Types of Jobs

Below are the five basic types of jobs that we do. But no matter which type of job you choose, you can be assured that we’ll always do these four crucial things:

1. Use the right products

2. Make sure the paint will adhere

3. Do appropriate patching

4. Be neat and clean  

1.    The Cleanup Job – This is the job where the existing appearance is awful, and a fresh coat of paint will make it look nicer. Spending a lot of money, thought, is just not worth it. To make paint adhere, we’ll do a quick dusting or washing and a light sanding. Caulking and patching will be minimal. The work will be done neatly. This method will leave a surface that can be painted in a more detailed manner in the future. In other words, we’ll see to it that the paint will at least stick, because if doesn’t stick, then when it’s sanded in the future it will not feather, or it will just start rolling off the surface, and a major job will be needed to correct it.

2. The Real Estate Job  – This is usually income property or property being made ready to sell. No great changes are made here. Usually the same colors are used.  Preparation is a bit more detailed than a clean-up job. Things are well sanded and caulked, patching won’t show, and the work is done neatly.  Overall, the job will look quite nice. But we aren’t aiming for perfection, and the work is priced accordingly.

3. The Budget Homeowner Job – This is the one where you say,  “Yeah, I would love one of those lovely, prepped-to- make-it-look-new type jobs, but I can’t spend that kind of money.”  This job is a cut above the real estate job. It is personalized with new colors and may include a repair or slight remodel. On interior jobs, the prep is stepped up and more attention is given to detail. Problem areas are addressed. On exterior jobs, prep is done to ensure that there is a solid surface to paint. The building is made water tight. High quality products are used. This job will look good and hold up longer. 

4. The High End Job  – This job gives the highest priority to quality and appearance. Old and new surfaces are made to look the same. Prep includes sanding and more sanding, undetectable blending of old and new, textures matched, sheens that are even. Colors are often eye-matched to coordinate in whatever way necessary.  It’s all about detail, detail, detail at the highest level of expertise. Products are of the finest quality. These are expensive paint jobs, but in the end the quality that makes this type of job stand above the rest is outstanding.

5. The Restoration – Restorations when truly done right mean bringing a project back to the way it looked when it was first built. In reality, few are done this way. Historical buildings are, but most homeowners want modern conveniences added with a sense of trueness to the style of the building. However, these projects often require the removal of things like aluminum siding and stucco on exteriors, and cheap paneling, acoustic ceilings and bad kitchen and bath remodels on interiors. They also require guesswork re: what needs to be done to restore them; therefore, we give you a ballpark price at the onset of the estimating process, which we will refine after the initial demolition is done. 

Interior Painting is  mostly about the colour.

Painting is about home maintenance and the protection of surfaces, right? After painting hundreds of homes over the years, we keep coming back to the same conclusion. It seems to always be about that new colour, the new trends, the new paint. It is all with good reason of course. You are painting anyway, why not explore all the possible colour choices out there. There is a lot of information provided by manufacturers and all the design publications. Blogs and television about colour and decor are in abundance.

Who will actually do the Painting?

The Interior Painting process

• Furniture or smaller items will be removed. Furniture remaining in the area will be covered.
• Floors are covered with painters drop-cloths. Clean ones are used for interior residential painting.
• Hardware such as door knobs, electrical switch and outlet covers get removed or masked.
• Flaking paint is scraped and sanded. Holes and cracks are patched with spackle.
• Cracks in corners, baseboards and moldings are caulked.
• Repaired areas are sanded smooth and spot-primed.

• Quality paint is applied carefully. We follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Two or more coats are applied as necessary.
• Drying times are followed between coats.
• Sufficient ventilation is for interior painting.

• Masking tape and drop cloths are removed.
• Floors are swept or vacuumed.
• Furniture and hardware are placed back.
• Garbage, tools and equipment are removed.

• First our painters inspect the painted area for  imperfections.
• Then the customer will inspect it with the job manager.
• After the customer is satisfied, a completion form is filled and signed.

Our Commitment to Eco-Friendly Painting

 

The past decade has seen a growing awareness

and trend toward living an eco-friendly lifestyle and ‘going green’. While the rise in environmentalism really started to gain momentum back in the 1970s with government regulations and community movements, we have now come to a point where almost everyone is taking steps to lessen their ecological footprint.

We’re now conserving water & electricity, lessening our reliance on harmful chemicals, and generally leading our day-to-day lives with the environment always in the back of our minds. Businesses everywhere are also following suit, with products and services now being designed and delivered not only with their features, benefits, cost, and quality in mind, but also their eco-friendliness.

In the painting industry, it’s becoming commonplace to see painting contractors operating under the ‘green painting,’ ‘eco-friendly‘ painting, and ‘eco painting’ philosophy. Paint manufacturers are now producing safe, low-to-zero VOC (volatile organic compound) products as the rule rather than the exception, and even recycling and disposing paint is now much more environmentally friendly.

However, there is more to being a true eco-friendly painting company than just the type of paint that’s used on the job, and for a contractor to truly reduce their environmental footprint, they have to consider many more factors including:

• Water usage when washing paint brushes, rollers and other tools.
• Responsible use and disposal of construction materials such as plastic sheeting and sundries.
• Transportation to and from the job site.
• Environmentally friendly office procedures from paper reduction to more efficient lighting & heating.

 

Canadian Pros Philosophy:

Here at Canadian Pros, we’re proud to say that we were one of firsts painting contractor in Calgary to promote and practice true eco-friendly painting in every aspect of what we do. We decided that being environmentally responsible would be our mandate, and it remains our core philosophy to this day.

Not only do we exclusively use zero and very low VOC paints for all of our jobs, we also strictly follow environmentally friendly painting processes with the kinds of materials we use, how we clean up, and even the vehicles we drive.

What Does it Take to Be An Eco-Friendly Calgary Painting Company?

Eco-friendly painting is all about combining both painting materials and day-to-day processes with the environment in mind. However, just using low VOC paints, or properly disposing & recycling used materials is only part of a much bigger picture.

For a painting contractor to be called “eco-friendly”, they must adopt an environmental philosophy across every aspect of the company. And this is what that involves:

Using Low or Zero VOC Paints

When you open a can of conventional paint you will find a creamy blend of plasticizers, adhesives, hardeners, pigments, drying accelerators, solvents, and more. Many of these components contain harmful chemicals including acetone, formaldehyde, and ammonia, which are proven to be harmful to the environment and are also known to be neurotoxins and cancer-causing carcinogens.

When conventional paint is applied & dries, the solvents produce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that vapourize in the air. That familiar smell of fresh paint is actually toxic, and is known to harm both the environment and our health.

From an environmental point of view, VOCs react with sunlight and pollution, contributing to smog and ozone damage. In terms of health, these paint fumes can cause eye, throat, & skin irritation as well as headaches, nausea, and breathing problems.

Fortunately, the overall trend in the painting world is moving toward eliminating these harmful paints and embracing low-to-zero VOC paint options as a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative. For example, water based paints have mostly replaced high VOC oil-based paints, significantly cutting down on the amount of VOCs.

Advances in production have also reduced the amount of VOCs in the solvents, pigments, and binders that make up the paint. And aside from the health and environmental benefits, modern zero VOC paints have improved coverage, hiding and can even be quite durable with colour retention qualities.

Following Eco-Friendly Processes

Using environmentally responsible paint, materials, and equipment is only part of the overall philosophy of an eco-friendly painting company. If these are not used in the right manner, any environmental benefit they once had will go to waste.

To ensure that this doesn’t happen and that a painter is operating with the smallest ecological footprint possible, there must be eco-friendly processes in place for every aspect of the business.

What kind of processes should an eco-friendly painting company follow? For an example, this is what we do at Ecopainting:

• We follow environmental regulations and best-practices set by the government and the painting industry.
• We order and use the correct amount of paint on the job and nothing more.
• Any leftover paint, we save it for touch-ups, recycle it or donate it to charity to minimize any unneeded waste.
• We use ‘green’ cleaning products to wash off stains and surfaces rather than using harmful solvent primers.
• We dispose of, and recycle all materials including the paint itself following all environmental standards.
• We supply recycling bags to the crew and we recycle all drink, food containers etc.
• We do not use fliers or brochures as marketing materials.
• We even follow eco-friendly practices in the office to conserve energy and reduce paper waste.

Being Accountable and Always Improving

As we learn more about the environment and the impact that our daily lives have on it, there are constant changes to what is considered ‘eco-friendly.’

In the painting industry alone, we have seen changes in the standards for what’s considered to be safe or green paints by discovering what longstanding materials such as solvents and binders are actually harmful to our health and environment. Government regulations and consumer demand have also had an influence on what the right materials and processes are to follow to ensure that we are painting in the most eco-friendly way possible.

To stay at the forefront of environmentally friendly painting, a company must constantly hold itself accountable to current standards, and to constantly research new and innovative ways to reduce its environmental footprint as much as possible.

All About Eco-Friendly Painting

What are the main benefits of eco-friendly painting over more traditional paints, materials, and processes? This handy infographic will show you all about it. Source: http://ecopainting.ca/about-us/eco-friendly-painting