Author: c96382x1

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Sometime shortly after Christmas, Knox County Homeless Coalition/Hospitality House Executive Director Stephanie Primm recalls a delightful discovery.

“We recently just finished our Welcome Center, renovated by Habitat for Humanity, which was the garage attached to Hospitality House. This is a brand new intake and Welcome Center, which has two private meeting rooms, a laundry facility, a bathroom with a shower and a front desk. Now having that Welcome Center finished has improved the quality of our services and allows us to give better service to families needing attention and the start of Case Management.”

“So, Peter, [owner of North Atlantic Painting] snuck in two crew members without me even realizing it over a weekend and painted the whole thing in six hours,” she said. “It was so under the radar. He had threatened to help us and got Habitat For Humanity to arrange it, then just showed up and did it. It is only because of Peter and so many in our community that we have been able to help the hundreds of homeless families here in the Midcoast.”

The new Welcome Center now has a fresh coat of off-white paint throughout to lend a calming feeling to the rooms. “He took care of it and it was just really sweet,” said Primm. “In addition, this new space allows us to provide families living in Hospitality House more privacy and comfort. People in desperate situations can come in, get a shower and do their laundry. When they are feeling taken care of then we can have a conversation in the meeting room about how to help them.”

Not only does the Welcome Center take care of clients’ immediate comfort needs, but there is also a “store” within Hospitality House’s barn that allows people to choose (for free) from among various donated items such as food, warm coats and boots, job interview clothing, and household items. For more information visit: http://homehelphope.org

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You’ve all heard the term: “Buyer Beware.” We’ve been in business a long time and that’s why we feel it’s our responsibility to educate you, the consumer on what to look out for.

Maine law requires a written contract for any home construction and home improvement projects more than $3,000 with a specific provision that prohibits payment up front of more than one third of the contract price.

While there are a great many competent, ethical home contractors and painters in Maine, it is up to you, the consumer to spot the “red flag” when doing business with an unscrupulous contractor who may not have your best interest in mind.

Hiring someone to work on your home or business with no contract should be one of those red flags. What’s the worst that can happen?

• Miscommunications may happen.
• The work may not be done to your satisfaction or specifications.
• Payment disputes may arise.
• The contractor may not show up as regularly as promised…if at all.
• An unscrupulous contractor will take advantage of you with shoddy materials and over-billed time.

At North Atlantic Painting, we provide a fair and even-handed contract for every job over $3,000. “It ensures that our crew will come to the job site every day and do what is stated in the contract,” said NAP owner, Peter Berke. “It ensures that the contractor can’t just ‘take the money and run,’ which has, unfortunately, happened with some people. Legally, whatever our estimate states is what we have to provide and a contract prevents any misunderstanding or grey areas for both the customer and us. If the customer wants a change order or additional work, we even provide an additional clause for that. At the end of the job, the customer gets what he or she wants, ultimately at the price both parties have agreed to.”

If you want to know more on what Maine law requires and how to protect your rights, contact us for a information packet (for a nominal fee) at www.northatlanticpainting.com With NAP, you not only get a solid written contract, but the assurance that we are fully insured and up to date on all of our insurances.

Contact us with any questions at 207-236-0703 (ask for Peter) or email us at napainting@gmail.com

See related:

NAP Consumer Tip: Is your painter’s insurance up to date? 

Ewaste, Recycling and Shredding Day April 22

 

West Bay Rotary is committed to cleaning up our community. Every year they host a ewaste, recycling and shredding day to allow people to safely and properly dispose of their old electronics, as well as prescription drug disposal and shredding services.

The event will be held in the parking lot of the former Rockport Elementary school, at the intersection of Route 1 and 90 in Rockport from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This service is free to the community. The West Bay Rotary accepts contributions to support their charity outreach programs across the Midcoast.

This drop off location will have a shred truck on site to securely shred all of your documents. You will be provided with a Certificate of Destruction upon completion. After being shredded, all paper materials will be 100% recycled! This event is open to the public. Shredding services will be provided by Records Management Center.

To see a list of items that are eligible and ineligible for drop off visit West Bay Rotary’s event page.

For more information on what West Bay Rotary does to give back to our Maine communities visit: westbayrotaryofmaine.org

An interview with Peter Berke, owner of North Atlantic Painting Co.

Q: The Business and Community Expo is really hopping today! What’s the best part about coming back year after year?

A: It’s seeing old friends, meeting new friends, and networking. It’s getting new ideas from seeing the booths around me and talking to people while re-introducing the business with our new logo and look. All of the above.

Q: Have any of your customers or colleagues noticed the new design?

A. Yes, a lot of people have come by and said, ‘Wow, something looks different.’ And I tell them they’ll start to see this logo and design on the trucks we’re driving around and soon the old paint can sign on Route 90 will be gone and replaced with a new sign.  But something to keep in mind is we’re still the same North Atlantic Painting Co…just with a fresh look.

Q: What’s new for the spring and summer?

A: We’re streamlining the business a bit more, tightening up the number of crew, and working to be more efficient. Efficiency is really the big keyword here; keeping the quality up from job to job.

Learn more about what North Atlantic Painting Co. can do for you this summer by contacting Peter at 207-236-0703 or email us at napainting@gmail.com

North Atlantic Painting was a proud sponsor of the West Bay Rotary Chili Challenge on February 11, 2017 at Sea Dog Brewing Co. in Camden.

“What a great night we had at the Chili Challenge,” said West Bay Rotarian Mark Masterson. “We are so grateful to everyone who helped make this event possible; our hosts Sea Dog Brewing Co., our generous sponsors, our chili chefs and each of you who came out and supported this important community effort.”

The competition was fierce, but in the end, the prize for best chili went to French & Brawn Marketplace! Second place went to Sea Dog Brewing Company. Third place went to Marriner’s Restaurant!  Congratulations to our winners and thanks to all who participated.

The event drew around 140 people and earned more than $7,000 for both the event and West Bay Rotary’s share of the parking support at the Snow Bowl during the U.S. Toboggan Championships.

“As always, proceeds from this and other West Bay Rotary fundraisers are returned to the Midcoast community in support of civic and non-profit programs helping our neighbors,” said Masterson. “Thanks for the excellent support!”

For more information on what West Bay Rotary does to give back to our Maine communities visit: westbayrotaryofmaine.org

West Bay Rotary does a lot of under-the-radar community service and one of the things they do is sponsor teenagers like 18-year-old Nat Lawson on an international Youth Exchange.

Nat is not your average teenager. Penobscot Bay Pilot first covered a story on him when he was a 16-year-old senior at CHRHS, nearly two years younger than most of his peers. By then, he was a professional mentalist (someone who reads minds for entertainment), self taught and performing shows that were earning him a lucrative income.

At 17, he graduated high school and took on an astounding project to improve his mentalism in the summer by spending nine days completely blindfolded. See Penobscot Bay Pilot’s follow up story here.

A natural trailblazer, Nat has set his sights on even more challenges. With the support of Rotary Club of Camden and West Bay Rotary, he has been able to spend a year in Corrientes, Argentina going back to high school (who does that?) with the intent to immerse himself in mastering the Spanish language.

While there, he has developed an entirely brand new 40-minute show based on his last blindfolded experiment in Spanish.

He plans to return to Maine July 25 and you can find out more about his new show and journey through his blog: www.natlawson.weebly.com

At North Atlantic Painting, we’re not just about paint. Fully invested in the communities in which we work and live, we will continue to bring you more news about the people that West Bay Rotary benefits. For more information visit: http://westbayrotaryofmaine.org/

This is the first in a series NAP provides to protect the consumer when contracting to hire a painter. 

When you’re shopping around for a painter or paint company to do work on your house or business, there’s more to the process than just picking colors and accepting the bid for the job.

Is their insurance up to date?

Every reputable paint company will have a current general liability and worker’s compensation policy, so that if an unforeseen accident should occur or someone gets hurt, you aren’t stuck with paying for the damages yourself.

However, buyer beware, certain paint companies and individual painters who “cut corners” will pay the first premium, then let the policy lapse to save money. It also allows them to offer a lower bid price. Their assumption is that you, the consumer, won’t know the difference, when they show you the certificate.

“As soon as you accept a painter’s bid, you should first get a copy of their insurance certificate, then take the extra step to call that insurance carrier to see if the policy is still current,” said Peter Berke, owner of NAP. “If something should happen, say a ladder falls on your car or one of the painters injures himself on the job, the insurance company covers the liability, not the customer.”

Terms:

General liability: A standard insurance policy issued to business organizations to protect them against liability claims for bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) arising out of premises, operations, products, and completed operations; and advertising and personal injury (PI) liability.

Workers’ Compensation: Workers’ compensation is a publicly-sponsored system that pays monetary benefits to workers who become injured or disabled in the course of their employment.

North Atlantic Painting is always up-to-date on our insurance and we invite you to call us to show proof. We will be happy to send you a copy of our certificate and provide you with the phone number to follow up with our insurance carrier. Please call us at 207-236-0703 (ask for Peter) or email us at napainting@gmail.com (Maine).

Most new homeowners and renters are not even aware that the home they are about to purchase or rent may contain lead paint, particularly if it was built before 1978.

The problem is: Lead is known to cause damage to your brain and nervous system, particularly in pregnant women and children under six years old.  Even small amounts can be dangerous, as lead builds up in your body over time.

More than half of Maine homes may have lead paint. Exposure to lead is most common in buildings built before 1950 (when paint contained up to 50% lead), and in buildings built before 1978 when repainting or remodeling is done.

In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule for home improvement contractors and maintenance professionals who renovate or repair pre-1978 housing, child care facilities or schools. The rule required that by April, 2010, contractors and maintenance professionals be certified, that their employees be trained, and that they follow protective lead-safe work practice standards.

However, a 2015 investigation by the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, found that the law had rarely been enforced by painting companies. “This law has been in place for seven years, yet the problem is the state only has three or four agents to oversee all of the painting contractors in Maine,” said Peter Berke, owner of North Atlantic Painting. “That’s just not enough oversight to enforce it.”

That, of course, leads to abuses in the industry, where painting companies don’t adhere to the strict lead removal practices.

So why does North Atlantic Painting follow the regulations then?

“We bother with the law because it directly affects our kids and our future,” said Berke, a father of two.

“Toddlers who are teething and learning how to walk, might come across a windowsill and bite it, because lead is sweet. Children are attracted to sweet things, and it’s the easiest way to ingest it,” said Berke. “Kids in lead-exposed homes are susceptible to being poisoned, which may affect their cognitive abilities in early childhood development. It may affect their capacity to learn and grow.”

Lead removal is not something crews can just “wing it,” yet untrained ones do. When a person has been properly trained through a lead removal course and certified, he or she has to work through an extensive punch list in lead removal and it requires meticulous attention to each item on the list.  Our crew has been trained to follow every item of lead removal on that list to the best of their ability.

“We have a copy of my paint certification, my federal certification as well as a sample contract on file for anyone interested in hiring us,” said Berke.

This is just one more way North Atlantic Painting has been working to educate the public to protect your best interests.

Contact us with any questions at 207-236-0703 (ask for Peter) or email us at napainting@gmail.com (Maine).

See related:

NAP Consumer Tip: Is your painter’s insurance up to date? 

NAP Consumer Tip: Make sure you have a contract before any work starts! 

Winter is the time to take stock of all of those pesky interior projects you didn’t have time to get to this fall and were too busy to get to over the holidays. Now, North Atlantic Painting Company is making it easier for you to tackle small residential or commercial painting projects without committing to a huge budget or extended contract.

“This is ideal for homeowners, small businesses, restaurants, retail businesses, and doctor’s offices,” said NAPC owner Peter Berke. “Unlike with an individual house painter who is a one-man operation, with us, you know you’re getting years of professional experience and training. You know we will show up when we say we will. We’re fully insured and lead-certified (check our credentials here) and with that comes our practice of leaving a home or business in meticulous shape after we are through.”

NAPC Painter For A Day

Knock your to-do list down with the help of a NAPC Painter For A Day. Paint a room, a door, touch up worn areas, or just freshen up a couple of spots. We know it’s difficult to get to those small projects that don’t require a full painting crew, but may take more time and experience than you have. That’s why we now offer the NAPC Painter For A Day.

With our NAPC Painter For A Day, you get one (or more) of our professional painters to come to your house or place of business for a day. We’ll bring all the tools and supplies, even the paint if necessary. We’ll stay up to eight hours, working on your priority list of painting-related jobs. We’ll do the prep work, painting and cleanup. You can work along with us or we’ll tackle the job ourselves.

Hire A NAPC Painter For A Day To:

• Paint a room
• Touch up trim
• Paint a door, shutters, almost everything
• Perform minor repairs such as water stains or plaster patches
• Any combination of paint-related jobs for up to eight hours.

For $350 You Can…

Hire A NAPC Painter For A Day

To find out more visit us online and check out our offer.