R. Johnson Painting and Renovations
90 Royal Dr K6h 0h1 Cornwall, ON, Canada

Not just your average painter... This was a recent closet transformation that I was asked to do.

Caulking with R. Johnson Painting and Decorating. How to use your gun. Watch for an important safety message at the end!

Got a crack in your stipple? Don’t get the wrong idea. If you have a stippled ceiling with a small crack in it, here’s a quick solution!

Let's talk about hiring a contractor. Some quick points on how to decide who is going to do work on your home and some things to expect: 1. Put ideas on paper, regardless of how rough they are. You ... don't have to be DaVinci to do a quick design. And there are lots of free and almost free apps and websites out there that can help. This will give a contractor a general idea of what you are looking for. 2. Can some of this DIY? Or do you need a general contractor? What can you do yourself and what is out of your comfort (and experience) zone? 3. If it's going involve demolition of the structure, make sure to involve an engineer or architect. 4. Ask for referrals. In this day and age of Facebook and other social media platforms, it's really easy to get others opinions. 5. Once you've gotten some names, research them. Use resources available to you to find out about the quality of work that they do. The contractor should be able to provide you with the names of previous customers (with their permission, of course) and call them. If they aren't willing to give you any, that should send up some red flags. 6. Licence Insurance, and permits. There are many parts to that and can include; bonding, certificates for different situations (Fall Arrest for work performed higher than a certain number of feet off the ground, for example), plumbing, electrical, etc. If they don't carry one specific to the job are they subcontracting that part to someone who does? 7. Budget - add a buffer of 10 -15% in the final total for potential unknowns. Most contractors will do that anyway. 8. Deposits - it's your money, ask for a receipt. Your initial payment should generally be for materials. 9. Review the contract - if there are changes that need to be made during the reno, how is that going to be handled? Appliance installations? Don't wait until a situation comes up, try to anticipate. 10. Realize the change of daily routine - a big enough project will mean that your personal day to day schedule is apt to change. Working hours, safety precautions that need to be taken (i.e. where the materials will be kept) - important, but oft overlooked, considerations. 11. What happens when it's done - the nitty gritty final items at the end of the job. To make sure they're done, one suggestion is to figure out the costs of those items, double that amount, and hold that back from final payment until the list is completed. Have an open and honest discussion with your contractor. He's there to realize your dream. The more everyone communicates, the better the relationship is going to be and smoother the process.

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