The Govenor of Pennslyvania, has submitted a budget that greatly expands the items that get taxed as part of  PA’s sales tax law.  While the tax rate will go down 2%, from 6% to 4%, the law greatly expands on the goods and services that currently are not taxed, but will be under the new law.  Here is a quick link to the 74 new items that will be taxed if this new law goes into effect in September 2010.  If you want a more in depth view of the bill,  click here, and scroll to Section D -39, where it begins to highlight in greater detail all the goods and services this bill will now tax.  Here is a quick sampling of the items:

• Candy & gum
• Newspapers & magazines
• Caskets & Tombstones
• Flags
• Firewood, water & sewer services
• Stair lift devices
• Services – Legal, Advertising, Accounting
• Services to building and dwellings (painting services)

A Pennsylvania Outhouse

I did a quick look at my billings for 2009.  My average billing was for $1,762.00.  So if this becomes law, my customers will be paying an additional $70.50 for my painting services.  I wonder, how many of my customers will elect not to purchase the service, but delay it due to this tax hike on all painting services.  I wonder how long it will take for the tax hike on lawyer service billings to get eliminated from this bill?

Steve Riedy

Steve’s Painting Service

It never fails, every few months I get a panicked phone call that goes something like this: 

“Hello Steve,  I just painted the walls in my family room and it looks  H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E!!!!  I don’t know what I did wrong.  Can you come over and take a look at it please?” 

I go over, and I am greeted by one spouse sheepishly describing how their do it your self project went wrong, and the other shaking their head, “I told you to call a painter from the get go!”

I quickly assure them that what went wrong is easily fixable.  If you want to continue to do it yourself, I will explain to you what exactly to do to fix it.  Or if you like, I will provide you with a free estimate, which will detail how I will fix it for you and what it will cost you.  Most customers take the free estimate and have me fix it for them.

But for those who prefer to fix it themselves, the first thing I do  is educate my customer on the various sheens of paint.  Sheen is a measurement of a finish’s “gloss” or shininess.  Sheens differ from one manufacturer but they basically go like this: Flat, EggShell,  Satin,  Semi-Gloss, and High-Gloss. 

Semi-gloss paint on drywall

So what causes the Semi-Gloss Train Wreck?  It occurs when customers put the wrong sheen on the walls.  For the most part painters love flat paints.  Why?  Because they are the most forgiving paint.  Flats go on nice and smooth, and when they dry they don’t reflect much light, so your wall imperfections don’t light up like a neon light.  

While semi-gloss does have its place, it is a poor choice for most rooms in the residential market.  It shows defects inwalls, and lap lines more readily visible than with any other sheen, making it difficult to get a uniform appearance when complete.

So what is the most common reason why people put semi-gloss paint on the walls? 

The answer is “scrubability.”  People want the ability to clean the walls and not ruin the paint job. 

Semi-gloss returned to flat enamel finish

So is there a way to get the best of both worlds?  Behr paints, available at Home Depot, offers a line of “flat enamel” paints that provide a flat finish, while still being scrubbable.  This paint is ideal for use in kitchens, bathrooms, and children’s rooms.  Another suggestion is to move from semi-gloss sheen to a egg-shell or satin, provding a slight sheen, that will allow for a nicely finished paint job, but still allow for the occasional wiping off of dirt and grime.

So, how do I fix a semi-gloss paint train wreck?  First I sand out any lap marks, and then I also lightly sand the entire wall from top to bottom, so my new coat of paint has something to adhere to.  Then I wipe down the walls, removing the debris generated from the sanding.  I then sell my customer on moving to another paint sheen …. flat enamel, or egg-shell finish.  Then I proceed to re-roll the room, leaving a thankful and delighted customer everytime.

Steve Riedy

Steve’s Painting Service