Around the holidays, people are scrambling around trying to decorate the house and get everything ready for invited (and uninvited) guests. One of our latest projects had the homeowner panicked her home wouldn’t be ready by the time her in-laws got to town for Thanksgiving.

Most parents know that a three year old with permanent markers is a dangerous situation. This homeowner found out the hard way when she got home from work to find four walls covered with various squiggles. With less a week before her visitors were to arrive she had to get the two child-vandalized rooms repainted.

Since this was a newer home, the homeowner wanted to take advantage of the free color consultation to help pick a new, updated color. Sharper had to hustle and get the consultant out to the house the same day as the actual quote! Once the paint colors were selected, our painters had only 2 days to get everything prepped and painted.

The customer was relieved when she saw her in-laws pull up to the house just as our painters were leaving. The painters even used a No-VOC paint so there were minimal fumes, the guests had no idea the room was finished just minutes prior to their arrival.

The Sharper Impressions Painting customer was elated that her home was able to be completed before the holidays. The new color put a great finish to the rooms and most importantly, covered up all of the permanent marker kid art.

Now that Thanksgiving is over and you’re getting ready to put away the fall decorations in preparation for the remainder of the holiday season, consider what a fresh coat of paint could do for your home. Sharper Impressions Painting works with many homeowners that prefer to get some of the rooms in their home freshened-up before decorating for the holidays.

Painting certain rooms before hanging decorations, provides a finished surface and allows for a more completed look; the work will not only look great, it will last for a long time. There is nothing worse than hanging up all the holiday decorations and realizing that you should paint before the in-laws come to town; you then have to take down or move the decorations for the painting and then re-do all your hard work.

Interior painting is a quick process that can be completed in time for holiday plans. We even offer FREE color consultations to help you pick the best color at a time where a lot of people will be seeing your home. Sharper Impressions Painting is usually able to send someone out next day to take a look and give you an estimate for the work and start the job not long after you commit to our services.

The Sharper Impressions team wants to make sure your home looks its best this holiday season. Call today to set up your free estimate 1.877.665.5566 toll free.

Sharper Impressions Painting wants to help you protect your home throughout the winter season. Thanks to paint technology, we are now able to apply most exterior paints and stains in temperatures as low as 35°F, allowing homes to be painted much further into cooler months than before.

A fresh coat of house paint in the fall may also be your last chance to protect your home from moisture and impending wood rot that often takes place during winter months. Failing to take the necessary steps to protect your home can be very costly. If a home goes unpainted through the winter, you may end up with extensive wood damage that could cost thousands to repair or replace. The easiest way to prevent this is with a fresh coat of paint before winter weather sets in. A good paint job in the fall could protect your home for ten years or longer.

Getting any current wood rot fixed, caulking to fill holes and gaps, and painting done prior to winter will also help save on heating bills throughout the season. By protecting and sealing these surfaces, it helps insulate the interior and prevents excess heat from escaping.

Another advantage to painting your home this time of year is less foliage that could get in the way of painting all the surfaces.  Think of your largest tree or bush around your home, are the leaves and branches near the siding of the house?  In the fall, these leaves are bare and because it is easier to paint, this saves you money.   Also, for a minimal fee, we can clean your gutters of any leaves or debris to help prevent clogging of your gutters and downspouts.  We are already on site, with our ladders, why have us clean out your gutters for you.  It is safer and economical.

Contact Sharper Impressions Painting today to discuss protecting your home from wood rot and the types of paint we can use to paint your house into the fall. We can schedule a free and quick painting quote for you this fall season!

Sharper Impressions Painting debuts a customer review site where current and future customers can see actual customers before and after pictures and their exact comments about the painting performance.

The site has numerous before and after pictures from recently completed projects around the area. Alongside each set of pictures are the homeowners’ comments regarding their painting experience. Visitors to the new customer review site will also be able to see several of Sharper Impressions painters and paint contractors in action around different types of painting projects.

Along with recent customer reviews, Sharper Impressions Painting has included several older reviews to show consistency in our work throughout the 19 years of business. Newer customers are encouraged to actively participate in the site by posting all reviews, ideas, thoughts or any complaints. Complaints are rare, but when they happen, Sharper takes responsibility and ensures the management team is available to solve any and all issues, no matter the size.

Sharper Impressions Painting is very excited about this new tool and urge past, present and future customers to utilize the review site as often as necessary. Visit www.SharperImpressionsPaintingReview.com to check out the new site!

Sharper Impressions Painting is thrilled to make the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing private companies for the fourth consecutive year. The company’s continued growth over the past several years has positively affected their placement on the list, and this year is no different, resulting in a closer spot to the top.

The Sharper Impressions team has worked diligently to provide top customer service and quality workmanship for all their customers. These qualities have played a roll in the company’s continued success and climb in the Inc 5000 list. Companies nationwide vie for an opportunity to be included in this list, and it is an incredible feat to be honored four years in a row.

Founder Geoff Sharp describes the secret to the company’s success; “good management that focuses on customer satisfaction, which results in bottom-line profitability and continued growth.”

Sharper Impressions Painting is a residential and commercial paint contractor with over 19 years experience in exterior and interior painting. Founded by Geoff Sharp, the company focuses on sustainable work practices and charitable outreach within the local, national and global community. For more information, call 1-877-665-5566 or go to: www.sharperimpressionspainting.com.

Sharper Impressions Painting announces FREE in-home color consultations for any customer who needs the added color selection assistance. This free color consultation includes free sample cans of paint in different colors and small paint brushes. These samples allow the homeowner to try the paint color on small areas of their home to determine which color they like best.

This service is available to any homeowner looking to make a change of paint color on the interior or exterior of their home. For those who are looking to merely spruce up their current paint job, we have another free service which offers custom color matching services by professional color specialists. We will make sure the new paint matches the current color guaranteed.

As soon as the homeowner chooses Sharper Impressions Painting as their residential painting professional, a manager is able to set up an appointment for a local color specialist to visit the home and aid the homeowner in choosing the perfect color(s) for his or her project. The appointment times are flexible around work schedules (evenings and weekends appointments are available) and are completely free of charge. This is just one of the several free services Sharper Impressions Painting offers to ensure the beauty of their customer’s homes.

We here at Sharper Impressions Painting are busy painting homes this summer. But, we like to work hard and play hard.

Making copies is not one of the chores around the office that we love. So, in honor of the summer season, we BEACHED UP our beloved copy machine.

Now, every time we make a copy, we go on a little vacation…in our mind.

Summer is the best time to get your home painted, so give us a call!

What is the most important thing to look/ask for from a painting contractor?

REFERENCES, REFERENCES, REFERENCES! Ask for both old and new references to ensure the current quality of work and confirm that the painter has jobs that have lasted a long time.

It is critical to make sure the contractor has:

• Liability insurance,
• a BBB membership (Better Business Bureau)
• a material and labor warranty provided in writing, and
• have been in business for several years

Before the painters start painting, be sure to confirm:

• whether they are going to apply 2 coats or 1,
• what brand and level of paint will they apply (you can buy good paint brands that have cheap paints or top quality paints, you get what you pay for in paint, so make sure your painter buys a top level product)
• your home should be power washed (pressure washed) prior to painting,
• preparation work should be detailed on your quote/contract,
• exact price of the work should be clear and discuss any additional charges that may be added to a paint job like yours

How often should exterior paint be refreshed?

There are different general guidelines for renewing exterior paint

• Decks 1-2 years
• Fences 1-4 years
• Trim on homes 5-10 years
• Wood siding on home 5-10 years
• Stucco 10+ years
• Hardie plank or aluminum siding 10+ years

Why was it important for you to run a “green” company?

We are only renting this big blue planet and it is imperative we leave it as clean as we can for the next generation. Often, damages to the environment can be permanent; fortunately, painting your home does not have to cause any damage to you or the environment. Latex paints, (hardly any oil based paints are used anymore) are waterborne and the norm now for the residential repainting industry. Low VOC paints, which dry without harmful emissions, protect the home, the occupants and the air.

In the past year, my company has erased our server carbon footprint, gone nearly paperless in our office, operated temperature control units that turn off heating and cooling during down office times, installed energy efficient insulation and new skylights to reduce the amount of energy used for lighting and heating the office and warehouse.  Hopefully your painting contractor is doing his best to protect our environment also.

Why is prep work (preparation) so important?

90% of any good paint job is prep work; it makes the final paint job look good and last a long time

• Power-washing – to ensure the surface is clean and the paint will stick. Click Here for more information.
• Tape and tarp – to protect surfaces and create nice clean cut lines
• Caulking – seals gaps and joints from weathering, bugs and makes the surface look solid and universal
• Scrape – removes old paint so it doesn’t cause the new paint to flake/peel/blister
• Prime – protects and seals the exposed wood grains, then has a nice smooth surface for the top coat to stick
• Paint – always 2 coats, any color, will last twice as long, looks thick and rich

What are common reasons your interior needs repainted?

The most popular reason for painting an interior is to update/change the color of the walls.

Another reason is for upkeep. Some common reasons to freshen up are:

• dents, scuffs, dirt, dust, animal hair, moisture stains, and faded walls from sunlight

The third biggest reason to repaint is to upgrade the quality of paint. When you repaint the walls with a top quality, deep, rich paint, the colors are deeper and the final result will look beautiful for a long time.

Ceilings usually last twice as long as the walls.  So often customers paint the ceilings every other time they get their walls painted.

• Over time they yellow out from sunlight, and smoke/moisture/oils.
• When you properly paint a ceiling, it can add an amazing amount of brightness to any room

Often a room’s trim, windows and doors will need painted as well. There are generally two reasons people choose to repaint these areas:

• To freshen up the area that gets a lot of abuse from foot traffic, vacuum cleaners and everyday wear and tear.
• To change an old, dated and dark wood trim color to an updated, fresh, bright glossy paint

We’re counting the days!

This February, the Sharper Impressions Painting team will gather in the great city of New Orleans for our annual meeting, affectionately known as “Paint-the-Brain.”

We’re all very excited to spend almost a full week there, enjoying the sites, music and great food. We’ve also made it a priority to show our concern for the city’s rebuilding efforts by taking a tour of the devastated areas. And, thanks to our strong connections with area paint suppliers, we’re able to make a substantial donation of Sharper time, money and Paint to support the Rebuilding Effort.

If there’s one thing the Sharper Impressions Painting team knows about, it’s the value of a home – a safe home that you can share with your family and be proud of. We hope our donation will help some families continue to heal as they rebuild their homes and their lives.

It’s always a valuable time for us to get together to review the past year and plan for the future. This year is especially exciting for us as we celebrate continued growth in sales and quality with some amazing advances in technology.

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The next six weeks are an ideal time to give your entertaining spaces an affordable makeover – to update your home in anticipation of a joyous holiday season. A professional paint job is one of the easiest ways to freshen up your home for family and friends and, you are guaranteed to get the best price of the year from your paint contractor.

Often, if you find the right painting contractor, December pricing can save you 20-30% on all types of interior paint jobs. Late November through mid-December is a transitional time for most painters who find themselves booking only interior painting projects. As they finish up exterior jobs, this is a perfect time for you to take advantage of their schedule and get some much needed sprucing up done in time for the holidays.

Here are some important tips:

1. Have you ever considered giving a fresh paint job to a spouse or loved one for the Holidays? Most paint contractors can give you a quote secretly, you can sign the painting agreement and then either have the area painted before or after the holiday. A fun and unique gift. And you don’t have to spend your winter weekends painting rooms!

2. For paint contractors who are busy finishing exteriors, they have open spaces to fill on rainy days. If you can be flexible and allow your contractor to work with you on bad-weather days, you’ll probably see an even greater discount. We have seen HALF OFF when customers are flexible.

3. Allow at least a week for the color selection process. Good paint contractors can help you select colors and will allow FREE color try-ons to make your decision easier. Remember, once the color is selected it will be there for a long time, so enjoy your color selection process.

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