There may be times when the painting job does not turn out quite the way you wanted it to and you need professional help and advice.
It could be that the paint job you were promised by the builder or painter did not work out to you satisfaction and you need a compliant report to help resolve the matter, simply call and have an obligation free discussion about your options.
This should not happen, it’s not the fault of the paint, it’s the fact that the paint was not applied in accordance with the “Australian Standards for painting a Building.” or the appropriate specification as stated by the paint manufacturer was followed.
There are such standards and all new buildings should comply, in this case the home owner could be up for a costly repainting on a house that is not yet 3 years old and my bet is that the builder told the home owner, “sorry it must be a bad batch of paint!” NOT BAD PAINT, BAD PAINTING!
Expert Reports.
There may be times when you find that you are in need of specialist report as a consequence of either the builder or the painter failing to deliver the service, the product or the result that you may have been hoping for, wishing for or paying for!
We offer a range of expert witness reports that are VCAT Compliant or Court Compliant or perhaps you need a Dilapidation Report.
Next Step:
To have an obligation free discussion about compliant reports, to ask about lead testing just call 0438 502 107 and talk to our specialist inspector.
10 tips for hiring a Painting Contractor.
Hiring a professional painting contractor has many advantages, and the first thing you need to understand is that you cannot over prepare for the work only underprepare!
Here are 10 steps you should take to select a suitable painting contractor.
Prepare a detailed list of the work required, specifying exactly what areas need painting, what finishes you want and the timing, list the brand of paint you want used and the quality level.
Yes, particularly the quality, all paint manufacturers make various quality levels of the paints they sell.
Just because the cans show the following names on the cans “Wattyl, Dulux, Taubmans or Haymes”, does not necessarily mean that you will get the best quality level within that brand!
Get at least 3 quotes, give them your specification, and insist on detailed written quote, detailing the brand, the quality level (trade quality, or premium quality, and there is a difference.)
What is the proposed painting process, exactly what is the painter going to do and what is he not going to do?
Check the detail of what the painter proposes for each surface to be painted including: – surface preparation – priming or undercoating (including type and brand) – finish coats (including type of paint, gloss level, brand, colours, and number of coats).
Are they washing down the walls or are you expected to do that, are they sanding between coats and if so what about the dust, are all surfaces to be undercoated before the top coat is applied, are they spraying the surface, what about overspray!
How will they protect your assets?
How will the painter protect the areas around the painting project?
For example, will the plants in the garden be protected when the exterior is being painted?
How will furniture, fixtures and fittings be protected inside the building during painting.
Timing
Exactly when will he start the work and how long will the work take?
How many painters will be working on the job?
What will the remedy be if the job is not completed on time?
Warranty protection.
Is there a warranty on the work?
What does it cover labour and materials or just labour or just the materials?
How long does it last and what is the procedure if there is a claim?
Recommendations
Ask for the names of previous customers from each painter as references and contact them to get their recommendation.
Is the painter courteous, businesslike, and professionally dressed?
Dirty appearance and paint spattered clothes may indicate a lack of care and sloppy workmanship.
Is the painter punctual with appointments and in returning phone calls, and genuinely interested in doing the work for you?
If the responses are slow before the job is won, improvement is unlikely when these things are important during the project.
Paint quality.
A painter has access to a number of brands which are manufactured to different quality levels.
Check the brand they intend to use but insist that the material they use is at the Ultra Premium end of that brands quality level.
The little extra it costs initially will pay handsomely because top quality 100 percent acrylic paints last much longer than ordinary paint and cost less over the lifetime of the project.
Assessing the proposals.
It is vital when obtaining quotations that you provide the different painters with exactly the same information.
What is also important, if not critical, is that you do not approve the work to any particular painter before all of the quotations are in and in writing; it is only then that you can accurately compare and evaluate the quotations.
For a free copy of this document or if you require, we will provide you with a painting specification on which to base you requests for a quote based on “painting best practice” obligation free, just email;
lance@paintguru.com.au and we will be happy to provide the material.