by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc. In case you hadn't noticed, it's Springtime here in Wisconsin. Heck, it might even be summer with some of the temperatures we've seen. A welcome relief after a long, harsh winter. And with spring comes the ideal time to take up that exterior or interior paint project for your home. Here are a couple of reasons why it's good to paint right now. Late Spring = Less Moisture That's right. In comparison to early Spring, late Spring features less rain showers and moisture. If too much moisture permeates the air in the form of...

On occasion, both returning and potential new commercial and industrial customers ask, "What is sponge blasting?" or "How does sponge blasting work?". When the subject of abrasive blasting methods comes up, one could be excused for thinking that sponge wouldn't be the ideal media for the job. But, it couldn't be further from the truth.  What Is Sponge Blasting & How Does It Work? As I tell my customers, Sponge Blasting is an abrasive blasting technology, in which a high-pressure system expels sponge media at high speeds onto a surface. Sponge Blasting can be used to remove paint and contaminants, profile substrates and even to pull off...

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc.  One of my main concerns right now as a painting contractor and business owner is the safe driving of my employees. We tend to take this for granted, only reminded of driving habits when an accident occurs, or a near accident. The fact is that safe driving should be a concern day-in and day-out. Statistically, driving to and from work is the most dangerous thing we do on a daily basis. The construction industry is a dangerous place to work, so those statistics are telling.  Below are some of the things I'm telling my painters.  Stay...

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc. Electrostatic painting is a high-tech method of painting metal surfaces and objects. It involves the spraying of electrically-charged paint at a metal object or surface with the opposite charge. The big upside of Electrostatic Painting is its 98% efficiency of coating-to-object, compared to traditional paints' 70% efficiency. It's also cost-effective. You won't have to replace metal objects and surfaces because Electrostatic Paint's even application makes it look like-new.  Here are a few surfaces on which I recommend using Electrostatic Paint.  Metal Doors At Lakeside, we do a lot of work with metal doors, especially...

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc. For painting industry professionals, especially those contractors working in the commercial and industrial markets, encounters with concrete block exteriors are frequent. Here are three things to know for your new or old concrete block exterior project.  Inspect the Concrete This is common sense, but it needs to be restated: before cleaning and painting any concrete block exterior, inspect the wall for cracks. This helps in controlling moisture and ensuring a long-lasting paint finish. It will also help preserve the facility's structural integrity and wall stability. Moisture, thermal expansion, foundation settlment and bad support can all lead to cracking....

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc. Sick of carpeted floors, or perhaps you have a nice city loft with concrete walls you've been thinking of highlighting with a modern, hip look? Below are a few ideas I've compiled so that you can make concrete not just a structural component to a home or commercial building, but an aesthetic effect in and of itself.  Color Most people, especially homeowners or commercial businesses, don't think about painting concrete. Well, I've seen it look pretty fantastic, especially in new construction for homes and commercial spaces. Sherwin-Williams has a line of coatings made specifically for...

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting, Inc. One of the more common commercial and industrial services is graffiti removal and the repainting of walls. It may not be much of a problem in rural areas, but in cities like Milwaukee, Madison, Racine and Waukesha, to name a few, it can be a big nuisance. It's unsightly and costs money to fix, and is in all other ways unpleasant; especially for businesses who are active and positive forces in their communities. It's always a good idea to have a facilities manager inspect the building's exterior for graffiti, as the sooner the paint is removed (after...

If you're a movie and television fella such as myself, then you know the value of a great entertainment room, especially when those long Wisconsin winters come. And in the summer you'll need a nice cool place to escape the heat and humidity. And we're not exactly talking man-cave here either, but a legitimate movie theater inside the home—something everyone in the family can enjoy. So for all you entertainment lovers out there, here's a few things you'll need for your home theater. Space The home theater can't be a small room. Well, I suppose the space...

by Joe Pangburn, President of Lakeside Painting With Spring comes a number of interior and exterior painting projects for residential, commercial and industrial structures. I've taken the liberty of listing 5 spring painting projects for home and business, just to give you an idea what to do if you're rudderless.  1. Look For Cracks in Concrete As anyone in the Midwest, particularly Wisconsin, will tell you, the winter elements are not kind to structures, be it home or business. I like to keep an eye on my building and home year-round, but the Spring is an ideal opportunity to appraise the damage of a Wisconsin...