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:

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.

Amato Painting Awards 2019 Paint It Forward Winner

Amato Painting Awards 2019 Paint It Forward Winner

Amato Painting yesterday awarded our 2019 Paint It Forward Winner as we donated along with our great sponsors Gleco Paint, Benjamin Moore and Fd Design a $3000 paint job to The Center for Animal Health & Welfare of Easton  

We were thrilled to call them and give them the news and our painters and staff cannot wait to be onsite and complete this project.

This is our second year offering this Paint It Forward Gift to a deserving non profit or family who could really use a paint job to brighten their day and who helps out the community, people or animals in their daily world.

The Paint It Forward program was started in California by Josh Abramson of Allbright Painting.

Paint-It-Forward started out small – a local community charity program that provided free painting services and supplies to deserving families and nonprofit organizations. The program was created as a way to give back to our local community and spread a little “Painting Happiness” at the same time. The first year was such a success we ran it the next year, and the year after that, and in 2015 we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of Paint-It-Forward – a program that started out small but has grown to positively impact so many lives in our community.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO PAINT THE EXTERIOR OF MY HOME?

How much will it cost to paint the exterior of my home is a question we receive all the time and it’s a great one.

It seems there is a mystery to pricing exterior painting work so what does everyone do? they open up Google search and call a few painting companies that pop up and hopefully one actually calls you back. That is a discussion for another time.

Once you get someone to call you back they all come out and do a dance around the home and tell you how great they are, they are using the best products, will put two coats on and whatever else they think will make you love them.

Guys, I am here to tell you everyone applies the paint the same way, uses the same stores, some are real insured companies with employees and others subcontract some or all of their work.

The difference that sets us apart is no one trains their painters like us, NO ONE! There are no apples to apples, from the support you will receive on the job to the communication from the office there is no comparison and we believe that.

So back to how much will my home cost. There are many factors that go into that question such as.

• How much preparation does the home need?
• When was the last time it was painted?
• What type of heights are involved?
• What is the timeframe for this work to be completed?
• Are lead-based paints involved?
• What colors are being used and is there priming involved

After these questions are answered and we discuss your expectations for your project AND we discuss your budget which is very important we can come to a professional summary for your proposal and prescribe the correct scope of work for the project.

On the home in this picture which is an actual home we did, I met with the homeowner to discuss his project, it was a new home for his family and wanted a color change. We went over how we would complete this project, we hit it off right away and he felt comfortable using us. For me this is where all the other estimates mean nothing, we were in his budget, we hit it off and our scope of work is everything needed. JOB SOLD: The house we completed would cost in this scenario around $3750-$4200 to paint it professionally.

Who to call for your painting estimate

Who To Call For Your Painting Estimate

When you first decide to paint anything around your home your first thought maybe can I do this myself? After realizing that your time can better be spent on other things or you would rather have a professional job done the question arises, who do you call?

You can ask friends who they have used in the past and their experience with companies or like me when I am looking for any service I open up Google and search painters.

You will get many results, some reputable companies, others not so, the service lead providers such as Home Advisor or Angie's List will show up. Remember most of the companies pay to be on those sites.

What you should be looking for is a company that from the start has great communication, let's face it most companies will give you the same paint job if you're speaking about the normal wall. It is the other things such as training their employees, do they even use employees and the backing of the work they do.

When you first call see how long it takes someone to get back to you if at all, that is a great indication if once your project starts how communication will go. I am not saying they will be at you beckon call but a professional company will either answer the phone or return a phone call during normal business hours promptly. If they don't you can assume they will certainly not once the project starts pr an issue arises.

Yes, an issue can happen, it happens to the best companies, sometimes that is their fault or issues out of their control. It's the sign of a great company when they don't run and hide but stand behind their work and complete or correct the contracted work. 

Are the crews trained? With our company, we offer a ton of training and it is required. From the start of the job to while it is going on and finishing our crews are trained to make this experience a great and professional one.

So when you're looking for a painting contractor look beyond the price, a low price does not usually make for the best job as also the high price may not either. Listen to what products will be used and why each company may have a different way of applying their paint or the method the project will be done.

Remember the way you're treated in that initial phone call will usually be a great sign of things to come.

The most asked questions about painting

Frequently asked painting questions

We get a ton of questions each day regarding a potential house painting project and to avoid and missed expectations it is a great idea to ask every question you may have.

A project can go wrong quickly if something was never communicated to your painting contractor and they start a project doing things they believe were correct and spoken about.

Nothing is worse than an unhappy client as they will make everyone else unhappy as well.

All the painters want to do and live for is at the end of the project to look back at a great job and a smiling client.

To alleviate this we write everything down in our proposals, record estimates, send videos, blogs, and many many emails. We try to overly communicate all of this info so there are no surprises once that project begins.

Here is a recent video we did on our YouTube channel, there are many other informative videos on there as well so make sure you click subscribe.

Here are the most asked questions regarding a painting project. If you have any others please feel free to let us know we would gladly add them in a future video or blog.