The Online Resource for the Painting Industry
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 24 CFR 35 Subparts B thru R, is better known as the Lead Safe Housing Rule (LSHR). If you have chosen to be a Lead Safe Certified Firm and use a Certified Renovator, not only can you work on RRP projects, but also many HUD projects that […]
In contracting, there are several business models, from the sole proprietor who likes to do all the work himself, to the owner who has project managers, office staff and crews and never touches a brush. That is the beauty of being an entrepreneur, you can tailor the business model to fit your style. No matter what size and […]
In 25 years as a contractor, I have yet to meet a contractor or a painter who didn’t claim to do quality work. But what does quality mean? Is, to paraphrase an old adage, one painter’s quality another painter’s junk? One definition of quality is: a distinguishing attribute. It could be argued that […]
Some states have taken over the RRP and you will need to handle everything through them. As the years go by, more and more states will probably take over RRP. Please check with your state first. Brief Overview As you are probably aware, on April 22, 2010 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 40 CFR […]
How many times have you had a customer tell you how much they loved the transformation of their home after you were done? Did you just smile, pat yourself on the back and move on? Do you have a system for collecting customer satisfaction surveys? Do you have a well thought out survey asking specific […]
This is a very important question, especially if you live in the hot arid areas. The first step is to understand how the chalking occurs so you can avoid it or prolong it as much as possible. Chalking is created when the binding agent in paint begins to deteriorate. In Venice Florida, the general causes […]
Whenever my kids do something that inevitably leaves them in tears or me with a mess to clean up, I ask them a simple question, “Was that a good idea or a bad idea?”. The answer is generally “bad idea” and that little message hopefully gets stored in their memory bank for the next time. […]
Drying Rack Systems When a paint contractor is working on a finishing project in the shop, whether trim pieces, windows, cabinet doors, shelves, or anything else, a big part of getting the job done efficiently is the racking system you use for all the parts. Like most contractors, shop space is at a premium and […]
Editors note: Johnson Home Construction was the winner of the Product Review Class in the recent www.topcoatreview.com Contractor Blog Shootout. Tommy is a talented writer, active blogger and social media participant. Hi, I’m Tommy Johnson, owner of Johnson Home Construction, a seven year old company based in Wallace, NC. JHC has one full time employee, […]
Like all construction workers, painters can be a hard nose tough group of people. In fact, many times we wear the description as a badge of honor. Sometimes, there is nothing worse than talking with a “suit” (white collar worker) and listening to him explain how he wants the painting to be done. Painters are […]
This month my blog culminated a Blog Shootout for contractors. It was a month long event that was well sponsored by four manufacturers and attracted a small but pleasing variety of writers, from new blogs to some extremely polished and well promoted blogs. The event was interesting and exciting, as it was nice to see […]
I am sure you heard the saying, “To the Cloud!”? The Cloud just refers to the new way of computing. Instead of having your spreadsheets on your desktop computer, your phone numbers in your cell phone, your pictures on a storage card, notes on a legal pad and your contacts in a rolodex and […]
A little play on words, but it got your attention. Like many things in life, size matters. However, when it comes to lead based paint (LBP) hazards … a smaller size is more impressive and more damaging. To illustrate this point, take a 1/16 ounce small lead fishing weight. Pop it in your mouth and […]
There is a lot of talk in the industry lately about “going green” and what it really means. If I offer a customer the option of using a Low VOC paint does that mean I am a “Green” painting company? I think not! I believe it is more of an overall philosophy and mindset. A […]
For thousands of years, lead has been known not to be people friendly. Even as far back as the Roman Empire, they knew that lead could cause health problems, cognitive problems and even death. Yet, lead had so many advantages that they down played the disadvantages. Lead leached from their plates, goblets and containers into […]