Tag: st charles

As we were working last week doing a wallpaper installation, we received a call asking for a price to install wallpaper in a bathroom. The customer asked us several questions about our pricing. We in turn had to ask the customer a few questions such as:

• What are the dimensions of the bathroom?
• Is the room painted or does it have wallpaper needing to be removed?
• Have you selected a wallpaper for the room yet?
• What type of wallpaper has been selected? (Grasscloth, self stick, commercial)

The answer we received for 3 of these questions was “we are not sure”. Do the size of the room and the wallpaper being installed really matter to give an estimated cost to install wallpaper? Yes, it does.

• Wallpapers all require some prep work.
• Some call for specialized primers to be used prior to installation. 
• Self Stick wallpapers have issues with paint that are low VOC
• There are different requirements for the type of adhesive or glue to be used.
• Depending on the wallpaper it will take longer to install as various wallpapers require them to be wet (pasted with glue) to allow the glue to set up time prior to installation.
• The cost of wallpaper in the Chicago area can vary also depending on the location, i.e. downtown will be more due to travel, parking building restrictions etc.

How do I know how much wallpaper I need?

This is the question that comes up at every wallpaper installation and estimate. To find out we will:

• mesure each wall, ignoring any openings
• verify the paper be ing used and how much paper is on a roll
• look at the repeat if any
• figure out the width of each panel
• determine how may pices we can get from each rolls with the needed waste and repeat

So…what is the cost to install wallpaper in the Chicago area?

There are some wallpaper installations that are fairly simple to estimate. And without getting into too many details which may just really bore you, expect to pay about $680 to do an installation. There are always fixed costs such as:

• transportation
• tools used
• primers used
• materials to apply primers and adhesives
• workman’s comp
• standard insurance policy
• and of course taxes.

This may not answer all of your questions regarding cost to install wallpaper for your home or business, but it is a start as to what we need to know what is the minimum cost for an installation in the Chicago area.

Give us a call to schedule an estimate or send us a text to 847-553-1726. We will be glad to help!

Have you painted part of your home lately? Did you have any drips or splats?  Well if you can believe it, so have we.

We have found that the best thing to use when cleaning up the paint is magic erasers. They will remove paint for up to 7 days after we are done. Try it you’ll like it!

If that doesn’t work, then get out the Krud Kutter. It works and it works well.

For those who have pets, kids or other messy makers, have you had a tough stain on your carpet? If it is a natural stain (not oil etc) then pure hydrogen peroxide is the only thing you will ever need.

I was asked this question this week during an estimate walkthrough. Who are you, why should I hire you, why should I trust you, how do I know you will do what you say, are you gonna do what the last guy did?

We are D’franco Painting and Decorating. We have come from a part-time hobby to 2 friends working together for Dfranco Inc. We have Taken over A Painted wall. We have bought The Finishing Touches inc. We are still looking to expand. In an economy of payoffs, our customers are on a waiting list. We have grown every single year in business. We never stop to learn.

Are you getting estimates from painters that are insured?

Is the person you are considering an out of work painter from another company working for cash? If so who will pay for the paint on the carpet- replace the new sink he just cleaned is tools out it an ruined the finish off?

What kind of references did you get? Homeowner? Businesses? Other contractors? Decorators? Realtors? We give them all to you, it’s not Aunt Jenny giving you the thumbs up to us.

How much does the contract tell you? It should spell out everything, does it?

You may pay a bit more but you can’t expect a Lexus at a Chevy Dealer.

We have completed our 2nd job using the Harmony line (non VOC paint) of paints from Sherwin Williams. After 24 gallons we can say….WOW!  we used the flat for ceilings which I feel had too much sheen for a flat paint. We also used the eggshell for the walls.  We really put it to the test. After having a great feel for it in a bathroom, we cut in a room at the top and bottom of each wall, left for an hour, then painted the walls. When the paint dried, we had no flashing, no marks, no streaks, and no sign of where we started or ended. When the walls dried, the sheen was perfect, not too shiny as with most eggshells, it was more of a low luster look, with a great washability.

For homeowners, this would be a great one coat paint coverage.

The newest trend in paint is going green.  So we have made some moves to get on the no VOC and green paints. Of course, realizing the glowing red on your ears is a reaction to paint is a good reason to switch.

In using the Sherwin progreen we have found that the paint is very sensitive to humidity, and temperature. We had to add water and flow additive in order to keep from getting flashing along our cut lines.  Even with A Sherwin rep with us, the drying time was extremely fast. If you use it, be prepared to paint fast!!

That depends on you, your budget, what you want in, from or out of your home. Do you want it to look cheap? Do you like seeing nail pops throughout your home? Do you have cracks in the base molding where the caulk has come apart? Do you like to see every brush mark because the last time your walls were painted they used one coat of paint? Would you like you home to look just as good at the model homes you tour? Would you like feel the coziness of a warm color that just makes you feel at home? What else would you like from a coat of paint in your home?

You do get what you pay for. From certified no VOC paints, to quality washable paints we have what you want. We have the good paint. A trained crew that makes things fast, clean, no worries, and quality work. Knowing that you can give us the keys to your home it will be treated better than our own.

How can we help you? What is a no stress decorating job worth to you?

Oak cabinets are beautiful. Oak cabinets are also very common. It is the number 1 complaint we hear from customers on what they want to change in their home.

The easy fix is to paint your oak cabinets. Then they can be glazed or aged to give them an entirely new look. Add a faux finish to a room and you have transformed your room from blah to ahh!

Figure that a professional job to refinish cabinets will be about 1/3 the cost of new cabinets. Without the hassle of losing your kitchen for a month so cabinets can be ordered, then installed, then a week or 2 for a new countertop. From Bathrooms to Kitchen cabinets, we can help you spruce it up.

As we move into high gear with decorating, spring cleaning, fix-up ideas to sell your home, decorating on a dime, or if you’re just sick of looking up at a 2×2 white drop ceiling, what to do?

The easiest is to break out a paint can, roller, brush, and paint the tiles!

You could add a bit of flair and paint the support brackets differently than the tile colors.

Or you can have fun. We can come in, get some inexpensive flat tiles, and paint a mural on the tiles. Go Michael Angelo! Paint the tiles to look like a sky, and when you reinstall them, the grids will make your ceiling tiles appear as a skylight.

Your place is our palette! Call or text us today or book an estimate online.

We just got a call from a customer to help with their painting and Faux finishing. When we arrived at their home we found a kitchen that had cost more that both of my cars together. It was beyond stunning. The walls however needed help. Colors were off, there was standard drywall, stucco, and some type of broken/rough plaster scattered throughout the room. In trying to save money, we painted everything one color and are glazing it with a 2 tone color wash to pick up the colors from the wood cabinets and the granite counter. What was thrown together is now actually appearing to have been planned!With the cabinets a wormy chestnut the rough plaster and stucco actually look very well together-I never would have though of that.

We next get to fix some foundation cracks, paint bedroom closet doors, paint a family room, paint 2 kids bedrooms, then figure out what type of murals we will paint in the rooms for the kids. Fun job, great people to work with.

What do you have in your Kitchen as a Backsplash? Are you looking at straight paint? Do you have monochrome tiles? How about wallpaper? In the Kitchen, we get many challenges on what a customer can do to spruce things up. Wood cabinets can be cleaned down, re-stained or maybe they can be glazed with another color. Adding new hardware to the doors, drawers and cabinets make a huge difference. Then there is the backsplash. It gets the most abuse. Next, to the cabinets, it is the 2nd most viewed area of your kitchen.

If you already have tile but do not like the color or style of the tiles, we can not only change the look of the tile, but we can repaint them, change the look, feel and color of the tiles.

If you have wallpaper-get rid of it and update it. You can update with simple paint but why not make it unique, make it something that is all yours, something that no one else has. With the use of the numerous plasters, hundreds of colors, and protective finishes, your choices are only limited by your imagination. We can help you find what you want.

Get a kitchen makeover this spring!