Properties in Chappaqua can range from the industrial to the almost presidential. Many stately older homes call the community home as do imaginative modernist residences and good old tract homes. An experienced house painter like one of the team at Gallo Paint knows that the differences among these residence styles are more than aesthetic. Older homes were constructed of materials that may have been popular one-hundred or two-hundred years ago. Modern homes may contain unusual or even experimental building materials, and typical mid-century construction has its favorite surfaces and materials. Gallo Paint has been restoring the beauty of homes in Chappaqua and the surrounding areas with expert painting, wallpapering, and finish carpentry for more than 20 years.
Use the right tools.
Using the right tools for the right job is the first law of any professional craftsperson like the house painters of Gallo Paint. Tools for an attractive, durable, and professional paint job involve more than brushes or rollers, as important as they are. Because the success of any house paint job depends on the proper preparation of the surface to be painted, the right tools to prepare the surface to accept paint is key.
Be prepared.
Surface preparation tools may run from a simple paint scraper to a chemical paint stripper to a powerful water pressure power washer, but most jobs just require some thoughtful attention to the details. A scraper or putty knife is instrumental in removing any loose or flaking paint from the surface. Holes, cracks, or dents in the surface can be filled in effective with a caulking gun or some spackle. Steel wool or sand paper is valuable tools for treating the surface to accept new paint.
Get painting.
Different paint types require different types of paint brushes, and the best results come from knowing what and how to use these tools. Gallo Paint professional house painters recommend these tips for choosing painting tools.
- A nylon or polyester-blend bristled brush are good for latex paints. They stay stiff and rigid after absorbing the paint, and are pliant and effective when spreading the paint on the surface.
- Oil-based paints, stains, and varnishes need a soft China-bristle brush (it has nothing to do with China and it’s made from hog’s hair). This type of brush stays sturdy when loaded up with oil paint or coating and spreads evenly over the surface to be painted.
- Rollers can be used with both latex and oil-based paints and coatings. A roller covers a lot of area in a little time with smooth and uniform results. Rollers are especially good at applying gloss and semi-gloss paints.
The folks at Benjamin Moore Paints offer this handy checklist for compiling all the right tools for the best house painting job possible:
Surface prep tools
- Dropcloths or tarps
- Clean-up cloths
- Caulk and caulking gun
- Scraper
- Caulk/sealant
- Joint compound
- Putty knife & putty
- Steel wool
- Wire brush
- Screwdriver
- Sandpaper
- Hammer & nail set
- Extension ladder
- Dust Mask
- Goggles or glasses
Painting Supplies
- Primer & Paint
- Paint brushes
- Paint roller
- Paint pad applicators
- Paint paddles
- Roller trays
- Step ladder
- Mineral spirits/solvents (if using oil paint)
The professional house painters of Gallo Paint can identify any painted surface’s needs, challenges, and remedies on the basis of the composition, condition, and work the surface does. They know to use the right tools for the job and what tools will do the job best.
