Painting In This Pandemic
Can our property be painted during this pandemic? That is a question that we have been answering for the past 10 months. Every month or so that question comes up from one of our customers. The short answer is YES IT CAN be painted. The longer answer comes from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Back in Mid-March, when all “non-essential” work was asked to shut down, we didn’t know where we stood. All the building supply warehouses were open and all the paint stores were open but we needed clarification. Was building maintenance, like painting, essential? Could we work or were we not supposed to work?
One of the jobs that we were in the middle of painting, during the shutdown, was kind enough to reach out to the LA County Dept of Public Health and their written reply was…..”Yes, repainting existing structures/maintenance work is allowed.” It further said, “Construction is allowed at housing facilities. Exterior and interior painting is a form of construction.”
Although we do paint interior common areas like hallways and stairwells, most of our work consists of painting exteriors, which is ideal for Social Distancing. Our workers typically stay 6’ apart from each other, they wear masks, and the best part is it’s outside!
I hope things return back to some version of normalcy sooner rather than later, but until then, if your property needs to be painted to protect it from weathering or you’re just simply tired of the colors from the last paint job or you want to improve the value of your property, give us a call. We’ll be happy to meet with you, smiling underneath our mask, or we can come out on our own if you just give us instructions on what you’d like painted.
Staying Busy!
We have been staying busy! I wanted to share some recent feedback we received from our customers about the excellent work that we have been doing.
“Hire this company. They do a wonderful job. Ferris Painting painted the exterior of our four-story condominium building, a project that lasted 4+ months. Greg Lewis did a superb job overseeing the entire project and the crew was professional and great to work with. Two years later, we had Ferris Painting back to paint the lobby and hallways. In walked the same great crew. Was kinda like homecoming. I highly recommend this company.” ~ P.L.
“The paint job you did was beyond amazing! Your crew was respectful and very patient with all 50 homeowners. They cleaned up every day and always up on time. They really added a personal touch to the project. Our complex looks like new… This was our 3rd project together and I am so glad you are our go to guy for anything paint.” ~ L.O.
“Many years ago we went out to bid for painting of our common area…I interviewed three vendors and was initially impressed by the response and thoroughness of their presentation. I took a chance and could not be more pleased with our selection of Ferris Painting. We were extremely pleased with the performance, timeliness and the quality of their work. Therefore, over the last 12 years, we have continued to use them as or preferred vendor.” ~ R.B. If you would like the same great service and want to find a preferred vendor you can continue to use for years, give us a call at 818-951-3207 or fax us at 818-951-5279 and we’ll get you a paint estimate free of charge. You can also email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
Best Regards,
Greg
We're Moving ! :)
Well, the time has come for Ferris Painting to move. We’ve been in our offices for the past 14 years and although it was close to the freeway, it didn’t have the warehouse I’d always been wanting. So earlier this year, a friend that lives down the street from us, who is a commercial plumbing contractor, said they were buying the building they’d been renting for the past 23 years. They asked us if we might be interested in sharing the space with them.
I went down to take a look at it and was very happy with what I saw. It had open, high ceilings, a great office area, a large stock room for all our filing cabinets and supplies and I finally have my warehouse for ladders, equipment, paint and trucks. With all that I was happy, but to top it off, I really liked the tranquil waterfall as you walk in the front door.
For me, that whole package worked for us. SOLD! So as of June 1st, we are in our new digs! Hooray! I won’t be in the office much since I’m typically out at one of our job sites or bidding a project, but I know my staff will really enjoy our new space.
Nothing else has changed with the move. We still provide the same great service and product that we have been known for since 1975. We are in the business not only to paint your property but also “To Improve Your Property”. We make things better than they were. We do try our best and I always impart to my employees to provide the best service we can.
We will be happy to provide you with a bid to repaint your property. We can also attend board meetings to answer any questions you may have about the process and we can also help with colors if you are interested in something new.
Our new address is 7228 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91303. Our phone number is the same (818)951-3207 and fax also stays the same (818)951-5279. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
Best Regards,
Greg
Don't Give Up
From earthquakes to 9/11 to recessions to now, this Corona Virus. It seems like about every 10 years or so, major events happen that cause us to take a step back and re-group. Well, we’re clearly in one of those times now. But we’ve always come back strong and don’t give up.
We want to let you know that our office is OPEN and we are available by phone and e-mail. In our line of work, buildings will still need to be painted & protected and we are happy to provide you with a painting bid, answer questions about a pending bid and schedule your work for the coming months.
We read an Albert Einstein quote in CAI’s magazine that says, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”. Many of us have had a lot more time on our hands lately so now is a good time to look around your buildings, keeping social distancing in mind. Do you notice peeling, rusting, cracked or fading paint? If so, we are here for you. We are happy to come out to look at the issues you are having and recommend a solution.
Importance Of A Job
Every job is important and adds value to the world. From the dirtiest of “Dirty Jobs”, made famous by the TV show, like the episodes featuring chimney sweepers, worm farmers and even septic tank sludge cleaners (yuck) all the way up to the “cleaner” jobs like the doorman of a high rise building, a lab technician or an office executive, and of course everything in between.
As in painting, every part of the job is important and adds value to your home but painting can be a fairly dirty job too! More often than not, I come home at the end of the day with paint or caulking or stucco patch on my hands and in my fingernails. I’ll spend my first 5-10 minutes home just cleaning my hands. My employees certainly go home at the end of their day with hands dirtier than mine. We take pride in taking a dirty, sad looking building and revitalizing it so the owners and residents are proud to live there again. We also love getting compliments and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces when we are finished.
On that note here is an email we received this past week that I’d like to share with you.
“The paint job you did was beyond amazing! Your crew was respectful and very patient with all 50 homeowners. They cleaned up every day and always showed up on time. They really added a personal touch to the project. This was our 3rd project together and I am so glad you are our go to guy for anything paint!” ~L.O.
So remember, YOU are important so, let us tackle that dirty job of cleaning, patching and painting your building. We would love to give you back a clean, well-protected building that you’ll be proud to call your own.
2020 IS HERE
2020! That has a nice ring to it! Both a new year and a new decade. I remember looking at the newspaper on January 1st, 1980 and thinking, “Wow, we are in the future now.” Then again on January 1st, 2000, with that whole ‘Y2K’ thing when everyone was worried all the computers in the world would stop working.
Times sure do change, but one thing remains constant and that is that rain and sprinklers cause the most damage to homes and properties. Water can get into openings and over time can cause expensive repairs. Nobody wants or needs that!
This past year it rained more than most but we only lost 3 or 4 days all year due to the rain. You’re right, it rained much more than 3 or 4 days, so how do we stay on schedule you ask??? About 20 years ago, we came up with the idea of working 4 longer days, 10 hours each, instead of 5 regular, 8-hour days. We submitted an application with the Secretary of State and YAY! We were approved! It makes total sense and here‘s why:
1. Our crews work 2 more hours each day and have an extra free day each week.
2. The properties we paint like it because it’s one less day we’re making noise each week.
(although we try to keep this to a minimum)
3. It’s better for the environment since our work truck and employee cars aren’t going to the jobsite that 5th day each week.
4. Our employees save money on gas and maintenance.
5. If it does rain, we can usually stay on schedule by working that Friday or Saturday (if needed).
As you can probably tell by now, we paint year ‘round, 52 weeks a year. Our desert climate is perfect for painting. We just wait a day after it rains, and we’re usually good to go. We’ve been in business since 1975 and have literally painted 1000’s of buildings.
Take a look at your property, has it been a while? Could it use a new paint job? Do you have cracks in your stucco that can let water get in? Is your wood trim peeling or cracking anywhere? Is your wrought iron rusting anywhere? That can also let water in and if water does get in those areas, you can be looking at larger replacement costs.
So save money and get your property painted and protected. Your bank account will thank you in the end. J
If so, give us a call at 818-951-3207 and we‘ll be happy to give you an estimate. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
Best Regards,
Greg
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US
Happy Anniversary To Us
In the fall of 2005, I met the founder of Ferris Painting, Steve Ferris. Steve and his wife, Liz, had been running the company very successfully since they started it in 1975. Steve wore the Production Hat and handled everything associated with doing the work, from bidding the jobs to completing the jobs and everything in between. Liz wore the Financial Hat and handled all the money matters. After 35 years and about 4000 buildings beautifully painted, Steve and Liz were looking to retire and do something else.
My wife was in property management and my background in the industry started in 1991 when I began painting various properties for her company. Jump forward to the Fall of 2005, when my father and I met Steve & Liz. They told us of their desire to retire and move on and several months later, in January 2006, we inked the deal and Ferris Painting was ours. Steve and Liz did a great job for 35 years and I’ve been doing my best for the past 10 years to keep it running the same way.
Ever since then, I try to carve out time to work with our guys and I always enjoy starting one of our 5 crews on a new job that will go on for a month or more. I give them their target of how long I believe the job will take to complete and when they look at me with that “are you kidding me” look, I say to them “OK, I'm going set your example for you”. I put on my painters-whites and work alongside the crew for the day. I challenge the guys to keep up with me, even though I‘m close to twice their age. I tell them, if they beat me, I'll buy them lunch. We have a good time and everyone is smiling at the friendly challenge. Some of the guys can keep up with me and some can't but I always get their best effort...and I always buy the crew lunch anyway. At the end of the day each guy knows what he can accomplish and voila...they now have their daily target and they feel good about what they can accomplish. When they connect all those days together; the job's done right, finishes on time, our crew is happy, I’m happy and most important of all, our customers are happy!
We have a 3-month long interior job for one of our crews that I’m looking forward to starting. We’ll be removing the 1970’s style wallpaper from 26 floors of hallway walls and skim coating the walls smooth. We’ll then be priming and painting those walls and ceilings with up to date colors that the residents will certainly be looking forward to seeing for a long time to come.
Estimates and consultations are free, give us a call today at 818-951-3207 or email me at greg@ferrispainting.com. Sincerely,
Greg Lewis
PROBLEM SOLVING
Some people call it “Putting Out Fires, but I like to refer to it as “Problem Solving”. These are the things that pop up unexpectedly. Heck, if we didn’t have problems, there would be nothing for us to do, right?!
We paint buildings and have been for the past 44 years, but more and more lately, people are asking us to help them fix some of the things that are bothering them and that they can’t do. If we can do it, I’m happy to help. It may cost them a few dollars, but if we do it while we are there painting their building, it’ll be cheaper for them than trying to find another contractor. Here are some of the Problems we’ve been Solving lately…
A unit in a Woodland Hills building had some heavy things delivered, which is usually not a problem, but these were “HEAVY”. While the delivery company was wheeling them in along their tile walkway, 5 tiles in front were broken. I looked all over LA for these tiles and couldn’t find any to match. Out of pure luck, one of my crew members thought he had seen these tiles in Tijuana and offered to go there over the weekend. Bingo, he found them and bought an extra 5 so the building could have them for the future. I call that going the extra mile!!
A commercial property in Simi Valley, that we painted a few months ago, asked us to re-stencil their vinyl entrance signs. They had two signs each about 8 feet long by 2 feet high. Now I didn’t know the first thing about vinyl signs, however I found a sign shop that would take these signs and make them look like new again.
We were recoating 50 balcony decks at an HOA in Glendale. In order for us to do our work, all the decks need to be completely cleared. Most of the decks were cleared when we got there, but 3 units had plants that were so heavy the owners said they couldn’t find anyone to move them. So, those 3 units paid us to move these plants down to their parking space in the garage. Some of these plants start out like puppies. They’re cute and manageable when they are little, but they sure do grow BIG.
We’ve been asked to realign sprinklers, remove old satellite dishes, replace faded skylights, protect swallow’s nests, dismantle patio enclosures, extend balcony drains out past the edge of the building, replace fencing and the list goes on. I look forward to my next challenge of problem solving!
As you may know, our business is painting. Stucco, wood, metal, doors, decks and walkways. We also do interior hallways and stairwells. If your building needs to be painted, call us. And don’t worry if you have an extra task that you can’t find someone to fix. We’ll do our best at trying to solve your problem too.
Give us a call at 818-951-3207 and we‘ll be happy to give you an estimate. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
Best Regards,
Greg
THE RED GLOW
We have lived in our house since 1997 and in these last 22 years, we’ve had a few fires in our neighborhood that required us to evacuate. These fires usually happen in the fall, when we get the notorious Santa Ana Winds that blow in hot and dry air from the high desert area north of LA. The humidity then drops very low and any small spark can cause a wildfire. Unfortunately, it happens. The last time we had to evacuate was in 2008, when we packed up our cars as full as possible with our 2 boys, animals, photos, vital paperwork as well as anything the boys wanted to take.
Well, unfortunately it happened again a couple weeks ago. At 11pm on a Thursday night, both my wife’s cell phone and mine simultaneously screeched an earsplitting sound, warning us that a fire broke out and the wind was blowing it toward us. So, I looked out our bedroom window and saw this Red Glow in the night time sky that at that time was reported to be 9 miles away. We got the Mandatory Evacuation notice right away so we went into “pack up and evacuate mode”.
Luckily (in this case) the boys have now grown up and moved out, so we didn’t have to worry about them and their stuff, but we still had to focus on what to gather up and load into the cars. My wife handled all the gathering and packing while I was watching the progress of the fire by bouncing between watching the TV and going out to the street to see how quickly that Red Glow was coming toward us.
As the fire got closer, those of us in the street were knocking on doors, making sure our neighbors had either left or were close to leaving. I took a picture of the fire, as you can see below. Even though the picture is in black & white, I think you can get the feeling of what was coming our way. Although we never know when something like this is going to happen, it’s a good reminder to always be as prepared as possible with a clear plan that is easily followed.
Luckily, because of the firefighters efforts, the fire went around our area but not through it. We were spared! This close call reminds me of what I can do on my end to best protect my house. Make sure all landscaping is neat. Clean up and get rid of anything around the property that is just sitting there collecting dust and while you are doing so, take a good look around. How does it look?
Has it been a while? Could it use a new paint job?
If so, give us a call at 818-951-3207 and we‘ll be happy to give you an estimate. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP
We bid on many painting projects each week. Some decide right away but with other projects, it takes them longer. So while they are deciding, we politely follow up each month with a friendly phone call to see if there is any news or anything we can help with. It sometimes takes years before the project gets the “go-ahead” and I remember following up for 5 years before we got the “go-ahead” to paint one particular project in the valley. Over those years, while they were deciding, the surfaces ended up deteriorating and it lead to added expense for them.
Paint protects your biggest investment, your property. It protects the stucco, wood, doors, metal and even decks. The sun’s ultraviolet rays are hard on paint but water causes the most damage.
This is not meant to be negative, there is something you can do about it!
1. Walk around your property once a year. Even walk while the sprinklers are on. Sprinklers can get off track fairly easily and start watering the building, which you don‘t want, because the water will start to eat away at your stucco and wood. It can also cause rust on your metal work and railings. If you catch this before it turns into a problem, that will SAVE YOU MONEY!
2. Plan to repaint wood and metal every 5 years, and stucco every 10-15 years. Yes we definitely recommend painting stucco because doing so will increase the life of your waterproof membrane that is behind the stucco. You can’t see that waterproof membrane but it is what really keeps the water from getting inside the building and causing even more damage and added cost. Paint is actually porous so the stucco can breathe and let the moisture you don’t want in your building, out and it provides a lot of benefit.
3. When it’s time to paint, use the right type of paint for the surface being painted. You don’t always have to use the most expensive paint but you want the right paint for what is being painted. The right type of paint can also vary depending on the colors being chosen. Dark colors can cause the surface to be hotter which causes damage so be sure to look at your dark painted surfaces often and definitely choose a high quality paint for these areas.
We will be happy to provide you with a bid to repaint your property. We can also attend board meetings to answer any questions you may have about the process and we can also help with colors if you are interested in something new. Our phone # is 818-951-3207 or fax us at 818-951-5279. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
Best Regards,
Greg
A JOURNEY OF A HOMELESS KITTEN
The Journey of a Homeless Kitten
Most mornings, our crew members drive to our office and take their assigned van to the jobsite they are working on that day. On Tuesday July 23rd, one of our crew dropped the van off at the end of the day and texted me that there was a little black kitten in the bushes behind another one of our vans. The next morning, I looked in the bushes and although I couldn’t see anything, I sure could hear these ever increasing LOUD meow’s. Meow…meow…meow!
I’m not in the office too much and by 8:30am I had to leave so I brought our receptionist Nikki out to the parking lot to tell her what was going on and show her where all these meow’s were coming from. Nikki then texted Angela (who handles our sales) and Angela told her to call our bookkeeper, Lydia, as she runs an online group to find loving homes for animals in need. Lydia and Nikki started feeding the kitten and giving it water for a few days. They then could finally see her. Her fur was 100% black with perfectly round little green eyes that looked as innocent, wide-eyed and wondrous as a young child looking into their candy bucket on Halloween.
After 5 days of going back and forth between sleeping in the bushes and in the bumper of one of our vans, the little kitten was finally comfortable enough to let Angela pick her up and bring her inside our office. She was an absolute sweetheart and was happy in her new home. The girls immediately got her a litter box, more food and water as well as, of course, some toys.
As much as we wanted her to be our office cat, we knew she needed a forever home with loving owners. Two people we knew, named Lila and Michael, were very interested in her. It was a great fit since they had one of their children and two grandchildren living with them, as well as two little dogs and a turtle. With an active house like that, they could give her a lot of love and attention. They named her Luna and here is a picture of her sweet little face.
If you feel your property has “gone off in the bushes” and could use some gentle rescuing, give us a call at 818-951-3207 or fax us at 818-951-5279. Or you can e-mail us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there. Best Regards,
Greg
GET TO KNOW ME A LITTLE
A brief background on me is that I grew up in West LA and as a kid, I played just about every sport I could get my hands on. I lived across the street from Roxbury Park and you could find me there most everyday after school and all day on the weekends. In grade school and high school, I kept trying different sports until I found the ones that I was decent in. I played baseball, soccer, cross-country running, swimming, karate, volleyball, wrestling, football, tennis and skiing. In my junior year of high school I was playing more and more golf and seemed to be doing pretty well at it, so that’s the one that finally stuck. I graduated high school in 1981 and was lucky to be accepted on to the golf team at The University of Houston. Houston was ranked as the NCAA #1 golf team in the nation, so I was thrilled to be going there.
In August of 1981, I packed up my 1975 lime green Pinto station wagon (I know, cool right?) and drove East for 2 days on Interstate 10 until I pulled into the parking lot of my dorm building. My dorm building was called Taub Hall and I was assigned to room 104. This was where I met my 19 other teammates. No one on our team was allowed to join a fraternity because our Coach had us all living next to each other in one wing of the dorm building. This was our own fraternity. 20 college golfers living together, studying together, eating together, practicing together and playing tournaments together. The bond that our Coach created in having us always together still lives on today.
We are now spread out all around the country but 15 of us still stay in touch, at least on a weekly basis, with a group texting thread. Recently, one of my teammates named Steve, who still lives in Houston, came out to LA and stayed with us. He came out to play in a qualifying tournament for the Senior US Open (for those of us age 50 and up). There were 90 other guys also trying to qualify. Steve asked if I would caddy for him (carry his golf bag, help with yardages, reading the slopes in the greens, etc) so I said, “Absolutely!”. He ended up shooting 67 which was the best round of the day, so he…..QUALIFIED and will be playing in the Open. Awesome! It was a great day and I enjoyed every minute of it.
I definitely don’t play as much golf as I used to, but the bond created back in 1981 with my teammates is clearly as strong as ever. We would like to create a long term bond with you too that will hopefully last for many decades, like the bond with my teammates. So if you think your building qualifies to be a “US Open” property, or maybe you want it to look like a “US Open” property, give us a call at 818-951-3207. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there. Best Regards, Greg
TOP 10 REASONS
The Top 10 Reasons
to Hire Ferris Painting for Your Paint Job
Why should you hire Ferris Painting to paint your property? There are several reasons! Here are a few:
1. We are well-known as one of the Los Angeles and Ventura counties’ most trusted and experienced family-based painting companies.
2. We have been in business since 1975, with 44 years of experience in the painting business, we are completely dedicated to quality workmanship and customer satisfaction. We have an eye for detail!
3. We are fully licensed, bonded and insured and would be happy to provide you with documentation. We have an additional policy for HOAs that is required to work on these type of projects. This protects the customer (YOU!).
4. We are a lead-safe EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) certified company. This means we know how to take the best care in the preparation of your building.
5. We work with the top paint manufacturers and use the highest quality materials to make sure your project comes out looking the best it possibly can.
6. Along with your paint job we can repair damaged stucco, wood and wrought iron. We don’t subcontract work out.
7. Photo renderings are available at no cost with most jobs we do. This way you can SEE the different color options for your building before making your choice.
8. We have some of the best guarantees in the industry and we stand behind them! Including our free BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM, which includes an annual touch up of your property at no additional cost (call for details).
9. We are always available to answer questions and provide assistance to the property manager, board members and homeowners. Just give us a call!
10. Our policy is that the job is not done until our customer is happy, because of this we have thousands of satisfied customers who have chosen us for their painting needs project after project and come away with an incredible looking paint job and a protected building. We can provide references!
Bonus! Estimates are free, so give us a call today to schedule one for your property!
Sincerely, Greg Lewis
A HOBBY
My hobby is training and racing in a variety of endurance events. For me, the longer the event is, the more it interests me. I’ve run 100 miles in the Arizona Desert. I’ve swum 12 miles in the ocean off the Santa Barbara coast. I’ve finished 6 Ironman distance races, about 70 triathlons and recently (March 24th), I ran in the LA Marathon.
I’ve run many marathons but this was the 3rd time running the LA Marathon, and really the first time “for me”. The other 2 times I ran this marathon I did it to run along side and pace a friend so they could finish their first marathon. Those were run in about 5-½ hours each which is a fairly relaxed pace. It had been a couple years since I had run a marathon and this one was for me, meaning I was going to give it a good strong effort. I’m not super fast but my goal was to finish in 3-½ hours (an 8 minute per mile pace), which is pretty respectable. I trained 3 months for this run and on March 24th at 7am, along with 25,000 of my closest friends (haha), we were off on our 26.2 mile run through the streets of LA, starting at Dodger Stadium and crossing the finish line near the Santa Monica Pier.
The run was going pretty well and I was feeling just fine for the first 20 miles, then we turned onto Sepulveda Blvd for a 1 mile slight uphill segment. That’s when my legs first started talking to me letting me know they were getting tired. I held my pace steady for the next couple miles but when I reached mile 23, my legs were protesting loudly demanding that I give them a break and start walking. At that moment, one corner of my brain was telling me “you only have 3 miles left, suck it up and keep going”, while another corner of my brain was saying “stop this foolish pain and walk”. I must admit that for a split second the “WALK” side of my brain won. But before I could actually slow down and walk, the “suck it up” side won the internal battle.
True, my legs were worn out and I couldn’t hold my pace any longer but I kept running those final 3 miles. Even though I missed my 3-½ hour goal by 11 minutes (finished in 3:41). I’m happy that I kept running through to the finish line.
If you need your property painted but are having some delays or set-backs and are not sure how you are going to make it to the finish line with a beautiful looking building, don’t slow down and “WALK”, give us a call and we will keep you “RUNNING” all the way to the finish line.
Our phone # is 818-951-3207 or fax us at 818-951-5279. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
Best Regards,
Greg
FAME CAN BE FLEETING
Every generation has its comedian. For my generation? It could be Chevy Chase, Robin Williams, John Candy or maybe even Bill Murray. All the votes aren’t in yet. This game still has a few hands left. \For Gen X? Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler, perhaps. Again it’s way too early to call this one. But for my parent’s generation, it was Bob Hope, without question. However, these days, Bob Hope may only be recognized as the name given to the Burbank Airport.
Fame can be fleeting.
Bob Hope had a charming custom of ending his live shows with an expression of gratitude in a song called “Thanks for the Memories”. At one time, it was very famous. To my surprise, Googling “Thanks for the Memories” first brought up an Alternative Rock band called Fall Out Boy and its song called “Thanks for the Memories”. Bob’s song didn’t come up until the 6th listing.
Fame is indeed fleeting.
Fall Out Boy’s song is an ironic rant about a bitter break up. Bob’s is a tribute to his audience who gave him his life and livelihood. What follows is a tribute to our customers who, last year, gave us our life and livelihood.
To board member’s Bill, Peggy and Sandi of Veteran Ave HOA --Thanks for the Memories! To one of the friendliest property managers, Dee Smith of Fidelity Management.--Thanks for the Memories!
To dedicated Board Member Carlos at Foothill Villas--Thanks for the Memories!
To Linda Batrin, hard working property manager at Park Place Apartments--Thanks for the Memories!
To Debbie Langford, manager extraordinaire at DRL Management--Thanks for the Memories!
To tireless Board Members Heather, Andy and Mauricio at Queensland Manor--Thanks for the Memories!
To Charla Duncan and John Kelly and their wealth of knowledge at Jenkins Properties--Thanks for the Memories!
To Jana Gersten of Pacific Real Estate & Mgmt and the folks at Alizia Canyon HOA--Thanks for the Memories!
To all the property managers we worked with at Beven & Brock last year: Laura, Laura, Sue, Maria, Juany & Paul (sorry Paul, ladies first)--Thanks for the Memories!
To Bob Hope, and, alright, I suppose, to Fall Out Boy too--Thanks for the line!
And to all the others who I didn’t get to mention, and you know who you are, you were there for us--Thanks for the Memories!
If you need a memorable paint job done right, give us a call at 818-951-3207 or fax us at 818-951-5279. Or you can email us at greg@ferrispainting.com or log on to our website at www.ferrispainting.com and email us from there.
Best Regards,
Greg
May 2018
We at Ferris Painting have been in business since 1975 and our focus is to give you a high quality paint job, at a good price and with good communication. With our 43 years of experience we have learned how to handle everything from A to Z, which saves a lot of headaches for board members, property managers and owners.
We are in the middle of a nice large 32 building project in Calabasas. Each of the buildings are 3 stories tall and we are doing the painting of all the wood as well as replacing various wood trim as needed. We started this project about 18 months ago and the plan was to do this over 3 years, in phases of 4-buildings at a time. Initially, 3 years seemed like a long time for a project but we are already half-way thru, in what seems to be “a blink of an eye”.
On a similar note - I had to lock in my entry into a triathlon that will take place in August of 2020 in Penticton, Canada called “Ultraman“. (Ultraman is a 3-day, 320 mile swim, bike and run event.) I know waiting over 2 years is a long time but in order to be accepted into the race, along with submitting my athletic history, I had to sign up early and pay my deposit. For me, that’s a “Win-Win”. My entry fee costs won’t rise over the next 2 years, and the event has a guaranteed racer…me.
Paint costs will be going up the beginning of next year so as we now get into the middle of this year, we let our customers know that if they want to lock in their pricing before costs go up, they can sign the contract now and hold that price. That’s another “Win–Win”. The HOA keeps their cost down and we book it on our schedule, just like my Ultraman race.
If you are considering painting this year or next year, give us a call soon so we can give you the best price possible for a beautiful paint job on your property.
Life is always full of challenges, so if your property is giving you too much of a challenge with its peeling, rusting paint and rotten wood, give us a call. We will take on that challenge and see you at the finish line when we give you back a beautiful looking building.
Give us a call at 818-951-3207. You can also fax or e-mail us at greg@ferrispainting.com. Best,
Greg lewis
April 2018
About a year ago, we bid a project to repaint a very large Home Owners Association (HOA) in LA. As we do with most of our pending bids, about once per month we check in with the board handling the project to see if there is any news on it or if we can help them with anything. With this project, the hold up for the past year has been trouble in deciding on colors. But they say, once they decide on colors that they'll choose a contractor and get started right away.
The way this HOA is doing things is a bit out of order and so this project is taking them a lot longer to move forward than it really should. From our perspective, here are some tips that can help you in your next paint project to streamline the process so it doesn't take over your life and so you can spend time doing what you really enjoy!
1. Choose Your Contractor - Once you have received your bids, perform your due diligence and decide on the paint contractor you will use for this project. It is important to choose your contractor now, so they can get you on their schedule. In this current economy, good contractors are usually booked out a few months so the sooner you get on their schedule, the sooner work can start. If something comes up down the road where you are not ready to start, it is much easier to delay the start of the job than it is start the job right away with someone else. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to wait for a busy contractor rather than start right away with a contractor that doesn't have much work. There's a reason why some contractors are busier than others...because they do good work.
2. Photo Renderings - Your contractor can put in contact with the paint manufacturer who can create computerized renderings showing how different color schemes will look on your building.
3. Apply Sample Colors - Your contractor can then apply paint samples to your property, so you can see what those renderings actually look like in the sun & shade and on the various smooth & rough textures of your property.
4. Choose Your Colors – This one is sometimes done out of order. Remember to choose your contractor before your colors because they can help you see what potential colors will really look like and how long those colors will stay looking good over time.
5. Start Your Paint Job – Now that your contractor has the colors and everything they need to get started, they can get their crew going at your scheduled date and you will be on your way to having a fresh, clean and protected building.
Estimates and consultations are free. Give us a call today at 818-951-3207 or email us at greg@ferrispainting.com.
Sincerely,
Greg Lewis
March 2018
Time flies…4 short years ago, I wrote about taking our older son on a week long trip back east to visit 4 colleges that accepted him. It was just him and me. It was a great week in my life! Just a couple months from now, he will be graduating from college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. It looks like he will be moving to San Diego for work after college and it will be nice to have him closer to home so we can see him a little more often than twice a year. My wife and I are extremely proud of him, his accomplishments, who he has turned out to be, and we are eager to see where life takes him next. Time flies…Meanwhile closer to home, our younger son, who was the little one (not so little anymore), is finishing up his first year of college with a focus on Biology and Kinesiology. I must say, I was a little concerned about how he would adjust to college life and being on his own but I’m happy to say he is doing well in his classes (actually waking up on time), enjoying the fraternity life (that’s the one I was most concerned about) and lifting weights at the gym when he can.
Time flies…Now that both of our boys are out of the house, I recently had time to look at the condition of the outside of our home and saw some of our eaves and window frames are peeling. I calculated that it’s been almost 10 years since all our wood trim has been painted. Whoops, way to long! I’ve been so focused on painting all our customers homes and buildings that I’ve neglected my own. I think it’s fairly typical that sometimes we do for others and forget about our own.
So if you’ve had a “Time Flies” or “Whoops, way to long” realization that your wood trim, wrought iron or stucco is peeling or has cracks, give your property the protection it needs with a fresh new paint job, before this year flies-by.
Estimates and consultations are free, give us a call today at 818-951-3207 or email me at greg@ferrispainting.com.
Sincerely, Greg Lewis
January 2018
23 hours, 52 minutes
I haven’t written about my fun athletic endeavors lately and since I had a big one a couple months ago, I thought I’d talk about it.
After my 6th Ironman in 2016, my friend and I decided that in 2017 we were going to take on a new challenge. That challenge turned out to be a 100 mile run on rocky dirt trails in the Arizona Desert. Training for a 100 mile run takes some time in order to build up enough leg strength and stamina to make it that far, so last February we found a race called the Javalina 100. The race was set for the end of October, so that gave us about 8 months to train for it. That was Perfect!
We followed a structured training plan that started off pretty mellow running about 30 miles each week and progressively increased up to 70 miles each week All of our training went according to plan and two days before the race my wife and I drove to Arizona to meet up with my friend and his wife, who flew in from Colorado. The race organizers give each runner 30 hours to finish but, our goal was to pace ourselves properly enough to finish in just under 24 hours. That was a pretty strong goal since neither of us had run 100 miles and didn’t know what to expect.
Race morning started with the gun going off at 6am as 800 of us started slowly running in the dark. The format for this particular race was FIVE 20-mile loops. Being able to see family and friends at the end of each 20-mile loop gave us something nice to look forward to every 4 or 5 hours. We were pacing our race pretty well, but we slowed a bit as the heat increased in the afternoon. By that time we were about 40 miles into the race. The sun went down around mile 50 and that cooler air gave us energy to run a bit faster, so we were able to get back some of our lost time.
Fast forward to the final loop which were miles 80 to 100. These were the toughest miles since we were physically, emotionally and mentally tired as well as sleep deprived, since these final 20 miles were being run between midnight and 6am. We were very close to our 24 hour goal, so during the final 10 miles I was routinely looking at my watch calculating how fast we had to run to make our goal and whenever I said we needed to run this section faster, we’d both groan….and then run it faster.
We actually crossed the finish line at 5:52am which was 23 hours and 52 minutes of one heck of a journey! As you can see I like challenges so, if you think your painting project is too challenging to handle, give us a call. We can do it and we‘ll see you at the finish line!
Sincerely, Greg Lewis
November 2017
Life Hacks and Painting Hacks, Ugh!
It seems like everywhere I go nowadays, people are talking about and promoting “Hacks”. What is a “Hack” you ask? A “Hack” is a shortcut in order to do something faster. Social media and podcasts seem to be bursting at the seems trying to sell their “Hacks”. Everyone wants a shortcut nowadays.
I’m not a fan of “Hacks” or shortcuts. I don’t see the point. Now I am all about planning ahead and working smartly but I’m not interested in getting that fancy car, or jewelry, or stock market hot tip, fast weight loss, (or whatever else is on our bucket list), too quickly. I believe if these objects of desire come too quickly, they can also leave quickly and won‘t last very long. Then what have we gained…..nothing!
I’d prefer to put the work in day after day, year after year with consistency and then in time, our foundation will be built and these bucket list ‘desires’ will come to us………. in time.
It’s the same thing with painting buildings. You can use shortcuts (hacks) to paint a building quickly and it will look good…..for a while. But then you will notice things not looking quite right and maybe some peeling or excessive fading will happen. Now while it is true that paint is not fail proof and issues do sometimes come up, I still always remind my painters that it’s better to put in the day to day reliable work so that our paint jobs last longer, instead of doing the job as fast as possible because even though it’s finished quickly, it also leaves quickly and that “corner cutting” mentality will affect getting future work and staying employed.
The guarantee I can give you is that I will always tell my painters to do it the right way before doing it the fast way. If you agree with that mantra, give us a call at (818) 951-3207 or email me at greg@ferrispainting.com for your free estimate. Sincerely,
Greg Lewis