CertaPro Painters is the largest painting company in North America, with over 280 franchise owners in the U.S. and Canada. The company’s story, as told on their website, states that “Since 1992, CertaPro Painters has honored homes and the people who live in them, by creating a customer experience that is unmatched. Our interior, exterior, and specialty painting services complement the lives and lifestyles of our customer. As a result, CertaPro has a 98% customer referral rating making us North America’s most referred painting company.”

One of the ways CertaPro Painters has achieved its success is with this process, which they call “The CertaPro Difference:”

• We answer the phone.
• Your project is managed by a professional.
• We call back after the paint has dried.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? And yet knowing a contractor will honor those simple, basic steps is a primary factor in influencing a homeowner’s hiring decision.

A number of CertaPro Painters are featured on CalFinder’s team of Remodeling Contractors. Here are some CalFinder CertaPros and comments about their services:

CertaPro Peninsula/Southbay (San Francisco Bay Area)

• “Very quick. Job site was very clean.”
• “Good eye for detail; have used for other jobs.”

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Paints, stains, and other coatings are the second-largest source of VOC emissions, after automobiles. Considering how much time we spend in our homes, it’s frightening to think how unhealthy our indoor air quality can be.

Homeowners know that eco-friendly paint is out there, they just don’t know where to get it. More painting contractors are receiving requests for eco-friendly paints, and more manufacturers, including major brands, are including them in their product lines.

35 eco-friendly paint products with either low- or zero-VOC content

They’re also low odor and responsibly manufactured. If you’re having trouble finding a specialty brand or an eco-friendly paint on the Home Depot shelf, here’s a quick and easy resource list for you.

acro pure by Miller Paint is described by the company as being “free of anything inappropriate, contaminating, extraneous, polluting, or impure.” The paint has zero VOCs, low odor, and mold resistance.

American Pride paints are Green Seal certified and made with low odor, a clean air formula, excellent durability and coverage, spatter resistance, and zero VOCs.

Aura. This Benjamin Moore interior and exterior paint line meets or exceeds Green Guard, CHPS, and LEED standards and is distinguished for rich color dimension and outstanding spreadability and coverage.

Auro. Not to be confused with Aura, Auro paints, stains, and sealers received high reviews from the Green Home Guide for its principle of “gentle” manufacturing chemistry. The natural paints are made from plants and minerals.

Bioshield Natural Paints include interior and exterior clay paints, milk paints, and solvent-free wall paints made from raw materials, oils, minerals, and other natural resources. These lines contain no VOCs or harmful chemicals.

The Carefree Earth Coat line by Vista Paint is environmentally friendly, with low odor, low VOCs, and resistance to scuffs and stains.

Clarity by Dutch Boy is an environmentally safe paint with low odor and low VOCs. It is Green Seal approved and comes in durable flat, satin, and semi-gloss finishes.

Cloverdale Paints offers products designed to reduce or eliminate harmful impacts to the environment. The company has developed a large selection of water-based and low-VOC paints and coatings.

Concretal products by KEIM provide protection and character to concrete surfaces with mineral properties that are harmless to the environment.

devinegreen by Miller Paint is not only 99.9% VOC free, it is said to go on the wall “like a rich yogurt.” Miller Paint compares the natural matte finish to Egyptian cotton. (more…)

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You may remember flocked wallpaper from such decades as the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, flocked (or flock) wallpaper has a history over three centuries long, but other than that short stint of popularity it has remained relatively obscure since the end of the 19th century. That, it seems, is about to change.

Flocked wallpaper, or wallcovering (the now-interchangeable-but-soon-to-take-over term), is made using powdered wool or cloth — byproducts of the wool industry. The powder is sprinkled on the wallpaper, giving it a raised, velvety texture.

And thanks to advancements in the wallpaper industry, flocked wallpaper is set to surge back in 2009 with large, graphic designs. It has all the advantages of wallpapers of old, including speedy installation, and it is less intimidating because it is much easier to remove than its predecessors. (more…)

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