Homeowner's Headquarters: A Discussion with Cape Associates on Painting

Welcome to Homeowner’s Headquarters, brought to you by the good folks at Mid-Cape Home Centers.

Each week, we will have a discussion with a builder on Cape Cod to talk about what they do, where to find them and the processes involved. Listen to our chat below, read the article and check out more information on Cape Associates, Inc. below!

Cape Associates, Inc. is a full-service custom home builder that offers design, permitting and cost-estimating services, as well as renovation and improvement services like painting, tiling and millwork. And now that we’re neck-deep in summer, there’s no better time to think about painting your home’s interior and exterior.

“I’m getting a lot of calls right now from people who really want to stretch their dollar,” said Paul Dunn, Paint Division Manager. “They might say, ‘Give me a price for the whole house,’ and decide to do two sides at a time. Or they might want a price for the house, and a separate price for the garage and to power-wash the deck.”

Mark Harmon, also a Paint Division Manager, agreed. “I’m seeing the same thing. Customers will want an overall price for everything, and then pick and choose which projects to work on first.”

Excluding homes in historic districts that often require a certain type of color and even a certain brand of paint, Dunn and Harmon are finding that homeowners still love those beautiful, beachy colors that give their homes that Cape Cod charm. They still want the white clapboards and white trim, often with green or black shutters.

“There’s a particular shade of gray that people instantly recognize as Cape Cod gray,” Dunn said. “It encompasses a little bit to the warm side of gray, and a little bit to the cool side but, as soon as people see it, they say, ‘Oh yes, Cape Cod gray’. It mimics the look of weathered shingles. If you use it as a stain on shingles or clapboard, it will give them protection for a good amount of time.”

To protect the exterior of the home from the Cape’s often-harsh weather is key, said Dunn. “My favorite right now is an enamel latex paint, not just an acrylic. It provides an ultra-hard and slick surface, which makes it able to withstand the salt from being so close to the ocean and ultraviolet component that lasts a little but longer that your normal acrylic paint.”

People will find paint at a huge range of pricing right now, Dunn said, from ultra-low to moderately high. “And it holds true,” he said. “They’re going to get what they pay for.”

“We always try to use the high-end paints,” said Harmon. “At Cape Associates, we’re all about quality and doing things right. Of course, it’s always up to the customer if they want to go with a lower (priced) paint, but we always try to go with the high-end.”

The mission of all the professionals at Cape Associates is to continue building life-long relationships with their customers and employees, based upon an uncompromising commitment to quality and integrity.