By Rachel

Some ideas:

For the Administration:

-Recycle paint cans at designated sites. (www.toronto.ca/recycle)
-Reward those who carpool, take TTC etc.
-Calculate your emissions created in different aspects of the business (one site to help calculate this is: http://www.sustain.ubc.ca/eco-survey/)
and then offset them by donating to vendors selling carbon offsets:

www.less.ca
www.puretrust.org.uk/
www.myclimate.org/en
https://climatefriendly.com/

or, by donating to vendors providing renewable energy options:

www.pollutionprobe.org/whatwedo/greenpower/consumerguide/index.htm
www.enmax.com/
www.b-e-f.org/index.php

-Provide or insist on high quality brushes and rollers to be reused many times, or:
-When possible, insist on buying locally made paints and tools, or alternately, tools that have been
made from recycled materials (rollers and trays are available that are made from recycled cardboard
and other materials: BioTray, Bio Pulp Works, Whizz Green Rollers.) 
Also available are tarps that are high-functioning, but then completely biodegradable (Eco Drop Tarp). 
Similarly, the Envirobrush sounds like a cool idea, the bristles are disposable, and lock onto a reusable and  recyclable plastic handle. 
-Set up volunteer opportunities, such as tree planting for a day, where instead of painting, workers are involved in helping the environment.
-Attempt when at all possible to send workers to locations closest to them, to cut down on travel.
-Donate unused or extra paints and tools to organizations such as Freecycle. (www.freecycle.org)
- Potentially, institute four-day workweeks, but with longer days so there is less travel time per week.
- Acknowledge Earth Day, other environmental events.  

What Workers can be doing:

The Obvious, boring things:
-Bring a lunch packed from home, in reusable containers.
-Maintain an organized workspace, so you know what you have and don’t accidentally use more. ie, plastic.
-Use cloth drop cloths as often as possible, and reuse plastic for more than one function.

A synopsis by Maria

In late May, we started the Painters Training. It is a 7 part course designed by Ecopainting to educate, inform and give hands-on training to their painters. In our first session, we learned basic fundamental information about budgets, shop maintenance, job-site efficiency and protecting customer property. We also had a discussion on sustainable painting policies, and how we could enforce that on the field (for more in-depth information and points, visit Joanne’s post about it here

It was a good session to start off on, because this information is something every employee should be aware of.

For our second session, we learned about how to properly paint over pen and marker stains so it would not bleed through. We also learned how to caulk properly and accordingly when dealing with interior or exterior, and what the reasons are for the different types of caulk for each scenario.

During the third session, we were taught how to fill simple holes and cracks in the wall. We were shown the different types of compounds and how to apply them, and we all got some hands-on training. To read more on this, visit Jordan’s post here

Our latest session, and by far the most interesting (to me anyway) was repairing drywall holes. Erna was there to demonstrate how to prep the hole, mix the compound, and apply tape.

Everything from small to large holes, completely through the drywall or just the paper on top of the gypsum, we learned how to properly prep, prime and apply. This was cool.

So, all in all, I think the painters training is a great idea. It promotes education and knowledge of the trade, and that will result in confidence and better work(wo)manship for all of us. It is also important that we all be on the same page with expectations of our work, because we will work better as a team when we are all in agreement and understanding of our methods and standards.

 

-MC

By Sylvia O’Brien / Colour Theory

Do you remember the first time your parents let you paint a wall?

 I was eleven & had been pleading for at least a year to  paint  my half of the bedroom I shared with my sister. I guess part of it was staking claim on my own ‘space’ ,even though we shared the same air.
My dad, a patient man, supervised the whole process and taught me all the little painter’s techniques he knew… tapping the brush against the inside of the can to push more paint into the bristles…painting an edge in against the woodwork first with full concetration & knitted brow…not leaving the clean-up to him or my mother! All good lessons for an aspiring painter to grasp.
My own son started earlier.
He was three & a half when he wanted to contribute to the exterior painting I was conducting one warm spring day. Nothing could sway his interest…He was on a mission as only a child of that age can be.
By the time he’ d said “but why not mummy?” the millionth time, the answer dawned on me.
I gave him a  small can and a brush and set him to work painting the deck  floor……. He happily painted the deck, seeing it darken as he worked, never suspecting that what was in the can was….water!
_____________________________

Sylvia O’Brien is a colour consultant and creative director of Colour Theory, Toronto, Canada

416-766-6789
http://www.colourtheory.net/

Several pieces of drywall were brought into the office for training purposes. Holes and cracks were created. Mesh and paper tape were used where appropriate, to create solid repairs. Quick-dry, 20 minute compound was used to accelerate drying times. Erna demonstrated different ways to create backing support when patching larger holes. Proper technique and the correct tools were used to patch the holes and cracks. At the end of the session we installed some wallpaper. One of the sessions coming up is dealing with wallpaper removal. Among the services Ecopainting Inc. offers is wallpaper removal in Toronto and the GTA.

How much impact can your Toronto Painters have on your business?
Colour is often talked in terms of decorating the interior of homes. In fact, colour is very important to the branding, marketing even the operation of a commercial facility.

In retail of course, colour can affect the behaviour and purchasing decisions of the customer. The following pictures can attest to that

 http://www.lululemon.com/oshawa/oshawacentre

Painted by the Oshawa Paintersof Ecopainting Inc.

http://www.shan.ca/2009/index.html

Painted by the Toronto Painters of Ecopainting Inc.

http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/

Painted by Mississauga Paintersof Ecopainting Inc.

With branding being a significant component of marketing, colour has to be carefully selected. The colours used in the following pictures have been carefully thought ou:

http://www.dx.org/

Painted by the Toronto Commercial Paintersof Ecopainting Inc.

Insurance company branding changes, helped with paint

http://www.rsagroup.ca/royalsun/en/

Painted by Commercial Toronto Painters

http://www.curvestoronto.com/656EglintonE/

Painted by the Toronto Ontario Paintersof Ecopainting Inc.

Colour can be a great friend of a business. Request a painting estimate or a consultation and find out how.

As reported by Jordan

9:00 am - Review of “Repairing cracks in drywall and plaster” document.
 
9:30 am - Review of various compound products.

 
CGC, Sheetrock 20
- good for unstable areas, dries fast
- requires mixing
- requires primer
- requires more sanding than drywall compound
- dust mask required
- not used for exteriors
- high flashing
 
Caulk
- flexible but can’t be sanded
- useful as a backing in cracks for other compounds
 
DAP” DryDex
- drying indicator
- very sandable
- interior, exterior
- dust mask required
- larger patches need multiple applications
- recommended for small patch jobs 
 
Lightweight type compound
- dries chemically
- flexible
- interior, exterior
- good for large patches
- can paint while it dries
- difficult to sand
 
10:30 am - Review of tools and tool maintenance

 
- keeping tools clean
- all painters should have at least a 2″ and 3″ patching knife at all times
- always use the appropriate knife in relation to the size of the patch
- the more flexible the knife, the easier it is to use for patching
- the more rigid the knife , the easier it is to use for scraping
 
11:00 am - Practice using the various compounds

This time it’s time to get to some real “hands on” training. Our new office space is now full of holes and some cracks, courtesy of us. Now we need to patch them properly before sanding, spot-priming them and before painting the walls.
This is the third session of the Painters training program.  This training will help all painters working for Ecopainting Inc. upgrade their skills.

This will be a complete transformation. In a day or two, this building will be different. Benjamin Moore’s Exterior Aura low lustre is used. The feedback from the painters is  very positive. The great hiding qualities of this new paint makes work easier and even safer. Less time is spent applying the paint, especially up high. As a result, less time is spent on high ladders. Renting a boom during the weekend was not practical and the flat roof of the building was not accessible.

Benjamin Moore claims that Aura is the best paint they ever made. That is great news for the customer, as this paint job will last longer. The environmental impact of Aura is minimal. The paint itself has very low level of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).  The waterbourne colourants themselves are also low in VOC. As a result, using such a strong colour during exterior painting does not present a problem.

Ecopainting Inc. is an environmentally friendly Painting Contractor. The highly recommended Toronto Painters are available to paint any exterior or interior property in the GTA. Call 416 733-7767 to request an estimate, or request a painting estimate online.

 There was some attempt to clean and some attempt to paint over this writing, during the second painter training session. Special stain covering primers had to be used. 

 

Trying to paint over this drawing made with pen, during the second painter training session.

There was a lot discussed about wall and ceiling preparation and washing stains was a part of it.
Proper caulking technique was demonstrated by Karon.
The distinction was made between exterior caulking, and the mostly aesthetic reason for caulking during Interior Painting.
The PDCA standards, of what constitutes a proper painted surface was reviewed.