Ryan in American Painting Contractor Magazine

Ryan was featured along with some of the best in the painting industry in this months American Painting Contractor Magazine in a column named Personalities in Paint.

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It was highlighting the social media personalities in the painting industry. Ryan has always from the start put out as much information as he could to educate not only other contractors but potential clients. “It is better to know what to expect than to waste time” he says all the time.

By using his YouTube channel a few blogs and many other social media outlets we have been able to reduce the wasted hours spent on going out to estimates that just don’t go anywhere, saving clients time away from work or having to call other contractors because we just were or were not a good fit for each other.

I love you so much now get away from me

I love you so much now get away from me.

I have always loved watching people and when I say I love it, I will sit in the mall or at the store and watch people go in and out, have conversations and watch them interact with each other. I believe this is why I am usually a good judge of character and can see through the bs that some people live their lives with.

This is also, however, one reason I don't give a lot of my time to too many people, the salespeople, the time stealers, the people who just don't bring any value to a daily life, you know who these people are, we are all that person at one time or another. The salesperson who shows up unannounced or calls and says, can we meet for a bit? Anyone who knows me knows that won't fly and here are some of the rules that are not negotiable.

• If you call, leave a message and exactly what you want. If you just say call back you will be waiting a long time. Let me determine if it really needs a callback and if I am the one best fit to handle the issue
• Meetings, I hate them, I rarely do them and when we do they are quick and hopefully you get your point across quick or I will stop listening halfway through, it's best to send me all your thoughts and let me go through them on my time.

The cc

Don't cc me in with other peoples emails, they are in positions to handle their business, the cc is just an aggressive way to let someone know I sent this to your boss as well, I delete and block cc'rs

These may seem harsh but remember it's your life, don't let people steal your time, it's valuable

Back to people watching

Now back to people watching, being in business I get to see the best and worst in people and generally everyone is great and were honored to work for them and get to meet their families and we all become friends. Then there are the others who make you think "why did I go in business"  and you must be a horrible person and can do nothing right.

Those people are few and far between but anyone in business knows they can come at any given moment, you know the ones.

• The treat your staff horrible
• Find things to complain about that are not there
• Didn't take the time to read the agreement they signed
• Don't live up to the things they need to do on their end and blame you.

But what's most interesting about these people is for us about 75% still call us back for more work?

We make a list each year of these people who we just will not work for, it'snot worth the aggravation to our staff and painters to have to endure a week or more with them.

I am not referring by the way to projects that we make mistakes on, those things do happen, no one is perfect. Anyone who has worked with us even if they have a complaint will say they came back and corrected things.

Not just our business

• These people are not just in our business, I see someone upset and yelling in the CVS I go to almost anytime I go there, someone is always upset and sometimes just having to wait their turn.

• At the store in the morning, people get upset their food isn't ready in time or correct or someone pulls out in front of them or any other hundreds of things.

• Take a breath, it's not worth getting upset about, you cannot believe that person at CVS wakes up each day thinking "I can't wait to make people wait for half an hour and yell at me when they get up to the register"

So when you see me out and about most of the time I am watching everyone else, be nice to each other, be kind, respectful and helpful. It goes a long way.

The holidays are over let's paint

The holidays are over lets paint!

Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays is almost over it's time to think again on getting your home improvement projects done and painting is a great one to do over the winter

With today's paints, the time when you had to open the windows to keep from breathing in bad fumes is a thing of the past. There are many products now that are allergy and asthma friendly Natura for one from Benjamin Moore is odorless and zero voc as well. Remember just because it says zero voc does not mean it's odorless.

The winter is a great time to paint simply because that is where your spending most of your time at now, shouldn't it be the color and rich look that you want? In the summer you have so much to worry about outside. 

The interior painting process is a fairly simple one but can go wrong when the choices are simply left up to price, most of the time that saying "you get what you pay for" is true and painting and contractors are no different.

Everyone will come in and promise you the world, but its the company that follows through and delivers that leaves the lasting impression and that is what sets us apart, when you call someone should be able to answer the phone and address any concerns, the painters should be professional and courteous but know their jobs and how to do it. Guiding you through the process.

A company should have a great relationship with their paint vendors and trust the products they are using are truly awesome and ones they would use in their homes.

When you need a question answered they should most of the time have that answer, they should be accountable for any mistakes, they show up late they should have called or apologized.

Everyone makes mistakes and we are no different but owning those mistakes is where it's at.

So if you need an interior painting company that loves what they do and will do anything to make their clients happy give us  a call , we would love to come to take a look at your project

Choosing a professional to paint your kitchen cabinets

Why choose a professional to paint your kitchen cabinets?

Sure you may be able to paint your kitchen cabinets but I assume you don't have a $5000 sprayer we use to paint them? Or a few of them. Painting kitchen cabinets is about the proper surface preparation, choosing the correct materials throughout the entire process and knowing what to do when small issues arise or how to change products for different types of cabinets.

A professional cabinet painting company has done hundreds of cabinets and has seen issues and know how to avoid them and correct them if they pop up. They have the proper professional equipment to accomplish the finish we consider top of the line.

We are always testing new products, new primer, and finishes, new equipment to be able to offer the best finish in the area. Without keeping ahead of the industry and paints and coatings changing so frequently a paint company could be using outdated applications or worse yet products that are old and have been improved.

Trained Staff

We have written procedures so we can assure each set of cabinets is done in the same way so there are no surprises. Our painters and applicators take great pride in what they do, I have been told many times by them how they will be doing projects to make them the best looking cabinets in the Lehigh Valley. No corners would ever be cut with these guys and the results show in the before and after pictures and tons of happy clients.

If you have thought about painting your kitchen cabinets we can take all your worries out of this process, from the initial site visit to the day we arrive, you will be taking care of and your cabinets will be in the great and capable hands of our trained staff.

What could go wrong?

We have seen and gone back to jobs that other contractors were hired, not using the proper primer, not cleaning the cabinets, overspray all over the ceiling runs and drips in the finish are just some of the things we have seen. Once a job is ruined, it is very costly to come back and correct them. Sometimes as much or more than the original project.

Choosing Paint Colors Can Be Stressful

Choosing paint colors can be a stressful task

Choosing paint colors for some is fun and for others can be the most stressful thing to do with a home improvement project.

Choose the wrong color and it can ruin any great paint job.

With so many available colors today it can seem impossible to choose the perfect color, also lighting, the shade can dramatically also change the appearance of any color inside and out.

There is a reason there are professional color consultants to help make this decision easier.

But let's take this a step further

What if we can take pictures of your home or business and show you what the new possibilities are as far as color?

We now offer three free color renderings for our clients on most full repaint projects.

With the help of our great vendor Benjamin Moore we can take a picture of your exterior home or business and show you the different variations of what colors are possible.

Free Color Renderings

Along with a color consult and these color renderings, there is simply nothing to worry about when you're making that huge decision regarding the paint colors for your home.

Still can't decide after seeing three renderings? No problem we offer affordable packages of additional renderings.

Choosing the correct paint color

Choosing the perfect color for your room

With so many colors and brands available to today, this can be a very stressful situation when you decide to paint a room in your house. Not only choosing the correct color but one that will complement and coordinate with all of your other furnishings.

Another consideration is families who have an open space, one which you can see the others rooms while standing in the other. For these areas try to choose a color one or two shades up or down from the color your using in that room.

Benjamin Moore has a great color chart that I used in my home, any color compliments the other, this is the Affinity Color Chart you cannot go wrong here.

If your unsure a color consultant can certainly be a saving grace here, we use one ourselves, even though we paint every day, we bring a professional in to choose colors for our projects because they have the knowledge of the flow of the home, other considerations such as your curtain color and coordinating colors with furniture.

If you're concerned with colors, use a neutral color and add a splash to one wall, adding an accent wall can dramatically change the look of a room or highlight a painting, a televison or other focal wall.

If you're selling your home

If you're selling your home, many suggest using a white or off-white color, this will easily allow the buyer to add any of the colors they want without confusing their purchase with a lot of colors throughout the home

From the Diy Network 

A good rule of thumb is to remember the color wheel. We all learned about the primary colors in school - red, yellow and blue. These are on the color wheel at 12:00, 4:00 and 8:00 respectively. Combining any of these will give you a secondary color (i.e. purple, orange). Colors near each other on the color wheel such as blue and purple are analogous to each other and will allow one color to stand out more. Colors opposite each other on the color wheel such as green and red are complementary to one another and will nicely play off each other. Staying within the same shade of color (i.e. greens) will give you a subtle and soothing look. Painting with cool colors such as blues, greens and purples makes small rooms appear larger and more airy while colors such as reds, yellows and oranges will give a room a more vibrant appearance. You can vary the warmth even with a red or yellow by choosing muted shades of those colors such as pink, peach or a buttery yellow. Warm colors have cool ones as their complementary colors while cool colors have warm compliments. Shades are either pure or vibrant, muted (which are less intense than their vibrant counterparts) or shaded (the darker colors in the same color scheme). 

Don't stress it

Whatever you do, don't stress this choice, you can always repaint, put samples on the wall to see what the color really looks like in the space with your lighting.

This is a fun time, you will change the look and feel of your home, it's not the time to be stressed out or angry over paint. Take a deep breath, hire a pro and with us we bing our designer with most of our interior painting projects.

The Insider's Guide To Painting

The Insider's Guide To Painting Your Home

Painting your home whether you use a professional or do it yourself can be much easier with a few tips from the pros. The reason the pros are the pros is from the experience they gain from job to job.

Let's face it nothing is perfect on any job and they are all unique to themselves, one paint may not work the same on each project, one brush may not work with different paints so let's review some tips we have gained in our painting experience.

• Buy the best paint possible, here is one area not to "cheap out" when you purchase that $20 gallon of paint and think you saved money but now have to put three, four coats of paint on you have just wasted more of your own time you could have been spending with your family.
• Cheap paint also doesn't clean easily and can be easily marked, in some cases just by putting your finger on the wall. Expect to pay at least $45 a gallon
• Use a quality caulk when working on any trim such as baseboard, door and window trim. A less expensive caulk will shrink which will result in cracks and gaps. Expect to pay at least $5 a tube for a quality caulk
•  Put two coats on the wall. It just looks better, don't skip that second coat, your wall will thank you, it will be easier to clean, look more uniform and the color truer
• Buy quality roller covers and tape. If you listen to one tip this is it, a cheap roller cover may release fuzz on your brand new wall, take you longer to paint the wall and reduce the quality of the finish
• When working on hardwood floors put brown paper under the dropcloth closest to the wall your painting (you will thank me later) It will catch all the paint that will get by the dropcloth, remember do not tape anything to the hardwood floor, tape to the baseboard in case the finish of your floor is not stable. We have seen floor finishes come up with tape and it's not the fault of the tape.
• Roll out of a five-gallon bucket, it is so much easier than a pan on the floor. You will need a roller grid, a quality handle, sleeve and a poll that retracts and extends
• Sand the walls between coats, I can't stress this one enough, if your not a pro you may not see all the imperfections on your walls, simply use a sanding pole and sandpaper and sand the wall after your first coat. It will make your finish much better

These are just some of the tips we have learned over the years, by learning from experience and mistakes we can share some of this knowledge with you if you decide to paint your home yourself use them to make things easier, better and for a pro like job.

If you need help we are here to assist and give you a proposal for any of your painting needs

Why three estimates may be impossible to compare

Why three estimates may be impossible to compare.

Everyone always thinks getting estimates is doing the right thing and in some cases, it may be. But how can you as a homeowner with no construction experience know what you're looking at?

If three estimators show up I would almost guess you will get three different prices, if they cannot figure it out how can you?

The simple answer is you can't and measuring each company by the price they give is the number one issue. Comparing companies by the price they give is not telling the whole story.

There are so many things un said you need to know about and that is why we say we don't have competitors based off of that.

• Does the company offer a training program to the people doing the work?
• Do they have a company orientation program?
• Do they offer their employees any benefits at all?
• Are their employees really employees or subcontractors coming and going.
• Do they offer a career to their employees?
• Do they have the backing of their manufactures?

These are just a few of the things you should be looking for, anyone can throw out low prices or even high prices, the price alone tells you nothing at all on how that project will go.

Did they answer the phone and return calls in a timely fashion? If they don't do that now when they are trying to win your business how will that go once they have it?

Did they introduce you tot he foreman who will be doing your work? Do they have a supervisor at all?

These are all questions you should ask yourself when searching for a company to do any work in or around your home. You hear so many scary contractor stories and invariably someone didn't do their homework on the contractor. Not all contractors are bad at all. By doing a bit of work on your end and interviewing the estimator you can learn a lot about their company and how your project will be managed, because not only are you paying for a service you are paying for someone to manage it as well.

Why Painting Is Sexy

Why Painting Is Sexy

Painting and sexy, two words you may not think belong in the same sentence but they can certainly go together and we see it every day.

Sexy

1. 

provoking or intended to provoke sexual interest

a sexy dress

a sexy book

2. 

feeling sexual interest; aroused

3. 

interesting, exciting, or trendy

a sexy project

a sexy new car

In our business we deliver needs and wants, that could be a new color to a room or home that can totally change the look and feel of any space which in turn can change the energy and emotion of a person or family.

There is nothing like an excited client I meet on an estimate and I can almost feel the excitement in their energy, to deliver what they want and see the look on their face is an amazing feeling. I think you would find most painters also love this feeling.

So sexy doesn't  necessarily refer to "sex" it can be that same feeling we get as well as the client, to be able to do this day in and out is awesome and we don't take that for granted at all.

It's that same feeling when you buy a new car or order new furniture or buy that new dress or suit. People live for that feeling and painting can surely bring that same feeling and one that stays with you for a long time.

So the next time you think "sexy" remember painting can bring you that feeling and stay with you a long time

Welcome to our company

Welcome to our company

Here is a brief glimpse of my painting company through a typical week.

A lot more goes into painting your home than just showing up and throwing some paint on your walls.

From the initial call to the estimate to all the planning that goes into the project there is a great team of people involved in accomplishing a great paint job.

When I started my company my goal was to help people get their goal of painting their home in a professional manner but also within their budget while giving our great people an awesome place to work. So much goes into reaching that goal that is never seen. It is not an easy job, to say the least making everyone happy and some people that could never be happy no matter what you do. But after all the great clients, reviews and awards we have won it has been a success.

Of course, we get some clients that just are not happy or believe they had a bad experience and we try hard to not have that happen or rectify it, I guess they say you can't make an unhappy person happy no matter how hard we try.

Having Proper Expectations For Your Paint Job

Having the proper expectations for your painting project.

Having the proper expectations for anything in life is important and it is even more important with any construction and painting project.

Let's face it you have a vision in your mind on what the outcome of a project should look like and no two painting companies will do the same job. One may include more preparation of the surface than the other or they use different paints which can change the outcome of the job or one may use subcontractors and have little to no control over any of the outcome.

Apple To Apples

We always grimace when people say they are want to compare apples to apples because except for new commercial work that is impossible to do on any other project.

When you have three different estimates you have to be aware each company is inherently different in their makeup and policies of how a project will and should go.

3 Estimates And They Are All Different

We don't feel we can be compared to any other company, from a full training system to our leadership these un saids are hard to compare to other companies simply because they don't have them. That isn't bragging but we are well aware of how other companies operate and that is just fine for them. We like to make sure we can recreate the end result from project to project as much as we can.

When Comparing Estimates

When comparing paint companies estimates how can you be sure you're getting a fair comparison?

We like to say listen between the lines, ask how the project will go. If someone is available right away during the busy seasons that should be a red flag. Most sought after companies can be booked out 4 to 8 weeks or more and that should tell you it is usually worth waiting for.

The Usual

If you're looking for the usual show up and slap some paint on the walls and a rock-bottom price, we are probably not the company for you but if you're looking for an attentive staff, trained leadership and results you can count on we are that company. Remember things can go wrong and the mark of a great company is they are accountable, we all make mistakes and we are no different but our company practices extreme accountability and we hold everyone to it.

Our Goals

Our goal was always to offer great service at a fair price that is profitable for us and enables our painters to live a great life. This isn't top of the line perfect work as I don't know about you but is not realistic on most projects and would be cost prohibitive for everyone.

We give a quality repaint with normal preparation for the surfaces using good quality paints from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore. We don't offer the bottom dollar, slap it on and go paint jobs or high end cost prohibitive work. Doing it this way we focus on training our systems over and over and be able to service almost everyone.

Expectations

If your expecting the walls to be perfect and never said that you may be in for a surprise when a company does their normal prep of a surface. To make any surface perfect is costly and requires a skim coat of the entire wall.

Expecting each and every hole, crack, nail pop to be perfect is not realistic or standard in the painting industry.

What we like to say is stand in the middle of the room under the normal lighting of the room and what you can see is what will be fixed. To inspect up close with high levels of artificial light will not help anyone's paint job. 

Some will promise everything and the moon but being realistic will make for a great project.

Interior Painting Costs

Interior Painting Costs

With Fall here, the weather changing our painting work moves indoors and for someone who has never used a professional painting company before the unknown is always the price.

Pricing for interior painting can vary greatly from company to company and the promises you will hear about can seem all over the place. Not one company will come in and say "we are going to do an ok job" Each one will promise a quality job, everything is done right, top of the line products etc.

There are things beyond the price that may not seem important at the time when you're weighing cost but may cost you in the future.

A good company will have awesome employees, do you know who is coming into your home? We do as we background check each one. They will have written systems and training, companies who use subcontractors will never be able to train their subs or they would be employees, so the quality of their projects wavers from job to job. 

A written warranty, things do happen and when you need help will the other companies come out and take responsibility for them? If it is a paint issue do they have a great relationship with their vendors who can facilitate a solution on your behalf?

All these "unsaid" are where you should really be looking beyond the initial sticker price as we said all companies will promise the world or make unbelievable claims on the time it will take them to complete your work.

In the painting world fast is good for commercial painting not for your home. I wouldn't want the fastest doctor working on me, would you?

The same goes for painting, without the proper prep work, the proper dry time before the nest coats of paint you may have issues or void any manufacturer warranties.

So when looking at the cost, look beyond that first glance of the price tag, knowing the real cost of the project and the value you will receive from your painting company is most important.

 

Your price is too high, too low and just right?

Your price is too high, too low and just right?

We hear it all the time, your price is too high, we also hear your price was the lowest as well as it was right in the middle? How can this be?

The simple answer is we estimate everything, for the most part, the same way with the same prices and known production rates so what is the one difference on each project? The client is the unknown on each estimate.

Why the gap?

Everyone has their own idea of what something will cost, when you go to buy a car and look at a new BMW vs a used car from another lot, of course, there is a price difference. When you go to a fancy restaurant vs a Tgi Friday's you are aware there will be a price difference, it's expected.

But when you hire any contractor you expect all the pricing to come in around the same amount?

What's the difference?

Unless each contractor is on the estimate at the same time, using the same paint and has spoken to the same person on the site you will not have a chance of getting the same pricing from the contractors and even then it will all be different as each contractor runs their business a completely different way.

• One may use all subcontractors and gamble they won't get caught by the Irs misclassifying their painters
• One may have insurance but no workman's compensation
• One may not have a training program for their employees and just gambles each job goes well
• Do they treat their employees well? Are they happy? One secret in the painting industry is painters are migrants, they go from company to company once they burn their bridges from the other companies or anytime they can make an extra dollar. This is one reason we take recruiting very seriously and don't necessarily look for the 10,20-year experienced painters.

So what's the deal

What I am saying is we one price someone thinks seems high may actually below to someone else and it has nothing to do with how much money they have.

We hear all the time our cabinet refinishing prices are high, however, we are doing 5 cabinet projects a week and are always busy. Not every contractor is for every person, the same as not every store in the mall is for everyone, some may shop at WalMart and be thrilled and others prefer Macy's. That doesn't make you cheap or snobby at all.

It's also not a reason to get angry at the contractor, if a contractor is a low baller and that is their business model so be it, on the other hand, if they charge a price for what they give and it is loaded with value a price can be attached to that and it may seem high upfront.

here is a video we recently did on this subject.

A Kitchen Makeover

A kitchen makeover.

We hear it all the time when we finish a kitchen cabinet refinishing project. "It totally transformed our home"

It is something we love to hear also "we saved so much money" That savings comes from not having to install new cabinets.

Refinish don't replace

Refinishing a solid cabinet set is a great way to go, why rip them out only to put in the same or a lesser grade?

We did this project for a great client of ours in Easton, Pa

I could tell when I went out to the estimate this was an important project for them.

From timing to the materials and the color it was all equally important to them. I took all these notes down and once they approved the cost which was approx $2000 I set up the job folder and turned it over to our guys.

The job

The job starts way before we step foot on it, a kick-off meeting in the shop going over how we estimated it to the colors and what was expected from the client.

Once we do that a crew leader does a walk through before the job begins to make sure everything is as planned.

Once the project starts there are no surprises, we properly prepare the cabinets and I cannot stress that enough. With our team, they all know how a project will go as we have a very detailed written system.

We train this system all the time and no one can touch the cabinets until they pass the training.

The paint

Paint selections are key, now is not the time to skimp on costs, we have tested every paint we use in our shop to make sure it performs as expected out on the job.

I think you can tell from the pictures this job turned out awesome.

How much will it be to paint my kitchen cabinets?

How much will it be to paint my kitchen cabinets?

http://www.amatopainting.net

Painting kitchen cabinets are the rage right now but buyer beware not every painter can do this fine finish work. Contacting your typical three estimates will not be a great judge of what results you will get.

To professionally paint cabinets takes skill, training, and the best products that have been used on every project. At Amato Painting we are consistently doing at least 3-5 projects per week and have honed in our system, from a climate controlled spray area to the proper preparation and knowledge to adjust with the ever-changing job issues such as moisture, temperature, different cabinet types and finishes.

Anyone can paint?

Well some people do believe this and maybe with a wall or a bedroom I would try it, I would not let "anyone" touch my cabinets, would you let anyone paint your car?

We do hear sometimes that is too much but if you break the project down, it is always much cheaper than replacing or refacing if your buying quality cabinets, again I will say if your hiring someone to install high-quality cabinets you could never do it for the same price as painting them. You don't want to skip any steps when painting kitchen cabinets or you may face paint failure which is the peeling you may be worried about

The process

The process has been tested by us, the products we use are all tested in our shop before being used on a project. From the first day, we will cover all of the floors, and other areas.
The cabinets are typically cleaned and deglossed or lightly sanded just for adhesion of the paint coatings.
We will remove the drawers and doors and either paint them in place or bring them to our shop while someone else paints the outside of the boxes.
We paint only the exterior sides of the boxes, both sides of the doors and the exterior side of drawers.
We will remove the hardware and number the doors and drawers so they can go back in the same spot.
Some ask us if you can save any money by doing some of the prep but that is like asking of you can prep your car if you ever had it painted.
Once the cabinets are ready to paint we will typically spray everything with the required coating.
Once dry we will put everything else back together.
I would plan on painting your kitchen walls if you want to completely change the look of the room, we can do this much cheaper if we do it now than returning to do it another time.

You also have some options, do you want new hardware? If so we may need to patch the old holes or drill new holes.

Would you like a glaze on top to make them look older ? We can do that too

The price to paint cabinets

So what is the price? Typically we look at projects by the door openings and this price can vary between $100-140 per opening, this varies due to detail, current condition and any odd-shaped cabinets such as wine racks, glass front or other items. This includes a full cleaning, prep and full prime coat. The adequate dry time and following the specifications is important however remember your painters are the experts and they sometimes make adjustments onsite. 

No site visit

Normally we don't even need to visit the site to give a price, however, we will come out to make sure we meet once an agreement is made to make sure we are a good fit for each other and you have been told of the whole process and what to expect.
You can get your free no site proposal here  Cabinet Proposal

What to expect

Remember with any painted surface, your car, a deck or anything painted you can scratch it or damage the paint. The good thing about this is they are painted and can be touched up. They are not bullet proof as some people expect however are very durable in most cases

Planning ahead to make a great painting project

The fall is coming

The fall is coming, summer is ending, were closing the pools, kids are back in school and here comes the cold.

Another exterior painting season is winding down. the rush to paint your interior rooms before the family arrives for the holidays.

Being prepared can assure you of being able to select the correct painting company to do your work.  If you already have one you trust and use and they are any good most likely they have a backlog.

Scheduling can be tough when the holidays come around. Everyone wants to freshen up their homes. What could worse than seeing walls all scuffed up or dirt and dust all over the baseboards?

Plan your projects ahead

Planning ahead will take this worry ahead. A professional painting company can make this happen.

We all want a home to be proud of and a fresh coat of paint can make that happen.

Some things to keep in mind when you call a painting company.  Do they use their own employees or will a different crew show up to do your work?

Wouldn't it be great if the person you met also trained the painters that are coming over?

Call a good painting company

When you call a good quality painting company will have a backlog.  They most likely should not be available the next day.

A professional painting company should and will supply their own paint. You don't take your parts for your car to a mechanic, do you?

Planning ahead to get the best painting company.  Knowing what you want to be done and knowing what you expect to  is key to having a great project

Choosing the correct paint sheen

Paint Sheens Made Simple

There are a million and one paint colors but typically only five or so sheens (finishes)  to choose from each manufacturer. Although they may call them something different the sheen will determine the luster and washability.

Paint sheens range from flat to high gloss and can be used on many different surfaces and applications however there is typically a standard.

Selecting the ideal paint sheen has both practical and cosmetic considerations.

Meaning using a flat paint on most high use areas will not last very long and vice versa using a high gloss finish on a ceiling that tends to not be finished as perfectly when spackling a new home can result in highlighting imperfections you do not currently see, a sheen can also extend the life of a paint job in many cases.

Different Paint Sheens

• Flat has no shine, typically is used on ceilings or closets and in areas where you expect to touch up or on surfaces that are not perfect and you may want to hide imperfections.
• Matte Finishes are flat looking straight on but have an angular sheen and can be scrubbed in most cases. A great choice for interior walls.
• Eggshell has a soft appearance that resists dirt and can sometimes be washed, it should touch up but may not in some instances.
• Satin has a pearl like finish and is easy to clean but most likely will not touch up.
• Semi gloss has a shine and is typically used on trim such as baseboard, chair rail, doors and frames and is great when it comes to cleaning.
• High gloss is super shiny, easily washable but will be virtually impossible to touch up. We typically use this on front doors as a showpiece or on cabinets and even some accent walls. Your surface should be free of any imperfections as they will show.

Choosing The Right Sheen 

Choosing the right sheen doesn't have to be difficult, with proper planning and expectations and using a professional who can help with a consultation you can be assured to choose the correct sheen for your application

Benjamin Moore Scuff-X vs the competitor

Benjamin Moore Scuff-X vs the competitors pre cat epoxy

A head to head match up

It was a lazy afternoon in our office and as I was cleaning out a few things it popped through my head to show everyone else what we already knew about Scuff-X  in the office and some of our commercial clients know.

So I pulled out the competitors pre-cat epoxy water-based formula and grabbed a gallon of Scuff-X. For those who don't know Scuff-X is a single component paint that resists scuffs before they start.

Time to paint

I went over to a wall I had already primed and has two coats of flat paint on it and marked out the walls into two square sections and applied two coats to each square with each paint and let dry for hours.

Hiding and coverage

Once that was done I removed the tape and here is where the amazing results start. The first thing is the hiding and coverage of Scuff-X were clearly better than the pre cat, we use a lot of pre cat and trust me we know the coverage and hiding issues it has with most colors. I used the same roller cover for each a 4inch by half inch sleeve from MAB we had lying around the shop.

The Real Test

Here is where Scuff-X shines, I took a plastic spackle knife and ran it across each surface multiple times, there were NO marks on the Scuff-X, in fact, I damaged the drywall with marks and not the paint. The pre-cat side was a mess, marks all over. I then took my sneaker which if you have kids at home or in a mudroom know these create a million marks. I ran it across each side and again the pre-cat failed miserably. I was lucky enough to use this when it first came out in my basement stairwell as a test before we used it on any clients projects and we have ZERO marks.

Impressive

If you have a commercial or high use area such as a doctors office, waiting room, gym or any other space I highly recommend this product, it will certainly save on repainting costs down the road.

here is the actual video from these tests

Use a professional decorator to choose your colors

We all know choosing the colors for your painting project can be very stressful, frustrating and a scary ordeal especially if you’re dealing with an open space. Yes, you can try to use the paint store but guess what, typically that person is not trained or experienced enough to know all the in’s and out’s of color. They can sell you paint and maybe be able to pick a few colors for you.

We want only the best for our clients and trust me you don’t want myself or the painters choosing your colors, so we partnered with Jamie from FD design co who is a professional interior decorator and can assist in the color selection.

She also offers additional paid services such as home staging, commercial and residential interior design,e-                                                           design and more.

Interior decorating and color consults

Interior decorating is a true skill and to know what colors, sheens and more can be used or not used takes great skill, a fine eye for detail and to see things before they will be done. If you need a painting contractor who can help you every step of the way please give us a call at 484-821-7112 or schedule online here

How much will it be to paint my foyer?

How much will it be to paint my foyer?

We have painted more foyers than I can remember, the reason for that is they are typically high and dangerous for the typical homeowner to tackle, the heights present a few challenges when working with paints.

• Lap marks from rolling from high to low where the paint meets in the middle, once the paint is dry you will see a band in the middle of the wall
• Working on the stairs, how to properly use a ladder near and on your steps
• Time, we just only have so much time in the day, do you really want to spend it painting when you can be enjoying your family or doing what you do best to earn your living?

Heights of foyers

So your typical foyer we see is usually about 18-20 ft high, the stairwell is right in front of you when you walk into the front door and it may or may not be an open space crossing right into the living room.

For this instance we are speaking of one that is not open, it has a small hallway at the top, a bathroom at the bottom hall and a closet.

So what do you want to be painted?

Here is where your choices begin, let's assume your foyer is about 20x10

This means your ceiling is 200 square feet, not that much but remember it's now 20 ft in the air and will require ladders and possibly scaffolding so the price goes up a bit, typically that ceiling using a good quality paint from Benjamin Moore like Ultraspec will cost you about $225-$275 

You will want to use a flat paint generally on a ceiling to hide any imperfections, remember when they are building a home the ceiling is not a focus for the finishers and you can have some uneven sheetrock or spackle work.

Paint The Walls

Now to paint your walls remember we are measuring the wall sq ft, not the floor so we have 1200 sq ft, not 200, so to do our general spackling of most (not all) dings and dents, nail holes) spot prime with an interior primer and apply two coats of a good quality paint such as Benjamin Moore Regal we would be charging about $1100

The Trim

Do you want the trim done? That would include any baseboard, spindles perhaps, the interior side of the front door and any other doors in that area. Typically in a room this size you can add another $400 to apply two coats of paint.

Remember these prices can vary and your foyer may be higher or lower but to have an idea of what it may cost is a great thing.

Using professional painters

These costs are using professional painters, who are employed by us, are trained by us and work to support their families.

Painting A Medical Facility

Painting A Medical Facility.

Painting a medical facility takes a trained and professional staff as you will surely have challenges unlike other commercial painting work  such as:

• Using Products around people who are sick, low to zero voc products
• Wet paint around a very busy facility and many people
• Safety issues and tight workspaces
• Being considerate of your surroundings, being quiet, not disrupting the work of the staff
• Guiding patients to the correct areas and helping when needed
• The work surely will be phased, have you properly estimated it for these delays?

Medical painting and facility painting can be great.

It also can be disastrous if your staff is not trained as a company, are they professional and do they know that some matters will take priority over the painting work and can come at any moment?

It can be frustrating if you're not prepared for these types of delays but with the proper planning and the training of your staff, these types of projects can be very rewarding. Knowing your working in a clean area with special paints that will help keep the walls germ free goes a long way in taking pride in your work, it goes one step further knowing your also helping out a team of doctors, nurses and staff in the hospitals or clinics.

Amato Painting does countless commercial painting projects.

The hospitals, clinics, and rehab centers are one of our specialties and we have worked for some of the areas largest facilities down to small clinics. Some of this work is done at night but keep in mind most of the facilities are still running so it takes a highly trained staff of painters to accomplish these projects. Throwing subcontractors or unskilled "painters" into projects like this is a recipe for disaster.

Some types of things painting can do for your facility 

• Anti-scuff paint for high traffic areas
• Clean rooms and germ-free walls
• Color coordinating hallways
• Protection of surfaces from rust, mildew, and mold
• Patient and employee morale using certain colors
• Protection from water damage for exterior surfaces
• Staying up to date on inspections

If you need a consultation on what a professional company can offer your facility please schedule online at www.ryanamatopainting.com

How to get the best price when painting your home

How to get the best price when painting your home.

When you decide to have your home painted whether it's the interior or exterior you have a few things to do to make sure you get the best price for your project.

Remember you can always get a lower price, that is not the goal here, you want to find the best value for the price, the lowest price may actually be the highest when all is said and done.

How can that be you ask? It's simple, you have three prices to paint your bedroom, let's say $500,$600 and $800

Of course, the $500 is tempting, you only have so much money allocated, they seem fine and anyone can paint, right?

The painting estimate

• But they want you to supply the paint, so you have to take time, run to the store, get the paint. If you don't order enough guess who is running back out for more paint? And hopefully, they don't charge you for the wasted time.
• The will not help with color selections at all, so you have more work to do.
• Maybe they used a lower grade of paint, which means it will not last as long, clean up well and you will be forced to repaint in another year (ADDED COSTS)
• They use subcontractors who are not trained by the same company, you may get a good paint crew and you may not, it's a gamble. 
• They may not be insured and the subcontractor also may not be insured making things very sketchy should an injury happen.
• If something happens who will come back and touch up? Wil they come back at all?
• Is the communication good throughout the process? 
• Is their relationship with the paint manufacturer a good one? Support from Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams surely helps any project should an issue arise.

 What painting actually costs

So that $500 estimate could actually cost you double or triple a year or two down the road by having to repaint the work again or worse yet an accident and your insurance will cost with a deductible.

The lowest price is usually that for a reason, not in every case but the majority of the time. Saving money is great however when it will cost you more, in the long run, you have to be very diligent and think about the goals of the project.

Here are some tips to get a great price when painting your home.

• Develop a relationship with your painting contractor, when you have projects pop up you will have a go-to company and with that usually comes perks such as free upgrades of paint, an extra here and there and knowing who is around your home.
• Know exactly what you want to be done and clearly explain that to your estimator
• Make sure what you said you want to be done is clearly listed in the proposal, many companies will do a completely different job than the one you wanted using cheap paints and materials or untrained labor.

With our company, we offer a free color consultation with a decorator, touch ups once per year and a highly skilled staff of employees

Interior painting and why it's so awesome

Interior painting is awesome

Yes, I said painting is awesome, especially interior painting, being in someones home on an estimate is where it starts, getting to listen to their hopes, dreams, and expectations and usually getting to sit down and take a look at colors and ideas.

This is what I love and where I am most involved, many people do say to stop doing the estimates personally and eventually I will have to but for now, I enjoy the days out and getting to meet most of the people. Yes I sometimes come across some I would rather just forget about, not everyone can be as nice as most of our clients.

Once we are given a project is where the work starts, from gathering tools and the paint itself, to going over the plan with their crew leader, to the crew leader making a visit to the home to make sure my plan or Kyle's plan is a good one or do we need to tweak it a bit.

Once that visit is done the fun begins, getting to change a home drastically and immediately by adding color is an awesome feeling. I know for a fact if you ask our painters why they like to paint most will say they get to step back after the job and see what they did and see the smiles on the customer's faces.

There aren't many other trades such as painting where you can almost instant gratification, in less than a week and in some cases a day you can change the look and feel of your home. Not to mention it is the number one investment to add value to your home for the lowest cost.

Our painting customers are the best

Meeting all the great people from doctors to mechanics to office workers and mom's and dad's and their children is always fun and most people are so accommodating we can never forget them. I see people out all the time we have done work for and get to know them and their families.

Yes, we do get some people that would turn anyone's smile upside down, but most likely they are not happy anywhere in their life so these people are few and far between, out other clients are the ones we remember and develop relationships with. Here's to a great fall painting season