What do I need to do before the project begins?

Not too much. All that we ask is that the subject space be cleared and prepared for us prior to our arrival so that we do not inadvertently misplace or possibly damage anything. 

Furniture, area rugs and décor/furnishings must be cleared away in preparation of our work. We do not want to be responsible especially in cases of monetary or sentimental value, and do not want to take any risks with respect to damaging flooring. Heavy furniture such as bedroom set pieces will need to be relocated to the center of the room prior to our arrival. We are artists, not movers, and do not pretend to be. If furniture is left unmoved and we are unable to relocate it, we will need to paint around it. Touching up/filling in such areas after the fact will be difficult and unlikely to look right, however we will not be able to delay the work in order to wait for furniture moving without needing to charge additional fees for lost time.

Removal and replacement of hanging wall art is your responsibility, as we recognize that much care and thought is involved in proper placement and we do not want to accidentally rearrange that which you want maintained as is. Picture hangers, nails, etc. will be left as is in place and be painted around. Holes remaining in the wall after you remove such hangers will be filled and painted over, thus possibly losing forever their exact location, unless you otherwise specifically indicate to us prior.

We will require access to the subject space throughout the project. The impact of this is that if we need to come and go, that if no one will be at the subject premises to re-admit us upon our return, then we will need a way of entering if the doors are locked. This means furnishing us with a key or some other way of gaining access. If this is not possible or permissible, then please be sure to work with us to arrange a workable schedule with which we can know when we can come and go and be permitted entrance. We do not intend on leaving and returning with frequency, however we need the ability to run errands for supplies, etc. without a plan or schedule.

In your absence from the subject premises, we will need contact information for you or your designee, i.e. an office or cell phone number, or access to some other party if questions or problems ensue.

If there are young children and/or domestic help in the house, it will be your responsibility to ensure that they are aware of our presence and that we have the opportunity to meet them in your presence. Everyone should be made aware of our presence and role and advised to avoid walking into or through the work area in order for us to preserve the quality of the work.

Pets, primarily dogs and cats, should be restricted from accessing the subject work space, for reasons of both the pets’ and our safety. Dogs that have freedom to roam the house will need to be limited to areas that we cannot inadvertently enter or leave open.

Please provide us explicit instructions as to how you want visitors or deliveries handled in your absence.

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Is there anything else you need from me?

We will let you know in advance of and during the project as specific needs are identified.

We will let you know the hours we expect to work and if there are any planned absences. We intend on completing the project on or before the estimated date, however if during the project we determine that our estimates are wrong or that unforeseen issues will delay completion, we will discuss this with you and plan accordingly. We are not a “9 to 5” type of outfit and do not believe in fixed working hours per day, especially when there is a deadline we are facing. If we suspect a delayed completion, we may ask your permission to work extended hours in order to maintain the promised schedule.

Beyond that, our only other requirements are a water source and a place in which to wash out our tools. If this is not possible or unavailable, please let us know so that we can make alternate arrangements. We will also need to know which restroom on your premises we may use.

Do I need a prep painter first to ready the space for you?

The results of your decorative finish will be only as good as the condition of the underlying surface. With the exception of some of our textures, surface irregularities, blemishes, damage or other disfigurements will likely be expressed through the new finish.

It is the rare case that a surface is perfect or otherwise blemish-free and unfair to expect it. A large part of the character of your home or place of business is the “used” feel it communicates. In fact, the number of times we have encountered “picture perfect” surfaces, square walls, perpendicular plane joints or trim is few and far between. We neither expect it nor require that issues be resolved.

We will, however, state our findings to you, present options and ask for your decisions on repair, disposition or acceptance. We want you to know what you will be getting before you get it and be able to make choices based on your sense of style, tolerance for defects, budget and timeline.

The amount of time and energy required for prep work must be not underestimated. A tedious task, correcting or masking issues is time consuming and cannot be rushed. We never will insist on being the ones to perform necessary or recommended prep, but will be available to you as a resource if you ask us to be. We are comfortable with you or your assigns doing any or all prep work whether as a cost-saving measure or for other reasons. We will, however, insist on quality workmanship in order for us to render the best possible end results. We will also insist that any change in the condition of the surface between the time of proposal and execution not create additional, unplanned work for us.

Certain decorative finishers, such as Status Faux, will take on the responsibility of prep work provided that:


  • Sufficient time exists in the plan.
  • We have resources available pertinent to the specific work needed.
  • We agree on the scope of stipulated work and a price for it.
  • You acknowledge the limits of what the prep will offer and accomplish, and accept the impact of issues that we cannot reasonable control or address (e.g. recurrent leaks, stress cracks, wallpaper separation or raised seams, underlying construction problems, etc.).


Other decorative finishers may reject the notion of doing prep work and insist on you providing a “paint-ready” surface prior to project start. While these others may operate in this way due to limited resources, skills or simply not wanting to bother with the work, Status Faux seeks to provide a true value-added approach and minimize (if not eliminate altogether) additional work, responsibility and stress on you. Simply finding another contractor willing to take on a limited task can be difficult enough. Scheduling that work in advance of the finishing process and relying on their ability to meet that schedule can be even harder. Allow us to help facilitate and streamline your project and take on those challenges which you can avoid. Besides, in all likelihood, we can offer an attractively priced package that is sure to reduce your overall cost.

FAUX PAINTING - PREPARATION


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