# Pre painted trim?



## MKS (Oct 30, 2009)

If you had the option to have pre painted trim supplied and installed, would you like this? If so, how much less would you charge when bidding on the job? (This applies to new construction only)


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

That is the question.It's not a hard question, but a question in deed.Kind of like how much dirt does it take to fill a hole.


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## MKS (Oct 30, 2009)

Would it make enough of a difference having pre painted trim, that you would charge the contractor less for the job? Or would you still charge the same amount because you would have to fill the nail holes and touch up paint?


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

I see where you are coming from. The answer for me is no.You still have to fill the holes and sand. It might take one less coat of paint. Now if you where brushing the trim out, it might help a little.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Why do you ask?


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Sorry I was thinking of top coat. Yes it would help.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Most of the trim now is pre primed anyway.


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## MKS (Oct 30, 2009)

Someone approached me with a business plan to "pre-paint" trim. I want to check out whether it would be worth while. - time saving enough for painters that they would deduct from job cost.


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## Mantis (Aug 4, 2008)

MKS said:


> If you had the option to have pre painted trim supplied and installed, would you like this? If so, how much less would you charge when bidding on the job? (This applies to new construction only)


The only way I could see charging less, is if certain criteria are met. Why is it pre-finished? Is it something the owner ripped off from an existing floor plan? Are you going to have to repair splits, gouges, cracks, etc?

I'm inclined to say no, there would be no savings over using pre-primed trim. You will have to fill nail holes, caulk, and at least 2 coats it to get a uniform finish regardless.


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## MKS (Oct 30, 2009)

Mantis said:


> The only way I could see charging less, is if certain criteria are met. Why is it pre-finished? Is it something the owner ripped off from an existing floor plan? Are you going to have to repair splits, gouges, cracks, etc?
> 
> I'm inclined to say no, there would be no savings over using pre-primed trim. You will have to fill nail holes, caulk, and at least 2 coats it to get a uniform finish regardless.


The pre painted trim would be new, unused. The question I have is, how much would that be worth to the painter, because I want to see if there is a flaw in this business plan I've been presented with. Is there enough value to the painter in order to charge the general contractor for this product as apposed to pre-primed only.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

You lost me. Are you starting with pre-primed and your want to put another prime coat on it?


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## MKS (Oct 30, 2009)

johnpaint said:


> You lost me. Are you starting with pre-primed and your want to put another prime coat on it?


 
pre-primed then finished (with a moulding sprayer machine).
So, after nailing would another coat be necessary, or just fill and brush touch up?


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

I did some apartment about 5 years ago. The spec was to paint all walls, ceiling. Doors, jambs, base and crown came pre finished. We had to fill and touch up. It was less but I can't tell you how much less, because I never figured what it would of cost if we painted them.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Well you will still have to caulk against the walls and fill joints. Like I said before if you were going to brush the last coat it would help a lot. How much is any ones guess.


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## FL.BM.DEALER (Apr 2, 2009)

MKS said:


> Someone approached me with a business plan to "pre-paint" trim. I want to check out whether it would be worth while. - time saving enough for painters that they would deduct from job cost.


We supply a local shop that does this, they use a high end product though. Lenmar's 1WB.200 Waterborne laquer undercoater(white), can be sanded in 15-30min and topcoated within 45min -1hr, sanding powder falls to the floor. Most of the Painting Contractors around us are switching to the waterborne finish coats wich stick beautifully to the waterborne laquer, oil sticks as well. The stuff is roughly around $18 per gallon.

Good luck with your endeavor!


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## MKS (Oct 30, 2009)

FL.BM.DEALER said:


> We supply a local shop that does this, they use a high end product though. Lenmar's 1WB.200 Waterborne laquer undercoater(white), can be sanded in 15-30min and topcoated within 45min -1hr, sanding powder falls to the floor. Most of the Painting Contractors around us are switching to the waterborne finish coats wich stick beautifully to the waterborne laquer, oil sticks as well. The stuff is roughly around $18 per gallon.
> 
> Good luck with your endeavor!


Do you know what that shop charges for pre painting the trim?


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## FL.BM.DEALER (Apr 2, 2009)

MKS said:


> Do you know what that shop charges for pre painting the trim?


Sorry MKS, I have no Idea, All I know is that they love the waterborne Laquer Undercoater, and they go through roughly 50-70 gallons a month.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

All that preprimed trim still gets prepped and primed and top coated. So no I do not charge less and would let any builder, GC, or HO know that I would prime it reguardless. 

I just looked at the thread again, are we talking about pre finished? Or preprimed?


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## Ardee (Jun 9, 2008)

The way I see it is if I figure it cost $1000.00(example only) and I can do it for $800.00 it's my profit. In my opinion, it is always quicker to pre paint trim except the final coat. If you can get set up, spray and stack is always quicker but for me no discount to any one because if you agree on a lowere price you'll be in trouble if there's no where to set up.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

Workaholic said:


> All that preprimed trim still gets prepped and primed and top coated. So no I do not charge less and would let any builder, GC, or HO know that I would prime it reguardless.
> ...


Ayup
There's precious few suppliers of pre-primed trim that is worth my rep not re-priming out here
Even then, if the aforementioned "quality supplier" pre-primed trim has been out in the lumber yard/warehouse or on/in the house for a decent length of time, it will need the re-prime regardless

Simply uttering the words "pre-primed" (or seeing them "in contract") mean absolutely nothing to my bid
There are "pre-primed" products out there that merely mean "your top-coats are virtually assured to pre-maturely fail"

A great example of which is the HD gray "pre-primed" trim
That chaulky crap ("applied" to that crappy quality, and due to the excessive finger-jointing in some areas actually against code), can literaly blow off during the transport to the site if strapped on top the vehicle
Never mind if it actually rained on it
You'd be lucky if your/their truck/van isn't completely covered with gray stripes
You want to place your rep on that crap?

Unless I _know_ it's recently installed and the product was from the _known_ quality supplier (in general, little chance of both really-aside from the "we did it" or my "trusted sub/GC" installed it), it's *always re-prime the pre-prime*


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## summertime14 (May 4, 2009)

I have doubts how much it would save. Still caulk, putty, and sand. Not to mention fixing all the dings and scratches from the installtion that are bound to occur. If this is not a custom home and is a lower end spec home, you could probably get by. I guess it would depend on the level of quality expected. The only trim I would like to pre-finish is stained trim.


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## bay area contractor (Sep 19, 2009)

I've been working on a nailing machine that will shoot putty in the hole right after the nail. We can tint the putty to the color of the finish which might save in applying a top coat of paint. Also, I take the plug out of the bottom of new tubes of caulking, remove , tint the caulking to match, and put the caulking back in the tube. 

I'm all for pre-finished trim. I'll never paint again!!


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

bay area contractor said:


> I've been working on a nailing machine that will shoot putty in the hole right after the nail. We can tint the putty to the color of the finish which might save in applying a top coat of paint. Also, I take the plug out of the bottom of new tubes of caulking, remove , tint the caulking to match, and put the caulking back in the tube.
> 
> I'm all for pre-finished trim. I'll never paint again!!


I had a similiar idead quite a few years ago. How has this been working out for you?


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