Always great hearing from a previous painting customer, when another type of house painting is needed. We completed painting and staining a home in Boulder Colorado several years ago for a Doctor who lives in Boulder. Doctor who I will refer to as Steve, has a Cedar home, where we cleaned Cedar siding, and applied a semi-transparent oil stain. Steve called me back last week, asking if we did interior painting repairs, and siding board replacement, which I put him at ease, not needing to looking anywhere else. Taking care of jobs large or small, always glad to hear from our previous customers later down the road. Fortunate having this various home improvement knowledge, because it is always a great feeling

seeing our customers again, for what ever painting projects they may have.  Living, working, and painting in Colorado is like (I’m sorry to say if your in another part of the country) being on vacation every day, with views like this. Mountains in the distance is the Flatirons near Boulder, famous for their jagged sharp edges, and beautiful mountain colors carved in stone.

Always enjoying the drive, today was no different, stopping a moment, taking it all in, enjoying the area I’ve grown so accustomed to painting here in Colorado. This snow is the aftermath of Denver’s first major snow of Winter 2011, getting close to a foot in most parts of the Front Range, which our friends on the East coast is getting as we speak.

Woodpecker’s Trick or Treat

Meeting Steve few years ago, I was surprised going around back of his large home, looking over siding, figuring his free quote painting and cost estimate, what a neat and unique idea he had hanging up high under his soffits. Large deterrent spiders looking life-like hanging up high, dropping down, making a gurgling sound as we both walked to the rear of home, too bad it wasn’t before Halloween.  They are sound sensitive, dropping down approx. 5-6′ on a line, to scare off wood peckers, running on 2 AA batteries, working very well, as they did that day. Woodpeckers on this side of Doctor’s home being tricked and not treated.

Birds Can Cause Damage to a Home

Well, Steve did not have large as dinner plate spiders hanging on South facing wall, where they felt much safer, drilling a large hole towards the top. These destructive little endangered and protected birds can cause hundreds of dollars damage to a home, if precautions are not followed. Woodpeckers makes this home improvement siding repair, a very popular job we include in our exterior painting program we offer Colorado residences, knowing they cost tens of thousands of dollars, adding up all residences affected by these birds, on Colorado’s Front Range. Figuring the initial cost of this deterrent, could realize a 4000% investment, figuring spider costs $15.00 and average siding repair costs $600.00, one can quickly see the advantages being proactive against this destructive creature.

Other Bird Damage

I have seen other examples of pigeons roosting at one particular house or another in Colorado, causing very unsanitary conditions around the immediate exterior, and gutter systems. Having to power wash with a good bacterial cleaner is always recommended in these circumstances. Once removed, remains make great fertilizer for one’s yard, but do not know many who would like putting up with the mess until then. In this case, a large plastic Owl or Hawk placed near by, in conjunction with chicken wire is usually a good remedy.

Best Woodpecker Deterrent

This Doctor is a lover of birds, having several birds as pets inside his home. Matter of fact, as we looked over damage today, a Cockatiel resting on his shoulder my whole visit. Downstairs, looking over a few other items for repair, Dr. said “Oops”, hearing a little crap on his shoulder. Therefore assuming Steve having a close relationship with his pet, a lover of birds in general, thinking I would be doing much more than acknowledging my pet cut one loose on my shoulder. Either way, I still think this woodpecker deterrent is the Grandest, at Steve’s home in Boulder, or any

Cedar home in Colorado. Understanding not many can sit outside 24-7 of their Cedar or wood siding mountain home, lying and waiting with a loaded pellet rifle, in Boulder or Rifle Colorado. Glad in a sense, nature gives way to business, always looking forward helping the next woodpecker victim, but have to give best wood siding tip, deterring such destructive creatures that I have found. Maybe we can go in business stringing these bad boys up, keeping woodpeckers at bay, for those needing. Give us a call, be glad to help your wood siding repairs, and installing the scary eight legged arthropods on your home in Boulder and Colorado, being the most favorite trick or treat spot on the block.

Bird Deterrents Make Perfect Halloween Decorations

If your considering Halloween decorations, and your home’s siding is wood, this is your best option next year. Seeing the aftermath, the woodpeckers made nest in wall, raised young, and left. What was next put the icing on the cake, and main reason Dr. called me back, seeing him today. Squirrels took over hole, going to bottom of wall inside, eating away Sheetrock, coming inside home! Dr. told me as he was trying to put a cover over hole inside room, a squirrel objected, sticking his nose through hole inside the room, Dr. had to force-ably shove determined squirrels nose back, to place cover over the gaping hole. Of course that did not stop the squirrel, making several more holes in drywall, that we will be fixing his home, skim coating, matching drywall texture, and painters painting interior home in Boulder for this Oncology Doctor. Wild animals can play havoc on one’s home, if necessary deterrents are not in place. These spiders are well worth every penny, saving hundreds in the process, not to mention a favorite Halloween spot in the neighborhood.

Boulder Has Other Painting Deterrents

Other deterrents while painting homes in Boulder, could be on a much grandiose scale. Always looking over your shoulder, especially on a ladder, have never seen a big cat. Have spoken to many who have heard these cats from a distance, being respected to say the least. While there may be deterrents to protect one’s home, or deterrents keeping one’s home painted, the pluses far outweigh the negatives, enjoying the crisp mountain air, scenic beauty, friendly atmosphere which makes up Boulder, Colorado, and the Front Range.

Eco Friendly Painting Contractor of Boulder

Cal Phillips and Eco Paint Inc. is your number 1 Green Earth Friendly Paint company of Boulder and Colorado, having originated the term “Eco Paint” back in 1993. Today, the acronym is synopsis with Green Sustainable products deriving from our Earth. Eco having dual meanings, as back in 1993, the term Eco had previously been thought of as economical, gaining ground by 92′, as ecological, with the first television show of it’s kind in 1995, the Discovery Channel, called The Eco Challenge. Coining the phrase “Eco Paint” meant both economical as well as ecological, in the pricing we charged, as well as the steps we took, using the lowest V.O.C (volatile odor content) paint available at the time, continuing those same steps today. Painting interiors or exteriors for Denver and Boulder, Eco Paint is your full-service painting company, fully insured, and accredited with OSHA and EPA, having over 30 years experience painting homes and offices, proud calling Colorado home for all your painting needs, contractors’ home painters painting interiors, exteriors in Boulder.

Hope this article helps you, deterring creatures in a Eco Friendly way, saving expensive Cedar and wood siding for your home in Colorado. Please comment if you are inclined, like hearing what is working for you. If you have any painting questions, would also like to invite you to the web’s Newest Painting Forum of Painters and Contractors, Free to Join.

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Best Cedar Cleaner

Making Aged Wood Look New Again

Eco Paint Specialist’s Painting Contractor of Denver/Aurora, painting the Front Range of Colorado with over 32 years exp. recently learned something new & exciting wishing to share with all.

Not only painting, but cleaning, power washing, pressure cleaning decks, fences, and Cedar Sided homes is a key area of expertise with most painting contractors, especially in the Colorado market. Many homes in the Colorado market have some portion of wood treated with a  Semi-Transparent or Solid Body exterior stain. Stains protect decks, fences, cedar siding homes, and of course log homes. Leaving untreated, this wood will grey and blacken to later deteriorate over time, in that order. Getting grey out of the wood is and has been quite easy over the years with a wide variety of deck and wood cleaner products available on the market today.

Most wood cleaners cost an average of $12.00 per gallon, some being concentrate, making 5 gallons of wood cleaner which can be sprayed out of a garden sprayer, or as we’ve administered, out of our power washers using a low pressure siphon. All products require a bit of elbow grease, after applying, scrubbing into grain, leaving on to penetrate and clean,  then by pressure washing with cleaning pressure around 2500-3000 psi.

We contracted with a homeowner in Littleton Colorado recently, doing the same thing. Our customer informed us they ran off and fired previous painting company, as they could not get cedar siding clean enough for the owner’s acceptance. Walking the exterior, I could see uncleaned portions, and others extremely clean, where the homeowner told me the very clean lower, small sections, testing out Oxi-Clean. Somewhat embarrassed seeing a homeowner doing a far better job than a paint company, he told me the other company refused to use what he had suggested. Suggesting Oxi-Clean, I too thought, we’ll give it a try if all else fails. Not coming out short handed, we brought out a full array of wood cleaners from Sherwin-Williams to Behr. Power washing 3 and 4 times, nothing would clean near as good as one time with Oxi-Clean. Applying as normal, then scrubbing into wood with a large floor sweep broom, letting it stand, you could watch the black oozze out of the pours of the Cedar, then hitting with high pressure washing,  like no bodies business. Homeowner called me after work the first day with extreme pleasure and gratification.

This cedar home, quite large is a great undertaking no matter what type of exterior work is involved, being well over 4500 sq. ft. Thinking how much money was saved on cleaners, bleaches, labor hours, and other chemicals getting the black out of this Cedar Siding is anybodies guess, we used approx. 8 boxes of Oxi-Clean ($9.99 per.bx) Detergent over the complete exterior over one day, making this like a brand new cedar sided home, ready for stain, after allowing to dry for 72 hours.

Oxi-Clean states it has 101 uses on box, being very “Versatile”, one of them cleaning decks and fences. This was not known until now, wishing to relay my findings to all in the cleaning of decks, fences, and cedar siding getting the black out, making like new once again, with the least amount of effort and material costs.

Inspecting after cleaning, we f0und a small section of siding that was beyond repair, having curled up, leaving gapeing holes where snow, ice and rain could find it’s way behind siding, next to roof line. Replacing a section approx. 12′ X 12′

Letting this home dry back out over 3 days, we applied a Sikkens SRD Translucent Cedar Stain, spraying and back brushing into grain for an even uniform finish. Keeping up the maintenance with a re-coating of stain on a regular basis, this Cedar will never undergo an intense cleaning again.

This exterior below, was totally black with mildew aged over 20 years without any protection. Cleaning 2 applications with Oxi-Clean, saving days if not weeks trying to clean with typical cleaners listed above. Also note, homeowner did not wish we clean deck, as it will be replaced very soon. Some boards having holes as big as your foot through the floor, showing previous homeowner did not take any care protecting exterior wood surfaces.

Cleaning Cedar Siding in Littleton Colorado

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