FAQ

Q: How much paint will I need for the walls in my room?

A: That depends on several things. The size of your room, of course, is the most important element, as well as the number of apertures (doors and windows) that punctuate the wall space. It’s based roughly on the number of square feet of space that requires paint coverage. The other important factor is what’s on the walls now; that determines how many coats of paint it will take to completely cover the current colour. If it’s a light-coloured paint (except pink or bright yellow, both of which are tougher to cover), then a couple of coats should do the trick. We multiply that by the number of square feet and come up with an amount. In any case, we’ll figure it out. We always like to make sure you have just a little left over for touch-ups.

Q: Do I need a primer for the walls?

A: Sometimes and sometimes not. It depends on a lot of factors. Generally, walls that have already been painted at least once don’t need to be primed, but fresh drywall requires a coat of primer.

Q: Will the paint smell bad and for how long?

A: Oil paint, the stinky stuff, is no longer sold in Canada. That helps keep smells to a minimum. Standard latex paint has a slight odour when it goes on and for a few days, but most people define it as “fresh” or “damp”, but not offensive. If you have a particularly sensitive nose, then we can use one of the new “green” environmentally-friendly paints, extremely low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that barely smell at all. Even in winter, we tend to work with a window open to ensure fresh air circulates and the minor scent dissipates quickly.

Q: Do you have men working for you?

A: Of course! We love men! But they have to play by our rules when they work for Women in Rollers!

Q: How long does it take for Women in Rollers to paint a room?

A: Of course it depends on the size of the room, the amount of furniture we have to work around, the room temperature (paint dries faster in a slightly warm, dry room), the amount of coverage (white over red, for example, usually involves three or more coats and we have to wait for one coat to dry properly before we paint the next one), and whether we are painting just the walls, or walls, ceiling and trim.

Q: Do you have a minimum project size?

A: We work on projects both big and small all the time. Our minimum project fee starts at a very reasonable $350 for a full day. All prices charged are subject to 15% HST being added.

Q: Why do you recommend Benjamin Moore and have a surcharge for other brands?

A: Yes, that’s a question we hear a lot. We charge by the hour, and the customer supplies or pays for the paint. If the paint that the customer insists on is a brand we don’t trust (thanks to our experience) to go on smoothly, cover thoroughly and evenly, and dry quickly, this can seriously increase the time we spend painting and undermine our quoted price.

Q: Why do you charge a deposit fee?

We want to ensure that our clients are as serious about our painting contracts as we are. Once we have accepted a deposit fee of 30%, it guarantees that we have a firm deal and we will fulfill our obligations to you, and you to us. It becomes a respected business arrangement once we are agreed on a date and a price.

Our quotations are highly detailed and form the basis of our mutual contract once accepted verbally or in writing by the client. We accept payment of the deposit by cash, cheque or e-mail money transfer. We require full balance of payment upon completion. Quotations and colour consultations are free of charge.

Q: What do I need to do to prepare for paint day?

If your scheduled painting day is coming up, this section of our website will help you prepare for your project. Women in Rollers will be arriving at your premises at approximately 9:00 a.m. on the first scheduled day of work. At that time, we will begin your painting project which we quoted and have scheduled.

Our normal pattern of production is to first paint the ceilings (and crown moulding, if any), then the trim, walls and doors. We may adjust that as we deem suitable.

Please ensure the following:

1. That we have easy access to the premises. This means that when we unload our gear, we need to be able to park in the driveway and have clear access to whichever entry door you deem we should use. If it is winter when we do your project, please ensure that a path is cleared in the snow. Please also ensure that if you are not going to be there at the time, the door is either left unlocked or that you arrange for us to have a key.

2. Please remove all personal items from the area we are painting. We are prepared to move furniture, if required, but your smaller items, including ALL FABRICS (tea towels, draperies, cushions, throws, clothing, etc.) must be taken down or removed; this applies especially when we are painting in or around closets where clothing is hung. Paint can be wiped off floors and hard objects, but it will never come out of fabrics. If you are unable to remove these personal items, for whatever reason, please let us know well in advance so we can allow for sufficient time to remove the items, pack them into boxes and store them safely out of the way; we can also replace them when the job is complete (but cannot guarantee they will be placed in the exact locations where they were originally set). There is an additional fee for this service.

3. It is not necessary to remove furniture. We will cover it and situate it in a portion of the room that allows us sufficient access to walls, baseboards, ceilings, etcetera. We will also cover carpets, be they area rugs or broadloom.

4. Remove all artwork and other items that are attached to or hanging on the walls, such as shelves, mirrors, etcetera. Let us know if you want picture hooks and screws removed, and the holes patched over, or if you prefer they be left in place. Please take all plants out of the room, if possible.

5. Please take a few moments to clean the areas where we will be painting. Dust and cobwebs get caught in brushes and rollers and contaminate the paint, spreading marks wherever the paint is applied. Use a dry mop or feather duster to remove cobwebs from the ceiling areas. Use a damp cloth to clean the upper edges of door and window frames and the top edge of baseboards. And please do a quick vacuum to remove and hair that might float into the paint. Please pay special attention to kitchens; here the dust tends to be greasy and that causes a litany of problems with paint.

Our quotes are based on painting services, and we try to keep the prices fair to benefit our customers. Extra work just to make the premises paintable means that our quote may no longer be valid. We do all of the preparation required to facilitate a top-notch painting job, such as patching and sanding, and we do extras like small repairs as a courtesy; these are anticipated in our quotes, but cleaning premises or removing hundreds of small items, or cutting back shrubbery on exterior jobs is not. Therefore, please arrange to clear the space, or have us quote the cost to perform this service on your behalf. If you regard paint day like moving day, then you have the right idea!

Have faith in us. We are professionals and you hired us to do a job for you. We appreciate being left alone do do our work in a focused, exacting manner. If you have questions or concerns, please address these when we are taking a break or finishing for the day. Every room we work in contains wet paint, which is best not to end up on you or your clothes.

Finally, please bear in mind that paint is not a tool for repairing walls, ceilings and trim. We can improve unsightly cracks and small holes, but we cannot make a damaged wall perfect with just paint. If a former paint job has resulted in paint stuck on areas (such as hinges, door knobs, window latches, floors, ceilings) where it does not belong, we cannot be expected to remove it. We commonly see terrible, jagged cut-ins where the walls meet the ceiling; unless we are painting ceilings as well as walls, we can only improve on a bad cut-in, not fix it if it has bled too high onto the ceiling from the walls.

We appreciate your efforts in helping us transform your rooms with the careful application of quality paint.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE OUTLET AND SWITCH COVERS, AND WE BEG OF YOU, DO NOT PATCH HOLES; WE USE OUR OWN MATERIAL FOR THAT, ONE WHICH IS EASY TO SAND. See you on paint day!

Q: How far in advance do I have to book?

We can mostly accommodate small interior jobs within a matter of a few weeks. Generally we book between one and two months in advance.