Friday, July 23, 2010

The Erecta Rack

After using the Hinge Mags to paint the doors while they are hanging we move the doors to keep them safe from overspray and damage from other trades. We used to move them all out to the garage, moving 27 eight foot doors thru the house was a tough job, but Robert from RC Painting was able to do it using a lot of time, sweat and energy. Once out in the garage, they were still prone to damage from wind and trade traffic.
We recently had the opportunity to try the Erecta Rack System. This allowed us to stack the doors in one central area in a space no larger than one door. That meant Robert did not have to carry them all through the house! He was very glad to only move them a short distance and stack them. This also made it much easier for him to roll a coat of primer and paint on the bottom edge of the door. This is a step often skipped by many painters. He could then cover them with plastic and continue on with other details.
The Erecta Rack is not designed for spraying on, but as a stacker to allow doors and trim to dry.
It is well designed and sturdy, perfect for doing cabinet doors. I think this is something we will get a lot of use out of! Thanks Erecta Rack for a great product.

Hinge Magnets

Another product RC Painting likes to use is hinge magnets. These flexible magnets cover the hinge on a door and allow us to spray the door and the trim in place. Many painters use braces or stands to spray the doors all in one room and that can work as well, but we prefer not remove the hinges from the door. Often times a screw will get stripped or the door will just not hang the same.
Spraying the door hanging allows the sprayer full access to all edges except the bottom, which is dealt with later. Check out our video to see how well they work. You might have to turn your monitor;)

Using the right equipment.

In my previous post, I talked about using certain products to help increase efficiency and quality while painting New Construction homes in Southern Utah. One of the favorite products of RC Painting's is Tub Sealer. This is a product we spray on the bathtub as soon as it is installed in the home, this is usually done in the framing stage. The home is still exposed to the elements, and subject to damage accidentally by the plumbers, electricians, insulators, drywallers and others. This product is a thick rubbery substance that protects the bathtub until the home is completed. Currently, RC Painting is the only Painting Contractor in Cedar City, Utah to use this product. Shem Mackert of SMJ Homes is very happy to have not had to replace or repair a bathtub since he started using it.
Contact us if you would like to learn more!

Scheduling in New Construction Painting

RC Painting specializes in painting new construction homes for General Contractors and Owner Builders. Painting New Construction in Cedar City is a great experience, we are lucky to have a core group of subcontractors that we encounter in each home. Often times, many of the trades are in the house at the same time trying to get their portion done. When it is ready to paint, all other activity must stop so that the painting can be completed. This means that we must complete our work as quick as possible, while still providing a quality finish.

Rob Haught of RC Painting and his crew have a procedure and system they have spent years refining. This enables them to complete an average home (1700 sq. ft) in three to five days, depending on finish requirements. They have also kept up with new products in the industry to provide the best service and finish. Look for upcoming blogs to see what products we like!

Here is a video of our process.