hiring

Hiring a professional painter

It seems that every year more homeowners are choosing to hire a professional
painting contractor than do it themselves. A professional painting contractor can
offer a level of quality not easily obtained by the average do it your selfer.

Evaluating a Paint Job for the potential do It your selfer
House painting is labor intensive and can be dangerous. Both interior and
exterior painting will require considerable physical effort. Typically, exterior
painting is the most demanding. Some things to consider are;

Are you comfortable with heights? Climbing ladders is a major part of any paint
job.
Are you capable of moving heavy objects, like furniture? Lifting and moving
things are also a big part of painting. Make sure you are physically able to do it.
Time is another factor to consider. Depending on the project, it could take
several days of effort to finish the painting. This is especially true for exterior
painting.

Can you live with things being unfinished for a while if you are called away? For
most people, they only have the weekends to accomplish something; an
average exterior could take a month or more to accomplish working only
weekends.

Experience counts. It's hard to overstate the importance of experience. There is
no such thing as "cookie cutter" paint jobs, where the same procedures can be
used over and over with the same good results. Even new construction is a
challenge from one job to the next.

Every home is different and will require different amounts and types of
preparation as well as different mixes of products to achieve lasting results. The
more types of paint jobs that a painter does the more they learn. Only the
experience of your house painter can produce lasting results.

How to Find a Good House Painter

Ok, now you have come to the conclusion to hire a painting contractor or at
least get a couple of quotes for your painting project. The cost of house
painting can be substantial and a quality job even more. Get the most out of
your paint job by choosing your painter correctly.

Trusted Sources
The best place to start is with your friends, family and co-workers. This is how
we, Crowder Painting, acquire most of our customers. Word of mouth
advertising always starts with satisfied customers.

Therefore, start asking questions;

Are you happy with the quality provided by the painting contractor?

Everybody has their own ideas of quality, so you should take a look at their
house and judge for yourself. Pay attention to cut-in areas around doors,
windows and trim. Are the lines straight and was caulking applied. Interior or
exterior doesn’t matter; proper surface preparation always leads to better, more
pleasing results.

Did the painting contractor protect non painted surfaces or areas?

For exteriors this includes concrete, roofing and plantings. For interiors moving
and protecting furniture is a major concern but don't forget about the flooring.

Were they courteous and pleasant?

This is a very important consideration. The entire experience, from beginning to
end, needs to be as stress free as possible. Plus if the house painter enjoys
their job, the quality and attention to details will be better. The customers
attitude can and will affect the entire paint job.

Did the painting company start and finish in a timely fashion?

Arriving at a reasonable time every morning reinforces a schedule. Remember,
with an exterior the weather always dictates the schedule.

Is a warranty included?

If a paint warranty was included find out if it has a reasonable amount of time
before expiring, 3 years is enough, and if it has any value. Simply stating a
warranty isn't enough. Get it in writing and understand its limitations!
If asking friends, family or co-workers doesn’t produce any leads there are other
avenues that can help.

Local Paint Store

First and foremost is your local paint store, not the home improvement center.
Most professional painters purchase their products from a local supplier, a paint
store.

Here they have built a reputation, either good or bad, based on the quality of
products purchased over time and timely payment if a store credit account is
used.

Purchasing products of the highest quality indicates a true concern for the well
being of your home.
If a painting contractor primarily purchases from a single source, for years, a
reputation has been built with this supplier.
On time payment is always a good indicator of paint jobs finished and
customers that have paid for the service.
Talk to the person behind the counter top and ask some questions. Describe
your project and ask for any recommendations. Chances are they will know
someone that is trustworthy.

Better Business Bureau

This is a popular way to generate leads. Look for good house painters that
have no bad comments or judgments. Call your local office or visit on-line.

The Better Business Bureau keeps records for 3 years on many local
contractors, including non-members. These records are the results of customer
response, always leave a comment with the BBB after you have any work done
on your home. Your comments will help others in the future.

On Line

Internet sourceing is becoming more popular every year. A free Contractor
Network allows you to enter your address, job details and select the services
you require. Now you can easily select painting contractors and view their
profiles for more information. Contacting contractors is also very easy, a simple
click of the button.

Now all that you need to do is schedule a time to meet and get a price quote.
This type of sourecing is very easy and can help you find qualified local painting
contractors.

Additional Considerations

The key to finding a good, reputable painting contractor is to ask a lot of
questions. Try to narrow down your choices to 3, no need to call 10 painters.

Ask for references of jobs that were similar to yours.
Note if the painting contractor was businesslike, courteous, and punctual with
the appointment.
Ask for a comprehensive proposal that includes what will be done and what
products used. This includes the type and amount of surface preparation,
priming and the type of primer, caulking (type and where used), and the brand
of paint used with a reference to the manufactures product line. How many
coats of paint will be applied must also be included in the proposal.
Hopefully you have a list of qualified painting contractors. Before calling you
need to take some notes. Describe, in detail, what you want done. What colors
you like, etc. This information will assist the house painter in putting together a
complete painting estimate.

Rowe's Painting and
Carpentry
Sayreville, NJ 08872

732-234-3783
732-501-1119
rowespaintingandcarpentry@gmail.com