Enjoy this day off.
Spend time with your friends or family and be thankful for everything you have.
Say a short prayer for those without and a quick prayer for you city, town, and country.
Happy Easter
Lloyd Martindale
Working on tile bathroom
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Stop wasting money
This is to everyone who does what they are suppose to do and shops for the best price. I have found that customers want three things.
Great customer service: We all want to be well taken care of
Great craftsmanship: We all want to have have great results from the contractors we bring into our homes
Good value: This is where many of my clients are getting in trouble. I constantly hear "contractor x quoted me a cheaper price". Yesterday I received a call from a valued customer saying "can you help me I did something stupid. I hired a cheaper contractor and I just fired him, can you come finish the project." No I have to fix the mistakes of a less qualified contractor. After that I will be able to finish the project. The project could have been done much less expensive and I would have been able suggest ideas and products that would have increased value to the project without adding much cost.
We need to recognize value and price are not the same thing. If you have a contractor you trust, it's alright to shop prices and haggle a bit but remember you are likely not comparing apples to apples. There is alot of truth to the saying you get what you pay for.
One last thing to consider. We know we want customer service, great craftsmanship, and a good price. Which of these three are you willing to sacrifice? This question will tell you what the outcome of your project will likey be. If you have had bad contractors in the past it is possible they gave you what you asked for. A cheap product and a cheap price....
Great customer service: We all want to be well taken care of
Great craftsmanship: We all want to have have great results from the contractors we bring into our homes
Good value: This is where many of my clients are getting in trouble. I constantly hear "contractor x quoted me a cheaper price". Yesterday I received a call from a valued customer saying "can you help me I did something stupid. I hired a cheaper contractor and I just fired him, can you come finish the project." No I have to fix the mistakes of a less qualified contractor. After that I will be able to finish the project. The project could have been done much less expensive and I would have been able suggest ideas and products that would have increased value to the project without adding much cost.
We need to recognize value and price are not the same thing. If you have a contractor you trust, it's alright to shop prices and haggle a bit but remember you are likely not comparing apples to apples. There is alot of truth to the saying you get what you pay for.
One last thing to consider. We know we want customer service, great craftsmanship, and a good price. Which of these three are you willing to sacrifice? This question will tell you what the outcome of your project will likey be. If you have had bad contractors in the past it is possible they gave you what you asked for. A cheap product and a cheap price....
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Proper painting techniques
First and foremost if you home was built before 1978 make sure your contractor has the paint tested for lead. Second make sure your contractor is licensed to work on homes with lead paint, also know as RRP license.
All loose paint should be scraped, damage wood repaired or replaced, and all joints and holes filled with caulking. All new wood, exposed wood from scraping, and fill material need to be primed with a good primer. Peel bond is a great way to seal an entire home and is does a good job of filling small imperfections as it is a thick material.
Most contractors spray and back roll for consistent coverage. We recomend a minimum of 2 coats of a good house paint after proper perp work has been done.
All loose paint should be scraped, damage wood repaired or replaced, and all joints and holes filled with caulking. All new wood, exposed wood from scraping, and fill material need to be primed with a good primer. Peel bond is a great way to seal an entire home and is does a good job of filling small imperfections as it is a thick material.
Most contractors spray and back roll for consistent coverage. We recomend a minimum of 2 coats of a good house paint after proper perp work has been done.
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