New LEAD laws take effect this year.

When planning any renovation projects, make sure you are dealing with companies that are LEAD certified. Beginning in April 2010, new EPA laws take effect on buildings built before 1978.

For more info:

http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/01/20/lead-law-will-take-effect-in-2010-likely-to-impact-your-remodel/#hide

Make a Great First Impression

The front door to your home or office creates a lasting impression .. for better or worse.

Classic colors such as black and red are incredibly smart for front doors. Other popular front door colors include dark greens and blues. On the other hand blue grays in exterior eggshell will give a more relaxed and contemporary feel.

It is important to consider the other elements of color which surround your front door – obviously the color of the stone, brick, stucco or siding as well as the color of the window surrounds. Red brick calls for stronger colors, like dark green. Softer colors like gray are good with stone while the stronger whites work well with white stucco.

If you want your front door to feel more imposing, paint the whole structure in one strong color – the door, side windows and paneling.

Selling your home? The front door and foyer are the first places to start.

Realtors: Call us about our free front door program. It may help for a quicker sale.

When free is free .... and when it's not

We believe in giving back to the community. Community clean ups, painting projects, supplying tools and experience, etc.

We were recently asked to help out with some work on a renovation at the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC). Along with some of the Ravens players and a lot of other volunteers, CertaPro joined in to lend a helping hand.



I mention this not for any credit or attention, but to bring up a troubling trend.

A sign of the times.

It's the 'free' services offered by less than honest contractors.

When you are looking at multiple bids for work, and you should, beware of the contractor who offers a deal too good to be true. When he starts offering 'free' labor, or 'free' materials, ask him why he's in business.

Contractors giving away their time and materials simply cannot deliver safely, legally, and with good quality. The games contractors play to cut corners include not allowing for the proper labor hours (ask to inspect the work before continuing), paying their labor under the table (meaning you are not covered by workers comp if someone gets hurt - don't risk your house for a cheap job), letting the general liability lapse (make sure you get a certificate with your name listed as additionally insured - it doesn't cost anything and if your contractor balks, you know he's playing you), and using inferior products (ask to see receipts with your last name as the project name).

Recently, a customer went with another contractor who offered 'free' materials and labor. Wow! 12 gallons of paint - 'free!' 50 hours of labor - 'free!' Really? I must say, he's either very generous or he'll be out of business very soon. Maybe I should hire him for 'free'.

Would you give 50 hours of your time to someone other than a charity? ... I don't think so.

We offer free labor, tools and experience, but only to those truly in need. That's free.

The contractor that offers you 'free' items to win a job ... that's not.

I'm Flocking

It may not sound proper, but it's Flocking cool!

If you have social web accounts ... Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, Twitter, etc., Flock makes surfing easy. Check it out...www.flock.com

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Waiting for Spring? Get a preview in Timonium this weekend.

SPRING .. It's almost here! 

A couple of warm days tempt us, then it gets chilly again. Mid March is a tease here in Maryland, but in a couple of weeks, you'll be able to get outside and get a good look at your gardens and home. 

What hath winter wrought!?  

The gardens obviously need work, but what about your home? Look closely at the trim. Study the soffits. How about the caulk and window glazing? Notice cracking and gapping? 

If you see any peeling or flaking, it should be taken care of before serious damage occurs. Wood rots. Gaps allow moisture to penetrate. Mildew can eat away the surface. 

What may not be as obvious is the damage to your wallet. 

When gaps in wood and caulk are visible, your house is leaking. Water leaks in causing damage. It is also leaking the air you paid to heat and cool! With energy costs at all time highs, don't you want to keep the outside elements outside?

Your home protects you from the elements, return the favor. 

Visit CertaPro Painters' booth 1135 at the MD Home and Garden Show this weekend. You may win a $5000 painting project. 

Now that helps your home and your wallet.

The Super Bowl is not over! I mean SOUPER Bowl!

The Super Bowl was great entertainment, but that's all it was... entertainment. It gave us a brief respite from the difficult times we live in.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Marylanders that may not be able enjoy even a game. Thousands go hungry every day and need your help. The Maryland Food Bank helps by serving hundreds of thousands of meals every year, but their supplies are running low.

Please join Sherwin Williams and CertaPro Painters in supporting The Maryland Food Bank. Drop off soup or other canned food items in the specially marked containers at the Sherwin Williams stores in Timonium and Hunt Valley. We will be collecting food through the end of March.

Timonium store: 2159 York Rd
Hunt Valley store: 11343 York Rd

With your help we CAN fill the bank.

Even 'The Funnies' gets into the painting act!

If you've got a teenager, you'll love this! Trouble communicating? Not sure what to expect when choosing colors? You think you know what's involved in prep?

Check out Zits. Starting on Jan 26, 2009 and as of today, continuing with the painting theme.
http://www.arcamax.com/zits/s-482990-720697

Have fun!

Obama helps 'LEED' the way to help the environment

We're with President Obama on this one. Like the President, CertaPro Painters is concerned with the environment in general, and particularly, indoor air quality. As noted in the article (click on the headline), the President is using paint from Benjamin Moore. The Aura line is fantastic at covering most colors in one coat, but note that it is also low-odor and low-VOC.

There are numerous choices of low and no VOC materials on the market now. In addition to Ben Moore, CertaPro uses LEED certified paints from Sherwin Williams, Pittsburgh Paints, Duron and others. Do you have a preference in manufacturer or need additional info? Just let us know!

With great concern for the environment, this homeowner wanted to be sure we used processes friendly to the environment. While indoor air quality is important on a personal level, outdoor air quality is important to everyone.

Care was taken to capture and clean up paint chips, the mortar was sealed, bare wood primed, then everything finish coated using the most environmentally conscious products possible.

Oops! I threw out a couple of acronyms which may need some explanation compliments of Wikipedia.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

VOC Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.

Questions? Comments? Please let us know!

Community cleanup yields major haul.

We teamed up with Boy Scout Troop 444 a couple of weeks ago to help clean up a stretch of Loch Raven Reservoir. With the help of some boys and past customers, we collected about 2 dozen contractor sized trash bags, a bunch of tires, car bumpers and some headlights. Amazing that some are willing to trash their drinking water.

It was such a success, we are planning on a monthly clean up. If you want to join in to help your community, just give us a call. We'll provide trash bags and drinks. If you know of a spot that needs clean up, let us know.

Hope to see you in February!

GO RAVENS! Boost your roost.

We love the hometown Baltimore team. I've heard of some Raven fanatics painting their family rooms purple, gold and black. Maybe not the whole thing.. maybe just an accent wall or stripes or trim. Decorating with team colors is fun ... so why not!?

If you need some help, we're doing free team colors until the Super Bowl!