Tips for "Do It Yourself" Paint Matching & Touch Ups

By: Dennis Cummings

The walls of our houses tend to take a beating over time. It could be scuff marks from the kids, stains from the pets, or just natural wear and tear. Whatever it may be, there are solutions that will keep your walls looking new and fresh, without having to hire a paint contractor.

Getting a quality paint match is the key to matching paint. Using a utility knife, cut out a 1x2" section of the painted Sheetrock. 1/8" is deep enough. Use your blade to peel your section away from the wall. Take this sample to a quality paint store. They are the professionals and will always have success in getting a match. You can follow the same steps for plaster paint samples, but it may be a bit more difficult to get a usable sample.

Touch up painting works best on recently painted walls as, over time, the color of your paint will get old, will fade, and will only be half the paint it used to be. If the walls have not been painted for a while and there are numerous areas to touch up, the best solution is to paint the entire wall. It may take a couple hours to prep the area, but the results will be like night and day. You will notice a big difference in the sheen, freshness, and brightness of the wall, and it will also add sparkle to the surrounding area of your home.

For the best possible match, it is best to use the original paint. It is always a good idea to keep a quart of any interior or exterior house paint in stock after you've had your house painted. A quick touch up before Mom shows up may be the trick to keep the nagging at bay, but then again, probably not.

All good paint jobs always begin with primer. Primer will cover any imperfections and aid in the application of the newly applied paint. Wall repairs should be primed before the finish coat goes on; if not, you will see a noticeably different sheen. Primer is the key to an excellent paint job and should always be used.

Touch up painting is very easy and can be fun. You can schedule it on the calendar for every six months, before company comes over, or if you just need a project to get started on. You will save some money and have a great time adding new life to your lived home.

Hiring a Handyman vs. a Contractor

By: Daniel Hernandez

All of the suggestions in my last post will help you weed out the good from the bad as far as hiring a handyman/contractor, but it won't help you determine whether you need a contractor or a handyman to complete your job. The biggest piece of advice that I can give, based on my experience as a handyman and a licensed contractor, is that, as a consumer, it is best to go into the hiring process with some education and idea of what you want to accomplish. There is often confusion about the differences between a handyman and a contractor, when it is appropriate to hire one over the other, but there are several distinct differences between the two services.

A handyman can only do $500 worth of work per job, per day. So, if your job is going to be big, hire a contractor. In fact, if you are doing any kind of specialty project, I recommend that you hire a contractor. For example, if you need new outlets put into your walls or are going from a gas to electric stove and need a 220-watt outlet put in your kitchen, it is best to hire an electrician. The same goes for major plumbing, carpentry or sheetrock work. Only contractors can get permits for remodels and additions.

However, if your jobs are detail oriented and vary greatly in size and skill, a handyman, who has a broader scope of skills and will pay more attention to detail, is probably the best choice for your work. Handymen are flexible and don't have a large crew, so you can get your work done with less foot traffic in your space. There is no need to have more people working in your house than absolutely necessary. Sometimes the work will take longer to complete, but it will generally be less expensive in the end because there are fewer people to pay.

Handymen will also do the small stuff that contractors won't or don't like to do. Because these jobs are undesirable for contractors, the cost of a small project is inflated to make it worth their while. But since this is the kind of job handymen specialize in, the cost will generally be a lot less.

If your job requires a variety of tasks, you can hire a handyman, just use one company/handyman service for all of the work rather than using several specialized companies. Having several contractors can also get expensive, so if your job isn't very big, but requires several different skills, a handyman is the way to go.

Whether you decide that a handyman or a contractor is best suited for your project, make sure you keep some of these tips in mind. Keep the lines of communication open between you and your contractor/handyman, and don't wait until the job is done to express a concern you have had for days or weeks. The clearer you are about what you want, with yourself and the company you hire, the happier you will be with the work you receive.

How to Choose a Professional Maintenance & Repair Service

By: Daniel Hernandez

Being a professional handyman has opened my eyes to a whole other world that is both rewarding and challenging at the same time. My favorite part of being a handyman is solving the little problems people have in their homes. I love to fix those small items that only the homeowner and myself would ever notice. This ranges from the leaky faucet that only drips when the temperature outside dips below 53 degrees to the chip of paint that has been missing for years. Perhaps it’s those shelves that have never been straight or don’t quite fit your house, and every time you walk by, you wish you could get those fixed or rebuilt. These are the problems that I live to solve.

Not everyone has a handy husband, wife, father, mother, brother or uncle to go to when they need a small project fixed. Many people don’t know someone with the skills to perform the projects properly or, even worse, they have loved ones who think they have the skills, but really don’t. There are also many people that simply don’t have the time to complete projects, big or small, around the house. This is why there will always be a place for the professional handyman.

In my years as a handyman (and later as a licensed contractor), I have performed jobs of all sizes; often times doing patch-up jobs after a previous “professional” did work that did not meet the expectations of the homeowner. I have discovered that no matter what your need or desired repair, there are several things to watch for when hiring a handyman or contractor.

BE DILIGENT – Pay as you go and don’t get stuck paying for work that will never get completed. Ask when your next payment is due or what the payment schedule is in advance. In addition, review your contract carefully and make sure amendments are in writing. Be very clear about what you want and what your contract says – are they the same? For example, over the years, I have been to numerous jobs where the client has a half-done project and the contractor is nowhere to be found. I hate to see people stuck in this position, and it is always hard to tell customers that even the work that has been started is not up to code or building standards.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK – To avoid getting into a sticky situation, check out the local Better Business Bureau (BBB), Consumer Affairs Department or Contractors License Board. In other words, do your homework. You will be able to find information on members and complaints that have been made against a company, as well as companies with outstanding service. In addition, these services will let you know if your contractor is licensed and if there have ever been any problems with the company in the past.

NETWORK -- Ask friends or neighbors for referrals. Do you know anyone you can trust that can back up the company you are about to hire? Do you know someone who is raving about the work they have had done? In the past, I have joined networking groups that exist primarily to share this kind of information. It is always a great way to find people who are in the professions you need. If you don’t know someone who belongs to a referral or networking group, ask you network of friends, coworkers and family. Hire a company that consistently does good work.

BE PROACTIVE – Visit a current project if you are seriously interested in a specific company. How is the quality and cleanliness of the work in progress? Do you like the finished project and would you be happy if your home looked like that? I don’t know of many people who have physically visited another job site that isn’t their own, but I think that this is a great suggestion, and I often recommend that people try this. Don’t feel intimidated or that requesting to visit a job site is silly; just ask your potential handyman or contractor. They may even have pictures of previous work just waiting for you to view. I know I do.

Is your handyman or contractor a member of a rating service? Ask if the company has been professionally rated and, if so, find out what its rating is. This information can be very valuable. Most rating companies have very strict guidelines that companies have to meet, which make them a great source for information about the potential hire. Also ask if the rating service requires their clients to have insurance. If not, ask your handyman/contractor for a copy of their insurance.

Finally, there is a lot of information on the internet that is only a click away. Check out blogs, online referral sites and the company’s website. A lot of the previously suggested information can also be found on the internet. For example, rating services, the BBB and networking groups can all be found on the web.

I recommend you maximize your internet sources, but I also suggest you meet the owner or representative in person, after you have done some research, to see for yourself how the company presents itself. An easy way to do this is when you get your estimate and, of course, ask for any marketing materials they have.