Ryan is an award winner for his outstanding painting and marketing work, You can find his contributions to the painting community across numerous blog sites and on his YouTube channel.
His company has won Best Painting Company four years in a row by Lehigh Valley Style and Best Painting Company twice by What's Happening. Also being named Emerging Business of the year 2015 and also 2017
Ryan Amato Painting
306 S. New St
Bethlehem, Pa 18015
484-821-7112
There is a shortage of both paint and workers and the shortage of quality labor has hit small businesses in particular.
From a freeze in Texas to a fire in China , add in a pandemic and a labor shortage of plant workers and drivers we are seeing a huge paint shortage which is effecting our painting industry in many ways.
The paint shortage was exacerbated by this year's major winter storm.
Paint supply chain Sherwin-Williams was already suffering as a result of the COVID pandemic. However, the February winter storm that hit Texas added further constraints to the supply chain. "In an already-challenged supply chain due to COVID-19, the February natural disaster in Texas further impacted the complex petrochemical network causing significant disruptions,"
Texas leads the nation in petroleum refining production, which is necessary in manufacturing paint, according to Business Insider. The winter storm reduced the state's capacity to refine petroleum, which created a ripple effect for a reduced ability to manufacture nearly all paints.
With an abundance of work and a shortage of paint, this has lead to increased lead times of projects, having to juggle what products are used on projects and frequently changing the types and brands of paints being used.
"If you asked me what paint we will use on your project today for a job a month from now I would have no idea" says Ryan Amato of Amato Painting in Easton, Pa
Many people also understand how important painting can be for their peace of mind and for their homes. Join us as we explore what this means for your home-improvements company or business.
Small businesses are feeling the effects of a paint shortage
and labor shortage .
People are not working, where we would typically have an abundance of summer help , we are just not seeing it and as we talk with contractors across the country they are all in the same boat.
Paint companies are expecting their lead times to increase from six weeks to more than three months. At a time when many custom home builders need paint in five weeks, this means that the small home improvement and construction companies that serve them will be unable to make up the delay in supplies. [Source: The Wall Street Journal Online]
Small businesses will be negatively affected as a result of increased costs and extended delivery delays for products they need for their businesses.
As more small businesses look to services from large painting companies or call in their own contractors to do interior painting, these companies will be forced to change their schedules and prices, pass on the costs to consumers, raise prices for new customers or all three.
Source: The Wall Street Journal Online]
According to Wayne Phillips of the National Small Business Association, "It could lead businesses that specialize in these kinds of products into a death spiral that could quickly remove them from the marketplace.
"We are planning ahead as best as we can, however we would never order materials months ahead for projects, it just isn't financially feasible or smart to have a stockpile of paint, especially with clients whose schedules change or changes in scopes of work" . Ryan Amato
Some of the most commonly used paints are out of stock, many primers are no where to be found.
The paint shortages are being felt keenly because demand for the product is increasing as the weather improves, experts say. It will likely get worse too, because with summer approaching we’re entering into “painting season”. The summer weather is ideal for painting outdoors, and lots of people have projects planned for the warmer months, so demand for paint is expected to increase.
“We likely will need to take further pricing actions if raw material costs remain at these elevated levels,” said Sherwin-Williams CEO John Morikis during a company earnings call in late April.
Our advice is when you find a painting contractor you connect with, don't wait long to contract with them. Sign up, get your project on the "schedule" so they can start planning and allocating materials especially if it is a large project
What to expect when staining a wooden deck can resolve many issues before that first complaint calls comes in.
Every contractor wants to offer a lifelong job but that expectation for the contractor and the customer is not possible especially for surfaces such as decks where moisture, weather, ice and daily abuse take a toll on the surface.
We at Ryan Amato Painting like to be upfront with every customer and let them know like almost anything on your home a deck will require the utmost care and yearly maintenance.
If you use a solid acrylic stain you can rest assured most likely you will be re coating the floorboards and the rails every year.
Ryan Amato Owner
Decks in harsh Climates such as ours in the Northeast require constant on-going maintenance and will often have to be re-done on a yearly or bi-yearly basis depending on elevation, exposure, previous condition, prep and type of Coating applied.
Let’s examine the challenges facing all contractors when looking to Re-furbish or Re-coat a Deck.
The biggest challenge of all is trying to meet elevated expectations that homeowners often have as to final finish appearance and ongoing durability of their newly coated deck.
Very often, the larger task of painting the actual home itself will be overridden by scrutiny to an attached deck project.
1) What type of Coating is on the Deck now?
If you have a Semi-trans Oil Toner Base product on a Deck now where you have a basic wood tone type color, like redwood to cedar, stick with it.
When staining a wooden deck expectations are very important
If you have a Solid color or Semi-Solid Oil Stain on the Deck where the Color is more solid in nature but grain of the wood still is quite prevalent, stick with that as well.
Oil Products will more so fade and chalk and will just require less maintenance in regards to peeling.
They just naturally wear better in my opinion and keep wood “oiled”, preserving it better in this dry climate.
Ryan Amato
If you have a Solid Color Acrylic Stain on a Deck, you will need to re-coat the Deck with the same , as sanding this coating out of the grain of the Wood is effectively really difficult in order to convert it to the Semi-trans.
You could also have issues with proper penetration and compatibility of Coating as you attempt to apply the Oil over any measure of residual acrylic coating that may still exist.
If the existing Deck has a had a oil product on it previously & has turned black due to years of neglect and effectively sanding the horizontals and the pickets would be difficult to do consistently, the Acrylic Stain option may be viable to achieve a better cosmetic final product.
Once the oil has evaporated out of the wood thru the years you will not have a compatibility issue here in that regard.
If acrylic paint has been applied to the deck it will need to be scraped and sanded off as paint is not designed for decks and lacks proper penetration and will most often peel off in sheets and be an ongoing nightmare to deal with.
NEVER apply Paint to a Deck especially to the bottom Support Structure. Paint is intended and designed to adhere to a primed and sealed surface.
It is NOT DESIGNED TO BE A PENETRATOR like an acrylic or oil stain! This is less critical with Hand Rails as they are principally vertical in nature but make sure primer is applied first under the Paint.
Regardless, top horizontal hand rail surfaces will peel and require regular maintenance whether paint is applied or acrylic stain. They cannot and will not withstand harsh weather conditions.
2) Pre-existing Condition of the Deck-
How old is the Deck? When was it last Coated? What Elevation does it face?
What are your expectations when staining your wooden deck
South and West Exposures are brutal on Deck Life. They are super hot & lend themselves to more fractured and cracked horizontal surfaces.
They allow more natural penetration of moisture which makes these cracks larger providing for constant expansion and contraction and ongoing peeling as moisture/vapor moves out of the wood into the atmosphere.
The older the deck, the more you will have to simply maintain it. Typically, areas of the deck, especially hi traffic areas, will need to be re-rolled or brushed every spring for sure.
Staining a wooden deck doesn’t have to be hard
This goes for either a Semi-trans oil product or a solid color acrylic product. Areas of Dry Rot where a Fungus has set in and is eroding the surface of the Wood or to some depth of the Wood need to be removed.
Not doing so would only make these areas worse and coatings do not adhere or penetrate into dry rot appropriately.
3) Shiners-
Let’s talk about what to expect when staining your wooden deck, especially a wood toner oil based semi-trans type product.
Wood, especially weathered wood, has different grains, existing cracking/fissures and absorption rates.
No particular area on a horizontal deck or a vertical hand rail corner to corner will absorb a coating exactly the same.
Staining a wooden deck doesn’t have to be hard
Amato Painting
This is just the nature of wood, period. In climates like Pennsylvania most often a 2 coat application of a Semi-trans. or a Solid Color Stain will be needed to properly protect the Deck.
The 1st Coat will seal the porosity and left alone will not typically be cosmetically pleasing to the eye and will not weather well.
Staining a wooden deck
The 2nd Coat will effectively seal the deck; provide better water resistance and longer life.
The second coat is typically back brushed or rolled out to areas that will pool up due to these different absorption rates of wood mentioned above.
The end result typically will be what can best be described as areas of variable look or sheen or better described as “Shiners.
This is just the consequences of sealing most any deck with most any coating.
Amato Painting
To expect a uniform look corner to corner is going to be unrealistic and unfair to your Contractor as is expecting these same horizontal surfaces not to have some sort of failure or maintenance even within the 1st year.
Intense moisture in the form of ice, snow, sleet, hail & rain along with 80-100 degree Sun, heat and UV is simply not going to allow a protective liquid to not have issues sooner than later.
However, these “Shiners” will settle down as the UV and sun starts the natural weathering process.
4) Sand or not to Sand?
For acrylic coated decks scraping and power washing loose coating is usually sufficient.
If the Deck has been painted inappropriately, then it will need to be sanded off as much as is possible followed behind with a quality penetrating acrylic stain
Once you have an acrylic stain product on your deck, you are pretty committed to it.
Again, really tough and expensive to convert to oil and you will experience varied results for sure.
What To Expect
In the end a deck takes a ton of abuse just from every day life, from walking on it, shoveling it in winter, dogs nails.
You cannot expect a coating to survive this type of abuse, wood is always contracting and expanding as well as the coating. Guess what will give first? Yes the coating, the stain
Have legitimate expectations you may be coating it every year , anyone who says otherwise is not being honest
They’re made from two layers: the exterior layer is typically a durable high-gloss polyester that resists chipping and scratching, while the interior layer is epoxy resin that provides a solid surface for food prep and cleaning.
Epoxy countertops are stain-resistant. They are available in a variety of colors and patterns, and they have the added benefit of easily being able to match or complement your existing tile or stone.
The advantages of this type of countertop, though, go beyond good looks! Read on to learn about the advantages of epoxy over other choices in countertops.
Practical Advantages of Epoxy Countertops Epoxy countertops are almost indestructible. Epoxy resin is known for its durability, and epoxy countertops are a great choice for households that do a lot of cooking, cleaning, and scrubbing.
Heat won’t damage the surface or affect its color, and acidic materials like lemon juice won’t damage the countertop.
The surface is resistant to scratches, heat, chemicals, and abrasion as well. Epoxy countertops are a kitchen workhorse.
If you enjoy cooking and want something that will last a long time, epoxy countertops could be a great option for you because of their level of durability.
Epoxy countertops are durable, long lasting and easily maintained
They can also choose whether they want the top or bottom layer more textured or shiny.
Epoxy is a great alternative to traditional stone and other material countertops when you’re looking for durability, resistance to scratches and stains, and a natural look.
Epoxy countertops are worth it if you want something that will last. All of the cleaning, cooking, and food prep tasks on your kitchen table can be done with ease knowing that you have such a durable surface.
Ryan Amato Painting completed a custom metallic epoxy floor for a client this week. After seeing our floor on our Instagram page Randy reached out to us and wanted a truly unique and one of a kind floor for their new living space.
After meeting with many other epoxy floor contractors and also considering doing the floor themselves they knew when speaking to us they wanted that deep 3d look only our floors can achieve.
There are a few reasons other contractors are not achieving this look but the most important one is their floors are being put down too thin, with epoxy the thickness and quality of materials is of the utmost importance for the look and longevity of your epoxy floor.
After preparing the floor, patching and holes and cracks, we primed the floor and then also applied a base coat of epoxy before adding any metallic epoxy.
Once we added the metallic colors (two ) we also added a unique application to infuse a third color giving the floor a deep, cloud like look.
They asked us to go crazy and do whatever we wanted to create a truly unique look and as you can see we delivered a floor they can show off for many, many years to come.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Painting kitchen cabinets and expecting touch-ups down the road
When your kitchen cabinets are outdated or old, but you are not willing to replace them, you should paint and update the cabinet. Paint can increase the beauty of anything; kitchen cabinets are no different .
You will find the kitchen more refreshing after the painting on the cabinets. It can be tough to paint cabinets as it requires a tremendous amount of skill to paint them, paint on the cabinets is the fastest way to provide a facelift to a kitchen.
However, it takes time but will indeed offer you satisfaction. Furthermore, cabinets in the kitchen get the everyday living's brunt. It is why a small amount of touch up paint on cabinets and rolling on a high end coating can increase the possibility of looking the cabinet new again.
This article will show you how to paint the kitchen cabinets and provide touch-ups to the cabinets.
Steps of painting kitchen cabinet
The kitchen is the heart of your home, but negligence in following any step may result in disaster for you. Take a long breath by following each step. The steps are here:
Wipe down empty cabinets with a degreaser and dry them.
Remove cabinet hardware and doors and make a map of the kitchen. Furthermore, label each part of the door by numbering each part.
Wipe your kitchen cabinet from the upper part to the lower leg.
Grab shop vac to remove any dust for finishing smoothly.
It would help if you went over your cabinets to make sure that all grit has been picked up.
Coat initially by primer will help the paint remain safe from chipping and peeling.
Paint the frame, shelves, drawers, and cabinets
Give 8 hours a coat to dry, then add another coat.
After finishing the painting, allow the paint to dry completely.
Reassemble the shelves, doors, and hardware after you match the locations.
Touch up cabinet paint
You could touch your kitchen's cabinet up if you had a small container or a can of paint when your cabinet was painted. If you sprayed them you may have some touch up issues
For wood cabinets, scratches, divots, and marks, a touch-up marker may blend into the rest of the paint. After doing all the work, you need to dry up the touch-ups.
You may use an alternative paint and can dab it to a partial area of the surface or your kitchen's cabinet. The process is being undertaken to hide nicks and serious gouges and alter the face of the decor of the kitchen altogether.
Conclusion
If you want to paint your kitchen cabinet, you need to follow its steps. Moreover, you can touch up the cabinets and downside easily and increase the kitchen's beauty. You would need to be creative, and you must understand the steps you need to take.
The cost of hiring an expert for painting kitchen cabinets is not inexpensive. That is the reason many people opt to paint cabinets by themselves by following the procedures. However the time and money saved by hiring a professional can outweigh the cost.
Interior painting when someone has asthma or allergies
Asthma and allergies should not stop you from enjoying a
fantastic interior. Unfortunately, whenever interior painting is planned,
allergies and asthma can be a nervous concern.
If you have an allergy or asthma, then the breathing might be
difficult. This factor makes it difficult to renovate your home, especially for
wall painting.
Furthermore, drab walls can be worse for those who are
victims of asthma or allergy. This article will brief you on what to do when
some have asthma or allergic reactions while painting?
Here are the adequate
steps you need to follow to cope with allergy and asthma issues.
Try to reduce dust
The presence of unprecedented dust can damage the lungs. It
also forces asthma patients to prepare themselves against low dust. You
need to allow fresh air to flow from the room where you are painting.
It will reduce irritant particles of dust that are floating
near your area. You can wear a mask to avoid dust, as it is an effective way of
taking precautions.
Choose paint carefully
After tackling the dust and protecting yourself from it, the
next step is to start painting.
You need to choose a paint color. Furthermore, you must look
for those paints that are known as friendly for asthmatic use Such as Sherwin Williams Harmony Or Benjamin Moore Natura
Some paints may contain a volatile organic compound, which
can be a trigger for asthma.
Once you acquire a certified paint, you don't need to be
nervous. That paint will not contain asthma-friendly particles, and it also
reduces the threat of asthma attacks.
What are we offering to protect
against asthma or allergy?
Cleaning sprays and paint are those products that contain
many chemical compounds. Many of them may cause different allergic reactions.
Meanwhile, if the presence of chemicals would below, then it
is unlikely to create problems.
We make sure that the paint is allergy and asthma friendly
·VOCs
We opt to paint using Zero voc paints when at all possible, it is safer for your family and our painters
·Paint performance
Paints must behave like paint. When you want to paint them,
they must stick properly to the wall. Dry time should be minimal, and it must
be easy to clean a level of strain.
There are well-known tests for all this stuff, and we are
happy to make sure that the paint product behaves like it supposes to be. It
will indeed satisfy you.
Final Verdict
In the modern era, where everything contains chemicals, the
paint product can also have harmful chemical compounds. Those chemicals can
make life difficult for asthma patients who tend to paint
their houses.
However, by taking certain precautions and steps, the chances
of asthma
and allergies can be overruled. That means if you pick the right
product of paint, you can protect yourself from being a victim of asthma.
We offer the best possible plans for the public willing to hire painters and buy the product. We hope you
will find this article worth reading.
