by Craig | Feb 28, 2016 | General posts
The Background
I recently heard of the Paint It Forward initiative started by Josh Abramson, a painting contractor down in California. His team would seek nominations of people and/or organizations who were in need of painting, but couldn’t afford it. The team would then select a winner from the nominations and would gift them a free paint job.
The Nomination Process
When I heard about this I knew it would be a great way to give back to our community, so we started seeking nominations for our Paint It Forward campaign back in December. By mid-January we had a few nominations to choose from and the team ended up choosing the Royal Canadian Legion at Pape Ave and O’Connor in East York.
Painting It Forward!
The Legion had a roof leak that created quite a mess on a couple of sections of wall, one in the auditorium and the other in the President’s Lounge. Luckily they were able to get the roof issue fixed by a company similar to galaxyfla.com/roof-repairs/ and then we could get a start on the repainting project. The walls had commercial vinyl
wall-covering that had been painted over many times, but when the moisture came in it separated the wall-covering from the wall underneath, as you can see. We decided, since much prep work would be required to fix this, that we would concentrate on fixing these two sections and doing some miscellaneous doors and trim as time would allow. We also wanted to make sure that the moisture definitely wouldn’t come in again, so we took it upon ourselves to get some advice from a company that specializes in Water Damage Repair. There are so many things to be aware of when there is water damage in your home. When it leads to mold it can actually make the air unsafe to breathe and can also eat away at anything it is growing on. It’s important to make yourself aware of how can prevent it. Do you know the 3 types of water damage? It’s quite surprising how easy it is to have water damage in your home.
Here’s the process we went through:
- we took the wall-covering off where it was peeling
- primed the walls underneath
- skimmed the walls with a couple of coats of plaster
- sanded the plaster smooth
- primed the bare plaster
- painted the walls
I like to say that we took a disaster-piece and made it into a masterpiece!
Many thanks to my painter Naz, who volunteered his time and who was a vital part of the selection process. Also, many thanks to Angie Gualtieri, the Legion president who was very accommodating with allowing us access to the building to work on the project!
Overall, we had a remarkable experience and we are looking forward to our next Paint It Forward in the very near future!
CAM Painters Transform Your Home With Lasting Beauty!
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Naz is Painting it Forward!
water damage in President’s Lounge
Auditorium wall is finished!
water damage on auditorium wall
wall-covering off the wall and walls skimmed
Angie, Legion President and me in front of finished President’s Lounge wall
by Craig | Feb 15, 2016 | General posts, Pricing/Value
I think it’s very important to have coaches in life. There are people who are further along the road in many areas which I want to improve. A coach can guide me past and around the potential pitfalls that would derail me from achieving my goals. A coach has a different perspective of the playing field than the players themselves.
Here is an article I wrote for one of my coaches who helps me tremendously as I position my business in the competitive Toronto marketplace:
In the post I talk about the importance of having a systematic way of running a business. Systems make for a more consistent customer experience, which is paramount.
My coach also taught me to ask “what does a great painting experience look like to you?”
People have different expectations of their painting contractor, a great painting experience happens when we meet those expectations:
- some want great care to be taken regarding job-site cleanliness,
- some want assurances that if a job is started the crew will finish it before moving on to another job
- some want to make sure that we’ll keep the door closed so that the indoor cat won’t escape
- and many more
We want to make sure that your expectations are spelled out and taken care of so that you can have a great painting experience.
My coach also taught me about providing value.
I try to provide value through sharing my knowledge in these blog posts. I provide value by carefully curating a list of trusted tradespeople I can refer to my clients – tradespeople that I know will provide you with a great experience. I know that I need to provide value to you first before you’ll be comfortable using my services.
I believe having a coach allows me to provide a better end product to my clients and that makes great business sense to me.
If you’d like to have a great painting experience book a quote and I’d be happy to Transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Feb 2, 2016 | DIY, General posts, Interior Painting
It’s important to know is the paint in your toronto home is oil or latex. In this post we’ll show you how to tell the difference.
First off, why is it important to know if my home is currently painted with oil or latex?
Oil paint generally dries harder and slicker than latex and latex paint has a hard time binding on to oil without proper preparation. If oil paint is present and proper preparation isn’t done the latex paint won’t adhere to the oil paint underneath – see picture
Latex paint over oil without proper preparation
How likely is it that I have oil paint in my home?
If your home was painted within the last 5 years there was likely no oil used. If it’s been over 10 years since your home was painted there are a couple of areas that could be painted oil:
- trim – doors, door frames, window frames, baseboard
- walls and possible ceilings in the kitchen and bathrooms
These are the places that I would check first. 10 years ago oil was a much more durable alternative than latex for these high traffic and high moisture areas. Recently, with advances in paint technology there are great latex paints that are more than suitable for these areas.
How do I tell if the paint on my walls and/or trim is oil?
Look at the paint closely:
if there are a lot of brush or roller marks it’s likely latex, oil looks more smooth than latex. Oil will also feel smoother to the touch than latex.
Use the acetone test:
Put some acetone or nail polish remover on a rag and rub it on the surface of the paint. If the paint comes off on the rag it’s latex paint, if the paint doesn’t come off on the rag it’s oil.
I think my paint is oil, what do I do now?
Proper preparation is key. There are 2 things that I’d do to ensure that the latex top coat will adhere to the oil paint:
If you’d prefer to have someone do your painting for you why don’t you book a quote? CAM Painters can Transform Your Home With Lasting Beauty!
by Craig | Jan 25, 2016 | General posts, Interior Painting
You’ve selected a reputable painting contractor, received a written quote, signed the quote and scheduled the work, now what? There are certain things you can prepare before the painting starts to ensure you will have a great painting experience.
Select your colours
We use both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paints. You can select any colour from either Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, or any colour that you have a chip for and we can do a custom match. We are able to provide a colour fan for you to select colours fr
om. We are also able to get test quarts and do test patches on the walls so you can be confident in your colour selections prior to your project start date.
If you need assistance selecting colours we can refer an interior designer to you for a colour consultation.
We require your final colour selections 24 hrs prior to your start date. This allows us to have all the materials available when we start your project, so there are no delays.
Arrange access to your home
If you are not going to be home while the work is being done we will need access to the home. Please ensure that a set of keys is available for us to use. We can either take them with us or we have a lock-box, similar to what a real estate agent would use to store your keys securely on site.
Prepare the room(s) being painted
It is a great help if you can declutter the room(s) being painted. Some really useful boxes drawers and other storage units can be used to keep your things safe. This is particularly important if you are having your home office painted, as you do not want any documents, files, or any other important pieces of office furniture to get in the way. If you don’t have a storage barn, it’s not the end of the world. We will also move large items of furniture into the centre of the room and cover them with plastic sheeting for protection. If there is anything that you are very cautious and protective of, or if you don’t have the space in your rooms to move things into the centre, you could look into storing your furniture and belongings. Boombox Storage offers a ‘pickup, store and deliver’ service (https://www.boomboxstorage.com/pickup-delivery) which is ideal for this situation.
Here is a check-list of the items you should be moving out of the room prior to painting:
- The contents of the closet (if the closet is being painted)
- Pictures on the walls
- Table lamps
- Electronics
- Books from bookshelves (unless it’s a built-in bookshelf that won’t be moved)
- Side tables and any other small pieces of furniture (if possible)
- Any other small items
By moving these items prior to us arriving we will be able to complete your painting project in a timely manner and without extra expense.
The end result of clearing out the room(s) as much as possible is so we can have unfettered access (at least 3-4 ft) to the walls once the larger items are placed in the middle of the room.
What if I want to put my pictures back in the same spot?
No problem, after you take the picture off the wall keep the picture hook in the wall and we won’t fill in that hole and we will put the picture hook back in the exact same spot after painting. If you do want to reposition a picture, or just not rehang it at all, take the picture hook out and we’ll fill in those holes.
What if I’m unable to clear out the room prior to painting?
This is no problem either. We realize that some of our clients are physically unable to prepare a room prior to painting. How about using a personal concierge? Jodi Goldfinger of I Dream of Jodi is an excellent choice, she can assist you in preparing your home for painting and putting everything back after we’re done.
By following these suggestions you will ensure your painting project runs as smoothly as possible. To book a quote for your painting project click here and Transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Jan 18, 2016 | DIY, General posts
Homes are made to be lived in, as such the walls and trim can get marked up over time through normal wear and tear. If you have kept some leftover paint that’s a good thing, it makes it easier for your painter to touch those spots up.
How should I store my leftover paint?
Two things to keep in mind when storing leftover paint:
- Make sure the lid is sealed tightly. Air will dry out your paint and make it less usable over time, so make sure the lid is seated properly on the rim.
- Make sure you store your leftover paint inside. If paint is exposed to freezing temperatures the solids will separate from the solvent and it will be unusable. If you must store your paint in a shed, garage, or outside, bring it it before temperatures dip below zero. I have had paint spoil in as little as a half hour in sub zero temperatures.
How long can I store leftover paint?
Paint can be stored for at least 2 years and sometimes more. Oil, or Alkyd paint usually will last longer than latex paint, sometimes upwards of 10 years. Latex paint generally lasts 2 to 5 years.
To check and see if your paint is still good, simply open the lid, give it a stir with a paint stick and if it’s an even consistency without any lumps – keep it.
How do I dispose of leftover paint?
Wait! Before you dispose of any leftover paint be sure to take pictures of both the lid and the label. This will help your painter if you want any touch ups done in the future. From the pictures your painter can get a new can of paint that will match what you currently have on your walls or trim.
In Toronto, there are several transfer stations that offer Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop offs, or you can arrange a pick up of your leftover paint using the toxic taxi. Click here to find out more information about locations or to book a toxic taxi.
Do you have any touch ups that need to be done around your Toronto home?
CAM Painters can help, regardless of if you have leftover paint or not. Book an estimate today and CAM Painters will Transform your home with lasting beauty!
