What sheens do you recommend for my paint job?

For Exterior Projects-

Body: Low Sheen for mostly wood sided homes and flat for mostly stucco sided homes

Trim: Low Sheen

Doors: Semi-Gloss

For Interior Projects-

Ceiling: Flat

Trim and Doors: Semi-Gloss

Cabinets: Eggshell

Walls: Flat or Eggshell

Will the sheen I pick change the way the color looks?

Higher sheens will reflect light and distort the way a color looks. This means that white colors will look whiter and brighter and dark colors will look darker. The higher the sheen the more distorted the color will look.

Do you plan to start my project on the Monday of our tentative starting week?

Our projects are scheduled to start one after another and new projects typically start mid-week, not on Mondays. Our Crew Leader assigned to your project will keep you updated when the project gets closer so you can prepare for the exact start date, but most projects start mid-week.

What days do you work and what time does your crew start work each day?

Our crew works Monday through Friday, usually starting at 7am or 8am. Let us know if your project has specific needs in terms of start or finish times so we can accommodate them as best as possible.

When are final colors due by?

Colors are due 1 week before the Monday of your project’s tentative starting week. Late colors can cause delay in starting and/ or completing your project. Color changes after final colors are submitted may result in additional costs.

How do you recommend we choose colors?

Color choices are 100% the responsibility of the customer and Larson Bros Painting does not accept responsibility for satisfaction with color choices. Larson Bros Painting offers an independent color consultation and a sample kit to help with your color choices and the overwhelming majority of customers love the colors they choose.  If you are concerned about choosing colors, we recommend choosing from the standard color books and not picking a custom color. The standard color books offered at all paint stores include colors that have been vetted and will look good on pretty much any building and they can be mixed and matched.

Do you recommend any specific white color?

When choosing a white color we recommend staying away from bright whites and picking an off-white. Bright whites tend to look dirty faster and they often do not cover as well as off–whites. Also, the paint sheen can distort the way the color looks, so most of the time an off white will look whiter than it really is when the paint job is complete. We recommend the color “Larson Bros White” from Sherwin Williams Paints because it’s white enough to look white after it’s painted but off-white enough to cover well and hide dirt and stains.

Do dark colors last as long as lighter colors on my home exterior?

Dark colors are often in style for home exteriors, but be aware that darker colors will fade faster than lighter colors. Dark colors can hold up to 15 degrees more heat than light colors and they can cut the life of a paint job by 50% due to fading. Fading is not covered under any paint warranty, so please be careful when choosing dark colors for the exterior of your home.

What prep work will you perform on my project?

We perform standard preparation procedures for all paint projects unless specified in writing in our proposal. The prep work we will perform is typically detailed out in the description section of your proposal options chosen. Please notify us if you would like specific prep work that is not included in your project scope.

Will you work around our pets?

Please keep pets away from the job site. Larson Bros Painting does not accept responsibility for lost animals and additional charges are charged for damage or messes on the jobsite caused by animals. Furthermore, Larson Bros Painting will not be responsible for costs related to housing animals away from the jobsite.

What is your warranty work system?

Should you find paint failure on our paint job, contact our office at (888) 341-3147 and let us know. We will create a warranty support case in order to investigate the issue and determine the cause and the next steps. Not all work is covered under the paint warranty, however we offer 4 hours of non-warranty maintenance work on all projects during the warranty period which is enough to cover the majority of non-warranty requests we get.

For exterior painting, what landscape preparation do you need from us before you start work?

Please trim landscaping back at least 1’ from surfaces to be painted. For fragile plants or areas of great concern, please schedule a gardener to prepare the landscaping to prevent damage.

For exterior painting, can we leave our exterior lights on?

Exterior lights can be a fire hazard when masked off. If possible, please turn off all exterior lights during the paint job. If this is not possible, let us know which lights will be on overnight so we can plan our masking appropriately.

For exterior painting, will you mask our AC Unit?

AC units must be masked off during the paint job to prevent overspray damage. If possible, please turn off any AC units when we are working on that side of the house so we can better mask off the unit.

For interior painting, will you move my refrigerator, washer and dryer and other appliances to paint behind?

We will not move appliances unless specifically requested to do so by the customer. Because appliances often cause damage to floors, the appliances themselves and the surfaces around the appliances when moved, we recommend having us paint around appliances instead of moving them. In addition, we do not accept liability for damage caused by appliances. Even new appliances will often cause damage when moved and it’s difficult to predict which appliances will cause damage so please be cautious if you decide to have us move your appliances.

For interior painting, how far do you need us to move furniture away from walls?

For safety and production reasons, we need at least 3’ of space between walls and furniture throughout all bedrooms and living rooms being painted. This space is needed for us to properly access all spaces being painted and to safely place our ladders and equipment. Please move furniture to the center of the room and in cases where less than 3’ exist between the wall and furniture, please move items out of the room to make properspace.

For interior painting, do we need to remove items from furniture and shelves?

Please remove all items from open shelves of furniture in areas being painted.

For interior painting, do we need to remove wall hangings?

Please remove all wall hangings from all rooms being painted. Walls need to be 100% free of decorations and items that will not be painted. Hardware and other items left on wall will be masked and painted around.

For interior painting, can we leave fragile or expensive items in the areas being worked in?

Please remove fragile and expensive items such as lamps, furniture or wall decorations, artwork, and expensive window coverings (blinds, curtains, etc) from the jobsite before our crew arrives. Larson Bros Painting does not accept responsibility for damage to these items. Also, while Larson Bros Painting may move some furniture for our customers, we will not move pianos or other fragile furniture.

For interior painting, what should we do with the electronic devices on our furniture?

Please unplug and organize electronic devices prior to LBP arrival to ensure proper reinstallation. We will need to unplug electrical devices when we begin work, but we do not re-install electronics nor do we accept responsibility for costs resulting from electronics re-installation.

How should I maintain the coating on our freshly painted cabinets?

The paint we use on cabinets is harder and more durable than the standard paint we use when painting a house. However, the paints available for use in homes are not similar to the products used at the cabinet factory and the coatings we apply require more maintenance. We recommend using a microfiber towel with warm water and no soaps or cleaners to clean your cabinets. Do not use any materials that are abrasive or rough as they will damage the paint. Paper towels are very abrasive so please do not use these on any newly painted surfaces. Darker colors will wear faster, but we recommend having high traffic areas of your cabinets touched up every 2-4 years.