear, tear, fading, and chipping because we only use the highest quality paints both on the exterior and interior of your home.

Particularly when higher quality paints have been used, it becomes possible to clean the walls and restore them to their former beauty without removing the paint in the process. Below are a few easy methods for removing marks… but be sure to test them fist in a less visible place. Some lower quality paints just dissolve or discolor if you try to clean them.

• Windex and Water: Use a microfiber cloth with a mixture of 1-2 cups of Windex in a bucket of warm water. Scrub very gently using a circular motion. Try to dry your wall quickly by dabbing.
• Pencil Eraser: These are great for removing a variety of smaller scuffs and fingerprints from painted walls. Be gentle, and wipe with a cloth when done.
• Baby Wipes: These are handy for breaking down the oils in your fingerprints, gently removing them from your painted wall.

If blobs of goo and scuffs are making your interior home paint job look bad, Mile High Coatings would love to revitalize your home. Our interior and exterior home painting services are professional, friendly and high-quality, and we guarantee you will love the results! Give us a call today to schedule your risk free home painting quote!

Continue reading »]]> Text testimonials are great, but we at Mile High Coatings felt that some of our potential house painting or floor coating customers might appreciate seeing one of our current clients relate their experience with our company with their own eyes. Thanks so much for taking the time to sit with us Joyce!

If you are thinking about getting a high quality epoxy coating or concrete staining for your floor space, or are in the market for a new paint job for your northern Colorado home, give Mile High Coatings a call today for your risk free no-obligation painting estimate!

Continue reading »]]> It’s the time of year again to begin planning and budgeting for home improvement projects. On your list of projects, house painting could be one of the more difficult tasks you may face. If you’re looking to hire a painting company, be sure to check home painting references and ask for referrals from jobs that were completed both recently (to gauge the quality of their painting crews) and older jobs (to see how the home paint is holding up).

Mile High Coatings believes in superior preparation, application and materials. If you’re looking for the cheapest paint job with not other considerations, there are other Northern Colorado painting companies that can give you a cheap paint job. On the other hand, if you want a trustworthy company, superior customer service, and a no-hassle experience, contact us and we’ll be happy to provide a free estimate. Our home paint jobs outlast our competition because we only use the highest quality house paint and have an extremely rigorous home painting surface preparation process the others can’t match. We care a lot about our work and the quality of our customer service. We always stand behind our work, and offer a STRONG 7 year guarantee of quality.

I guarantee that you’ll be satisfied with our painting services that you’ll want to tell your friends and neighbors. If you do, we’ll gladly offer a referral bonus of $50 for each referral that signs up! Our company isn’t trying to out-advertise everyone else… we want quality over quantity and that’s why we’re committed to earning word-of-mouth business. As a locally-owned painting company in Fort Collins, we believe in offering fair, affordable services to our fellow neighbors and community members. Let our expert painting professionals provide a top-notch paint job and experience A New Peak In Quality. Call us now for a free consultation and estimate.

Sincerely,
~David Nanninga
Owner of Mile High Coatings

Continue reading »]]> We at Mile High Coatings have a great deal of pride in our painting work, and we put a lot of ourselves into each and every project. We love it when we receive the great feedback we get from our house painting clients! Here is a client testimonial we recently received:

We feel that David and Mile High Coatings is a very reputable company. From the first time David came to our house for our estimate we were impressed by his professionalism in explaining the process of the steps involved even before the actual painting began. Our house was painted in November and there was a big snowstorm scheduled to arrive and the crew worked hard to make sure it was completed well before the snow fell. They used a low-temp paint to make sure there weren’t any issues and our house looks beautiful. I know that the crews that David has are very professional, especially after hearing about and seeing neighbors have their homes painted by other contractors. We’re so pleased with their dedication and attention. We live in Fort Collins and if you need a painter you can trust, we highly recommend Mile High Coatings!

~ Glenn and Laurie Swalley

Thanks Glen and Laurie! We are flattered by your kind words!

If you are interested in seeing what Mile High Coatings can do for you, head over to our Fort Collins House Painting page for examples of our painting preparation work, client testimonials, and more!