Aged Maple Kitchen Cabinets Converted with Enameled, Glazed Finish

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

Comment from The Painter's Wife: I love how smooth and sort of Quaker style the maple 

cabinets turn out when they are finished this way. What a great alternative for those

who are tired of the "blond" kitchen. If your "maple" is getting tired, consider either

enameling  or deepening wood tone. Signet Painting can do either - or better yet, both!

Should Painting Decks Be Outlawed? (In Minnesota's Climate)?

PW Asks: Should deck rail be painted? 

Painter says: Not unless it’s already been painted. Flat surfaces will build up ice and snow and crack if moisture gets beneath them and then peel. Vertical surfaces should be okay. Otherwise – if it’s been stained, stay with a semi-transparent stain to protect the wood – typically needs to be done every couple years depending on how it ages and how you want it to look.

PW replies: I see what you mean. For more information - this expert looks like he knows what he's talking about when it comes to decks maintenance.

Kids Bedroom Hockey Theme

Kid Room Idea: Hockey Theme

Walls: Orange

Painted Border: Dark blue 6” band around room

Wood Trim: Stained

Décor: Hockey Jersey/ Hockey Sticks

Bathroom Vanity Makeover

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER - Gorgeous Finish - Hard to believe it's the same bathroom!

Kitchen Center Island Makeover

The old center island was torn out and a new one was built out of paint grade material. Signet Painting enameled a black charcoal color on the island that looks a little blue in the photos. Check it out:

NEW PAINT GRADE MATERIAL - BEFORE ENAMEL

AFTER

Update the Family Room Mantel Cabinetry

The Family Room can look like an upscale loft space with a stain color change.

BEFORE

Ahh - Much Better!

AFTER

Cherry Kitchen Cabinets Cheer Up with Enamel Finish

BEFORE

AFTER

Cheerful Cherry Cabinets

Get Rid of the Kitchen Desk!

So many kitchens have a "built-in" desk that has become unnecessary with the age of cell phones and internet. We are seeing a trend in converting the desk space to a wine rack and wine cooler. Signet Painting can execute this project from start to finish, including the carpentry necessary. See our latest project sequence below:

Finished Product!

The Standard Minnesota Golden Oak Refinished

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BEFORE

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AFTER

The Painter’s Wife Talks about the Economic Recovery

Is the economy recovering?

While I believe Signet Painting is a microcosm of the business universe; for the sake of a preface or disclaimer, my view of the economy is skewed by my industry segment (residential construction) and my geographic location. In other words, not everyone may agree with the following.

Let’s just dig right in. Have you ever had a serious bout of stomach flu? You rode the waves of nausea; up and down and up and down like giant swells on a vast sea. You were the dingy boat. You paid homage to the stool, and knelt there in utter disbelief that your body could experience so many awful sensations at the same time. You wondered if it would ever end. When it did, you crawled back to bed and something miraculous happened – you felt better. Maybe this is over, you said. Maybe it was just something I ate.

This momentary sense of well-being was like the crest at the top of the wave. The view was clear. The day might turn out bright, after all. And just when you thought things were better, you slid down the nausea slope, completely incapable of halting the descent, and found yourself, once again, in the abyss. Oh, please no, not this again!

I think you get the picture. At Signet Painting we see waves of new business come in the door and we rejoice. And then, nothing. Business volume runs a course of phases – up and down and up and down. 

So what does this mean? Well, last month, two large Twin Cities corporations announced lay-offs (General Mills and Medtronic – who added to their already planned number). Do you think these laid off people are going to have their homes painted in the near future?

Therefore, we have inconsistent waves. One week is slow and then, bam! - we hear news that a general contractor client is going to have us busy in the fall after selling several remodeling jobs. Is the economy weak? Is it nauseated? Will it recover?

I would love to hear my readers comments as well ~

Peeling Finish on Cherry Wood – Revived!

BEFORE

Notice the deteriorating, peeling finish on on this cabinet: 

AFTER 

Signet Painting Transforms Cabinet with Espresso Wood Finish Ready for Long Lasting Durability

Jazzy Stripes Applied to Industrial White Walls at Minneapolis Sexton Lofts

Hire a Contractor or Do it Yourself?

 The immediate response is, “It’s cheaper to do it myself. I’ll go buy the materials and get
started this Saturday.” 

And possibly, as even I have done in the past, “I’ll pocket the insurance money and come out ahead.”
This is a valid dilemma that many people face. It pays to take the time to do a more lengthy analysis of the situation.I will take a model from ethics and apply it to the situation. Be patient with the process and the cream will rise to the top!

1.       Review the facts: There is a home improvement to be made that requires, labor, expertise, accurate materials, adequate tools, miscellaneous sundries and possibly a timeline for completion.

2.       Estimate the Problem: Setting aside that a contractor will have more in depth knowledge of the best materials to purchase for the situation, and already own the tools; the main conflict is paying for the contractor’s labor versus spending one’s own time.

3.       Solutions that could be possible: Do it myself, hire a contractor, or pay the unemployed neighbor/brother-in-law/uncle – cash.

4.       Outcomes of each solution above:

a.       Do it myself: The job gets done using my time in the denomination of labor. Any unexpected findings or mistakes took more time and money. My level of expertise shows in the outcome. Best case scenario: money was saved by my time and I am happy with the outcome.

b.      Pay the unemployed neighbor/brother-in-law/uncle – cash: The job may or may not have the desired outcome. Either guilt or pleasure with the job outcome could have implications for the future of said relationship: awkward or friendly. Money may have been saved – with the reality pending on the quality of the job outcome. Risk of job outcome and risk with relationship were taken.

c.       Hire a contractor: Two outcomes emerge depending on the quality of the contractor – which is why referrals are important. First and best outcome is that expectations were met and exceeded. There may be a realization during the job process that more detail and skill was required than originally thought. Your home was disrupted for less time. You spent your time doing profitable things (both for the soul and the wallet). Risk was very low because contractor carried insurances to guard you against any injuries occurring on your property, any job related mistakes with costly repairs and many other things that fall under liability and worker’s compensation insurance.

The second outcome is that you are disappointed with a shoddy job or the poor ethics of the contractor choice you made.

5.       Likely impact of each outcome listed above:

a.       Do it myself: If the job goes well, the impact is one of pride and though time was spent and unexpected issues arose, you felt you came out ahead by spending your extra time rather than cash, to do the job yourself.

b.      Pay the unemployed neighbor/brother-in-law/uncle – cash: The cash helps said person through a tough time. You are happy or not so happy with the results. The relationship in the future with this person hinges on the job outcome. Want to take that risk?

c.       Contractor: If you did your homework and hired a qualified contractor, you are happy with the outcome and no longer feel any sting of spending the money on hired labor because you realize the job has a professional appearance, the unexpected findings were remedied with more skill and ease than you would have been able to deal with, and the timeline allowed you to enjoy your home sooner than if you had tackled the project yourself. Invisible risk benefits like injury or damage liability were realized.

6.       Value of each outcome: Without belaboring any point already mentioned, if one simply looks at the value that the money path followed, it speaks for itself.
In the do-it-yourself scenario, even if the lowest amount of money spent is the outcome, there is a risk that the quality of the job may not last as long as having it professionally done, which means the lower amount spent was not a good investment in the long run.
Cash payment to a friend in need will bring them a short term benefit but the relationship is at risk pending the outcome.

Payment to a contractor helps Main Street keep tradespeople employed and able to maintain health benefits. An employer stays in business and the employees spend their earnings on taxes and on consuming goods that create a strong economy. Notice how the money path in this scenario included insurance, safeguarding you against risk and putting money into that sector as well. The money also flowed to the manufacturer who had the best material solution for your project. For each additional maintenance free year you gain from the money paid to a contractor, the return on investment increases.

7.       The next steps are to evaluate all of the above, make a decision and then defend your decision against its main weaknesses. This is called the RESOLVEDD (yes, two D’s) method (Pfeiffer & Forsberg, 2005).

I hope you enjoyed this lesson in Dilemma Solving 101 – and happy home improvements to you!

References:

1.      Pfeiffer, Raymond F. and Forsberg, Ralph P. Ethics On The Job, 3^rd ed. ( Wadsworth, 2005).

Sometimes it Pays to be The Painter's Wife

Merry Christmas! We'll be back after the holidays.

The front entry gets a fresh coat in time for the holidays!

Homeowners Have Changed

The PW Asks: How have homeowners changed over the last 30 years?

The Painter: The internet has made them dangerous. They have usually read just enough to ask a question that they think they know more about than you know. They “quiz” you. They research something that they’ve never had any experience working with and they will say, “It says to do it this way.” That doesn’t mean it’s the best way, because there’s a learning curve with every coatings product.

There are different driers in each coatings product and the chemical make-ups are different from one product to the next. Each paint or finishing product goes down differently. Thirty years ago, people trusted you because you were a professional.

PW: I think every profession has experienced this to some degree, from doctors and lawyers to painters! Long live the internet. I prefer it to those tan and brown encyclopedias we had when I was a kid.

Painting Changes Over 30 Years in Business

The PW Asks: How have application procedures changed over the last 30 years?

The Painter Says: Thirty years ago there were no small sprayers with variable pressure. The airless sprayer came into being and brought all different sizes, pressure capabilities, and could handle everything from heavy bodied materials to lightweight materials. Reversible tips made it easy to clean tips.

PW: Have you changed how you paint a wall?

Painter: Roller skin technology has changed from polyester to lamb’s wool to a blend of the two to carry paint. The paints require the wall to be painted differently based on “open” time of the paint. Some you have to cut the room in and let that dry before rolling the wall. Other paints require a wet edge. Depending on the sheen of the paint, it will require different applications to get a uniform looking wall. For example, flat paint is not as critical to keep a wet edge as eggshell or semi-gloss sheens. Imperfections in the sheen will be seen when the paint dries down if a wet edge was not maintained.

PW: So painting is not a fool proof process?     

Painter: You've got to know what you’re doing to get it to look right.

New Trim - Old Windows?

The Painter Says: Getting new window trim to blend with old windows is a challenge that most people are not qualified to tackle.

We recently encountered windows that were stained too dark, like a mahogany and the maple trim around them was done with a lighter stain. We were able to prime and enamel the old part of the window to match the natural color of the maple. Then we took a gel stain and created a natural grain look to match the maple. You would have thought it was all maple.

PW: So what you are saying is that you "painted" the window itself and then cleverly created a "wood" look that matched the new window trim. 

Painter: One of our areas of expertise is make existing windows match new wood trim. For example, pine is used in many windows. We can take new cherry wood trim that surrounds the window and blend the pine windows into the cherry trim. From a five foot distance you wouldn’t know it’s not all new finishing.

PW: I'm impressed, but then again, - you had me at hello. (Oh, that was cheesy! My kids are going to groan!)

Now show me the money!

Holiday Season Kitchen

The PW Asks: How can people prepare for the holidays?

The Painter Says: Holiday season is freshen-up time. Now is the time to paint the kitchen because everyone likes to stand around and enjoy that room as well as the dining room.

Lead Based Paint Concerns

The PW Asks: What have you learned about precautions and issues surrounding the contamination from lead-based paint?

The Painter Says: The easiest way to deal with it is to encapsulate it. There are special encapsulation primers that have a thick mil to go over the top of oil based paint which is what lead-based paint was made of. The primer will seal it right in.

PW: FYI to our readers - Signet Painting is a Lead-Safe EPA Certified Firm.

Thanksgiving Thoughts from the Painter

The Painter Says:

I’m thankful for family and work. If you've got work, you've got work. It isn’t always about how much you get it’s about who you spend it with. 

Go Vikings!