What’s the Story on Extenders?

February 29, 2008 on 3:54 pm | In Consumer Tips and Information Pages | Comments Off

When considering using additives in a paint coating make sure you have the whole story before you make a decision. While extenders may help with short-term application they may have a negative impact on the paint quality and the warranty!
What Are They For? There are a variety of extenders available for the purpose of extending the open time (wet edge) of paint products. This gives painting contractors more open time during application and allows for increased workability.
What Should I Be Concerned About? When you add another product to paint there are no guarantees that the integrity of the original formula isn’t at risk. For example, if you have chosen a product with good mildew resistance for exterior use, there is a chance that the product could lose the ability to resist the growth of mildew when adding an extender. Further, in most cases if there is a problem or paint failure and you have used an additive the paint manufacturer’s warranty will be voided unless it is an extender specifically recommended by the manufacturer.
Are There Any Additives That Are Okay? You should only use additives that are recommended by the paint manufacturer. Duron’s Professional Wet Edge Extender is recommended for Duron’s paint coatings. This will enhance application properties without compromising the paint formulation when used in Duron products. This extender, which is purple in color, blends with the coating and evaporates slowly out of the film as the coating dries. The special purple dye will help prevent you from using more than you need. You should add only one ounce increments up to 6 ounces per gallon to get the desired effect. A little goes a long way, and unlike the use of water, the solids and dry paint film will not be compromised.

Choosing the Right Paint

February 19, 2008 on 3:49 pm | In Consumer Tips and Information Pages | Comments Off

This may not surprise you, coming from a paint manufacturer, but it’s true nonetheless: it’s almost always better to use a top-quality paint on your jobs.
The reasons are simple: quality paint lasts longer and looks better, sometimes dramatically so. And with the cost of paint making up a relatively minor part of the job’s selling price, going cheap on something as important as one’s house or other structure is truly a case of being pound-wise, pennyfoolish.
As a professional contractor, you must be all about selling value, not price. If you take the time to carefully explain to your customer the benefits of using a high-quality paint over an economical brand, chances are good that they’ll see the wisdom of doing the job right the first time. As the saying goes, you can pay me now or pay me later, and in the long run, spending a little more now makes a lot more sense than spending a lot more later.
Not only does it benefit the customer; it benefits you. Sure, you’ll have a better markup with more expensive paint, but that’s a small consideration. First, you present yourself as a knowledgeable and dedicated professional, providing his clients with the best service he can.
Second, every job you do has your name on it. If a house you’ve done peels in two years because the customer insisted on using mediocre materials, no one will know you strenuously tried to talk them out of it—and don’t think the customer won’t blame it all on you to their friends and neighbors. If a customer insists on using products that you know aren’t up to the job, it may be a good idea to simply walk away.So, how do you “upsell” your clients on quality paints? Besides making the argument that doing it once right is cheaper than doing it twice wrong, there are many demonstrable points you can emphasize. Quality paints cover better: you may be able to get by with one coat. Quality paints last longer: they’re formulated with superior ingredients, enabling the paint film to better withstand the continual beating a coating takes from abrasion and weather. Quality paints have greater color fastness. Quality paints are washable: today’s technology provides a much more durable and “scrubbable” surface than in years past.
Other benefits include better chalk, mildew, and dirt resistance and numerous others, but you get the picture. Topshelf quality may not make a sizeable difference with every product a consumer might use, but it does with paint.
One thing to keep in mind, however: quality paint isn’t a miracle worker. Thorough surface prep is the lion’s share of any paint job, and no paint can make up for failure to lay that solid foundation. Apply the elbow grease to prep, use quality materials, and your clients will have ample reason to recommend you to others—instead of pointing out how the gutters started peeling a month after their check cleared.

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