Becoming a Professional Painter.
Why would anybody want to become a painter? Why should young men or women even consider employment in the trades? These are both valid questions stemming from incorrect assumptions that young people have about the trades. Let’s examine why being a painter or working in trades is a great career choice based on some undisputable facts.
Unemployment rates of University and College graduates are high,
Many graduates that are working, have jobs not related to their field of study.
Almost every student graduating is burdened with thousands of dollars worth of student loans. This is not an ideal way for young men or women to start their working life.
Learning a trade does not mean that you don’t have what it takes to complete College or University. You can be intelligent and still choose to make your living with your hands. In fact, more and more young men and women end up working in trades after getting another degree. We see this in our company all the time. Our average painter or job manager has some College or University education.
What Does a Painter Do?
Painters prepare surfaces and apply coatings mostly for protective and decorative purposes. These surfaces can be wood, drywall, plaster, concrete, steel etc. Interior surfaces are inside commercial or residential buildings such as homes, offices, factories, institutions and other facilities. Exteriors of homes, buildings and other structures are mainly painted to protect them from the weather elements. Coatings come in many colours and can also be used to decorate and beautify.
How Does someone Become a Painter?
Some painters learn their skills working for companies mostly under the wing of more experienced painters. It takes a painter at least 2 or 3 years to acquire most of the relevant and useful skills a company uses. It’s a good idea to ask a contractor you want to work for if they have a training program
Things To Do After You Finish A Painting
It’s a great feeling once you finish a painting which you have long worked on and you are satisfied with the result. But your work does not finish there. There are a number of tasks which I recommend you do once you finish a painting.
Consider if it is actually finished
Knowing when to put the brush down and calling it finished is a skill on its own. There are many times when I have considered a painting finished, only to get the paints out again, later on, to fix up something that was annoying me or an error which revealed itself.
Sign your painting
Signing your painting should be the last time your brush touches that canvas. Of course there will be times when you need to fix something up, but in general, your signature should be your last stroke.
Name your painting
You don’t need to get all deep and meaningful with your naming. It could merely describe what you have painted. That is how I have named most of my paintings.
Photograph your painting
This topic deserves an entire post. Photographing your painting will feel like it is the bane of your existence as an artist.
Interior & Exterior Painting
If you need your home or business made over with a fresh coat of paint, there’s no better time to plan than now.
Interior Painting
A perfect interior painting job has many factors. One of the main factors that can help achieve that flawless look is a consistent and thorough application of quality paint. Great things happen when the best painting materials (along with years of experience) are utilized for your interior modification ideas!
Exterior Painting
Depending on the size of your property, exterior painting can be a multi-step process. We invite you to look at our examples of exterior painting. We think you’ll feel confident in our high level of detail and quality
Residential Painting
residential painting professionals are detail-oriented, and we understand the value of delivering quality work on time and within your budget, so you can get back to living in your home as soon as possible.
Commercial Painting
Commercial painting work can have higher stakes: budgets can be strict and schedules can be tight, sometimes even more so than for residential jobs.
Tips on How to Paint Over a Painted Wall
One of the most effective ways to breathe life onto your home exterior or interior is a fresh paint job. A new coat of paint makes things not only brighter but makes the house or business property more appealing. While the prospects are exciting, many people are often caught in a rut when considering painting over an already painted wall.
Wash
Grease, dust, and grime will collect on any wall external or internal. Before applying a fresh coat, some scrubbing and wiping are necessary. If you paint on a dirty wall, ugly bumps and streaks will appear, causing an ugly result on something you were trying to spruce up. Cleaning the walls makes it much easier to apply paint.
Prime
Before repainting, use a primer to create a barrier between the old coat of paint and your new paint. Another benefit of priming is that it creates a porous surface that gives the wall a more finished look. Avoid choosing paints with built-in primer, as they are not effective on a wall with the old paint. Such products may work if you are painting the same color but if you are making a dramatic color change, a good oil-based primer is important. It is easy to prime a wall using a thick roller brush. Do not skimp on the primer, as it will not be seen once you have painted. If you can still see the old color through the first coat of primer, it means another coat is needed. You will need a thicker coat of primer if the old coat was a darker color. Remember, there are many types of priming products available so you will need to take your time comparing to find the best.
Fill and Sand
If it is an old wall, there may be some holes and cracks that need filling. To do this you need to purchase a filler and correctly apply it over the cracks and holes. After this, a thorough sanding is necessary to keep the surface smooth and even in readiness for the new color. Remember; bigger holes may need filling more than once to ensure that the surface is smooth and consistent. Some people think of filling and sanding as too big of a hassle but skipping this step only compromises the new paint job.
Repaint
After washing, priming and filing you are ready to start painting the new color. Choose your new color wisely and have all the right tools in place to achieve guaranteed good results. Depending on the wall, you will need more than one coat of paint to achieve a good finish. When you are done with the first coat, leave sufficient time for it to dry before applying the next one. We recommend waiting at least two hours before applying the next coat. If you are painting the same color as the old one, a single coat might be enough but if you are going with a different shade, use more than one coat. When shopping for paint, make sure to buy an extra can just in case you run out.
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR PAINTING CONTRACTOR
The way a home looks says a great deal about the person living in that home, and most homeowners wish to make a good impression. One way to achieve that is by giving a home a new paint job. Even more than that, the curb appeal of a home, that is, the first impression someone has of a home when simply driving by, can affect a home’s value and how quickly a home sells once it is put on the market
In addition to all of that, a good paint job also helps to protect a home from the potential ravages of weather, protecting and preserving wood and other materials. For all of these reasons and others, it is important for a homeowner to choose not just a painting contractor who will do an acceptable job of painting a home, but one who will do a masterful job.
Do you have a list of customers who would be willing to verify the quality of your work?
Any painting contractor worth his lacquer should be able to supply a list of homes that he or she has recently painted and allow potential customers to speak with homeowners who have had first-hand experience working with the contractor. Be slightly skeptical if only a very small number of homeowners are available to speak with, as they could be the contractor’s next door neighbor, sister-in-law or other “ringers.”
Do you cover all of your employees with Workman’s Compensation Insurance?
If a worker is hurt while on a customer’s property, the homeowner could be held financial liable if the contractor does not have sufficient insurance to cover each and every worker. Ask a contractor if he or she has worker’s compensation; ask to see a copy of both the contractor’s General Liability coverage as well as their Workman’s Compensation policy.
How will my house be prepped for painting?
This is an important question and it is just as important that a contract provides a detailed answer and not offer vague generalities. Have the contractor put the entire process of preparation in writing and make certain that he or she dates and signs it. Holes and bad spots in walls must be repaired. All surfaces to be painted must be scraped and/or sanded to remove as much of the old paint as possible. Ask how many people will be part of the preparation process. For homeowners who are unaware of it, preparation is equally as important as the painting process itself.
