When looking for a prospective contractor to do house painting in Concord, one of the things you should consider is the presence of a warranty. If a paint company or contractor has a written warranty, then it is a good sign.
The questions that clients ask before receiving and reading a warranty would usually be, “How long will the warranty be?”, “What are the things that the company doesn’t cover?” and “What are the terms and conditions set by the warranty?”, among all others.
1. First of all, you should look for the phrase “industry standards.” That is, the contractor who will do the house painting in Concord should perform the work according the professional industry standards. It demonstrates the contractors’ professionalism, efficiency, and responsibility in their work and legitimacy in the business.
2. How long the does paint contractor’s warranty last? Depending on the paint contractor, the length of the warranty period varies. The warranty period also depends on the type of work that you want the contractor to do.
For instance, you’ve chosen a potential contractor and you want them to paint only the interior or exterior surfaces. Suppose you want interior painting, the warranty specifically states that “All interior coatings applied to certain surfaces (such as plaster, drywall, and wood) shall be warranted for a period of three years from the completion of work.” If you want only to have the exterior surfaces painted, look out for something such as, “All interior coatings applied to certain surfaces (like wood, stucco, and masonry substrates) shall be warranted for a period of 3 years from the completion of work.”
Many paint contractors specifically mention the type and condition of surfaces to be painted as the basis for setting warranty periods. Here’s another example: if you want to paint surfaces that are previously unpainted, the company sets a certain warranty period for them — many of the warranty periods for previously uncoated surfaces stretch as long as ten years from the date of completion of the painting job.
Some paint contractors set their warranty periods to nearly all kinds of painting jobs.
3. In the event of the discovering any defect on the painting job, be sure that the defect falls within the scope of the warranty. If the damage is done or if the paint fails to coat on the surface, the paint contractor will supply the labor and materials to correct the defects or provide the replacement services, with no cost. Of course, this is subject to certain limitations because the contractor is only responsible to correct any defects that they themselves have made, in most cases. This will leads to the information below.
4. Take note of the things that the paint contractor does not cover. The usual paint defects are blistering, chipping, flaking, peeling, or excessive chalking (efflorescence) as well as cracks and gaps and adhesion failure, but they may not be covered by your paint contractor. Following are some of the things that your paint contractor will not be liable for:
- Paint defects caused by severe weather and environmental conditions
- Defects caused by, fire, smoke, and explosion
- Defects caused by “acts of God” — natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, lightning, mud slides, tornadoes, or hurricanes
- Normal wear-and-tear
- Defects in the building’s design, structure and construction (e.g., improperly installed or maintained guttering, water sprinklers or window unit air conditioners that cause moisture leaks)
- Any work that your contractor did not previously supply the paint or other materials
- Any defective painting job that was not previously performed by your contractor
- Certain surfaces, e.g., varnished surfaces, or surfaces containing or made of galvanized metal
- Abnormal man-made abuse on any painted or stained surface (abrasion, coarse cleaning, exposure to chemicals, caustic cleaning agents, caustic chemicals)
- Painted surfaces of poor condition (such as rotting wood or rusting metal)
- Severe or excessive peeling of previous coatings
- Cracks in drywall, plaster, or wood surfaces
- Moisture content of the substrate
- Deteriorating and rotting wood caused by certain insects such as termites, carpenter bees, and ants
- Identification, removal, and disposal of both harmless and hazardous materials that range from mold and mildew to lead-based paints and asbestos
In order to make the warranty valid, you must comply with the following:
- Paying the full contract price
- Retaining the original copy of the written contract and presenting it upon request
- Being able to present a cancelled check or other proof of your payment
- Making the property accessible to your contractor and its employees, to perform the repairs
Painting contractors who have a written warranty of their work are considered professional, legitimate, and ethical. By the time you are given the warranty, make sure to examine closely what is in it so that you won’t miss out on anything. If you have any questions or notice some things in the warranty that need some clarification, it’s best to discuss them with your contractor. These are the important things that you should consider the next time you decide to start house painting in Concord.
