About Paint

Nicky Taylor asked:


erated a painting contractor and repair business for 26 years, I have heard many reasons given by homeowners for going with the cheaper price. It’s not uncommon for me to get calls from homeowners who realize they made a mistake and wish they had paid a little more for quality service. Many wish they had investigated their contractor more before deciding to use them.

What I have found through the years is that most homeowners do not know how to properly evaluate painting contractors before hiring them. Just because a contractor is cheaper doesn’t mean you’re getting your money’s worth. When it comes to hiring contractors, cheaper priced services often end up costing you a lot more. With the high cost of labor and materials, profit margins aren’t that great in the painting industry. Real cheap services in the painting industry are cheap for a reason. Quality and value of services are being cut.

Better qualify your contractors with the following 10 conditions.

1. Find out how long the contractor has been doing business in your area. Instability is common in this industry. Some painting contractors work a few years in an area then start to feel the heat from dissatisfied customers, so they move on to another city and start the whole process over again. If a contractor has been working in an area for 10 or more years, generally it is an indication of stability.

2. Does the Contractor pay his help by the hour or on a percentage basis? When I first started my business in 1982, I paid my painters by the hour. After about 7 years of paying by the hour and being dissatisfied with their performance, I decided to switch to paying on a percentage basis. I found I could get higher quality work in half the time. The painters have an improved mindset when being paid on a percentage basis. The painters now have a special interest in the quality and timeliness of their work. Better performance means a smaller punch list at the end of the job and in less time, resulting in better pay. Be sure and ask the contractor this question. This is merely a suggestion. Obviously, there are some painters that work by the hour that have a good work ethic. I personally will never go back to working men by the hour. I have been able to provide a higher quality service overall since paying on a percentage basis.

3. Does the Contractor present a well written and organized contract to sign that outlines what he is going to do? This is a good indication of how organized he is. If he is well organized, in most cases it will carry over to his crews. Well organize people are very uncomfortable with disorganization and generally will work to maintain well organized projects and crews.

4. Does the contractor expect a deposite before starting the project? Although the size of a project may dictate whether a deposit is appropriate or not, for the average size painting and repair project ($3,000 to $8,000) I strongly recommend not paying a deposit. The ability of the painting contractor to finance the project is an indication of financial stability and more importantly his desire to operate at peak performance making sure you are happy. I have heard many stories through the years of homeowners who have given the deposit only to have the contractor leave after a day or two of work never to be seen again.

5. How well has the contractor communicated with you since the first time you contacted him? Is he prompt in his response to your questions and request? Most quality professional contractors put a premium on communication. This is another indication of the core values, by which he operates. During your project, you will definitely want good communication.

6. Are the painters working for the contractor covered by workman’s comp? Be sure of this because many painters say they have liability insurance, but liability insurance is not the same thing as workmen comp and will not cover the painters if they are injured on the job. Another consideraton is how well the contractor has insured his crews against injury. Some contractors pay their crews under the table and there is no history that the insurance companies can verify. They may not cover the crews in such cases. This can put you at considerable financial risk. This is another indication of the core values that govern the contractor’s performance. Contact his insurance company and ask these questions.

7. Be sure and check their references. Even though they will give you their best references, you can still get a feel for qualities such as neatness, timeliness, communication, and overall opinion of quality of the job. Keep in mind though, everybody has their own opinion of what constitutes a quality job so don’t decide based solely on their references.

8. Be leery of the aggressive cut throat, as they are more volume oriented. They have to bang out as many houses as they can to turn any kind of profit. In most cases there aren’t any core values driving the quality of their work. You only stand to suffer from this type of contractor.

9. Make sure it is understood there is to be a walk through between you and the head of the crew to take care of touch ups and any issues before you pay for the services. This is crucial, both for you and the contractor. It assures that you are happy with their work and helps eliminate warranty issues for the contractor, saving him time and money. Seasoned contractors who really care about their customers know that this is the best approach for finalizing a project.

10. You should also check for the following obvious things: a business license, Better Business Bureau for unsettled complaints, how long they have been in business, how many crews work for them, written and detailed warranties

Always put quality first. Putting a little extra time into qualifying your painting contractors will pay off handsomely. You will have fewer headaches during the project. You will have a better looking home with a paint job that last longer.



Darryl

hughesr7 asked:


I have quite a bit of exterior and interior paint left over from about 3 years ago. Do you think it would be OK to use?

Bradley

Wasimul Haque asked:


Interior design paint is the knack of adorning a space to make it fascinating, prominent and fit with the present structural design. The end of interior design paint is to afford a confident sense in favor of the room. Interior design paint embraces appropriate wallpaper, canvas walls and other features. Supplementary facades of interior design paint include stuffs like opting furnishings and fixtures, offering embellishment on behalf of painting, sculptures etc. Interior design paint is executed proficiently by interior decorator.

 

 

Interior design paint has been used for years to adorn an extensive array of home. A colossal range of finishes have been exploited outside the flat exposure of a plainly painted façade for interior design paint. A lot of what are presently observed as conventional interior design paint consequences have their source in the grand domicile of the European nobility and subsequently taken up by the growing mercantile group who sought to carve-up in those majesty. The appeal of interior design paint is an amazing approach to commune disposition of the residence and its associate.

Decoration and fantasy are by and large the standard of interior design paint. The colors of interior design paint have the power to bestow the look of an era. For instance the shade blue-grey of an interior design paint embodies the time-honored Scandinavian core. Interior design paint engages maneuvering the architectural honor of the inner room and also the formation of a world-class proficiency by means of analysis of environmental psychology.

 

If you want to discuss about this more visit http://www.welovepainting.com/index.html



Franklin

mdwain2 asked:


every room in the house is a off white. my family says to paint with some color, tan. Others say stay white so who ever wants to buy the house can paint in there colors. What do you guys think?

Marion

Jennifer M asked:


My mom is going to paint her house, and she was thinking about using Wal-Mart’s colorplace. Is this good paint? If not, can you explain why? What brand of paint would you recommend for good price and will still do a good paint job?

Alfred

wayne m asked:


do you need your house painted mack_paint@yahoo.com

Carolyn

rayrose asked:


When you want to painting a room, you must clear that preparation is half the battle.

Painting Preparation Ideas

First, Clear the walls and ceiling of decorations such as paintings and posters. Also remove nails, tacks, tape and other kinds of hangers. Patch the holes if they are not needed later with light weight spackle.

Make sure that every inch of the floor and what ever you do not wish to paint is completely covered. This will help with avoiding getting paint in places you don’t want it. Also make sure all the walls are clean before painting.

Removing any and all electrical covers and light fixtures. Now you need to protect all windowsills, trim and doors from excess paint. Repairing cracks or holes in the walls and ceiling.

Now that everything is properly covered and the repairs are finished apply a stain blocking primer the repaired areas. Any stains, such as water stains or permanent markers, can be primed with the same primer. Allow the primer to dry before you apply any finish paint.

Remember to always paint from top-down.

interior paint order: Ceiling — Walls — Trim — Cabinets — Doors.

Although interior house paints are available for every possible surface, there is no such thing as an all-surface paint. The wrong paint can damage a surface and often not adhere well, so it’s crucial to know in advance what goes where and when. Fortunately, modern paint technology has taken a lot of the risk out of choosing the proper paint. Formulas for so-called “latex paints” have been improved to withstand dirt, moisture, and daily wear and tear, so these paints are no longer reserved exclusively for low-traffic areas. They are as washable and durable as the old oilbase paints, so you no longer have to think in terms of latex paints for walls and oilbase enamels for woodwork, windows, and doors.

Consequently, for kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms, doors, windows, and trim, high-gloss paints are ideal. Semigloss interior paints, with less resin and a reduced surface shine, are slightly less wear-resistant but still suitable for most woodwork. Finally, flat paints are the coatings of choice for most interior walls and ceilings because they provide an attractive, low-glare finish for surfaces that take little abuse and require only infrequent washings.



Beatrice

rudy12 asked:


house is covered with cedar shakes , previousely they tell me painted with a mixture of linseed oil & a coloring agent. i already purchased the exterior sears weatherbeater latex paint. will this hold will it peel off do i use some special primer first , any help appreciated.

Daniel

Rafi Ghanim Michael asked:


 

Painting individual rooms within a house requires careful planning and, for any inexperienced painter, it can be a daunting undertaking. One should also come up with painting ideas and techniques to have a good finished paint job. Painting jobs require specialized skills. Most Toronto painting companies deal with professional painters when painting individual rooms of any kind of a house. Being a licensed house-painting contractor, these companies have two things that most homeowners do not; expertise and experience in painting individual rooms within a house.

 

Usually, there are many good reasons for hiring a professional painting contractor when it comes to painting individual rooms. Time restraints, safety, health and convenience are among the considerations. Painting individual rooms gives a new look to the entire house without changing the structure itself. It is usually advisable to hire an experienced or a professional painter to do the job. A professional contractor, found in most Toronto painting companies, is not only able to provide a perfect finish to a room paint job but also provides professional services that go along with such projects.

 

Toronto painting companies do the job in a professional manner, giving better results as compared to painting individual rooms in a house personally. Professional painters know the materials to use due to the climatic and weather conditions of a particular area. Being well acquainted and always exposed to the painting industry, professional painters are also in a better position to know local market trends. Having a well-experienced team also means that we can do the job in a fraction of the time it would have taken if a person were to do it single-handedly. Thus, for those with a busy schedule, hiring professionals is an excellent option. Before on decides to start painting individual rooms, it is wise to undertake in any other interior painting, paint removal, wallpapering and special finishes to make the individual rooms look attractive.

 

Climbing on ladders while painting individual rooms can be dangerous, especially in small rooms. Working with solvents and the risk of dust inhalation in enclosed small spaces is also hazardous. Some paints have proven to pose health risks during sandpapering and scraping in preparation for painting individual rooms. The dust chips and particles from these paints can prove hazardous for people in those environments. Many Toronto painting companies involved in painting individual rooms within homes use among the best professional and licensed Toronto painters for painting residential, renovated or new homes, with experienced and professional painters trained in precautions to take when handling lead-based paints.

 

A professional painter will also prepare surfaces properly before painting individual rooms. If the surfaces are poorly prepared, the quality and appearance of paint will be affected. Such preparation is very time consuming but it is important because it increases the paints durability and yields great results. An experienced painter is also familiar with types of paints, how to apply each type of paint and when to apply what product. By adhering to these details, painting companies guarantee quality work in painting individual rooms within homes.



Maurice

here_nor_there asked:


Or perhaps my question is “am I being jerked around?” I hired a painting company and the crew manager said they would come out and powerwash on a friday and then start to paint on a Monday (Jul 23). No one showed up so he said Wed, then Thurs, then Fri. Finally, after complaining, someone comes out to powerwash on Jul 29. Painters come Monday and work thru Thurs. The painters on his crew quit and it’s now Aug 6 and my house is partially painted. (Of course, he says they are coming out tomorrow or the next day). Is this a typical housepainting experience? I’ve never had a house painted before so I have no idea. The contract only indicates the job to be completed in the summer, but I find the drawing out the dates like that to be not very professional. It’s a national company by the way that hires college kids.

Arnold