Ladder Safety 101: Things We Don’t Do!

We just had to post a few pictures from an email that was sent to our office as a joke! It is amazing to think that some people actually are this stupid when it comes to setting up a ladder or a homemade ladder! If you hire Chism Brothers, this won't happen. We just our monthly safety meeting on Ladder Safety and used these photos as examples of what not to do!

 Enjoy!

The Benefits of Top Quality Exterior Paint

One of the questions we get asked often for our exterior paint jobs is, "What kind of paint do you use?" Our answer is quite simple, "We like to use top quality paint on every job." Top quality paint can be found in every paint store in the country. So we pick and choose paints that best meet the needs of our clients and their particular home. We thought we would share with you some of the benefits of having premium paint used on your exterior surfaces. 

• Adheres well, so it is less likely to blister, flake or peel.
  
• Better chalk resistance, for excellent color retention.
  
• Better dirt resistance, so the paint remains fresh-looking.
  
• Better mildew resistance, so paint won't be marred by unsightly black or brown blotches.
  
• Overall superior durability.*
  

The benefits of premium top quality paint will only work if the existing surface is properly prepped. Therefore, when you hire a professional painting contractor for your home, make sure they not only know how to prep the home properly but know the benefits listed above. Otherwise, you will be repainting in a very short amount of time.

*The list and photo above is courtesy of The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute.

To Do List Update

Now that Christmas and tax season are behind us, we are expecting that painting will move up on your to do list! May is the perfect month to get on our schedule or request an estimate to discuss your 2008 projects.

We still have room for May, but it is filling up! So please email or call us today. If you need help on a remodel as well, we can help point you in the right direction.  

Assistance League of Rancho San Dieguito

Thanks to one of our clients in the Fairbanks Rancho area, Mrs. Barbara Ward, who asked us to help in the fundraising efforts of the Assistance League (AL). The AL is a philanthropic organization that we are proud to assistant in it efforts to help others. Chism Brothers donated two days of service for their silent auction valued at $1,200 for the 2008 drive.

We always welcome our clients to let us know what special organizations and activities they are involved with so that we can see how we can help too! Thank you, Barbara Ward, for thinking of us this year.  

Kudzu.com’s Rating System vs ToFixIt!

Kudzu.com has done a very good job marketing their referral service .com company for the past 1 1/2 years in San Diego. One of the reasons it has worked well for them is because they have a big marketing budget and a big name company keeping them on the top. Cox Communications owns Kudzu, if that tells you anything! They must have known that the yellow pages were suffering in recent years so they came up with supposedly a "non yellow page" way of advertising. However, as we have started to realize, it is still just another yellow page directory with the added bonus of leaving comments/reviews. The only real way to get listed on Kudzu is if you pay a lot of money. If you don't pay enough money, you won't get good listings and visibility. It is rather frustrating, because it appears there are only two paid painting advertisers on Kudzu. We have a very small advertising budget for Kudzu, but we do pay for our spot. We did a search for our company with our zip code, and we showed up as number 11 on the page. There were about 9 other companies ahead of us that got prominent spots but did not even do painting. Why? Because they paid more money. One of our biggest competitors around town, "King of the Painters" has committed a rather large amount of marketing dollars to Kudzu and gets the number one placement on the entire site including advertising on our landing PAGE! We went on to our paid advertising spot today, and there was the King's advertisement spot on our page: advertising that they were the best! They do have a great reputation, but we thought it was funny that they were allowed to have a listing on our own advertising page. 

So, Kudzu's tagline is "The way to find San Diego's Best Services" is not quite accurate. If you are looking for the company that really does recommend the best and only the best, go to http://www.tofixit.com. They do a thorough background check on all service companies that are involved to make sure they provide the best service and are great companies to recommend. If they are not, they toss them out of the program even if they have a big marketing budget! 

An Alternative to Self Storage Units & PODS

Most people don't realize how inexpensive it can be to hire a transfer and storage company to move you from one home to another or just to store your household goods for a time. We recently have seen the benefit of encouraging our customers to contract with Atlas Transfer & Storage during a large remodel project. If you are going to have your floors replaced, a complete paint job, a large kitchen remodel or an addition to your home, you should seriously consider the benefits of hiring Atlas Transfer & Storage. They can do everything from packing fine china and delicate artwork to moving your entire home into one of their safe, climate controled, storage units. The rental fee is also less than contracting with a local self-storage warehouse. Besides, you get personalized service from a real company!

Using a local transfer and storage company can save you the headache of worrying about your furniture during a large project or a complete relocation. If you have a small job and don't want to pay to have their certified movers come to your home, you can go to them and have even bigger savings. In recent years, homeowners have been using self-storage units in their driveway, but what does that do to your home and neighborhood? Do you want the extra clutter and a small driveway while the big unit is parked? Save money and have Atlas Transfer and Storage guarantee that your items can be stored in their warehouse and returned safely!

It is just one thing less you have to worry about, and this is a service that Chism Brothers offers to their clients. We want your experience to be perfect!

Visit Atlas Transfer & Storage 

Introducing ToFixIt! to San Diego

If you are tired of researching service companies to do work on your home and can't rely on the yellow pages anymore, we have a solution for you! We have partnered with a company called "ToFixIt!" that provides homeowners with quality references of the best service companies for your home, office and life. They recommend only the best and toss the rest (their tag line). In order to be a certified ToFixIt! contractor, one must have the highest of standards and be in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. ToFixIt! removes all the tedious guess work and gives you confidence that everyone who they recommend will provide you with great service. If they don't, they'll toss them from the list and get someone to replace them.

Chism Brothers Painting and Peek Brothers Painting are the two certified ToFixIt! painting contractors in San Diego. We are proud to partner with Peek Brothers, because they share the same vision as we do: providing the best service and doing a quality job. 

So throw your yellow page books away and rely on ToFixIt! to provide you with the people you can trust to work for you. Visit ToFixIt.com for more info.  

Ceramic Coatings (Paint)

If you are researching ceramic-based materials for your home, be very careful who you hire to use these materials. Many companies claim that ceramic products are NOT actual paint materials. They sell the products as a "special coating" or "barricade" against moisture and sun damage.  They slap on a 25, 50 or lifetime warranty to back it up as well. Chism Brothers Painting is very experienced in using ceramic paints. They are excellent products but don't last a lifetime If a salesman tells you it will last, it will cost you a lot of unnecessary money up front. Besides, who wants a paint product to last 50-100 years? Will Avocado Green and Gold be in style in 50 years? Colors and styles change and the sun itself is a paint's worst enemy. Two things will happen: either you will get tired of the colors in 15-20 years or the sun will win the race of time and begin to deteriorate the "special" product. If your home or building is shaded from the sun, a ceramic coating is not really even needed. Ceramic coatings are used to help with energy savings by being a heat shield. They also help keep moisture out.

If you are wondering how long a Ceramic Coating will last, chances are you can experience 10-15 years for stucco and 6-9 years on most wood surfaces. So they will last longer than standard paint (without the ceramics) but not a lifetime. If you get an estimate from a company advertising products that will last 20+ years on your home, please get a second opinion from Chism Brothers before committing. There were companies back in the 1960's through the 80's selling similiar products called "tex-coat," and I have seen nothing but tex-coat failure on most homes that are coated with that "lifetime" product. 

Quality That Lasts

When the economy starts declining, contractors start cutting their prices to keep busy. The problem is that when they cut costs, sometimes their quality goes downhill too. Unfortunately, you the homeowner might not be able to judge the mediocre quality until 1-2 years after the job is done. On the surface everything might look good to you, but we would ask you to be very cautious who you hire in a downturning economy. A quality paint job will last more than a couple of years but even a cheap paint job will look good for 1 year. It is year 3, 4, 5 etc. that count.

Chism Brothers is committed to providing good value to all of our clients, and we never want to sacrifice quality or customer service. We still maintain all the proper license, insurance and certification to keep us the best in painting. A quality paint job that lasts is done by proper prep and the use of quality paint products. If you hire a contractor that will cut their cost or provide you with a bid that is sometimes half what we might charge, the quality will NOT last. We have looked at several homes we completed a number of years ago that still are looking sharp today. Why? Because we did the job right. However, we are repainting homes our competitors did just 3 years before because they did not prep it right the first time. 

So, a cheaper price in a down economy should not be looked upon as better. Do a lot of homework before going with a lower cost contractor. It is expensive to run a good business in town. The cheap companies won't last long. A value customer wants a company to stand behind their work for years and be around if a problem surfaces. 

Happy Easter!

We hope you all enjoy a wonderful Good Friday and Easter weekend.

As a Christian-owned company, Easter Sunday is the best time of year for us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He was more than just a man. He was God, who came to earth, lived a perfect life, went to the cross for the sins of His people to conquer Satan and His enemies and to make us righteous before God! His death was only the beginning. He rose from the grave three days later. He now reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and is the Savior of all who put their trust in Him.

To Learn More about Jesus: Click Here

Great Christian Podcast for Easter or Anyday:

Good Friday Blog - Sovereign Grace Ministries 

Renewing Your Mind - Dr. R.C. Sproul

Desiring God Dr. - John Piper 

Dump, Burn or Pour

Did you know that running a professional paint company is a lot different than many homeowners think when it comes to disposing of paints. The standard in California is set very high to use the right products and follow proper procedures for disposing of the leftovers. For example, it is against the law to dump paint in one's backyard bushes or in a hole (covered by dirt). It is against the law to burn paint. It is against the law to pour oil based products down the drain or in the toilet. When you look at hiring a professional painting company, ask the estimator if they have an EPA licensed number and how they dispose of old paint products. Do they dump, burn or pour? Unfortunately, many companies do not help keep California environmentally safe. It is expensive for small companies to dispose of paint on their own, which is why many secretly break the law. So be careful in hiring a so-called professional painter if they do not have the systems in place to properly remove and dispose of paint.

If you have a question regarding what are the best paints to use or how to remove paint, we are here to help! 

Chism Brothers Painting: EPA Licensed #CAL000189150

Fingerposting

 Every once in a while, it's nice to write about something besides painting! I have a relative back in Maryland who has the most incredible blog you will ever stumble upon! I don't know how he does it,  but Damien Howard writes a quote a day with the most fascinating photography to go with it! If you need a little smile on your face and a break from researching a contractor, take a look at Damien's blog: Fingerpost (He should win an award)

A Word About Green Paints

As many of us know, we have all been hearing more and more about having a "Green" society. California seems to be leading the way in many areas: fuel economy vehicles, energy efficient windows, light bulbs, solar panels, and even paint. Paint companies are becoming more committed to selling environmentally-friendly paint as well. Every few months newer paints are introduced to California paint companies and old paints are pulled from the shelf. The EPA is hard at work to make sure all the paints used are safe for our health and our environment.

Chism Brothers Painting takes all the proper precautions to make sure the preparation and the finish paints we use are safe for you the homeowner. Not all paints are marked as "Green." When a paint can is marked "green" or says, "Low VOC" or "Zero VOC" it is usually referring to the odor and the level of safety to homeowners. The lower the VOC content, the less smell it will produce. However, even ZERO VOC produces an odor, but it is safe to breathe. So, when you get your home painted and you have sensitivity to paints and smell, make sure you let your painter know. Chism Brothers can do a number of things to help provide the right products and reduce the smell during and after the project. Ask your estimator to explain how we are committed to being a Green Paint Company! If you would like further information on Green Paints, email or call us!

How To Save Money On Any Paint Job

Let's face it, it is hard to find a contractor to touch a small job. The only time you will find someone who will work for you to do a small project is if the company is slow. The problem is if he or she finds a bigger job, your project becomes low priority. A quality service company loves small jobs. It is an opportunity to prove why they are the best in their line of work. If they perform well and do their job with a smile, you will most likely hire them again. Right?

We have been thinking about how to save our clients money when it comes to painting their homes. The answer is twofold. 1) A homeowner needs to have the home properly prepped and painted by a quality contractor before we can provide the money saving tip. Once the home has been completely painted, it should normally last 6-8 years before it will need a complete paint job. 2) This is where Chism Brothers Painting comes in to help you plan and save. What typically happens when a home is painted completely is you the homeowner get busy with life and your contractor does not follow up reminding you when it is time for a complete repaint. When you finally have the time to call a painter, the home can sometimes require a lot of preparation instead of a coat of paint. What we like to do with our clients is put them on a maintenance plan where we remind you when it is time for an inspection and the basic touch-ups or repaints. If a quality company repaints select areas of your home every 1-3 years instead of a complete repaint every 10 years, your home will always look new and will be protected from termites, peeling paint and dry-rot. Plus a home is a lot easier to paint and less expensive when there is no major prep to do such as sanding and removing loose/flaky paint. 

Let me give you an example of how we helped save a client a lot of money. Our office received a call from a client who wanted an estimate to repaint the entire exterior of her home. She has a newer track home, about 6 years old. The wood work on the south and west sides were showing signs of fading and the stucco had some staining and dirt marks around the whole home. I went out to look at the home and suggested she only paint 1-2 sides of the exposed wood areas if she wanted to save money. I also recommended a very expensive but high quality exterior paint, which would help prolong the life of the paint. For less than $1,200, we were able to pressure-clean her entire home and paint the faded woodwork only on the sun-exposed areas. The entire home (top-to bottom) would have cost around $8,500 and would need to be redone every 6-8 years. By using a top quality paint and ONLY painting the sun exposed areas (south and west), she can carefully budget close to $600 or less per year to keep her home looking great! As you can see, $600 a year would equal $4,800 in 8 years. By having us inspect and touch up areas before they need major filling and sanding, she will never have a concern on her home. 

So, let a quality service company, who loves doing small jobs, help keep your exterior or interior always looking the best in the neighborhood! 

You’re Twice The Price!

"I really wanted to use you, but I found another company who can do the work for half the price!" 

I recently did an estimate for a couple in La Jolla who had never used us but had heard good things about our company. They  wanted us to look at some detailed painting inside their home and also look at a complete exterior paint job. The interior estimate ended up being acceptable, but when I asked about the exterior estimate I sent them, they said they could not afford us and signed with another company. I was a little surprised and asked her a few things to see if I or the other company missed something. My question was, "How long did the other estimator say it would take to complete your project?" They replied, "The guy said he would put two painters on it to start and then add a third guy and try to get it done in a week." It was at that point, I knew that the other paint company's job would not last long!

The home I looked at had not been painted for many years. It had lots of detail, doors, windows, and trim and needed a lot of prep that could not be done thoroughly in 1 week with 2-3 painters. Our estimate specified 3 painters for a full two weeks using very high quality exterior finishes that would last and would help solve some of the peeling and mildew issues on the home. This other company is very well known and had a decent reputation but also was not very detailed in the preparation on exterior paint jobs. I knew this because our company had just repainted the exterior trim of a home in La Jolla that was painted less than 3 years before by this paint outfit. The surfaces were not thoroughly prepared before applying paint in our opinion. So, when I heard how long the job was going to take and that the price was half, I knew that in the long run, the COST (not the price) would be more! By estimating the job with a quality preparation and product, I know our job would take twice as long but last quite a bit longer. 

Chism Brothers Painting does NOT cut corners when estimating and producing a paint job. Our clients are people who want the job done right the first time. The next time you receive a quote from a professional paint company and compare it with a lower bid, make sure the prep, the paint products and the timing to complete the job are identical. If any one of those things are missing, the estimates are not equal.