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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Murals

Next week will see me begin  two murals in the Kamloops downtown area.
Please come and visit, or leave a message on our contact us page @
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Don't rush the paint job

Remember that exterior paint requires at least 10 degrees Celsius to adhere properly.
Also the surface has to be dry to prevent the paint from coming off when the sun heats the surface, creating steam from underlying dampness.

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Is it just me?

I'm already getting inquiries about painting exteriors, and hope the HST will not affect peoples decision to hire a paint contractor.
There are ways to negotiate around this if you can talk to your painter.  Before the tax came in customers were paying 5% Gst on the labour and 12% on the paint and materials. That difference of 7% that the HST has put on a tradesmans bill works out to $70 on a $1000, this, remember is only on the labour cost, so it turns out that the amount is not that much and many painters will agree, like me, to share the cost of the tax increase. So if you pay, say, $3000 to repaint the exterior of your house, then the extra cost with HST will be on $2500 labour = $175.  (assuming 25% of the bill is paint) Ask if you can share the extra cost and you will be surprised how many companies will agree.
Make sure you get three estimates for your job, and don't just go with the cheapest, it could be an expensive mistake. Look at all  aspects of the contractors references and check to see who you think will give you the best job.
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