sgh-painting

The Tools and Materials We Bring to a Job

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 18:40:35 GMT

There’s a lot more equipment involved in a painting project than brushes, rollers, and a few cans of paint.

Over the years, we’ve invested in better sanding equipment, dust extraction, lighting, surface-preparation tools, and other gear that helps us do cleaner, more precise work. We also tend to stick with paints and primers that we’ve used enough to know how they’ll behave.

It costs more to work this way, but for us it makes sense.

A big part of our work is preparation, especially in older homes. That might mean repairing plaster, sanding previous finishes, smoothing patched areas, working around original trim, or correcting old repairs before we ever open a can of finish paint.

You can use excellent paint and still end up with a poor result if the surface underneath it wasn’t prepared properly.

That’s why we put so much emphasis on the tools and materials we use before and during the painting itself.

Festool Equipment and Dust Control

We use Festool sanding and dust-extraction equipment on many of our interior projects.

The sanding systems give us a lot of control over the surface, which matters when we’re trying to smooth repaired plaster, blend patched areas, or prepare older walls and trim without being overly aggressive.

The dust extraction is just as important.

Sanding is part of the job, but that doesn’t mean dust needs to end up throughout the rest of the house. Our sanders connect directly to HEPA dust extractors, which collect much of the dust as it’s created.

It doesn’t make the process completely dust-free, and we wouldn’t pretend that it does, but it makes a very noticeable difference. That matters when we’re working in a finished or occupied home where the goal is to improve the space without creating a second mess somewhere else.

We also use portable lighting and other surface-prep equipment to help us actually see what we’re working on. Small imperfections are much easier to address before the finish coat goes on than after.

None of this equipment replaces experience. It simply gives us better control over the work and helps us be more consistent from one project to the next.

Paints and Primers We Know

We take a similar approach to paint.

Benjamin Moore is one of the manufacturers we use regularly, including products like Fresh Start primer and Aura paint. We’ve used these materials enough to know how they apply, cover, and hold up, which is more important to us than simply choosing whatever happens to be cheapest or most convenient.

That said, there isn’t one paint or primer that belongs on every surface.

An older plaster wall may need something different from new drywall. Previously painted trim can create its own challenges. Repaired areas may need to be sealed or primed differently before they’re ready for finish paint.

We look at what’s actually there and choose the materials from there.

Using better paint also doesn’t eliminate the need for proper preparation. Premium paint over a poorly prepared wall is still going to show every problem underneath it.

The material and the preparation have to work together.

Why We Work This Way

The tools aren’t there for show, and using more expensive paint doesn’t automatically make somebody a better painter.

For us, it comes down to having the right equipment available, knowing which materials make sense for the surface, and taking enough time to use them properly.

A lot of the homes we work on have older plaster, detailed trim, original woodwork, or finishes that have been built up over decades. Those projects usually reward a little more patience and a little more care.

Investing in good equipment and materials is simply part of how we approach the work. It helps us prepare surfaces properly, keep the job cleaner, and leave behind a finish we’re comfortable putting our name on.

Have a Project in Mind?

We work with homeowners throughout the Portland area on interior painting , restoration, and detailed finish work. If you’d like to talk through your project, get in touch with SGH Painting.

Painting Older Homes Is Different

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 19:25:34 GMT

Older homes have a way of keeping you honest.

A wall can look perfectly fine from across the room, then you get closer and notice the hairline cracks, the old patchwork, the uneven plaster, or the places where several generations of paint have built up around the trim. Outside, you might see peeling paint on one side of the house while another section is still holding up well. There’s usually a reason for it.

Often, painting an older home involves more than choosing a color and applying a few coats.

At SGH Painting Co. , a lot of the homes we work on around Portland and coastal Maine have been standing for decades. We’ve learned that the best results come from paying attention to what the house is telling you before you start covering anything up.

Old Plaster Is Its Own Thing

Many older homes still have their original plaster walls and ceilings. Plaster can be incredibly durable, but after years of settling and movement, cracks are common.

Some are minor. Others have been patched before, sometimes more than once, and the repair hasn’t held.

The important part is figuring out what you’re looking at before deciding how to fix it. Filling a crack and painting over it can make the room look better for a while, but if the surface underneath is still moving or failing, there’s a good chance that crack will come back.

Good plaster repair takes patience. Sometimes the right approach is a small repair. Other times, the surrounding area needs more attention before the surface is ready for paint.

Previous Repairs Tell a Story

One of the interesting things about working in older homes is that you’re rarely the first person to touch the wall.

You’ll often find old patches, layers of different materials, previous paint jobs, and repairs that made sense at the time but haven’t aged particularly well.

This doesn’t necessarily mean everything needs to be torn out and replaced. In many cases, the original surface is still worth saving. It just needs someone to take a closer look and figure out what’s solid, what isn’t, and how to bring the whole area back together.

We enjoy that part of the work. There’s some problem-solving involved, and no two houses are exactly the same.

Trim and Woodwork Deserve Attention Too

Older homes often have some of their best craftsmanship around the windows, doors, baseboards, crown molding, and built-ins.

Unfortunately, those same areas can accumulate decades of paint.

Edges get softer. Details disappear. Old drips and brush marks become part of the surface. In some cases, the wood itself may need repair before painting can begin.

Working carefully around these details can make a huge difference in the way a finished room feels. You don’t always notice one specific piece of trim when the job is done well. The whole room simply looks cleaner.

Exterior Painting Can Turn Into Restoration

The same principle applies outside.

Maine weather is hard on houses. Moisture, sun, snow, temperature changes, and years of exposure all take a toll on siding and trim.

When paint starts failing, the question isn’t only what product should go back on. We also want to know why it failed in the first place.

There may be loose material that needs to be scraped back, damaged wood underneath, open joints, or sections of trim that need attention before they can be painted properly.

Sometimes carpentry needs to happen first. We have trusted relationships with other trades when a project requires work outside the painting itself. It makes more sense to address those problems before finishing the surface than to paint around them and hope for the best.

Preparation Is Where Most of the Work Happens

Fresh paint gets all the attention because it’s the part everyone sees at the end.

But on an older home, most of the important work happens before that.

Scraping. Sanding. Patching. Repairing cracks. Evaluating damaged areas. Protecting the parts of the home that aren’t being worked on. Making sure the surface is actually ready to accept a new finish.

That work takes time, and it isn’t always glamorous, but it affects how the finished project looks and how well it holds up.

It’s also one of the areas where different estimates can vary quite a bit. Two contractors may both be quoting a painting project, but they may not be planning to do the same amount of work before the painting starts.

For homeowners, it’s worth asking what preparation is included rather than comparing the final number alone.

We Like Homes That Need a Little More Thought

Over the years, we’ve found that these are often the projects we enjoy most.

Older homes come with quirks. They require patience. Sometimes you start with one plan and discover something along the way that changes how you need to approach it.

That doesn’t bother us. It’s part of the work.

Our goal is to understand what the home needs, be honest with the homeowner about what we’re seeing, and handle the project in a way that makes sense for the property. Sometimes that means more restoration before painting. Sometimes the surface is in better condition than expected and the solution is fairly straightforward.

Either way, we’d rather take the time to figure it out than assume every home should be treated the same.

If you own an older home in Portland or coastal Maine and you’re thinking about painting or restoration work, we’re always happy to take a look and talk through what you’re seeing.