As a place to live, the Los Angeles area is the creme de la creme--proof
that life can be a bowl of cherries. Our gentle climate nurtures us all, from
the "peaches and cream" complexion of a Hollywood starlet, to the golden
raisin tan of a Malibu surfer.
So how come it's so tough on paint?
I saw more heavily weathered paint in my first six months down here than
I saw in the ten years prior to that painting in Sacramento.
Fact.
I used to scratch my head over it. Why? Every time I came upon a worn
out paint job I would wonder. And I wondered even more when I came upon
a paint job where the paint on top wasn't worn out--but was put on top of
one that was--and because of that it was peeling 5 years before its time.
Well, the other day I was flipping through an Atlas when I noticed
something. The latitude of Los Angeles is the same as the Algerian Sahara.
Fact.
Think about it! The sun that has turned the south Mediterranean
orchards and grazing lands of the Roman Empire into an ocean of sand and
rock, pounds down on Los Angeles paint jobs every day. So if your paint
job is desert dry, you know why!
And realize that if you want your paint job to hold up under Sahara
conditions, you need a specialist.
Ferris Painting has specialized in painting--and guaranteeing--exterior for
thirty-four years.
If you need an paint job done with our old time craftsmanship give us a
call at 818-951-3207 or fill out our free online estimate form.
that life can be a bowl of cherries. Our gentle climate nurtures us all, from
the "peaches and cream" complexion of a Hollywood starlet, to the golden
raisin tan of a Malibu surfer.
So how come it's so tough on paint?
I saw more heavily weathered paint in my first six months down here than
I saw in the ten years prior to that painting in Sacramento.
Fact.
I used to scratch my head over it. Why? Every time I came upon a worn
out paint job I would wonder. And I wondered even more when I came upon
a paint job where the paint on top wasn't worn out--but was put on top of
one that was--and because of that it was peeling 5 years before its time.
Well, the other day I was flipping through an Atlas when I noticed
something. The latitude of Los Angeles is the same as the Algerian Sahara.
Fact.
Think about it! The sun that has turned the south Mediterranean
orchards and grazing lands of the Roman Empire into an ocean of sand and
rock, pounds down on Los Angeles paint jobs every day. So if your paint
job is desert dry, you know why!
And realize that if you want your paint job to hold up under Sahara
conditions, you need a specialist.
Ferris Painting has specialized in painting--and guaranteeing--exterior for
thirty-four years.
If you need an paint job done with our old time craftsmanship give us a
call at 818-951-3207 or fill out our free online estimate form.
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| MARCH 2009 |
"Good Ol' Boy" Jeff Foxworthy has a great routine. It's made him a
millionaire many times over. You've probably bumped up against it a time or
two. It's called, "If (fill in the blanks), you might just be a Redneck".
He inspired me. I write these all in fun, I know you wouldn't let your
building get this bad:
manufacturers are going to be raising prices to the end user (you and me!)
because their material costs have gone up. When you don't paint, stucco
cracks and lets water into the building, damaging the interior and it's
contents; wood and steel dry rots or rusts. Replacing them can cost up to
100 times more than the paint job that would save it. And then after you
fixed the damage, you still have to paint it!
If you need a paint job done right, give us a call at 818-951-3207 or fill out
our free online estimate form.
millionaire many times over. You've probably bumped up against it a time or
two. It's called, "If (fill in the blanks), you might just be a Redneck".
He inspired me. I write these all in fun, I know you wouldn't let your
building get this bad:
- If the oldest person in your complex can't remember when you last
recoated it...IT MIGHT JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If the look of your new place is depressing it's value in an already
depressing market...IT MIGHT JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR
BUILDING! - If the local kids are afraid to come by for trick or treat on Halloween,
because they think you live in a real haunted house...IT MIGHT JUST
BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If you give directions to your place describing it as "the old condo right
at the corner...IT MIGHT JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If your wood and stucco has more cracks in it than the Liberty Bell...IT
MIGHT JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If your neighbors are passing around a petition for the city to re-zone
your property...IT MIGHT JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If the postman won't deliver to your complex any more...IT MIGHT JUST
BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If your building failed it's Section 8 housing inspection...IT MIGHT JUST
BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If the local graffiti artist refuses to "tag" your building, asserting, "I've
got my pride!"...IT MIGHT JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If your complex was asked to be a set for Johnny Depp's new
Depression Era gangster movie because they could save costs by not
having to make the building look old and neglected...IT MIGHT JUST BE
TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If your in-laws smirk at each other, nod at where you live, and sneer,
"We knew he was no good for our Susie!"...IT MIGHT JUST BE TIME
TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If the paint colors of your building are finally coming back in style...IT
MIGHT JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING! - If you can't TELL what color you building was originally...IT MIGHT
JUST BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR BUILDING!
manufacturers are going to be raising prices to the end user (you and me!)
because their material costs have gone up. When you don't paint, stucco
cracks and lets water into the building, damaging the interior and it's
contents; wood and steel dry rots or rusts. Replacing them can cost up to
100 times more than the paint job that would save it. And then after you
fixed the damage, you still have to paint it!
If you need a paint job done right, give us a call at 818-951-3207 or fill out
our free online estimate form.
| APRIL 2009 |
8138 Foothill Blvd.,
Ste. 200
Sunland, CA 91040
(818)951-3207
(818)951-5279 fax
Lic. #872494
Ste. 200
Sunland, CA 91040
(818)951-3207
(818)951-5279 fax
Lic. #872494
The hard thing about "tough times" is how to keep from making them
worse. I want to tell you a story about how a guy I knew did just that.
I had a friend named Brian back in my college days. Brian was a stock at
the local lumber company. It didn't pay very well and Brian was always
strapped for cash. Brian would borrow anything from you rather than buy it.
But Brian did own one thing. A tan 1966 Dodge Dart in mint condition.
Brian loved that car. He hand washed it every Saturday.
But in an effort to stretch his money, Brian never changed the oil in his
1966 Dodge Dart. "Why pay for the oil change?" Brian asked. " I just put it
in if it needs any."
I think you know where this story is going. It doesn't have a happy ending.
One day Brian's car couldn't "dodge" any more. Adding insult to injury, his
Dodge wouldn't "dart" either.
That's right, his engine blew up. Threw a rod right through the top of his
manifold. He was faced with a repair bill that was bigger than the worth of
the car.
You know, there are a lot of things like that. Do you know what is the most
expensive investment you will probably ever make? Of course, your home.
So doesn't it make sense to maintain it, at minimum, so that your home
doesn't "throw a rod"? That's why now, more that ever, paint can be
important. Paint serves a couple of purposes. On the inside of the building
it makes it more attractive, cleans it up, adds to your value. But on the
outside it does one more thing. It protects the money you already put into
the building.
There are items on the outside of a building that need to be
maintained--or you're going to end up replacing them. Wood costs about
$8.00 a foot to replace. And it costs about a $1.00 to paint it. Wrought iron is
even worse. Does it make sense to pay a little money to keep from losing
big? Of course it does! But how do you know what is vital to paint, what is
a pretty good idea to paint and what would just be nice if you could afford it.
Firstly, many people think that they have to paint everything when they
paint. Not so. You can easily paint only what is necessary to keep the
building from needing carpentry and welding repairs. And when you have
to grit your teeth and pay the painter, remember, if you wait too long and
have to replace it, YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT PAINTED AFTER
YOU REPLACE IT. And that adds insult to injury.
So , you have to crunch the budget. You were supposed to paint this
year, but don't have the funds. Here's the solution. Spend 8 pr 10% of what
you would have spent on a paint job and do a "touch-up" job. And rest easy
knowing you've kept the wolf from the door another year.
And if the building looks "dingy" in general? A pressure wash can, in
some cases, make it look almost like new. And it is very inexpensive.
If you think about it, it's never going to be cheaper to paint. Paint
manufacturers are going to be raising prices to the end user (you and me!)
because their material costs have gone up. When you don't paint, stucco
cracks and lets water into the building, damaging the interior and it's
contents; wood and steel dry rots or rusts. Replacing them can costs up to
100 more times more than the paint job that would save it. And then after
you fixed the damage, you STILL have to paint it!
If you need a paint job done right, give us a call at 818-951-3207 or fill out
our free online estimate form.
worse. I want to tell you a story about how a guy I knew did just that.
I had a friend named Brian back in my college days. Brian was a stock at
the local lumber company. It didn't pay very well and Brian was always
strapped for cash. Brian would borrow anything from you rather than buy it.
But Brian did own one thing. A tan 1966 Dodge Dart in mint condition.
Brian loved that car. He hand washed it every Saturday.
But in an effort to stretch his money, Brian never changed the oil in his
1966 Dodge Dart. "Why pay for the oil change?" Brian asked. " I just put it
in if it needs any."
I think you know where this story is going. It doesn't have a happy ending.
One day Brian's car couldn't "dodge" any more. Adding insult to injury, his
Dodge wouldn't "dart" either.
That's right, his engine blew up. Threw a rod right through the top of his
manifold. He was faced with a repair bill that was bigger than the worth of
the car.
You know, there are a lot of things like that. Do you know what is the most
expensive investment you will probably ever make? Of course, your home.
So doesn't it make sense to maintain it, at minimum, so that your home
doesn't "throw a rod"? That's why now, more that ever, paint can be
important. Paint serves a couple of purposes. On the inside of the building
it makes it more attractive, cleans it up, adds to your value. But on the
outside it does one more thing. It protects the money you already put into
the building.
There are items on the outside of a building that need to be
maintained--or you're going to end up replacing them. Wood costs about
$8.00 a foot to replace. And it costs about a $1.00 to paint it. Wrought iron is
even worse. Does it make sense to pay a little money to keep from losing
big? Of course it does! But how do you know what is vital to paint, what is
a pretty good idea to paint and what would just be nice if you could afford it.
Firstly, many people think that they have to paint everything when they
paint. Not so. You can easily paint only what is necessary to keep the
building from needing carpentry and welding repairs. And when you have
to grit your teeth and pay the painter, remember, if you wait too long and
have to replace it, YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT PAINTED AFTER
YOU REPLACE IT. And that adds insult to injury.
So , you have to crunch the budget. You were supposed to paint this
year, but don't have the funds. Here's the solution. Spend 8 pr 10% of what
you would have spent on a paint job and do a "touch-up" job. And rest easy
knowing you've kept the wolf from the door another year.
And if the building looks "dingy" in general? A pressure wash can, in
some cases, make it look almost like new. And it is very inexpensive.
If you think about it, it's never going to be cheaper to paint. Paint
manufacturers are going to be raising prices to the end user (you and me!)
because their material costs have gone up. When you don't paint, stucco
cracks and lets water into the building, damaging the interior and it's
contents; wood and steel dry rots or rusts. Replacing them can costs up to
100 more times more than the paint job that would save it. And then after
you fixed the damage, you STILL have to paint it!
If you need a paint job done right, give us a call at 818-951-3207 or fill out
our free online estimate form.
The environment and keeping it green is the "hot topic" these days.
It's been in people's awareness for a long time. In the Victorian heyday of
steam engines and coal-fired boilers, London's river fog transformed into a
greenish-brown, poisonous soup that led to the coining of a new work:
"smog", a combination of the words "smoke" and "fog".
Even before government scrutiny of the industrial waster polluting air and
water, and legal regulation of it, people were aware that it wasn't a good
thing. In J.R.R. Tolkien's 20th Century classic work, "The Hobbit", the villain
was dragon named "Smaug". Folks in Victorian England blamed a rise in
tuberculosis and other lung difficulties on smog. However, our right to foul
the air and water and all forms of life on the planet was not considered
something that could or should be restricted.
Odd.
I have been able to watch this change in my lifetime. In the sixties the
voice of protest began to swell as people became aware that, as big as this
world was, it did have limited resources--and people were beginning to put a
dent in a few of them.
My first job in my industry was a paint company shop "boy" in the sixties.
Company policy was to throw out old paint thinner, oil base paint, lacquer
and shellac into the empty lot next to the shop. Large cans of these items
were hauled to the dump. The dump was a "landfill" on San Francisco Bay
wetland. The cans were all thin metal which rusted through. It was all legal.
No, the dump is closed and toxic paint materials have strict regulations for
disposal. Anyone dumping toxic paint products in the ground, streams,
bays or oceans pays a hefty fine and might spend a little time in jail.
There's another factor. When I became an apprentice, I listened in horror
to old painters who told of friends who suffered cancer, skin lesions and
brain damage from toxic coatings--and coatings were almost ALL toxic then.
Urban legend claimed painters became drunks to counteract effects of
chemicals never meant to come in contact with living flesh. Looking at the
old guys on the crew (one of whom drank a thermos of Jim Beam at work
every day), I knew it was true.
But, over the years this changes. My industry screamed. It moaned. It
complained. And it lobbied. But with the regulatory gun pointed at its head,
it finally went green. And I like that.
Now you have to look hard to find oil-based paint. Today paint is 95%
water-based, bio-safe products. The quality is on par with oil base. With
good water-based paint, you get a lasting product that protects and
beautifies without polluting air, water and killing painters.
Now that's how "green" impacts painting. But how does painting impact
green?
Simple: Painting saves trees and slows global warming!
Huh!? Well, if you paint wood every five years, you won't have to replace
it. Wood is a "sustainable" resource, but we shouldn't waste it! So paint, or
minimally touch-up your wood every 5 years. Steel needs attention every
five years too. Manufacturing a pound of steel puts a lot carbon into the air.
If you don't paint it, it rusts out and you have to replace it, putting more
carbon into the air. And steel is not "sustainable". So it doubly needs to be
taken care of.
If you want to preserve your building's environment, give us a call at
818-951-3207 or fill out our free online estimate form.
It's been in people's awareness for a long time. In the Victorian heyday of
steam engines and coal-fired boilers, London's river fog transformed into a
greenish-brown, poisonous soup that led to the coining of a new work:
"smog", a combination of the words "smoke" and "fog".
Even before government scrutiny of the industrial waster polluting air and
water, and legal regulation of it, people were aware that it wasn't a good
thing. In J.R.R. Tolkien's 20th Century classic work, "The Hobbit", the villain
was dragon named "Smaug". Folks in Victorian England blamed a rise in
tuberculosis and other lung difficulties on smog. However, our right to foul
the air and water and all forms of life on the planet was not considered
something that could or should be restricted.
Odd.
I have been able to watch this change in my lifetime. In the sixties the
voice of protest began to swell as people became aware that, as big as this
world was, it did have limited resources--and people were beginning to put a
dent in a few of them.
My first job in my industry was a paint company shop "boy" in the sixties.
Company policy was to throw out old paint thinner, oil base paint, lacquer
and shellac into the empty lot next to the shop. Large cans of these items
were hauled to the dump. The dump was a "landfill" on San Francisco Bay
wetland. The cans were all thin metal which rusted through. It was all legal.
No, the dump is closed and toxic paint materials have strict regulations for
disposal. Anyone dumping toxic paint products in the ground, streams,
bays or oceans pays a hefty fine and might spend a little time in jail.
There's another factor. When I became an apprentice, I listened in horror
to old painters who told of friends who suffered cancer, skin lesions and
brain damage from toxic coatings--and coatings were almost ALL toxic then.
Urban legend claimed painters became drunks to counteract effects of
chemicals never meant to come in contact with living flesh. Looking at the
old guys on the crew (one of whom drank a thermos of Jim Beam at work
every day), I knew it was true.
But, over the years this changes. My industry screamed. It moaned. It
complained. And it lobbied. But with the regulatory gun pointed at its head,
it finally went green. And I like that.
Now you have to look hard to find oil-based paint. Today paint is 95%
water-based, bio-safe products. The quality is on par with oil base. With
good water-based paint, you get a lasting product that protects and
beautifies without polluting air, water and killing painters.
Now that's how "green" impacts painting. But how does painting impact
green?
Simple: Painting saves trees and slows global warming!
Huh!? Well, if you paint wood every five years, you won't have to replace
it. Wood is a "sustainable" resource, but we shouldn't waste it! So paint, or
minimally touch-up your wood every 5 years. Steel needs attention every
five years too. Manufacturing a pound of steel puts a lot carbon into the air.
If you don't paint it, it rusts out and you have to replace it, putting more
carbon into the air. And steel is not "sustainable". So it doubly needs to be
taken care of.
If you want to preserve your building's environment, give us a call at
818-951-3207 or fill out our free online estimate form.
| MAY 2009 |
| JUNE 2009 |
Greg Lewis, our operations director, came to me with a little story this
morning.
"Steve, I was talking to Mrs. X on the board of Association Y over in
Ventura. I think they might want to go with our painting proposal. But I've
run into a problem with her. She wants to see some recent jobs we've done
in the area. I told her about Z Association, the big project we just finished."
"Did she know where it was?", I asked.
"She sure did! She told me, 'The colors you put on that place are
hideous!' Steve, I don't want to lose Association Y because they don't like
the colors the Z board picked!", Greg answered.
It's an old problem for a painting contractor. Folks blame us for the colors
we put on. But like Sergeant Schulze in the old TV program "Hogan's
Heroes", we're just following orders!
Luckily, putting ugly colors on a building is not a crime...usually.
I was talking to a friend on mine at the Painting and Decorating
Contractors Association a while back. He had painted a home in an
association down in Palos Verdes. The owners wanted bright island colors
instead of the calm earth tones of the rest of their neighbors. Before the
paint dried on the front door there was an order to repaint their house in
conformance with the association's ruling documents. Busted!
And there are cities where you have to get a permit to change the color of
your building. And sometime the owner's choice is not allowed.
But quite often in the land of the free and the home of the brave the owner
can choose whatever colors tickle their fancy.
But whether it's the owner or the city or the association who picks the
colors, there is one common factor in every paint job that I've done in the
last 39 years: I have NEVER picked the colors for our customer.
Despite this, I have been blamed for it at least 20 times in those 39 years.
At this point, I'm amused when it comes up. But the first time, I felt
vaguely responsible for my customers color choise.
After all, I'd put it on the wall. And that Flamingo Pink had been a bit much.
Maybe I should have refused as a matter of personal integrity and ethics!
Seriously though, beauty is an individual thing and is very much in the
eye of the beholder. If the customer wishes, we will tender our opinion--but
with suitable modesty and reluctance. After all, any customer driving
through town, any day will see hundreds of paint jobs and color
combinations. They are just as qualified as we are to say what looks good.
But each customer has a unique qualification that we don't when it comes
to choosing the color for their building. They know what they like when they
see it!
An our goal hers at Ferris Painting is to give you what you want.
But there IS something that we can to help YOU find what you like.
Suppose you want to change the color of your building, but you aren't sure
what you'll like on the building. It can be hard to visualize what a new color
scheme will look like on your building. We have the ability to take a picture
of your building and with a computer, provide you with pictures of various
alternate color schemes. Then, when you wee it, you'll know whether or not
you like it.
If you want to change the look of your building, give us a call at
818-951-3207 or fill out our free online estimate form.
morning.
"Steve, I was talking to Mrs. X on the board of Association Y over in
Ventura. I think they might want to go with our painting proposal. But I've
run into a problem with her. She wants to see some recent jobs we've done
in the area. I told her about Z Association, the big project we just finished."
"Did she know where it was?", I asked.
"She sure did! She told me, 'The colors you put on that place are
hideous!' Steve, I don't want to lose Association Y because they don't like
the colors the Z board picked!", Greg answered.
It's an old problem for a painting contractor. Folks blame us for the colors
we put on. But like Sergeant Schulze in the old TV program "Hogan's
Heroes", we're just following orders!
Luckily, putting ugly colors on a building is not a crime...usually.
I was talking to a friend on mine at the Painting and Decorating
Contractors Association a while back. He had painted a home in an
association down in Palos Verdes. The owners wanted bright island colors
instead of the calm earth tones of the rest of their neighbors. Before the
paint dried on the front door there was an order to repaint their house in
conformance with the association's ruling documents. Busted!
And there are cities where you have to get a permit to change the color of
your building. And sometime the owner's choice is not allowed.
But quite often in the land of the free and the home of the brave the owner
can choose whatever colors tickle their fancy.
But whether it's the owner or the city or the association who picks the
colors, there is one common factor in every paint job that I've done in the
last 39 years: I have NEVER picked the colors for our customer.
Despite this, I have been blamed for it at least 20 times in those 39 years.
At this point, I'm amused when it comes up. But the first time, I felt
vaguely responsible for my customers color choise.
After all, I'd put it on the wall. And that Flamingo Pink had been a bit much.
Maybe I should have refused as a matter of personal integrity and ethics!
Seriously though, beauty is an individual thing and is very much in the
eye of the beholder. If the customer wishes, we will tender our opinion--but
with suitable modesty and reluctance. After all, any customer driving
through town, any day will see hundreds of paint jobs and color
combinations. They are just as qualified as we are to say what looks good.
But each customer has a unique qualification that we don't when it comes
to choosing the color for their building. They know what they like when they
see it!
An our goal hers at Ferris Painting is to give you what you want.
But there IS something that we can to help YOU find what you like.
Suppose you want to change the color of your building, but you aren't sure
what you'll like on the building. It can be hard to visualize what a new color
scheme will look like on your building. We have the ability to take a picture
of your building and with a computer, provide you with pictures of various
alternate color schemes. Then, when you wee it, you'll know whether or not
you like it.
If you want to change the look of your building, give us a call at
818-951-3207 or fill out our free online estimate form.
| JULY 2009 |