An in depth look at our painting method. - And why we can stand behind it.
Updated: Feb 27, 2019
At Ardent, we consider a premium paint job as a home with crisp colour transitions, no tooling marks, durable finishes, and excellent paint prep. Our combination of advanced equipment, meticulous prep, and excellent products deliver some of the best painting results.
A high-quality paint job isn't always acknowledged by our consciousness. It is, however, often recognized by our subconsciousness. Quality painting sometimes is that inexplicable air of quality in the home decor that we can't quite put our finger on. Here is our process and why it consistently provides quality.
Paint Prep.
Every successful paint job begins with great prep. This includes:
Removing applicable furnishings and fixtures, these are then labelled for easy reference when reassembling.
Filling minor dents and holes with spackle and repairing other relevant surface damage.
Sanding large, flat areas with an orbital wall sander. This step serves three purposes. Orbital sanding knocks down high spots and flattens texture in the existing paint. Sanding smooths and removes excess spackle from patching. It also cleans the wall and removes gloss, which promotes better adhesion of the new coating.
Cleaning surfaces, especially trim. Paint adhesion is only as good as what it is adhering to. Our daily lives can leave thin layers of grease and oils that can affect paint. For example, think about the baseboards in your washroom or the door to the pantry.
Caulking transitions between mouldings and walls. This creates a seamless look that adds significantly to the finish of the paint job. It also helps hold the trim in place. We use high-quality elastomeric caulking that doesn't dry out and crack over time. You'll see us apply this caulking between windows and casing, baseboard and walls, and door jambs and casing among other areas.
We believe that these prep steps are necessary for the longevity and quality of any paint job.
Painting.
The following steps are unique to the spray method of painting we employ. Spraying is what allows us to achieve no tooling marks such as roller and brush marks.
Masking is the most significant difference when spraying paint compared to painting with a conventional brush and roller. Everything that isn't going to be painted must be masked. One of the several advantages to masking is that it leaves very crisp, straight lines, especially with vivid colours, compared to cutting in with a traditional brush. Think of it as the cutting in of spray painting, just a lot more precise. We also only use high-performance painting tape like Frog Tape to provide the no bleed paint line we require.
For the first coat of wall paint, we employ a technique called backrolling. You can see this method being used in the video clip below. Backrolling provides a fresh texture underneath the final coat that helps hide any repairs and inconsistencies in the previous finish. Backrolling is also an essential step in promoting good adhesion as it drives the new paint into the old finish. The final coat of paint is sprayed only since backrolling is not required for the wall paint to bond to a freshly painted and clean surface.
Applying paint with an airless spray system is faster and more uniform than using a roller. There are fewer issues with keeping a wet edge, no roller marks affecting the sheen, and no sheen transitions from rolled areas to brushed areas. Spraying of trim and doors is also more consistent than trying to brush these profiles. Dark and vivid wall colours benefit the most from being sprayed. These colours are notorious for requiring several coats when being rolled and tooling marks can be quite noticeable. When spraying, most dark and vivid colours can be accomplished in 2 coats, with complete uniformity.
A quick word about paint quality.
No paint product can substitute for good prep. Proper attention to prep will ensure you receive maximum value for your paint products. Not all paint is created equal. Qualities you should be looking for are:
Washability. How does wiping the wall affect sheen? Does the paint chalk up and wipe away colour when wiped.
Sheen. The sheen rating is the paint's light reflectiveness, with low sheens excelling at hiding imperfections. Traditionally, the higher the gloss, the harder and more durable the paint is. This used to create a trade-off between a finish's resilience and its ability to hide defects. Thankfully, high-quality modern paint formulations can achieve good durability even with a low sheen.
Anti-microbial. Bathroom and kitchen walls are subject to high moisture and cleaning. Using paint that inhibits the growth of mould and mildew in these areas is a great idea.
Suitability.
Not every home is a good candidate for our painting method. Occupied homes can make it difficult with moving furniture and protecting furnishings from overspray. Also, our level of detail can be over the top for rentals and budget conscious clients. We have no problem referring these clients to other great painters.
With the right home and a client that desires long term value and quality, we are an excellent fit!
Get in touch today to start your painting project right!