I managed commercial construction projects for many years, have built and remodeled several properties, and never once have I encountered any of these scams. The tone of this article is deeply troubling. The author seems to be saying that ALL painting contractors are inherently dishonest, and that has not been my experience. The underlying advice here is sound: get it all in writing and cover as many contingencies as possible--so pointing out potential pitfalls like coat coverage is helpful. But do that in the spirit of clear communication of expectations, not with the expectation that the person you are hiring will try to cheat you at every turn. Not every contractor takes outrageous advantage of change orders; not every contractor will sneak past necessary preparation and/or repairs. Contractors of all sorts get a bad rap as it is; reinforcing a stereotype with articles written from this point of view just seems unproductive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_WEt9k_Hw
Though painting often creates a mess, a professional painter will ensure that your home is maintained as clean as possible during the entire project. Unless otherwise specified in the contract, most painters will clean up and take care of paint debris removal. However, there may be additional charges for using the landfill. Standard landfill fees range from $20 to $50 per ton.
When the homeowner is at the point of hiring a painter, they generally will have colors selected or at the very least a color in mind. I always ask for the colors before I bid a job. Dark colors, high sheen colors and specialty finishes require more labor, this drives price. If its not a color change or I'm going over a similar color I give the pricing option of one or two coats. The best advise I can give based on 25 years in the business is to put it all in writing,colors, brands of paint preferred, when the work can be done, who moves furniture and how payment will be handled. I never get up front money. BTW you most definitely get what you pay for with paint. Higher quality products results in and better looking job. Don't be a cheapskate when it comes to paint or the painting contractor.
Painting interior walls is a task better accomplished with foam rollers, because they are easy to use and can evenly cover large surface areas quickly. Foam rollers and brushes should never be overloaded with paint, as it can create drips, uneven coverage and can take longer to dry. It’s easy to get frustrated when the paint is fresh and does not look like a photo from the paint catalog, but remember: that’s something that usually happens after the second coat dries.
You are right on with this - why do people leave switch plates on when it's just so easy to take them off? Another thing that happened to us - we had the popcorn ceiling taken off and the ceiling painted white. When the job was done and I later went to change out all the fixtures/fans, they had left every fixture in place, so there was a large patch of popcorn and unpainted ceiling left behind - it just didn't dawn on me to specify that they take those down before scraping and painting. It was kind of a mess.

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Ask companies to include all details in writing. Although that sounds simple enough, too many contractors submit offers such as "paint house for $5,000." A friendly contractor may offer a reassuring handshake and promise that the crew will take care of all the details — starting on time, working every day, cleaning up, etc. That's great, but why not include each point in the proposal? If it's a challenge to get a written description of labor, materials and other details, things will probably get worse when the work starts.

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When painting the trim, you don’t have to be neat. Just concentrate on getting a smooth finish on the wood. Don’t worry if the trim paint gets onto the walls. You’ll cover it later when painting the walls. Once the trim is completely painted and dry (at least 24 hours), tape it off (using an “easy release” painter’s tape), then paint the ceiling, then the walls.
Calculate your costs.Having an idea of the cost of paint you need to purchase will help obtain quotes from a contractor. “Paint coverage is based on how many square feet of surface one gallon will cover,” says Bunting. “Most paints will cover approximately 400 square feet. Tally this by multiplying in feet the wall’s height by its width, minus windows and doors.” Determine how much paint is needed to complete the project. “To calculate the cost of a project, factor in the day rates, the size of the property, any architectural features, and the paint finish needed,” says Rance.

Yellow is generally a happy color that increases confidence. Similar to gray, yellow can be very versatile. Pale yellows used in sunlit rooms with flowery decorations are very inviting, especially in the morning time. Darker yellows can add warmth to a room even in the winter time. Bright yellows help reduce the amount of illumination needed in a space and are ideal for any room in the house.
If you have ornamental or colorful trees, shrubbery or floral selections around your home you should figure their colors into the color scheme selection that is made.  These landscaping attributes will have an effect on how appealing the property is as a whole throughout the year.  Homes that have a great deal of trees can make the property darker and cast shadows onto the home.  Individuals will want to avoid darker colors for these situations.

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Marketing is the lifeblood of your business. Without marketing there can be no prospects, no appointments and no projects. Marketing is what makes the register ring. In order to be truly successful in the residential painting business, you must be a marketing expert. You can be average at everything else, but if you use marketing, you will make a ton of money.

Prep before you paint. Make sure to stock up on all the paint supplies you'll need to finish your project. Get enough tarps to cover all your furniture and electronics. Acrylic paints are water based, so they clean up easily and dry fast. Duct tape always comes in handy. Create your own look by mixing two sheens to stripe the wall with paint, or use large format stencils to create a pattern. We can do your paint project for you or do it yourself. If you need a paint sprayer, you have the option to but also consider renting one from us. http://m.youtu.be/b6_WEt9k_Hw
The other difficult part is getting a painting contractor to show up. While this generalization does not apply to every painter, personally I am extremely grateful if I can get a paint contractor to show up to look at the house and to later produce a written estimate. I hardly fault the painting contractors, because I think it is a combination of the contractors being smaller operations along with a high demand for their work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=b6_WEt9k_Hw
Wallpaper removal can be a time consuming and difficult project to take on. There are many issues that can come up, too, that you may not be able to account for until the project is already started. For example, if your walls were not properly primed before the introduction of wallpaper, you may be in for some very nasty surprises when you peel a bit of the covering off. Poorly applied wallpaper can take your drywall covering or even parts of your drywall itself off with it. To avoid damaging your walls, hire our Emmetsburg wallpaper removal experts to take care of getting rid of that old wallpaper for you. It is crucial that wallpaper removal be done careful and with the proper tools, otherwise you’ll create a bigger mess of your walls than what you started with. So let our Emmetsburg wallpaper removal experts take care of it for you, and rest assured you’ll have a nicely cleaned wall ready for interior painting when they’re done.

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Never, never hire "Hanks painting" , he is a scam. He charged me 1800 for an 800 sqft house, with the agreement of painting the gutters. He not only didn't paint the gutters, the paint of the walls and front door is pealing off. He did not sand the door and the wall color is washing off. His people don't know the work and he much less than them since he painted the door.

Painting contractors must also carry out administrative and marketing duties. They prepare final accounts for customers based on the original estimates and any additional work. They analyze the cost of the job compared with the estimate to calculate their profit. They market their business through activities such as setting up websites, asking customers for references or contacting property maintenance companies with details of their services.

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We are a commercial paint contractor that can perform any painting service for our customers throughout Miami, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. We specialize in painting the exterior of many different buildings as well as the structures and surfaces on the interior. We can provide our customers with waterproofing services that will prevent water damage to any structure in or around your building so you can avoid potentially expensive repairs. We also have the experience and resources to provide you with our texture and drywall finishing services and carpentry in your commercial building.

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The Emmetsburg house painters at Custom Design Coatings LLC offer outstanding results for homeowners throughout the area. From interior painting to exterior painting, wood staining, garage door finishing, window finishing, door finishing, millwork finishing, and basic home repairs, our Emmetsburg house painters love helping homeowners in our service areas improve both the look and quality of the homes they reside in. Let our Emmetsburg house painters help you with your next home improvement project, and see how amazing the results of a fresh coat of paint can be for the interior or exterior design of your house.
For interior paint I prefer the semi-gloss, provides a very subtle sheen and is super easy to clean -no flaking, chipping, etc. I've painted a lot, and found that Sherwin Williams Ovation paint has been the easiest to use, and provides the best coverage. I even painted my ceilings with it and WOW! I was done it no time at all, with perfect coverage.

My wife and I just painted the interior of our house with about 6-8 gallons, of $30+ per gallon (meaning the good stuff, non-diluted) with absolutely fantastic results. However we just paid an average of $5 per gallon. Reason...all big box stores have paint, set aside, that has been mixed but not picked up by the customer. They need to sell it quick and if you're not in a hurry (you know well in advance that a room or two need painting and it's not like the roof leaking and needs an immediate fix) you can go to each store when you need other supplies or food, like Walmart (when convenient, driving 20 miles to each is not worth it) and over the course of a month or two, pick out some very nice colors of quality paint. We found perfect colors...not saying they were our first choice but when we opened the can, very nice and some even better than our original picks. Cost to paint the entire house was about $100, with all materials included, period. We had it on the market for a few months to sell, didn't sell, painted the rooms, got 2 offers the day after we finished, took the best one and never looked back.

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If you have ornamental or colorful trees, shrubbery or floral selections around your home you should figure their colors into the color scheme selection that is made.  These landscaping attributes will have an effect on how appealing the property is as a whole throughout the year.  Homes that have a great deal of trees can make the property darker and cast shadows onto the home.  Individuals will want to avoid darker colors for these situations.

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Specify whether the contractor or you will supply the paint. Check Consumer Reports' paint ratings: In its tests, some relatively inexpensive paints performed better than more expensive paints and cost $10 to $20 less per gallon. But keep in mind that most paints will resist cracking, peeling, mold and mildew. Who does the painting — and how well they do it — is more important than what's in the bucket.

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My wife and I just painted the interior of our house with about 6-8 gallons, of $30+ per gallon (meaning the good stuff, non-diluted) with absolutely fantastic results. However we just paid an average of $5 per gallon. Reason...all big box stores have paint, set aside, that has been mixed but not picked up by the customer. They need to sell it quick and if you're not in a hurry (you know well in advance that a room or two need painting and it's not like the roof leaking and needs an immediate fix) you can go to each store when you need other supplies or food, like Walmart (when convenient, driving 20 miles to each is not worth it) and over the course of a month or two, pick out some very nice colors of quality paint. We found perfect colors...not saying they were our first choice but when we opened the can, very nice and some even better than our original picks. Cost to paint the entire house was about $100, with all materials included, period. We had it on the market for a few months to sell, didn't sell, painted the rooms, got 2 offers the day after we finished, took the best one and never looked back. http://www.youtube.com/embed/b6_WEt9k_Hw
Dave, you said it best! Every pro painting contractor truly worth their salt would and should cut and paste exactly what you say here about where customary and legitimate practices and expectations should be in regards to what customers should expect from contractors and how contractors should professionally deal with their customers. By the way, Dave, if you work in the Atlanta area, I would like to hire you! Thank you for your valuable advice!
When calculating total cost of your project, one of the most important factors to consider is the paint itself. Paint costs will be determined by the quantity of paint and primer required to complete your project, as well as the quality of the paint you choose. You can use this paint calculator to estimate how much paint you will need.. Once you have an idea what you're working with, go to your local home improvement store and compare the costs of a gallon in person. Painting professionals can also quote average prices from their years of experience working with different paint qualities.

Meet the pros. Call in at least three different contractors for your job. (Friends and family are good reference sources.) And be home for the initial meeting with them. That way, you’ll know how much time each contractor took to assess the condition of your home. The longer he takes, the more realistic the estimate you’ll get. Even an experienced painter will need more than a quick walk around your house. http://youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=b6_WEt9k_Hw
Yes the pricing does change, and quite significantly. I have worked inside the paint industry on counter sales outside sales and application for over 10 years. One thing many people do not understand is, the resins in the paint are more expensive to produce the higher the sheen goes. Therefore the company is at of higher cost making the paint, which in terms they charge more for the paint. I have seen a 15$ variance between flat-semi-gloss it is not uncommon and is not unrealistic to pay more for a higher sheen. Another thing to add is when doing samples on your wall prior to a painter coming is a good idea, however do not do them in huge squares with heavy coats, remember you are just wanting an idea. A lot of times the issue comes up of the paint not covering the sample coats, in fact it is covering quite well, however the paint sample applied is often times much darker than the wall color, creating a contrasting difference from the lighter surrounding wall and the sample placed on the wall. I recommend getting a piece of sheet rock and using it for the samples so you can move around with it etc.
Based in the United Kingdom, Ian Linton has been a professional writer since 1990. His articles on marketing, technology and distance running have appeared in magazines such as “Marketing” and “Runner's World.” Linton has also authored more than 20 published books and is a copywriter for global companies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and economics from Bristol University.

Painting contractors work in the property maintenance sector. Depending on their skills and resources, they might specialize in painting different types of buildings, including houses and apartments, or commercial properties, such as offices, factories or retail outlets. Some contractors work directly for property owners; others find work through real estate firms, rental agents and property maintenance companies.

Just like with roller paint application, painters are not limited to using just one stroke when cutting in. It is important, however, to work towards the edge of the corners applying even pressure. If time permits, painters should allow their cut in work to dry completely before applying paint with rollers, keeping in mind that light touchups on corners and edges will always be required at the end.

home Wall Design


When you refinish your existing cabinet doors, you get a whole new look without the astronomical costs normally associated with a kitchen remodel. It’s a much smarter way to update your space, especially if your cabinets are still in good condition. It doesn’t make sense to throw out perfectly good materials, just because you’re tired of the color.


The house bath may reveal nails that have popped out of the siding or rusting nail heads that have left streaks of rust on exterior walls. If so, use sandpaper or steel wool to clean the nail heads. On clapboard siding, use a nail set to recess the nail head about ⅛ inch below the surface of the wood. Dab on a coat of rust-inhibiting primer (unless the nail is aluminum or nonrusting galvanized steel), and let it dry. Then fill the nail hole with spackle or putty. When the filler is dry, give it a coat of primer. For flathead nails, which cannot be recessed, sand the heads until they're shiny, and coat with primer.

Using the right software makes your job much easier and helps you get the best possible results. You can easily find the right paint combinations to please your client and quickly order the paint from a nearby store. A good field service management application, such as mHelpDesk, allows all departments of your business to smoothly coordinate their efforts, eliminating wasted time and producing happy customers.

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