Tresham Painting

10/13/2026

The warning signs that a painter isn't worth hiring all show up before any paint gets opened.

Our latest post walks through six of them, from cash-only pricing to a deposit that takes most of the price up front. It also covers the Ontario rules that let you cancel a contract after you've signed it, and the two free provincial lists you can search to check any painter in minutes.

Warning signs a painter isn't worth hiring, plus the Ontario rules that let you cancel a contract after you have already signed one. Read on and learn more.

10/09/2026

Putting finish coats on today in Niagara on the Lake
Thanks to Dale for his spray technique!

10/09/2026

Wallpaper is still on the walls in a lot of homes, and painting straight over it rarely ends well. Water-based paint reactivates the old paste, every seam shows through the finish, and the job gets harder for whoever strips that wall next.

Our new guide covers how to identify what's on your wall, what lead and asbestos mean for a pre-1990 house, and the prep that makes new paint hold.

10/09/2026

Scraping a popcorn ceiling takes an afternoon. Getting it flat and paintable takes the rest of the week.

Our new post covers what happens after the texture comes down, from testing for asbestos and lead through skim coating, dust control, primer, and why flat paint is the only sensible finish overhead.

We also explain the fairest way to judge a finished ceiling, which is not with a work light held against it.

Scraping is the fast part. Here's what a bare ceiling needs before it can be painted, from asbestos testing and skim coating to dust control and flat paint.

10/09/2026

A crack in a drywall seam is still a crack under two coats of eggshell. Some walls need repair before paint, and the signs are visible in about ten minutes per room.

New on the blog: how to read the cracks you find, what moisture damage looks like at each stage, and what older homes tend to hide behind the finish.

Cracks, stains, soft drywall, and mould all mean repair before paint. Read this post to learn how homeowners can tell what a wall needs before booking the job.

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

Doing a historical house in Niagara on the Lake this week.

08/07/2026

When your brick is looking old and tired.
Why not stain it with Color Top. Any colour you like!

07/29/2026

Comparing painting quotes and finding it hard to tell them apart? The total at the bottom is the least useful part of the document.

Our latest post breaks down a real estimate line by line: labour versus materials, prep, coats per surface, and why the lowest number rarely wins. Read a quote the way a painter does before you sign.

Comparing painting quotes? Learn what every line item means, from prep and coats to labour and materials, so you can judge them accurately before you sign.

07/07/2026

Not sure how much to pay a painter up front?

In Ontario, a fair deposit is small, usually around 10 percent, with the balance due once the job is finished and you've looked it over. A demand for most of the money before work starts is a warning sign worth heeding.

Our latest guide breaks down deposits, progress payments, and what a fair schedule protects on both sides.

What a fair deposit and payment schedule looks like for residential painting in Ontario, and the up-front demand that should make you pause.