Who we are not a good fit for

You have thermofoil cabinets.

We do not paint thermofoil cabinets. Thermofoil is a vinyl film over MDF, not a paintable surface.

You want peel and stick wallpaper installed.

We do not install peel and stick wallpaper.

Peel and stick paper has no standardized manufacturing. As a result we never know what it can be installed on, how long the adhesive will last, if it can be removed, what surfaces it can be installed on, if it stretches, if it is ruined if it touches itself, color fastness and washability. That eliminates our ability to provide any type of warranty.

Your job is smaller than our minimum

We have a minimum job size, and below it we are not the right fit. Rather than pad a quote to get there, we will point you to another contractor in the area who is a better fit for a small job.

What to do instead: Let us point you to a contractor whose setup fits a smaller job.

You would rather do it yourself

If you are set on DIY, we will still help. Call us and we will place your materials order at the local Sherwin Williams or JC Licht under our account. You pick them up and pay at the counter, at our contractor pricing. The one requirement is that we place the order, so call us before you go.

What to do instead: Call us before you go so D'Franco can place the order.

You only need one tiny touch up

Setup, masking, travel and cleanup cost us the same on a half wall as they do on a whole room. If you have one small patch, a single closet, or one scuffed door, a handyman will usually do it cheaper and we will tell you so on the phone.

What to do instead: Call a handyman, or wait until you have two or three rooms to do at once.

You want the cheapest bid in the stack

There is almost always somebody cheaper than us. Often they are cheap because they are skipping prep, using cheap paint or working uninsured. But there are also some great companies that are owner-operator, with no other expenses aside from him, and we will never be able to match prices from someone who works alone. I used to be one. We are not going to match a number by cutting the part of the job you cannot see.

What to do instead: If the lowest price is the deciding factor, take the low bid with open eyes and ask for proof of insurance.

You need it finished this week

We schedule real crews on real timelines. Interior work in season is usually booked out. We would rather tell you we cannot get there than squeeze your house in and rush the prep.

What to do instead: Ask us for our next honest opening. If that does not work, hire someone with immediate availability and check their references.

You want us to paint over a moisture problem

If there is an active leak, a wet basement wall, an ice dam stain or a bathroom with no working fan, paint will not fix it and it will not hold. Stains come back, film peels and now you have paid twice.

What to do instead: Get the roof, gutter, plumbing or ventilation fixed first. Then call us and we will do it once, properly.

You are a landlord doing a fast turnover

Rental turnover work is a volume game. It wants one coat, one color, in and out in a day, at the lowest possible cost per unit. That is a legitimate business and it is not the way we work.

What to do instead: Use a turnover crew that prices by the unit. If you own a property you actually live in or plan to sell, call us.

You want us to paint over wallpaper

We will avoid it whenever possible. Why? Seams telegraph through, the old adhesive reactivates, and removal later becomes a much bigger and more expensive job. We would rather lose the work than hand you a wall that fails.

What to do instead: Let us remove the paper properly, or evaluate the condition of the walls. Why? My parents had wallpaper from the 80s. She wanted it removed. After Zac and I worked 8 hours on a 5x5 area, it was clear the paper was not coming off. In that case we used a shellac-based primer, sealed the wall, skim coated the seams, primed again, checked for bubbles and painted the walls. That was summer of 2011. It still looks great and has been painted twice since with new colors. Every job is different. Make sure you know, and then get it done right.