White Papers
The Dangers of Illegal Contracting
Do you know of a cleaning service whose prices are so low you suspect their hiring policy isn’t squeeky-clean? Rest assured, the facility manager who hires them is bound to pay sooner or later. Embarrassing adverse publicity, tarnished reputations, damaged business relationships, costly legal defense efforts and large civil and criminal penalties are a few of the problems faced by companies who are associated with illegal contracting, even as an “innocent” second-party.
Federal and state officials, with the support of the Obama administration, are starting to aggressively pursue companies that partake in illegal subcontracting to dodge taxes, insurance and Social Security and gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace.
How to Keep Your Exterior Paint Fresher, Longer
While it may not be time to pick up a paintbrush, its a great time to make sure your paint job lasts as long as possible by following these tips:
- Keep landscaping away from building, if possible. If there is too much landscaping, the building may stay damp, leading to mold issues and peeling paint.
- Make sure your bushes are trimmed enough so that they can’t hit the building during gusts of wind. Bushes that continually beat on your building wears down your paint.
- Keep gutters clean and all seams properly sealed. Continuous leaks ruin even the best paint jobs.
- Inspect the caulking in control joints and window/door openings to make sure they are not cracked or delaminating. If there is even a small amount of wear, water can get behind it.
- Check your parapit wall cap — look for openings where water can get in and cause damage
If it is time to paint, be sure to ask your contractor for details about their warranty. To offer the best possible warranty, Stathakis gets the paint manufacturer to write specs for the job, including prep (powerwashing, grinding, sandblasting), type of primer, finish and caulk. The manufacturer will generally warranty the paint between 1— 3 years and Stathakis extends that warranty to 5 years labor and materials — Michigan’s longest commercial painting warranty.