Our Process

Safe. Smart. Skillful.

We summarize the painting process at Pole Painting Plus as “Safe, Smart, Skillful.” It’s part of why we’re able to guarantee our workmanship. Every step of our process is designed to maximize safety, ensure on-time completion and boost cost-effectiveness.

Worksite Inspection and Evaluation

Prior to beginning work, we assess the terrain for slope or grade, debris, natural or man-made obstructions, overhead wires, etc. Having a planned work-site strategy minimizes safety risks to workers and ensures our work will be completed on time. No last minute surprises!

Before painting, we keep a close eye on weather variables that could affect the quality of the paint job. To ensure proper drying time, maximize paint adhesion and achieve a long-lasting finish, we monitor the weather before and during a job to ensure we’re following the manufacturer’s application instructions.

Factors to consider include air temperature, surface temperature, humidity, dew point, and wind.

Proper Surface Preparation

At Pole Painting Plus, we take extreme care to properly prepare the surface before painting. Surface prep is key to a long-lasting paint job. The type of substrate and its condition dictates the surface prep needed to ensure a superior finish:

  • Ferrous Metals: Rust, corrosion, flaking or peeling paint must be removed prior to painting. On hard-to-reach areas or for smaller jobs, we may use a hand-held wire brush and scraper to take off heavy rust and loose paint. For larger jobs, we may employ power wire-brushing, sanding, grinding or sand-blasting, as needed, to establish a sound base.
  • Galvanized Metal: Oil, grease, dirt and other contaminants, as well as flaking paint, must be removed before painting. Typically, an alkaline cleaning solution, ammonia solution or solvent designed for galvanized is used to prep the surface. Too much abrasion can damage the galvanized coating
  • Non-ferrous Metals: Cleaning aluminum usually involves an alkaline cleaner, fresh water rinse. The mild etching that results from cleaning promotes good paint adhesion.
  • Composite Materials: There are many types of composite materials in use and an equally broad range of coatings available. The surface prep varies with the type of material but in all case, it must be free of oil, dirt and grease.

If necessary, we remove pole attachments which should not be painted, such as: hardware, brackets, banners, signs, etc. Based on the client’s needs, we can either replace them as-is, sand, remove rust and reattach or remove altogether.

We carefully tape-off areas which do not require paint, and to protect sensitive electronics, cover them with poly.

Paint

The substrate — aluminum, galvanized steel, composite materials, iron or steel — determines what process and products are needed for surface preparation and top coat.

We recommend Sherwin-Williams products. As a leading world manufacturer of professional-grade, exterior paint and coatings, their products offer superior performance, excellent color and gloss retention, and proven resistance to corrosion and weather. They meet or exceed most RFP specifications.

AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST: Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available from your Pole Painting Plus! representative for all Sherwin-Williams professional paint products. MSDS outline technical specifications, specific ingredient composition, health, safety, fire and environmental hazards, first aid and accidental spill measures, handling, storage, protection and exposure guidelines, ecological and regulatory information and disposal considerations.

Professional Application

Skillful hand brushing means you get a quality paint job that lasts!
Aside from getting a more aesthetic final product, paint that is professionally applied will have a longer lifespan. Amateur painters often over-apply paint, thinking more is better. It’s not! A film that’s too thick causes the paint to crack, allowing moisture to get under the paint. It doesn’t take long before rust and corrosion create “blisters” that chip off and destroy the beauty and integrity of the surface.

Skillful hand brushing controls your costs by delivering the full value of the paint
Spread rate is determined by the percentage of solids in the paint and the thickness of dry film. Pole Painting Plus painters have the expertise to apply just the right amount of paint, based on the specific product being used. We get the maximum spread rate which means you get the coverage per gallon as engineered by the paint manufacturers.

Cleanup and Recycling
When our work is finished, we meticulously groom the site to make sure nothing is left behind — no materials, debris or hazardous waste. During surface preparation, paint chips, dust, and debris are carefully collected and recycled so that no harmful substances make their way into the soil, sewers, rivers, lakes or ground water. To promote a cleaner, healthier environment, Pole Painting Plus properly disposes of all unused paint and solvents.

In addition to complying with all municipal, county, state and EPA regulations with regard to hazardous materials, Pole Painting Plus also safeguards employees against unnecessary exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) through careful storage, transportation and use of organic chemical compounds.