The Front Range's unpredictable weather, high altitude, and large number of sunny days can take a toll on even the best of paint jobs. For all those reasons it's important that you hire a Denver home painter who's well-schooled in the particulars of Denver's climate and who has a track record of performing quality work in the area. Finding someone who knows what they're doing, and who charges reasonable rates, can be tougher than many homeowners expect, however. Here's a short primer on why it's so important to find a quality home painter in Denver, and some basic suggestions for how to find the best painter possible for your exterior paint job.

What Makes the Mile High City so Tough on Paint Jobs?
As mentioned before, it's really a combination of factors that make Denver and the rest of the front range a challenge for any painter. These factors include:

• Colorado's unpredictable and fast changing weather—While Denver is known for it's beautiful weather, it's also known for how rapidly the forecast can change. It's not uncommon in Denver for double-digit swings in temperature to occur over a matter of hours, for a sunny day to end up being a blizzard, or for the six inches of snow that fell the night before to be gone by noon the next day thanks to the Colorado sun. Those kind of extremes are tough on any painted surface, since paint can crack, chip, and fail when it doesn't get a chance to properly acclimate to rapid shifts in moisture and temperature.
• Living in the Mile High City—A second major factor is the altitude. Anybody who's a sports fan in Denver knows how the thin air affects everything from field goals to how tough it is for opposing teams to catch their breath. When it comes to paint, that thin air also lets through more harmful UV rays from the sun than at lower altitudes. Those strong UV rays are why you get sunburned so much quicker at higher altitudes, and it's one of the main reasons exterior paints break down and fade at 5,280 feet above sea level, as well.
• Sun Damage—Finally, there's Colorado's 300 days of sunshine a year. Most people mistakenly think that paint's biggest enemies are sleet, snow, and rain. Not so. 300 days of sun each year does far more damage to the paint on Denver metro area homes than any spring blizzard ever could.

Quality Denver Home Painters: The Solution to Denver's Climate
So how can you combat that tough combination of meteorological hazards? Truth be told, in Denver there aren't many secret tricks of the trade. The only sure fire way to guarantee your home's paint is going to stand up to that kind of daily beating is to hire a house painter in Denver that uses quality materials and does the job right. A Denver house painter should know that quality preparation makes for 90% of the work on any well done paint job, they should know that it never pays to cut costs by purchasing second rate paint, and they ought to keep in mind that a painter needs to keep a constant eye on the weather, since Denver's fast moving summer thunderstorms can ruin a fresh coat of paint in a matter of minutes. As a homeowner, you need to know these facts as well, so you can hold your painter up to the highest of standards.

Finding a Home Painter in Denver: Homeowner Advice
ServiceMagic follows up on every job performed by the contractors we refer to Denver homeowners. In addition to other things, we always ask those who've utilized our services what suggestions they might have to help other homeowners. When it comes to painting, Denver area homeowners are in agreement. More than any other advice, they recommend that you talk to multiple contractors, get at least three bids so you can compare prices, and always check references before you hire. "Interview many professionals and get bids before choosing. There is a huge difference in price," suggests one Denver homeowner. Though another cautions wisely, "Don't make your decision based on the lowest bid. Get 3-4 bids and look at the big picture [before you sign any contracts]".

A Few Additional Thoughts on Finding a Denver House Painter
ServiceMagic concurs with the homeowners above. Talking to multiple contractors is the best way to ensure you get the best work at the best price. In addition, doing a little research by checking out references and ratings is the only guarantee that you'll get the kind of quality paint job that Front Range homes require. You're going to need a painter that is as reliable as Colorado's weather is unpredictable. Going through a proven referral service, and doing your own legwork to confirm that your contractor has earned a good name for himself, is the best way to get an exterior paint job that will defy the odds and protect your Denver area home for years into the future.