It's Exterior Painting Season

It is that time of the year again, the flowers are coming up, trees blooming, allergies are back but the best time of the year is exterior painting season is upon us.

There are a few things to deal with this time of the year, weather is the biggest concern as temperatures will greatly fluctuate as well as the humidity and rain. Managing all of these things takes patience and experience on your part and your contractors. 
You will need to understand some days it may be impossible to put a paint coating on due to humidity or rain on the way. Your contractor will (should ) have vast knowledge and experience dealing with these issues and have his or her tricks of the trade ready to go when things arise.

Weather

Weather plays a very important part of every exterior project, we do not want it to rain on the paint coating we are putting on for a few reasons. One we "may" have to do it again, rain can cause marking on an uncured paint coating , that is the moisture being mixed into the coating, not the end of the world just added time and expense.
Number two is we certainly do not want our surfaces taking on even more moisture then it needs to. Moisture is a big cause of paint failures, have your contractor do some moisture testing around your home if you have bare wood or decks your about to paint or stain. However be prepared for the bad news you may not be able to have your project done right now.

The Schedule

It never fails, we all wait until the last minute to plan our projects around the home and then expect contractors are standing by to tackle these and have no other work to do or an unlimited amount of painters to do these projects.

You snooze you lose

You snooze you lose is never more true when you need something done, you haven't planned ahead and all the good contractors are booked solid. Repeat A GOOD CONTRACTOR SHOULD BE BOOKED

I would tread lightly when someone is available right away unless they perhaps had a cancellation or surprise opening, it should not be out the question that a qualified contractor is booked out 4,8,12 weeks or more. It is not worth it to me to get someone to do it now who may not be the most qualified of contractors.

Plan Ahead In The Winter

The winter months are the best times to plan and schedule your exterior work, contractors are usually more than happy to get you competitive pricing and know the schedule a bit better at this time before the chaos of the busy Spring and Summer months hit. It is not uncommon to see specials, discounts and deals at this time.

If you need exterior painting please reach out to us at 484-821-7112 or email bidrequests@ryanamatopaintingllc.com

Exterior Painting Expectations

Exterior Painting Expectations

Deciding to paint the exterior of your home is something most everyone has to do at some point.

Even if you have vinyl or aluminum siding, wood or other there will be a time you need to paint that dull or faded siding.

Expectations are the most important thing you need to express to the estimator who comes out to your home. Not every painting company will prepare and paint your home the same way just as each restaurant you go to doesn't prepare your food the same way.

There is a level of service for every different person and budget. To expect that to be the same from the company top company can be ripe for disappointment.

First things first preparation of the surface

Here is an important area for any paint job, with aluminum siding or vinyl siding there isn't too much for confusion, make sure it is cleaned, any damaged pieces should be replaced by a siding contractor and then properly paint it. 

What about wood 

Here is where differences will come into play.

In our area, we have a mix of new and older homes that have been painted countless times already.

Without contracting with your painter to completely strip your surfaces it will not be completely smooth like new if you have many old layers of peeling paint. We believe this is the number one area of confusion with exterior painting

Preservation

We use the preservation method of preparation of the surface. This would include scraping loose paint, not removing old layers that are sound, caulking gaps and voids where needed and typically overlaying the caulk. Spot priming any bare wood and lightly sanding (feather sanding) the surfaces.

You will still see the old layers of paint however you will have a protected sound surface that will last for years. This is acceptable for 9 out of 10 people but if they are expecting a stripped smooth surface you will be disappointed. The issue is, that type of service is expensive and not many people would want to go that costly route but do want those results. It's comparable to having the budget for a used car but expecting a brand new BMW.

Restoration

Restoration is the total restoring of a surface, we do not offer this service personally. It is costly because it takes a long time, very expensive labor and top of the line materials usually matching historical trim pieces. Not many people would go this route but some do expect it.

Be At the Estimate

It sounds simple but to avoid any missed expectations, be at the estimate and have a real conversation with the estimator. You would not believe how many people call for an estimate and either will not be home or not walk around the home with me. Those jobs have a 50/50 shot of going bad in one way or the other. Be at the estimate and take the time to walk around the home, point out areas that are concerning to you, remember it's your home and you know it's in and outs. An estimator is only there for maybe an hour. The more you can tell us, the better so we can prescribe the correct paint job and meet or exceed your expectations.

If you would like a free no-hassle consultation please call us at 484-821-7112 www.ryanamatopainting.com

Why paint your kitchen cabinets?

Why paint your kitchen cabinets?

Why is kitchen cabinet painting so hot and in right now? 

The easy answer is it saves so much money vs replacing or refacing and you can get a tremendous transformation of your kitchen in way less time then replacing or refacing your kitchen cabinets.

There is no way to replace your kitchen cabinets with quality ones for the same or even near the same price as painting them.

You can get a great job that will stand up over time by having a professional do them the right way.

This includes preparing them correctly, using the right paints and coatings and simply doing the right thing.

Painters can lie

Unfortunately doing the right thing and the painting industry does not always go hand in hand. It is easy and affordable for someone to go out and but a ladder and a few brushes and say they are in business.

Let's start a business

It is simply not that easy and professional companies know this, that is why it is laughable when customers will try to compare estimates from many different painting companies while some are barely companies. You may be able to get away with this painting a wall but certainly not with kitchen cabinets.

The process is straight forward but it is when something goes wrong that professional painter with all their experience can save the day, they can adjust and be the superhero of your job.

Painting can be easy but it can also be hard and confusing. 

Years of experience is where a true professional painter shines. That does come with a cost, a fair cost. To simply compare estimates based on price does away with all those years of training, working and the experience gained.

So what will you do?

Will you simply take the lowest price and cross your fingers and hope for the best or be assured your project will come out correctly? It's your choice.

How To get The Perfect Painting Estimate

How To Get The Perfect Painting Estimate

When you think about painting your home or business, the first thing you need is a painter to call.

You ask around or you may Google search or look on social media to find the perfect one.

Once you make your call and a few call you back you make an appointment and that's it.

But in reality, this is the start of a little bit of work you should do to be prepared
for your estimate as a client.

Be Prepared

The painter and estimator also have their work cut out for them, you cannot just show up.
You must be prepared and also prepare your client for this estimate.

Sending information out before the estimate prepares the client for the perfect estimate.

By answering questions before arrival,  you avoid any confusion, while showing
you're an expert.

What questions are asked? Answer them in an email, blog or video

As a client, you must know what you want to have done and be able to
either express it on the estimate or have it written down. 

Not expressing your expectations to the estimator is problem number one
that can come back to bite you. 

Whenever we have an issue on a project is typically comes down to
missed expectations that were never expressed to the estimator.

No Two Are Alike

Do not assume each painting company is going to offer the
same level of service or the same quality.

Do not assume you're receiving the top of the line level of work if it
was not discussed or paid for.

Let me say that again, you cannot expect to receive a new BMW when
your paying for a used car with 200,000 miles on it. 

A budget should be discussed, no one wants to talk about money but why?
It's the perfect time to discuss a budget, you can both agree on what will be done
and not done and how much it will cost.

Once you have met, discussed the budget and expectations of the project,
the best time to make a commitment is now.

Do It Now

It makes no sense to not take care of this now, especially if you have
pre-planned and know how much you can afford.
You do not want to be pressured however and this goes back to be comfortable
with your estimator.

Discuss the price openly, it is not a bad thing to discuss pricing at all,
if you can’t discuss pricing with the person you want to hire, maybe it isn't the
right person to hire?

Once your budget is discussed and the price is agreed upon making
sure everything you discussed is written in the proposal.

This is important for us because our painters get a copy of that wording
and this is what they will do on a project, no more or less, again you want this
to be clear now, not when you have painting happening inside your home.

Once everything looks great, sign the proposal and a copy is typically emailed right over
to you,
now you are set to go on to the next step which is scheduling.
We will review that is another video

Be present on your painting estimate

Be present on your painting estimate

Being present is much more than simply being there, you know you can be physically there but miles away in your mind.

When you call any company to come out and give you an estimate all the want is to be able to give you an accurate cost and possibly do the work for you. 

By not taking this seriously you are wasting their time but more importantly what happens if you actually give them the project to do and you never reviewed all the information with them? You're setting the project up for missed expectations and possible failure.

I cannot tell you how many times I go look at a huge painting project and get little to no information from the client. It makes it hard to give an actually detailed estimate, there are always many follow up questions that could have been avoided on-site and the work order the painters follow is one we made up with this little info given.

This can all be avoided

All of this can be avoided simply by putting your phone down and devoting the 15-30 minutes it takes to do YOUR estimate. Speaking about all the details and reviewing the project onsite.

Remember not every company does things the exact same way.

Here is a video I did on this exact topic

Your price is too high to paint my home ?

Your price is too high to paint my home?

We occasionally hear this when we receive feedback from the estimate that we do and we always caution the price comparison. 

Deciding on price alone monetizes your contractor and makes them nothing more than a number to be beaten by ANY other low number that comes in.

Disregarding their experience from past jobs which enables them to make field adjustments on your projects can be a recipe for disaster.

What happens if something goes wrong on a project or your project, yes it's true many people can paint but a craftsman or woman will know what to do when things change, someone just painting will have no idea how to adjust onsite. 

Will they know the roper dew point to paint? Or the recoat times or adhesion issues? Ho about the proper primer that really will work and perform, not just the one the paint store tells you to use. 

It's your risk

It's your choice and your risk when selecting that low price, sure you may luck out and get a nice job, but what happens if something goes wrong and you have a warranty claim? Will they back it?

What about when you have questions and there is no one to answer them for you?

What about when you ay them but there is still work left, will they show up? Or will they be worried about the next job that has more money in it for them?

Not all low prices are bad

It's true not all low prices are bad but how can you tell?

Paying a fair price to a legitimate company helps pay for their expenses and overhead, it allows them to pay a fair hourly wage that supports their families, it keeps money in the community.

Paying that to any low ball painter that comes along is not a great idea, you drive down the prices companies can get and lower the ultimate quality of all jobs in the area.

We know that is hard to think about when selecting a contractor, but it's true

Just ayign cash to someone does nothing for the area, nothing is being paid into taxes that are used locally to support many great things.

Should you want a fair price and need an estimate please contact us here

Top ways to get a good painting estimate

The top ways for you to get a good paint estimate

You have decided it's time to paint inside your home, maybe it's a few bedrooms or possibly the trim or maybe your just going to paint your entire interior. 

So now what?

You will find out quickly when you start calling around, many companies will either not call back or it will take a few days if they call back at all. Once your lucky enough to get someone either pick up the phone or call you back now your issue will be them showing up at all. 

One of the comments I receive all the time is "wow you showed up on time just like you said" Sounds crazy right? People are in business but won't call back or show up.

If your lucky enough to have someone show up now the issue is they won't be honest and tell you they are not either interested in your project or capable of doing it, so they will never send a proposal over or price it very high so you never call them.

So this is why it is very important on your end to be prepared when your ready to call a painting company or any trade for that matter. Here are some things you should be prepared with.

1. Know your budget and don't be afraid to share it, when asked. A good company can generally work within any budget but without having an idea of what it may be you may receive prices all over the place. With painting there are varying levels of quality, no two companies will paint a residential project the same. 
2. Know exactly what you want to be done, are all the ceilings being done or can they be left out to help reduce costs? Is the trim being done? Again by not having all these details, your pricing will be all over the place and you may be surprised with the end result
3. What is important to you? Is quality most important or is the cost? You typically will not be able to get a low priced job with top quality work but if you're real about your expectations and budget missed expectations can be avoided
4. Be at the estimate, the person who will interact and "judge" the work should be the person at the estimate. I can't tell you how many times people don't take this seriously and leave a parent or babysitter home to show the work or even the other spouse who when the job starts isn't the person judging the work, another area where you will have missed expectations
5. Be realistic, it will rain, people will call off or be sick, other things will come up. Every company does it's best to make sure everyone works each day all year long but we will all be disappointed with workers who are not responsible, all anyone can do is make it right and move forward. Remember things can always be worse, have patience and understand everyone has a story and things going on in their life.

There are no apples to apples

When you say you want to compare apples to apples what you're really implying is every company does the exact same thing, the same quality, the same training and the only thing separating them is the rice they are about to give you.

Let me let you in on a little secret, you could put 5 painting estimators in a room, using the same paint, same application and you will get 5 different prices, don't assume each company knows what they are doing and certainly you cannot compare this with price alone.

Don't forget about the things not said, communication, the extra value they bring, will they be around if you need something down the road? Or once they are paid are they gone and forgot your name. Trust me I am involved heavily in the painting industry and there are some very questionable workers and companies out there, just as there are some great people and companies out there, but if a bunch of estimators cannot agre on a price what makes you think you're qualified enough to be able to compare them?

Things may still go wrong

Even after all of this, you may have some things go wrong, they may spill paint, or have drips or not prep as you think they should or the color may be wrong. The mark of a good company is just to correct these things if it was their fault. There is no need to yell and scream, no one wants to work for anyone like that, the painters end up trying gto go faster to get out of there, the client is upset and the office is tired of those "phone calls" Remember it's a team effort that includes the painters, the office and the client. Everyone must be on the same page for a successful project

Ryan Amato

www.ryanamatopainting.com

484-821-7112

Painting in cold weather

When is it time to stop painting in the Lehigh Valley?

The Fall is on the way and that means leaves changing colors and falling, Halloween, Thanksgiving and yes cold weather.

We are asked each year when is it too cold to paint and that is a great question and it depends on a few different things.

Typically in years past you would need to stop painting around 50 degrees which really limits the season in the Lehigh Valley to paint exteriors but with the new paint formulations Sherwin Williams has many pints that can be used down to 34 degrees. This means we can extend the exterior painting season possibly months ahead. We actually painted well after Christmas a few years ago.

We do have to remember a few things, when we say the temperature needs to be 35 degrees we are referring to the surface temperature of the material you are attempting to paint. So if that is metal such as aluminum siding the surface temperature may be a lot lower thence  the air temps. 

We use the information from the local weather channels and temperature and surface temperature gauges. This is very important to know, you may be able to push it a few degrees but much more than that and you could risk paint failures such as peeling, flaking, discoloration and more. Plus you would void your manufactures warranty from any of the manufacturers and trust me they will go back and look at the dates and local weather reports.

So what happens in the Fall is there is no guarantee an exterior painting project can be done, so we typically tentatively schedule these projects with the risk it may need to be done in the next Spring.

For instance we had approximately 10 projects push into 2019 from last Fall, although they are the first projects to be done it still takes time to go through those jobs, not every person can be the first job.

The Fall can be a great time to paint and do exterior projects, you don’t have the direct sun to contend with much or as much rain as we see in July and August, it’s cooler so we have longer work days as we are not contending with higher temperatures and the paint doesn’t instantly dry which makes it easier for the painters .

Most painting companies will be very experienced dealing with the weather and there is no need to micromanage this or delay the project because of a few degrees here and there and can actually add additional costs because of delays. Trust who you hire and remember in most cases they have been doing this a long time.

How to properly prepare your concrete for epoxy

Proper preparation of your concrete for an epoxy coating

Properly preparing your concrete floor for epoxy is serious business, without doing this step absolutely perfect you may have coating failures such as peeling, hot tire pickup or a ruined floor.

This step is not one for the average house painter, it takes a lot of training, knowing and using the products on many projects. Sometimes you have to make quick changes on a job site to deal with surface conditions, access or the unexpected. Without having come across these before there isn't much that can help you.

Typically a diamond grinding or acid etching is needed. These are two totally different processes and each has their up and downsides.

Grinding a surface can be dusty even with the best of equipment, leading to dangerous silica thrown into the air as well as much more cleanup.
Acid etching can simply be dangerous from the fumes and the burns that can occur.

the goal of each is the same, rough up the surface for the coating to adhere to it better.

In recent years even special primers may be used in lieu of these two preparatory processes. Special primers for hard to bond surfaces can and have been used successfully, they are not inexpensive but in comparison to the other ways,they are similar in cost.

We have seen too many times homeowners and contractors take the chance by not prepping the surface due to either cost or laziness and it always ends the same, we come in and see sheets of epoxy that can be just pulled off of the floor.

Taking the time to properly prepare your floor will actually cost less in the future because you will be eliminating the repeated prep or removal of the failed coatings because once it starts to fail it needs to be removed before applying another system on it in many cases.

Once you take the time to do this concrete work and prep you can be assured your epoxy has the correct surface to be applied to and will last for years to come.

Epoxy Floor Solutions

From the early stages of the installation process to the long-term maintenance needs, Epoxy floor coating offers a number of benefits and advantages for the Commercial property owner. It’s important to mention that the application process must be completed by a team that has been factory trained and certified by the manufacturer of the product so that the installation process will run smoothly and go off without a hitch. When applied correctly by a seasoned team, the Epoxy floor coating service is fast allowing a company team to get back to business in a timely manner. Even the dirtiest, oldest concrete floors can be transformed quickly into beautiful, sophisticated looking surfaces both durable and easy to clean as they are resistant to germs, bacteria and mold. When applying the coating, a variety of colors can be used to create patterns and a unique high-gloss finish. Contrasting colors can be used as well to create safety zones, forklift traffic zones, even the company logo.

Epoxy floor coating not only provides a hard wearing and long lasting surface, but it is also resistant to just about everything — oil, gasoline, chemicals, scratching and chipping, heat and impact which truly make epoxy coatings the ideal flooring solution for warehouses, industrial plants, health care facilities, food distribution, manufacturing, and many more. In addition to these benefits, epoxy floors are cost effective, environmentally friendly and have the ability to increablob:https://www.blogger.com/13fd44e1-0b5d-422d-aa73-4ed8f501b190se productivity by enhancing visibility, reducing wear and tear on transport vehicles and allowing for timely material movement.

At Amato Painting, LLC., we take great pride in having a crew of highly trained experts who are professional, manage their time effectively, and provide top quality craftsmanship. If Epoxy Flooring sounds like a flooring solution for your company, please do not hesitate to reach out to us for an estimate. (484) 821-7112 or email bidrequests@ryanamatopaintingllc.com

Garage Epoxy Floor

Garage Epoxy Floor Process

Everyone wants a nice garage for their cars, tools or a place to play. We all rush out to buy those kits you see in the box stores with great anticipation and hopes, do everything right it says to do on the box only to find a few months later it might peel up.

Concrete floors and garage floors are one of the toughest substrates to paint and the reason is the unforeseen conditions under and the abuse it takes on top of the floor. We may not know there is a moisture issue under the floor or water pressure pushing up, we cannot control the movement of the home, no epoxy or paint can withstand that and not to mention the hot tires pulling in and out each day.

Knowing these things can happen and the floor is not impenetrable to any of these things happening are called expectations, as long as you know what to expect and understand things can happen you will have a successful project and a floor that should last. Yes, you may have to do it again, yes it may need maintenance and cleaning or another coat added. These are things to expect.

The start of any good floor job is cleaning the floor of grease and dirt, you will need a degreaser or emulsifier to remove the grease from the concrete, if you do not clean the floor properly or before prep you could push the grease even further into the concrete which will speed up any paint failures.

After cleaning we need to get the surface ready for the coating. This could be by chemically (acid etch) or mechanically (diamond grind) depending on the coating your using and condition of the floor that will tell you which manner will work best. 

Now the floor is ready for coating and hopefully we have decided to use a professional company to do this or at least are using a higher end product. The epoxy has very clear directions on mixing, sweat in times and or time to get it on the floor as well as the number of coats and thickness it needs to be applied.

Make sure to follow these specifications to the letter or again you could end up with a failure of the coating. 

Now you have a choice, are you adding decorative flakes or an anti-skid additive into the epoxy? Now is the time to do it, this will all be subjective on who is putting the flakes down, you can get different looks from different applicators, you can also choose a sparse flake or cover the entire floor solid with flakes.

Once you have your flakes down, the next day is the time to add your protective clear coat, we like to use top of the line products here as this is the coating protecting the top side of your floor.

If you follow all the directions, use good products and have the proper expectations you can have a great epoxy floor too.

Top Tips When Painting Your Exterior

Top Tips When Painting Your Exterior

It feels like Spring and everyone gets excited to take a look outside and see what they need to do after a long winter

One of those things and a very important one is painting, painting not only makes your home look awesome it also protects the surfaces from the weather and moisture.

Without protecting your deck, siding or metal surfaces they can fall to any of the moisture they encounter each day.

What paint to use?

Do not cheap out here, good paint is not inexpensive but having to go back and correct things because you chose a cheap paint is, spend the extra money on a good quality 100% acrylic exterior paint from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore 

What color to choose?

Watch the deeper colors, they tend to fade quicker, although they look awesome fading is a characteristic of the color and paint, again a better quality paint will not fade as quick

Do I need to prime the siding?

We are asked this all the time, a good quality 100% acrylic paint does not need a primer on a clean, sound and dull surface, bare wood we want to use a good oil based primer

Why power wash before painting?

Power washing is just a quicker means of cleaning the surfaces before painting, we caution not to use high pressure and you should stop your contractor from using any high pressure on your home, a professional contractor will be using a soft wash system which allows for a much lower psi than a normal pressure washer that can and will damage your home.

Know who your hiring

This is key, you should meet and speak with anyone your hiring and feel comfortable with them if you don't feel comfortable now before the project starts how do you think you will feel when the painting begins or an issue comes up?

Painting doesn't have to be hard but not choosing the correct paint or painter can make your project become a nightmare.

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

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.

You want the exterior home painted now what?

You want the exterior of your home painted so now what?

Click here for a free consultation

Painting the exterior of your home can be a tough decision as let's face it you have no idea what this may cost.

It may be hundreds, thousands or more and that wonder sometimes can be stressful.

When you decide you need this done it may be for a few different reasons.

• Protection of wood from rot or further rot
• Protection from the suns uv rays which fade surfaces
• Your selling your home and you want to increase the value
• Purely cosmetic and you want to have the best looking home on the block
• The city or township demanded it (codes)

So you can see there are many different reasons or wants to have this done and each has its own set of needs and priorities. If your needing to do it or codes you want it done as fast as possible and usually at a more affordable price as it was unexpected. So maybe you don't put multiple coats on or the prep is not the same as some of the other reason. 

With so many different reasons to have something painted, beautification, safety, and protection there is always a way to tailor your budget to match the job and budget. This is one reason it is so hard to have multiple painting companies come out when you're looking at the price only. They will all estimate it a different way, there are no apples to apples and if you believe you can look at three professional estimates the same when the painting companies can't figure out how to even bid it the same you may have a rough project or just add even more confusion onto an already difficult decision.

You should first know exactly what you would like to have done, what do you expect on that old peeling wood trim and how your expectations will directly affect the cost up or down. A good estimator should be listening to you and not talking the whole time. Their estimate should be tailored to your project, not the companies work tailored to your home.

You want to choose a company that will take the stress away from you, review the process and materials and has a direct written plan on how they will tackle it and then a driven agenda to deliver the result you both agreed upon.

Issues will arise when there is a disconnect between homeowner and estimator and then the transfer from estimator to the painters. Everyone needs to be aware of and agree on the plan before work is to begin. Nothing is worse than a project starting and then the phone ringing as the homeowner is confused or didn't express their full expectations to the estimator and believe me it happens.

"Nothing is worse than a project starting and then the phone ringing as the homeowner is confused or didn't express their full expectations"

How can this be resolved? Review the proposal against the work order. It is important a company walks through before the project is to begin as well as the homeowner signing off on these processes. A lot can be avoided if only there is good communication between the lead painter and homeowner who is in charge. That is another key point, one person should be the direct person to communicate with the painter and one for the homeowner. With too many people involved it can open up confusion and mistakes.

So how much will that exterior paint job really cost? In our next blog, we will give some pricing example of homes we have done. Remember they are examples and each home should be priced on its own but it will be a great sample of what to expect.

Moving to our new location

We have been lucky enough to move to another location.
We have moved to Bethlehem,Pa to service our clients better and have more room for all of our equipment and staff.
None of this is possible without our great painters, staff, and clients.
Please check out our new location in this short video tour.