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
Ryan Amato Painting refinishes kitchen cabinets throughout the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey. Kitchen cabinet refinishing done right
They completed this dramatic kitchen cabinet makeover this past week, taking these old worn our kitchen cabinets and modernizing them.
It takes a company that works with kitchen cabinets all the time.
Not your every day painter type of project as many things can and do go wrong
Ryan Amato
kitchen cabinet refinishing
By using a company that just paints kitchen cabinets daily and has the facility and tools to do so properly
You will save a lot of money and wasted time and missed expectations.
Kitchen cabinet refinishing
By having the knowledge and proper tools and experience you can rest assured your project will go smooth.
If your cabinets are old and outdated but you're not ready to replace them, update them with some fresh paint. Paint can work wonders on everything, and kitchen cabinets are no exception.
Painting kitchen cabinets can be tiring and you can easily hire a pro to do the job.
Wood, wood-laminate, and metal cabinets usually can be repainted without difficulty. Plastic laminate cabinets might not accept a topcoat of paint — those that can be refinished often require special paints and techniques, and results can vary.
A pro is skilled in painting application, plus they have the additional advantage of being able to use high quality tools! When the project is finished, you will have clean lines with no bleeding edges. You won't find stray drips and you will know that the cabinets have been properly finished for lasting durability.
With all the conflicting information out there about the dos and don’ts of flooring installation, it can be difficult to choose the best floor option for your residential, commercial or industrial space.
Perhaps one of the most controversial of the floor choices is epoxy floors. Epoxy coating is becoming a more and more popular choice for not only industrial and commercial properties, but for residential spaces as well.
Epoxy coating is made up of a two-part mixture consisting of resin and a hardening agent.
This mixture is then evenly distributed over well primed concrete, wood, tile or a variety of other surfaces you may find in a residential, commercial or industrial space.
Once the mixture is properly applied, a chemical reaction occurs creating a bond to the floor making it incredibly durable, long-lasting, slip resistant and easy to wipe clean!
Seems too good to be true, right? Let’s analyze some of the rumors swirling around out there about epoxy floors and we’ll let you be the judge.
“Epoxy Floors are only for large industries and wealthy folks. There’s no way I could afford that.”
Okay, we’ll admit, epoxy floors can be pretty intimidating considering their upscale look and incredible durability. But just because they offer these benefits and that sought after WOW factor doesn’t mean they are unattainable.
As we previously noted, epoxy floors are long-lasting which means you won’t be shelling out tons of cash for repairs and maintenance.
When you look at this as a long-term investment you’re actually saving money in the long run; Not to mention increasing the value of the property.
When you do your research you’ll find that epoxy floors are also significantly more cost effective than other floor types.
The problem people will often face is that they decide on a cheaper flooring solution which inevitably requires more maintenance and repairs.
You end up paying more over time. Think of it like shopping at Costco.
It might seem steep to pay $19.99 for paper towels, but it’s a whole lot nicer to not have to go running back to Walmart in a week for more and paying double for even less rolls.
“Who needs epoxy? I’ll just apply paint to the floors. It’ll look the same and cost way less!”
You’d think that were the case, but this is highly inaccurate. Even though both of these products may create a similar look when applied, they are indeed very different from one another.
For starters epoxy is superior in adhesion in comparison to paint. Paint dries, whereas epoxy cures which creates a much harder and durable surface.
Paint simply won’t be able to protect the floor from abrasions, chemicals, bacteria, oil, grease and spills the way epoxy will.
Paint just doesn’t live up to epoxy’s ability to bond to the substrate making it a very costly mistake to apply instead of epoxy.
“I’ll just save my money and install the epoxy flooring myself! What could go wrong?”
It may be tempting to skip out on the labor costs of epoxy floor installation and just do it yourself with the help of the many DIY YouTube videos out there, but let us stop you right there before you go making a VERY costly mistake.
I know what you’re thinking. How hard can it be? All I need to do is mix up the products listed in the video and apply to my concrete garage floor, right?
Seemingly yes, but there’s far more that goes into it than that. For starters, only the most experienced epoxy floor installation crew understands that each floor is different, each with their own set of detailed challenges.
An experienced epoxy floor crew will meticulously prepare and prime the floor for installation (which can often be rather tedious) making sure the product can be applied properly.
Without proper priming and preparation, you could end up with discolorations, uneven surfaces or little bubbles in the product making for a sloppy, unprofessional finished look.
Professional epoxy floors installers also have access to professional grade products which are much higher quality than the products you’ll get in the DIY kits you have at your local Home Depot.
Low quality product = Low quality floor. High quality product = High quality floor. It’s really pretty simple when you look at it that way.
“Epoxy floors only make sense in warehouses and industrial facilities. Why would I use this flooring solution in my home?”
Yes, epoxy floors do make a fantastic choice for warehouses, commercial and industrial facilities due to their extreme durability and ability to withstand heavy loads, harsh chemicals and high heat.
But believe it or not, the versatility that epoxy coating provides has made it a very popular choice for many residential surfaces including garage floors, basement floors, outdoor cement patios and walkways and even kitchen countertops!
First of all, let’s be real. A well-done epoxy coating is beautiful to look at. Because of the many colors and patterns you have to choose from you can radically upgrade the look of your residential space.
In addition to the aesthetic appeal, the practicality is tough to beat. Here in the Lehigh Valley many people get stuck dealing with water damage and leaks during heavy down pours.
Our humid summers also make having a dehumidifier a must. With an epoxy floor you can eliminate the head aches that come along with dealing with these types of issues.
Since epoxy coating is water resistant, any water that enters the garage or basement will sit right on top of the floor without seeping in making it a breeze to remove with a shop vac.
Another huge perk of epoxy floors in the home is the ability to easily wipe them clean.
When epoxy is poured onto a properly prepared surface, you won’t have to deal with any ridges, cracks or seems the way you would with tile or hard wood.
The flat, seamless surface makes them a dream to clean. Their resistance to spills, stains, germs and bacteria make them a very desirable choice for a finished basement where the kids might spend most of their play time.
With regular sweeping and mopping the floors will stay clean and looking beautiful at all times. Perhaps the most significant benefit yet is that these floors typically last up to 10 years! Talk about low maintenance!
So there you have it folks. We busted several of the myths circulating around about epoxy floors.
A professionally installed epoxy floor truly has the potential to completely transform and revitalize your residential, commercial or industrial space. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may still have about epoxy floors.
We’d be happy to discuss your options with you and help you decide if an epoxy floor is the right choice for you!
In recent months, contractors from throughout the United States have been complaining about paint shortages. Several stories have surfaced of manufacturers being unable to deliver products to the market and contractors being unable to fulfill their demands. Everyone in the coatings industry recognizes that the supply chain shortage hasn't affected everyone in the same way. But what else is there to learn?
Gain insights on what major manufacturers are doing to solve the supply chain shortage, as well as how these changes may impact specific products. Learn from other skilled contractors about how to prepare your company and career for changes in 2022.
Ryan Amato, an exceptional member of the painting community and manager of Amato Painting, addresses and leads this Supply Chain Panel Discussion. With a true passion for his craft, Ryan is driven by so much more than the bottom line!
We are always thrilled to see our team being able to help other painting companies across the United States and abroad.
"I have been so fortunate to be able to help others" says Ryan Amato of Ryan Amato Painting in Easton, Pa
Estimate Rocket is an app used for painting estimates that dramatically makes the estimating process so simple anyone on your team can do an estimate successfully.
Ryan Amato painting has been working with Estimate Rocket for many years and has done well over 2500 estimates.
Please reach out should you want to use this tool in your own painting business.
On this episode we are joined by Ryan Amato of Ryan Amato painting to talk about Sales Planning and Making Big Turns that impact the coming year. What do you do when you realize that your company should completely rearrange it's priorities and seek bread and butter from other sources? Ryan shares how he decided his company needed to make a big turn, and how he inspired buy-in from his employees to put their all into something that was worthwhile but uncertain. You'll want to hear the ending on this story...it's a good one!
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Did you know you can re do your countertop’s using epoxy?
Using special materials we are able to totally transform your kitchen counters making them even more durable, scratch and heat resistant.
Epoxy can be put on concrete, formica, wood, quartz, granite and more to create the dream kitchen you have always wanted.
When done right epoxy countertops provide a long-lasting and durable surface. They are resistant to moisture and heat.
You will still need to use common sense, you should not place a hot pan directly on any counter no matter if it is epoxy or something else.
Using the best materials and having someone do this installation for you who has done many before can certainly help make sure it comes out the way you expect.
A mix of factors, from an unusual freeze in Texas to ongoing supply chain issues with raw materials like resin, have resulted in a paint shortage. Sherwin Williams CEO John G. Morikis even told investors that “the persistent and industry-wide raw material availability constraints and pricing inflation we have previously reported have worsened, and we do not expect to see improved supply or lower raw material pricing in our fourth quarter as anticipated.”
“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with business owner Ryan Amato of Ryan Amato Painting in Easton, Pennsylvania, to talk about how his business has been weathering the shortages. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
Kai Ryssdal: Paint shortages, really?
Ryan Amato: Well, we’ve been hearing about it for well over a year, and then the pandemic hit, so that was an issue. There’s been, obviously, a labor shortage so the truck drivers delivering the paint, that’s been an issue. There was the freeze down in Texas, and they supply a good amount of the resins, which is an ingredient for all the paints that we use.
Ryssdal: Yes, it’s a chemicals-heavy process, right?
Amato: Absolutely. It’s an ingredient. Just like you bake a cake, it’s one of our main ingredients in the paint, and we’ve had a major shortage of it.
Ryssdal: So what are you doing?
Amato: Well, I like to think that we’re well prepared at my company. So, we have great suppliers and vendors. Unfortunately, if you came to our shop, I’m looking at about 500 gallons of untinted paint sitting on pallets; just so we’re prepared for our customers, we’re ordering in very large quantities of paint.
Ryssdal: The catch, of course, is that untinted paint is no good if I need to paint my house blue, right?
Amato: Absolutely, yeah. And there are so many different bases of paint, so if you need a dark blue it’s a different base than white, so we just we’re trying to do the best we can to stay prepared for you, for the customer.
Ryssdal: Alright, so let’s make it about me. I do, in point of fact, actually need to have my house painted. How much of a lead time do I need to give you before you can say, “Yep, I’ll be there on Thursday.”?
Amato: That’s a great question, and it’s been a struggle. Historically, in our business, when we win a job, your job, we send you over a color sheet that you have to fill out. Normally not a big deal, give it to us a week or two before the project starts, and that’s typically in between four and six weeks. Now, we’re really twisting your arm behind your back; we need that color sheet a day or two, after your job is accepted. So we need about two or three weeks to make sure that we have the proper materials for your project.
Ryssdal: And I imagine, Mr. Amato, it’s going to cost me more, too, right?
Amato: It’s certainly going to cost you more. We’ve seen it’s been about 20% since really only about four or five months ago, and [a] 40% increase in our epoxy floors, which is pretty significant.
Ryssdal: I imagine you’ve got to go to your supplier, right? But is this one of those where you could find another source, and try to do it that way? I’m sure you thought of that.
Amato: And that’s what we’ve been doing. The only problem with that is — there’s many different suppliers and we all know them — paint is not all the same; you can’t just grab one gallon of paint and go to another vendor and grab another gallon of paint and it performs the same way. So not only are we seeing issues with paints we haven’t used before. It has also slowed down our production, our labor, because they’re using new paints. It requires different paintbrushes. They all perform differently. It’s been been a learning curve all around, not even to mention just the shortage of materials.
Ryssdal: That’s kind of wild that paint is not paint is not paint. It’s all different.
Amato: Absolutely.
Ryssdal: How long you’ve been in the painting business, Mr. Amato?
Amato: I’ve been in the painting business 30 years. I hate to say that. I feel like I’m getting older.
Ryssdal: Tell me, you ever seen anything like this?
Amato: No, never. The only other issue we had was … it’s always been labor. You know, we had some issues after 9/11 with labor and the amount of jobs. This has been very difficult.
What to expect when having your kitchen cabinets painted
Having your kitchen cabinets painted whether you choose to do them yourself or have them professionally painted can be a big leap of faith.
But one thing that will help make that choice is to price new cabinets installed.
We are referring to quality cabinets installed, not the low end mass produced cabinets of today
Most likely you have quality cabinets already installed and for less than half the cost you can have them professionally refinished in most cases.
Your first decision will be who is going to do them?
Having a company who does this day in and day out is a great choice as opposed to a painting company who also "does" cabinet painting
It is a better choice to have someone who does cabinet refinishing every day touch your kitchen cabinets
They will be more experienced with the preparation needed and if anything goes wrong during the process, easily being able to adjust
Preparation is key to any kitchen cabinet painting project, preparing your existing cabinets for a new coating is most important
This can be done many ways, whether chemically with solvents and cleaners or mechanically with sanders or sanding by hand.
We like a combination of both of those methods
After preparing your cabinets you have a few choices here.
A standard paint job using readily available products. This will give a you a very nice job although one that will need slight maintenance down the road in the form of touch ups. We would expect a good 5 years before possible having to fully recoat and yearly touch ups possible after they are painted
This is due to simply the use they will be under, from water, soap, hands, and more. Anyone who promises you more than this is not being honest with today's traditional paints from any manufacturer
Your second option is to move into a high end two part product. This is not one anyone used here locally except for us, this is a more costly option but over the long run it will simply last longer.
Specialized equipment is needed to apply a coasting to get a beautiful finish, usually a combination of special sprayers and in some cases brush and rolling with very smooth rollers.
In the case of brushing and rolling the applicator is most important, they can make or break your project.
There is nothing worse than seeing heavy brush marks or roller marks on a cabinet project. This can significantly be diminished with the proper application.
Here are a few things that could go wrong
Improper pre from an inexperienced painter or crrew
Bad prep can be disastrous for a project, the entire job is only as good as it's base. This is the reason it is hard to come fix someone else's work
The wrong materials were used, without using the proper primers and top coats your project is doomed again.
Not explaining the true expectations of a cabinet refinishing project. The cabinets will not be bulletproof. No coating is, just like your car or existing cabinets they can be scratched, dinged and dented.
How to have a great project
Let the painters paint, they have been trained for this
Know the expectations of the project and what products are being used
How do you touch them up? Does the painter offer a maintenance program such as our three year or lifetime touch ups?
Enjoy the process, talk to the painters, enjoy the amazing before and after
