New Jersey Painting Questions, Answered

Interior wall paint feels dry in roughly an hour, and a second coat can go on after one to four hours when the room is 77°F with 50 percent humidity. Dry is not finished, though: Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams each say to leave walls two weeks before washing. Benjamin Moore's Advance trim enamel moves more slowly, needing 4 to 6 hours to touch and 16 hours to recoat. Cool, damp rooms take longer. Full answer

Freshly painted walls can be washed after two weeks, according to Benjamin Moore's Regal Select data sheet. Trim enamels take longer: for Benjamin Moore's Advance, optimum hardness and final sheen can take up to 30 days. Full answer

Before painters arrive, clear the bookshelves, china cabinets and closets standing against the walls to be painted, and take down photographs, wall art and mirrors. Also store valuables, medication and small breakables, free up parking and a route to the work area, and settle the room order in writing. NJ Painting Co. moves furniture to the room's center and covers it; pianos, big safes, aquariums and wall-mounted televisions are yours to handle. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. uses Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams paint, with the primer and product matched to each surface. Exteriors are finished with two coats of 100 percent acrylic paint, and the estimate lists the products and colors. Full answer

VOC stands for volatile organic compound, a gas given off by certain solids and liquids, according to the EPA. Paints, varnishes and wax contain organic solvents, so paint is one source. On a can or data sheet the amount is listed in grams per litre (g/L); a lower number means fewer of these compounds in the can. Full answer

A low-VOC label refers to the VOC content printed on the data sheet in grams per litre, measured on the untinted base without colorant added later. It is not a promise of no smell, and the EPA warns that VOC labels may not assess all of the VOCs a product emits. Benjamin Moore's Regal Select, for example, lists under 50 g/L. Full answer

Zero-VOC paint is a formulation claim, not a promise of no emissions or odor. Sherwin-Williams' Harmony sheet describes a zero VOC formula and lists odor eliminating technology as a separate feature. The EPA says VOC labels may not assess every VOC emitted, so ventilate regardless. Full answer

Bubbles form when moisture or heat gets trapped under or inside the paint while it is still forming a film. Cut a bubble open: bare wood or drywall beneath points to moisture, which must be fixed or new paint will bubble again, while an older paint layer usually means a hot surface or a thick coat. A shower taken too soon after painting a bathroom is a classic cause. Full answer

Alligatoring comes from paint that has built up too thick and brittle to flex with the surface under it, usually once many coats have piled up across the years. An overly thick film is the most common cause, according to Sherwin-Williams. Repainting will not fix it: Benjamin Moore says never to paint over cracked paint, so the old paint has to be removed, and that work is regulated on houses built before 1978. Full answer

Touch-up paint often will not match exactly after a few years, so when a patch matters, plan to repaint the wall out to the nearest corner. Sunlight and cleaning change a wall over time while the paint in the can stays the same, and Benjamin Moore warns that touch-ups may not come out perfect. A flatter finish gives better odds of a match. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. paints offices, storefronts, medical and dental offices, schools and warehouses, pricing each commercial job after a walkthrough and a written proposal. Work is phased, section by section, so the building can stay open, and industrial work is covered on its own page. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. is a painting contractor run by one family, based in Morganville, New Jersey, and founded in 2004. It paints the inside and outside of homes and businesses, refinishes kitchen cabinets, coats epoxy floors and reglazes wood windows, and serves eleven New Jersey counties across Central and North Jersey. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. was founded in 2004 in Morganville, so it has more than 20 years in the trade. It started with residential painting and later added cabinet painting, deck refinishing, commercial painting and epoxy flooring. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. is run as a family business and has been based in Morganville, New Jersey, since a local craftsman founded it in 2004. It paints homes and businesses across eleven New Jersey counties. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. paints homes and businesses, inside and out, and also does cabinets, epoxy floors, decks, fences and wood window reglazing. Related work includes power washing, drywall repair, removing wallpaper and popcorn ceilings, and coating siding, stucco, brick and concrete. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. works across eleven New Jersey counties. Six are in Central Jersey (Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Somerset, Mercer and Burlington) and five in North Jersey (Union, Essex, Hudson, Bergen and Passaic). Each county's towns are listed on the service areas page. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. does not repair plaster or hang wallpaper, and it does not treat mold or mildew. Specialty finishes are out too: Venetian plaster, faux and texture finishes, electrostatic painting and limewash on brick. It also declines pool deck coating, tile and bathtub painting, window and door re-caulking, hardwood floor refinishing or installation, window trim and sill painting, parking-lot striping or aisle marking, apartment turnover, steeple work, historic restoration and pre-listing refresh packages. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. does not do roofing, remodeling of kitchens, baths or basements, or replacement of siding and windows. Finish carpentry, wrought iron fabrication, basement waterproofing, exterior rot repair and insurance, fire or water restoration are also outside its scope. Where the crew notices rot during an estimate, it flags it so the owner can arrange repairs before painting. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. is not an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm, and lead abatement and asbestos removal are not part of what it does. Work that scrapes or sands old paint needs a certified contractor, and NJ Painting Co. says so at the estimate. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. does not charge for estimates, and there is no obligation. NJ Painting Co. visits the home or business, looks over the space and follows up with a detailed written proposal. The request form is on the contact page. Full answer

You can book a free estimate with NJ Painting Co. by filling in the form on the contact page or calling (732) 239-0932. The company then visits your home or business, looks over the space and prepares the written proposal. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. includes a color consultation at no extra cost with the estimate, so samples can be judged in the room's own light before anything is ordered. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. backs its painting with a two-year workmanship warranty. The cover is for the company's own workmanship, and the home page sets out the exact wording of what is covered when problems appear within that period. Full answer

NJ Painting Co. paints most interior jobs while the household stays at home. The crew works one room at a time so the rest of the house stays usable, covers floors and furniture, and cleans the work area at the end of each day. Full answer