General    |    Architectural Paints & Stains    |    Industrial Paints & Coatings    |   Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words

1. Coordinating Colors..... "That color looked Awesome in the parade home we walked through.  Why doesn't
    it look that way in our home?"     Click here for our informative pdf on how you can get the best paint results.
   
2. Comparing Paint Quality & Prices....Who in town has the best quality paint and prices.  
   You might be surprised!  Click here to download our informative pdf on how to compare apples to apples 
   when buying paint.
   
3. Before any painting project begins, it is important to remember to purchase all necessary paints, stains & associated products from The Paint Factory. No, really.  
   
4. Most large paint manufacturers make three levels of quality for their interior & exterior paints.  These levels of quality are referred to as “Good”, “Better”, and “Best”.  When comparing one brand’s quality & price to another brand, it’s important to know that what is being compared is an accurate comparison (i.e. “better” vs. “better”, etc.). “better” is sometimes also referred to as a manufacturers’ “mid-line” or “professional best”.  
   
5. Surface preparation is as important (sometimes more important) as product selection. 
   
6. Ideally, exterior painting is done during the summer months.   However, most high-quality acrylic latex paints made  today can be applied when surface & air temperatures are above 35 degrees F before, during & after their application. This doubles the length of time people have to get their project(s) done each year.  The thing to remember is that early-spring & mid-to-late fall, the over-night lows interfere with paint drying properly.  To prevent temperature & dew-related problems both early and late-season, only apply paints & stains for a few hours during the warm part of the day. This  allows a few hours of decent weather to ensure adhesion and film formation before cold temperatures set in for the evening.

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1. Because oil-based paints (alkyds) fade & chalk with exterior exposure, 100% acrylic latex paints & solid stains are typically preferred on exteriors because of their color & gloss retention as well as their flexibility.  
   
2. Both interior and exterior handrails (metal & wood) perform/hold-up much better when an oil-based product is used.  Water-based latex paint products categorically do not hold up to people’s hand oils over time and lead to premature failures.

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1. Two-component products do not like to be used/applied when the relative humidity is at-or-above 85% humidity (some as low as 80%).  It’s important to be aware of weather conditions when using these products.  Excessive humidity can exist on a relatively nice day.  Inexpensive barometers can be purchased at hardware stores or splurge on an electronic one.  High humidity can prevent the necessary chemical “cross-linking” from happening when part A is added to part B.  This is one of those that’s easier to prevent than to fix.

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