January is not usually very busy, but this year I have been commissioned to paint a mural in the pool area of the Best Western on Columbia street, Kamloops, BC.

After agreeing on the subject to be painted I completed the painting in about two weeks. Take a look and see how this mural enhances this space.

2012 was such a busy year that my blog was forgotten. Usually I don't paint new construction but this year I did two in Kamloops. As a work alone painter this is really too much for a one man show. The owner of house one was very good and I managed to keep up to the schedules of the other trades.
Mural painting was late this year due to government hitches. The murals were fun and garnered lots of attention. My other work was confined to smaller projects including a bit of exterior painting and of course Christmas window art. 

Frozen in time

With a temperature reading of around minus 11 outside, painting anything is not on most people's minds. It is a good time to start planning your painting projects for the year though, along with a budget for any professional work that you might need. Always get at least three quotes from 3 good companies. Remember that the College painter types will give a cheap price (maybe) but their work experience is limited to a few weeks if you are lucky. The problem is getting painters to show up and give a proper written estimate. Avoid cash jobs because it usually means no redress for you if the job is unsatisfactory. I usually go with a price that is in the middle somewhere unless you know the person and have dealt with them before.
With the new enviromentally friendly paints on the market, you may find that they don't perform as well as the old less friendly paints. Surface preparation is the most important thing and this is what costs the money. This is where a cheap paint job can come back and haunt you and cost you way too much anxiety later on. 
For more details, visit http://www.mercuryminc.net/
To see last years murals in the downtown; http://www.flickr.com/photos/mercurymedia/
Some more info about the new paints;
http://greenlivingideas.com/2007/12/17/green-remodeling-with-eco-friendly-paint/

6 P's

Prior preperation prevents poor paint performance. Keep this and remind yourself the next time you feel the need to blast on a coat of paint without a thought as to how it will look in a year.
http://www.mercuryminc.net/

Christmas is a time for painting

It's time for window art. Yes, decorating store window glass for Christmas.
This is something anyone can do as long as you don't scratch the glass in the proccess, or don't have an iota of talent.
Visit me at http://www.mercuryminc.net/

Rain is good

So, you still want your stucco painted and it just rained. Stucco is the one surface that is good to have damp before you paint. It helps penetration and absorbtion of latex paint. Now, although paint companies market stucco paint as a seperate type of product, any good quality latex paint will do just fine. If you are painting a surface that has never been painted, then you can wet it down with a hose before you start work. This will also wash off any dust and dirt that might be hanging on the the surface.
For more information about painting subjects visit  http://www.mercuryminc.net/

Summer is not attending this year

All you exterior painting types are tired of waiting for a clear stretch of sunny weather, as am I.
I think we are going to fit all our outside painting into August and September. Some parts of a building can be finished in this weather, just leave wooden sills and areas that need need to dry before paint is applied.
Visit us at http://www.mercuryminc.net/