Do a great job on one home and the word will soon spread. That’s something Darrell Benson learned a long time ago.
He has more than 30 years of experience as a professional painter and runs Darrell Benson Painting in Broussard, a city of 13,000 in southern Louisiana. By design, he has kept his company small to ensure that every project gets his personal touch. Over the years he has built a strong reputation by paying close attention to detail – an approach that generates much repeat business.
A perfect example is his recent repaint of a large Broussard residence.
A monster of a project
“This project hit close to home for me,” Benson says. “I had the privilege of floating drywall in the home back in 2015 so it was great to be back to paint the exterior of the home.”
At 7,000 square feet, it was “a monster of a project,” he says – and a rewarding one.
“I take pride in my work and loved seeing the before and after of this project.”
The right prep and paint
Benson and his small crew started the job with thorough surface prep.
“We pressure washed and hand washed the entire house before caulking and puttying the entire home to ensure it was ready for paint,” he says. “Ridge Waguespack, my Sherwin-Williams rep, did a phenomenal job in recommending the correct products for the job.”
He also helped make sure his bid was in line to secure the job and determine how much paint would be needed on such a large project. The exterior coating of choice was Duration® Exterior Acrylic Latex.
“I’ve relied on Duration ever since it first came on the market,” he says. “It is easy to apply, it levels out well, and you get great coverage with it. I find it to be a great product that hasn’t failed me yet.”
Formulated with PermaLast Technology® for more durability and a thicker coat than ordinary latex paint, Duration provides excellent protection from cracking, peeling and blistering. That helps him provide customers with a beautiful, long-lasting finish – something that other homeowners in the neighborhood have definitely noticed.
“This project was the third house that we painted in the neighborhood,” Benson says. “It was also the largest home by far. Once I did this house, I had the trust of many homeowners including the HOA board, which is highly important because word of mouth is everything. Since then, I’ve worked on approximately 20 homes in this neighborhood.”
Curb appeal
Color is a crucial component of the customer experience for Darrell Benson Painting.
“The process starts with allowing owners to choose the colors and then giving advice on any controversial factors,” Benson says. “The owners wanted to throw a pop of color into the home with the shutters, so we tested seven samples on the shutters. I wanted to make sure that they were completely happy with the color choice. Finally, the family asked me which color I thought would look best and I recommended a black in order to give the home a more elegant look.”
In the end, Tricorn Black SW 6258 (251-C1) proved to be a perfect complement to the siding color, Agreeable Gray SW 7029 (243-C1). Credit Sherwin-Williams color consulting services and sales rep Sam Fontenot for his role in the final color decision.
“When the family first picked the color Agreeable Gray, it looked very light in the sun,” Benson says. “They wanted to ensure that the gray siding would show contrast to the lighter trim and were considering darkening the color and reached out to Sam for advice. Sam reassured them that the color would contrast well with the trim and would show darker once it was painted in such a large quantity on the home. After all parties’ contribution, the homeowners were extremely pleased with the colors and overall look of the home.”
This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 issue of PPC magazine. Story by Mike Starling, PPC/Pintor Pro editorial director. Photography by David Spielman. Read about other successful professional painting contractors in the Pintor Pro magazine archive.
