About Primers & Paints

Primers
  • We use absolutely the best primer on the market today.
  • Muralo’s Ultimate X-200 Exterior Oil-Based Primer-2200. This primer is specially formulated for extra long term durability. It is highly recommended for multi-story structures where surface conditions and preparations may vary which applies to most historical homes in Elgin. This primer is also super on old wood and trim as part of a tannin blocking system. It has a high percentage of linseed oil which allows for a longer drying time than your average primer, this gives the primer more time to soak into the fibers of the wood grain. This in turn gives both the primer and the paint applied to the primer better bonding properties which will provide longer lasting durability. This is one of the many reasons why our paint jobs last so much longer than our competitors. The moisture protection of linseed oil is well known in the world of woodworking, and the 2200 has the highest amount of linseed oil of any primer on the market today.

Why don't other painter's use this primer as a matter of course? Lot' s of reasons.

It is expensive, it is difficult to apply, it has to cure for several days, not dry in a few hours and none of the paint stores around here carry it.

We always have it in stock.

Paints

Muralo Paints can be purchased at the following location: Pathmann Family Paints on facebook

The premium line from any manufacturer will almost certainly cover better and last longer than its less-expensive versions. Because the expense of painting is mostly in the labor, it makes sense to buy premium paint.

  • Proper pigments. Quality pigments allow a good paint to cover fully and provide a depth of color that the lesser pigments just cannot compare with. The best pigment is titanium dioxide.
  • High percentage of solids. The solids are what's left on the wall after the paint has dried. Anything over 45 percent is considered good; the higher the level of solids the better, because you'll wind up with a denser, more durable coating. However, be aware that some companies add cheap fillers to beef up the percentage of solids. That makes it wise to stay away from inexpensive paints with a high level of solids.
The paints we use in order of highest percentages discussed above to lowest:

1. Muralo

2. Pittsburg Manor Hall We do not recommend Pittsburgh's Timeless for exterior work. It seems to get
brittle, even when you are very careful not to paint in the heat, or when the sun is out.

3. Benjamin Moore Premium

Watch out that your contractor does not switch in poor quality/cheap paint, or has thinned the good paint with water towards the end of the job to make it go further. Easy tip: did your contractor show up with un-opened new cans/buckets from the store with a receipt available? Do the colors match throughout the entire house?

How We Paint

  • We never use a sprayer on any of our houses, and we never use rollers either. Generally if you are painting exterior wood, a good, old-fashioned brush is best. Using a brush allows you to work the paint into the wood grain rather than just lay the paint on top of the grain. With a brush you can force the paint into every crack and crevice, not missing any. If you are rolling, you are leaving a lot of tiny little pinpricks of unpainted wood. You absolutely, must back brush immediately in order to cover all those pinpricks. Very rarely, does the inexpensive painter take the time to back brush, and if he does, he most certainly does not get every inch of the rolled surface, and still leaves whole areas of unpainted pinpricks where moisture can get in and ruin your paint job in a few years.
  • We are very careful never to paint in the full sun. The sun bakes the paint before it has a chance to dry in its own time, which in turn ruins the elasticity the manufacturer builds into the product. This elasticity is what allows for the expansion of the wood during our four seasons, which in turn allows for a longer paint job.
  • We are also careful to avoid “flashing”. This is what happens when you paint half a board, let it partially dry, then go back and paint the rest. When it completely dries and you are looking at it from the street, a passerby can see exactly where you overlapped the dry paint and wet paint on that board, even if that board is only one board out of fifty on a wall. It looks absolutely terrible and we see it all over Elgin. We will re-paint an entire wall of a house before we will try to get away with any “flashing” period.
  • We also don’t work if there is rain in the forecast or if it has rained in the last 24 hours. Wet wood does not tolerate scraping or sanding well, TSP needs to sit on the wood for a bit to do its job. If it is washed off by the rain too soon it is useless, and if the paint you just put on the house is not completely dry before the rain hits it….well guess who is screwed. You can bet the painting contractor isn’t going to repaint if he can get away with it.
  • What about the cold? We always allow the paint no less than 4 hours to dry before the temperatures drops to 35 degrees, and we allow the air temp to warm for 1 hour after the satellites say the air temp has already hit 35 degrees.
  • This is a great weather site that has downloads for your phone if you so choose.

    Remember a low bid does not include deliberately painting, priming or caulking in unacceptable weather. At the very least, read and follow the manufacture's instructions.
    http://www.weather.com/weather/today/Elgin+IL+60120?lswe=60120

    Frequently Asked Questions About Traditional Paint
     http://www.realpaints.com/faq.htm

    Painting Historic Interiors
    http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/13016.shtml

    Painting Historic Interiors
    http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief28.htm

    Traditional Paints
    http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/paint/paint.htm

    Exterior Woodwork, proper painting and surface preparation
    http://www.barncoalition.com/TechNotes/technotes1/exterior%20wood.htm

    Living with Time, Naturally
    http://www.milkpaint.co.za/default.asp

    Lloyd's Paint 'N Paper - Starting November 1: Store Relocation Sale. At the end of the year, we will be closing the Woodstock store and relocating all business to our Crystal Lake location.