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Greg Mrakich Painting Indianapolis: Painting Trim

January 25th, 2012

Greg Mrakich Painting Indianapolis provides tips about everything you want to know about painting trim:

When do I need to paint my trim?

This is an easy one.  If it is beat up and looks like it needs it,  it’s time to paint.  Or, if you want to change the color of the trim.  It’s pretty straight forward.  About half of the interior painting projects that I am hired to do include trim.

What type of paint is best for painting trim?

The current trend is flat walls and satin trim.  Satin is a lower sheen than semi gloss.  The thinking here is that semi gloss and high gloss are rather “industrial” looking,  and I would agree.  Trim in the past has always been semi gloss or high gloss, but as tastes and styles have changed, satin has become popular.  The new generation of satin finish paints are extremely durable and can hold up as well to scuffs and bumps as the glosses of the past.

What is the best method to paint trim?

I cannot over emphasize that prep is very important.

  1. Clean the trim that you are going to be painting with Fantastic, 409 or something that will cut through oil, grease and dirt.
  2. Very lightly sand the trim.  Two or three light passes with a 120 grit sand paper is plenty.  You just want to give the surface a little “tooth.”
  3. Prime with a 100% acrylic primer. Thanks to the new EPA regulations, oil-based paint is no longer sold in Indiana. What this means to you if you are a homeowner in Indiana is that priming is now necessary. Otherwise, when the water-based top coat is applied, it will have nothing to hold on to.  Now for a little chemistry lesson – Because the water molecule in water-based paint (the top coat) is larger than the oil molecule in the oil-based paint used previously on the trim, the new water-based paint will not penetrate the surface.  So, if you don’t prime the trim, once it has dried, the newly applied water-based paint can be scratched off with your fingernail.
  4. After the primer coat has dried, apply two finish coats of the water-based paint.

What about painting stained trim?

Not so long ago, stained wood trim was the fad  de jour.  Today  it just looks dated.  It can be painted, but it is involved.  If you want to do it yourself, these are the steps you’ll need to take for a good job:

  1. Clean with a strong cleaner.
  2. Sand well with 120 grit sand paper.  The paper will clog up as you go since you are removing the varnish.  This is normal and what you want to have happen.
  3. Apply one coat of 100% acrylic primer and let it dry for 24 hours so it has time to penetrate and bond to the wood.
  4. Fill in the now visible nail holes with wood putty and let that dry.
  5. Lightly sand if needed where wood putty was applied.
  6. Apply a second coat of primer and let it dry overnight.
  7. Caulk as needed at joints and along top of baseboards as needed.  Let dry a few hours.
  8. Apply first finish coat.
  9. Apply second coat in a few hours.

Painting previously stained trim will help to give your home a fresh and up-to-date look.

Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm serving the greater Indianapolis market (Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties). Prior to relocating to Indianapolis from Pasadena, California in 2000, Greg Mrakich was licensed in painting and decorating by the State of California Contractors License Board. If you live in the Metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact Greg about your next painting project click here.

Posted in EPA rule for renovation, Indianapolis Painting Contractor, Interior Painting, Painting for do-it-yourselfers | No Comments »

Greg Mrakich Painting Indianapolis, Indiana Earns Coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award

January 1st, 2012

Award reflects businesses’ consistently high level of customer service

Greg Mrakich Painting, Indianapolis, Indiana has been awarded the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the businesses rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service and health providers.

Once again, I am pleased to be recognized by my customers and Angie’s List through the very important Super Service Award. My goal with each and every painting project I am hired to do is to understand my customers’ needs and exceed their expectations.  - Greg Mrakich, Owner, Greg Mrakich Painting Indianapolis, Indiana

“Only a fraction of the businesses rated on Angie’s List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “The fact that Greg Mrakich Painting can claim Super Service Award status speaks volumes about its dedication to consumers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their clients and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2011 Super Service Award logo next to business names in search results on AngiesList.com.

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Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 2 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.

 

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Greg Mrakich Painting: Dining Rooms

September 24th, 2011

In my twenty-plus years of being a professional painting contractor, I’ve painted somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 dining rooms. From Avon to West Hollywood and Altadena to Azusa (not yet in Zionsville – but I’m working on it!)

Why am I focusing this blog on dining rooms you might ask?  Or then again, maybe you might not ask…

The past couple of days, I have been transforming a very special dining room into a warm and inviting space in a commercial building east of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. This dining room like most if not all the dining rooms I’ve painted over the years, hosts celebrations. It is also used for fundraisers, meetings and lunch time gatherings of students and volunteers. This special dining room is at Second Helpings, an Indianapolis not-for-profit agency that transforms lives through the power of food.

About those celebrations I previously mentioned, since opening its doors in 1998, Second Helpings has graduated over 400 students (64 classes) from its culinary job training program. As of March of 2004, when Second Helpings relocated to Southeastern Avenue, this dining room has hosted 30 class graduation luncheons. Those graduation celebrations, plus various meetings and other events held in this room, have introduced countless central Indiana residents to its mission of food rescue, jobs training and hunger relief. Many of whom are so moved by what they’ve witnessed in the transformative power of food that they donate their time and money to support the mission.

If you’ve never visited Second Helpings, there is no better time then October 1st. That’s when Second Helpings opens its doors to Harvest, the annual fundraiser to raise money to fulfill their mission. Experience an evening of delicious food prepared by some of the best chefs in Indianapolis, paired with excellent wines and you’ll be supporting a great cause! For more information about Second Helpings and to buy your tickets visit www.secondhelpings.org/harvest – and if you go, be sure to tell the wonderful Second Helpings staff that Greg the Painter sent you!

Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm serving the greater Indianapolis market (Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties). Prior to relocating to Indianapolis from Pasadena, California in 2000, Greg Mrakich was licensed in painting and decorating by the State of California Contractors License Board. If you live in the Metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact Greg about your next painting project click here.

 

 

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Greg Mrakich Painting, Indianapolis, Indiana: When is it Too Late to Paint the Exterior of Your Home?

September 11th, 2011

The weather is finally cooling off in Indianapolis after a record hot summer here and throughout the midwest.  Just the other day I received a call from a homeowner who would like to have the exterior of his house painted.  This happens every year without fail.  As soon as the weather cools off for the first time,  I’ll get a few calls for exterior painting work.  If you live in Indianapolis or another midwestern town or city, waiting until September to call a painter for exterior painting projects can be risky due to change in weather and painting contractor scheduling.  In the course of three days, Indianapolis went from temperatures in the 90s, down to the 60s, with rain to boot!  You don’t want to have the work done when it is too cold because paint does not cure properly when it is applied in temperatures below 40 degrees. I always recommend contacting a reputable painting company early in the spring so you can get on the schedule.  Better yet, book your exterior painting project now for next spring or summer, to make sure you will get on your painter’s schedule. That way, if weather becomes a factor like it did this past year in Indianapolis with rain early in the summer, there is plenty of time to get your exterior painting completed before the weather turns cold. However, If you NEED to have your exterior done this season, call a painter NOW.  There is not much time left this year to get it done.

Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm serving the greater Indianapolis market (Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties). Prior to relocating to Indianapolis from Pasadena, California in 2000, Greg Mrakich was licensed in painting and decorating by the State of California Contractors License Board. If you live in the Metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact Greg about your next painting project click here.

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Posted in Exterior Painting, Hiring a Painting Contractor, Indianapolis Painting Contractor, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Greg Mrakich Painting: What the EPA RRP Rules Mean to You (If Your Home was Built Before 1978)

June 23rd, 2011

Last weekend, my wife and I toured the 38th annual Meridian Kessler Home Tour in our hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Greg Mrakich Painting was pleased to be a first time sponsor of this annual tour. Each year, several hundred people buy tickets to tour these wonderful vintage homes. Most of the homes featured on the tour have been lovingly restored and updated over the years. So, if you have fallen in love with an older home like those featured on the tour, and your dream is to find one to call home, it’s a good idea to understand what the EPA Renovation Repair and Painting (RRP) rules will mean to you. With these regulations that went into effect last year addressing lead safety, the game has changed for anyone planning to purchase, remodel or schedule routine maintenance such as painting for any home built prior to 1978.  Since I am a professional painting contractor doing business in the Metropolitan Indianapolis area, I will just address painting in this blog.

How Does the EPA RRP Rules Effect Painting Contractors?

Painting contractors working on a home built before 1978 face fines up to $37,500 per infraction if caught not following the EPA lead paint protocols.

Why should you care, John and Marsha Homeowner?

Higher costs.  The EPA lead regulations can add an average of 30% more time on to the average exterior paint job. (I compared notes with fellow painting contractors in the Indianapolis area.)  With heavy fines, and aggressive enforcement (it IS a cash cow) it will soon be very hard to find a legitimate painting contractor who does not follow the EPA regulations when working on a pre-1978 project.  Not having the EPA certification and the threat of getting caught for not following the regulations is thinning the herd.

So how do you as a homeowner keep the price down?

The EPA RRP rules will allow you a certain amount of paint peeling before painters have to break out the moon suits.  For exteriors,  it is 20 square feet per side of the house and 6 square feet for each interior room (LEAD Safety for Renovation, Repair, and Painting Student Manual EPA-740-R-09-002  sec.2 page 3) That may sound like a lot,  but the numbers add up quickly on a home with wood siding.  Your best protection against paint job sticker shock is to schedule your painting project before the paint starts falling off your house.  A little peeling is ok,  but at the first sight of peeling, either fix it yourself or call a professional painting contractor. At the very least, have a painter spot paint the peeling areas if you can’t afford the entire paint job now.  This will save you money and keep us painters out of the bee keeper suits.  Once you have a quality paint job on the house, future paint jobs will be easier and less costly.

Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm serving the greater Indianapolis market (Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties). Prior to relocating to Indianapolis from Pasadena, California in 2000, Greg Mrakich was licensed in painting and decorating by the State of California Contractors License Board. If you live in the Metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact Greg about your next painting project click here.

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Posted in EPA rule for renovation, Exterior Painting, Hiring a Painting Contractor, Indianapolis Painting Contractor | No Comments »

Greg Mrakich Painting Indianapolis: Tips to Save You Money on Hiring a Painter

April 28th, 2011

After an unusually long and hard winter, it is finally spring here in Indianapolis, Indiana and that means it’s time to get your exterior painting projects started.  If you are planning to hire a professional painting company such as Greg Mrakich Painting, here are a few things that you can do to keep costs down – for both  interior and exterior painting projects.

For interior painting,  the number one money saving tip I can give you is to have the room or rooms ready for your painting contractor.  Take pictures off the walls, remove the drapes, move small furniture out of the room.  This will save the painting contractor time and the painter’s time is your money.  If you were to hire me to paint a few rooms in your home and the rooms are ready to go, I can paint two rooms in the time it would take to paint one room if I have to remove items before starting my real work.  It’s not that I mind doing so, I really don’t mind; but if you are cost conscious, it’s not the best use of my time or your money!

Since it is outdoor painting season in Indianapolis and most of the rest of the country, I’m focusing the rest of my tips on exterior painting:

  1. Like interior painting, clear the way for the painter.  Make sure any bushes and tree limbs that could be in the way are trimmed back, and move any outdoor furniture away from the house.  If your  painter has easy and unencumbered access to your home’s exterior walls, he or she will be able to complete your project faster.
  2. Mid-tone to light colors will not show signs of fading as quickly as dark colors.
  3. Paint method – spraying  versus brush and roller.  Spraying is quicker, cheaper and uses less paint.  But an exterior paint job done with brush and roller will far outlast a sprayed on coat of paint.  The more expensive roller and brush paint job will save you money in the long run because you will have to paint less often.
  4. Lastly, and very important for those of you with houses built before 1978,  schedule your exterior painting projects before the paint starts to peel.   If the paint is peeling,  there are new EPA regulations that a painter MUST follow to contain lead paint chips and dust.  Any painter caught not following the EPA lead-safe regulations is subject to a $37,000 fine per infraction.  Make sure your painter is EPA lead-safe certified to protect your family (particularly your children) and your pets.

Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm serving the greater Indianapolis market (Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties). Prior to relocating to Indianapolis from Pasadena, California in 2000, Greg Mrakich was licensed in painting and decorating by the State of California Contractors License Board. If you live in the Metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact Greg about your next painting project click here.

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Posted in EPA rule for renovation, Exterior Painting, Hiring a Painting Contractor, Indianapolis Painting Contractor, Interior Painting | No Comments »

Who is the Best Painting Contractor in Indianapolis, Indiana for your Paint Job?

March 24th, 2011

There is no shortage of painting contractors in Indianapolis, Indiana.  If you type in painting contractors Indianapolis in Google, you will get over 50 pages of painters in and around Indianapolis. You may have even found Greg Mrakich Painting through Google or through a subscription service such as Angie’s List. But, how do you know which painter is the best for your job?  There are several key points to remember.

You get what you pay for.  Lets say you are having your exterior painted.  You get three bids ranging from $4000 to $7200. Why the huge difference in price?  The difference is usually in the prep work,  and this is the same for interior painting as well as exterior painting.  It might take two days to do the painting,  but it also might take four days to prep the rooms or exterior of the house for the paint.  The low end bid might include the obvious prep work that is visible from space,  but does it include the caulking of joints that you can’t see from the ground?  Does it include primer when and where necessary?  And what grade product is being used?  Anything less than a top of the line product is a waste in my opinion.  The overall cost of the paint on any job is usually less than 25%,  so why cut corners to save a few hundred dollars?

Also,  different painters do different kinds of work.  You don’t really want a new construction painter painting your furnished, currently lived in home.  Two completely different things.  New construction building painters are used to empty houses with no carpet or flooring,  and won the job for being either the lowest bidder,  or worse,  the contractor’s painter on retainer.  New construction painters are used to painting an entire 3000 square foot house in under 2 days,  while  a seasoned,  experienced custom home painter specializing in repaint jobs might spend one day in a bed room,  making sure furniture is covered and safe, trim is masked off,  and two coats are applied by hand (roller and brush) and not with a sprayer.

When getting a bid, know who is doing the work, and that they do that type of work.  With new home building down, there are many new home painters trying to enter the custom repaint market who might not be qualified or have the necessary skill sets that custom repaints require. Another consideration if you own a home built before 1978. The EPA lead-safe rule requires contractors (including painters) to be lead-safe certified.  It is a federal law and any contractor caught doing work who is not lead-safe certified is subject to heavy fines.

Don’t feel shy about asking for referrals.  You will be glad that you did.

Greg Mrakich Painting is an award winning and EPA lead-safe certified firm. For more information about Greg Mrakich and Greg Mrakich Painting, click here. Or, if you live in the metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact me about scheduling an estimate for an upcoming project, click here.

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Posted in EPA rule for renovation, Exterior Painting, Hiring a Painting Contractor, Indianapolis Painting Contractor, Interior Painting | No Comments »

Greg Mrakich Painting, Indianapolis Shares Tips for Homeowners on Ice Damage Repairs

March 5th, 2011

Indianapolis, Indiana has had a very brutal winter with significant snow and an ice storm that paralyzed the city for days. And it’s not over yet.  Higher than average snow fall, monsoon rains and a once in fifty year ice storm have put rain gutters and roofs to the test.  I am sorry to say that not all houses faired as well as others. Basements have flooded,  and interior walls and ceilings have been damaged by water intrusion. When everything dries out,  its time to repair the damage. In most cases the water damage is limited to water stains and minor drywall repair or replacement.  In some cases however, entire walls and/or ceilings might need to be replaced.  And chances are that if the walls are so damaged that they need to be replaced,  the insulation in the walls will need to be replaced as well.  Once insulation gets wet and compacted, it is no longer a good insulator against the elements.  Also in some severe cases,  the baseboards become warped and need to be replaced as well.

Greg Mrakich Painting did an estimate yesterday for repairs and painting on a house that had sustained damage due to the ice storm. As the ice in the gutters slowly thawed, the water seeped underneath the gutters and into the house. If I am hired for the job, before any painting can be done, I’ll need to first examine the insulation to make sure it is still in place and has not been compromised by water damage. Once that is determined, I can make the necessary repairs, and then prime and paint the affected walls and ceilings. When hiring a contractor to do the repairs, make sure that the hidden issues of the insulation and mold are investigated and addressed.  Make sure that your contractor has dealt with these types of repairs and damages before. If your home was built before 1978,  make sure that the contractor is EPA lead-safe certified.

Your walls may look ugly now but the right contractor can make it look like the damage never happened.

Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm serving the greater Indianapolis market (Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties). Prior to relocating to Indianapolis from Pasadena, California in 2000, Greg Mrakich was licensed in painting and decorating by the State of California Contractors License Board.

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Greg Mrakich Painting Earns Coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award

February 19th, 2011

Award reflects company’s consistently high level of customer service

Greg Mrakich Painting has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies.

“Our Super Service Award winners are the cream of the crop when it comes to providing consistently high quality customer service, as judged by the customers who hired them,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List.

“I’ve always taken pride in providing my customers a great paint job at a fair price. Receiving the Angie’s List Super Service Award four years in a row is icing on the cake!”

Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm serving the greater Indianapolis market (Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties). Prior to relocating to Indianapolis from Pasadena, California in 2000, Greg Mrakich was licensed in painting and decorating by the State of California Contractors License Board.

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2010 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.

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Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 1 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.

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Greg Mrakich Painting: Interior Painting Considerations

January 15th, 2011

A long time client of Greg Mrakich Painting in Indianapolis, Indiana, recently decided to move from their home of the last 50 years, a modest 1960′s ranch, into a two year old house with an open floor plan. They were going to have me come over to help them pick out some new colors and do some interior painting in the new house. The home’s interior painting scheme is currently a very neutral builders beige throughout, and these clients like color. Well when I got there, I noticed that they had a problem. And they knew it too. None of their furniture really worked in the new house. The scale was wrong for the open floor plan with 10 foot ceilings. The furniture looked, and was completely out of scale for the new house. What had worked so well in their older, traditional ranch, was not “at home” in their new home.

This is something people need to consider when making a move. Your furniture that worked in your old house might not work in the new house. The cute little couch you bought for the inglenook at the old house may be dwarfed by the scale of its new home. I bring this up because I have had a few jobs where my clients have made such a move, and wanted to paint the walls the same color in the new house as they were in their old house. When moving into a new house, color, scale and style of house, as well as your furniture (both style and color),  all need to be considered to get the look you want, and one that suits both you and your new home.

My advice to anyone who has moved or is planning to move into a new home is to hold off on interior painting in those rooms where  you plan to buy new furniture, particularly if you will be buying couches, chairs or any furniture pieces that are upholstered in fabric or leather. I can’t tell you how often I’ve worked with clients on determining paint colors and we’ve selected wall colors that tie into the colors found in the client’s furniture fabrics.

Moving into a new home is exciting, but it is sometimes best to wait on painting until you have the furnishings you want in place to make sure the paint works with the room and the furniture.

Greg Mrakich Painting is an award winning and EPA lead-safe certified firm. For more information about Greg Mrakich and Greg Mrakich Painting, click here. Or, if you live in the metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact me about scheduling an estimate for an upcoming project, click here.

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