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/