by Craig | Nov 22, 2017 | General posts, Interior Painting
This is a familiar scenario: You have the flooring redone in your Toronto home and then realize that the staircase doesn’t match the new flooring. We can help!
Many people are painting the wood on their staircases in a two-tone colour scheme and it looks fantastic! Or they paint everything but the stair tread – on that area they have it stained and varnished to match the flooring.
I’ll go through the process shortly. But first, let’s define the anatomy of a staircase:
- Railing: This consists of the handrail – what your hand rests on, spindles and posts
- Stair tread: the part that your foot walks on
- Stair riser: the part that your toe inadvertently kicks when running up the stairs
- Stair stringers: the piece on either side of the stairs that holds the whole assembly up
What are our options?
If we want to paint the stairs, here is a typical colour scheme:
dark colour: Handrail, posts, stair tread
light colour: spindles, stringers, risers
If you want to do both stain/varnish and paint, the stair tread would be stained and varnished and the rest of the colours could be similar to the above scheme.
How do you ensure that the staircase is durable?
As you can imagine, stairs take a beating and it’s essential to have the most durable paint on them.
First thing, proper preparation is key:
If the stairs are currently varnished and we want to paint them it’s essential that we scuff sand the surface, this gives the primer something to grip on to.
After sanding we vacuum the surface to ensure all the dust is off the surface
We prime the surface with low odour alkyd primer – latex primers don’t stick good enough for foot traffic and constant abuse.
If We’re Staining and Varnishing
When staining and varnishing the stair tread we need to remove the existing coating all the way down to the bare wood.
Finish Coats:
If We’re Painting the Treads
We apply two coats of finish – low odor alkyd paint on the stair tread, which is suitable for walked on surfaces, on the other areas we use a latex enamel suitable for trim.
If We’re Staining and Varnishing the Treads and Painting the Rest
Generally we need to apply two coats of stain to get the wood to the right colour. After we apply the stain we put two coats of varnish on the tread, with a light sand in between coats.
On the other areas we put two coats of latex enamel suitable for trim.
READ MORE:
In conclusion
We’d love to update your staircase, so why don’t you book a quote? CAM Painters will Transform your Home With Lasting Beauty!
by Craig | Sep 7, 2017 | General posts, painting experience, Pricing/Value
So you’re thinking about painting your Toronto home? Selecting a painter can be very similar to selecting a pair of shoes! How so, you ask? Well, it’s all about shoes that are a good fit, that are appropriate for the situation you’re facing and within your budget.
Are your shoes a good fit?
Everyone’s feet are different. A shoe that feels comfortable on one person might be uncomfortable on another.
Similarly, you might feel comfortable with a particular painting contractor. Maybe they relate to you better than another. It’s important to have a painting contractor that you feel comfortable communicating with, and who communicates with you in a timely manner.
Are your shoes appropriate for the situation?
You wouldn’t wear running shoes to a business meeting, nor would you go for a jog wearing dress shoes! It’s the same with painting!
Some painting projects require “dress shoes”; You want the project to look great with a flawless finish.
Some painting projects require “running shoes”; You need the project to be finished in the most efficient time frame possible.
Some painting projects require “hiking shoes”; You need the project to be durable in adverse conditions.
Some painting projects might require a combination of stipulations, or maybe something different altogether. It’s important to be clear on your needs from the beginning so that you can select a painting contractor that is skilled and experienced in delivering what you require.
Budget
Just as the price of shoes vary, so does the price of painting projects. In general, if you spend more money on a pair of shoes, you can expect a greater degree of durability, technology or style. It’s similar with painting projects, the more you spend, in general, the higher the quality of paint, and the level of craftsmanship.
In painting, there is a truism: 
- Efficiency
- Quality
- Low Price
A consumer must make a decision as to their priorities, because a customer can only choose two. If a client wants efficiency and low price, they automatically choose to not have quality. If a client wants efficiency and quality, they can’t choose low price.
In conclusion
As with selecting shoes, selecting a painting contractor needs care to ensure that there is a right fit, appropriateness and budget. If you’d like to see if CAM Painters is the right “pair of shoes” for you why don’t you book a quote? We’d be happy to transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Aug 25, 2017 | General posts, Pricing/Value
So you’re thinking of selling your Toronto home, you’ve looked at different home buyer companies such as We Buy Houses in San Antonio and now you’ve realised that it might be the time to update your house. Here are some painting projects that can pay big dividends in resale value! Obviously, if you can paint the place from top to bottom that would be the best for commanding top dollar in the real estate market, but that’s not always feasible. Sometimes you need to sell your house as fast as possible so don’t have time to paint everything. If this is the case for you then you may want to consider home seller financing as it could help you sell your home quicker, see https://www.amerinotexchange.com/selling-a-home-how-about-considering-home-seller-financing/ for more. But, if you’re happy for a quick paint job then here are our top picks for bang-for-buck projects when selling your Toronto home. If you do decide to sell, you may want to check out an independent home buying company such as We Buy Houses, who aim to make selling your home a smooth, stress-free process for you. However, if you own a rental property and need to sell it on, it’s not as simple as selling your own home. When selling this sort of property, it might be better to read this selling rental property guide on roofstock to understand the process better. However, the home might still need updating and redecorating.
Paint any area that is looking old or deteriorated
You want people’s first impressions to be that your home is clean and well kept, so if things are looking a little old and tired, freshen those up first. If the house is clean and fresh prospective buyers will assume that you’ve taken care of the place and be more willing to put in an offer. If you have some leftover paint that’s less than a year old feel free to use it to freshen things up. If it’s over a year old, it’s best to get some new paint.
Paint your wood panelling
If you have an older home, it might have dark wood panelling. If the panelling is painted a light colour it can really make the space look bigger and more open. This is especially helpful in basements which typically have very small windows and limited natural light.
Here’s a blog post on the how-tos of panelling painting:
What can I do with the wall panelling in the basement of my Toronto home?
Paint your kitchen cabinets
There’s no quicker way to update the look of your kitchen than painting the kitchen cabinets. This is way more economical than cabinet replacement in most cases. At the same time you can update the hardware (door handles and drawer pulls) too. With painting your kitchen cabinets the colour options are limitless.
Here’s a blog post on how we paint kitchen cabinets:
Paint or Renovate? What’s Best for the Kitchen in Your Toronto Home?
Paint your railings
Many people have dated stair railings in their Toronto home, these can updated with some paint! If you still have varnished railings in a dated lighter finish, you can transform them with a sophisticated 2-tone colour scheme as you can see in the blog listed below:
Toronto Home Stair Railing Transformation Project Guide
Painting can make the difference in selling your Toronto home
Many real estate agents will tell you that painting is one of the best things that you can do so that your house will sell quickly and for the best price. If you’d rather let us do the painting for you why don’t you book a quote? We’d be happy to transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Aug 7, 2017 | General posts, painting experience
Buying a home is an exciting time! The Real Estate Agents have done their job, your offer has been accepted, the deposit has been paid, the papers have been signed, and you’ve been able to sell your old home with people like Reali! Now what? Before moving in, make sure you make a list of local tradesmen in case of emergencies such as Absolute Draining & Plumbing, plus it’s the perfect time to paint your new house! However, it is important to visualise how you want your new home to look, and sometimes going straight in with the paint can be the wrong idea. Inspect if anything else needs doing, you can use the list of local tradesmen as a checklist, and make sure you consider if anything needs to be remodelled first. You can find many companies that will be able to help you online, but should you need one right away Click Here. Note: Remember before you begin painting, make sure you have repaired or fitted in anything that can cause damages to the surfaces you intend to be painted. This mainly includes things like electrical fittings, where if you look for a good electrician, to begin with you should not encounter any further problems and your home will continue to be freshly painted for the longest time possible! To check out good electricians try places like Home-Pro Electric (https://home-proelectric.com/on/guelph-electrician/) who offer great electrical services, making sure your home is painting ready!
Advantages to painting your Toronto home before moving in
Even if the house has been recently painted by the former owners, chances are that the colours they have chosen, while probably nice colours, are not exactly what you want. You want your colours to harmonize with your furniture and your own tastes, it’s your home now, why not make it your own?
First off, what are the advantages to painting a house before moving in?
Before furniture and everything else is brought in, the painter will have clear access to all areas of the house. Because there is no furniture to move, painters can get more done in less time, which results in a lower cost to the homeowner.
Also, there is no disruption to a homeowner and their family. When we paint a house where people currently reside, we need access in to certain rooms at certain times. Although we minimize disruptions through proper planning, there are lots of items for people to move, closets need to be emptied, for example. When painting before the move in, none of these disruptions exist.
We have painted many houses before the homeowner moves in and here are some tips to make the experience as hassle-free and enjoyable as possible:
Be sure to plan ahead
The summer months tend to be very busy for people moving in to and out of houses. As such, movers, painters and other contractors can book up quickly. If you’re going to move in these busy months it’s wise to plan and book these services far in advance. Conversely, you could plan your move in a less busy time of year and have easier access into a contractor’s schedule.
Use your visits wisely
Most times the purchaser gets 2 or 3 visits before the closing date. This is a perfect time to have a painting contractor in to look at the place and quote on your painting needs. CAM Painters offers online booking, but we realize that the visit needs to be coordinated with many different parties; the current homeowner, their real estate agent, you, your real estate agent, among others. Therefore, give us a call or email and we will do our best to prioritize your appointment time, given these circumstances.
READ MORE: A Great Painting Experience Part 1: The Estimate
Using one of your visits to get other trades in is a good idea as well. If you’re looking for recommendations CAM Painters has a carefully curated network of trusted trades that we’d be happy to share with you.
Be sure to plan enough time between closing and move in
Renovating, remodelling, painting and cleaning take time and it’s wise to plan enough time for these to be completed before your move in date. The last thing that you want is painters still painting while the movers are trying to move in your furniture. It’s wise to have an extra 20-25% of slack in the schedule to account for any unforeseen circumstances or any additional extra things you might want done.
Also, it’s best to coordinate the work so that only one trade is working in your house at a time. Many trades need clear access in your home to make sure things are done efficiently and properly, if not, one trade can easily disrupt the workflow of another.
Final Thoughts
Getting the painting done in your Toronto home between closing and moving in is an ideal time. Why don’t you book a quote with CAM Painters? Remember, if a convenient time isn’t listed, give us a call or email and we’d be happy to accommodate you! CAM Painters will Transform your new home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Jul 17, 2017 | General posts, Pricing/Value
What’s the difference between a cheap paint and an expensive paint? When you go in to any paint store in Toronto the choices are overwhelming. Multiply that by the number of different paint brands available in the city and choosing paint becomes quite a task! Prices can range from $25/gallon to over $100/gallon which further confuses the issue, are the high end paints really worth the extra cost?
In general, the more expensive a paint is, the better it will perform. More expensive paint generally has more additives in it for better coverage, adhesion and durability. And since paint is generally less than 20% of the cost of a project, it’s better to spend a little extra in this area to ensure that the money you’re spending on labour is getting the best ROI. But first…
How do we choose which paint to use on your painting project?
We like to work with brands that have the best customer service
It’s important to us that we receive the best possible customer service from the paint brands we deal with, so we select brands who assign us a personal sales rep, or have excellent in-store advice. There are many different options available and expert advice from the manufacturer ensures that we get proper primers and paints for the surfaces we are painting. Currently, we like to use Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore, not that there aren’t good quality paints other than these in the marketplace, we just like the level of service we get from these 2 manufacturers.
What are the advantages of quality paint?
More expensive paint offers better adhesion
Lower quality paint has difficulty adhering to certain surfaces. Painting over any old oil paint or any type of glossy surface is prone to failure if a lower quality paint is used. High quality paints and primers are able to bind on to these surfaces without chipping or peeling. In conjunction with the paint manufacturer, we specify the best paint system for the surface whether that’s a coat of primer, then paint, or just a light sand and then a high quality paint.
READ MORE:
More expensive paint gives better coverage
When changing colours, it always makes sense to use a top quality paint. These paints offer better coverage, or hide, meaning that the colour will look solid in fewer coats. If a surface can be properly covered in 2 coats instead of 3, the extra cost of the product is more than made up for in the savings of labour.
More expensive paint gives exceptional durability
Let’s face it, if you’re planning on staying in your home for a while, you’d rather get 8 years out of a paint job, rather than 4. In terms of exterior painting, a high quality paint can withstand weather extremes and moisture penetration better than a lower quality paint. In terms of interior, a high quality paint can resist scuffs, dings from vacuums, cleaning solvents, etc. better than a lower quality paint. All of this contributes to not having to paint your place as often, which saves you money in the long run.
In conclusion
These are the benefits of using top quality paint. It will add on to the price of your painting project, but in the long run, it will give you a better looking, more durable paint job. I would advise that when you are looking for a painting contractor to paint your Toronto home, consider only those that use high quality paints. CAM Painters always uses top quality paint for these reasons exaclty.
If you’d like a quote, feel free to book online, we’d love to Transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Feb 27, 2017 | General posts
How do we ensure that you have a great painting experience for your Toronto home? We have a system to hire and train painters who, as a result, will give you a great painting experience!
Before the interviews
Before we start the interview process we advertise through multiple avenues to make sure we have a good supply of candidates. We also network through social media and our spheres of influence to see if any potential candidates can be found there. There are some businesses that use resources such as peakpeo.com to find their candidates but you’ll mostly find our advertisements in local channels and our social media platforms. Our hiring philosophy is that we want more candidates than we need so that we can choose the best. In fact, we like to go through at least 40 candidates to find one hire.
At the interview
When we interview we not only focus on technical knowledge we focus on character. In fact, during the interview 90% of our questions deal with character and 10% focus on technical knowledge. Why, you ask? Technical knowledge can be trained, but character cannot.
We want you to feel comfortable with the painters working in your home and hiring for character is the main way we ensure you have a great painting experience.
After the interview
Candidates that we think could be a good fit are called back. Are they immediately offered a position? NO! We call to let them know that we are going to be checking their references. We check 3 references for each potential candidate. Anyone can say good things about themselves on an interview, but it carries more weight when others can say good things about you as well.
We realize that our fine painters are going to be working in your home and we do not want you to feel unsure about the person walking in to your home to do renovations. So as an extra precaution, we tend to do a criminal background check along with drug and health verification of our employees. This kind of background checks are a great way of making sure a business knows exactly who to employ, in compliance with the company policy. Not to mention, these checks could also help employers protect their reputation by creating safe work environments for other workers and clients. Using someone like this Illinois background check company could ensure that only reliable employees are hired. We want you to have complete peace of mind while we are working in your home.
The orientation process
Once we decide to take on a new painter the process is just starting. We have specific ways and systems for doing things, so even an experienced painter will need training in these areas.
For example, we use project management software and apps to make sure that the job runs smoothly and that no detail is missed. So a new hire needs to get up to speed with that.
Also, our new hires are placed with more seasoned staff, so that they can get used to our processes and methodologies.
Some closing thoughts on painter hiring…
We are committed to giving our customer a great painting experience, so this mission guides us and influences who we hire and how we train. We want you to be comfortable with who is working in and around your home and we want to train painters to give you the best experience possible.
Why don’t you book a quote? We’d love to Transform Your Home With Lasting Beauty!
Read More About A Great Painting Experience:
