Hiring to have exterior painted. What is acceptable quality?

I've posted other threads here. 1 last one I think : )

I know enough to be dangerous. I do a fair amount of work around the house but painting the exterior of the house is more than I can do in any reasonable amount of time.

So we hired someone that lives in the area, been painting for 30+ years and people on the local facebook page talk well of him.

Our house is 40 - 50 years old. Hasn't been painted in 13 years - but the paint was overall in good condition. My wife wanted to change the color (light yellow to med. grey) and 'it was due' for a paint job.

I took off downspouts, security cameras, light fixtures, door knobs and door bells. I figure make it easier for him / he'll have more time to do actual painting? And I can clean everthing better when off the house before putting them back up.

But like most anyone we hire to do things around the house, we are disapponted in the quality of the work. We're realizing though - are we too critucal? What is 'acceptable' work? I posted about his power wash job, with I think just water. Then I could wipe down the walls with a wet cloth and got noticable dirt off.

He's done now. I'm putting the downspouts back.

Just on the first gutter. What do you think of these things? Just like I wouldn't specifically say to stir the paint, there's some things that I think are assumed in a decent paint job?

he talked about power wash, scrape, sand, prime and paint.... not much more than that in the proposal. Do you spell out a cleaner? sand what? prime the whole house or just bare spots, etc?

Can you look at this and let me know if this is what a typical paint job on a 40 - 50 year old house would look like where there's a color change. and we paid extra / he said it needs 2 coats to cover good.

I do realize an older house has been through a lot over the years - peeling paint, holes, etc. so do you just shrug? Admittedly, from the street no one can see these.

I did also see some recessed nail heads holding the shingles. not all that deep, but enough that they are light color at the bottom (brush didn't get down there even after 2 coats... and they didn't caulk them?)

getting close to the shingles and looking up, I can see the bottoms (horizontal surface) of a few shingles not painted grey. and the overhang - looking up between shingles, there's still yellow visible. looking straight on, you can't see the yellow.

 

He should come back and fix some of those things. Blisters happen but you have the expectation of a decent paint job. IMO it isn't a big deal to scrape and repaint those areas as needed. The holes should be filled but gaps between individual shingles should not.

Did he contract to do 2 coats, just 1 coat and hope for the best or for complete coverage?

 

He priced it for 1 coat with an add on for 2 coats (our choice... he thought 1 would be enough but my wife thought 2 would be more durable.). THen when he was doing the first coat, he said 'yeah, you're going to need 2 coats - there's bleed through.).

I found an area that I can still see the original color through. Likely only did 1 coat in that area.

 

I see nothing wrong with what you received,

Patching of holes, was it specifically identified as a repair?

Gaps and cracks are natural occurrence, was it specifically identifies as a repair?

Rot repair, was it specifically identifies as a repair?

Bubble of paint, that is a possibility!

When a buyer and seller enter a contract there has to be a clear understanding, if these items were not identified up front then difficult to say he did not meet expectation!

 

where I live painting is just painting unless you specifically include exactly what u want 'repaired'... screw holes, siding seams, rot near the base is all extra.

 

Certainly NOT meaning to be argumentative here! Just looking to learn what is accceptable / how things are supposed to work when dealing with someone else doing work.

The proposal is attached. so yeah, no mention of caulk. A proposal calling out all the fill this spot / fix that hole.... could get to be several pages? Some things that could be / shoudl be fixed, I don't know about. Would you think the painter should point things out? There's a window they didn't finish painting of the trim. It is dry, firm wood, but looks like it was / is rotted a bit. Should they point that the rot? It's on the 2nd floor / most people wouldn't have seen it.

We did walk around and i pointed out things - woodpecker holes (I remember he said he'd fill), a facia board that was rotted (I replaced it). A shingle was missing (he said he could get a carpenter, but I replaced that). But yeah, not written. I'm not expecting him to build a new room as part of the paint job - just reasonable prep. Are these pictures within the resonable prep / job quality?

The gaps between shingles - when they scrape and a gap appears between shingles. Just keep moving?

 

Your not being argumentative. Many on the site have building/trade/business experience and personally I agree with a few of the items you have presented, but that's how I have always treated my customers but the world can be a tough place and when your hiring someone you really got to be detailed on what the expectations are.

 

I would only paint the electrical cover if it had been painted before. IMO a clean cover looks better. I'm sure he left the covers up so the paint wouldn't stick. No biggie for the homeowner to flip them down but he'd get frustrated if he found out he had to pry them open because of stuck paint.

I don't know why they wouldn't have painted the window area completely. If it was still wet it's best to hold off on paint but the painter should still know to come back and finish it. The window should be caulked to the siding!

If I had a hammer handy I would have knocked those nails in but otherwise would not.

 

Thanks. Not to put people here against each other, but I like MarkSr's thinking. Caulk the window / shingles? The proposal doesn't say anything about that : )

And same for nail head caulking. Not mentioned, but good workmanship?

(vs. Marq1 and Maarkr - hole filling isn't spelled out). Of course, I saw that lightheartedly!). I DO LOVE Marq1's calm demeanor / discussion about customers!

 

I don't think I've ever put minor stuff like that in a proposal.