Taking the Time to Learn

Construction needs are in high demand not only for housing but for skilled workers. One of the big questions today for companies is how to bring young people into the field of construction. Trade schools and apprenticeship programs were part of a standard in training new craftsmen. New workers coming into the trades worked alongside artisans of the craft in order to gain the knowledge needed to become skilled and valued. The truly wise artisans knew the young blood coming in needed more than could be learned in books. They needed hands-on training.

As someone trained in the field of professional painting, I had the union handbook which was extremely helpful, but that handbook did not replace the finesse and subtleties learned from experienced tradesmen. Not only did they teach me methods of production and fine finish work but how to communicate with other trades. Those communication skills and job planning were part of the empowerment that helped me become an independent contractor. The integrity a company gains through good communication makes all the difference in customer confidence. In working with other contractors building homes and businesses, a friendship is cultivated with the builders and other subs on the job. Outreach becomes stronger and more profitable.

When facing problems on the job, the smartest thing a worker can do is ask other skilled tradesmen for options and solutions. Usually you’ll find someone who has dealt with that situation before and are generally glad to offer some guidance. You gain respect and others say, “You are a problem solver wanting to learn”. Lifelong learning is one of the most fulfilling parts of any skill. Young workers, working alongside experienced skilled craftsmen is the best form of training. New trade schools are being started in some areas that give workers the basics. Trade schools are highly needed and some programs should be started in high school. However, being in the field and working with other skilled craftsmen is the way quality and “tricks of the trade” are learned.

In today’s busy lives when building homes, pole barns and businesses, clients are looking for a quality product with little or no maintenance. With today’s many options in long-service products such as metal, vinyl and stone, beautiful buildings can be built that will serve the customer a lifetime. The extensive array of metal siding designs available simulate everything from board and batten to fall leaf camouflage. Paint coatings give options never seen before in metal siding. Diverse trim systems can add beauty to a normally very plain outbuilding. Adding timber or stone accents to metal buildings can create beautiful low-maintenance projects.

Metal roofing is a material of extended longevity often lasting the life of a building. With metal roofing being made in every shingle design as well as standing seam, and the lower cost pole barn style, an investment in metal roofing makes the best sense ever.

With these new materials and new ideas in building design, skilled workers may still need to make adjustments in the field to the planned design of a home, business or outbuilding where designated ideas don’t make sense. Concepts such as smooth, glossy tile at the entryway or steps coming into the house where snow and ice may collect creating a fall hazard are often altered for a safer approach. Roof diverters can be added to redirect water away from entry doors or basement windows. In my 40 years of painting, I really can’t think of a single house we built where some adjustments weren’t suggested to help the client have a better outcome with the finished project.

New tradesmen coming into the field of construction can learn to create beautiful buildings with low maintenance offering a larger return to the customer. Simple ideas such as placing the lower three to four feet of a building in metal makes replacing damaged areas quick and low cost.

As a painting contractor of 36 years I learned that communicating with the other subcontractors on the job, made all the difference in the outcome of a project and the profitability in the end. Working with older skilled tradesmen teaches communication skills and the finesse of job scheduling with other tradesmen. Every job has its problems. Working with experienced older artisans helps one gain problem solving skills. As we used to say, “The difference between a professional, and an amateur is how fast you correctly fix those problems”. I believe that still holds true today.

Workers’ safety habits are the best thing to start and continue with, until those habits become second nature in your applied trade. A company’s profitability is created by client confidence in the workers and not having medical downtime on the job. With the vast array of safety tools available today, preventing injury to oneself as well as damage to the job is much simpler. Roofing, which is one of the most hazardous jobs in the world, is a good place to start practicing safety habits. Roof ladders, safety shoes, and surface protection mats along with a good lanyard and harness, make working in hazardous conditions far safer than ever before. When working on roofs, applying self-sealing underlayment greatly eliminates chances of leaks and substrate decay for the lifetime of a building. Condensation preventive coatings on the under side of metal roofing greatly extends its longevity. All these new products, when integrated into your building design make a better product, and looking out for your customer, grows your business.

Looking back on my career as a painting contractor I see different areas where I could have improved my production, reduced my physical labor, and improved the quality and profitability of my projects. I often think of one tool available today. Buying one of the small compact lifts or cherry pickers as they’re called would be a wise investment. That tool reduces time in reaching difficult areas, physical labor and complications with ladders and scaffold setups. Well planned out tooling operations and job foresight greatly improve the productivity in any project. Organized tools and equipment also benefit a contractor. Taking the time to think through the steps of a project significantly improve problem-solving abilities. A Final comment: “Whenever we ran into a contractor with overspilling frustrations, to help them on the job, we would start a conversation with ‘We’re all trying to work together so the customer is happy when they cut the final check’”. For the coming year, I wish success for all the contractors out there. You are needed.