Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for painting companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Michael Sack Painting, Inc., the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is staying committed to three basic principles: honesty, timeliness and quality. “We have a real passion for customer satisfaction, so everything we do is geared toward achieving that goal,” says owner Michael Sack. “We want every client to be absolutely certain they’re receiving honest, thorough work throughout every stage of their painting project.”

Michael Sack Painting has been providing interior and exterior painting services for residential and commercial clients in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties since 2000. The company’s painters are trained in a variety of application methods that allow them to paint all types of surfaces, and they’re also qualified to perform lead encapsulation work, restore decks, waterproof exterior surfaces, and more.

Unlike less experienced painting companies that strive to reduce their operating costs by using inferior materials and limiting their quality control methods, Michael Sack Painting prides itself on offering the same high-quality painting services to every client, regardless of the size of their project. “For example, some surfaces don’t look like they need to be fully primed before they’re painted, but we always apply primer to make sure every job is of equal quality,” explains Mr. Sack. “From the paints we use to our preparation techniques, we want to offer the best in the industry.”

Another unique feature of Michael Sack Painting is its ability to offer lead encapsulation and removal services, which allows it to safely remove peeling or cracking lead paint from houses that were built prior to 1978. “The surfaces in those particular homes have to be sealed or removed by an EPA Certified painting contractor to keep the lead from contaminating the environment, and that’s exactly what we do,” says Mr. Sack. “Our customers really appreciate working with a company that can safely remove potential dangers from their homes.”

If your home is covered in lead-based paint, make sure you know all your options for dealing with it. Many houses that were built prior to 1978 contain lead-based paint, which can be dangerous to children and animals if left untreated. The best way to confirm the presence of lead in your paint is to have an EPA Lead-Safe Certified contractor perform a test. That way, if any lead paint is found, the contractor can quickly remove and dispose of it using safe, industry-regulated procedures.

When it comes to dealing with lead-based paint, there are several options that are designed to meet particular needs. To determine which option is best for your situation, consider the following tips:

Leave lead-based paint alone. If the paint on your home isn’t chipping or peeling and you don’t live with pets or young children, you can opt to leave lead-based paint intact. Watch for further damage or peeling, and take action right away if your paint starts to chip. If you end up selling your home, make sure you inform potential buyers about the presence of lead-based paint.

Encapsulate lead-based paint. Encapsulation is a less complicated and more affordable option than removal. It involves rolling or brushing on a special waterproof coating that seals in lead paint, and it’s a good choice to cover intact paint that’s not peeling or chipping. This option might not be best for windows or doors covered in lead paint, since the encapsulation layer can wear off and re-expose lead-based paint over time.

Enclose surfaces covered with lead-based paint. Lead-based paint on walls can be covered with new drywall, and windowsills or exterior paint can be enclosed with vinyl siding. You’ll only have to worry about the lead paint if you remove the enclosing surface.

Remove lead-based paint. Removal is the best method for dealing with chipping, peeling or damaged lead-based paint because it’s the only one that completely removes the danger. Removal should only be performed by a certified lead paint removal contracting firm that takes precautions to trap any paint chips, debris or dust that occurs during the removal process. Don’t try it yourself—you can be held liable for environmental contamination caused by poor removal methods.

Q: How much will my painting job cost?

A: It depends on a variety of factors, but our prices are very reasonable, and we’ll give you a free estimate before any work begins so you know what to expect.

Q: Will you complete my project in the timeframe that you promise?

A: Yes. We only take on one job at a time, so we’ll be able to fully concentrate on your project from start to finish with no interruptions.

Q: Will you help me pick out paint colors for my home?

A: Yes. We’ll bring you lots of samples and fit them together to show all the different color combinations. Once you pick something you like, we’ll bring those colors to your home and paint swatches on the building so you can see how they look once they’re applied.

Q: Do you have experience painting Victorian homes?

A: Yes. Victorian homes are usually painted with a lot of colors, so we make sure we’re smart with color combinations and paint in fine lines to make the combinations look good.

Q: Can you provide me with a list of past clients?

A: Yes, we have a reference sheet that we give to all our potential customers. Talking with our past customers is a great way to establish trust, so we encourage you to call them.