The Time Savers Part II

Back in August I started a multi-part blog on time savers. A good brush was the first part of this series. Now we move on to the number 2 time saver for most homeowners and pro’s alike, the roller.

If you are doing any amount of large surfaces, a roller can be a key to maximum production. Choosing the best one for the job at hand will speed up job completion. Like the brush, we recommend purchasing a good roller arm and covers (or pads).



Roller arms are not all the same and a good one will last a DIY’er a lifetime. Look for the thickest shank (the metal part that the handle is mounted to) to keep it from flexing while rolling. The best ones will have built in bearings on the part that spins and hold the roller cover. This makes it easier to roll down the wall without “skidding”. Some also have quick release systems built in so it can be quickly snapped on and off compatible roller poles.

There are plenty of good ones out there but my favorite is the Wooster Sherlock frame pictured above. It has all the features mentioned above and it can easily be found at most paint and big box stores. Here’s a video link at Wooster’s site. You can get these for both 9 inch and 14 inch roller sleeves.

The frame does you no good without a roller cover and like frames there are a ton of choices. Rather than go through each cover and material, we are just going to touch on the more common ones, choices that will deliver a good job. Like many things, price will determine the quality of the cover and its ease of use.

  

     Cover materials are both man-made and synthetic. Most pros like wool the best, but they are pricey. A good second choice is a 50/50 blend of polyester and wool. Both of these covers will work in all paints and generally clean up easy. Personally I’m a big 50/50 fan as it has similar performance of wool at half the cost and probably Family Professional Painting’s number one choice.

    The next material choice (for me) would be the synthetic wool or polymide. Which has the characteristics of wool while holding more paint. Nobody does this better than the Purdy Corp.



   There are a slew of other materials out there, but probably the main things you need to be concerned about is how it is made and will it work with your paint. The covers listed above will pretty much work in all paints and stains, latex or oil.

    Check the length of the “nap”. It will be listed on the cover some where. That is the length of the fibers holding the paint. Generally use longer naps for rougher surfaces and vice-versa. The most common is the ½ inch nap for walls and ceilings. If your walls are in rough shape, you may even want to use a ¾ inch for the extra “stipple” (texture) that aids in making some imperfections less noticeable. They make much shorter naps for smoother finishes, but they will not hold much paint and you will find yourself dipping much more often. I would avoid using a nap shorter than 3/16 inch. The packaging on most roller covers will provide information to help you choose.

Last choice is roller cover width. Without going into too much detail, use the widest cover you can for the job. This will increase production. We use 14-18 inch covers and frames as much as possible, but something you need a shorter one. It’s not uncommon for us to use a 6 inch roller in tight confined rooms. (A powder room)

Let’s recap:

• Get a roller frame with a thick shank to prevent flexing and internal bearing for smooth rolling.

• Wool, wool blends and synthetic wool cover offer the best combination of finish, cleanup, shed resistance and long life. They will also work in almost all paints and stains.

• Nap length helps determine how much paint you get to the wall and the “stipple” or texture it leaves on the surface. Longer naps for rougher surfaces (block walls) and vice-versa.

• Use the widest cover you can for the task at hand. I don’t recommend that homeowners go wider than 14 inch.

If there are any topics you'd like us to cover, lets us know.

Why you shouldn't "Just Paint It".

Dug up a photo of an exterior we did over the summer. The picture is of aluminium siding that was pressure washed. We purposely stopped so the home owner could see why we recommended cleaning before painting.



Paint would not stick to a chalking surface like that.(At least not that long) The extra work may be more costly, but it is an investment in a longer lasting and properly done paint job.

When gathering estimates together for your next project, keep in mind that prep is one of the most important if not the most important processes in a long lasting paint job.

Have a great Thanksgiving.


Dale

Coming Soon To A Paint Store Near You?

This past summer Benjamin Moore sent us some exterior paint to evaluate.

Ultra Spec is another addition to their line that utilizes their excellent colorant system. One has to assume it is to be (if brought to market) aimed at the lower price point. Note our analysis is base on limited use.

We were given the choice of how we wanted the paint tinted and sheen's. We chose a white tint base in a satin for two reasons. One, tint bases usually are lacking in hide because they are meant to have colors added. This would give us the opportunity to judge "hide". Two, it was a re-paint and a reduced sheen helps to minimize to rough areas appearance.

The paint was brushed, rolled and sprayed.

Brushing it on a 90 degree (plus) day in direct sunlight was actually enjoyable. Most modern paints dry too quickly and leave very little if any open time. The Ultra Spec was applied in direct sunlight early in the day (about low to mid eighties) and allowed one ample time to apply it and lay it off. It kept a wet edge in that heat better than most products. It flowed well and like all Ben Moore paints with "Color Lock" technology it also covered well.

If there was a downside to brushing, it is the viscosity of the paint. It is stringy. If you are not super diligent of tapping the excess paint off the inside of your bucket, you will get strings and drips as your brush comes out of the can. Similar to Super Spec or PPG's Sun Proof exterior paint. It is a trait that doesn't bother some, but it irks the hell out of me. It's messy.

It rolled well although not as spatter free as I would like, but it was acceptable. Expect to get some on you and the surrounding work area.

We also sprayed some CMU with it. I actually liked spraying it. It covered well, went pretty far, and you could load it up a little without runs.

All in all, it seems to be a decent product. just have to wait to see if it ever comes to market.

Ultra Spec:

Pros:

Color Lock Technology.
Good open time.
Good hide even in a "tint base"
Price point?

Cons:

Messy
Not available. (yet)

Being Courteous Is A Two Way Street.

We love our customers and many of them love us back. Being in any service oriented business one expects to be treat with dignity, courtesy and kindness. We watch what we say, try to wipe our feet, clean up, be punctual and just set a plain good example.

Most contractors give free estimates. We are flexible so as to meet your schedule. Burn up our gas and time to maybe have an opportunity to serve you. The expense of these "free estimates" are borne by the contractor and are a part of the business.

How many people actually appreciate the costs in money and time that we expend for your benefit? I say that most do, but many show a great lack of respect. They could care less about a contractor's time spent away form his family, the costs incurred if they think of it at all.

So, you may ask. Why the rant? Because you can't take the time to let me know that (a:) you received the proposal and (b:) that you have made a decision about the job.

A little "thank you for coming out and providing this estimate" would be nice. We get that often. but some where, some how, many people just forget how much that little kindness means to a guy or gal who went out of their way to provide a "free" estimate.

Show you appreciation. Even if you did not choose us. Contact your contractor and let him know you appreciated the time they took out of their busy day, for you. It will make their day and set you apart from the crowd.

We got "Quoted"!

The Recent issue of "Taste Of The Bay Magazine" asked us about some recent trends in painting and our views on a few subjects. They took Family Professional Painting's answers and included them in both the article and a side bar.The October issue is out, but the website as of now has not been updated.

Due to editing, they got the gist of what we were saying correct, but the numbers are off. So here are the actual answers copied and pasted from the email:

If you are willing to be quoted, please answer the following for me:

1] Regarding color: What are the trends in color choice you are seeing this year?

The big trend has been bringing nature indoors. Muted greens seem to be the color of choice followed by tans. Also pure white on trim is slowly being replaced by off whites and creams.

2] Regarding paint in general: What are some of the major factors people should consider when choosing a paint for their home (interior paint primarily).

First, stick with the premium products. They cover better and retain color longer in sunny areas and tend to touch up easier.
Second, think about paints that are washable and scrubable. If you have pets or children, you will get mess on the walls. Having the ability to clean the surface prolongs the time between having to repaint. Staircases, (why don't kids use the handrails?) bathrooms and hallways are prime candidates for dirty handprints

3] Are there any myths or misconceptions people tend to have when choosing paint?

Three big misconceptions are that that you need a shiny satin or semi gloss paint to be able to clean it and that cheap paints are just as good as premium paints. Last is that enviromentally safe paints don't work.

There are some excellent matte/flat paints that offer a durable washable/scrubable coatings. Benjamin Moore's excellent Aura line and Berh Flat Enamels come to mind.

Second, cheap paints are just that, cheap. Manufacturers have to cut corners somewhere and that is usually in the resins and colorants made into the paint.
Say you are painting a room and you can either spend $40.00 on paint or $100.00 on paint. The cheap paint burnishes (leaves a shiny spot) the first time you try to clean it and after 3 years it just looks poorly. Now you decide to re-paint. That material cost you $13.33 per year.Same color and room with premium materials. A good washable paint and it looks good for 10 years before it needs to be re-painted. That material only cost you $10.00 per year and saved you a lot of headache. Premium paints are a better long term investment.

When "green" paints first hit the shelves, they left something to be desired. Most were harder to work with, covered poorly and just didn't last. Technology has finally caught up and some of the best paints out there are enviromentally sound products. In fact all of the waterbourne paints available in the area are vastly more green than just 5-10 years ago.


Not a huge difference and they can't be blamed for editing. (I get longwinded) Of course we are always happy to receive any publicity and would like to thank Kimbra Cutlip and Taste Of The Bay Magazine.

Tips for LinkedIn users

Here's a link for all you business people who use LinkedIn. A few good tips there.

The Time Savers


“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
Socrates


“From the time we're born until we die, we're kept busy with artificial stuff that isn't important”.
Tom Ford


Time is a big deal anymore. Most never seem to have enough of it and once it’s used you can’t get it back. Work, family, kids, sports, friends, cut the grass, paint the house. (aaarrrgh!) Well in this multi part blog (I don’t have time to do it all at once) we are hoping to introduce you to a few things that make the painting faster and more efficient.

Of course the fastest and most efficient way to get that painting project done is to hire a professional paint contractor. Hiring a pro allows you to carry on your day to day life. You can perform more productive and more enjoyable tasks instead of the drudgery of painting. (Hint, hint!)

SO, if we haven’t scared you off yet, the number two tip (number one is hiring me) is purchasing a good brush.

Surprised? Don’t be. A good brush is designed to perform several important functions that will make painting faster and easier.

1. A good brush is designed to hold more paint, so you cover more surface area before having to load (dip) it up again.
2. Pro brushes are designed to release paint quickly and smoothly, with less effort.
3. Pro brushes are offered in multiple designs and filament materials. This allows you to tailor the brush to your needs.
4. With proper care, pro brushes would likely last a homeowner a lifetime.

We could write several blogs on just which brush to use where. So in the interest of brevity let’s narrow it down to just a couple. Today, most painters and homeowners alike use predominately latex/acrylic paints. So, a synthetic bristle brush is in order.

Brushes do come in several levels of “stiffness”. As a general rule, if you are working in the heat a stiffer brush is better. The heat will slightly soften the bristles.

Brushes also come in different widths, angles and shapes. Again, in the interest of brevity, we recommend you use the widest brush you are comfortable with. This allows maximum paint pickup and release while dipping (loading) less.

If you are cutting in trim, you are going to want an angled brush. If you are doing siding or flat boards you probably want a straight brush.

If you want a recommendation. If I had to have just one brush, I’d go with Wooster Brush’s Alpha line. They have the stiffness, can be used in all paints and are available in most popular shapes and sizes. A 2 or 2.5 inch angled sash is good for most novices. Pro’s are going to have a selection. (One of my favorite’s is the semi oval)

Hope this information helps. If you are looking for local help, go to an actual paint store, the big box stores won’t have the selection or the personell to help you find the best match.

You can also visit Wooster’s site here. They have great customer service, and online dealer locator and more.

You can also view my earlier review of Wooster’s new Chinex FTP brush by clicking here.

Our monthly newsletter, Around The House News, features expert advice and tips from professional painting contractors. The newsletter contains several areas of interest including home care, painting and repair, and tips for around the house. Best of all it's free. Sign up for your copy here.

Time For A Great Tool

A Great Tool

Most contractors love tools and painters are no exceptions. We are always looking for that something that makes work go faster, easier and more productive. If it makes employees happy and raises moral it’s a definite plus. If it is relatively cheap, hell, we are ALL elated.

Well, I aim to tell you about one such tool. It is generally under-utilized this time of year. During the summer months most of us are trying to squeeze one more hour out of every day. Doing as much work as possible before it rains, before winter, or just trying not turning down work. It’s easy to get caught up into trying to get it all done, knowing that it may be gone the next week.

This tool costs very little, but the rewards can be tremendous. It only is available several times a year and even your customers know about it. It is the long holiday weekend.

I know you guys and gals bust butt as much as possible. I hope that you take advantage of this 4th of July weekend and take a breather. Enjoy some time with family and friends, have a few drinks and burn some meat on the grill. Relax, the job will be there next week and you and your employees can return rejuvenated and refreshed.

Happy 4th of July!

Big Box Stores and Pro Painters. The good, the bad and the ugly.

The appeal of big box stores is undeniable. Sheer buying power enables them to sell at generally low prices. Then there is the convenience of getting many products from a single location. For the home owner or even a small contractor, you can get almost everything in one trip. I know of many carpenter/home improvement guys that are at Lowe’s or Home Depot almost every morning. But when it comes to paint contractors, most of them avoid these stores like the plague.

It’s not like they don’t have decent products. Like many paint stores, they carry several grades and price points of paint, so there should be something for just about all projects. They are brands that are well advertised so the consumer should not be alarmed at big box type paints. Even some of the hard core pros will admit that they have decent (maybe not the best) paint lines.

So what is it that drives professional painters away? From my networking with painters across the country, it falls into 7 categories.

1. Junk: Many pros just don’t believe that the big box carries a good product. To be truthful, not everything that the big boxes carry is good. But anybody can buy low grade crap from any of the established paint stores too. Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, PPG all have top notch and slop grades of paint, with plenty of choices in between.

2. Afraid of change: Most people don’t embrace change, new and different can be scary. Switching from a tried and true product to the unknown can be frightening. After all, how is this new stuff going to work? What happens if it doesn’t work?

3. Warranty: Sure, lifetime on the can looks good; it is impressive, it screams“BUY ME BECAUSE YOU CAN TRUST ME!) But can you? What happens if you DO have a problem? Who do you talk to? Will they back it up? I know at my 2 main paint suppliers, if we have a problem they are there. They back us up with product and reimburse our time. I know who to talk to and they know me. It’s not like dealing with whoever’s shift it is.

4. Selection: There is more to painting than just paint. We need quality brushes, a larger selection of roller pads, leak proof drops, parts for spray rigs, some good scrapers and all that stuff doesn’t have to be cheap Chinese stuff. How about items for RRP jobs. (And if you don’t know what that is, you are a couple of years behind already.) Pro painters don’t want to go to one store for paint and another for quality sundries.

5. Price: Even though you have decent every day pricing, the specialty paint stores still beat you on most things. Besides, I think if somebody is buying paint weekly or monthly, they should get better than the occasional sale price everyday, specially when you are lacking in other areas.

6. Ego: Maybe ego is the wrong word, but most contractors like going to a store where they have built a solid relationship. I only know my paint rep at Home Depot. Don’t know if he is married or single, what he has done prior, and after being my rep for over two years I have spoken to him maybe 3-4 times.
Now, I know my Sherwin Williams rep, he comes to my jobs, calls or emails me, I have met his girlfriend and he has met several of my family members. He calls when there are sales and just to see how things are going. The local PPG store I deal with, I know the owners wife, rode motorcycles with his brother, he knows my fathers and brothers and I even have his personal (not business) phone number. So instead of ego, we will say relationships.

7. Service: Part of the lack of service flows from the relationships (or in this case, lack thereof) that business people build. The business model that the big box employs prevents a comparable level of service. Come in get it and get out.

To be honest, HD had tried to kick it up a notch. They do have a pro program
that is geared to the guys that buy mass quantities. (Which is really more for
builders and new construction, like THAT is going anywhere these days) I am
enrolled in the Home Depot program. You receive a minimal pricing break that
can be matched or exceeded by a sale. They also offer a horrendous fax/online
ordering system.

Horrendous? Here’s my experience with the Home Depot “online ordering”. I get
to the store to pick up my order at the “Pro Desk”.

Me: “I’m here to pick up my order”

HD Pro desk schlep in Annapolis, MD: “What’s the name?”

Me: “Family Professional Painting”

Schlep (looking around): “I don’t see it, when did you order it?”

Me: “An hour and a half ago.”
Schlep: “Well, it should be here. Let me call the paint department” (wait a few
minutes) “The paint department didn’t get it. When did you say you sent it?”

Me talking slowly: “I sent it an hour and a half ago”
Schlep: “Well. Let me look around the desk?” ………….I don’t see the fax.”

Me: “I sent it to the email you gave me”

Schlep: “Oh….let me look”……..”Here it is.” ……”You should have faxed it.”

Me: "I was on the jobsite when I sent that. I don’t carry a fax machine, that’s like
riding a horse to work. Does anybody do that?”

Schlep: “Well….we only check the emails first thing in the morning. You
should fax them for now on.”

Me: “I don’t even own a fax any longer. Why would you give out the Pro desk
email if you don’t regularly check it?”

Schlep: “I’m sorry, just fax it next time.”

That is just one example. I have called, emailed at night so it can be picked up the next morning and you have a 50/50 chance of it being ready. That said, when I got there and it wasn’t ready, they jumped right on it.

Lowe’s (Actually Valspar) in Easton, MD was worse. They have called me a half dozen times and I kept telling them I wasn’t interested. Finally they wore me down to a nub and I agreed to meet with the Valspar Rep and the Lowe’s store manager, who was to call and set up a time. Several months later and have yet to hear from them and to be honest, I have been in that store a few times and the paint department people have an attitude.

Personally, I have thrown in the towel on the big boxes and so have most of the pros I know. Sure I’ll stop in for a quick bag of Easy Sand, or a box of trash bags, but if they want the bulk of pro painters business they need to start offering the things the small guys do.

Note to big box stores: Look at those seven categories. See if you can or even want to compete with the local specialty paint stores. Then call us, maybe we can do business.

Rain, rain go away. I still gotta paint today!

Rain, rain go away. I still gotta paint today!

For most paint contractors, weather plays a huge part in what they can get done.
This time of year our focus is on exteriors and we need all the dry weather we can get. All it takes is several days of bad weather to screw up the schedule and make customers angry.

In the past, we relied on the morning weatherperson, how the sky looked, roll of the dice and any other method that we could think of to decide if we were working that day. Some days you take a chance and knock off early because it starts to look gloomy. Who wants to fix a paint job because of bad weather?



With today's proliferation of smart phones it is no longer necessary to pack it up early because it looks like it might rain. You can tap into real time weather information maximized for your location. I use an app called my-cast, but there are several options. I just enter a zip code and download barometric pressure, Doppler radar maps, and more so we can make decisions based on real time info, instead of a best guess. It has kept us on the job more which translates into more work getting done.

What do you use, if anything to base weather related decisions on?

“Nothing gets done, ‘till something gets sold”

“Nothing gets done, ‘till something gets sold”

Here's a piece written today for "The Blogging Painters". Enjoy.

It's not the problem; it's how you handled it!

It's not the problem; it's how you handled it!


Life inevitably throws you a curveball. If you are in the painting industry and have not made a mistake, trust me, you will. Spilled paint, broken items or even applying the wrong color, it happens to everyone. Being on the front line means no matter who makes the mistake, you will be perceived as responsible.

Recently, we were given some material to try out. (Free is good) Having used Zinnser's excellent line of primers for years, it would be hard to switch from it. We use so much that we generally buy it a case at a time, and because of the cost savings at big box stores, we normally get it there.

One of our suppliers (Sherwin Williams) started to carry XIM's Primer Sealer 1125 touting it as a replacement for Zinnser's Bulls Eye 123, both being waterborne stain blocking primers. Fred Davis, my sales rep gave a gallon of the waterborne and the oil to try. (Although, he took the oil back and still owes me one.) Since we were doing some work at my next door neighbors, we decided to give it a try. (No review, that's a future blog)

Anyway, as we applied it, we noticed it was bubbling as we went over drywall repairs and even over previously painted areas. Now I am ready to pour it all back up and toss it. Switching back to a tried and true product. But first, we called the people at XIM. They took the time to ask a few questions and got the batch number off the can. A couple of minutes on hold and we were informed that they had received a bad batch of raw materials from somebody and that there was foaming issues. Not only were they willing to replace the gallon (I told them it was a freebie and not necessary) they shipped me two gallons for the one.

What's the point? I could have easily trashed the paint and XIM, telling everybody I know that the product was junk. BUT, they went out of their way to explain what happened, why it happened and what they were going to do to make it good. I wound up feeling good about the results and am going to give them another shot. Point is, do you treat your customers this way? When you make a mistake do you blow them off? Or do you "Make it good"?

If repeat customers and referrals are important to your business, you need to go the extra mile. Solve any problems ASAP and make sure the customer knows you've taken care of it and they are happy.

I'll submit to you that most people care less about the mistake, than the way you handle that mistake. If you are in the customer service business, you need to handle all mistakes in a way that re-enforces that you are going to take care of you customer.

Stroking Wooster's Chinex FTP.

A brush to a painter is like money to a banker. It really makes our world go round. Can't imagine being in the business and not using one daily.

The brush you choose not only has an impact on the finished look of the project, but also has a bearing on how quickly and with how much effort the job gets completed. Add the fact that bristle material, weather, product choice and even substrate all effect how well the brush works, make the choices daunting.

My friend John from Wooster sent one of their new Chinex FTP bristle brushes for an evaluation. For those not familiar with Chinex, it is a synthetic bristle that can be used in place of China bristle (animal hair) for alkyd (oil based) paints. It also has the ability to be used in latex paint without affecting the bristles. Something you can't do with natural bristle.

We've had the brush since April and have been slow to put it through the paces because I have found that summer heat makes Chinex too flimsy to use outdoors. So we waited for warm weather and used it in 90 plus degree heat.

Working on a cedar sided home, using PPG's Sun Proof exterior paint, we really got a feel for it. First, unlike the competitors Chinex brush, this one handles the hot stuff. While it did get a little limp in high temps, it did not become too wimpy to use. In fact the brush is pretty darn stiff to begin with.

When the day was done and it was time to clean up, the brush actually cleaned up faster than most. (One of Wooster's selling points for it.)

Other Wooster selling points for the FTP (stands for "For Today's Paints") was increased paint release and reduced drag. Can't testify to that one because I just didn't see it.

Am also bummed out about the lack of reservoir or the amount of paint it holds. I found myself dipping more often then normal. It was the first thing I noticed about the brush, lack of paint.

This is a short term test and we plan on using this brush in different environments and with different products. Right now though, I fail to see a reason to buy this. Wooster's excellent Alpha line does everything this brush does, only better.

Chinex FTP:

Pros:

1. Bristles beat the heat.

2. Can be used in both oil (alkyd) and latex (waterborne) paints.

3. Easy to clean.

Cons:

1. Doesn't hold much paint.

2. Wooster already has a superior product. (Alpha Brushes)

It's always nice to get noticed by your peers. American Paint Contractor Magazine has us listed as a "Who's Who In The Paint Industry 2011". (full article starts on page 16) Thanks to APC for supporting the contractors in the trenches.