For the best, longest lasting paint film possible, we use the finest oil based paint available:  Fine Paints of Europe.  Made in Holland, Fine Paints of Europe is the best paint available in the U.S., bar none.  Cutting corners on paint quality is a poor economy because paint is such a small part of the overall cost of an exterior finish.

Similarly we use the finest brushes that we can buy so that the paint applies smoothly with minimum effort.  These brushes are literally “fine”, being made from the hair of the ear of the ox, containing many more hairs per brush than conventional “china bristle”, which is made from boar bristle.

Before applying any paint primer, however, we apply a mixture of turpentine and linseed oil to all bare wood surfaces, applied “to refusal”, that is, as many coats as will soak into the old wood.  After priming, if there are still areas that need to be leveled or smoothed, we use a Swedish oil putty (also manufactured by Fine Paints of Europe) that sands as smooth as glass.  Only then do we apply finish paint.