This Old House: Galleries

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Home Improvement-Hire a Professional the First time and Get the Job Done Right

Picture of the Image via Wikipedia

With this soft real estate market in the Orlando area, home improvement has become the latest fashion trend among homeowners. A couple of years ago it was moving  into a bigger and better house every few years. However, when real estate prices dropped, homeowners found themselves staying put instead of moving on. That is why there is a movement in central Florida to improve houses instead of selling them. This will add value to your property while you wait for the real estate market to recover. Nevertheless, do not make the mistake of thinking you can do all your home improvement projects yourself.

Most people can do minor repairs around the house. However, if you want to do a major improvement, you should bring in a professional. Some people consider painting the house a minor project when it comes to home improvement. However, if you do all the necessary steps to prepare the surface properly, then paint and clean up, it becomes a major project that can take a week or longer. Most people do not want to dedicate every weekend they have for the next month or two,  in order to get the interior or the exterior of their house looking like a professional did the job. Save yourself the hassle by hiring a professional the first time.

What is involved in getting a proper paint job? Getting a proper paint job involves preparing the surface properly. Unless you have hours to dedicate to cleaning, sanding, scraping, patching, priming, and other preparation tasks, getting a painting professional to do it will save you a great deal of time and frustration. If you think that you can put a coat of paint on the surface without preparing it, you will be surprised when the paint begins to blister or peel within a few weeks. That is when you will consider hiring in a professional to do the job right. No matter what home improvement projects you want to tackle, make sure you hire a professional first.

Despite what you might hear, home improvement is not so easy for everyone to do. Most of the time, they do not have the proper equipment or the expertise to get a job done correctly. After trying it themselves, they spend more money hiring a professional to correct their mistakes. Unless you have several years of experience as a painting professional, leave the painting of your house to those that know how to do it right the first time. In the end, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the results.
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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Painting Contractors - Do Your Homework before Hiring One

What things you need to think about when hiring a painting contractor? When looking for a professional to paint your house, it is important to take a few steps before you hire them. One of the first is making sure that they hold a license for your area. Many local jurisdictions, including Orlando and those surrounding communities, require professional services to get a license number. Get their license number and check with local governments make sure they can do business. If they have a valid license number, make sure that they also have a valid bond. Bonding makes sure that any damage they do does not come out of your pocket.

When looking for a painting contractor, it is also important to check the references. You want to make sure they have happy customers a good reputation. Ask for references of a recent job as well as one a few months back. You want to make sure that they work professionally and that the quality of their work stands up over time. You can also check with the local Better Business Bureau to make sure that they have a good record for dealing with any complaints. It has all of those checks out then asks them to come out and give you an estimate. That will give you a one-on-one impression of their professionalism.

When the painting contractor comes out to give you an estimate, walk around the property with it. They should be able to point out any problems that you may need address before they can begin painting. This could include rotting wood or minor siding repairs. They can also include the cost of those repairs in their estimate. If they just give you a cursory estimate without walking around the property, they are not the right painting contractor for you. Ask them for a complete written estimate. The estimate should detail all the costs involved including prep work, how many coats of primer and paint, cost of repairs, and any other details. They should also give you information on what products that they would be using.

The final thing to look at before hiring a painting contractor is being sure of payment terms and guarantees. Some contractors accept credit cards others only want check or cash. Some contractors will give you a six-month guarantee others will give you two years. The contractor should outline all of this in their estimate. This will allow you to make an educated decision on which Orlando painting contractor you should hire.
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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Choosing a Painting Contractor



If you are in the midst of remodeling your home, finding the right painting contractor is extremely important. Painting is one of the final steps before the project is completed. You will see the color every time you go in the house or look at the outside. It is important to have the job done correctly. If you are putting the money into the remodel or the bills, you do not want to skimp on this very important step. A lot of people get to the end of a project, see money is tight, and think that they can skimp on painting costs. That could not be further from the truth.
If you bring in a painting contractor in early stages of your project, they can give you professional advice as well as estimates to make the process go easier. They can likely help you with wallpaper removal, minor repairs, and prepping walls for paint. This can save you both time and money since your focus is on the overall project and not just on getting a paint job right. They can also bring you samples of various paint colors in order for you to choose the one that works best for you. Again, that is a savings of both time and money. That is great whether you live in Orlando East, Kissimmee, Apopka, Lake Mary, Winter Springs, Winter Park, Windermere, Dr. Phillips, Bay Hill, Oviedo or anywhere else in the Orlando Metro Area.
Finding the right painting contractor is as important as finding the right electrician or plumber. You want one that will give you a professional job at a fair price and in the quickest time frame possible. You also want one that knows exactly what they are doing. Hiring your nephew to do it because he painted his bedroom last year will likely give you what you paid for. It is better to get the job done right the first time then to pay for it a second or third time. Bring in the professionals early, get their take on proper preparation, and then stand back and let them do their magic.
The right painting contractor can also give you options for how you paint a house. The right professional will know how to bring colors together in the right way to enhance the focal point or to diminish an eyesore. They can get in, get the job done, and get out quickly. For people that live extremely busy lives, and trying to remodel a home, that is very important. The last thing you want to have to deal with in this process is an unprofessional painting contractor or one that takes forever to complete the job.
"AffordableRemodeler" - We are a residential painting and remodeling company serving the Orlando, Florida Metro area. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at http://www.AffordableRemodeler.com