Have a look at this new video of our office in North Raleigh. Here you will see the exterior of our office which has just been painted! Inside you meet our office staff and painting dog.
We hope you take the virtual tour and welcome your feedback.
This video highlights the warranty procedures that keep homes painted by CertaPro in great shape for years. All of our exterior projects are done using 25 year warranty paint and installed with the tools and techniques needed to create lasting beautiful results.
Here you will also see an example of our our work vehicles and uniformed painting crews.
Tired of looking at snow out your front window? Here’s a new perspective – NASA’s Aqua satellite snapped this picture of the North Carolina coast wearing a blanket of snow.
Image courtesy of NASA
The normally tan-and-green topography turned a luminous white as a result of the recent snow storm, which dumped 8.8” of the white stuff on Harker’s Island in just 2 days. Travel along the East Coast was severely impacted during the worst of the weather, including widespread flight delays, cancellation of rail service, and highway closures in several states. As of Friday, February 12, every state except Hawaii had some snow cover.
Original photo & story from NASA:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=42698
More on the story from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/weather/02/15/winter.weather/index.html?hpt=T2
With budgets shrinking all over the country, many building managers are weighing the cost savings gained by deferring or eliminating maintenance tasks against the potential risk of requiring major capital repairs later. Painting schedules are especially susceptible to scaled-back thinking because these tasks are often seen as aesthetic rather than functional on a core level. But before you begin cutting back on paint touch-ups or routine repainting, consider the impact today’s decisions are likely to have on your long-term expenditures.
Staying within budget while effectively maintaining your building requires planning and innovation. Consider establishing a comprehensive preventive maintenance schedule for painting high-traffic and high-visibility areas, while transitioning the remainder of your site to a predictive maintenance plan. You might also explore opportunities to increase your leverage by partnering with nearby building owners to coordinate large-scale painting projects.
Buildings magazine, Dec 2009, “What a Fresh Coat of Paint Can Do” http://www.buildings.com/Magazine/ArticleDetails/tabid/3413/ArticleID/9115/Default.aspx
BOMA, “Strategies for Creating Asset Value in a Down Economy” http://www.boma.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Org/Docs/The%20Era%20of%20the%20Property%20Manager%20FINAL.pdf
Weather Permitting? Not true with CertaPro Painters!! We were on the job this morning braving the ice here in Raleigh to be at the customer’s home in time. We were not without concern once we arrived and found that our lead painter was lost down the hill without any traction. We were actually amazed that we were able to get to our interior job this morning the ice here in Raleigh was quite treacherous!!
Some businesses, such as hospitals, police stations and power companies, can’t shut down during bad weather. If your business is one that must stay open, it’s important to create a plan to keep your employees safe as they go about getting to and from work, as well as their extended time onsite. Begin with the basics:
A few additional questions will help you create a framework for safe and efficient operations during bad weather.
For a look at UNC Hospital’s plans to accommodate workers during winter weather, read the recent news story here: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6917143/
To see updates on closures and cancellations in Raleigh, visit the city’s Weather Closings & Cancellations page here: http://www.raleighnc.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_396_208_0_43/http%3B/pt03/DIG_Web_Content/hottopics/public/HotTopics-PubAff-Weather_Closings_And_Can-20100129-10460433.html
How you became who you are:
Kirt Storch
Owner CertaPro Painters
Raleigh/Wake Forest, NC
When growing up in Columbia, MD I was always the kid with the paper route, either delivering my papers or going out collecting my monthly dues from my customers while the other kids were going to the pool or playing baseball. It didn’t truthfully bother me because I loved the chase and especially getting paid. Back in those days a “paperboy” would only get paid if he was able to collect enough money to pay the “paper-man” the monthly bill and still had some left over cash on hand. It always seemed I was chasing that last customer down to pay his bill so I could make my monthly income.
Wow! They say the lessons learned as a child will stay with you for the rest of your life, — nothing could be more true than this statement. Now that I think about it that lesson of honest hard work has stuck with me all my life. I have always been a hard worker and even as a player on a National Championship lacrosse team at the Univ. of North Carolina I believe I was one of the hardest workers on the team. I worked extremely hard for the very little amount of playing time I got on the field, but it was all worth it!! There was nothing better than putting on the Carolina Blue and hitting the lacrosse field as well as some of the competition! I lived for it and loved it!!
Now as my wife Sheri and I have started our own company in the competitive world of Commercial / Residential Painting, we are often asked WHY? Why leave a career in the fast paced world of Medical Device Sales to own a painting company? I guess the key word is “own”. We always wanted to own a business that we had started from nothing. Today, after four full years, we have developed a company from the ground up taking to heart everything that we have learned in our past careers and sinking it all into the world of commercial and residential painting. In the end it all comes down to enjoying what you do and treating the customer as you would expect to be treated yourself. We love what we do and look forward to growing our business from the roots that were established as a young “paperboy” in Columbia, MD to a lacrosse player at UNC. Love what you do and you know what, It really isn’t work at all!
Interior paint is an important asset – not only does it makes your facility look professional and inviting, it also maintains your company’s professional image and extends your corporate brand throughout your workplace. Scuffed and banged up corners detract from the aesthetics of your facility’s interior, and result in money spent on touch-ups and re-paints.
Instead of paying to repair corner damage, take a look at today’s corner protection offerings. They can help keep your paint looking fresh and presentable while preserving your maintenance budget.
Corner protection comes in many flavors. Pick the one that best suits your needs, your corporate culture and your budget.
Once you’ve protected your corners from damage, you may find that the movement of mail carts, chairs, laundry totes, lab equipment or other items continues to mar your walls. If so, consider installing bumpers or crash rails. Designed to intercept damage-causing objects at a specific height, bumpers and crash rails are available in wood, vinyl acrylic and a variety of attractive metals.
If you’re like the majority of facility and maintenance groups, you’re looking at a smaller budget and trying to determine how to keep your facilities in good shape without spending too much money. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your 2010 dollars.
– By purchasing supplies such as cleaning solutions, paper towels and even door hardware in bulk, you may be able to pay a lower per-unit cost. Be sure your team knows where to find the extra supplies if they can’t be stored in the normal supply areas.
– Are there preventive maintenance items or other infrequent tasks you might be able to wrap into a capital project? Scheduling things like floor refinishing, painting, door replacements and technology upgrades to occur as part of a related capital project will provide you with the same long-term benefit, but will require you to dip into your budget only once.
– Do you have multiple vendor contracts that could be combined for better pricing? What about any national buying agreements available to you as a member of trade associations or other organization?
– Take a look at the services you’re self-performing, and those that are being outsourced. Can your team do something more cost-effectively than a vendor? Are you leveraging your resources – both internal and external – as efficiently as possible?
– If you’re trying to fit a remodel or other capital project into the budget, don’t forget to check your lease agreement for any tenant improvement dollars that might be available.
– It’s a good idea to regularly check your organization’s performance against industry benchmarking data, such as that available through BOMA or IFMA. Identifying underperforming areas is a great first step in lowering expenditures.
BOMA benchmarking data: http://www.boma.org/RESOURCES/BENCHMARKING/Pages/default.aspx
IFMA benchmarking data: http://www.ifma.org/tools/research/research.cfm
Due to recent issues with standard pressure washing wands on driveways, patios, and walkways we have recently come across a great option for our business that has had great success with our customers. The new orbital product has a very smooth application and incredible results on all our our pressure wash projects. 
Customers love the results and we love the decreased time it takes to deliver a final product for our customers that we have promised.
