FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I’ll admit that we aren’t typically the cheapest brick staining or painting company in town. But we are certainly competitively priced when compared to other reliable companies in the area. Please remember we are artists, not commercial painters. We only specialize in brick and stone staining & painting, we do nothing else! Our focus is to deliver a top-quality job and unbeatable customer service at a reasonable price.

Here are some factors we consider when quoting your project:

Material Cost:

This can vary based on the brand and quantity needed. Our brick stain is exclusive with products only by PermaTint.

Labor Cost:

Labor costs will depend on the complexity of the project and the time required for surface preparation, application, and any additional steps. Skilled professionals charge higher rates, but their expertise can ensure a quality finish.

Size of the Area:

The size of the area to be stained is a significant factor. Larger surfaces will require more product, more labor, and potentially more time to complete the project.

Accessibility:

The accessibility of the area can also affect costs. Hard-to-reach or intricate areas may require additional effort and time, impacting the overall expense.

Additional Costs:

Depending on the project, there may be additional costs for safety equipment and any customization or special requests.

Staining or painting brick and stone outdoors is a relatively permanent decision. However, we prefer to use a mineral stain (aka brick stain) on all exterior projects where applicable. Our team is certified as installers of products by PermaTint. Their mineral stain is of the highest quality and allows the brick to remain porous. Mineral-based stains function differently than acrylic or latex paint. Rather than sticking to the surface and forming a film (like paint), stain soaks into the surface, crystallizes within it, and becomes a permanent part of the wall. PermaTint provides a 30-year warranty against chipping, fading, peeling, algae & mold resistant, water repellent and it’s organic for a cleaner environment. If your surface has been previously sealed or painted, we must use paint. Please click the link to check out their website for more information and see us listed as a certified installer www.permatint.com.

If we use brick or stone paint, we use the highest quality Benjamin Moore product, which also provides a lifetime warranty. Their durable finish resists fading, cracking, peeling and the formation of mildew on the surface of the film. Please see below the attached warranty for Benjamin Moore and feel free to download it here:

The most important thing is that the substrate that you want to stain needs to be absorbent. The simplest test is to put water onto the surface of the brick that you want to stain to see if the water is absorbed. If it does, you should not have any difficulty in staining it. If the water pools on the surface this would indicate poor or no absorption and could be a problem. Sending a picture of the substrate would allow us to advise you on this.

As all of our products are water based, they must be used at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Attention should also be paid to low temperatures that may occur overnight. Even if the temperature is 45 degrees, if it was minus another 10 degrees overnight, the brick may be too cold to stain. Care should be given to ensure that the temperature will stay above 40 degrees after we have completed the work so as to not interfere with the curing process of the product. Work cannot be done if it is raining. Care must also be taken to make sure that the brick or stone is not wet due to recent rain.

Unfortunately, the answer is no. The same would apply to a sealer. Mineral stains, unlike latex/acrylic paints, are designed to be absorbed into and crystalize in the substrate. Latex paints and sealers will prevent this absorption and would make our products less effective.

Our crick stains are about as environmentally friendly as a product could possibly be. They are made solely from readily available earthen raw materials and by German Industrial Standard are prevented from having any more than 5% acrylic. You are literally staining with liquid rock. They have Zero VOC’s and are completely non-hazardous.

Our stains are designed for use on vertical surfaces. Horizontal surfaces have extreme water penetration, de-icing agents and abrasion issues, which will severely impact the survivability of any product applied to them. Having said that, we have had success in the past with staining concrete pavers that were later sealed on a regular basis. We cannot give a warranty though on such applications under any circumstances.

As a good start, we suggest scrolling through our social media pages to see hundreds of before & after photos and videos to get ideas. Feel free to screenshot any pics on our page and send them to us as an inspiration picture. We will discuss colors in much more detail the morning we arrive before we start painting to achieve your vision!

The project will be completed by our in-house artists, who are all experienced and professionally trained (and not subcontractors).

Tuckpointing is the process of removing and replacing the mortar joints in between brickwork. We only specialize in painting and staining brick & stone and do not perform any masonry repairs. However, if you have a few nail holes here and there, we would be happy to do a quick patch for you.

We are open seven days a week and usually offer same-day quotes if you provide all the necessary pictures and information we need. There are occasions during the spring/summer season it may take longer as we work longer days for the warmer weather.

How quickly we can get started depends on the type of project and the time of year. Of course, if you’re in a hurry, just let us know when you contact us for a quote and we will see if we can accommodate you faster.