Frequently asked questions

Who should your loyalty be to when selecting a painting contractor?

Yourself. Your loyalty belongs to your own interests, not to a friend who happens to be in the business. Mixing friends and business is rarely easy, and a paint job is too large an investment to award out of obligation.

What should I look for when selecting a painter?

The company that can deliver the best quality and service at a competitive price, and finish in the time they told you they would. All four matter. A low price that comes with a crew that disappears for two weeks is not a bargain.

How can I judge quality, service, price and completion time before I hire?

Go look at finished jobs, talk to references, and find out how long the company has actually been operating in your area.

That last point carries more weight than most homeowners realize: unless a company has been working in the area for a substantial time, its guarantee has very little value. A warranty is only worth as much as the likelihood the business is still there to honor it.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. Mike's Painting holds city and county licenses and carries both full liability insurance and full workers' compensation insurance.

Workers' compensation is the one homeowners most often forget to ask about. If an uninsured painter is injured on your property, you can end up responsible. Ask any contractor you are considering for a certificate of insurance, and confirm it is current.

Who will actually be working at my home?

Our own crew. Every team member is drug tested and background checked before they set foot on a job site.

We also do not employ salespeople. Owner Mike Marcewicz evaluates each job himself, so the person who prices your work is the person accountable for it.

How long can I expect a paint job to last?

Interior paint lasts as long as you want it to — it comes down to when you are ready for a change.

Exterior is a different question in Florida. Heat and humidity are the deciding factors. A professional exterior job lasts seven to ten years on average, depending on whether your home sits in shade or full sun. A house facing unshaded southern or western exposure will reach the low end of that range; a shaded lot will reach the high end.

The single most effective thing you can do to extend it is have the house professionally power washed once or twice a year.

Should I repaint now or wait?

Sooner is better than later, and the reason is structural rather than cosmetic.

Fresh paint adds beauty, cleanliness and value, but it also preserves and protects the integrity of wood, plaster and metal surfaces. Delaying leaves those materials exposed. They eventually rot and decay, and replacing them costs far more than painting would have.

Painting on schedule is preventive maintenance. It seals the materials that make up your investment in your home.

What are the signs my house needs repainting?

Chalking is the clearest one — run your hand along the wall, and if it comes away with a powdery residue, the paint film is breaking down.

Others worth watching for: hairline cracking or alligatoring in the finish, paint lifting at the edges of trim and fascia, faded color on the sun-facing elevations, exposed caulk lines pulling away from window and door frames, and any bare or soft wood.

Soft wood in particular should not wait. Once rot sets in, the repair cost climbs quickly.

What is the best time of year to paint a house in Lakeland?

Central Florida's drier months, roughly October through May, give the most predictable exterior conditions.

Summer work is entirely possible and we do plenty of it — it just means scheduling around afternoon thunderstorms and the higher humidity, which slows cure times. Interior work is unaffected by season.

How soon can it rain on fresh exterior paint?

Most quality exterior acrylic coatings need a few hours of dry weather to resist light rain, though full cure takes considerably longer — often around 30 days.

This is why we watch the forecast rather than the calendar during the summer months. A surface that gets rained on too soon can streak, blush or fail to bond, and the fix is redoing it.

Do you charge for estimates?

No. Estimates are free.

Mike comes out and looks at the job himself. You can also send photos through the form on our contact page, which helps us arrive prepared and, for straightforward work, can speed the whole process up.

What areas do you serve?

Lakeland, Mulberry, Bartow and the surrounding communities in Polk County, Florida. We have worked in this area since 1990.

If you are just outside those towns, call and ask — we will tell you straight away whether we cover you.

What kinds of work do you take on?

Interior and exterior painting for homes and businesses, plus the repair work that has to happen before paint goes on.

That includes walls, ceilings, trim, cabinets, doors and shutters inside; stucco, concrete block and siding outside; pool decks, lanais and porches; drywall repair; wood rot repair and replacement; caulking and sealing; and pressure washing. We paint roughly 35 pool decks a year, both residential and commercial.

Do you do commercial work?

Yes. Offices, retail, common areas, warehouses, HOA properties and multi-unit buildings.

Commercial jobs are scheduled around your operating hours, and after-hours service is available by appointment so we are not working through your business day.

What preparation is included before painting?

Preparation is most of what determines whether a paint job lasts, and it is included in the work rather than treated as an add-on.

Depending on the surface that means pressure washing, scraping loose material, repairing damaged drywall or stucco, replacing rotted wood, caulking and sealing gaps, priming bare surfaces, and masking anything not being painted.

Do I need to move furniture or empty rooms?

Move small and fragile items yourself — electronics, artwork, anything irreplaceable. We handle moving and covering the larger furniture, and we mask floors and fixtures.

Mike will tell you exactly what he needs you to do when he walks the job, so there are no surprises on the first morning.

How do I pay, and do you offer discounts?

We accept all major credit cards, and we offer senior discounts.

Mike will go over the payment schedule for your specific job when he provides the estimate.

Do you warranty your work?

Yes — we offer warranties on most of our work under normal conditions. The specifics depend on the job, and Mike will explain what applies to yours when he estimates it.

As noted above, a warranty is only as good as the company behind it. We have been operating in Lakeland since 1990.

How long will my job take?

It depends on size, surface condition and weather, and Mike will give you a completion time with your estimate.

What we commit to is finishing when we said we would. Customers consistently tell us the crew shows up on time and works fast, and that matters as much to us as the finish itself.

What are your hours?

Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. After-hours service is available by appointment.

You can reach us at (863) 701-8180.