Okay, it’s been a little while since we’ve updated our blog, but we’re still here, and we’re still making your homes look beautiful. We’re very busy right now (kind of like Santa in December), but expect more postings in the next few months, and don’t forget to shoot us an email if you have any questions of your own. 

The beauty of a stained wood door has great curb appeal, but there is a price to pay for this allure. Sunshine is the enemy of natural finished wood and fiberglass entry doors. Generally, we recommend natural finish doors be re-coated every two years. Time goes by pretty fast, but this is something that shouldn’t be overlooked for too long. Just talk to someone who owns a wood boat.
There are several good clear coatings for exterior wood- marine spar varnishes, spar-urethanes and hand rubbed oil finishes, but they all have one thing in common: they don’t last forever. If they aren’t re-coated on a regular basis, the sun’s rays will break down the finish exposing the surface to damage. While a southern exposure creates the most havoc, we regularly see damage on shaded doors that face north.
Unless the sun-damage is minor, there is no quick fix. The door finish will need to be stripped off and reapplied. We have refinished many of these doors and it is an expensive item. The old adage goes: “You can pay me now, or you can pay me later.”
The good news is that it doesn’t take too much time and effort to look after these doors. If done on a regular basis, these doors just need a light prep sanding and a fresh coat of varnish every couple years. This is a small, but necessary price to pay to keep a natural finish door looking first-class.

Did you know candles can make your house dingy while they are adding romance and fragrance? Over the past few years, we have been noticing an increase in candle damage projects. Yes, that’s candle damage projects. Some of our customers have called us out specifically to repaint ceilings and walls due to candle soot.

I am a housepainter, not a candle expert, but I’ll give you the lowdown on this burning question: All candles produce soot. Generally, more fragrant candles produce more soot while natural wax and soy candles produce less (soy candles actually produce white soot that is harder to see). Large wicks play a role as well. For a candle to produce no soot, it would have to have a completely blue flame, like a propane torch. That doesn’t sound very appealing, so at our house, we’re placing our bets on soy candles, used in moderation.

If you are looking for candle soot in your home, you may notice a circular spot directly over the candle, or dingy upper corners. Curiously, you may notice the soot clinging to surfaces outlining the pattern of your house framing. That’s called “ghosting of framing.” Ghosting was more common when many people smoked.

For those of you who are wondering why ghosting occurs, here’s the answer: Ghosting happens when the small soot particles are jostled in the boundary layer of air closest to the walls and ceilings. These particles jostle more with more heat and settle on surfaces with less heat. The framing inside the wall acts as a thermal bridge to conduct heat out of a room, creating a slightly colder spot on the wall and a great place for soot to build up. This heat-jostling action is called Brownian Motion, discovered by long-dead English botanist Robert Brown as he was observing pollen particles. It’s also been mathematically proven by Einstein. That’s probably more of an answer than you were asking for!

I just returned from a trip to Los Angeles for the annual convention of our trade association, The Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA). While I have always been active on the local and regional level, it’s been a few years since I have attended the national convention.

Well, what a breath of fresh air. After spending a few days with my peers from around the country and the globe, I realized there is always room for improvement. This event attracts the cream of the crop and we shared our best practices, products and procedures. While I am very thankful for our talented team and loyal following, I am equally excited to work on some of the new ideas I gleaned from the meeting. I realized that my judgment of our company can get clouded when I don’t take the time from the hustle and bustle to step back and take a fresh look.

During my trip we had heavy rain, high winds, flash floods, swift water rescues, and even avalanches in the mountains, but we didn’t have any of the usual smog the LA basin is known for. I suppose all of that crazy weather at least helped to blow out all the smog. I didn’t think I would go to LA for a breath of fresh air and a clear view… of Sattler Painting.

From our experience, water damage is the leading cause of exterior premature paint failure. Your spouting system is the most important component of your home in preventing this damage. Are your rain gutters working properly? How do you know for sure? The best way to check them is very simple. Take a walk around the house during a rainstorm, preferably without lightning or funnel clouds. The water should be gushing out the downspouts and not over the eaves. It things aren’t right, you may notice mold growing on the side of the house. You may notice cracking or peeling paint on the overhangs and facia.

Maybe the gutters or downspouts are clogged with vegetation. A tennis ball makes a perfect downspout cork. I know this from experience at my own house. If your gutters are obstructed, all the water from possibly half of your roof will overflow the eaves at the clog and drench that area of your exterior. There is not a paint available that can handle that kind of soaking. If this overflow area faces north or is heavily shaded, this will multiply the problem. The area will not get a chance to dry out on the next sunny afternoon and could stay wet for several days.

Even if your gutters are clean, they still may not work properly. Maybe they don’t have enough fall. We have even seen gutters sloped the wrong way, so all the water collects at the closed end of the gutter instead of the downspout end. If you have a large roof with several valleys, a large amount of water may fall towards one section of an eaves trough and overwhelm that section. In this case, the area may need a larger size gutter. We have seen this to be an effective solution on several homes. It is not critical that you know how to fix gutter problems, but it is important to notice these problems before they cause damage and get them addressed by a professional.