FAQs Melbourne Painters
How do you know the painter won’t take short-cuts with your project?
Women at Work Painters provides detailed quotes and specifies the work to be undertaken including preparation, number of coats and paint to be used plus any particular details relating to the job eg stripping paint. All of our jobs are supervised with our Operations Manager inspecting our projects most days.
On the final day we will review the work to ensure it has been completed to the original specifications and where possible meet with our client to sign-off the work.
I am getting a few quotes for having my house painted. Can you tell me why the prices vary so much for the same job?
Not all painters do the same type of job. Remember “the cheapest price and the best price are seldom one and the same”.
Note the following points:
- Assuming all of your quotes are from reputable painters who are insured and members of the Master Painters Association (MPA), the major difference in price are often directly related to the amount of surface preparation your painter will perform before the paint is applied. Surface preparation, when undertaken correctly is very detailed and time-consuming work which can take as much as 60% of the time required for the entire job.
- Not all painters provide the necessary insurances such as public liability cover (this should be at least $10m) to protect you should an incident occur and workcover to protect the painting company and their staff. Women at Work Painters carries $10m PL insurance.
- Women at Work Painters uses only premium products, some painters use cheap products that won’t be as long-lasting or they may thin down the paint to make it go further.
What is your quotation process?
When we are asked to quote for your painting project we respond as follows:
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- make an appointment to meet with you to view the site and discuss your requirements.
- at the appointment look closely at the surfaces to be painted to determine if there are any pre-existing issues that are evident that require special treatment eg mould, rotten timber, kalsomine.
- we discuss your requirements so we know the standard of finish you require.
- where you require a finish to a high standard we know to allow additional time at the preparation stage to include such things as removing excess layers of paint (where you don’t like the “thick” look) and filling additional blemishes and imperfections on walls etc.
- we also discuss your colour requirements as this can affect the number of coats required or whether we need to undercoat prior to painting. Where there are to be significant colour changes eg from dark to light or light to dark this can drastically affect the time and paint required, particularly for woodwork.
- after meeting with you we prepare a written quote detailing exactly the work we will be undertaking and email this to you. As we have prepared the quote based on our understanding, which may be incorrect, it is important that you read it thoroughly to ensure all areas are included, that you are satisfied with the preparation standards and the colours and the sheen levels specified are correct.
- a few days later we will send you a follow-up email to ensure you have received the quote.
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What Preparation Do You Undertake Before Painting?
Correct preparation of surfaces prior to painting is vital for the longevity of your new paintwork but also for aesthetic reasons.
What is included as preparation?
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- Wash grease, nicotine, mould and dirt from surfaces where required.
- Pressure wash exterior walls prior to preparation and painting.
- Remove peeling and cracked paint or paint in poor condition. This can be done using a pressure washer, heat gun, sander, paint stripper or a scraper.
- Sand back rough edges so final paintwork looks smooth. Also rough edges under new paintwork can cause adhesion issues.
- Fill cracks and gaps with the appropriate filler – “No More Gaps” type for between woodwork, weatherboards and most joins. Cornice cement or plasterboard compound filler for interior walls and ceilings. Mortar type filler for rendered and brick walls (interior and exterior). 2-pak bog type fillers for filling larger holes and gaps in weatherboards and timber. Putty and timber fillers for woodwork.
- Lightly sand surfaces after filling etc to ensure a smooth/clean surface prior to undercoating/painting.
- Seal stains to stop them bleeding through the new paint eg ink, water marks, mould stains etc.
- Prime/undercoat bare timber, plasterboard, masonry and metal surfaces. Undercoat after wallpaper removal. Undercoat with a tinted undercoat when painting a very strong or dark colour over a light colour. Undercoat woodwork, particularly when painting a light colour over a dark colour or vice-versa, particularly when painting in enamel. Significant colour change on woodwork often requires one coat of undercoat and 1-2 coats of top coat.
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What is Your Painting Process?
The painting process incorporates the following steps:
Job Set-Up
We arrive on the agreed day/time with our materials, paint and tools. We confirm job requirements with you and set-up our work area eg set-up our main storage area for tools and materials and lay out dropsheets.
If you are living in the house whilst we are painting, we will organise a painting schedule with you so that we paint 1 or 2 rooms at a time to minimise disruption.
Preparation
We undertake the required preparation as previously agreed with you and as detailed in our quote. Depending on the situation this may include washing down the surface, removing peeling paint, sanding back previous layers of paint, filling cracks/gaps, stain sealing and applying undercoat.
Painting
We paint the surfaces in the colours and paint as specified in our quote. Should any issues arise we consult with you immediately.
Job Completion
Our Operations Manager undertakes a final check of the painting to ensure it has been carried out to our Women @ Work standards and as specified in our quote. We will ask you if there are any touch-ups that you require. The work area is tidied and we clean up any mess we have created.
What Women At Work Painters Guarantees with Every Project:
- work on consecutive working days;
- treat your property and its occupants with respect;
- complete the job within the specified period (except where unforeseen problems arise with the job and weather permitting);
- turn up on time;
- clean up any mess we create.
We also provide a 5-year workmanship warranty.
Our main goal is to leave our customers happy and satisfied.
Is the painter a member of Master Painters Association?
You can feel more assured that painting will be undertaken to Australian standards if you use a painter who is a member of Master Painters Association. This means your home will be protected and look great, maintaining its value for many years, without costly maintenance that would be required for a property not painted to this standard.
Women at Work Painters has been a member for over 15 years and our MPA no. is 2199.
Will the work be outsourced to external subcontractors?
It is industry standard to use contractors rather than employees. There is a risk of poor quality control when work is outsourced.
Women at Work Painters uses a regular team of painters who we know will consistently perform the work to the standard you require and we supervise projects daily to monitor quality control.
Does the painter work on his/her own?
Is the painter a “one man band?” What back-up does the painter have if he/she falls sick or has issues with your project?
Women at Work Painters has a team of 6-10 painters and can therefore still undertake your painting if a painter is sick or unable to work.
Is the painter fully insured?
Women at Work Painters has $10m Public Liability insurance cover so you are protected against claims on your insurance. We also provide Workcover insurance for our painters. We can provide “Certificate of Currency” if required.