Selective Product & Tools Determine Your Worth

Anyone who knows me knows I am big on selective products that save me time on the job or make my daily grind easier. I am a gadget whore when it comes to finding just the right tool for the job and I go to great lengths to make sure the tools or products work for me flawlessly – after all – my hourly rate, “my worth” depends on it!

Keeping things simple… I like to use the $199 painted room example when I talk product. If you have two identical rooms and one contractor takes 6 hours to paint it and it takes me 2 hours, I make $100 bucks an hour and he makes $33. I would not be able to paint the room in 2 hours if you put me in his room using his materials and tools. But where the impact is greater is that in 6 hours I can paint 3 rooms or $600 for the day for example. The other contractor is tied to one room. Currently I’m working with one of our areas largest paint contractors and a great team of guys. It’s flattering when comments are made on the products I use after they get the chance to use them. Sometimes the impact a tool or product has on the job is unbelievable in the time it can save.

A good example is the Full Circle International Flex Edge paired with an FX4 lightweight pole. The time that unit saves me is crazy and its easier to use and more effective. Sure it costs more up front and the replacement paper is a bit more expansive but it lasts much longer. So, are you complaining you are not making enough? Rethink the tools and products you use and see if they can help you increase your rate.

Sherwin Williams SHER-FAB 1/2” Nylon/Poly

Short and sweet. This cover is not for “Professional Results” in my opinion. I have bigger expectations for a nice finish – just sayin – coming from a professional and all.  Spatters paint like crazy and the finish is not of professional caliber. Decent cover for 1st coats or primes but you can jack-up walls pretty bad if you dont take time to leave a decent wet film leaving you more than you would be willing to sand out.

Its beveled just fine but with short life. I only recommend this cover for “flat” paints.

Craftsman Clean N Carry® 4 gal. Wet-Dry Vac, 5.0 Peak hp

Powerful, Portable, Lightweight and Compact, the Craftsman Clean N Carry is a must have item. The Clean N Carry is great on touch-up day or cleaning up on repaints. Its light, balanced and easy to carry. You can attach your own shoulder strap. $79

Sits nicely on stairs and easy to maneuver. The Clean N Carry is very powerful for a compact vac. You might not notice a difference compared to your large 16 gal 5.0HP shop vac.

The hose on this unit is lousy. It’s too short and stiff. I used a piece of PVC plumbing and slipped it over the hose seen in this photo to prevent kinking which happens very easily without the PVC. Use tape to hold the PVC. I plan on shopping for a longer soft flexible hose.

Werner MT-13 and Series Multiladder

Found at Lowes for $69 compared to a Little Giant same size and 300lb. rating for $279. You will pay more than $70 bucks for a decent step ladder of same rating and not be able to work from either side or set it up on the stairs. Quickly convert the Werner MT-13 ladder into a wide range of different working heights or positions. The 13’ has 13 working heights or positions, the 17’ has 20 working heights or positions, the 22’ has 28 working heights or positions and the 26’ has 37 different working heights or positions. I retired my original Little Giant from 90-91 purchased at a home expo show for a Werner MT-13. My LG was used for about 18 years on a regular basis, almost daily.

Placing the Little Giant next to the Werner MT-13 there are faint differences. The MT-13 is better in a few ways. The shoes are nicer, softer and provide nice grip on hardwood. The “J” Lock system is fatter – more solid locking pin but really side-by-side, there is such a faint difference that you would hardly notice. The MT-13 is rock solid like the Little Giant was.

Mt-13 is slightly wider and also has wider flat rungs.

MT-13 has a wider flare for better stability.

The soft touch push knobs are the key to this versatile ladder. Use it as a twin stepladder, extension ladder, stairway stepladder or 2 scaffold bases. You’ll get the job done easier with this versatile ladder.

Push knob locking hinge. If you never used a Multiladder like this one you will probably fight with it to get used to man handling it. But if you recall the Little Giant Ladder infomercials, this ladder can be flipped up and open all the way in seconds.

Spring loaded “J” Locks. I really like the “J” lock on the Werner MT-13. It operated smoothly and feels solid. Take a moment and apply some Jig-A-Loo to moving parts for best overall experience.

Flat wide tread for your standing pleasure.

Extra wide flared bottom for firm support in comparison to the old model Little Giant.

GLIDDEN™ Premium Interior Latex Paint - Eggshell

If you like everything about SW Cashmere Low Lustre then you are going to feel right at home with 6011. GLIDDEN Premium Eggshell has all the qualities I look for in a paint. Features a 30 min (to-touch) dry time and a recoat time of 4 hours. The paint dried in 30 minutes during the review process and was recoated in about 2 hours with no problems. You can cut solid and make long runs just like Cashmere and it rolls and rolls and lays down nice and consistent. I painted 3 bedrooms with Cashmere Low Lustre and the next day a large foyer, hall and kitchen with 6011. If you pulled the labels off both products and turned me loose to paint, I would not be able to tell you which was which even when the product dried. 6011 is a strong contender in the repaint market when you look for all of Cashmeres qualities and characteristics in a less expensive can. GLIDDEN Premium Eggshell paint is very impressive.

I think Glidden (on left) has a bit less of a sheen vs. Cashmere (on the right).

Ideal for living rooms and foyers because of the subtle, velvet-like sheen and excellent coverage. It provides a highly washable, stain-resistant finish that is easily cleaned with common non-abrasive, mild household detergents. This durable product provides a mildew-resistant coating and features easy soap-and-water cleanup. We used a white woven 1/2” cover. The coverage was excellent. I used a Benjamin Moore nylon/poly brush. We did 2 coats but the job could have been done in one coat doing wet-on-wet. The only thing the second coat will give you is a more true sheen. I did an entire wall wet-on-wet which dried down to a nice uniform finish. One of the guys had spitting but I could not tell if it was his technique or his brush. I really didn't pay much attention because I was not getting any spitting from my brush. The spatter (what little there was) is the same as Sherwin Williams Cashmere. A few tiny specs on the frame.

Premium XL Pocket Roller

Found at Sherwin Williams, this pocket roller can drastically reduce the time it takes to paint window returns. The width of the returns I see most often are slightly smaller than the width of the roller. Toss the cheap plastic tray and use a 7” or something more comfortable in size to hold in one hand while you have the pocket roller in the other.

DO THIS BEFORE FIRST USE The end cap is rounded allowing you to roll directly against the vinyl track. Take scissors and snip a nice bevel on the end so when the cover is loaded and you apply pressure – the nap wont spin on your vinyl tracks. Reshape it. I can do 20 window returns in 15 minutes. It helps to pre-wet these rollers then spin them out on a hard surface before loading with paint.

Here's a TIP: After you load the roller you might have paint on the rounded end-cap. Keep a damp cotton rag wrapped around your other hands thumb and simple wipe the end clean.

Cleaning out the trunk

Click the photo, and hover over parts of the photo for a description. I also have a Little Giant Ladder in the trunk too.

Everything packed back in the trunk. I like to pack lightly.

IMG_0172 Originally uploaded by JackPauhl