Top Four Facts Every Commercial and Residential Painter Wished You Knew

Many DIYers face the same problem during their home renovation or commercial project, as consumers, they wonder “was all of this hard work worth doing myself and ‘saving money,’ or should I have just hired a professional right off the bat?” After reading multiple reviews in household project forums and spending a lot of time searching and comparing companies and their quotes, the Michigan painting industry relies and buys on three primary factors. It all boils down to weighing your options, budget, and expectations. DIY Painters in Detroit, and across Michigan, should consider those before embarking on a project, best left to the professionals. After a quick survey of our top-notch painting contractors, we compiled a list of the top few things they wished everyone knew about commercial and residential paint jobs, and how they can make life so much easier for you.

A Paint Job Can Help You Attract and Keep Tenants

Keeping up with your commercial property painting is extremely important since property managers are continually looking to attract tenants, and a fresh paint job here in Michigan is a good bet to do just that. A paint job every four or five years can go a long way in maintaining client satisfaction and property upkeep, and can convince tenants to stay for another term. The best way to keep your tenants where they are is to time this service within one to two years of their contract renewal.

When it comes to attracting new tenants, remember that first impressions are essential, and a quality paint job is vital to your building’s first impression. Painting is one of the cheapest space improvements a landlord can do to attract new and better tenants. The quality of work for this kind of job can be second to none and must be ready to last as long as the new relationships with tenants. Many landlords or property managers will utilize the best price, with little inspection for quality, which in the end, starts a relationship off with the wrong impression. That is why the wall painting process is so important to us here at Top Shelf, and we consider it an important concept to go over with all our painting contractors and potential clients. We know that paint can alter how a tenant feels about a space. Rather than a tenant moving to another spot, sometimes you can change the environment or paint job, so they have less motivation to find something different.

An excellent way to show your current tenants they are welcome to stay is a designer color change. The process of a color change, involves a designer coming in for a consultation and recommending a specific color to highlight an area. This method is proven to significantly help convince tenants to renew his/her contract. Although there is a cost associated with it, painting contractors across Michigan have seen it makes an enormous difference in the quality of the tenants for their clients plus regular maintenance makes re-renting an apartment so much easier when the lease is terminated.

Knowing Who to Hire, What to Do and What to Ask

A residential painting company works with their customers to help create the stunning results they expect and need. Our goal as a residential painting service is to take what you imagine and make it come to life. When you work with a trusted company, this is what usually happens. When using home painting companies in Michigan, or anywhere else, there are a few things you need to keep in mind as you work with them to ensure you get the results you desire. You should pay close attention to their contract, how they are going to paint, what they do to keep your home organized and the feeling you get from them during your first consultation.

These are just a few things we make sure to cover in our first consultation. If you are meeting with one of our competitors, be sure to ask all questions you need to feel comfortable, get the information you need and be sure to get to know the specific painting contractors that will be doing the work and the extent of their experience. You should be able to obtain precise information on who is coming, pricing, the timeline, and the overall details of how the project will work.

Leave it to the Professionals

Painting is not just a skill, but also an art. If you are thinking of ‘saving’ money and doing it yourself, keep in mind the knowledge you need to make the paint job look good. Not only that but also the process, clean-up and overall time you will need to spend versus hiring a residential or commercial contractor to come in and do everything for you. We realize that sometimes there can be disputes between contractors and their clients which usually boils down to unrealistic expectations and constant intervention from the homeowners. Effective paint jobs are based on trust between the clients and the businesses. So be sure to trust and get to know your contractor in your first consultation!

The differences between a rushed paint job and one appropriately done are enormous: paint on the walls and everything else, uncleaned walls leading to a splotchy paint job, or your favorite couch ruined by a misguided spatter. Watch out for the painters who skimp on preparation, the best way to find detail-oriented contractors is to ask previous customers for a reference. You can see all our positive testimonials and pictures of our past jobs here!

Space Must Be Ready for a Paint Job

As mentioned above, for effective residential or commercial painting jobs, make sure that you do not leave all of the prep work to the painters. You want to make sure to speed up the job time by cleaning the space you are getting painted. The project will go much smoother if you make sure your home, office or space is genuinely painter-ready.

For successful interior jobs, it is essential to make sure that all of the awkward spots have been cleaned. An example of this would be, behind the toilet if you are doing a bathroom remodel and don’t forget to pick up any objects that could get in the way, such as, soap containers or drawer organizers. The removal of the switch plates in addition to the outlet covers from the walls will go a long way toward speeding up painting time, as well.

When it comes to exterior jobs, trimming bushes and shrubs away from the house, and leaving at least 18 inches of clearance is a recommended practice. Making sure the gutters and downspouts are in the best position will also speed up the painting process.

In conclusion, a good contractor usually begins with a consultation followed by a site inspection. Once the discussion is completed, the contractor should be able to put together a detailed estimate to avoid hidden costs for the customer. Michigan painters should have full worker’s compensation coverage and carry liability insurance in the event of an accident. Furthermore, those that take pride in their customer service will be aware of factors such as, budget, space or time limitations and take care to work within those confines. They will also end the contract with an inspection conducted by the client and tenant, if applicable, to ensure everyone is satisfied. We wish you the best of luck on your next space remodel and if you need any paint help or advice, please reach out!