Topcoat Finishes Restructures Most people who follow topcoatreview.com know that we operate as the happiest little satellite to Topcoat Finishes, Inc., our paint contracting company and home of all things Topcoat. As Topcoat has grown considerably in the past few years, it now encompasses a network that includes more digital components than ever. We will [...]
Festool RO90 Review The Festool RO90 DX Rotex sander was one of the most innovative tool releases of 2012. It is described as a “multi-mode” sander, suggesting that it is capable of doing the jobs of more than one sander. In tools, we all want the Holiest Grail – “the one that can do it [...]
Sherwin Williams Wall and Wood Shows Why Primer Still Rules Many interior repaint jobs or do it yourself room makeovers can be done with no primer at all. Most pros would agree that paint manufacturers are putting out their top lines with high enough quality ingredients these days to perform most functions required in repaint [...]
Why Waterborne Trim Paints? Until very recently, waterborne trim paints would really not be part of the discussion for painters. Many of us in paint contracting are 30 somethings (read age 40-60), with pretty stout beliefs in how things should be done. We fall into opinion “camps” when it comes to certain questions about product [...]
For a few years now, we have been sharing our tips on ipe deck oil finishing. Rule number 4 discusses the importance of maintaining the ipe deck annually. This picture show’s one of our annual ipe deck oil finish masterpieces, which Todd insists on personally servicing. This one gets inspected and worked as needed in the [...]
We have been reviewing air assisted pumps and guns pretty extensively in 2011 and look forward to integrating this rig into the test fleet for shop as well as field tasks
Our take on the Graco 395…exclusively on the Cutting Room Floor. [Related: See the 395 Rock Paint Grade Trim in the Field!] We picked up our Finish Pro in September of 2010 specifically to use in the shop for cabinets, on both paint grade and clear finishes. For those who are researching it, in a [...]
What’s the Difference Between the TrueCoat and ProShot lines? From a practical standpoint, very little. Let’s make this as simple as we can, starting with the models within the lineage of each line. The Graco ProShot lineup: ProShot I (no longer in production) ProShot II ProShot Fine Finish *All about the Graco ProShot Line The Graco [...]
Prep to Finish training… Like most paint contractors who are still paint contractors, we have been paint contractors in three different decades now. It is no secret that one of the biggest flaws our industry has allowed is the continued decline in young people entering the paint trade. Too many paint contractors sitting behind computers, complaining [...]
It is an ego thing…the discussion of size. How many guys you got? It really means nothing. In the corner to my left, you have superheroes who can do the work of 15 men by themselves. And in the corner to my right, you have the fat businesses with 25 employees, whose workload could likely [...]
The answer to this question may not have as much to do with the price you pay for the tool as it does with how quickly you can get the tool to pay for itself and become a profitable company asset for the remainder of its lifespan. Notice I do not say “whether” you can [...]
I love percentages. Mostly because I am a baseball fan. A successful manager plays the percentages and makes well informed decisions based on history as expressed in data. The data informs the manager on how to build his lineup for each game, when to have a runner steal a base, which outfielders to challenge on [...]
The Festool Surfix oil finishing kit has now become available in North America. The purpose of this write up is to allow readers to see this kit through the eyes of professional finishers who have used it in some depth. The written aspect of this review serves as an overview of the Surfix system [...]
When the onsite elements conspire against, it is the craft of the finisher to use all weapons in the product arsenal to overcome. Problems: 1. Window inside panelization creates funky natural light tunnel effect 2. Unit is a mix of maple, poplar, mdf and cabinet grade sheet goods 3. Work to be done in closer [...]
Why Waterborne Trim Paints? Until very recently, waterborne trim paints would really not be part of the discussion for painters. Many of us in paint contracting are 30 somethings (read age 40-60), with pretty stout beliefs in how things should be done. We fall into opinion “camps” when it comes to certain questions about product [...]
Benjamin Moore Ben Interior Paint This one goes out to all the BM loyalists. If you are having a hard time building the ultra-premium lines like Aura or Natura into your project pricing, I can tell you from first hand experience that the new low voc Benjamin Moore Ben line is actually impressive. We have [...]
Not included in our review, here’s why: Ever put exterior stain on gray weathered wood and watch it turn to black cloudy ugliness? That’s what oil stain always did. Here’s what Benjamin Moore Arborcoat waterborne alkyd/acrylic transparent stain did on some tired outdoor furniture. If you look carefully, there are three boards that comprise the [...]
Providing a clean workspace is a matter of procedure at Topcoat Finishes, and as a homeowner, husband and father, I try hard to hold myself to the same habits and standards at home when we are in project mode, which has been often over the years. So, I have come to think of protecting noses, [...]
Just over a year ago, my paint contracting company prepped and finished a 4500 sf concrete floor in a warehouse for a bread distribution company. Recently, at the one year mark, I went back to inspect the floor to see how it was holding up to fork lift, hand trucks, foot traffic and the hundreds [...]
Its a never ending battle to get the shop organized. After years of failure, we are constructing an ergonomical and modular system consisting of base units on casters which will be loaded as mobile prep/work stations, then parked and organized when not in use. Upper units will be mounted to the walls, with adjustable shelving, [...]
Scott, I thoroughly enjoy all your articles in APC. I finally decided to see if you would be willing to provide some advice and came to this site to contact you. Lo and behold another treasure trove for information which is now favorite placed. My question. Does HVLP do a good job spraying our interior semi gloss? Ben Moore [...]
Mark from CT asks: I am going to install an Ipe porch. I live in CT, two thirds of the porch will be open and one third will be under roof but exposed to the open air. I would like your recommendation on the type of oil to use. After the initial application, what prep [...]
Hey Scott I am a Paint Contractor down In Beverly Ma just N of Boston. I have emailed you before. Again I want to tell you I enjoy your site very much. Having been painting homes for over 20 years it is nice to see like minded tradesman who take what they do seriously. I am a big Festool [...]
Jim asks: I’m a mostly woodworker that is moving into spraying finishes fromthe brushing/wiping world. Enjoy your reviews, but I’m confused about what, as a non-contractor, types of sprayers I need. I wouldn’t mind being able to spray latex or oil, and other family members could borrow the sprayer when they needed to paint. But a lot my wood projects [...]
Werner Telescopic Combination Ladder Investing in quality tools and equipment is all about buying into gear and brands that are durable enough to pass the test of time…tools that last. It is important to look for new gear that is tough enough to hold up to the constant use and abuse of professional painting. Extension [...]
ProShot Cordless Family Tree Todd and Scott have been testing, reviewing and downright using/abusing Graco handheld sprayers since their inception in 2010, when the original, first generation ProShot came out. What has been interesting to us about this family of handheld sprayers is that they challenge the user to modify his or her spray technique, [...]
Reducing Labor with a Festool DTS400 Sander and Extraction System For much of my painting career I struggled with the antiquated mind set that performing a task in an environmentally friendly manner meant doing it by hand. Traditional painting tasks seemed to have always been done manually – on a planet historically flush with resources, [...]
A Primer on Water Damage Repair Yes, there are such things as “paint emergencies”. They can be time based emergencies, such as: “our daughter is getting married in the dining room next month and we need to get it painted, decorated and refurnished.” Or, they can be the uglier flavor requiring water damage repair on [...]
Jobsite Lighting on the Move… Jobsite lighting is an unfortunate necessity and a real pain in the neck for professionals in all trades, whether you work in residential, commercial, new construction or remodeling scenarios. Frequent power problems, general lack of outlets, and insufficient natural light leave us craving more light at work. Or, should we [...]
Meeting budgets and schedules is a timeless problem for painters, which keeps us all accumulating fine finish tips. In new construction or commercial work, we often enter critical project areas just as all the sub trades are scrambling to finish. Sometimes the living spaces sequence near the back end of the project, and they often [...]
The 5 in 1 is one of the most common tools that painters carry from day to day. We all know that it has always done more than just 5 things for painters. It pops open the first can of paint in the morning, pounds the lid into the rim on the last one at [...]
It’s not the elephants that will kill you, it’s the mosquitoes. This old adage holds particularly true for paint contractors. It is the smallest, most tedious tasks that bog down production. And often the small projects show the most profit evaporation. Finding the areas that are hurting the most and correcting them is key. But sometimes, [...]
Ipe Deck Finish: 5 things not to do : In my little corner of the northeast, ipe has built qui...189 comments
Waterborne Trim Paints and One Trick Ponies : Why Waterborne Trim Paints?
Until very recently, wat...72 comments
Kilz Max: A Prime Mover : In 2012, we ran our Primer Roundup series. One of the f...48 comments
Graco 395 Finish Pro Air Assisted Airless Review : Our take on the Graco 395...exclusively on the Cutting ...44 comments
Tis the Season for Ipe Finishing : It comes every year...
Exterior wood finishing season ...35 comments
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