FS Construction Services update painting services

Six Signs It’s Time to Update That Old Paint

For many people, painting is like a trip to the dentist. You know it needs to be done, you know it will be good for you in the long run, and yet you just don’t really feel like doing it. Some paint jobs have the added complexity of hard-to-reach places, lots of surface area to cover, or simply too much time negotiating a ladder. And yet despite all the work, eventually, it will need to be done. Because it’s a task that can require a lot of up-front effort, it’s one of those things that’s easy to put on hold, but holding out too long can cause long-term trouble. So we thought we would point out some signs that it’s time to finally update that old paint.

  1. Dry rot. Dry rot is caused by fungi that essentially eat away at wood, causing a loss in durability and strength. There are many types of protective paint that can be applied to protect your exterior wood to prevent this from happening.
  2. Cracking or breaking. When cracking or breaking of the base material is visible at the bottom of a structure, apart from being a sign of some other issues, it’s also a sign that it’s time to apply some new paint.
  3. Chipping or peeling. This one’s pretty obvious, but chipped or peeling paint is no good. Especially when it comes to outdoor structures, the more paint that chips away, the more exposed the material is to weathering and degradation.
  4. Color fading. It’s easy to forget just what color something used to be until you see it compared to its old self. Sunlight and a well-defined four seasons will slowly dull the color of your paint over time.
  5. Cracked or dried caulk. High-quality caulking is made to last ten years. If the caulking around doors and windows is starting to crack, dry, or peel, it could be a sign it’s time to also revisit the paint as well.
  6. If you have no idea when your structure was last painted, then it might be time to give it some fresh paint.

If you have an overdue paint job and don’t have the time, equipment, or desire to tackle it yourself, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Metal Building renovation

Breathing New Life Into an Old FS Building: Part 2

This is the second of two articles covering the extensive updates done to an old FS structure this past February as it transformed into something that looks like it could have been built yesterday. While it is always fun to build a brand-new structure from the ground up, sometimes it is equally satisfying to take an old structure and make it feel new again. Sometimes this is the renovation or preservation of something historic, and other times, it’s simply a matter of efficiency and cost, as it was with this great older building.

New Ceiling and Metal Walls Transform This Building

In the quest to ensure this old FS building would continue to serve its purpose, we added new sliding doors and a new roof over the smaller, office portion of the structure. After these first two changes were complete, our team went about a couple more major renovations. The first was the installation of a new ceiling in the 32 x 54’ shop area of the building. This new ceiling was filled with blown-in insulation to significantly increase the structure’s thermal efficiency.

With doors, roof, and ceiling all updated, there was one major update still left to tackle. The original building featured large polymer panels, effectively turning the building into a type of greenhouse. Similar to the doors, we replaced those polymer panels with red metal walls to match the rest of the structure and create a more unified look.

Relying on the solid bones of the original building, our team was able to make some key updates to ensure our client will have many, many more comfortable, functional years with this structure. If you are looking for steel or wood building work, whether it’s new construction or updating existing buildings, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Metal Building renovation

Breathing New Life Into an Old FS Building: Part 1

While there is always something fun about building a brand-new structure from the ground up, there is something equally satisfying about taking an old structure and making it feel new again. Sometimes this is in the preservation of something historic, and other times, it’s simply a matter of efficiency and cost. This is the first of two articles covering the extensive updates done to an old FS structure this past February as it transformed from something that looked the part of having weathered the test of time and seasons to something that looks like it could have been built yesterday.

New Garage Doors and Metal Roof Make a Big Impact

The biggest and perhaps most obvious fix came in the form of the large, 24 x 16’ polymer doors that took up most of the front of the building. To be expected, these had yellowed and worn over the years, so our team replaced them with a new, double-sliding, metal door system. These new doors, matched to the original color of the structure, now provide a sharp, new focal point to the building. In addition to these doors, we also replaced another old, double sliding door with a 12 x 10’ Raynor Showcase steel-backed, insulated door and a Raynor Pilot ½ hp chain drive operator.

The second major fix came in the form of a new 22 x 22’ roof over the office area of the structure. This GR3 Fabral white, metal roof will last up to 60 years and provides a clean, new look for the top of the building.

Even with these additions, the building still wasn’t finished. However, with brand-new garage doors and a metal roof, it’s well on its way. If your building could use new doors or an updated roof, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

paint problems solved paint services Gateway FS Construction Services

5 Common Paint Problems and How to Fix Them

It’s incredible what a fresh coat of paint can do to a space: liven it up, make it seem bigger, highlight best features, etc. With that being said, there a number of small problems that can derail an otherwise professional-looking paint project.

Brian “Boomer” Garleb, Paint Services Specialist at FS Construction Services, has put together a list of five common paint problems (and their solutions) to watch out for when painting a new space.

  1. Fish eyes. Fish eyes happen when paint is applied over oil, dirt, silicone, or other incompatible coatings. These small, crater-like imperfections can be frustrating, but their fix is pretty straightforward. Before painting, use a cleaning solution to clear away any grease or oil stains. The best available solutions are bleach, paint thinners, and trisodium phosphate (TSP). After the area has been cleaned, it can be sanded and painted.
  2. Cratering/pitting. This happens when air pockets get trapped in wet film. The best fix is to sand down or smooth out the current finish and then apply a second coat.
  3. Uneven gloss. Uneven gloss can happen a few different ways: when film thickness is not of equal parts, when there is moisture in the coating, or when paint is applied over a primer that hasn’t fully dried. The fix for this problem is simply, patience. It’s tempting to try and rush a paint job to be done with it, but everything must be allowed to properly dry before painting over.
  4. Fading color. When moisture gets trapped behind paint, it usually causes the paint to fade. The solution to this problem is in the kind of paint you buy. Purchasing paint with a powder tint, rather than a liquid tint will prevent this issue from occurring.
  5. Paint wrinkling. Paint wrinkling happens when too much paint is applied. If this has happened, the too-thick coat will need to be removed and then painted again with the proper amount of paint.

Painting is not only a detail-oriented process, but also one that many people would rather finish as quickly as possible. A little bit of patience and extra attention can solve most issues you would run into while painting, however, if you are interested in our painting services, or would like a free estimate, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Gateway FS Construction Services interior exterior painting services

5 Common Paint Problems and Their Quick Fixes

Summer is a great time to finally get around to all the paint projects that have been building up over the year. With this in mind, our paint expert, Brian “Boomer” Garleb has come up with his top five problems that most paint projects will run into at some point and how to fix them.

  1. Fish eyes: Fish eyes occur when paint has been applied over oil, dirt, silicone, or incompatible coatings. Luckily, fish eyes are an easy fix. First, you’ll need to remove the grease or oil stain with a cleaning solution. Usually bleach, paint thinner, or trisodium phosphate (TSP) will work. After the area has been cleaned, the area can be sanded down.
  2. Cratering/Pitting: Another common problem is cratering or pitting. This occurs when air pockets get trapped inside wet film. The solution, however, is easy enough, and just involves sanding or smoothing out the existing finish and applying another coat over the sanded area.
  3. Uneven gloss: Uneven gloss is when film thickness is not equal, when there’s moisture in the coating, or when a topcoat is applied over wet primer. Solving this problem simply means allowing more drying time.
  4. Fading paint: Moisture trapped behind paint is more likely to cause paint to fade. Purchasing paint already colored for factory, which has a powder tint rather than a liquid tint, is an easy way to fix this common problem.
  5. Paint wrinkling: This happens when too much paint is applied. To fix it, remove the bad paint and recoat the affected area.

So there you have it, five common problems and five simple solutions. If you ever have a paint project or other service projects you don’t feel up to tackling, you can let Gateway FS Construction Services know. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Barn renovation Gateway FS Construction Services customer appreciation

Customer Thank You

Construction is a demanding job. And there is the added pressure of knowing that any given project we’re working on directly affects someone’s home, business, or livelihood. It’s a great feeling to see something through from the very beginning to the end, when it becomes a functional tool for someone to benefit from and use every day. That’s why it means so much to us at Gateway FS Construction Services when a customer takes a moment to share their appreciation.

Recently we received a thank you from our clients Norm and Judy B. about a barn remodel project, and we wanted to share it here.

Gateway FS,

Just a note to say “Thank You” very much to Joe who did amazing work on our old barn.  The old saying “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear” – Well – Joe can!  He does beautiful work and we appreciate it so much and will enjoy the improvement for years to come.  Our compliments to an amazing craftsman!

Thanks,

Norm and Judy B.

Red Bud

For us, our job is more than simply providing someone with a building or a grain bin, it’s about providing someone with the exact building they need to start their business, or the exact size of grain bin for them to have a successful growing season. The buildings and equipment we install are simply the tools, it’s the people who matter to us. We could install the most beautiful, fully-stocked steel building available, and if it wasn’t what the customer needed, that project would be a failure.

So we just wanted to thank Norm and Judy for their note, because it really does mean a lot to us. We enjoyed the opportunity to work with them, and we always look forward to meeting new clients and figuring out how to help them get exactly what they need.

If you have any questions about our services you can let Gateway FS Construction Services know. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Metal roofing metal siding barn renovation

Project Profile: Old Barn Made New with Metal Roofing and Siding

Sometimes a building can stand out for all the wrong reasons. Some buildings are a little old looking, some buildings are falling apart and need to be torn down. And sometimes, a building is just a little dated and needs some attention and care. It’s tempting in these cases to want to tear down and start again, and sometimes that’s the right call. However, at FS Construction Services we have experienced again and again how refurbishing an older, solid structure, can be a better allocation of funds. There are a number of these types of buildings whose life expectancy can be greatly extended.

This was the case for Tom Marcheski and his team when they recently remodeled an old barn that was by no means dilapidated, but greatly benefited from some work and attention. The old roof and siding were replaced with Fabral’s Strongclad galvanized-steel panels, which not only dramatically improved the look of the barn, it added Class A fire resistance and Class 4 hail impact resistance.

This new covering, on the sides and on the roof, is not only cheaper than a whole new building, it will provide incredible strength and durability for many years to come, breathing new life into an older structure, and providing the perfect solution for a building that’s meant to be a little rugged.

Finally, our team of construction professionals outfitted this newly renovated building with a guttering system. This addition will help to divert any rains away from the building thus helping to keep the floor dry and eliminate standing water around the building.

We understand that agricultural equipment and structures need to be able to endure some hard treatment and even harder weather. From grain systems to steel buildings to metal roofs and even paint that won’t fade, Gateway FS Construction Services can help. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.