How many coats of paint and why?

How many coats of paint and why? 

That question gets asked a ton when I am doing a painting estimate.  It seems that one coat should be sufficient – after all, it’s paint, same color same can from the same store however it isn't quite that simple

  Let’s look at several factors that can affect how many coats of paint are necessary for a perfect paint job.

Painting with the same color of paint

If the walls in a room are currently painted white and you paint them with white again, one coat should be sufficient. However, if the “new” paint is of low quality or has a sheen of any kind it will be difficult to match that same sheen as existing, while it may "cover" your finish would not be uniform

Assuming the walls are clean and not faded a single coat using the same sheen and good quality paint should be sufficient,.

Painting dark over light

Accurately estimating the number of coats you’ll need if you’re going from one color to another can be tricky. Theoretically, when painting a dark color over a light color, a single coat is all you need. But this isn’t always the case. (If ever) 

Some paint shades – for example, pastels, and even some heavier colors like deep red – are what we call low-hide colors. This means they don’t hide previous paint colors, as well as other shades do even when the previous colors are of a lighter tint. Two coats of paint are often necessary when using low-hide colors.

Also, custom-mixed colors and lower-grade paints won’t cover as well as factory-mixed paints, regardless of what shade you’re trying to hide.

Painting light over dark

Obviously when painting a light color, say a creamy yellow, over something like a rich mahogany, a single coat isn’t going to do the job. You might paint four coats, and still, that creamy yellow looks polluted. In this case, you can save time and money by applying a tinted primer before the new paint.

There are many types of primer, but all of them are engineered to neutrally block a current color and provide a surface that will allow the new paint to fully attach and cover. Before selecting a primer, talk with a professional painter or an experienced paint store staff member.

Tips for your painting estimate

Tips to make your painting estimate successful

Getting an estimate for any kind of work can sometimes be frustrating and stressful but for our painting estimates we make the process as easy as possible on our end. However the customer still has a few things they need to do.

The most important thing for the homeowner or owner of the property to do is BE HOME.
Meeting the person who will be doing your estimate and possibly the work is so important for many reasons yet every now and then someone else is waiting to meet me who knows very little about the project and most certainly cannot express the expectations of the customer to me.
Without knowing the expectations of the customer the job is ripe for failure.

The second reason to be home is simply you should meet the person doing the work otherwise it is strictly a price issue and we would not be the best fit for that type of work. Anyone can come in with the lowest price on a project, trying to make that a successful one is the challenge when you start to discount and undervalue your work.

We make a policy to not do estimates unless the decision maker is on site and can fully express the final expectations of the work to us. With our company it is more then painting, most companies and estimates you will get will say the same things, how they will apply the paint , number of coats, insured workers but with us you get an experience from start to finish. Someone who will listen to your concerns, answer emails and a very attentive staff.

What it costs to paint your kitchen cabinets

What it typically costs to paint your kitchen cabinets.

We get asked all the time about pricing and more times then not it is about kitchen cabinets.
Customers usually have gone out to find replacing the cabinets with new or faces is not cost effective.
Did you know you can paint your cabinets with a quality paint that is fully washable and as hard as new ones at half or more then half the cost?

Painting kitchen cabinets in the Lehigh Valley is not an easy process for the typical homeowner and not something as easy as it seems. Without the proper prep and procedures you can end up with a mes and a project that will in the end cost more then it would take to hire a qualified and experienced contractor such as Amato Painting.

So let's get down to the process and costs: In the sample above we first start with a wash using the correct cleaners to remove any surface contaminants BEFORE sanding or you will sand the grease and dirt into your cabinets jeopardizing your finish. After this we will lightly scuff or degloss the surface or both. Again we will wash the surface to remove any dust from sanding.
At this point we will use an oil based primer and sealer, should someone in the home have asthma or allergies we would typically use a different product. After priming we will lightly scuff the surface again and apply two coats using the correct top coats chosen for longevity, wash ability and appearance.
The cabinet painting process is not one where steps can be skipped to save money ro to use less expensive products to achieve a lower cost. In the sample above the cost for us to paint those cabinets with us taking the doors to our shop to spray can range from $2000-$4000 depending on the prep work, amount of cabinets, details on the wood, an island or other details creating more prep and finish work. You can most certainly find cheaper pricing but quality does come with a price, if someone ruins your cabinets and they are not insured the cost you saved will be one that will cost you in the end.

What it costs to paint a bedroom in Easton,Pa

What it costs to paint a bedroom in Easton,PA

One question we get asked every day is what does it cost to paint a bedroom

Some people are shocked at the price and some understand the costs that a small company incurs on a daily basis to stay in business

Using a professional painting company comes along with many great things, a trained staff, professional painters, liability  insurance  and workman’s compensation paid on workers, crews, vehicles so if something would happen you and your family (and home) are covered. The same can not be said hiring a company who uses uninsured sub-contractors. You’re on your own there and hopefully if something would happen the insurance is in place on the company and their subcontractors

Here are some fees that are in the cost to paint a room from a professional company:

•                   Workman Compensation and liability insurance
•                                      Taxes, payroll taxes, social security unemployment  etc
•                    Costs such as vehicles and marketing
•                    Training for painters
•                      Health Insurance and benefit packages if applicable

So what does it cost to paint a bedroom let’s get to the answer?

To paint a typical 10x12 bedroom pictured above  with two coats of quality paint from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore you will have these typical costs

 The average cost would be about $350

Add the ceilings and add $150-$200

Add the baseboard for about $125

So a typical room this size is around $350-$600 Depending on what is getting done, height of walls, any patching other than small dings, dents and nail holes. The timeframe is also important; if you need it done right away a good company is ging to be booked out 4-6 weeks, so to move you up in the schedule will come with a premium.

Do you need the absolute best materials and quality? Well then that is a premium

If price is the absolute most important thing and you need the cheapest price possible, than timing and quality will certainly be where the savings will come from, it would be scheduled when crews are free , a rainy day where scheduled exterior work cannot be done.  You may get trainees on site learning the trade or the average painter while the top craftsman are on the other jobs where the top quality was requested and paid for.

Most jobs can be done under any budget “if” that is known and spoken about at the estimate.

What we find sometimes is that is not shared, someone looking for the bottom dollar price never shares that, gets a bunch of estimates and solely picks the lowest price regardless of who they preferred while if they would of shared this with the painting company they likes most likely the project could have been adjusted to make that happen

Who we do not hire

Finding new employees is a difficult process in the first place adding to that finding painters is even harder.

It seems in this business we are lucky if someone has a drivers license, a vehicle, can pass a background check and that usually rules out 75% of potential new hires for us.

I thought I would simplify this and explain exactly what we look for and maybe it can help you in your own business. Being picky for us has been great in most ways, of course we are limited on man power but those we have are all very capable in holding their own

Top Red Flags and personality traits we do not like

• If you live in any city the people who double park when there are multiple spots in front and behind
• People who do not have the courtesy to hold the door for the person behind them AND let them go in first
• Not saying yes sir and yes ma'am , this may seem old school but we offer this respect to everyone we meet daily
• Someone who does not look you in the eye when talking to you, this always is a red flag and we do not hire those people
• No personal accountability, always blaming others or making excuses
• Asking how much they will be paid before they come in for an interview, I have canceled a few interviews because of this, we do not want money to be the number one motivating factor
• Stating you will only come in if the job pays well, again similar to the above issue
• Not showing up early, on time is late for us

We have most certainly limited ourselves as far as the total amount of painters however we have drastically increased morale and quality of work so working off our list above we will continue to be choosy who we bring into our family

Where are all the great people?

Hiring for us has been an ongoing struggle, from blaming ourselves for the failure of the people we hire to thinking there are just no good painters left around.
So what is the answer to this? Who is to blame? The answer lies in between blame and accountability.

We do everything we possible can to 

help make someone succeed, I am going to sound like my grandfather and say people are not like they used to be, not hard working and want things handed to them. I don't entirely believe that of everyone but it is prevalent today of the applicants we see. 

Some of the issues have been

• Showing up late to the interview if they show at all.
• Arriving at the wrong location
• Not dressed appropriately 
• Cursing in the interview everyone curses here and there shit I just did now but pick your spots please
• Asking what the jobs pays before coming into an interview
• Asking to be paid in cash to avoid their responsibilities

So all I just mentioned are red flags in my book and immediately you will find were not interested.

Working hard to pre qualify these leads, make sure were a good fit for each other and all share them same values as the company is a good start to avoid this.

Our values are dependability, accountability, relationships, commitment and trustworthy. You can see why the red flags are a direct violation of these values.

I was taught to work hard and that in itself is a reward but eventually the accolades, money will come. We made a stand to only have people work with us who share these goals, it has limited our company in the number of people who work with us but it has made every day and every job that much better.

We hire people who want a career in painting and will do whatever they can without question to get jobs done and be a great person to their family and company, it is the only way to feel great about your company.

 

Acoustic Ceiling Painting

Can Acoustical Ceilings be Restored?

With proper preparation and a highly skilled and trained team of professionals, your faded, discolored and water-stained acoustical ceiling tiles can be bought back to life leaving your facility with beautiful, brand new looking tiles in half the time and half the cost of completely replacing the tiles themselves. 

With the preparation and application of a specialty coating, your existing acoustical ceiling can be completely resurfaced and coated to not only improve appearance, but also enhance acoustic function, create better light reflectance and provide greater tile life expectancy. Acoustic Ceiling restoration services also contribute to earning LEED Green Building Credits as these specialty coatings are Low Voc and avoid waste disposal by utilizing existing materials.

The entire ceiling system in place including grids, air diffusers, vents, speaker plates, etc. can be entirely resurfaced and finished in a variety of colors to match your current color scheme perfectly. The tiles themselves are restored and left in a bright, clean white finish that is sure to add the wow factor to your facility. The tile coating system is resist to dirt, dust and the yellowing that is often caused by UV light exposure which not only helps to keep your ceiling looking clean and new, but also improves the acoustical function and performance overall.

As the premier Commercial and Residential painting company in the Lehigh Valley, we are thrilled to provide Acoustical Ceiling Restoration services to our clients. Not only does this service provide our clients with the high quality craftsmanship their facility deserves, but as an eco-friendly service, acoustical ceiling restoration contributes to our commitment of going green and practicing sustainability in the Lehigh Valley.