Now is the time to schedule your exterior painting

 Why You Should Schedule Exterior Painting for Spring Now

As winter comes to a close, you may be starting to think about sprucing up the exterior of your home or business. One of the best ways to give your property a fresh, updated look is with a new coat of paint. But why is now the time to schedule exterior painting for the spring? Here are a few reasons to consider:

1. Ideal Weather Conditions

One of the main reasons to schedule exterior painting for the spring is the weather. Springtime typically brings milder temperatures and lower humidity levels, which are ideal conditions for painting. When the weather is too hot, cold, or humid, it can affect the quality of the paint and make it difficult to achieve a smooth, even finish. Springtime provides the perfect conditions for paint to dry and cure properly, leading to a beautiful, long-lasting result.

2. Get Ahead of the Rush

Another reason to schedule exterior painting now is to get ahead of the rush. As the weather warms up, many homeowners and business owners start thinking about painting their exteriors, which can lead to a backlog of work for painting contractors. By scheduling your project now, you can ensure that you get on the contractor's calendar early and avoid any potential delays in completing your project.

3. Increase Your Property's Value

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for your property's curb appeal and value. If you're planning to sell your home or business in the near future, a new exterior paint job can be a great way to attract potential buyers and increase the value of your property. By scheduling your painting project for the spring, you can have your property looking its best just in time for the busy real estate season.

4. Protect Your Property from the Elements

Finally, scheduling exterior painting for the spring is a great way to protect your property from the elements. Paint serves as a protective barrier against the sun, wind, rain, and other weather conditions that can cause damage to your property's exterior. By painting your property in the spring, you can ensure that it's well-protected before the summer heat and storms set in.

In conclusion, now is the time to schedule your exterior painting project for the spring. By taking advantage of the ideal weather conditions, getting ahead of the rush, increasing your property's value, and protecting your property from the elements, you can ensure that your property looks great and is well-protected for years to come. Contact a professional painting contractor today to schedule your project and get started on the path to a beautiful, updated exterior.

Beware of the painting estimate

Beware of the painting estimate

One thing about the contracting business right now is there is plenty of work for everyone which is a great thing or is it?

When you have a surplus of work it means pricing can sometimes go down which could be a good thing for a homeowner but guess what it also means a few bad things which we will list below.

• A surplus of work means lack of qualified painters, with young people not going into the trades as much, as usual, it had become a market of unqualified labor
• Anyone is starting a painting company and can have work, but the bad thing is they are not experienced at business and when you have an issue down the road will they still be in business to correct it?
• Those companies are driving down pricing which again pays for the experienced painters leaving room for unqualified labor to create issues throughout the area
• Those companies are giving estimates that are incorrect, impossible to do a project correctly and changing the industry pricing for the entire area for the time being.

Remember the lowest price usually does not mean the same type of work as the other companies, when you go shopping for a car and look at a BMW and then go to a base model from Ford you cannot expect to get the same quality car, why do you think this is different when working with contractors?

Someone made homeowners believe a contractor is a commodity and we can simply shop from one to the next by simply choosing the lowest price. if someone is choosing the lowest priced contractor I would be leery of working with that client

Of course, I am generalizing here, not every new contractor is bad and not every contractor who has been around is good.

Here are some tips when having an estimate done.

• Be home at the estimate to discuss your expectations
• Develop good communication with the estimator
• Be open and honest on what you need and want
• If your simply shopping prices, let them know up front, they may not want to be a party in that and we can all save some time
• Let them know what is most important to you
• Have you had any issues with contractors in the past?

Simply being open and honest can save a whole lot of issues and missed expectations down the road, no one wants a bad job and no contractor wants to work for a "difficult" client who really is one where the expectations weren't discussed or met

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.

Imagine getting a painting estimate with no stress

Imagine ending the frustration of getting estimates

Getting any type of estimate can be frustrating right? Most companies don't have someone to answer the phone let alone will they call you back and if they do getting them to come out on time is even harder.   

I am not sure what it is with the painting industry but painting companies are even worse at this, it could be that anyone can buy a pair of paint pants and a business card and pretend to be in business.

The issue is they are not trained in business or customer service at all.

They may the best painter around but if they cannot service their clients how do you think your project will go if it starts at all? Do they know they need more than just liability insurance or what taxes are due? I have been around this industry awhile now and I can tell you the answer is no.

When we took a look around at the other competitors if you consider them competitors at all we realized there was certainly something missing and that was the attention to communication from the initial call to the completion of the project so we decided we would end that.

With us, you can schedule an estimate right online, no need to speak to anyone for all the people who love to schedule online. Schedule now 

This was the first thing we have done, you can also chat directly with us through our website at www.ryanamatopainting.com during normal business hours and if you happen to call after hours we brought in a call center to make sure we didn't miss your call.

All this along with our internal checks and balances has made us the number one company prioritizing customer communication. Now we are human so even with all of that something may be missed, we work hard to make sure that doesn't happen though.

We take this so seriously after each project we send out a report card to see how we are doing and get amazing reviews on our client support, we have become friends with so many of our clients it's a great feeling to go out and see everyone and also that they feel comfortable to refer us to their family and friends.

These are certainly things to consider when hiring a company, any company to work around your home, a low price alone does not make a great job, yes you may make it through without a problem but if something comes up don't you want it to be handled quickly or a stress free project in the first place?

We make a point to get you a price on the spot if not the same day, are the other painting companies showing up or getting a proposal they promised right back to you? How has communication been? We send a few text reminders, emails, and a phone call to remind you of an appointment or follow up to answer any questions.  

If you need anything done please feel free to reach out anytime, I can guarantee someone will get back to you. 484-821-7112

Get to know us: Tag Entwisle

Get to know us 

Tag Entwisle

Tag is our operations manager and comes to us from his past management experience with Gold's Gym and Amazon. He brings a devotion to the company culture, great communication and always strives to be a role model to our staff.

We were lucky enough to bring Tag in, his current role has the responsibilities of managing all the painters and crew leaders, the daily schedule, making sure all the clients are satisfied. He developed a year long training system for the painters.

Accountability is a must for Tag and expects and demands it from everyone around him but at at the same time is fair and loyal.

He has overseen many different projects from commercial painting, small and large to residential interior and exterior projects.

He has worked directly with Benjamin Moore to learn all the new products as well as the ones we currently use each day.

There is no rest in our office but when Tag has free time he loves working out as well as spending time with his to girls. Fun fact Tag has competed and will be competing again in bodybuilding show.

Amato Painting Visits Benjamin Moore Headquarters

Ryan, Tanya and Kevin Visit Benjamin Moore Headquarters

We were lucky enough to be invited to Benjamin Moore's Headquarters in Montvale, NJ to take part in a group question and answer session with many of their departments such as marketing, color, and more.

We have developed a great relationship with Benjamin Moore through our local store Gleco Paints, not your average paint store by any means, their service and concern about our business and company go well above anything else any other store or company has ever been able to offer.

I have been lucky enough through them to meet many people from Benjamin Moore and through that, I was asked if I would be interested in offering my knowledge and experience in the painting industry in a formal group discussion which will be filmed and used for training, social media, and other outlets.

So I gathered up a few people from our team, a painter Kevin who has been with us the longest and brings a unique perspective to the painting industry, our office manager Tanya who has a hand in almost every process in the company and myself who gave a perspective of marketing, daily operations and  anything else they wanted to hear about.

Our day started with about an hour and a half drive down, it was great to get out of the office for a day, I was shown some of the questions before I arrived but I wanted my answers to be genuine and not planned so I did not really look at them or show them to my team.

We arrived early in the morning being greeted by Brian and James, and a bunch of cameras, we would be filmed much of the day.

From there we were given a brief tour of the offices, meeting many great people throughout the day, some I knew personally and some I knew from Linkedin. Everyone was so nice and welcoming to us.

We were able to take a break and just chatted about paint coatings, faux finishes and in that conversation, a few great ideas came from James regarding some marketing ideas for our company, I wrote those down right away, sometimes it takes throwing things back and forth and great ideas will come out of those conversations.

Skipping ahead we then filmed in their store of the future to get some footage of the day before we went to lunch with Benjamin Moore and the film crew.

After lunch again we took a tour around the office and ended up at the room that was prepared for our question and answer session.

Not being prepared is slightly nerve-wracking however we were going to discuss topics I know well and love so I figured it would be easy enough.

We were hooked up to the wireless mics and cameras are rolling and then the questions began, I have to say the people of Benjamin Moore were awesome, they made it very easy with great questions, I was asked about everything from my background in the painting industry, hiring, marketing, paint coatings, likes, and dislikes.

It was great to hear Tanya and Kevin also speak about the company, I got a lot of great information from the group, and many things to take back with us and review. We filmed for about two and a half hours and wrapped up the day doing some voiceover work and saying our goodbyes.

Also on the way out we were lucky enough to meet and say hello to Dan Calkins their Ceo, who was very appreciative of our work and marketing efforts.

I wanted to Thank Brian who invited us down, has been awesome to work with and who has become a friend as well, we appreciate everything they have done for us and we can't wait to see the finished product.

Amato Painting Films With Benjamin Moore

Amato Painting films with Benjamin Moore

This week was a fun week, we filmed with Benjamin Moore discussing and applying their Notable dry erase product. 

It all started when someone from Benjamin Moore saw a YouTube video I did comparing Benjamin Moore's Notable dry erase against a competitor.  We all know I like to test out all the products that the company uses on our projects and dry erase was always one we just could not find a suitable product.

So I gave it one last try using a product from Benjamin Moore on a few walls in our office, immediately we knew this was a different product,it was easily applied, immediately two coats can be put on and the best part is it does what it says and erases over and over with no issues at all.

So I received a call from someone in the marketing department from Benjamin Moore asking if I would like to be part of a series of videos they are doing promoting Notable, as I already knew the quality and performance of it I was glad to be a part of it. So we set up the date, I secured a location to apply it and we were all set. 

On the day of filming a funny note, we all forgot the paint so Gleco Paint to the rescue, I called and luckily the area sales rep ran a kit right over.

Gina from Benjamin Moore, the film crew Tag from our office and myself were all involved.

Gina was so much fun, it felt like being at home with her cracking jokes about my instruction reading ability and the film crew was very accommodating and very nice to be around and of course professional.

As we forgot the paint we decided to start filming my interview first, that went great, I had no idea what the questions would be so it was an honest review of the product and other products I have used.

This took about an hour once we set up, did the interview and cleaned up and then it was on to the application of the Notable.

Tag took over here, mixing art A and B together for a few minutes making sure we followed the instruction sheet.

I had already visited the day before to prepare the wall and mask it out.

Once mixed and ready Tag rolled on two coats back to back, we let it dry just a bit and removed the paper. 

It does take 7 days for the product to cure before anyone can write on it, but once it's ready you have a very large surface to write and collaborate on. You would not be able to purchase a dry erase board for the price it would be for Notable. We all know how expensive those boards can be.

It was great to be involved in this project, meet Gina and the crew, we love to support great products and introduce them to our clients. We will have another blog as we have a visit to Benjamin Moore's headquarters next week to speak with their marketing team. Stay Tuned:

What to expect on your painting estimate

What to expect on your painting estimate

Everyone needs painting, not many have time to do it, with so many things going on in your daily lives, work, family, hobbies and more it can be a task that gets ignored and in some cases, painting is more than just a cosmetic task.

With protecting wood surfaces or when selling your home painting can become very important and that's where a painting company comes in, whether cosmetically through a color change or protective by preparing and protecting surfaces a professional painting company can give you a consultation on what should and can be done.

Contractors are frustrating

We have all called contractors and know the frustration of getting someone to call back, show up and when they show up to give you a timely price. We took all of these experiences and solved each of these issues one by one. So what does a typical process look like when you call our company?

• Someone will answer the phone, we care about this so much we have someone in the office for this and a backup if they should not be able to answer the phone
• Once you call they will be able to go over the project with you and determine if it is a project we can fully help you out with
• An estimate is scheduled and various emails will be sent to explain the process, confirm the appointment as well as reminders via text, email and a phone call before the scheduled estimate
• We make sure to arrive early, if we are more than five minutes late we always will call.
• On the estimate the estimator will walk through your project with the person making the decision and who knows the expectations of the project which is very important to tell your estimator
• After walking through the estimator will walk through again by themselves and do their measurements and estimating
• At this point either a price can be given right on the spot or it will be emailed, this is typically the same day and at the worst the next day.
• A post estimate phone call will be scheduled to review the estimate and answer any other questions you should have
• A real price will be given, isn't amazing how many companies give one price and then it changes a mear 24 hours later? 
• Once you accept the estimate our awesome office staff will take over and help you step by step along the way.

Why us?

We pride ourselves in communication, you will have an advocate throughout the entire process should you have any questions, a dedicated lead painter in charge of your project and a very clear and concise and transparent process.

Why getting three or more estimates still doesn't tell you anything

Why getting three or more estimates still doesn't help

I am not sure who came up with getting three or more estimates with each project we plan on doing but it goes as far to getting four estimates on painting one room sometimes.

The time wasted sitting around and getting these estimates and having everyone come through and do their song and dance can better be saved, allowing you to do what you do best to earn money for your family.

For my own work, it is rare I would get more than three estimates and most of the time if I am comfortable with the first person that is who I go with, it is just not worth the savings to have a parade of contractors come through.

I get the thought process, you have everyone come through and look at the work, send over an estimate and then you can compare them all and make an educated decision. But what if I told you a secret? You can out all of those estimators in one room and they wouldn't be able to come up with the same price if they tried.

Each company does things differently

This has nothing to do with pricing, it has to do with products, expectations of the client, the products used etc.

Every company is most likely going to paint the wall the same way, that is not what you should be looking for, you should be looking for the things unsaid such as do they train their employees? 

Do they even have employees or do they subcontract an entire other company to do your work?

Are they truly insured? How about a warranty and do they actually back their work?

Everyone has a warranty

Every company has a warranty, it's a piece of paper and anyone can write anything but can they keep those promises? Every company will make mistakes and we are no different but I can say we have always gone back and corrected any issues, that is a warranty, it is a trust that you're hiring someone more than to just paint a room. Your hiring for trust, trust they will do what they said and deliver.

Watch out for sales pitches

Watch out, some companies have sales pitches, you may hear it can be done in one day, but every paint manufacturer has specifications on recoating after the first coat, pushing those specifications can be disastrous.

You may hear we have all our own employees and then a whole different company shows up, not trained in the companies ways, a total different vison and it may turn out great or bad,

So if they can't agree what qualifies you?

So if three or four companies cannot agree on a price, what qualifies you as the homeowner to sift through these proposals to determine which one is real? AT that point it usually comes down to price and a guess.

Use your gut, find someone you trust and maybe was referred or you have seen and heard great things about

A company that has great relationships with their vendors such as Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams because those relationships may come in handy on your project.

Find Someone You trust

Trusting your contractor is huge because once you hir them you need to step back and let them do the work, they are the expert in what they do, homeowners who try to be the general contractor are setting up their project for failure and contractors who don't want to be on that project.

The issue becomes homeowners getting in the way of scheduling, job sequencing, having to do things in the wrong order or a different way they would typically do a project, remember they have been doing their trade for quite some time. When you go to the mechanic or doctor you don't tell them how to do the work, give them some room and let them do their skill.

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

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.

Kitchen Cabinet Painting Podcast

We have released our newest podcast Behind the Painting Scenes with Ryan Amato.
In this episode we discuss painting kitchen cabinets. The do's and dont's, proper prep and what to expect on your project.
Kitchen cabinet painting can save you money vs replacing or refacing your cabinets.


Proper prep is the key to any painting project and even more so with cabinets.
Listen as Ryan discusses this and more on the podcast
Click here to listen and remember to subscribe.

What to expect when painting your kitchen cabinets

 What to expect when painting your kitchen cabinets.

Ok, so you made the decision to have your kitchen cabinets painted but have no idea how this will go or where to start.

When you call for an estimate from us we will take some basic information and direct you to our webpage where you can fill out this questionnaire. 

Once we receive this back our estimators will take a look at it and based off of the many other jobs we have done give a rough estimate without having to come out yet.

If this rough price fits within your budget one of our estimators will schedule an appointment to come out and go over this whole process with you. At this point, a firm price can be presented based off of what needs to be done.

The estimator will be counting doors and openings, asking some questions about colors, sheens, what you're expecting and how much you're prepared to maintain the cabinets. With any painting project, there will be maintenance. If hit hard or scratched the paint may chip and this goes for any product used on cabinets whether lacquer, epoxy or acrylics. We will show you how to touch these up easily with professional results.

You also have the option for a clear coat should you want to protect them even more than a standard paint job. You can also have the panels caulked for an additional fee. We typically would prefer not to do this as we want them to be able to move a little however we understand the cosmetic issue and when going from a dark color to light you may see a shadow in the areas not caulked. 

Once the project begins you can expect some light scuff sanding, deglossing using a chemical and some more cleaning. That typically takes a day. This is where some jobs may be different, each job is prescribed its own process which may or may not involve priming, it is dependant on what the current surface is. Should we prime we typically use an oil based primer and then two top coats using an acrylic coating. We choose acrylic as it moves more (think expansion and contraction) doesn't yellow or amberlike a lacquer or oil may. The surfaces on the job usually are brushed and rolled while we may or may not take the drawers and doors back to our shop to spray.

We have found we can achieve a fine finish by brushing and rolling just as we can by spraying. Each project is different. With the proper prep and products, your kitchen cabinet painting job can turn out great. Sit back relax and let the painters do their thing.

It costs how much to paint my room?

You want to paint your bedroom and have no idea what it may cost.

Painting costs vary greatly and there is no wonder some people think a professional painting companies prices may be high. 

When your competition is someone with no insurance, employees and working out of the back of their station wagon or car those prices are not real and will greatly be less than a professional painting company.

What goes into pricing that bedroom? Staff at the office who answers the phones returns your calls and does all of the paperwork such as billing, color selections and sends out information regarding your project. Picking up your materials at the paint store, training of the painters who work for them.

Rent and equipment to keep ahead of the ever-changing paint coatings.

Then the actual cost of the job, workers, supervisor and delivery driver. All of these costs will be reflected in the price for painting your bedroom. Sure you could hire that handyman or the other guy who is a family friend but there is no telling the risk you may be taking with your home.

Painting is a skill, passed down from generation to generation or one that is learned and taught, when something may go wrong like a paint failure will the other painter know how to handle it or will they disappear or make things worse.

A typical room above let's say is 15x15 with 9 ft ceilings. In a painters world that is 504 sq ft of wall space. Painters measure based on the wall space. If they were doing the floor or ceiling 15x15 would be the sq ft. So in paint alone assuming a mid-level paint you need two gallons to paint these walls at $40 a gallon, so that's $80 in the paint, a roller cover is about $8 and a roll of tape $6. Don't forget the plastic $10 and spackle $8. Assuming a professional company has brushes, roller handles and more your costs end here. So your total of materials is about $112 and that's before any labor is added.

We would paint these bedroom walls for about $400, so your total is around $500 to do the walls.

This includes no trim, no ceiling, you can see it takes a lot to put a room together and an estimate and then produce the project to completion. A good company will do touch ups before leaving the residence eliminating any need for a return trip. A lot goes into a project, more so than anyone thinks about and those costs must be put into the job itself or a company would go out of business in no time

Top Emerging Company

Ryan Amato Painting has been named as a 2017 finalist for Emerging business of the year by Lehigh Valley Business
The Business of the Year awards recognizes the Greater Lehigh Valley's most dynamic businesses and business leaders who share a commitment to professional excellence, business growth, and the community.
Finalists will be recognized and the winner in each category will be announced live during an awards dinner on December 5, 2017. Finalists and winners will also be highlighted in the Business of the Year event publication that will be featured in the December 11th edition of Lehigh Valley Business.
"We are honored to again be named by Lehigh Valley Business, we cannot thank our clients and staff enough"
Ryan Amato

How to paint your kitchen cabinets

So you have finally decided to paint the kitchen cabinets.
Most likely this after you found out how much it is to replace them or reface them.
Painting cabinets is ALL about the preparation work you do before you even open a can of paint.
This is a process and one not to be taken lightly or you could have a total failure of adhesion and just a mess down the road that will cost a lot more than spending the time doing it right the first time.

You should research the company you're going to use, have they done this before, will they be spraying or rolling or a combination of both, what products will they be using and how many coats will you be receiving? The number of coats is important for build-up up of mills (thickness of paint) and a ton more important than painting a wall.

What warranty comes along with this work? Do you know what to expect and understand it is still a paint coating and not indestructible?

This is the time to use the best paint you can get, not try to save $10 on a lower grade of paint. cabinets are used each day and take a beating, you want that coating to be hard, washable and last.
One great thing about painting them is they can be touched up when needed. Touching up doesn't mean you have a bad paint job at all, you have to expect heavy used areas or areas that rub together will wear quicker than others. If they are hit the paint may chip just as the cabinet may dent or scratch even without paint on it.

Here is a video I did explaining this process, should you have any questions please let us know, we would love to help paint your cabinets

Painter for a day is a great deal

Sometimes small projects get pushed away from other painting contractors as they are sometimes more work than it is worth, we saw this issue and created a "painter for a day"
What this means is you don't have to take time meeting 3 or 4 contractors giving estimates and many of them won't show, so you took off of work and lost even more money.
We offer one fee of $500 for one experienced painter for one day.
We are offering a painter for a day:

Our Painter For A Day program includes all of the following for the low cost of $500.00. Job Specific Materials & Equipment are billed at our cost plus 25%. Job specific materials are paint, tape, roller covers for example:

• One experienced painter during normal working hours
• All necessary tools such as ladders, drop cloths
• 8 hours of quality painting service

Painter For A Day services can include:

• Painting your Office, Hallways, or Lobby
• Painting your Common Areas or Stairwells
• Touch-Up Interior or Exterior Trim
• Paint your Doors and Door Frames to make them look new
• Work on both interior and exterior surfaces
• And Much More!
• This would be great for a smaller job such as that one wall that needs to be painted, or a few doors and trim that you need to be spruced up before the family comes over.
• This is not for large exterior work, anything needing an extension ladder or more detailed projects, for those you would want to get a proper estimate. This is for residential projects only but doesn't fret our commercial friends we also do offer painters for daily projects.
• For you,  it saves time, no need for an estimate and knowing you will get your small project done in an efficient way.
• For our end, it reduces costs as we do not have to come out for an estimate as those costs are built into the jobs, for a painter for a day you get a drastically reduced price and an expedited service saving weeks when normally placed on the schedule.
• If you would like more information please visit our website at www.ryanamatopainting.com or email bidrequests@ryanamatopaintingllc.com

Your ready to paint your home now what?

You're ready to paint your home and now what?

Tips and pointers on how to get a great paint job and what to expect

You're sitting around your home and realize you haven't painted in ten years or you have a party or family gathering coming up soon and want to impress your friends so you decide it is time to paint but you have no time to do it yourself and it's so much easier hiring someone else to do it but you have never hired anyone before.

To some, this can be a scary proposition and once you start calling around it may get even more confusing sifting through the maze of qualified contractors. 

Here are some pointers.

• If you call someone and they do not get back to you in a timely manner pass on them if they are not responsive now what's to think that will change when the job starts or if something needs to be fixed?
• Look at their pictures and past work,  there should be similar projects they have done and most will have references. You should check references as everyone can have a fancy website filled with great pictures but are they real?
• Take the time to meet them in person and ask who will be doing the work, one trick of contractors is to sub contract your work to a totally different company and one who is much cheaper in price and may not be insured or have workman's compensation
• Ask what the process may be once you accept the project and when the project may be scheduled
• Will they help with color selections

Ok so you have called a few painters and most likely you called five maybe three called back and two will show up for the actual estimate, I had this same problem while looking for other contractors for my own home and on almost each estimate I go on they tell me of the other contractors who never call back or show up.

When the estimate day is here, make sure to be clear on what you want to be done and how you expect it to look when complete, this is the time to let out all those expectations to avoid issues once the project starts.

We will typically give a price on the spot or sometimes email the proposal, it is a great idea once you receive it to review it with the estimator to make sure it has everything you want in it or to make adjustments at this time.

Remember your not looking for the lowest price as the only option, you want to pick a known commodity and one that can deliver your expectations within your budget, that most likely is not the lowest and sometimes may not be the highest price either, I always choose the contractors I am comfortable with when meeting them, there is a reason the successful contractors are busy and in business, they can deliver the jobs as requested and if something should happen they take care of it right away, that lowest price may not be around in a few months to honor that warranty.

Quality, timing or price?

Quality timing or cost?

Each job or estimate we do these three things are most important and we need to know which are important to you on your project.

It is virtually impossible to be able to get all three for many reasons I will go through in the video attached. But basically

Top Quality=Cost

Timing, we need it done right away costs money to mobilize and make this happen

Price means you want the lowest price, this will affect quality most certainly

For example, we just did an estimate for a customer who was selling their home, low price was not their issue but the timing was so they needed it done right away and with average quality so the price would be higher than your normal project.

We had another which was a rental unit, they need the lowest price but dome right away, so quality may not be the highest and in this instance didn't matter much, they needed it done so they could rent it out quick.

So knowing this going in will certainly help avoid frustrations, take a look at this video blog I just did and listen closely.

Remember you cannot have the lowest price, top quality and done right away, pick and chose your most important

Asking for a discount

One thing that always drives me a bit crazy is the discount shopper.
Now everyone wants the best deal I understand that I am referring to the one that we spend a ton of time with, discuss the entire project and take the time to present a proposal and then.....

Can you do any better?

This drives me nuts, do you go have a nice dinner and at the end ask if you can pay less?
I equate this to someone not respecting what it takes to complete a job on time and correct, the way they asked for it to be done.

Here is a short video that goes into more detail .