New Construction Home Painting in the Toronto Area

Are you Building a New Home?

Are you a new home contractor in need of a painting company in the GTA? To be competitive in this market you need your trades to be cost efficient and still responsive and professional.
Are you a homeowner managing your own build or renovation? What you may lack in connections with trades you make up with time management and due diligence.

Builders and homeowners have certain expectations for custom painters as they do for subdivision painters. The differences between the two centre around cost, speed and quality standards.

Our Process for Painting a New Construction Home

The painting crews arrive at the job site after the drywall crew is done and all the sanding is completed to our satisfaction. It’s a good idea to inspect the surfaces before the primer is applied and bring any defects to the attention of the project manager. The moment we start painting, we are responsible for the finish work.
It is important that painters come in before any trim, light fixtures, cabinets and bathroom fixtures are installed. If any floors are installed, the flooring contractor should protect it with sturdy protection.
With access to all this space the painters will paint as much of the interior as possible. After making sure the surfaces are dust free, we prime the drywall. As per best practices we always sand the walls and ceilings after priming and between each coat. Next we paint the ceiling and apply the first finish coat on the walls. If time allows we can cut in the final coats at the ceiling line.

Prepping and Painting the Wood Trim

If possible, the wood trim should be primed and sanded before installation. Depending on space requirements, we do this in the basement or in the garage if the temperature allows. After the carpenters install the trim, the painters come back to prep and paint it. The nail holes get filled and sanded. The wood joints are caulked with high grade caulking compound. This includes the joints within the trim, as well as the joints adjacent to the walls. This is a time consuming process that contributes to the quality workmanship and appearance of the project. Final coats are applied to all woodwork with sanding and cleaning between coats.

The Finish and Completion Process

The painters prefer to paint the walls after all the trades have finished their installations. This is the perfect time to inspect the walls and surfaces for any damage. After final patching and spot-priming of damaged areas we do one final sanding of the walls. When the walls are smooth and clean from any dust we apply the final finish coats and colours. When the painting is completed we inform the project manager that our project is complete and arrange a walk-through. Sometimes the homeowner and designer like to be part of the the walk-through party.

If any misses or defects are found at this time, we take care of them.  It’s important to note the difference between touch ups that we are responsible for and other trades’ damage. There is never a perfect process in new construction. Schedules will run behind, workers are in a hurry and sometimes there is unavoidable damage. Repainting some surfaces is unfortunate but often necessary. This blog explains the problem of trade damage to paint and how to deal with it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Painting New Residential Construction

There are differences between the repaint specialist and a new construction painter. When specializing in new construction, the contractor becomes more efficient by refining all production systems. By employing current training methods and expanding the knowledge base he or she becomes the client’s best resource for product and industry information. The following are some common question we come across:

Why Do Most Builders Prefer Flat Paint?

Flat paint is easier to apply, dries faster and makes the painter’s job easier. Because of it’s low reflectivity of light, it hides imperfections and shows colours better. In a new construction setting, where walls constantly get marked up, touch ups with flat are not as visible. The downside of using flat paint is that washability of the walls is practically non existent. Newer products such as Benjamin Moore’s Aura Matte try to address this problem by offering washable flat paints.

Is the Builders White Really White?

Builders, designers and colour consultants have personal preferences for white and it’s never the stock white that the paint comes in. Depending on current colour trends and the marketing power of the “colour of the year”, different whites have been popular over the last few years. Some popular ones from Benjamin Moore are Cloud White, Simply White, Chantilly Lace and Oxford White.

What is Builder’s Beige and Do I Have to Use it?

Builder’s Beige is the generic colour that most new homes come painted with. It is usually the colour that a builder uses for an entire subdivision of homes. These colours may actually have sophisticated sounding names but they are just different shades of beige. You don’t have to use builder’s Beige but the builder may charge you extra for colour changes. Considering that you will likely repaint your home in couple of years, maybe you can live with it until then.

Is Builder’s Grade Paint Good Quality?

In one word the answer is no! Builder’s paint is low quality paint created for the purpose of cutting material costs for the builder. It is usually flat and chalky looking, to allow for constant touch ups and to hide drywall imperfections. If you ever tried to wipe dirt from this type of flat, you will be stuck with an eyesore for a long time. If you have the budget for it we recommend that you upgrade the paint package. 

How Often Should You Paint a New House?

We recommend that you paint your new home within the first two years. After expansion and contraction and the “settling” of materials, there will be cracks and drywall “screw pops” that need to be repaired. Since the biggest cost of an interior repaint is the cost of labour, it is wise to spend a little more money now and upgrade the paint quality. And since you lived in you home for two years now, why not upgrade the colours to better compliment your furniture and lifestyle.

Is it Better to Spray or Roll the Paint in a new Home?

This is a matter of preference and efficiency but most contractors will at least spray the drywall primer and the ceiling paint. When spraying we recommend that the ceilings and walls get “back rolled” to help with adhesion and create a more consistent look. Painting the wood trim is a matter of preference and time efficiency. Some customers like the trim to be like factory sprayed and others prefer the look of custom hand-brushing.

Why Should You Choose Ecopainting for Your New Home?

For the last 25 Years Ecopainting provides painting services for residential construction. We work for select few builders, well known designers and homeowners like this client in Guildwood Scarborough. We have the experience to paint projects as small as a basement renovation or as large as a custom built home or even a subdivision. Whatever your needs are, we understand the needs of the builder customer.