January 8, 2012

Siding Replacement For Your Home

Siding is your house’s best defense against damage from the elements. Because Michigan homes are constantly fighting the weather, the time will come when you’ll need to call on a professional you can trust for siding replacement. New siding will:

* enhance the exterior and interior appearance of your house
* protect your house from the elements
* provide impact resistance (wear and tear, denting, and dinging)
* provide temperature insulation, which means energy savings!

Replacing siding

Replacing siding will also increase the value of your biggest investment, your home. This becomes even more pressing if you are considering eventually putting your house on the market or getting a second mortgage. We protect your home, possessions and family from the rain, wind, snow, hail, sun and ice that are part of our beautiful Michigan weather. Our experienced and highly trained installation crews are ready to help you make your home more comfortable, convenient and energy efficient.

Siding experience

Elysium Painting Company is a local company and we know how much your home means to you! We have years of experience in the industry and your Project Manager will be there for you at each step of the decision-making and siding installation process. We can help you find the customized solution for your home in terms of budget, materials selection, and color palette. We offer top of the line siding installation with customer service you can count on. Our crews will show up on time, stay on schedule, and keep a steady flow of communication so you’re comfortable from start to finish. Call today for your free siding estimate Our goal is always a very happy you!

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December 24, 2011

Feedback from a recently completed client

We just received this glowing review from a client whose home interior we painted last week. Thank you!

“Recently we hired Elysium Painting Company to do drywall work, wall paper removal, interior painting and some carpentry work for us. Before Elysium came in, we hired a company to do some remodeling work. Dissatisfied with how the remodeling company was proceeding (lack of communication and after a few days, they never returned), we called Elysium for references to complete the carpentry and drywall work and to schedule an estimate for painting. To our surprise, Elysium was able to do the carpentry and drywall work as well as the painting!

Professional painting communication

We called the office and they scheduled us for a free painting estimate the next day! Chris Daly came out with his carpenter and provided a thorough estimate and we got started immediately. At first we were nervous, as we had just worked with a company that did not meet our satisfaction and to be honest, they just abandoned our job. Being that the remodeling company was just a few guys in business for themselves, and now their line is disconnected, we felt more comfortable using a company that was established with many references that we could call to ensure we would have a great experience. Also, Elysium Painting Company has a website and an office with a great customer service staff. During the process, we were not only called by their ‘people person’ Jessica, to check on how the bid went, but also Meredith to see how the project was going and then again by Jessica to follow up on how the project went! Another customer care rep or ‘people person’ (just love that title), DeEtta was very helpful when it came to scheduling the project and providing details as to when the guys would start and finish the project, she also assisted with color choices.

House painting references

I was pleasantly surprised that after Jessica had scheduled my quote, she followed it up with email to confirm. Attached to the email was a list of references and a copy of their insurance, all of which made me feel more comfortable than any other estimates I had scheduled. Although I did receive other comparable quotes, the extension to which Elysium went to provide me with information to make sure I felt comfortable, sealed the deal for me. I was able to contact previous clients prior to my estimate, unlike the other companies who dragged their feet only to give me a few names. I am definitely going to call Elysium to do my exterior painting come spring! As my home is very important to me and my family and the care that Elysium provided, they treated my home like it was their own.” Thank you again for choosing to work with us and for the wonderful thank you letter. We’ll look forward to seeing you again in the spring!

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December 7, 2011

A Carpenter By Any Other Name

Many people aren’t aware that more than one type of carpenter exists. In fact there are many kinds, but the easiest distinction is between rough and finish carpentry. When clients call to schedule their free painting estimate, many of them ask if we “do carpentry.” Yes, indeed we do – but it depends on what you need done. As a professional painting company, we do offer drywall repair and installation, plaster repair, wood floor refinishing, and deck resurfacing.

Drywall Repair, Cabinet Making, and Joining

Put simply, joiners join wood, while carpenters fix it. The former usually work in workshops, producing construction components such as windows, stairs and trusses. Meanwhile the latter normally work on site, often dealing with difficult conditions. There is often a significant amount of overlap between the two. Many in the industry have learned the basics of both trades as apprentices before deciding to specialise. There are also many different types of carpenter, specialising in different aspects of the work and often overlapping. Trim carpenters are tradesmen that deal with trims and mouldings, including ornamental work such as skirting boards, mantle pieces and window casings. Joisters are responsible for laying joists – horizontal boards that are connected to the frame of a structure just below the door level to provide strength for the floor. A rough carpenter takes care of rough carpentry of course – which may include roofing, framing, formwork and other structural work where polishing or joining is not needed. Finish carpenters or “joiners” focus on wood where absolute joins and minimal margins of error are vital. A finish carpenter may deal with furniture making, cabinetry, model building and instrument making. Cabinet makers are highly-skilled workers who concentrate on intricate work such as making cabinets, wardrobes, dressers and chests of drawers. Framers build the skeletal structure – or framework – of a building.

What Elysium Painting Company Offers

Typically, by the time someone is in the market for a professional paint crew, there is a little more damage than a bit of flaking paint. Because of Michigan’s annual swing from wet July scorchers to blistering February ice storms, it doesn’t take long for exposed wood to succumb to the elements. Fortunately, we’re prepared to repair and protect it! Understanding the source of damage is critical. Was it cheap caulking that failed to flex with the weather? Wood-boring pests? Bad primer? We will find out, and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Wherever possible, your wood will be resurfaced and sealed. If it’s beyond repair, we are happy to match, cut, and fit new wood in. We can repair and replace windows, siding and decks. Whether it’s installation, staining, or repair – we can tackle it! Do you need crown, foot, or shoe molding installed or shutters, doors, or windows repaired? Do your wooden floors need refinished? We’d love to help!

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November 30, 2011

Why You Should Paint, Rather Than Stain Cedar Exteriors

As common as Cedar shake siding is in the older homes in the Ann Arbor area, many homeowners do not know how to properly maintain it. The natural appearance and long life of cedar shake make it an attractive siding material that adds charm to many Ann Arbor area homes, but Cedar will turn gray over time when exposed to the environment in its unprotected state. Stains maintain the natural look of the wood. A common mistake is painting Cedar shake or other Cedar siding. Cedar is one of the most durable softwoods, offering excellent noise abatement, insulation, and longevity. That’s why Elysium Painting Company recommends a high quality stain rather than paint on Cedar. Unfortunately Cedar naturally sheds, which can make it a bad match for paint.This problem is part of an ongoing analysis and investigation we, as house painting contractors, are conducting, in order to provide our clients the best possible results for their paint job. When dead wood fiber is present on a surface, it cannot be successfully painted or stained. Before too long, especially in the areas most exposed to the sun, the coating will massively fail.

The Benefits of Cedar Exteriors

Cedar is a low-density softwood, meaning that it has an open cell structure, unlike many siding materials. This makes it a light wood that is easy for construction, as well as making it a terrific insulator. Because of the density, less heat is transported through the wood, keeping heat from escaping in the winter and the cool air from escaping in the summer. Similarly, as it reduces heat flow, it creates a natural acoustic barrier Cedar is also a sustainable, durable wood, whether painted, treated or left untreated. But the main reason people choose cedar siding, or cedar shake, is not really its durable properties, but the style.

Free Painting Estimates

Cedar siding—also called cedar shakes or cedar shingles—comes in a variety of stains and textures, including cedar shake. It is one of the warmest woods, offering a very natural look to your home that blends in well with your environment. The spectrum of patterns and styles in cedar siding is broad, and includes bevel, board and batten, channel, tongue and groove, and wavy edge bevel. In its natural, unfinished and unstained state, this cedar shake look offers a textured, grainy wood with subtle aroma. Stained, it retains the attractive perceptible grain, but can offer a wider variety of exterior home design options. And, of course, if you prefer to paint your cedar siding, that is an option as well but to avoid potentially disastrous peeling it’s important to prep and prime correctly – call us for a free painting estimate and we’ll tell you all about it!

Cedar Shake Exterior Staining And Maintenance

Cedar has natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, helping ease the worry of excess warping, rotting and cracking. It does weather, though, changing color throughout time, offering a much more rugged look than stained cedar siding offers. What shade should you stain your siding? For those who like the stained look, cedar requires more maintenance than many other woods. To preserve the style you will need to re-stain on a semi-annual basis. We can help with that – we offer great returning client discounts for exterior and interior painting.

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October 30, 2011

Low Temperature Paints Allow Year Around Exterior Painting

Not long ago, all it took was an unexpected cold front to throw a project off track: most exterior latex paints could be applied only at temperatures above 50°F. Professional painters in Michigan were limited to the warmer months for their exterior painting seasons, turning down late season projects and waiting until spring bloomed before taking the ladders and brushes outside again. Unpredictable weather made deadlines challenging and work schedules in constant change.

New Paints Can Be Used In Temperatures As Low As 20 Degrees

Elysium Painting Company is thrilled to announce the low temperature exterior paints now available, a chill in the air no longer puts a damper on productivity. Specially formulated paints and primers engineered for temperatures as low as 35°F. have been available to painting contractors for years now and are changing the paint contracting industry for the better. These low temperature paints are now being joined by wood stains and concrete preparation products that can extend painting season year round!

Polar Coat Is Designed For Year Round Application

Polar Coat is 100% acrylic latex paint featuring excellent year round application. It has been designed specifically for cold weather, and can be applied at temperatures down to as low as 20º F. Polar Coat is a premium finish that has exceptional weathering and durability
characteristics. This is a product of outstanding quality, that resists cracking and peeling. Polar Coat is self-priming in most applications. It slows tannin staining when used over the cedar shingles and decks common to the Ann Arbor area. Polar Coat is designed for use on wood, aluminum and vinyl siding, pre-primed metal, and masonry. It can be used on new or previously painted surfaces, and requires only 6 hours of drying time for best results.

Cold Friendly Exterior Paint

Solar Ceramic is an outstanding cold temperature friendly exterior latex paint. It’s extremely versatile and designed for exterior wood, brick, masonry, and primed metal surfaces. Because it contains 100% acrylic latex resin and UV absorbers it offers maximum durability, protection against sun damage and superior adhesion. As a year round professional painting company, we’re thrilled that it can be applied at temperatures down to 35 degrees Fahrenheit – adding months of availability to the exterior painting season! It’s available in both flat and satin finishes and a beautiful array of colors.

Low Temperature Painting Success For Over A Decade

These high quality paints have been in use in Michigan for over a decade with wonderful longevity. Both products are lead and mercury free and safe for your family. Not only do these cold-weather products perform well in chilly weather, they can also offer superior application under the moist conditions that winter brings in Michigan. Cold-weather paints like Polar Coat and Solar Ceramic can be used for both new construction and remodeling, allowing exterior painting confidence throughout the year.

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October 3, 2011

Spooky Homeowner Horror – Exterior Water Damage

Red leaves are swirling, pumpkins are appearing, and there’s a chill in the air – October is here and Halloween is fast approaching! In my house, that means hot spiced cider, Halloween costumes, and making sure our house exterior is buttoned up for the winter. A professional paint job can be expected to last several years with proper prep work and high quality materials. Unfortunately, if exterior painting is not done properly, repainting your home often is needed in much less time. Early or abnormal paint failure may result from excessive water penetration and absorption, from inadequate surface preparation or an improper primer, from very thick paint films, migration of pigments and additives in the paint to the surface, or from icky microorganisms, mold, or fungus.

Protect Your Home’s Exterior From The Forces Of Wetness

Rain and snow can creep behind painted wood. Exposed wood and open joints can fall pray to water damage and rot. Leaks in the roof and ice dams can cause water to stalk under shingles and invade exterior wall cavities. Rotten exterior glazing around window panes also can cause problems. To minimize problems caused by invading water, exposed wood can be protected with a water repellent or water-repellent preservative. A professional painting company will seal open joints, cracks, and holes with a high quality, paintable caulk. Outside water damage can be recognized by several characteristics. Peeling is generally concentrated around joints. Damage appears after spring rains and throughout the summer months but takes the heaviest beating in winter. Paint failure is most severe on sides of buildings facing the prevailing winds and rains.

Interior Paint Failure Freakiness

Water inside a home attacks the paint film on the outside of the building by soaking through the
wood. Plumbing leaks, overflow of sinks or bathtubs, or shower spray on improperly sealed walls are examples of sources of inside water. Such damage is not seasonal and occurs when the faulty condition develops. Paint deterioration occurs on the outside surface in the area of the leak. Inside water vapor is generated inside a heated building during winter months from cooking, dish washing, bathing, clothes washing, unvented gas and kerosene heaters, and other moisture related activities. Water vapor moves naturally toward the outside and can penetrate into walls and ceilings. If a warm water vapor encounters a cold surface in the wall or attic space, condensation can occur. This frost or ice can melt when the sun warms the surface, and the water can soak into the wood causing paint blistering and peeling.

Who You Gonna Call? Elysium Painting Company

Painting contractors know that blistering and peeling of paint caused by cold water condensation may be recognized by several characteristics.Peeling is most common on outside walls of rooms having high humidity and is most severe on the coldest sides of a building. Blisters appear early in the spring before rains. Failure occurs on protected areas as well as on wood exposed to rain. If you’re not sure whether or not your home is protected for the long cold Michigan winter coming, we’d be glad to meet with you for a free painting estimate and energy inspection. Once you know your home is safe for the winter, you can enjoy the joys of fall without worry!

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September 25, 2011

Winterizing your house with exterior paint

Aahhh – the smells of fall are here – pumpkin spice, cider, fallen leaves. The leaves are changing color, kids are picking out Homecoming dresses and Halloween costumes, and Meijer has already put out the Hallmark Christmas ornaments – seriously – they’re right by the greeting cards and giftwrap, I saw it with my own eyes today. This week’s perfect temperatures could turn frigid or uncomfortably hot next week; it’s part of Michigan’s charm. Fortunately, we weather the seasonal highs and lows better than our homes – especially the exterior painting. With freezing and thawing comes contraction and expansion. If your home’s exterior is not thoroughly protected, water can get into the tiniest cracks, freeze and later thaw to cause dreaded water damage. Water damage leads to rot which leads to costly and time-consuming repairs and replacement outside, and mold on your interior painting as well.

Exterior painting protection

It is a fact of home ownership that there are always projects to be completed; but at minimum you should consider the exterior and getting the home painted if you haven’t done so in a while. Cooler fall days are the perfect time to refresh your home’s exterior with a fresh paint job. Exterior painting is one of the smartest and most cost-effective ways to beautify your home and to preserve it and protect it. An effective painting project has a very detailed preparation process and Elysium Painting Company has helped hundreds of families in Washtenaw County and beyond winterize their home. A fresh coat of house paint in the fall may also be your last chance to protect your home from moisture and impending wood rot that often takes place during winter months. Failing to take the necessary steps to protect your home can be very costly. If a home goes unpainted through the winter, you may end up with extensive wood damage that could cost thousands to repair or replace. The easiest way to prevent this is with a fresh coat of paint before winter weather sets in. A good paint job in the fall could protect your home for ten years or longer.

House painting in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor painters know that winter means your siding, window trim, wood porches and decks, stairways, columns, and railings are all at risk if not properly protected. Professional painters recommend that you power wash your home’s exterior during a warm spell and apply a fresh coat of high quality paint to seal and protect all the wood finishes. Painting your house is an important part of your winter home maintenance plan. You might choose to do the whole exterior, depending on when it was last painted, or give a fresh coat to the window trim and most exposed sides of your home. You might choose to seal and stain your deck and/or porch rather than paint it, depending on your home exterior design. No matter how superior the prep work or materials, a deck in Michigan is going to need to be power washed and repainted or stained at least every two years.

Free painting estimates for winter

Whether you aren’t sure what needs to be done or you’re ready to take care of your home’s exterior to ensure that it will make it through the winter without extensive damage, give the Elysium Painting Company a call for a free painting estimate. We can help suggest how to best prioritize your exterior home maintenance for winter protection.

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August 24, 2011

Exterior Painting Error

House Painting Heart Ache

Residential Paint Types For Exteriors

Professional Painter Help

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February 6, 2011

Exterior Painting: How to make it Last!

A free painting quote by one of Elysium’s trained estimators will answer all your specific questions about painting your house; for general information about painting as it is related to weather and climate, read on! Autumn is a wonderful occasion to finish painting outdoor projects, but a lot homeowners question if it’s safe to paint in colder climate. The answer is yes… but you will need to pay closer interest to climate than during the long days of summer. Most house paints are formulated to cure best when temperatures are around 70 to 77 degrees F and relative humidity is around 50%. The more temperature and humidity diverge from those optimal conditions, the riskier it is to paint your house. Here are some quick tips to help you determine whether you should pick up a brush, or move on to other projects around the house.

In summer, it always good to plan your house painting in the shade, so that surface temperatures don’t get too hot. But in colder months, you should plan to paint in the sun, too boost surface temperatures up into the safe range. Paint should only be applied only when both surface and air temperatures are above 40 degrees; primers require temperatures above 50 degrees to dry efficiently.

Paint jobs typically last 7-12 years if done properly (based on the age of the home and quality of the prep and materials); at your free painting estimate we will be happy to provide recommendations on when to paint and how we can do the job so it lasts as long as possible. When letting paint dry the temperatures have to stay in that range for at least 2 to 3 hours to dry properly. Usually the best time frame to paint in cooler conditions is between 10 am to 3pm, the time frame is considerably shorter in marginal conditions. Dew is another reason to avoid an early morning start. Look for signs on the lawn and make sure all moisture has evaporated from the surface.

Another importance is to not let the temperatures drop below freezing the first night after applying paint, since curing paint can still contain moisture that will crystallize in sub-freezing temperatures, instead of evaporating out into the atmosphere as it’s designed to do. (If this does happen you won’t see the side effects till spring when the paint blisters from the moisture that escapes.)

Relative humidity is harder to measure than temperature; it also plays an equal role in how well paint dries. The ideal is 50% relative humidity, but curing times are seriously affected when humidity levels exceed 70%. In high-humidity situations, you can see what is called surfactant leaching, brown or white discoloration on the surface of the paint. Minor surfactant leaching can be rinsed off with a hose or left to wash away in the rain.

Low humidity can also be a problem, because the paint surface may dry too fast and lead to blistering in the future. This is less common in colder conditions; more often, the problem is wind drying the surface too quickly or leaving dust particles on the surface.

Finally, it’s probably a good idea to avoid pressure-washing in the fall, since it will take a long time for your siding to dry. Our professional painters use moisture meters to determine the amount of moisture on a surface they are painting, so that there will be no sign of blistering later on. So, remember these tips on prep work when exterior painting to avoid nasty side effects from high or low levels of temperature or humidity.

Painting Contractor Wisdom, Weather | 1 comment

January 29, 2011

Exterior House Painting During the Winter

One of the most destructive seasons of our year is the onset of winter and the cold that follows.  Because of these very brutal forces it is crucial to make sure your home is safe and well protected to endure until Spring.

One of the most important steps in preparing for Winter is to make sure the exterior paint of your home is sealed and unexposed to the elements.  In just one winter, snow and ice can very easily rot and erode away a home.  To avoid rotten wood replacement and much more a simple examination of your house will tell you if your house is ready or not.

When looking around an easy way to tell if your home is ready is to look for cracked or peeling paint that exposes layers or even the raw material underneath.  Some key places to point out can be wooden fences, yard sheds, porches, decks, garages, doors, and some forms of siding.  When reviewing these areas it is crucial to recognize any forms of weathering or erosion.

While Spring and Summer months are more acceptable for any type of exterior painting it is however possible to achieve during the Winter months.

While most paints use latex based systems, which perform well at 50° F and up, winter painting will require the use of alkyd based systems.  Alkyds perform better in the 35-50° range compared to most typical latexes.  This ability to dry in extreme temperatures is a unique power that is best utilized by your local house painting contractor.

The reason for this is that Winter offers many dangerous hazards and complications, whether it be frozen ice, snow, or frost.  A local house painting service is a great way to insure that the job is done right and that the paint has effectively been sealed but homeowners are still more than welcome to undertake the task themselves if they feel comfortable.

To maximize the effectiveness of your winter painting take a can of primer formulated with premium alkyds and apply as a solid base coat before the color you want it to be even touches the surface.  Most exterior work below 50° F will require primer and topcoat systems of alkyd/oils.

When you paint try to start in the early morning and paint from the first dried, warmer spots in conjunction with the sun.  When painting in the late afternoon care must be taken to avoid the paint coming into contact with the evening dew/ condensation.

As we’ve mentioned before any home owner is more than welcome to try such a project on their own but to insure that it is done effectively it is strongly suggested to seek out and hire a local house painting company for the job.

Better yet doing annual inspections of your home and making these simple checks and touch-ups in late summer to early fall will go a long way to not only protecting your home but saving you a great deal of hassle, time and money.

Professional House Painter Advice, Weather | 1 comment

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About Us

Since 2005, the Elysium Painting Company has been proudly serving families across the Metro-Detroit Area. We attribute our growth and success to unwavering commitment to integrity, superior craftsmanship and our client's experience. That means well-mannered and punctual painters, clear & consistent communication, along with fair and transparent pricing.

Our goal is always a very happy you

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