Paint Streaks - Coat too thin or Old color bleeding through

[Rykc70]

I guess I wasn't clear.  He has already repainted a lot of the trim/ceiling/walls because of overlap.  It just never seems to end.  I was starting to feel bad that I was picking everything apart.  I wonder if I am being overly critical, which is why I asked how much is acceptable.  We almost got into it the other night because I was pointing out things that I saw weren't up to the expectations that he had set out when he gave us the estimate.  He is in the final stretch and is looking to wrap things up. However, I keep pointing out things that need to be corrected.

[chrisn]

If he is any kind of professional, he will fix any and all concerns with a  on his face.

[JSheridan]

3 cuts?  damn man, what kind of paint are you using?

Chrisn, that's a trick used primarily for one and done ceiling cleanups, two cuts, one roll. With a one coat ceiling job, it's usually the cut that gives you away. But, there have been a few times, not often, but this seems to be one of them, where I have done three cuts, two rolls with wall finishes. With certain color changes or product coverage, if the cut doesn't seem to be keeping coverage pace with the roll after the first coat, I'll do it to be safe.

[chrisn]

You know I was just screwin with you.

[JSheridan]

You know I was just screwin with you.

Yes, I know you were. But I just wanted to get the right slant out there. It's primarily a good ceiling trick that someone might pick up on. Your words just made me think, and nudged me to add what I thought I should have added even immediately after posting, but I was lazy.

[Hangman]

I was hanging paper a while back and a painter was in the next room painting red, he cut it 5 times and rolled it 3 to get it to cover. He didn't buy the paint, he just had to deal with it.......

[rmichael]

There are these cans in my basement.

1) Dulux Diamond
2) Glidden Ultra
3) Glidden Ultra Hide
4) Dulux Accent

The kitchen was going from a blue tinted white to a yellow tinted white.
One bathroom was going from a dark blue to a light blue.
The living room was going from a burgundy to a light brown and an olive green to a dark brown.
One bedroom was going from 4 bright colors to a dark purple.
My office went from a light beige to a dark blue.
The main bath went from a faux finish light blue to a plain light blue.
And the master went from a light pink to a darker purple.

You have a lot of "custom colors". Assuming you have white trim and ceilings, the darker the wall color the more critical the transition lines become. A transition line that looks perfectly fine in a light monochromatic color scheme may appear wavy and sub par with a dark custom color. We call dark wall colors "tape outs", the white trim is painted first and the edges are taped before the walls are painted. tape lines are not always perfect so the lines are fine tuned by hand. Ceiling lines are almost always hand pulled. Custom colors do require skill and experience and are not the forte of production painters. I really don't know if you are being overly critical or if your painters are in over their heads but if you you are paying for a custom job and see wavy over lapped lines.. demand better...

[Rykc70]

Thank you to everyone for your input and feedback!!    Very much appreciated.

Yes, we have a house full of custom colors.  Not really into the "monochromatic" color scheme.  I have decided to draw the line in the sand and accept the slight imperfections.  I had a feeling that I could keep going for a long time trying to make everything look "perfect".   The contractor has corrected all the obvious and highly visible flaws.  The end result looks good.  I will post some pictures once we have things put back together a little more than they are at this point.

Thanks again!!!   

[JSheridan]

Rmicheal makes a good point. Not all painters are skilled across the spectrum of painting applications. Just as there are specialties in other trades, there are in painting as well. A good house framer doesn't necessarily make a good crown molding installer, and vice versa. This is a sub concern mistake in the hiring process that I've seen many people make over the years. I do custom work and can do production work, so while I can be effective, I'm not the most efficient for that. Over the years I've had people tell me, and I've told people, I'm not needed for that. We all have different skill sets and experience that lend to those applications we're best suited for. Every day, paint contractors are looking at the work ahead and making calculations as to who in their crew will go where based on based on such. It's common sense, proper allocation of resources, and maximizes production and output.