Give your restaurant or commercial space a makeover this spring with Harding’s Commercial Painting Division. They understand the necessity of a quick turnaround and the psychology of colours in your space. Harding’s is a proud sponsor of the @albertahospitalityassoc #ditchthediy and hire the pros instead. #restaurants #aha #albertahospitality #bars #pubs #hospitality #foodservice #interiorpainting #exteriorpainting #restaurantmakeover #diningroom #backofhouse #kitchenmakeover #yyc #calgary #yycfood #yyceats #yycfoodie #yychotels #yychospitality #yycbuzz #yycliving
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Wondering how often to paint a house? Take a look at these signs your home is in need of a fresh coat of paint and what to do next.
Many people take great pride in owning a home. You can often tell by the upkeep of the home and how well it’s maintained.
But while many people might pay attention to the look of their garden, new windows, doors, and the like, it’s equally important to give attention to painting.
If you’re thinking about repainting your house, but you’re not sure if it’s time, keep reading to find out how often to paint a house.
Signs You Should Paint Your House
Painting your house can bring new life to both the interior and the exterior of your home.
For the exterior, it adds a new depth to your curb appeal. Painting the indoor makes it a whole new space, like a blank canvas to rearrange or decorate.
But how do you know when it’s time to paint the house – both the exterior and the interior?
Here are some guidelines to follow for painting your house.
Exterior
Painting the exterior of your home, in some cases, can be tricky and dangerous and best left to the professionals. In any case, here are some tips on whether or not you need to run to the nearest hardware store for a new coat of paint.
1. Damage
If there is clear damage to the surface of your home, it likely means there’s a larger problem. Cracks or rotting indicate there’s something that needs to be addressed, so fix those problems first before you choose a new exterior color.
Each house has a different surface, and there are lengths of time when the surface is likely ready for a fresh coat.
Here is a good guideline to help:
Brick: 15-20 years, but cleaning frequently
Wood: 4-7 years, but more so if it’s stained
Stucco: 5-7 years or as needed
Aluminum siding: up to 5 years.
While these numbers are a ballpark range, assess your siding and materials properly to decide if a paint job is needed.
2. Fading
All paint fades, but if it begins to fade significantly, it’s time to grab a paintbrush. Darker colors fade more quickly than lighter or neutral colors, so consider that before selecting a new hue.
3. Peeling, Chalking, and Morphing
All of these, peeling, cracking, and morphing, cause the paint to look run down and ruined.
Environmental factors like harsh weather conditions and extreme temperatures, can all contribute to peeling. If the paint is of high quality, it should not peel.
Chalking is a term used to refer to the residue that’s left on your hands if you run your hand over the paint. If it leaves behind a chalky texture, then it’s time to repaint.
Morphing is when patches of the paint turn a different shade entirely. This makes the paint job look splotchy, and usually occurs because of UV rays.
4. Bubbles
Bubbles might be fun in a bath, but you don’t want to see them on your wall. Bubbles and cracks are a sure sign of mold and rotting, so repainting and mold extraction is needed.
5. It Looks Bad
There’s no shame in admitting that a color you choose did not turn out as you expected! If you painted your home, and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, consider repainting to something more tasteful.
Interior
Reasons for painting the interior of your home are similar to painting the exterior: fading, damage, mold, peeling, cracking, and so forth. However, there are a few differences.
1. Scratches or Scuffing
The inside of your home is more prone to scratching and scuffing damage, especially if you have a family or animals. High-traffic areas are more likely to be scratched, like living areas, hallways, or mudrooms, but painting over them can give your room a much-needed touch-up.
Remember, if the damage is deep, like a hole in the wall, repair the damage first, and then repaint.
2. Moving
If you’re moving, and your walls are personalized with a color you love, you should probably consider repainting them. Homes sell quickly when the walls are painted a more neutral color. You want the homeowners to imagine themselves in the home, and neutral colors are perfect at doing so.
3. Dislike For The Color
Sometimes it happens: despite your best efforts and decision-making, you choose a color you end up hating. That’s ok. Repainting is often one of the easiest ways to change the look and feel of a room.
4. Remodeling
Are you knocking down walls and rebuilding? Unless you love the look of drywall, it’s time to choose a new color! Remodeling offers you a blank canvas and plenty of choices for a new color.
Things to Remember When Painting
Painting is much more than choosing a color and painting the surface. There are a few things to consider.
Prepare
Think about the surface you’re painting, and whether it’s indoors or outdoors. There are certain types of paints that are formulated to withstand each environment.
You’ll also need to repair any damage before you put on the first coat. This could take several days depending on the severity of the damage.
Pick
Select your paint color! Remember, darker colors are more likely to fade, and if you’re moving, try and find a neutral color.
If you plan on staying for a long period, visualize the space you want to create and choose accordingly.
Paint
Now it’s time to paint! Gather your materials – paintbrush, tarp, paint, and so forth – and start painting.
Painting the exterior could mean calling on a professional if the job is too treacherous.
How Often to Paint A House
When it comes to how often to paint a house, it’s going to depend on the amount of damage, fading, and personal preference. Assess your situation, and watch your space transform.
Thinking about painting and need professional help? We take care of all the work! Contact us today to get a quote!
This week on Talk Up Tuesday, Rob talks about Harding’s commitment to it’s clients with Free Estimates. Free estimates should be the norm in the Painting and Home Improvement/Maintenance industry, yet it doesn’t seem to be. It used to be a marketing ploy, now its just good business. If your small contractor is charging for your estimate, walk away and find someone who does not charge for them. Talk you your local Better Business Bureau, trade publications or friends. Find the right company for you by not choosing one that is not charging to meet you. Your BBB: https://www.bbb.org/ Harding’s Blog: https://hardingsservices.com/news/ When is Free Estimate, not free: https://www.angieslist.com/articles/w…
This week on Talk Up Tuesday – Pete the Plumber! Pete is the goto guy in CALGARY for Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning, HVAC and Electrical Services. Be it new installation or repair work, Pete and his team of Hulksters have you covered. We have a great partnership with Pete and his team and appreciate everything they do. Give them a call to help with your residential or commercial project.
#plumbing #heating #hvac #installation #repair #electrical #airconditioning #thehulk #superhero #plumbimgandheating #partnership #helicopter #ditchthediy #yychomes #yycnow #yyc #yycfitness #calgaryflames #roughnecks #calgarystampeders #yycnow #yycliving #yyclife #yyctoday #calgary #calgarylife #superheroes #hardings Pete the Plumber Ditch the DiY.
Talk Up Tuesday – Jedi Stucco Exterior Specialists
Jedi Stucco has been installing beautiful stucco and stone exteriors for over a decade. Specializing in EIFS wall systems, conventional stucco, all types of stone installation and any repairs your project may require. We can also apply custom designed stucco finishes, textures and solutions for any of your cementatious needs.
Residential or Commercial
Big or small, they’ve done it all! Their finished product is their business card. www.jedistucco.ca. #exteriors #exteriordesign #wallsystems #stucco #stone #installation #repair #addsomecolor #colormatch #jedi #yycnow #yycliving #yycbuzz #yyctoday #yycsmallbusiness #yyclocal #calgary #calgarybusiness #bbb #okotoks #airdrie #dewinton #calgarylife #calgaryliving #calgaryhomes #realestate #calgaryrealestate #yycrealestate #homeimprovement
5 Reasons why you should always hire a Professional Painter
#1 Finished Product
Painting anything requires training in all sorts of disciplines. Many people do not think of what encompasses an entire painting job in their homes.
Painting is a skill set that requires chemical handling/storage, ladder safety, skim coating, sanding, caulking, understanding the difference between paints and quality then ultimately having that steady hand. Also, don’t forget the tools you need.
When you hire a professional painter you are guaranteed a quality and professional finish, something you may not be able to achieve on your own. You all know what I am talking about there! The infamous ceiling hit!
#2 Preparation
The above ceiling hit could have easily been avoided by taking the time to properly prep the wall and ceiling. There is a lot to consider when prepping your home for paint, including having to research the paint to use, the tools needed and the time to complete it all. You may think that by buying the most expensive paint and tools it will ensure you a quality DIY job, but it all comes down to the application when using those products as well.
Professionals are not only efficient at the prep portion but will, again, guarantee the end product as well as ensuring the work is completed when its needed. Meaning you get that valuable #freetime you deserve.
#3 Perceived Value
So it is going to cost you less to paint it yourself, right?
That is not always the case. When you have completed DIY painting, it can come back to haunt you when selling your home or when you go to complete other renovations or DIY projects in your home.
Hiring a professional the first time means that its done right from the beginning and you’d be surprised about how reasonable hiring a pro is!
#4 #FREETIME
We have already outlined how much prep and time is required for painting your own home. Do you really have that time?
Hiring a professional lets you get that time back and also gets that honey-do-list off your plate! You have bigger things to worry about, let a pro handle it for you. Plus, a pro will complete the job far more efficiently than the DIY route.
#5 So now what…..
Whats the plan with the left over paint? Did you buy drop cloths for your DIY project, if so, where do they go now? Where do you dispose of the paint? How far is that drive and what does the municipality charge to do it? What other clean up is there to do now?
Is there touch ups to do after? Now you will have to pull all this stuff out again to do those.
A professional painter will take care off all of that so you don’t have to. They warranty and guarantee their work. This means there is no added pressure on you. You can either leave those spots you missed and get ribbed by your friends and family or just let your Professional Painter get it done right the first time.
It has been almost 6 months since I started with Harding’s. It’s been an adventure so far and a learning curve to some aspects of our business. I love a challenge and have tackled it head on but what I expected to be a challenge, forging relationships with our team, hasn’t been a challenge at all! Our team has made me so comfortable, it’s been like going home for Christmas.
We just had our Christmas Party this last Friday. I had the opportunity to get back to my roots and make all the food for our team. It was a ton of work and a ton of fun. We have a great group of people that make up the greatest Residential and Commercial Improvement Company in Calgary.
Congratulations to Lazslo Szabo on winning Rookie of the Year, Beatrix Lucza and Rony Mosstou for winning Craftsmen of the Year, Roberto Morales for Winning the Customer Choice Award and to the partnership or Matt Whiteley and Matt Rachul for slaughtering the Business Builder of the Year Award.
Matt Rachul, Rob Hilditch, Matt Whiteley
Rony Mosstou
Laszlo Szabo
PAINTING | CLEANING | EXTERIOR HOME CLEANING | CEILING TEXTURE | RENOVATIONS | HANDYMAN
Consumer Reports News:
Most homeowners hire a contractor to repaint the exterior of their home. Follow our advice to help ensure a high-quality job, whether you’ll have your house painted this fall or next spring.
Meet the pros. Call in at least three different painting contractors for your job. (Friends and family are good reference sources.) And be home for the initial meeting with them. That way, you’ll know how much time each contractor took to assess the condition of your home. The longer he takes, the more realistic the estimate you’ll get. Even an experienced painter will need more than a quick walk around your house.
Also ask each contractor about the size of his crew and the members’ experience level.
State your expectations. The number of coats a painter applies isn’t the only factor in determining the quality—and price—of the project. Preparation is also key. If you want a surface that’s free of unevenness from past paint jobs, tell the contractors—and be prepared to pay extra. But if you can live with some imperfections, agree on what level of prep is acceptable and what isn’t.
Get estimates. Seek a written estimate from each painting contractor. It should include a breakdown of labor, material costs, the number of coats of primer and paint, the brand and model of materials, and a detailed description of the amount of surface preparation that will be done.
Check references and past work. Get a list of references from each contractor and call them to find about their experience with the pro. A history of positive references is a good sign. Also examine jobs the painters did several years ago to see how their work is holding up. Use recent projects to check the skill of their current crews.
Harding’s – Calgary Painting Company
Consider credentials. Before you hire someone, consider his credentials. Membership in a trade or local business group, for example, isn’t a guarantee of quality work, but it shows a level of commitment and reliability on his part. Also verify whether the pro has the appropriate license(s). Also check with the Better Business Bureau, or a local consumer-affairs agency to learn whether the contractor has a history of unresolved complaints.
Obtain a complete contract. The contract should include all the contractor’s key information: name, address, office and cell numbers, and license number, plus whatever details were in the estimate. Make sure the contract clearly states what is and is not included in the job.
Get a copy of the painter’s liability and workers’ compensation insurance certificates. If he doesn’t have coverage, you could be on the hook if, for example, the crew drops a ladder on your neighbor’s car or a crew member gets hurt on the job.
Ask for a guarantee. The painter should promise to correct any chipping, peeling, blistering, flaking, or excessive fading or chalking that occurs within two years after the job is done at no or little cost. If he tells you the paint itself has a warranty, remember that doesn’t include labor, which is a far more costly proposition than material.
Choose the paint yourself. Your painter might try to talk you into a paint he prefers, but use the finish you want. Just remember that your painter won;t be able to warranty owner supplied paint.
Look for lead. If your home was built before 1978, older coats of paint could contain lead. That means the painter might need to take extra precautions to avoid any hazards. .
Hold out. Finally, don’t make a large down payment and withhold the final payment, typically 10 to 15 percent, until you are fully satisfied with the job.
Check out our own video on Hiring A Painting Contractor.
It’s been a fun few months at Harding’s, rethinking what we are and how we adapt to an ever changing market along with the needs and requirements of our clients.
With that in mind we’ve made some big changes! First, the name, we are now Harding’s – Your Improvement Company with all of our same great services and a few more added for fun! Second, the logo has changed to reflect our new name. A simple, direct approach to let you know exactly what we are at a first glance. The new logo will be rolled out digitally as soon as possible and over the coming months on static materials. 
We look forward to continuing to serve the Calgary area, not only as Calgary’s premiere painting company but as your choice in all home and commercial improvement projects, as well as all of your cleaning requirements.
Every once in awhile you come across someone or a group that is so passionate for their craft, that you just have to share it. This is the one of the many things like I enjoy about my new position as President at Harding’s. Our entire team of Licensee’s has a passionate dedication to their craft and to our clients experience.
After 16 years in the franchise business, I chose to tackle a different realm altogether. I think my previous role(s) have prepped me perfectly for this job. My passion for my own craft and the mastery of it drove me to find a role where like minded people could collaborate together to build upon a great foundation like Harding’s. Harding’s started in Midnapore, Calgary in 1996 by Dalton Harding. Dalton grew the business to include many painters that were passionate about the mastery of their own craft. Today we have grown to 9 residential painters, a commercial painting division, a cleaning division, an exterior cleaning/maintenance division along with ceiling texturing, renovations and a professional handyman service.
Many of the painters that started with Dalton have stayed “on board” (haha, a little joke about my past) and bought into the business that they now task me to operate. I look forward to many years of growing and learning the Home Improvement businesses we have established.
Check out one of our licensee’s talk about his passion here.
Rob Hilditch, President of Harding’s