Why?

Well first of all, a lot of skilled laborers like painters, who have a year or two under their belt, have a tendency to think they know everything there is to know and can do it better than their boss, so there can be a lot of turnover before you find the right fit for your business.

It is important to remember also that you must first become the kind of boss that people want to work for. There are a lot of paint contractors out there who are only concerned about making the quick buck and not about building a solid reputable long term business.

This type of paint contractor is only interested in getting as much production out of a person for as little money as possible. These same contractors are the ones complaining about how they can?t find or keep good help. Truth be told the help is out there, but these contractors haven?t yet figured out how to ?develop? the help to benefit their business.

One of the best places to look for quality painting employees who are eager to learn and willing to pay their dues is through trade schools. Men and women who attend these types of classes are interested in learning the skill and developing it into a long term career.

A good way to find and keep good help is to develop your employees through an incentive system and to paint a picture (no pun intended) of the benefits involved with working for your growing painting business.

Here are some ideas you can use to help build a solid crew of painters who will represent your painting business as if it were their own, take pride in their work and develop outstanding people skills. They will leave your customers satisfied and referring your painting business to all their friends and begging you to do all future painting work for them.

In order to draw in and keep the type of painters that will be an asset to your business you must first put together a specific set of guidelines. Here are a couple of examples you can use and expand on to fit your needs and individual business model.

First, you never want to hire a painter at top pay based on what they tell you about themselves. Sure they may say they are great in all aspects of the trade, but unless they are willing to ?pay their dues? and learn YOUR system and the way you expect things to be done, it may be in your best interest to keep looking.

Consider setting up a 90 day progressive probation period that offers incentives based on attendance, production and attitude.

For example, let?s say you would be willing to pay the ?Right? painter $17.00 per hour once the probation period is over.

You can start your new employee out at $7.00 per hour for the first 30 days regardless of experience. This is the time when they will be proving themselves to you.

If all goes well and you feel like they are progressing in the right direction you could give a $2.00 raise paying them $9.00 per hour for the next 30 days while increasing their responsibilities.

If all your expectations are met and you feel that your new employee is a good fit for your business you can bump them up to $12.00 per hour for the last 30 days of the probation period.

At the end of the 90 day probation period you can do a formal evaluation to determine exactly what you are willing to pay based on your criteria and the progress they?ve made.

Once you decide on a the wage your new employee will work for, a great way to keep them motivated and productive (especially when you are not there to look over their shoulder) is to offer incentive bonuses for finishing the job early or maybe some kind of “no call back” bonus.

Another way is if a customer gives you a cash tip at the end of a job; consider passing it on to your employee. I can tell you for a fact, an extra $20.00 tip here and there for doing a good job on a consistent basis can go a long way in keeping your employees loyal and happy and motivated.

Again you must first become the kind of boss painters want to work for, then explain to your employees the benefits and opportunities available to them as they grow with your company.

If you think about your painting business as a series of stepping stones, one leading into the next, you will see that by developing your employees through a specific system right from the start you will realize that you are really developing future crew leaders for when you take the next step of business growth.

Technorati Tags: painting styles, custom wall color

Thoroughly inspect your home completely before moving on. This will prevent, if any, further damage to your home. Look for signs of blistering, peeling or chalking on the paint of your home. Water damage shows as rot or discolored areas. These problems will need to be properly fixed before moving ahead into the project. Mildew and mold are also other problems one may encounter while fixing up the home. After each repair, take further steps to prevent any more damage from occurring.

Often, exterior house painting preparation requires more effort and time because the exterior of any house receives more damage due to sunlight, which causes paint to fade and wood to warp, and weather, which can cause mildew and mold and other kinds of damage.

First, start with pressure washing to remove dirt and to make sure the surface is clean. Usually after pressure washing, you can begin repairs depending on the severity of the damage. If the damage is already apparent, make the repairs as soon as possible. However, most of the damage is noticeable after pressure washing. After washing and all repairs, move onto scraping and sanding.

Caution must be taken in this stage due to environmental and physical concerns. For example: if your house was built and finished before 1980, it is possible that your finish may contain lead based paint. Find out what you need to do and what not to do in those cases. It?s better to be safe than sorry especially when it comes to your own health and home.

Apply a high quality primer to all raw areas after scraping and sanding. As you continue further on, you may need to apply caulking to seal any areas where water can leak. Pay special attention to windows and doors.

Now mask or cover any areas where you do not wish for paint to go. Masking paper and tape should be used instead of news paper. A hand held masking machine will make this task easier. This is as important as the rest of the preparation. If not done correctly, the entire exterior painting job can be severely affected.

If you chose to hire a professional painting contractor to do the job, make sure that proper exterior paint preparation and repairs is included with the contract proposal. This makes it easier on you so you do not have to go and find a repair contractor. It also makes it easier on the contractor. If they know what kind of repairs might take place, they can find out whether or not they need a building permit with inspection.

If all of the exterior house painting steps are followed and all repairs made, your new finish can last beautifully for many years. Quality always saves money in the long run.

About the Author:

Karl Crowder has been a professional house painter for over 20 years and writes for http://www.house-painting-info.com , your house painting guide. Visit http://www.house-painting-info.com/exterior-paint-preparation.html for all the exterior preparation techniques needed for a successful paint job.

Technorati Tags: wall color, wall covering, painting

It is always best to get the job done during off-season periods of time. Usually, the off-season for house painting begins around December and can last all the way through mid February. If you live in an area where weather is not an important factor that can affect painting outdoors, then this can certainly help you save some money in the long run.

Also, customers usually at this time are preparing for Christmas and New Years celebrations. And after Christmas they are suffering from overspending and don?t have any money left for painting when they may have budgeted a new paint job for sometime in the spring. Therefore, this is exactly the time best for contacting a painter. The rates will be lower because of the off-season, and you will be able to get the job accomplished quickly and easily.

Additionally, the winter months are also a great time for house painting because in the wintertime, generally speaking, people don?t like to keep their windows open. In the interest in conserving heat and not letting cold, windy air into the house, you can avoid breathing in the fumes outside on the exterior of the house that are associated with paint by painting in the winter. This way, you can still stay in your home during the course of the house painting, and avoid dealing with any of the fumes.

If you have the funds available, but still want to take advantage of off-season prices, calling a house painting expert during these months is your best bet. To get a feel for the deal and everything the project will entail, be sure to ask the right questions. Gather information about availability, work hours, and all of the costs associated with the project so that you are not surprised later on. Also, if you manage to strike a good deal, be sure to confirm everything before any work is started on your house.

To learn more about house painting and to contact a professional painter in the Toronto area, visit http://www.hollywoodpainting.com.

About the Author:

At http://www.hollywoodpainting.com we are skilled Toronto house painting professionals who rely on our satisfied customers to recommend and refer us. Our house painting business relies on you, so you can depend on us. For more information on house painting please visit our site.

Technorati Tags: painting contractors, home decoration

Every home improvement project requires some planning. In fact, the planning and preparation process is one of the most important steps. One of the very first things you should do when having the exterior of your home painted is to determine if there is any prep work that needs to be done prior to painting. This is when you should be repairing any rotted siding, window sills, hand railing, or window and door trim. If you don?t want to make the repairs yourself then your paint company should be able to provide a quote that includes replacing your siding and trim. However, it may be necessary to call up your siding professional if your project involves replacing a significant amount of siding.

Second, you should take the time to decide if you want to change the color of your house. Doing so can give your home a totally new and updated appearance. However, you want to make sure that the colors you choose fit into your neighborhood and compliment the colors that your home already has. For instance, you don?t want to paint your house hot pink when all of the surrounding houses are light pastels. Making your home stick out like that can make it a less desirable home if it were put on the market. Also, it?s important to pick a color that blends well with your plants, landscaping, foundation, and driveway. Keep in mind, changing the color of your house is often more expensive because more coats are required to cover the old color.

Third, decide on the technique that will be used to paint your house; hand brushed or sprayed. Most paint companies would prefer to have it sprayed because it is faster and easier. However, certain homes would benefit greatly from having the home hand painted. Such homes would include those that are older, those with wood siding, and homes that haven?t been painted in a very long time. Painting by hand provides a thicker coat. It also penetrates deeper into the wood and crevasses which gives your siding protection from water penetration. Keep in mind; due to the fact that hand brushing is more time consuming you should expect to pay more for the services.

Lastly, you will want to carefully select a reputable paint company to do your exterior work. I suggest that you shop around and get a least three different price quotes because there are a lot of price variations for large exterior jobs. However, price shouldn?t be the only deciding factor. The quality of the company is also very important because if the job is done poorly then it will need to be redone faster then you know which will end up being more expensive. So don?t just choose a painter because they are inexpensive. Ask your friends and family for a reference before you even begin searching for a company. If someone you trust had a good experience with a company then the chances of you enjoying their work is higher.

About the Author:

To learn more about painting your house, and for a free quote on house painters visit www.PaintingKey.com.

Technorati Tags: painting styles, custom wall color

Framing

One of the most important, most fundamental - and most overlooked - aspects of painting is an appreciation of the frame. This does not refer to the wooden strips that a picture is “framed” in, in order to hang it up; but, rather, it refers to the relationship between the body of the painting and the area beyond its edges. Every artist makes the conscious decision to end his or her painting somewhere, to mark off a small area in which to create his or his art, to limit the scope of the painting and separate it from the rest of the world.

In a home, think of each room as a distinct painting, and the boundaries of each room as its frame. When decorating, keep these frames in mind, and decorate within - as opposed to through - them. In other words, keep the elements of one room’s d?cor clearly within that room. You may establish a theme for the entire house, or for one floor, or for one multi-room space, but do not blend rooms into each other. Keep each room clearly defined; keep each painting inside its frame. Make it clear where the kitchen ends, and where the living room begins.

Golden Thirds

One of the first rules (or, less strictly, guiding principles) of artistic composition is the rule of golden thirds: the simple concept that a composition’s main focus should be located somewhere on a set of imaginary lines that criss-cross a canvas at the horizontal and vertical intervals of one-third and two-thirds.

In order to apply this concept to home decorating, visualize all the planes (floor, walls, ceiling) of a room, and use your imagination to “draw” the golden thirds across them. Then, try to concentrate your decorations along these lines. For example, establish a line one-third of the way down your living room wall, and use it as guide as to how high to hang a set of paintings or other wall hangings; or, “draw” a line two-thirds of the way across your kitchen floor and place your kitchen table overtop of it. Usually, you’ll want to use one or two big elements, such as furniture, in combination with golden thirds so as to utilize the lines without making them obvious.

In a more general way, the rule of golden thirds leads away from static, unimaginative, and rigid symmetry by forcing the artist - or decorator - away from the very middle part of the composition.

Palette

After the frame is set, and the composition and concept complete, a painter decides on a palette with which to colour his or her painting. A good palette is usually minimal, featuring perhaps three colours that are then used and mixed to create an artwork with a dominant colour scheme, and therefore a strong character.

In home decoration, a palette can take the form of at least three things: colors, just as in a painting; specific objects, like a collection of spoons or a set of rugs; or themes or motifs, such as seashells for the bathroom or arches for a hallway. The key to using any one of these types of palettes is to pick elements that both fit a room by themselves and that provide ample opportunities for fruitful combinations. And, also keep in mind that because each room is “taken in” at once, it is more important to make sure that the palette in each room is solid than it is to make sure that, say, the rug in the living room matches the one in your bedroom.

Conclusion

Although home decoration is a different art than painting, both are, indeed, still arts. Therefore, the methods, techniques and theories that have been perfected throughout history in painting can be quite easily adapted to fit decorating. As American music composer Lukas Foss said: “Most people think an artist tries to be original, but originality is the last thing that develops in the artist.” So, even when no one notices that your beautiful new dining room is based on “a van Gogh”, they won’t miss that it’s still beautiful - and that’s all that matters.

Oh, and remember to have fun, be creative, and feel free to break some rules after you learn them!

About the Author

Karen Rhodes is a lifelong resident of the Chattanooga area and is a successful REALTOR?. Check out http://www.ChattanoogaRealEstateToday.com for more information on Chattanooga and it’s surrounding areas.

Technorati Tags: painting styles, custom wall color

Some think that house painting is very easy job, but it is not. House painting needs proper preparation to make your painting easier and reduces the possibility of making mistakes that could reduce your painting cost and which will give you quality and long lasting job. Here are some of the tips which will help you to know what are the thing that are required you to do while painting your house.

Removing Wallpaper

You may find it difficult but if your house walls are having wallpapered then remove it for better result. Although you can paint it like this but you may not found the good results so it is better to remove it. After you remove all the wallpaper wash the wall with an abrasive cleaner, rinse it well and wash it again. And it is dry for 24 hours.

Scraping or Stripping

Before applying new paint hipped or peeling paint must be scraped off. Sometimes paint hipped cant removed so easily the trick is to scrape hard enough to remove the paint but take care that you won’t dig into the surface. If it is not working then the best way is to make use of metal file which are easily found in the market. Use wire to remove any paint that is lightly flaking. The easiest way to strip old paint from woodwork is with a commercial liquid paint stripper; carefully follow the instructions on the container.

Making Small Repairs

Before starting with the actually painting hide all the small holes, cracks, and other minor surface blemishes which sometimes problems to fix on your own. Make use of sand to hide and when the material is dry, sand and spot-prime the surface area.

Sanding

The main reason to sand a surface is to smooth it. Before beginning to paint you should sand newly patched areas, bare wood, and areas that have been scraped. Use fine-grade sandpaper.

These are very small things which if you consider while painting your house you will defiantly come with very good results.

About the Author

Anna Josephs is a freelance editor having experience of many years in writing articles and news releases on various topics related to health, automobile and social issues. Currently, she is working on http://www.benzer3.com. To get more details on House Painting, please visit http://books.benzer3.com/house-painting.html . Please feel free to write feedback on this article. Anna Josephs can be contacted at annajosephs@gmail.com

Technorati Tags: painting contractors, home decorators, interior designers

By Guy Alexander Bell. BSc.(hons).

With a busy time enjoying the recent hot British summer, many people who wanted to get the outside of their house painted, either couldn’t get anyone to do it, or just didn’t have time to arrange it. But why wait until next summer when it may look awful now and will only get worse throughout the winter?

Why spend the next 7 months looking at how awful the house looks until someone’s available to do it? If its green and mouldy, with flaky paint and cracks, they will only get worse over time.

The summer is traditionally the time to get the house painted, but conversely, it is also usually the time that builders are too busy doing major projects; quotes and estimates take ages to come through, if at all, and some painters are far too busy working elsewhere, to do the job. Sometimes the adventurous homeowner tries it themselves, and, according to accident and emergency statistics, they often injure themselves, or worse, in the process. Some have even suggested that the days of DIY are long gone, ushering in the new DFY boom (”Done for you”). But with the cost of these services rising, and the difficulty of finding someone good, to do the work, what can people do to perhaps drastically cut down, or even eliminate, the yearly task of getting the house painted?

Many home owners are now getting a professional company in to do the job instead of attempting DIY projects and they don’t have to wait until summer now! People with less time on their hands are looking for a versatile company with a product that they actually guarantee that they never have to come back the year after! This is especially important as most exterior masonry paints only really last for 2 or 3 maximum and don’t really afford any protection from the weather.

NPA International make a long life paint, or wallcoating, which is essentially a very thick, viscous coloured coating and is professionally applied with an industrial spray machine, rather than a paint brush. That typically involves a tremendous amount of preparation and work to get it right, especially as a guarantee is often included against fading, cracking, chipping or peeling.

The coating is essentially a special type of long life sprayed on wall paint that actually lasts for up to 25 years, stops damp walls, insulates cold houses & banishes repainting! The Never Paint Again? exterior wall coating system is the most one of the more well known brands and is applied by professionals; the company prides itself on its integrity in an industry with its fair share of cowboys.

It’s well worth avoiding the Rogue traders and cowboys.

Anyone watching the BBC1 Programme “rogue traders” http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/roguetraders/index.shtml recently, would have seen how many exterior wall coatings companies and home improvement companies are conning people. NPA international has campaigned for years against this practice, and a read of their website will uncover a wealth of consumer information and research backing up that statement, so it’s reassuring to know they are the good guys!

And in a crowded marketplace, with lots of home improvement companies to choose from, it can be a pain to get one contractor in to do the walls, maybe another to do the windows, and maybe another to replace the soffits and gutters with UPVC? And if you have a leaky flat roof, it can be a further nuisance to try and locate a specialist roofing company to sort that out every 5 years or so too!

The NPA exterior home system has arrived!

There is a now a solution that has come onto the market, a solution that bundles all the above tasks into one package, so the homeowner only has to call ONE company, and they can come around and do the whole lot in one job!

So that’s the application of a long life exterior wall coating system (including any repairs such as rendering and fixing cracks), replacing or repainting the windows, adding UPVC or new hardwood doors, replacing fascias and gutters, painting, and the replacement of the flat roof with a GRP based system, which is extremely tough and last up to 25 years!

The package has been launched this week in the south west of England, by Guy Bell, manager of NPA international paints and coatings, who have been based in Plymouth for the past 22 years!

Guy Bell, an expert on these products, with experience of working in several countries abroad, says “We have recently expanded our popular range of products and we can now easily make any house, regardless of age or condition, totally maintenance free! Now that’s quite unique in the industry, as most specialist companies are just that, specialists, and therefore they usually only offer one type of product or service, however we offer the whole package, at a competitive price, which is easy to order from us, and no hassle to you at all, as we project manage the whole job from start to finish!”

And in the current volatile UK housing market, the properties that sell the quickest, according to leading estate agents, are the ones that look the best from the road, and are generally free of defects. NPA international can, in most cases, refurbish and repaint houses or commercial buildings during any part of the year, including winter, so why wait until the summer? When an order is placed, they get straight to work in the planning stage, so its only usually a couple of weeks to wait and they are on the job, no waiting for months for the builder to turn up!

A complete maintenance free house!

The simple fact that with the combination of a range of maintenance free products for every aspect of the exterior of a house, once they have finished the work, you need not do anything at all to the outside, for up to 25 years! With older houses especially, this is a real time and money saver, and the company has enough experience to advice on the best, most sympathetic products, in order to dramatically improve a home, increase its value, and take all the hassle away from the owner.

Never Paint Again? are based in Plymouth, Devon, with a network of offices around the UK, and to celebrate the launch of the new NPA EXTERIOR HOME SYSTEM they are offering a generous 10% off their normal prices, so why not check out their very popular website or give them a call?

You can call never paint again FREE in the UK on 0800 970 4928 or if you are calling from outside the UK, contact them on +44 0121 286 8558. You can even CHAT with them if you subscribe to SKYPE. Their username is NEVERPAINT

HTTP://www.neverpaintagain.co.uk

About the Author

Guy is married, 36 years old and lives in Plymouth, Devon, england. He is an ex graduate of the Univrsity of Plymouth and holds an honours degree in Social Policy. Guy is an expert author on the subject of painting, decorating and exterior wallcoatings, and is always on hand to give advice, often for free. He also runs consultancy, so give him a call or contact him via his website at www.neverpaintagain.co.uk

Technorati Tags: painting styles, custom wall color

Are you thinking of painting your house this Christmas? House painting requires a lot of money than one would expect. Why not try painting the house all by your self?

House Painting is an art that many need to learn today. It is an important job, and comprises of many important aspects like choosing the right color mix, the right color combination, and many such things.

Today one can find variety of house painting books. This painting book provides an easy access to many new and popular painting procedures. More importantly for better understanding of this art, each and every painting procedure comes with a step by step explanation. These book help you master your creativity and provide useful tips on house painting like

* Health and safety measures to be followed at the time of undertaking a house painting project. * Choosing the right paint, advantages and disadvantages of latrex and oil base paints, information about primers and sealers. * Different painting procedures to be followed at the time of painting the house.

The book not only explains about interior painting, but also gives you many valuable tips on exterior painting. You can get all the required information about both interior as well as exterior painting from various books available.

There are also books that can help you elaborate your knowledge and help you to learn the art better. There are books for both beginners as well as professional artist. The painting book for beginners provides step by step guidance about the art and helps them to enter into a new world of creativity. For instance, you will find books that teach you about the materials to be used, paints to be used, interior colors, exterior coatings, etc.

Apart from house painting book one can find different types of painting books. This includes tole painting book, face painting book, decorative painting book, oil painting book, painting books for beginners, painting books for professionals and so on. These books are available can also be purchased from different outlets online.

Isabella Rodrigues writes for painting-books.info, offering the latest information on painting books, visit them today and get the latest information on painting.

Visit today: http://www.painting-books.info

About the Author

Isabella Rodrigues writes for painting-books.info, offering the latest information on painting books, visit them today and get the latest information on painting.

Visit today: http://www.painting-books.info

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Most good-quality commercial decorating house paint will last for many years if kept airtight in a sealed metal can. Once opened, however, paint?s shelf life is immediately reduced. Color decisions may be affected by the type of paint you have to use, for example, paints that are specifically designed for use on rough exterior walls come in a limited range of shades, while there is a huge variety of colors available for use on interior walls. All paint should be kept in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. The colors with which we surround ourselves will without doubt have an effect on us.

House paint offers an enormous variety of colors, texture and pattern. It transforms the way in which we see them so that even their structures can seem changed. Choosing how to decorate and protect them can be difficult. Paint has the ability to make small structures appear larger and outside ones less overwhelming. The function of a room is a crucial factor when deciding on its color and finish. When picking-out colors, find out how they look both in daylight and at night. So before you go decorating a room or anything else, it is worth taking the time to find out how colors behave in combination with each other.

About the Author:

Roger King has been involved in home interior painting for several years, and has been helping people find and review the best value for interior painting solutions. Visit his Web site http://www.decorativeinteriorpainting.com to learn more about this service.

Technorati Tags: painting contractors, home decorators, interior designers

A new coat of paint can refresh and revitalize any room in your house. Paint is also a very cost effective way to change the look of a room. The best part about interior painting is that almost anyone can do it–all you need is the right material and a little bit of knowledge.

Painting Supplies

Your supply needs will vary depending upon the room that you are painting and the type of paint that you are using, but here is a basic list to get you started:

* Paint. After you choose a color, you will also need to choose a finish. The finish determines how shiny the paint will be. Choices include flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss. Flat finish is hard to wipe clean and should only be used in low traffic areas that will not attract dirt. Satin, eggshell, and semi-gloss finishes are easy to wipe clean and can be used almost anywhere. Gloss finish is very shiny and is best reserved for small areas such as trim or molding.

* Paint Applicators. Paint rollers and brushes are necessities. A good paint roller can paint an entire room. Choose one that has a fair amount of nap to it– the thicker the better. When it comes to brushes, everyone has their own individual preference. A small angle brush works well for trim and corners. A three inch flat brush or a paint pad will work well for the places that a paint roller can not reach.

* Miscellaneous Supplies. In addition to paint and paint applicators, you may also need drop cloths, cleaning rags, paint trays, spackling, sandpaper, and a putty knife (if your walls are damaged and need repair), and a ladder or stepladder. The ladder will need to be sturdy and stable to support your movements. Try choosing a ladder with a wide base or a flared bottom.

Painting Tips

When painting, the most important thing you can do is take your time. If you move too fast, things could get sloppy. Also important, is the prep work. Your painting project will go much smoother if you are properly prepared prior to painting. Here are some tips that can help:

* Make sure that you have everything you need by organizing all of your supplies before you start painting.

* Protect your furniture from paint splatters by moving it or covering it up.

* Use low-tack masking tape to tape off baseboards and trim. Remove the tape before the paint dries.

* Paint the walls before painting trim or woodwork.

* Do not apply a second coat of paint until the first coat has dried.

About the Author

Jack Taylor is freelance writer who uses a Little Gaint Ladder. Find out more about Little Giant Ladders.

Technorati Tags: painting styles, custom wall color