Craftsmanship Regulation

From time to time, big things happen within any given industry. The development of new products or techniques can change the way the world works, thinks and acts. The painting industry is no exception. With the creation of the PDCA’s Forum for Excellence in Craftsmanship, big changes are coming and an industry with a bad reputation has a chance for redemption.

Hey, it’s no secret that almost anyone can hold a brush or roller and move their arm up and down. But when you’re paying someone to paint for you, you should expect more. Just because a person can afford a brush, roller, and an ad in the phone book, does that qualify them to work in your house? In my twenty years of experience, I have found that most people assume that the level of craftsmanship from one contractor to another is even across the board, or at least similar.

Actually, that is not the case. All too frequently, homeowners choose a contractor based on a price that may be totally unrealistic, for the expectations that they have for the job. They do this based on an assumption that they are simply comparing different prices for the same level of skilled craftsmanship.

A craftsman is defined in Webster’s dictionary as “one who creates or performs with skill or dexterity especially in the manual arts.” In thinking about the last painting job that you paid for, does this definition fit the people that you paid for that job? If not, you are not alone, in fact the painting industry has gotten a bad reputation and most people see painters as being well, less than professional. Folks, I have to tell you, that reputation has been well deserved for the most part. You see, there is no regulation placed on the painting industry. There are no minimum requirements for business knowledge, product knowledge, or for that matter, common sense. While I personally am not a huge fan of government regulation, I do see the value of regulations within a given industry. In most cases, these regulations level the playing field and ensure a minimum level of craftsmanship within that industry. In the absence of regulation, the painting industry has gotten this bad reputation.

If you think that craftsmanship, and craftsman training is not really important, remember that many coatings and their accompanying reducers, thinners, and activators are considered hazardous waste. While these chemicals certainly do have an immediate effect on those using them, you might be surprised to know how much thinner or leftover paint could be dumped in your backyard or in your septic system during a project. Did you know that it is illegal to throw leftover paint away with your household trash? Even latex (water based) paints pose a hazard to the environment if not disposed of properly.

Years ago, when it was still considered honorable to work with your hands, all painters had to go through some sort of training before they were ever allowed to hold a brush at your home. The apprentice would have to master the arts of masking, sanding, caulking and preparation first. This might take up to three years, before ever holding a paint brush. Today, things are different, and for the most part the apprenticeships have disappeared. I mean hey, anyone can paint, right?

The Forum for Excellence in Craftsmanship aims to change that mindset. We are tasked with the creation and documentation of “Standard Operating Procedures” or as we call them SOP’s for every type of preparation, masking, and painting. These will be specific directions for what to use, how to use it, where to start and how it should look when it is finished. We will also have contractor’s tips and tricks for making the jobs easier. These SOP’s will be a major part of the painting industry’s resource materials and in effect, will be used as the beginnings of a new effort for apprenticeship training. Now, every company will have at their disposal a written list of “how to” to use for training as they see fit.

The PDCA (Painting and Decorating Contractors of America) is in part funding and promoting this effort, but surprisingly did not have a hand in its creation. The Forum was created out of a need for training by a group of contractors that believe in the importance of craftsmanship and the investment in their workers. Our task is huge, and will take years to compile, but is certainly worthwhile. Now that the forum has gotten some ink to paper, the PDCA is extremely interested in the benefits of the SOP’s and intends to mesh them with their new estimating programs, and technical manuals.

I can’t think of anything more important for this industry at the moment, and once again I feel blessed and honored to be a part of it. As a member of the Board of Directors for the Forum for Excellence in Craftsmanship, I hope to do my part to change the industry as a whole.

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