Friday, November 21, 2014

OUR YEAR IN REVIEW AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE




2014 was an awesome year for Celtic Commercial Painting and we anticipate an even better 2015. We were fortunate to work with a variety of great companies and people. Our core business strengthened as we stayed true to our mission of providing the highest quality customer service possible. Opportunities to give back to our veterans through the Wounded Warrior Project arose and we proudly supported them and the excellent work they do and look forward to continuing that relationship.

If you travel through the Ogilvie Transportation Center, you’ll notice things look a little different. We are currently in the middle of painting all the exposed steel structures there. If it was blue, it will now be white creating a welcoming, updated look for travelers in the new year. Also in the coming year, we’re again working with Home Run Inn Pizza. They are expanding to the Lakeview neighborhood with a location at Sheffield and Belmont. Celtic is there, helping to make the restaurant picture perfect.

Thank you for being part of the Celtic family. If you’ve used our services before, we look forward to working with you again. If you haven’t needed us, we look forward to helping you in the future.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

IS IT TIME TO REFRESH YOUR BUILDING? LOOK FOR THESE SIGNS...


New paint is one of the most cost effective ways to update the look of a building. It makes a property look fresh, inviting and pristine. A routine paint inspection gives you the current condition and an idea of when you should plan to freshen up the exterior. As you take a closer look at your property, here are some things to keep in mind.

Peeling Paint

When paint starts to peel and come away from the underlying structure, it shows it can’t tolerate the forces of nature anymore. Large cracks with patches missing mean you need to repaint sooner rather than later. If there are small cracks or tiny flakes on the ground, you have a little more time, but it is something to put on the to-do list.

Faded color

Colors naturally fade over time and certainly don’t look as vibrant as they did initially. Moreover, if the color was touched up along the way, the patches may be more visible than they once were because they aren’t aging the way the rest of the building is. Fresh paint brings the color and vitality back to your building.

Chalky residue

When you touch the surface, does it leave a powdery residue on your hands? This residue is known as chalking and is something that happens naturally. Chalking leads to fading and could stain other surfaces. For instance, if you have a stone or masonry first floor and a painted surface for the second floor, the chalk would wash down to the lower level and stain the stone.

Alligatoring

These small horizontal and vertical cracks start as tiny hairlines and gradually get bigger, making the exterior resemble alligator hide. This phenomenon indicates the paint is old and has lost its elasticity. If left unchecked, it leads to the more immediate issue of peeling paint.

Unsure if, or when, you need to invigorate your property? Call the professionals at Celtic Commercial Painting – we’re here to help you.

Friday, October 10, 2014

STREAMLINING OPERATIONS – WORK SIMPLER, NOT HARDER



By streamlining our internal business practices we are able to focus clearly on each project and deliver an excellent finished result. Using these specialized software and application programs frees time that may otherwise sacrifice customer service. There are three main programs we use to enable us to deliver consistently high-quality work. 

QuickBooks.
We use QuickBooks as our primary billing and accounting software. This program allows us to keep track of all invoicing for each project as well as simplifying payroll. 

Keep&Share.
Keep&Share is a calendar software program. We use it to keep track of all of our equipment, no matter what job it’s being used for at any location. The mobile app aspect means we can check on the fly. For instance, if a new job needs one of the EcoQuip surface prep machines, all we have to do is hit the app to find out where the closest one is and if it is currently in use on a different project. It also means we can schedule tools and other equipment for each upcoming job, keeping downtime to an absolute minimum. 

Dropbox.
Within Dropbox, we keep copies of files for each job. These files include notes of initial meetings, bids or estimates sent out, all correspondence, copies legal waivers, expenses and final billing. Dropbox also has a mobile app so we can answer customer questions in person as easily as in the office. As with the other software programs, we can assign access to specific people, which lets our site supervisors find answers quickly and not have to call into the office and wait for the right person to respond. 

All in all, these programs make our business life simpler – and let us pass those benefits on to you, our customers.

GREAT OUTCOMES DEMAND GREAT PREPARATION



Delivering excellent results is one of the goals of Celtic Commercial Painting. Surface preparation is a key component of excellent results. To get the results that we want to deliver to our customers, we use the EcoQuip 100. 

Many projects require the use of some type of sand or other media blasting to prepare the surfaces for refinishing, painting or coating. The EcoQuip company makes vapor abrasive blast equipment that not only provides us with environmentally friendly equipment as well as the results our clients require. Their products are used in a variety of situations, from outdoors along busy streets to indoor, high humidity, conditions.

EcoQuip technology uses 1/3 less media than similar systems, which in turn means there is 97% less dust to have to protect other equipment in the area from or to clean up later. Also, traditional blasting methods can warp, impinge or pit the metal surfaces being cleaned. Using EcoQuip minimizes these effects and reduces the need for additional repairs. 


We are also able to mix in additives, depending on the project goal. For instance, in high humidity or wet areas, we add in rust inhibitors. These inhibitors protect the freshly cleaned metal surfaces before other coatings are applied. 

IS YOUR EQUIPMENT READY FOR A FACE-LIFT?



Older equipment often shows its age – especially outdoor equipment. Companies can save themselves time and money by refinishing existing equipment instead of going through the hassle of having to replace it. The cleaning process halts damaging oxidation or other deterioration while the painting and refinishing process protects the freshly cleaned material for years to come. 

Take a look at the before pictures of a 25-year-old cooling tower located here in Chicago. In these pictures, the cooling tower was showing its age – layers of old paint, rust, dirt and grease. All of that had to be removed and the surfaces well cleaned before the painting could begin. The tower itself is located on a second level roof that only has ladder access. This meant that we had to find an alternative method to get our supplies to the project site. We hoisted equipment and supplies up to the work area. After that, the power cleaning began. 

Layers of rust, loose paint and mill scale were cleaned off to reveal the underlying structure, which was still in good condition. The now raw steel needed to be protected from the elements. To protect the steel, we applied a rust inhibiting, low VOC compliant primer as well as rust inhibitor paint. As seen in the after pictures, the metallic silver finish coat made the tower look brand new.  As an added benefit to our clients, the project was completed ahead of schedule with no downtime for the mechanical systems. 

As painting contractors in the greater Chicago-land area we have the staff and the knowledge to help you protect all of your equipment – whether it’s on a roof, in a basement or somewhere in between. 

TIPS ON CHOOSING PAINT OR WALLCOVERINGS


It can be difficult to choose the right wallcovering application for your particular project. In some cases, all paint is the way to go, while in other cases wallcoverings may be the best option. You can even mix the two and have the best of both worlds. Here are some things to consider when choosing the best finish for your project.

PAINT. With paint, you have the ability to change colors often at a lower cost basis than wallcoverings. Durability is the key here. If you are working on walls in a high traffic area, know that the paint will need to be redone more often than in a lower traffic area. For instance, a hall that serves many offices will often get more traffic than one of the offices themselves. The office area is a perfect choice for paint, as it won’t need cleaning as often as the communal hall. How often you’ll need to clean can also help determine the type of paint finish used. Semi-gloss and glossy paints tolerate being cleaned often better than flat paints. Flat paints do hide minor wall imperfections better since they don’t reflect as much light.

WALLCOVERINGS. There are a myriad of wallcoverings to choose from, including vinyl, paper and fabric –just to name a few. Vinyl wallcoverings are perfect for high traffic areas. The coverings are easier to clean than paint and can be cleaned more often. In addition, wallcoverings tend to last much longer than paint, which saves money in the end.  

COMBINATION. Using a combination of wallcoverings and paint allows you to put wallcoverings in the high traffic areas and paint in lower traffic areas. For instance, a hall or communal room could have wallcoverings on the bottom or top portion of the wall – whichever is more likely to get touched or dirty. The other half is painted in a contrasting or complimentary color shade. Often, a chair rail or other border divides the two mediums. Since it is likely that the wallcovering will last longer than the paint, you have the option of freshening up the area simply by changing the paint.


At Celtic, we are well versed in the various paint and wallcovering options. We are more than happy to help you find the right application for your project.

WHY WE CHOOSE UNION PAINTERS!



Here at Celtic Commercial Painting we believe in only delivering the best experience to our customers. One way we ensure this happens is by hiring only union painters. By using skilled union painters, we know they are trained professionals. The road through training is not a quick one. It takes time and dedication to get through the program and become a professional painter.

Apprenticeship is the first step to becoming a professional union painter. Once applicants are accepted into the apprenticeship program offered by the local painter’s union, they begin a 3-year journey of class work combined with hands-on experience. Apprentices are paired with experienced journeymen to build practical knowledge that is often not found in the class portion. Once the apprentices have successfully completed their training, they become a journeyman.

The training is not just about painting and finishing techniques, either. It also involves job safety. Safety covers everything from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards to first aid and CPR, as well as the proper ways to set up and use tools such as ladders and scaffolding.

This kind of training leads to consistent, uniform results – and higher customer satisfaction. They take great pride in their work, as do we. Our painters are professionals and understand the importance of adhering to job schedules, time- frames and specific customer needs.

Through the years, we have built a solid relationship with our local union professionals. The relationship we have with our local Chicago Painter’s Union allows us to hire these professionals in the city of Chicago, surrounding communities, throughout Illinois, into southern Wisconsin and northwestern Indiana. So, wherever and whatever your painting and finishing needs are, Celtic Commercial Painting has your covered.



HOW IS YOUR PAINT HOLDING UP?



Hot summers, brutally cold winters and temperature swings during fall and spring make up the weather landscape of Chicago. So how do you know if your exterior paint is damaged from the weather? Here are a few things to look for when examining the paint on the outside of your building.

ALLIGATORING - Cracking in the painted surface that resembles alligator scales

BLISTERING - Larger bubbles in the paint showing a loss of adhesion to the underlying surface

FLAKING - Pieces of paint coming off the underlying surface, usually happens after alligatoring or blistering

CHALKING - Layer of fine powder on the surface of the paint

EFFLORESCENCE / MOTTLING - Crusty deposits on the paint from water that has passed through the underlying surface

FADING - Premature or excessive lightening of paint color due to extreme sun exposure or chalking paint manufacturers are constantly researching and developing paints that resist weather and its effects on building exteriors. Celtic Commercial Painting is well versed in all available paints and finishes for exterior surfaces. We will gladly help you find the right paint for your situation.

SAFETY MATTERS!







Here at Celtic Commercial Painting, safety is one of our primary concerns. In order to maintain safety standards that are as high as our painting standards, we teamed up with Safety Check. Safety Check laid out a plan for us that begins from the day a person hires in through yearly reviews to ensure continued compliance - often above industry standards.

Part of the ongoing safety commitment by Celtic Commercial Painting includes weekly safety meetings that allow supervisors and individual employees a chance to bring up any concerns they may have or to address issues that have been brought to light. This also is an opportunity to implement new safety measures as they are developed.

“Celtic Commercial Painting has implemented and maintained an effective safety & health program for all of the right reasons,” says Frank Marino of Safety Check. “Celtic has chosen to implement and maintain an effective safety & health program to protect its employees, but also to ensure a quality product for its customers.”


Our excellent safety record shows our commitment to both our employees and our customers. We go above and beyond the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institutes (ANSI) requirements as safe work environments give peace of mind to everyone working on the site.