This page pulls together what homeowners in the southwest and west suburbs bring up most when they talk about the painters they hired. Some of it is what they were glad to get. Some of it is what went wrong. The posts below go deeper on each topic.
We put it in one place because most painting problems start before the first can is opened. They start with a vague estimate, a question nobody asked, or an expectation that never got written down. If you know what to look for and what to ask, you can hire any painter with a clearer picture of what you are paying for.
Two painters walk the same rooms and hand you numbers that look like they came from different houses. Here is what actually moves a painting quote, and how to tell whether the low one left something out.
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A painting estimate is the only record of what you agreed to before the work starts. Here is what a good one lists, what a good estimator points out, and what to ask before you sign anything.
Read it ›Painting happens inside the rooms you live in. Here is what a careful crew does with your furniture and floors, what you should put away yourself, and the questions worth asking before the first day.
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Fresh paint over a nail pop or a stress crack looks good for a few months, then the problem comes back. Here is why these show up, how they get fixed properly, and what to do about a stained ceiling.
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The foyer and the stairwell are where a lot of homeowners stop painting it themselves. Here is why those rooms are harder, how a clean line at a high ceiling gets cut, and what to expect when you hire the work out.
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Painted cabinets can make a tired kitchen look new, but only when the prep is done right and the boxes are worth keeping. Here is what the work involves, how long your kitchen is partly out of use, and when paint is the wrong answer.
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Outside, the weather has as much say in how paint turns out as the crew does. Here is what rain, heat, humidity and cold nights do to fresh paint, what good exterior prep looks like, and why a moved day beats a finish that fails.
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Stain fails for the same reasons almost every time: dirty wood, wet wood, old coats left on and bad boards stained over. Here is the prep, the stain choices and the signs your wood is due again.
Read it ›The color on a chip and the color on your wall are rarely the same. Here is why, how to sample so you see the real thing, and what to know about coverage, faded colors and sheen before you commit a room.
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The last hour of a paint job matters as much as the first day. Here is how to walk the work, build a punch list, handle touch-ups and keep what you need for later.
Read it ›Homeowners notice when a crew starts on the day it was booked and wraps up in the time it quoted. Before you sign, ask for a start date, the hours the crew will be at your house, and how many days the work should take. Ask how they will tell you if any of that changes.
A good crew covers floors and furniture, moves pieces out of the way, and puts them back where they were. The work area gets picked up at the end of each day, not only on the last one. Our crew covers floors and furniture, moves furniture and puts it back, and leaves the room cleaner than we found it.
People want to know the plan, get an answer when they call, and deal with someone who knows their job. Ask any painter who will be at your house and who you call with a question. With us it is one crew, and one person is accountable for your job from start to finish.
Nail pops, cracks at ceiling corners, lifted tape and stained ceilings all show through fresh paint if they are not repaired first. Ask how the repairs will be done and whether ceiling texture will be matched. Our crew does the drywall repair, taping and finishing before paint, and you can text a photo to (815) 585-1750 for a fast read on a repair.
The estimate homeowners like best lists every room, the prep, the products and the number of coats, and it points out problems they had not noticed. That kind of estimate also makes two quotes possible to compare. Ours is free, done on site and written, with every room or surface, the prep, the products and the coats listed.
Straight lines where the wall meets the ceiling and smooth trim and doors are what people see every day. Two-story foyers, stairwells and vaulted ceilings take the right ladders or staging and a crew that has done them before. Ask what goes on trim and doors, and ask how the crew will reach the tallest wall in your house.
Cabinet painting holds up when the doors and drawers come off, get labeled, and get finished separately while the boxes are painted in place. Ask how the doors are finished, where that work happens, and how long your kitchen will be out of use. Ask whether new hardware is part of the job or something you handle.
Washing, scraping, priming and replacing rotted trim or siding boards are what make exterior paint last. Bushes, windows and walkways should be covered while the crew works. Ask what prep is included and which boards will be replaced, and know that we only paint outside on dry days warm enough for the paint to cure.
These are the complaints that come up most often after a painting job. We would rather answer them before you hire anyone, us included, because nearly every one of them can be headed off with a clear estimate and a few direct questions.
Call or text (815) 585-1750 to set up a free on-site estimate. You get every room or surface, the prep, the products and the number of coats in writing, and nothing changes until you approve it in writing first.
Call or text (815) 585-1750
Email matt@onitcc.com