Minutes from our hometown of Kirkland, Bicycle capital of the Northwest is one of our most favorite cities to work. We have had the most wonderful experiences with kind, polite, and educated clients. Located 16 miles east of Seattle, Redmond is home to 54,000 residents. The city is well known as the home of the software giant, Microsoft. Why is Redmond known as bicycle capital of the world? Every year the city hosts a bike race on city streets. Redmond also has WA state’s one and only velodrome.
Native Americans have lived in Redmond area for 6,000 years. First Europeans arrived and settled in the 1870’s. In 1870, the first homestead act claim was filed. Redmond is also known for its rivers and salmon.
Elegant Painting has been painting single family residential homes in all Eastside cities for the past 11 years. Our services include professional interior painting, exterior painting, and deck treatment.
Our interior painting services begin with a free estimate. Our written painting quotes describe the scope of the painting project as well as logistics, and the materials used.
With exterior painting, our focus is on durability. We do an excellent job of clean up and offer a color consultation service that is specifically formulated for the northwest. We perform our signature “south-side treatment” if your home has one or two sides with severe peeling.
Our deck treatment service is like no other! We restore and refinish most cedar decks to “like-new” condition. while most other companies offer a simple “wash & stain” service, our refinishing process includes stripping, washing, fiber-disk sanding, and TWP professional grade deck coating.
Aside from the cosmetic difference, back-brushing increases durability by 4-5 additional years.
Why is back-brushing rough surfaces necessary?
Spray machines lay the paint on top of the surface. This is great as long as the surface is smooth – ie: hardie boards or cedar siding previously back-rolled. ON rougher surfaces, the sprayer cannot force the paint into the grain, allowing the coat to dry and trap millions of microscopic air pockets underneath. As paint ages, the resin oils that bond the pigments together begin to weaken. On a hot sunny day, the trapped air expands and causes the premature failure of the entire paint job in the form of bubbles, cracks, peeling, and chipping.
Back-rolling increases adhesion by forcing the paint into the grain, pushing out all the air that would otherwise be trapped in the texture. This method adds an additional 4-5 years to the life of our already durable paint job.
With High-nap rollers and the proper amount of pressure, we are able to push all trapped air out of the grain, forcing the material to fill the texture and bond with the siding.
Can you achieve the same results with spray alone?
On smooth surfaces, yes. Rough cut cedar or any type of material wiht rough open pores require back-rolling for proper adhesion.
Using a super high-nap roller (a roller with very long hair) we are able to reach all corners and edges, including the underside of each board and even in between tongue-and-groove siding.
Does ELEGANT PAINTING® crew use a sprayer at all?
Yes. We use spray machines to deliver the paint from the bucket to the siding, while a roller spreads the material and works it into the substrate. The sprayer is simply there to prevent the roller from having to be dipped in the bucket. We also use premium fine finish sprayers on front doors and interior trim.
ELEGANT PAINTING is one of the very few painting companies in the Puget sound area to back-roll the entire siding.
While other companies use sprayers to get the job done quicker, Back-rolling (or back-brushing) the siding is the most efficient application method recommended by all exterior paint manufacturers.
Spray machines lay the paint on top of the surface, allowing the coat to dry and trap millions of microscopic air pockets underneath. As paint ages, the resin oils that bond the pigments together begin to weaken. When exposed to high temperatures, the trapped air expands and causes the premature failure of the entire paint job in the form of bubbles, cracks, peeling, and chipping.
Back-rolling increases adhesion by forcing the paint into the grain and pushing out the air that would otherwise be trapped in the texture. This method adds an additional 4-5 years to the life of our already durable paint job.
While some painting companies claim to achieve the same cosmetic effect with a sprayer, back-rolled coats will always have superior durability. Paint that has been rubbed on the surface will always have better adhesion compared to the material that has simply been blown at the surface with a spray machine.
We use spray machines to deliver the paint from the bucket to the siding, while a roller spreads the material and works it into the grain. The sprayer is simply there to prevent the roller from having to be dipped in the bucket every few seconds. We also use premium fine finish sprayers on front doors and interior trim.
Caulking – This page is intended to be a supplement to your estimate document.
Caulking is a sealant that fills gaps, cracks, nail holes, and similar imperfections on the surface. In other words, caulking is applied where moisture would otherwise penetrate and causing leaks and deterioration. In this article, we will go over typically caulked areas on the exterior typical Northwest-style homes, and also areas that should never be sealed.
This is a must do for all houses. Moisture likes to hide in corners, edges, and under ledges. We can use quality sealants to prevent it from penetrating and causing any damage to the structure.
Butt-joints….but not all Butt-joints
Where two pieces of siding meet. Should they always be caulked? The answer depends on the manufacturer, and installation method used when the siding was first installed. NOTE: Generally, we do not recommend caulking butt-joints on cedar siding. Natural siding boards are designed to expand and contract with the elements and we do not want any adhesive to prevent their natural movement. We only caulk butt-joints on cedar siding if previously caulked. Fiber cement boards are caulked only when there is no metal flashing behind them. Some manufacturers do not require the metal flashing, therefore, we caulk the butt joint to keep the pieces together and also prevent moisture.
Trim boards & Wood Windows
Pretty much all trim joints need to be sealed. This is again to prevent moisture from penetrating into the crack/joint, but it also adds to the overall appearance of the surface.
Garage door trim – but never any part of the garage door itself
While a DIYer or a novice painter might attempt to produce a cleaner look by sealing all gaps on a wood garage door, garage door panels are designed to move. The panels on your garage door require room for free-play. Caulking them is a mistake and the caulking is likely to fail prematurely.
Gaps, cracks, failed knots, etc. Anything that might one day allow moisture to penetrate will be sealed.
Gaps, cracks, failed knots, etc. Anything that might one day allow moisture to penetrate will be sealed. Minneapolis House Painters recommends paying attention to corners and crevices as well as trim boards around windows and doors. It’s also recommended to use a cloth or rag ready to wipe up and smooth excess caulking before it sets on the siding
What should never be caulked!
Trim boards that sit on top the siding.
In the old days, the builder would install the trim, bring the siding up to it, and caulk the corner. On most new homes, the trim goes up after the siding is installed, which creates a large gap that should not be caulked. We need air circulation behind these boards and the opening acts as a water exit, should water ever go behind the boards.
Window weep hole should not be caulked
Designed to let water out of your windows, these small openings should never be sealed.
Garage door panels should not be caulked
While a DIYer or a novice painter might attempt to produce a cleaner look by sealing all gaps on a wood garage door, garage door panels are designed to move. The panels on your garage door require room for free-play. Caulking them is a mistake and the caulking is likely to fail prematurely.
The bottom of siding boards should not be caulked
Water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together, caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Also, avoid caulking tongue-and-groove siding boards together.
Metal Flashing (or any metal to wood joint) should not be caulked
Another water exit pathway that should never be sealed.
Siding nails should not be caulked
Another item that needs room to play is siding boards themselves. the nails holding up the siding should not be caulked. A DIYer or a novice painter might attempt to achieve a cleaner look by caulking the siding nails, but the nail is guaranteed to push the caulking material out within a few months.
Question: is the old caulking removed before new coats are applied? Answer: similar to paint, previous coats of caulking are removed when they have failed and are chipping or peeling off the surface. Unlike the caulking around your bathtub or kitchen sink, exterior caulking is not meant to ever come off. It is not possible to remove it without damaging the surface. Very much like coats of paint, fresh coats of caulking are formulated to be applied to previous coats and use the previous coat for additional adhesion.
What must be caulked 
