Hello,

About me, am MR.Perry Kay and i work as a Freelance Contractor. It is a good thing you replied to my ad because i need the apartment painted as soon as it can prior my coming back home. You do not have enough tools? Never mind, all necessary and optional working tools will be available for you to work with. So tools should not be a problem or cause any delay.
About the Apartment, it has 2 Bedrooms with a Bathroom each and a Kitchen.


In the meantime, I'm willing to pay a sum of $550 for the painting of the new Apartment, still negotiable though but i think that should do for a 2 Bedroom Apartment. I think the painting should not take long, maybe a day or two. My new Landlord will have to schedule a date and time with you to come do your paintings as you will be going to the new apartment together, he has the keys with him.
This arrangements should be ready as soon as he is notified that i have made payments for your Painting service.

As earlier stated, i want the paintings done prior to my coming back, am attending a Business Conference Meeting somewhere outside the states. Meanwhile, I will have payments arrangement made via my financing body and i will need you to do me a little favor. My Landlord will not schedule a date for the painting unless he has confirmed that i have actually made the payments. He also expects the rent fee as i am just moving in so in order to work there, I will have my paycheck issued to you,it will be an over draft paycheck. I will have my financing body issue the payment to you in your name as I am not able to do anything within the state at the moment and i want it done asap.

When you receive the payment, you are to deduct the cost of your service, the remaining funds should be wired to my new Landlord for the rental fee so all arrangements can be made ontime. I hope you understand this and we should not have any delay in progressing.

Meanwhile, i will need you to get back to me with the details below so the payment can be issued as soon as it can.

Full Name (to be written on check):
Address(must be a street address and not a p.o.box)
City:
State:
Zipcode:
Phone# (Home):
Phone# (Cell):
Age:

I will appreciate it if you can return to me with those info so we can proceed to work.


Mr.Perry Kay

We've probably all heard of those Internet scams to people with online ads for merchandise. Well we just got out first one for painting. It was for painting the interior of a home supposedly in Augusta.

The email came from someone with an African name that was supposedly in London who wanted this interior in Augusta completely painted. The square footage that was given did not add up - three 500 sq. ft. bedrooms in a 2200 sq. ft. house?

The written English and spelling was poor. In addition they needed the work done by the end of March and it was already April 2nd. Did they just paste this from previously sent emails and forget to update it?

I wrote back and informed them that it just so happened that I would be in the Augusta area the next day. I asked if it would be possible to see the project? They wrote back and said that unfortunately the person that was supposed to show me the house was sick with a fever and was in the process of getting treatment in California. ;-)

I wrote back and let them know that it was our policy never to submit a proposal for a project that we could not see first hand. There are too many variables such as how much furniture and obstacles that had to be moved. How much cleaning needed to be done before we could paint, as well as access problems, holes, cracks, caulking and other repairs that must be made before painting, or other potential prep or surface problems.

They never again responded. After some time passed I sent a P.S. that said; "Actually seeing the property also helps us to foil scams as well. ;-)"

For those of you that wonder how this could be a scam, you should know that there are several variations. One of the most popular is to send you a money order or check that is sent to you via next day delivery. The amount will come from some third party and it will be for much more than the proposed amount. They will let you know this and simply ask you to send them the difference which they will have picked up by a carrier. The scam is that their check or money order is no good, but before your bank can let you know that the check or money order was returned NSF, the scam artist will have cashed your check. I hope this helps to prevent this from happening to someone else.

Stan Hallett

Maine Painting LLC
P.O. Box 356
Buxton, Maine 04093

(207) 730-0719
stan@mainepainting.com

Now, before the winter is over is the time to schedule this season's exterior painting projects! Our Spring is almost filled, with some homeowners scheduling for later months. We are often pretty well booked for the year before we start out first exterior project of the season.

Remember, any painter that can begin a project for you right away, probably isn't a very good painter. All the good painters are booked well ahead in the warm weather months. Call and get your free exterior painting proposal from Maine Painting, today!

Stan Hallett

Maine Painting LLC
P.O. Box 356
Buxton, Maine 04093

(207) 730-0719
stan@mainepainting.com

Most people think about getting any painting projects done during the warm months. Here in Maine that makes perfect sense for any exterior painting projects. We usually are starting on exterior projects about mid-April and are finishing up on any exterior work about mid-October (total of 6 months).

The other six months of the year we are pretty much restricted to interior projects. Because of this fact the house painting industry slows down. In the off-season many painting companies in Maine end up laying off portions of their crew.

Here are three reasons why this off-season period is the best time to have any interior work done:

1.) Because of the lack of available work, most painting contractors will give discounts off the regular price to keep busy.

I recommend getting at least three estimates, then ask the painter that you like the best if they will do it for less. Most will give you at least 10% off their normal full price, but you may be able to save as much as 20% off the labor.

2.) Because most painting companies lay off painters in the off-season, they tend to lay-off the less competent and keep the best painters. This means that you have a much better chance of receiving higher quality workmanship. At Maine Painting it usually means that instead of only my employees painting your home, it will most likely be painted by me, personally.

3.) The third reason is because there is a shorter waiting list. My customers often wait weeks and even months for me to get to their projects during the warm months. During the winter months I can usually start a project within days.

Stan Hallett

Maine Painting LLC
P.O. Box 356
Buxton, Maine 04093

(207) 730-0719
stan@mainepainting.com

Promotional literature promises lifelong performance for pressure treated wood. The Forest Products Laboratory and other research groups have shown that treated wood stakes placed in the ground for more than 40 years remain rot-free. But young pressure-treated decks, many less than 10 years old, are being shoveled into landfills. A technical report in the Forest Products Journal (November-December 1998) indicated that the average pressure-treated deck only lasts 9 years. Why?

Pressure treating does make wood rot resistant. But --- it doesn’t make wood water resistant. Pressure treated wood still soaks and looses moisture. And as a result, the wood moves, cracks, twists, bends, cups and virtually tears itself apart. There is hope.

You can enjoy pressure treated decks for a very long time. All it takes is a little extra care during installation and a yearly dose of maintenance. Keep the wood stable by applying a coat of water repellent treatment onto all surfaces before installation. Securely fasten the deck boards with long corrosion-resistant screws. Brush-treat raw wood that is exposed when cutting and drilling. Retreat the tops of the boards with a good brushing of water repellent every year. The water repellent will keep the boards looking bright and will minimize the uptake of water. As a result the boards will have fewer cracks, splits, cups and twists.

New home builders can easily avoid paint failure problems by taking preventive measures during the construction phase of a house. By following several simple steps, homeowners can ensure a high-quality, long-lasting exterior finish. Fortunately, this process seldom involves a major additional expense.

Owners of homes with existing paint problems will benefit from understanding what causes their paint to fail. Once these causes have been identified, they can be addressed, and future problems can be eliminated.

The most common reason for exterior paint failure in houses built since the mid-1970 is energy efficient, airtight construction. It seems ironic that in solving one problem, the conservation of energy, another was created – peeling exterior paint. At the time these new, energy-efficient homes were designed and constructed, architects and contractors did not realize all of the consequences of these previously untested construction methods.

Recognizing that exterior paint problems have resulted from efforts to construct energy-efficient homes, many builders have experimented with inexpensive, frequently ineffective solutions to the problem. The most common procedure is to install a “vapor barrier” between the interior wall and the fully-packed insulation. While in theory this barrier should be effective, it can only function well if installed without seams and used in conjunction with constant interior dehumidification and/or “dilution techniques”. Dilution serves to introduce dry (cold) exterior air in an effort to moderate the level of interior humidity. We cannot help but note that these efforts involve a considerable use of energy and capital in themselves.

The vast majority of exterior paint failures on modern homes occur in the spring, near the end of the heating season. These failures invariably result from a high level of interior humidity forcing its way through the walls and coming into direct contact with the cold, unpainted interior surface of exterior siding, where it condenses. The resulting condensation soaks the wood. Failure may be uniform or limited to specific areas of the home (normally sunny side exhibits the most severe problem as the sun acts to “draw” the moisture against the exterior paint film). Please note that exterior paint failure may also be a symptom of a much more severe problem – the rotting of interior construction framework; a frequent occurrence in the presence of moisture, warmth and darkness. Modern homes are also much more likely to attract exterior moisture as the capillary action in the laps (edges of siding and clapboards) draws moisture into the house.

These problems associated with airtight construction are not encountered in older homes where the wall cavities are either empty or partially filled with insulation, thereby providing an air channel which allows interior humidity to escape. Admittedly, these older homes are sometimes drafty, and fuel consumption is greater, but they seldom, if ever, experience exterior paint failure.

The interior humidity problem and its impact upon exterior painted surfaces is further exacerbated by the broad range of moisture sources found in the modern American home. Clothes dryers, dishwasher, saunas, whirlpools, and frequent daily showers contribute to extremely high levels of interior moisture release. A family of four can easily release twenty gallons of water vapor into the interior of a home in a single day! While the human body is quick to recognize gradients of ambient temperature, we do not possess the natural ability to sense extreme levels of humidity. It is unhealthy to reside in a high-moisture environment and yet entirely possible for us to do so unknowingly until the paint begins to fall off the home rapidly.

The following recommendations have proven to be effective in correcting exterior paint failure.

PREVENTING THE PROBLEM – PRE-CONSTRUCTION PLANNING

* Deal only with reputable professionals who acknowledge that special planning is required in the design and construction of energy-efficient homes.
* Insist that seamless vapor barriers be properly installed before wallboard or plaster is applied. Effort should be made to avoid “leaks” such as those which occur around wall switches and baseboard plugs.
* Consider the use of less insulation that your wall can accept – use 3” insulation with 4” studs, 4”-5” with 6” studs. This will allow for an evaporation chamber. Your walls will retain a much greater “R” value with 4” of dry insulation than with 6” of wet insulation.
* Rather than nail your clapboard directly onto the sheathing of your new home, consider installing it onto vertical furring strips in order to provide an air space of at least 1/4” between the sheathing and the back of the clapboard. As an alternative, please consider the use of roll-type spacing material such as “Cedar Slicker” (http://www.benjaminobdyke.com/visitor/product/key/homeSlicker)
* Eliminate the possibility of a moist basement by providing good water drainage and sealing all exterior foundation walls.
* Install exhaust fans vented to the exterior in kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. Clothes dryers and Jacuzzis must have exterior venting. Cover all standing water when not in use (hot tub/Jacuzzi).
* If possible, plan a well-vented crawl space and/or attic with at least one sq. foot of ventilation area for every 300 square feet. The same one sq. foot of ventilation should be provided for every 150 square feet or crawl space. Crawl space and attic insulation must be installed with the vapor barrier or foil side toward the living area.
* Specify that each piece of trim and siding to be used on the home’s exterior be primed on all “six” sides with alkyd (oil based) primer before being nailing in place. All cuts should be sealed by carpenters with one heavy, grain filling coat of primer/undercoat immediately before nailing. Many lumber yards and mills offer “factory priming”. If you use this service, please insist that alkyd (oil based) primers be used exclusively and confirm that they will not be over thinned – many of these pre-coating firms use very low quality waterborne primers whose sole attribute is quick drying. (Unless you are able to monitor activity closely at the mill, we recommend priming at the jobsite.)
* Please note that homes heated with a ducted hot-air system are much less likely to experience problems with humidity related paint failure.
* Prime the “top side” of all floor sheathing material used between the first floor and basement with an alkyd (oil based) primer.

POST-CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS

* Determine the location and degree of the problem. Keep in mind that exterior paint failure is not the problem, but merely the solution. A simple moisture meter will enable you or your contractor to measure the existing level of moisture within your siding. Where failure is particularly severe, we suggest that you arrange to have your home inspected by a structural engineer or other person capable of measuring levels of moisture in wall partitions. If these tests are conducted with the correct instruments, there will be little impact upon the appearance of your home. Ideally, testing should be conducted in late spring or early summer when moisture levels will still be near their peak. Paint application should not begin until after July 1st when the home has this type of moisture problem.
* Install exhaust fans vented to the exterior in your kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room. Ideally these devices will be tied into your lighting switches so that they activate automatically when these rooms are occupied. NEVER vent exhaust devices into an attic.
* Examine all crawl spaces and attics in order to bring them up to the ventilation specifications indicated for new construction.
* Attempt to eliminate any sources of moisture infiltration from the outside. A damp or leaky basement can frequently be corrected by installing new external drainage and/or ventilation devices.
* Prime all interior sides of all exterior walls with alkyd (oil based) primer. These alkyd primers will serve as “barrier coatings”, drastically reducing the passage of water vapor from your home into your walls.
* Install a dehumidifier or air conditioner in your living area. Although there is an expense involved in running this equipment, it will make your home environment healthier and drier, and may save you thousands of dollars in maintenance expenses.
* Use of a hygrometer to track indoor humidity levels is suggested. Humidity levels in the home should never be above 45%.
* Do not, however, bring unseasoned firewood into your house, not even in the cellar, as a cord of green wood can be expected to release more than 200 gallons of water!
* Maine Painting can install a wedge vent system. This system is recommended in the event that you are unable to obtain moisture levels below 15% by natural venting.
* Remove and replace exterior wood which has already begun to rot. Such wood can normally be detected with a pocket knife. Avoid future problems by encapsulating new wood as recommended in pre-construction steps.
* Do not allow snow or ice to maintain contact with exterior siding for extended periods.