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Q. When a painter paints a house is it proper to use 2 primers and 2 base coats on the entire house? My contractor/painter painted the exterior of my house. He used 2 primers in the front and 2 base. The back and side he used 1 primer and 1 base and it doesn't match. Should he have done the whole house 2 primers and 2 base?
Thank you.
Sondra |
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-Sondra,
Framingham,
Ma,
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A. Hi Sondra,
From your description, I am wondering if the exterior of your home was either (a) brand new construction, or (b) wood or hardboard that had been damaged by the elements. Next, was one of the "primer" coats actually a mold retardant? Has there been water damage to your home's exterior at the front of your home? That would explain the double coating on the front of your home's exterior. My recommendation is to ask your contractor for the exact specifications (brand, type, etc.) of the primer and the exterior paint. Ask whether the two primer coats were the same substance or two different substances. For the final (non-primer) coat, two coats are the industry standard, for the entire exterior.
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Q. My house was painted last week. Three days after the job was completed, it started raining and has been for about 12 hours - will the rain ruin the new paint? |
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-Pearl,
Woodland Hills,
CA
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A. Hello Pearl,
This is a great question and I can certainly understand your concern! The drying time for latex-based exterior paint is typically six hours. While oil-based exterior paint takes longer to dry, it is actually more forgiving of rain because it's not water-based. So, Pearl, I think you're in the clear. Just to be sure: one quick test to see whether there has been water damage to the new paint job is the "blister test" -- take a look around the exterior of your home and check to see if the paint has blistered. If so, you'll want to call on your painter to remove blistered paint, smooth the surface and paint over any such areas. Sooner is better so that the exterior paint ages consistently.
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