Pressure Washing Not Pressure Sales

McCauley Painting recommends pressure washing to maintain the look and value of your South Carolina home. Seasonal cleaning of exterior surfaces, which are constantly exposed to the damaging elements of acid rain, UV exposure, algae, mold, mildew, the uric acid in bird droppings and the oxalic acid in pine rosin.

Over time, these occurrences left unimpeded assault your home, destroying its curb appeal by prematurely breaking down its protective finishes — ultimately reducing its structural integrity and value in the marketplace. Your South Carolina home represents a significant investment of your personal finances, it only makes sense to protect it with the preventive maintenance of regular power washing.

McCauley Painting has over twenty years of experience pressure washing every surface that you can imagine. We know exactly how to clean your project correctly and effectively. Whether your aim is to clean your property or prepare it for a protective coating (paint, stain or sealant) McCauley Painting has the equipment and the expertise to get your job done right.

Call McCauley Painting of Greenwood, SC - today! We will present you with a free, professional “no-hassle” estimate, so you can make up your own mind without high-pressure sales tactics or time limited discounts designed to rush your decision. You will have our quote in your hand and when you are ready to protect the investment of your home, we will be ready to meet your needs.

Proper Disposal of Unused Paint in Greenwood, SC

If the paint still can be used, recycle your leftover paint; try donating it to a non-profit group, church or school in the Greenwood community. Many counties also accept usable latex paint from citizens. Local government may also offer single-day collection events.

Contact the Greenwood County Recycling Coordinator, or the Solid Waste Director for the proper disposal methods in Greenwood, South Carolina. The Greenwood landfill website states, it will accept paint waste once it has been solidified or hardened. This can be done by mixing the paint with kitty litter or sand.

In general, you can prepare most paints for proper disposal by completing the following steps:

• Remove the lid and allow the paint to air dry (harden) completely. Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area away from children and pets.
• You can add kitty litter, shredded newspaper, saw dust or sand to the paint to help speed up the drying process. Stir occasionally.
• Once the paint is completely dried, you can dispose of it with your household garbage at most waste convenience centers.

Recycling is an environmental and social responsibility for everyone in Greenwood, SC. It is simply the right thing to do.

Alkyd Emulsions Offer near Zero VOC

A short time ago, traditional water-based formulas were not capable of achieving two important aspects to the success of paint and coatings technology; very low solvent levels, and good performance in applications other than flat wall paint. But the recent introduction of true alkyd emulsions to the United States has changed that. These alkyd emulsions, achieve near zero VOC and can be formulated into high gloss paints, penetrating stains, and stain blocking primers.

We are looking at the painting industry’s ability to meet future regulations now. The industry can now present acceptable formulations without sacrificing performance Moreover; these chemists can now spend their time developing new and better products for new markets. Many are excited to see this development in the painting and coatings industry; it opens a substantial path for product choice to South Carolina businesses, homwowners and green builders and their paint contractors.

Another advantage of these eco-friendly alkyds; unlike industry-leading water-based technologies, based on expensive crude oil, alkyd emulsions are based on renewable resources, such as soybean, linseed and other vegetable oils. That fact alone makes these products a South Carolina paint and coating vendor’s dream. We are looking at the most significant and revolutionary technology to arrive since the introduction of latex paint.

Going Green In Greenwood, South Carolina

Using low- or zero-VOC paints and coatings the next time you have your South Carolina home or business painted demonstrates a personal commitment to your health and a genuine concern, if not love for our environmental.

However, the recently launched LEED® for Homes evaluates green building standards for new homes and can help put a different kind of green back into your pocket. A LEED®-certified home may allow consumers to take advantage of a number of credits and rebates. Not to mention the additional savings realized in reduced usage of various (electricity, heating oil and propane) home and business utilities.

While going green will negatively impact the initial build and purchase price, independent studies have shown that the original investment is returned, as much as ten times over within the first ten years of ownership. Going Green is also a huge sweet-spot selling point in your homes resell value in South Carolina.

Going Green has definite advantages, so get on board now; eventually building green will become mandatory for all new home and commercial construction. At that point, you can bet government offered credits and rebates will probably vanish. Regardless, McCauley Painting in Greenwood, South Carolina continues using and recommending Green Paints & Coatings, with low, or zero VOCs to its customers.

Exterior Paint Every 5 Years

Tired of the cost of repainting your home’s exterior every four to six years? Why not apply a derivative of NASA’s Space Shuttle Heat Shield Technology? Ceramic Coating is a high-performance, 3-step, spray-on process designed to protect and improve the beauty and value of your home. Comprised of a specially formulated polymer base infused with ceramic particles, it dries to the thickness of (a credit card) approximately 12-to-15 millimeters; about ten times thicker than traditional paint.

Since nearly all construction materials are porous and retain water, swelling and shrinking produces cracks and dry rot compromising your home’s structure. The resulting moisture spawns mildew or even toxic mold. Rather than masking exterior problems with another coat of paint, hiding it with vinyl siding or other cover up measures, ceramic coatings allow your building to breathe. Freeing trapped moisture to prevent exterior and interior wall decay, these products - promoted as permanant solutions, add years to the life of your home.

Ceramic coatings can be mixed to nearly any color and applied to any paintable surface. The perfect solution for protecting wood and wood trim, clapboard, cedar shake shingles, asbestos shingles, stucco, brick, block and stone. For years ceramic coatings have been withstanding the extreme elements without chipping, cracking, blistering, peeling or fading (UV resistant). Virtually eliminating maintenance costs, giving your home that fresh painted appearance for many years. Comparable products are sold under a dozen or more names with warrantees ranging from 20 years to Lifetime.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Interior paints and finishes contain VOC (volatile organic compounds) releasing low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. These carbon-based molecules evaporate easily at room temperature and are considered to be among the leading cause of poor indoor air quality. Concentrations of VOCs can be many times greater in your home, and are said to be a leading health hazard.

Paint manufacturers are now producing green or low VOC varieties of paint. These new paints are durable in performance, cost-effective and far less harmful to people, pets and the environment. Unfortunately, like most things in our modern world, these paints contain a measure of deception behind the scenes. While it is true that these new latex base paints contain marginal amounts of VOCs, the coloring pigments are not green; these agents will again raise the VOC levels.

Thankfully, there are alternatives; like Green Planet Paints, billing itself as “revolutionizing paints – naturally” with an environmental footprint of zero-VOCs. Green Planet Paints uses mineral pigments not synthetic colorants to create their unique color palette. These clay-based pigments (developed by the Mayan Indians over 1,000 years ago) are the secret to their rich, if slightly limited palette. That being said, McCauley Painting definately recommends Green Planet Paints to all of our customers wanting to go green.

Paint Color Selection

Paint color selection can be a tedious activity, particularly if a husband and wife have very different tastes. Paint manufacturers, as helpful as they strive to be, compound the difficulty by introducing more and more color options every year. Living in America, we like color and we especially like choice. And since that choice is ours to make, here are a few tips that should make the path to color nirvana easier to follow.

1.)    Personal preferences, try to find common ground through the process of elimination. For example, you may agree on earth tones.

2.)    Discover the mood, or personality you want the space to project. Narrowing in on the room’s primary function will help eliminate 90% of the colors available.

3.)    Understand that lighting affects color significantly. Colors look different throughout the day and in distinct types of light, whether florescent, halogen, incandescent or sunlight. Choosing a shade or two lighter within a color range works well to distribute light more evenly.

4.)    Often over-looked, consider complimenting adjoining spaces with your new paint color. Moving from warm colors into cooler colors and back again may negatively impact both rooms. Think in terms of an overall theme as opposed to stark individuality of design per room.

After making your color selection, buy enough paint to complete the project; returning for more later may jeopardize your color consistency. If you do find yourself in need of additional paint, return to the same store — not another store which carries the same brand. Also, bring your paint lid with its batch code information intact. Sherwin-Williams® color system ensures color consistency batch after batch; something for which major Home Improvement Centers and Super Discount Chains are not generally known.

House Painting Party

I started my painting career back in 1983, over twenty-five years ago, at what was then Lander College, now Lander University. With that level of time and expertise, I believe myself qualified to say, painting is truly an art. While it’s certainly not difficult to grasp the basic know-how of painting and do a decent job of painting (your house) yourself, the art in the results is sure to be lost if not done professionally. After all, Tom Sawyer whitewashing a fence, we ain’t.

Am I trying to discourage or scare you? No, not really. The scary thing is the number of half painted, unfinished houses I see almost daily. A homeowner has either hired wannabe-painters that failed to return and complete their contract, or attempted to take on the job him/herself, only to be overwhelmed and quit. This scenario is far more common than most people realize.

For those who can’t afford or simply don’t want to pay a professional painter, let me suggest a paint-party. Invite friends, relatives, neighbors with the lure of a cook-out and get busy. Free food and lots of it (expect it to be an all-day event) is a powerful motivator, especially for local teenagers. The key is organization. Plan, plan and plan some more. Be selective in whom, if anyone uses ladders, which can be rented if necessary. Don’t sweat the imperfections; go into it knowing full well that there will be plenty of them. Then write this in your palm, even if the job doesn’t get completed, you will end up making a bunch of new friends and have the bulk of the work behind you.

Depending on the size of your house and the crowd you draw, your total cost to paint your home could be as little as $750, which is a significant savings over hiring house painters to do the work. Just don’t forget, remind everyone to wear old clothes, keep a garden hose at the ready and have fun.

Murals, Wallpaper and Borders

When Sherwin-Williams® launched its new online decorating store featuring wall and door murals, plus wallpaper, borders and area rugs, I had to ask myself one question. Why, would a paint behemoth like Sherwin-Williams®, think Dutch Boy®, Krylon®, Minwax® and Thompson’s® Water Seal, want to sell wall murals? After all, the Sherwin-Williams® Company is the world’s second largest coatings company, and the largest producer of paint coatings in North America. Well the way I see it, the answer is two-fold; first Sherwin-Williams® rightly, wants to be your “go-to place” for major design components. Secondly, murals and wall coverings have re-surfaced (no pun intended) from a niche market to become a hugely desirable design element.

Today wall murals are available in every design theme from old world replicated works of art to contemporary abstract stylizations. From spectacular photo-realistic captures by the Hubble Space Telescope to using your own pictures and every conceivable motif in between. You can choose an existing production mural, or create a completely unique design. It’s hard to go wrong in selecting a mural as focal point to build upon. As Sherwin-Williams® states, “Whether they are scenic or whimsical, murals definitely add drama and visual interest to any room in your home, office or business”.

note: Interested in a mural? Not sure about doing it yourself? Call McCauley Painting (864) 323-7717, we love hanging murals!

Welcome to McCauley Painting

McCauley Painting; Professional Paint Contractors (brothers) of Greenwood, SC - proudly serving the Lakelands area of South Carolina. We have completed jobs as far north as Rutherford County, North Carolina and as far south as Charleston, SC and most areas in between.

As daunting a commitment as posting regularly to a blog about our painting business seems here in the beginning, my hope is to manage my time so as to keep our customers, friends and family updated frequently, weekly — if not daily.

The reality is that I’m not exactly sure how much useful information can be said, that hasn’t been said already on hundreds, if not thousands of other paint related web sites. And how much of that will actually be worth the time it takes to readers to read. Nevertheless, the initial idea is to include job progress, tips and tricks for do-it-yourselfers, new “paint industry” products, the progress of our company’s growth and more than a few on-the-job photos.

Hopefully, it will all come together and many of you will find it interesting enough to return . . . next week for more of the exciting adventures of Paintman . . . well, not quite. But we certainly do like to keep it light, after all working in the blazing South Carolina sunshine is hard enough without a lousy attitude on top. Besides, we are living the American Dream!

Thanks for stopping in, y’all come back!