Educating the Public

Hi everyone,
I wanted to post today about educating your customers (and future customers) about the painting process. See I have this belief that the public believes that anyone of them could do what you do in an instant,

Now granted, as I've said before painting isn't "Rocket Science" but it does require 5 skills that not everyone has. Those skills in no particular order are:

1. Preparation
2. Patience
3. Skill with the tools(Brushes,Rollers etc..)
4. Knowledge
5. Experience

Like I said you can arrange the order any way you chose but these skills are very important to the finished product, They guarantee that any project that you work on will be a success.


I hear from time to time from clients that they were going to do the project themselves but they didn't have the time. I'm thinking when I hear that about the l ist of 5 that I mentioned. Sometimes they will show me a painting project that they completed a long time ago and ask how it looks to me and not wanting to insult a prospective client but also not wanting to lie to them I say it doesn't look bad for a person who doesn't do this everyday.

 Listen I get that you want to sound capable but you are really showing professional painters a total lack of respect. I am sure you don't say those same things to the plumber or electrician who come to your house.

 Please understand that painting is a skilled trade that not everyone is cut out to do and like any other trade takes many years to become proficient at. Next time show respect and thank your painter for doing a quality job.

Product Review-Emerald Interior & Exterior Paint Product Video By Sherwin-Williams

As part of my Product Review series I would like you to take a look at this video.Emerald Interior & Exterior Paint Product Video By Sherwin-Williams



If you know me you know that Sherwin Williams is my paint of choice for many reasons. I will do a post on paint Big Box Stores vs Paint Stores soon, but for now I would like you to check out this product and it"s many advantages.

If you have used this product already and would like to give your own review I would be happy to hear from you and I will post your comments so we can discuss it here.

For now check it out and let me know what you think.

Hi Everyone!

I am back and ready to start posting again, I am sorry for my long absence from my blog, I was extremely busy with my business and moving and a lot of other things that when I think about it sound like excuses, and I don"t like making excuses.

I have missed not blogging and giving advice that I hope was helpful to you. I promise to be more diligent and to keep posting all through 2016 and beyond if possible.

I believe that I have a lot to share with everyone and I want to hear from you all on how your business is progressing along. I really am interested to learn how painters and entrepreneurs in general run their day to day operations and how they balance the job of both being the best possible person you can be(whether that be with your wife or husband or kids or pets).

I will try to keep you informed of the latest products on the market to make you better painters and make you more productive at running you business. I will try to pass on my knowledge and experience to make your job easier.

I am still learning still growing in my business everyday even after 17 years. But I believe you can never stop trying to be the best that you can at what you do, that's what makes life so great.
I will go through this journey with you and maybe we can learn from each other.

Follow my blog again and I promise you that you wont be disappointed.

Thanks.

The lost art of Staining

This is a topic that I have been neglecting to post because of the fact that it has become a lost art over the years. I believe it is because of the fact that it is so much more easier to paint over something then to put in the time and effort it takes to do a nice stain. We need to become more old school in our treatment of our wood, and there is no better way then to apply some stain.

I know that some of you are saying to yourselves that you are afraid to mess up and have a horrible looking project well I am going to go over the basic techniques with you to help you do a great stain job every time.

First thing you must do is Prep, this means that whatever the project is(cabinet doors,vanity,kitchen table,etc...) you must sand off the old finish(If there is one)and make sure you are very diligent when doing so,get in all the nooks and crannies so that the wood looks like new. Always sand with  the grain of the wood.Try to sand out any dings and dent that you may find. Start with a medium grade sandpiper and gradually move up to a finer grade.

After you have removed all the old finish you must go over the whole project with a Tack Cloth to make sure there is no dust or debris left to mess up your finish. When you are confident the you have a smooth and dust free project then you can do what were here to do.

Now the fun part the Staining, make sure you have a pair of rubber gloves and a good staining brush to apply the stain. Make sure you brush it on in one direction and don't forget all the nooks and crannies,
don't be afraid to apply too much you will be wiping off the excess. After it is all covered let it dry for about 10 minutes and wipe with a clean rage. Let dry for about 4 hours and apply a second coat if you wish to darken up the color or just let dry over night.

When you are pleased with the finish apply a good Polyurethane(water based or Oil) and your project is complete. Hope this was helpful. Send me pics of projects that you have completed, I would really enjoy seeing them.

Customer Satisfaction

No matter what business you are in ,whether you sell goods or a service your #1 priority should be your customers satisfaction. If that is not top of the list for you then you need to reevaluate your priorities.
There are too many companies out there today that seem to think that the customer owes them.Without our customers we would be bagging groceries somewere or probably doing some job that we really dislike instead of owning our own businesses.

It is a privilege to provide our services to our clients and we should understand that before we ever apply for our first business license, to go into business thinking anything else is a mistake that can cost you everything. Your reputation is something you must pride yourself on from the star if you want to succeed.

I heard a local company on the radio yesterday that had a great line that said "we are not done until your satisfied" and I thought that is so true, if we all took that approach think how much smoother ever transaction would be. All business would benefit from that approach.

Take the time to ask your customers if everything is O.K and take care of any little problems along the way.
Make sure the lines of communication are always open and you can reached at any time to answer any question or concern that they may have. Take the time when the job is complete to say thank you and tell them that you appreciate there business.

The way the economy is today we as small business owners owe it to ourselves and our clients to make sure we provide the best service possible.
Our customers are the reason we are able to earn a living, we should never forget that..

Exterior Paint

Hi everyone,

I get asked a lot about the paint that I recommend for doing exterior siding, and what primer do I prefer for spot priming & jobs were the siding is in rough shape.The paint that I have been using for some time now and has never let me down is Sherwin-Williams Duration exterior. In my opinion it is the best paint on the market today for getting a beautiful finish in just one coat. it is durable and gives you many years of protection for your home. The sheen I prefer to use on both my siding and my trim projects is Satin.
It's scrub able and it holds up well to power washing(a topic we will cover in a blog post shortly).
To sum it up I believe that Duration topcoat will give you the best bang for you buck.

As for priming I believe that this is a step that most homeowners skip because of misinformation,
but this may be the most important step to insure a beautiful finish and many years of protection.
Sherwin-Williams sells a great primer called ProBlock. that will do a great job  it can be used on both
Interior & Exterior projects with equally great results.

When the home you are working on is much older and in rough shape with a lot of peeling paint then the primer I prefer to use is Peel Bond. What it does is build up a strong bond with the substrate that your working with to provide a perfect sealer to your topcoat. If you are spot priming you can build up layers to make the feathering out much easier and the imperfections on the surface less noticeable and provide you with a much better finish in the end.

Keep these two products in mind when you are tackling you next exterior paint job and you'll be very happy with your results.

The Mighty 5 in 1!

Hi folks,

1. I have people ask me sometimes to talk about the tools that I use the most in my trade and to suggest to them the ones that I think are the most indispensable, so without any further ado I bring you "The MIGHTY 5 in 1 TOOL" If you can have only 1 tool in your toolbox (besides paint brushes) that tool should be the 5 in 1. It truly is the most versatile tool there is. I use mine everyday, it stays in my back pocket and is prepared for battle whenever I need it. These are just some of the things I use it for:


2. 1),Scraping old paint off wood


3. 2). Scraping paint off glass


4. 3).Prying mouldings


5. 4).Cleaning my roller covers


6. 5).Using as a screw driver


7. 6). Using the bottom to bang in nails


8. 7). Opening paint cans

There are probably a half dozen other things that I have used it for that I have failed to mention. At about $6 or $7 bucks it is the best money you will ever spend on a tool. Every DIYer & pro should have one. I ask anyone who thinks that they know of a more versatile tool to email me and I will put your suggestions in my blog.

Now what are you waiting for go get a 5 in 1 today!