When I say CMU, or concrete masonry unit, I refer to block, EIFS, or stucco.  Most stucco buildings around Atlanta are not real stucco.  They are a synthetic stucco system like Dryvit or EIFS.  These systems are a series of drywall or foam-like panels that have a stucco compound sprayed or troweled over them.  Over time, these systems develop hair-line cracks that allow water intrusion.  As water continues to find its way into the building, it gets behind the paint and causes the paint to peel.  You can see evidence of this when you see the paint on the sides of stucco homes bubbling and blistering.  Once the paint has bubbled, you have lost adhesion, and it is only a mater of time before the paint peels off.

The first thing that you have is find the source of the water.  If the water intrusion is from the roof, windows, gutters, etc, you need to fix the leaks before repainting.  This article is written for the purposes of the water coming from hair-line cracks.

Here is how to waterproof CMU.

1. For large gaps, you must seal them using a urethane sealant.  Don’t be cheap with this.  Be thorough in sealing all of the large gaps.  Follow the manufacturer’s specifications.  Urethanes usually need 4-5 days of cure time before they can be coated.
2. Now you need a coating that is made for waterproofing.  Sherwin-Williams and DOW manufacture high quality waterproofing coatings.  In order to get these manufacturer’s warranties, the coatings must be applied by a professional.  Since this eliminates my DIY readers, I am going to describe how this process is done, so that you know what painters in Atlanta should be doing.  Waterproofing coatings should be applied using a spray and back roll technique.  This ensures two things.  One, the film thickness is adequate and, two, that the coating get pressed into the substrate.
3. You need to apply two coats of the waterproofer using the spray and back roll method.
4. After you finish the second coat, there are two things that the manufacturer’s check before granting a waterproofing warranty.  The first is mil thickness.  Most coatings must be applied at 30-40 wets mils.  The second factor is pinholes.  For proper waterproofing, there must be fewer than 10 pinholes per square foot.  This is a tedious, but necessary, process.  If you see that there are more than 10 pinholes/square foot or the coating is not thick enough, you need to spray another coating.

While waterproofing is a long and expensive process, it is absolutely necessary to prevent serious water damage.  If you need a professional to apply a waterproofing coating, call GreenWave Solutions.  Call us if you need painters in Atlanta, Window replacement in Atlanta, roofers in Atlanta, Atlanta Solar and more!

The problem is that water will penetrate the siding boards and begin to rot them.  The first sign of water damage is the bottoms of the boards be to open up and separate.  This is known as delamination.  Eventually, this damage will spread through the boards, causing the boards to warp and rot completely.

The only way to remedy this problem is by replacing all of the siding.  This is an expensive process;  approximately $450.00/square.  In other words, $4.50/square foot.  For the average home, this process costs around $10,000.00.

After a TON of research and a lot of field testing, I have found a quick fix for bad LP Siding.  Here is my disclaimer:  This process will not reverse existing damage.  Nor, is it an acceptable substitute for siding replacement.  This solution which I have developed can slow down the deterioration of the siding and postpone the dreaded cost of siding replacement.

When you see the first signs water damage on the siding, you will see the bottoms of the boards opening and peeling.  The paint will be peeling as well.  But it is not actually the paint which is peeling.  Atlanta Painting Pro Tip:  Here is a simple test to see if your siding is bad:  Pull off a piece of the peeling paint.  If the backside of the piece you took is brown and has a wood-like or cardboard-like substance on it, your siding is bad.  That brown underside is actually a layer of the siding that had come off.  I want to emphasize that this is not a paint failure, as the paint is still adhered to the siding.  This is a siding failure because the siding is what is coming off with the paint on top of it.

The first time that we tried to fix this problem, we took a simple approach.  We scrape the areas that are peeling, spot prime, and repaint.  This worked…for about a week.  The customer called us back and said that new areas, that originally had no problems, were peeling.  The places that we scraped and repainted were, though.  I was baffled.  This is when I started researching and analyzing the problem.  What I deduced was that the areas that were originally not peeling still had problems, but were not showing them.  When we put a new coat of paint on them, the weight and moisture from the coating, pulled the layer of siding down and caused the delamination to occur.

Now I was left with a new problem.  I didn’t want to go fix the new peeling, only to have more peeling in another week.  I had to find a way to stop the delamination.

I found a product manufactured by XIM called PeelBond.  This is a high solids, acrylic coating, designed to bond loose surfaces.  It looks and smells a lot like children’s Elmer’s glue.  Here is the process that I have been using to fix the problems described above on a budget.

1. You must replace the boards that are too far gone to fix.  If you can poke holes in the siding with a pen, you need to replace that board.  Also, if too much of the board is coming apart, you need to replace the board.  The worst areas are usually around the chimney.
2. Now, you need to scrape all of the areas were the paint is peeling from the bottom of the boards.
3. Use the Peel Bond to coat the bottoms of all the board that are fat and look like they are puffed up.  The Peel Bond goes on white, but dries clear.  You can apply it with a brush or a sprayer, so long as you have completely covered the problem areas with the proper mil thickness.
4. Let the Peel Bond dry to the manufacturer’s specifications.  Take temperature and humidity into account.
5. Now repaint all of the siding using a good acrylic coating.

While this process is more expensive than painting, it is much cheaper than re-siding the house.  Again, this is not fool proof and should not be viewed as a substitute for replacing the siding.  This is a method that I use to help my customers get a few more years out of their defective siding.

If you are interested in having an expert provide an estimate and more information on this process, please contact GreenWave Solutions.  Our mission is to provide Metro Atlanta affordable, high quality, sustainable contracting solutions.  We also offer Atlanta Painting, Atlanta Roofing, Atlanta Windows, Atlanta Solar, Atlanta Radiant Heat Barriers and more!

Here is what you are going to need:

• Lot’s of plastic sheeting
• tape
• scrapers
• spray bottles
• drywall compound
• sanding poles, sand paper, sanding sponges
• large drywall knife for spreading compounds
• acrylic primer
• very flat acrylic paint
• step ladders
• eye protection
• dust masks
• rags
  

Now that you have everything that you need, let’s get started.

1. Move all furniture away from the walls and cover EVERYTHING with plastic.  Tape the plastic to the baseboards and make sure that you don’t have any places where dust can get through.  Anything that you don’t cover with plastic is going to get dirty.
2. Get your scrapers and spray bottles filled with warm water.  Don’t use the water unless you have to.  Sometimes the popcorn will come of by simply scraping it.  Make sure you are wearing dust mask and eye protection or else you are going to have a bad day.  If the popcorn texture comes off with the scraper you are in luck.  If it needs some coaxing, lightly spray it with warm water.  Atlanta Painting Pro Tip: Don’t saturate the drywall with water because you may gouge out pieces of wall and paper, which will make the next step more difficult.  Once you have the big stuff off, you can use a pole sander if necessary to remove the rest of the popcorn.
3. Now you need to repair any damage and rough areas in the ceiling.  Use the drywall compound and a long knife to apply drywall compound on the ceiling.  After the drywall compound is dry, use you pole sander to sand the ceiling again.  Atlanta Painting Pro Tip: You can use a hair dryer to speed up the drywall compound’s drying process.  Don’t get the heat too close or the compound may crack.  After you have sanded the ceilings, wipe the dust off with a damp rag.  Repeat this step to rough areas of drywall until you ceilings are smooth.  Make sure you wipe the dust off before proceeding to the next step.
4. The hard part is finished, you’re almost done!  Now, it’s time to prime.  Prime the repaired ceiling using an acrylic primer/sealer.  Most paint manufacturers make a “drywall primer.”  You don’t have to use an expensive primer for this type of priming.
5. After the primer has dried, you can paint your nice smooth ceiling.  Atlanta Painting Pro Tip:  Use cheap, flat, paint.  the less expensive, “new construction”, grade paints are perfect for this because they are sooo flat.  Duron’s Builder’s Masterpiece has virtually no angular sheen.  This will help to hide any imperfections in the ceiling.
6. Slowly and carefully, pick up all of you plastic.  I know that you are excited that you are finished, but if  you do this step too fast, you may make a big dusty mess.  Use common sense.

Well, this is how the pros smooth popcorn textured ceilings.  If you are bold, give it a try.  If not, GreenWave Solutions is here to do these kinds of jobs with no hassles or headaches.  Call us for an estimate at 678-491-2963.

GreenWave Solutions does Alpharetta painting, Alpharetta roofing, Roswell Painting, Roswell roofing, Windows in Atlanta, Windows in Alpharetta, Atlanta solar and more.

The first, and MOST IMPORTANT, step to fixing water stains is to fix the leaks!  This is imperative.  If you have not fixed the leaks, then stop reading now.  The stains will return during the next water intrusion.

Now that you have fixed the leaks, we can fix the water stains.  Here’s how you do it.

1.  Repair or replace the drywall; reapply drywall tape, joint compound, and sand everything smooth.  If the drywall is warped or is crumbling, I recommend replacing the drywall.  If you try to prime and paint bad drywall, it isn’t going to look good.

2.  Choose a good stain blocking primer.  Many waterborne primers say that they seal water stains, but my experience proves that they fail quite often.  Alkyd primers are better, but I prefer a shellac-based primer.  We have great success using Duron’s Terminator 3 or Zinsser’s BIN primers.  Both of these products come in regular and aerosol cans.  Atlanta Painting Pro tip:  These products are very thin and will run if you put too much on.  Put light coats.  If you get any runs, wait for the coating to dry and sand out the runs.

3.  After you have repaired the drywall, the hard part is done.  It’s time to prime.  Prime the areas according to the manufacturer’s specifications on the can.  If the stain is really bad, you can put 2 coats.  These primers dry very quickly so a second coat can be applied in less than an hour.

4.  Repaint the area.  I wouldn’t count on being able to touch up these repairs, so be prepared to repaint the wall or ceiling corner-to-corner.

I hope that this has helped.  GreenWave Solutions is the best painting contractors in Atlanta.  Call us for a free estimate.  We offer painters in Alpharetta, painters in Sandy Springs, Painters in Atlanta, and more!  We also have energy star roofing in Atlanta, radiant heat barriers, and window contractors in Atlanta.

Johns Creek is one of Atlanta’s emerging and affluent suburbs.  Its homes vary from the brand new to the more seasoned.  These different kinds of homes require different kinds of painting.  GreenWave Solutions’ Johns Creek Painters know how to paint each of these homes with the proper Johns Creek painting methods, primers and paints.

Whether your home is newer and just needs freshening up or it is older and needs to more work, GreenWave Solutions will make your home look clean and beautiful with our Johns Creek painting services.

Our painters in Johns Creek are also experts in carpentry, deck staining, and concrete staining.  Call us for a free estimate! 678-491-2963

We are Johns Creek Painting Contractors!

This condition of this fountain was quite bad.  It was approximately 80% covered with surface rust and badly pitted.  It had not been cleaned since 2001 and the inner bowls were covered in algae.  It took be about a dozen phone calls and two days to figure out if we even wanted to take this job.  Once I decided that I was going to do the job, figuring out what to put on it was another challenge.

Our Atlanta painters are good, but in a situation like this, you need to do extensive surface preparation and you MUST use the right coatings.  We are dealing with previously coated ferrous metal, covered in rust, that will be used for immersion service.  Alone, each one of these variables requires attention, but together they create a “perfect storm” of potential coating failures.

Here is a rundown of the variables that must be addressed:

1. Ferrous metal - They are always prone to rust.
2. Previously coated with unknown coating - Can create compatibility and adhesion problems, limiting the coatings that can be used.
3. Badly rusted - You cannot paint or prime on top of unprepared rust because if the rust isn’t stopped, it will grow underneath the topcoat causing it to lift and fail.
4. Immersion service - Very few coatings can be used underwater.  Combining this with the fact that the substrate is metal and already rusting further limits the coating which can be used.

The 100% correct way to handle this is to disassemble the fountain, have it sand blasted to sspc-sp10 white metal blasting preparation, and then recoat it.  This process is more expensive than replacing the fountain.  I explained this to my customer and came up a much more cost effective solution.

Here is what I did:

1. I got a 3500 psi pressure washer with a rotating tip and pressure washed the entire fountain.  This removed the algae, loose rust, and loose paint.  I let the fountain dry completely.
2. I then applied a coat of Ospho.  Ospho is a phosphoric acid based rust reformer.  This product converts the rust from iron oxide to iron phosphate, an inert substance.  When using this product, good ventilation is necessary as hydrogen gas is released during the chemical reaction.  I let the Ospho dry for 24 hours and then applied a second coat of it.
3. Now it is time for the Macropoxy 646.  Macropoxy is a 2-component poly-amide epoxy coating.  This coating is not user friendly and should not be used by someone who isn’t experienced with industrial coatings.  Atlanta Painting Pro Hint: Wear gloves and eye protection.  If using this product indoors, a respirator is a must.  This stuff is hard-core.  You must read your data sheets and follow ALL manufacturer instructions when using this product.

• First shake part A and part B.  Then mix equal parts of A and B into a 3rd container (1:1 ratio).  Mix this for about 5 minutes with a mechanical mixer.  Now you MUST wait 30 minutes for the product to sweat.  After 30 minutes, stir the macropoxy and get to work.  You have 4 hours pot life at 77 degrees F with this product.  A pot life is how long the epoxy is workable, after the pot life is over the product solidifies and is finished.  Clean your brush and tools using reducer 15.

Again, I must emphasize that this product is extremely aggressive and should not be used by DIYs.

GOOD LUCK!

We are going to discuss paint that is cracking due to age and multiple coats of paint.  I am referring to the houses around Inman park and Decatur that were built in the 1950’s.  The paint is alligatoring and when you look at the chips, you can literally count all of the layers of paint.

When painting Atlanta homes in this condition, two problems arise:

1) Stopping the cracking from continuing after you have finished painting.

2) Getting the siding of the home to look smooth despite the differences in thickness.

Here is how GreenWave Solutions’ Atlanta Painters fix these problems and restore these homes to like new condition.

1) We put drop cloths on the ground in order to keep the paint chips from polluting the ground, water, lawn etc.

2) We pressure wash the house to knock off the loosest materials.

3) We get the entire crew on the house with scrapers and we scrape the entire exterior of the home.   Atlanta Painting Pro Tip - The best way to fix cracking paint is to scrape off as much as possible.  If you paint on top of bad paint, all the paint will come off.

4) Now it’s time to prime.  We use XIM PeelBond.  This product is amazing.  It is a flexible, breathable product that is around 40% solid content.  It can also be applied to about 20 mils without sagging and has superior adhesion.  What this means is that this product can be applied very heavily and will level out well.  We spray to medium coats on the uneven areas with this product.  This does 2 things.  The first is it seals all of the peeling paint and prevents future peeling.  The second is that is minimizes the uneven appearance of where the paint has been scraped off, leaving a very smooth, even, and well-prepared substrate.

5) Now we spray on a coat of premium acrylic paint.  The PeelBond is a universal primer.  This means that it can be topcoated with any paint.

This is how GreenWave Solutions’ Atlanta Painters do it!  We are the best at house painting in Roswell GA

Call GreenWave Solutions for a free estimate at 678-491-2963 or fill out the contact form on the right side of this screen.

Alpharetta is a north Atlanta suburb.  Its homes vary from the brand new to the historic.  These different kinds of homes require different kinds of painting.  GreenWave Solutions’ Alpharetta Painters know how to paint each of these homes with the proper Alpharetta painting methods and correct primers and paints.

Whether your home is newer and just needs freshening up or is older and needs to more work, GreenWave Solutions will make your home look clean and beautiful with our Alpharetta painting services.

Our painters in Alpharetta are also experts in carpentry, deck staining, and concrete staining.  Call us for a free estimate! 678-491-2963

Wood also has tannins, but since normal people don’t chew a lot of wood, you don’t notice them…Until they bleed through your paint!  This is called “Tannin Bleed.”

Tannins are poly phenols found in most all plants.  I’m not sure what the plants use them for, but I’m sure they have a purpose.  This is not a horticulture lesson, it is about painting in Atlanta.

How to prevent tannin bleed when painting new wood:

1) You must prime any new wood that you paint, or else you are asking for unsightly tannin bleed.

2) The primer which you use is also very important.  I do NOT recommend using a waterborne primer.  Although, many say that they work for new wood, I have seen them fail numerous times.  Use either an alkyd primer or a shellac based primer.  Examples of alkyd primers wood primers are SW A-100 exterior oil wood primer or Zinsser’s Coverstain.  Both of these products work very well, especially the A-100.  If you want to use a shellac based primer, I like Zinsser’s BIN primer.  It is a true shellac and has always fixed even the most stubborn tannin bleed.

3) Either prime the entire piece of wood or spot prime the knots, as they are the most prone to bleed.  GreenWave Solutions primes the entire piece of wood because this yields the best Atlanta painting.

4) Wait for the primer to dry, per the label, and top coat the wood.  This should prevent any tannin bleed on you newly painted wood.

5) If you have previously painted wood where the tannin bleed has already occurred, spot prime the areas that are bleeding and repaint them.

Bathrooms are exposed to lots of water, steam, and traffic.  For this, you must take care when selecting bathroom paint.  Since GreenWave Solutions has the best Atlanta painters, we use the best paint.  Our professional choice is Sherwin-Williams’ Duration Home Matte Finish.  This product is washable, scrubable, and water and mildew resistant.  The resins in Duration are very resistant to peeling when exposed to shower steam or water splashing from the sinks.  After you have selected your paint and color, here is what you need to paint your bathroom like our Atlanta Painting pros:

-          Brushes and rollers

-          Roller trays

-          Drop cloths

-          Drywall repair product and knife

-          Tape

-          Tools to remove the back of the toilet

-          Alkyd based aerosol primer (maybe)

-          Caulk (maybe)

Here we go:

1)      Repair any drywall damage (gouges, scratches, etc) and caulk everything (if necessary).

2)      After drywall compound has dried, sand repairs smooth and prime with oil primer.  During this step, prime and water stains that are around using the same primer.

3)      Remove switch plates and outlet covers, tape around towel racks, light fixtures, ceilings and anything else you don’t want to get paint on (unless you are good enough to cut a line without tape).

4)      Start painting.  I like to do the trim first (see #5) and then the walls.  Use your brush to cut and roll the big areas.  If you want to, you can remove the back of the toilet so that you can paint the whole area.  However, using a brush, you can paint behind it enough so that it looks completely painted.  I don’t like removing the back of the commode because it sucks and isn’t really necessary.

5)      Atlanta painting pro tip:  If you are not using tape, paint the trim first.  This way, it doesn’t matter if you get paint on the wall because it is easier to cut a straight line on the wall than on the trim.

6)      Let the paint dry for 30 minutes or so, remove the tape, and do a walk through.  Walk through refers to checking for missed spots, holidays, etc.

7)      Clean up and get some beer to reward yourself!

This Atlanta painting How-to is brought to you by GreenWave Solutions.