Pro Tips

The most difficult step entrepreneurs take is getting their start-up off the ground. The second hardest is making it into the best business it can be.   Ed Hess, professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business outlines the top nine growth challenges facing today’s entrepreneurs, and how to overcome them.

You’ve worked hard to build your painting business. You’ve got years of your life and a lot of sweat equity invested in your company. Taking time to plan your exit strategy now can help you enjoy a more comfortable retirement and leave a lasting legacy.

Using the right primer in the right situation can make the difference between a surface with washed-out color or penetrating stains and one that has a bright, resilient, durable finish.

Whether you're coating a new substrate or repainting an existing one, it pays to use the correct products and procedures. Here is a guide to coating five of today's most popular exterior surfaces.

Improve the accuracy of your colors with the right gray shade of undercoat.

The challenge: Preparing a two-story farm house, built in 1833, for a fresh paint job by stripping the exterior to bare wood — without damaging the underlying cedar substrate.

What Painters Need To Know

Everybody wants it. Here's how you get it.

Cost-effective, sturdy, versatile – it's no wonder the use of concrete in commercial and residential construction is increasing. From gracious lobbies to countertops, concrete can be intricately textured, colored and patterned for a multitude of strikingly beautiful uses.

Removing vinyl siding – while requiring careful and often extensive prep work – is a viable business opportunity for all painting contractors.

Selecting the right brushes and rollers is a crucial step in making your paint jobs look better while helping you do your work more easily and efficiently.

Graffiti problems? You can be part of the solution. With the right coatings products, you can take control of the situation and help property owners combat this destructive crime.

What does it take to build a “green” city? Forward-thinking municipalities like Chicago and Boston are taking the lead in efforts to improve their environmental friendliness.

Both are important when considering green solutions

By now, you've probably heard about “green buildings” and “LEED® certified projects”. No mere fad, this shift in construction consciousness toward more environmentally sound methods is gaining momentum every month. Get up to speed on this emerging market with answers to a few frequently asked questions about the green trend... and how you fit in as a professional painting contractor.

Different people, projects and tasks require ladders of varying styles, sizes, grades and materials. Style, size, duty rating and material are the four key elements to understand when choosing the right ladder for the job.