Ryan is an award winner for his outstanding painting and marketing work, You can find his contributions to the painting community across numerous blog sites and on his YouTube channel.
His company has won Best Painting Company four years in a row by Lehigh Valley Style and Best Painting Company twice by What's Happening. Also being named Emerging Business of the year 2015 and also 2017
Ryan Amato Painting
306 S. New St
Bethlehem, Pa 18015
484-821-7112
We recently completed this fully flaked epoxy garage floor in Easton, Pa
This project started with cleaning the concrete as it had oil and other car fluids on it. It is important to do this before you do anything else to the concrete.
After cleaning we used a diamond grinder to properly prepare the concrete for adhesion of the epoxy. Once we cleaned the floor we applied a polyurea/polyspartic product along with a full broadcast of epoxy flakes to the epoxy.
After that step we let the product dry and we removed the extra flakes, cleaned the floor again and applied a clear coat to the entire surface. Needless to say it turned out amazing and the client was thrilled and left a video review for us.
When I say please be at your estimate there are many reasons why but expectations of the final product are one of the top reasons for sure.
I know in my house or really in any relationship you have we all have different opinions and things that are important to us and some things that are not important.
So many decisions in your home are done together to make sure both people are happy with the end result and the decision being made, whether that is a new dog, a new car, or new furniture the person or people who will be living with the decisions should be part of that process.
No more important is the decision when you are hiring a service such as a painting contractor
One issue we sometimes see is I have done an estimate let's say for the husband, he walks me through the house and shows me the work being done, the only issue is he could care less on the final appearance and only wants a color change.
He never explained his wife really is the one who this is very important to and will be judging the final work.
Why is this bad?
This can be disastrous to your project because no expectations were ever mentioned so it was estimated for a basic color change, minimal patching and a quick repaint project.
When the project starts the other partner expects the walls to look brand new, ultra-smooth even though they are not currently that way.
And so it begins
This is where it can all go south, you can have an angry spouse who doesn't think the job is the quality they expected although it really is what was explained on the estimate, they weren't there though and trying to explain this is what they asked for is a mute point now because it will only get worse. So you end up spending more time on a project, extra hours spackling and patching or extra coats of paint.
The walkthrough
This is where you can end any of these issues, do a pre-job walkthrough and fully explain to everyone how the project will be done, what to expect and what the final appearance will look like. What you can do and cannot do. Make it a point and requirement everyone is there and why they should be there. If they cannot be at the estimate or the pre-job walkthrough I know it sounds tough but they should not be communicating with you once the job starts.
It takes clear and direct communication to achieve this, if you're afraid to tell them the truth or be direct it can only get worse from here. Yes, you may upset a few people but reflect back on the estimate when they could not be there for the most important part of the job.
The relationship
This can happen in any form, it could be the wife or girlfriend not there or vice versa or on a commercial project they typically have a secretary walk though who has no say in anything once the job starts and along comes someone else who knows nothing about the conversations we had long before the job starts. Address this issue right away or be prepared for a long, tough project
When you think of an epoxy floor normally you picture a warehouse or maybe those box store kits you see at the stores but epoxy floors can and are used throughout homes and many places in the business setting. Don't lock yourself in a box, you can be so creative with where you use an epoxy floor, you can embed a logo or design into any floor using the right products to truly make the floor an extension of your personality or brand your company. How awesome would it look when people walk into your business lobby and your logo is sitting on the floor with a nice shiny clear coat over it.
Stand Out From The Competition
When your clients arrive at your business this may in some cases be the first impression they get about you and your business, a peeling floor or vinyl tiled floor is not the best impression. Make a splash and show them what your company is all about, a metallic floor may be an option to make a grand entrance whether in your business or home. We can help with samles and design ideas for any floor. Trust me there is a solution for almost any application or surface.
Epoxy is for safety too
Epoxy floors offer protection of not only the surface but also anyone walking on it, by adding flakes or another aggregate (sand, silica) we can make any floor anti-slip which is important as epoxy floors can be slippery when wet or when they have grease or other contaminants on them, by simply adding something to the epoxy or broadcasting into the coating this can be taken care of right away which is perfect to protect your clients or family from slipping.
Price is an issue?
Is price an issue with a floor? It may seem that way but when you break down the costs it is actually a very competitive option for a floor. To have an easily cleaned, anti-slip coating with unlimited options in design it is very comparative in price to vinyl, wood or almost any other type of floor installed and much more protective and durable and in a food manufacturing facility it is a must.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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 Painting completes floor in Bethlehem, Pa
We recently completed this awesome floor for an even better client, it was a thrill to be able to help Ryan and his family out with their floor.
It was always a dream of his to have a nice functional floor that looks great too.
We started by cleaning the floor and applying a hard surface primer to be assured of adhesion.
Without preparing a floor correctly you can have some major issues. Once it was clean and rimed, we added WB 250 base coat and then an intermediate coat with a heavy partial broadcast of flakes
Once that was done we returned the next day, removed the extra flakes and added a clear top coat to help protect it all.
When getting a painting estimate or an estimate for work around your home for that matter it is important to be able to let the estimator know what you expect when the project is done.
You may say why? Each job no matter who I use should be prepared, painted and done the same but that is further from the truth then you would know.
There is not a specific standard of work from company to company and most painting projects have very different levels of service for the same thing, for instance spackling.
Preparation Of Surfaces
You can spackle a wall with many different levels of quality, from low to high and somewhere in the middle is typical, but if you think they are doing it to perfection and they are thinking the opposite, it doesn’t mean they did a bad job, it was a missed expectation not explained by the painter or asked for by the homeowner.
The same goes for exterior preparation work such as scraping peeling paint, under most circumstances work is done by preservation techniques, meaning loose paint is scrapped, some caulking may be done, usually bare wood is pot primed but then it is painted. If you're thinking the surface will be completely smooth you will be very upset with the final appearance. It will certainly how old levels of paint, uneven surfaces and more, without stripping the entire surface you will not get a level surface under a normal repaint project.
The Estimate
I cannot tell you how many times I have gone out for an estimate and the person who ultimately would be critiquing the work was not there, leaving it to another person to try to explain what they wanted to be done or no one at all was home. These projects go bad 9 out of ten times.
Comments like bad quality, not enough prep or scrapping are mentioned when in reality it was a mixed expectation or an expectation that could never be met with a normal repaint.
So what to do? It’s simple be home, if you cannot be home at the least have a conversation with the estimator and create a detailed list, then its possible this can be matched up with the estimator's notes and work order.
We have actually implemented a policy that we will not go out on an estimate unless the decision make will be onsite, this may cost us a few estimates opportunities but in the long run, it is better to have less work than clients who are upset with the quality of the work from missed expectations.
The number one thing that turns a new project bad is missed expectations, it always comes down to this, when we look back at a bad project or one that turned bad.
Why paint your home neutral when preparing to sell
It’s time to sell your home and the real estate agent comes in and gives recommendations and the one we hear all the time is to paint your home a neutral color.
You just spent a lot of money putting custom colors and accent walls all over and you may feel this is crazy but let me explain why this is the most important thing you could do to select your home.
Colors invoke many feelings in people, happiness, calm, anger, when you painted that accent wall a bright red and you love it, it may bring up a bad feeling for a prospective buyer on that walkthrough, using a neutral color will be much more appealing and less likely to bring up any bad emotions to any prospective buyers.
It also allows buyers to visualize a blank space where they can dream about the colors they will add to the home.
Color Psychology
Color psychology is the study of emotional cues (www.howstuffworks.com) prompted in humans by various colors. These can be quite strong. Bold yellow can upset young children , while light yellow is commonly used in babies rooms These are important things to remember when preparing your home for sale.
Neutral colors will make your home the most desirable to as many people as possible and that at the name of the game.
It can be hard to visualize your home in a different way then you have been accustomed to.
What are the neutral paint colors?
Neutral colors are light to medium colors that can work well in the backdrop of other furnishings and accents.
They can be a grey blend such as greige
Before picking a neutral paint color for walls, decide if a warm or cool color matches the ambiance of the space. Think about the neutral feel of the personality of your house. Then look at the homes permanent fixtures such as flooring, or cabinets. What colors are they? Are they warm or cool tones.
It is absolutely worth painting a house before selling. A light fresh paint job is one of the most inexpensive, efficient and easiest ways to give a house a complete facelift, open up space and help your house sell quicker for a better price.
Colors also have connections, good and bad. It could remind you of a bad experience or a good one, it is better to remove these and stick to a neutral color.
If you need a color consultation please feel to reach out
