Yes, the sun is still shining, the birds are still singing, and you can still hang out down on the dock. You may still be sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the dog days of summer. But if you want your cottage or home painted before the weather shifts, you have to get ahead of the lineup and book now.
“If your paint is starting to peel or fade and you want it done this season, you really have to contact us now to get onto the schedule,” says Darryl Karpel, Managing Director of WOW 1 DAY PAINTING. “Once the nighttime temperatures drop below eight degrees Celsius, we can no longer paint the exterior of your house. The temperature may be beautiful out, now, but as we all know, as we move closer to fall it can get a whole lot less reliable. The later you wait to book, the greater the chance that you will have to wait until spring.”
Paint and stain are the first layer of protection for your cottage and act like a shield against the harsher elements of a Muskoka winter. “To protect what you hold dear, you have to keep up with the maintenance of your cottage and a big part of that is paint. Without a proper shield in place, you’re more likely to get mildew and water damage due to waterlogging.”
Wood siding and trim should be checked every summer and potentially painted every other year. Docks and decks may also need a new coat before winter, as they tend to weather quickly. “Surfaces like decks and docks get more wear and tear because we are walking on them, grating deck chairs over them, and dumping water sports equipment on them. And your favorite Muskoka chairs might need a little attention as well. Sealing them all with paint will keep them looking good for years to come.”
While painting the exterior of your cottage is weather dependent, painting the interior is not. “You can always get a jump on next summer’s maintenance, by having the interior painted later in the season when the heat has lifted and your guests have gone home.”
Leaning toward light
If you’re looking at updating your interior paint, you may want to consider toning down some of the woodwork. Whether it’s pine ceilings or pine cabinetry, a lot of people are whiting it out to give it a fresher look. “In terms of colours on walls and trim it’s very light, neutral colours,” says Darryl.
Darryl and his team are happy to consult on colour selection, as well as offer advice on the best paint options to protect your space as well as enhancing its appearance.
Many cottagers are using their properties much more frequently these days, so the last thing they want is an extended disruption and added stress. WOW 1 DAY PAINTING prides themselves on taking the disruption and stress right out of the equation.
“We send in a large crew of supervised, well-trained painters to minimize the disruption that painting often causes,” Darryl says.
While the company prides itself on getting big jobs done in very little time, doing the job right matters as well. “We’ll never sacrifice quality for speed, so depending on the size of the project or the prep work required, some of our projects may take a couple of days.” But, he adds, “we still do the best job we can in less time than most other companies.”
Excellent customer service goes a long way to reducing homeowner stress. “We show up when we say we’re going to show up – obviously weather dependent when we’re painting outdoors – and we start and finish on time.”
Darryl’s painters will also take care of moving all the heavy items and furniture. “We typically ask for smaller, more fragile items to be moved out of the way, but we will help with the bigger stuff. It’s a full-service offering.”
Darryl makes sure all their employees are experienced and have passed safety training. “Our painters have Working at Heights training and they know how to navigate the more challenging terrains and access points of the Muskoka area,” he says.
Ladders aren’t always the safer choice, so the company’s fully insured painters also have aerial boom lift training. “We always aim to give them the right tools for the job.”
“We simplify the entire process to make it easier for customers, from booking through to completion. Customers can go online or give us a call to book an estimate appointment. From there our salesperson will contact them to verify the scope of work and discuss whether it should be an onsite or virtual estimate. We’ll then discuss colors, present you with a fixed-price quote and work out scheduling.”
TEXT KARI KLASSEN | PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN
