Exterior Painting Season Begins for Midwest Homeowners
Hester Painting & Decorating Offers Tips For Hiring A Professional Painting Contractor
SKOKIE, Ill., (May 10, 2007) – Springtime kicks off exterior painting season for Midwesterners. Once the last freeze becomes a memory, homeowners start calling painters for estimates. This process can be time consuming and also confusing as it takes know-how to compare and contrast documents from several contractors. While referrals from neighbors and friends are a great starting point, homeowners still want to investigate and comparison shop on their own to avoid a home improvement nightmare.
The experts at Hester Painting & Decorating encourage homeowners to make informed decisions when hiring a painting contractor. They recommend six guidelines to ensure hiring a painting contractor is a positive experience:
1. Personally meet the contractor and ask for a project liaison. You can learn a lot about contractors by the way they represent themselves, and their accessibility before you hire them often indicates how responsive they will be once you sign a contract. Many contractors prefer to do a “drive by” estimate where they spend very little time working on your bid. The longer the contractor spends evaluating the condition of your home, the more likely you will have a realistic quote. Once you choose your contractor, make sure to designate a project liaison with whom you can communicate at all times. This will eliminate many headaches during the job.
2. Ask about preparation and products. Without thorough preparation and high-quality products, a paint job can fail within the first couple years. Confirm what level of prep work each contractor plans to do, and be sure to request the highest-grade primer and paint available from reliable manufacturers such as Benjamin Moore, Pittsburgh Paints or ICI Paints. Top-line products and extra preparation time may cost more upfront, but their long-lasting durability saves you money in the long run. Avoid any contractor who offers to burn off existing paint – this is very dangerous to your home and has been discontinued by reputable painters for years.
3. Compare apples to apples. Obtain written estimates from at least three contractors on exactly the same scope of work. Tell them to itemize all prep work, surface areas that will be painted, the number of primer and paint coats to be applied and the exact materials being used, including product names. Also confirm the start and expected completion dates as well as crew size. Keep in mind that a small crew may require more time to finish the job.
4. Verify insurance and warranties. Any contractor you hire should have a minimum $1 million of general liability coverage plus workers’ compensation coverage. Insist on a warranty that covers both labor and materials. Be wary of extra-long warranty periods as those tend to cover only materials, while labor is the far more costly aspect of the project. Also, make sure the procedure for resolving any problems is clearly stated in writing.
5. Check references. When you have narrowed down your selections, ask the remaining contractors for addresses and phone numbers of homes on which they completed a project of a similar scope to yours – ask for older jobs to see how their work holds up. Unfortunately, some painters will claim work that is not really theirs, so be sure to speak personally with those homeowners about their experience with the contractor.
6. Protect your property. Inquire how each contractor intends to protect your landscaping during the painting. While not every flower can be preserved, a good contractor will be able to tell you the steps that will be taken. This is also an opportunity to point out any special areas or valuable plantings you’d like the contractor to watch out for.
“Homeowners should always feel comfortable asking questions and getting everything in writing,” said Steve Hester, president of Hester Painting & Decorating. “Good painters will back up their work, and a high-quality professional contractor that takes care of your home’s exterior, one of your biggest assets, is well worth the money.”
Hester Painting & Decorating has been providing homes and high-profile commercial establishments in the Chicagoland area with high-end painting and decorating services since 1968. Widely regarded as a leader in the fields of painting, faux finishing and wallcovering installation, Hester Painting & Decorating utilizes an enormous repertoire of finishes and techniques to create distinctive environments for its clients. The company’s trademark quality services will soon be available nationwide through franchise opportunities. For more information, visit www.hesterdecorating.com or call (847) 677-5130.
