Why Preparation Is as Important as the Paint You Choose at Your HOA
So, plenty of thought must go into the type and color of paint used for HOA properties. That said, this isn’t the only consideration that holds weight for HOA painting projects -- the time and effort that precede such a project matter, too. Here’s why preparation is as important as the paint you choose atyour San Francisco HOA.
Why Is Preparing a Paint Job so Important?
A Paint Job Is Only as Good as the Prep Work
Specifics aside, surface preparation is about half the battle of achieving a successful paint job. After all, the paint itself must easily adhere to the surface in question and have the strength to stay put for as long as possible. Suppose your exterior or interior painting services rush the process and try to paint an unprepared surface. In that case, odds are the paint will go on unevenly, struggle to stick to certain spots, and do a poor job of protecting the material underneath. Obviously, these aren’t the results that any HOA resident or board member desires. If the goal of any HOA is to maximize its property values and quality of life, then it needs to invest in proper surface preparation before home, apartment, or condo painting. These key prep steps include:
- Power washing (exteriors)/scrubbing (interiors) surfaces
- Removing previous coatings (if applicable)
- Making inspections and necessary repairs (i.e. cracks, holes, rot in siding, drywall, etc.)
- Sanding
- Priming
When expertly performed, this surface preparation will make for a more receptive and secure substrate, which will, in turn, allow the paint to go on more evenly, look a whole lot better, and stick around much longer.
Minimizing Maintenance
There are other practical reasons to prioritize surface preparation, too, namely that taking the time to do so will reduce the time and energy required to maintain HOA properties. A painting project riddled with shortcuts might take half the time and be a fraction of the cost of a thorough job by reliable local painting contractors, but such a speedy stint is bound to reveal numerous issues down the line. For instance, no matter how decent it looks shortly after completion, a shoddy paint job won’t provide optimal protection from impact, moisture, sunlight, and other threats. As a result,your San Francisco HOA will need to invest more resources in maintenance (i.e. touch-ups, repairs, patches, etc.). This is time and money that could be spent on other, more worthwhile tasks that boost the HOA’s value as a whole.
Pulling it Off: Beyond Surface Preparation
The type of prep work we’ve been discussing thus far is surface preparation, but this isn’t the only kind of preparation that’s vital to a successful HOA paint job. Here, we’re talking about preparation more broadly, such as comparing estimates, hiring the right contractor(s), scheduling interior and exterior painting services strategically, informing all residents of timelines and necessary actions, and so on. For HOA residents, preparation is also involved in understanding and going through the proper approval processes to remain compliant with the board. All of this preparation is crucial for pulling off a successful and streamlined HOA painting project. Without proper planning, HOA managers run the risk of scheduling conflicts, frustrated residents, and shoddy work. In contrast, HOA residents run the risk of violating their CC&Rs, resulting in fines and other penalties.
Pulling off a successful HOA painting project is no walk in the park, but it’s barely even possible without proper surface and strategic preparation. Fortunately, we at Endure Painting are experts in both types of preparation, and we’ve dealt with HOAs of all shapes and sizes. For more information regarding our skills and services, call us at (510) 458-2120 or send us an email at hello@endurepainting.com.
