I need to quote a customer on painting 10" block letters onto their newly repainted cinderblock parking garage walls (with things such as "WEST STAIRWAY - 2nd FLOOR", etc.) I'm figuring on creating vinyl stencils and spraying or rolling on the paint (unless someone has a better idea). My biggest question is how should I price this? My second question is has anyone done this before and are there any things I should look out for? Thanks in advance!
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
The way I would handle this would be to hand letter it with a fitch or a cutter. I'd also lay it out on site, less to carry around with you. As far as pricing, probably $125-$175 per site/floor whatever. If you don't have the capability to hand letter, it might be one to pass on. A vinyl stencil is gonna be a royal pain in the butt on cinder block. First, it's not gonna want to stick, secondly there will be a tendency for a ton of bleeding and thirdly there will be a real danger of peeling up the background. A stencil made out of anything other than vinyl is gonna look like ... well a stencil with those ugly connected centers. Oh yea, most block is eight inches tall, the morter is really gonna play hell on a ten inch letter. Maybe somebody will have good alternative, but hand lettering is gonna be hard to beat on this job.
Posted by Jonathan Androsky (Member # 2806) on :
Hi Sam. Hows your hand lettering? I'd do a job like this with a pounce pattern and letter it with a fitch, you'll save a bundle since paper costs less than vinyl.
As far as pricing, figure out how long you think it will take you to do, including layout, then add some time for a cushion in case things go wierd, then multiply this by your hourly rate. The guys that wrote Estimate have a great tool for calculating hourly rates, it's FREE and you can get it here: Profit Watch
Add up your material cost, including any rentals that you need (scaffolds, scissor lifts, ladder jacks, whatever) Then add the whole mess together and apply your markup. Markups vary greatly so I really can't give you an idea of what's fair in your area.
What to look out for? Well if you're up in the air, allways look out for the end of your scaffold !
Good luck!
Aw crud, George beat me to the punch. Listen to him! He's better 'en me anyhow .
[ July 23, 2002, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: Jonathan Androsky ]
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
George is right. Cutters and Fitches are the only way to go. If you are doing the same line on each floor, I would recomend the pounce pattern. You can lay the number out on each floor as it will be different.
With 10" copy on block, I would recomend centering one mortar joint in the letters. This will keep the top and bottom of letters away from joints. Mortar joints are not always straight. If you get too close, and your lettering is straight, it will look like the lettering is off.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Paint Masking will not work on cinder block walls!!!! All you will wind up with is a messy job!!!!
I've done many of these parking structures...10 inch lettering is easy with a fitch. I figure them at $9 sq ft PLUS any scaffolds required.
Since it is a muliti level structure, pounce patters is the way to go, since all you need to do is change the numbers as you go from level to level. If they also require Area Numbers on the concrete pillars, then paint mask stencils can be used to your advantage (asuming smooth concrete).
Be sure to have a realistic time schedule...contractors get EXTREMELY upset if you cannot complete it on time!! (They have big $$ penalties if they are over schedule! When doing this type of work, priorities are in the following order: 1. SCHEDULE!!!!!! 2. Quality . . . . . 3. Price
Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :
I get $10.oo per square foot using patterns,and WALL brushes with enamel lettering paint.
Hope this helps
Posted by kram (Member # 2185) on :
Thanks, all. And Pat -- are you saying you do use vinyl, or is it pounce patterns, or what?
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
I ran a crew for a company that specialized in garage graphics...We always color coded each floor...but always used white for the lettering to give the best visibility in a dark garage. (Only excetion was black on yellow)
Here's how we did it...before you paint anything go to your local paint dealer and tell him you need some "Block Filler" (every paint brand has their version of it) roll it on and it will fill all the voids...course lines and all (sometimes a second coat will make it even better.
After the blockfiller is dry, roller paint your background color in enamel (yes the trusty One Shot with hardner will work really well).
If a flat or semi gloss surface is prefered use an eggshell enamel (Glidden or Sherwin williams is good).
Next identify the area the graphics go in and after the base coat is dry (usually two days is sufficient)mask around that area with 2" masking tape (low tack) and roll two coats of "Spraylat" latex mask letting it dry between coats.
When it has cured... pounce on your patterns and use an exacto to cut out your graphics remove the areas you wish to paint now here is the really "trick" part...roll the background color on one more time and let it dry (this floods all the voids and gives a tight seal to the edge of the mask). The next day roll on your lettering color...let it tack up and peal the mask while it is still tacky.
The final job will be as clean and crisp as vinyl letters and they will last nearly forever.
Now here's something a lot of people here won't believe...if you use enough block filler a lot of times vinyl letters will go down like gangbusters...especially 12" and under (eliminating all the masking)
All this sounds time consuming but if you are doing an entire garage you end up with all the walls at different stages and you can march thru a garage in just a few days (depending on the size).And you will give your customer the most professional job he can have.
My first love is hand lettering ...but trust me this aint the place.
One more thing...if you have concrete columns or concrete walls with small voids in them...mask off the area your going to use and use spackling to fill them in... sand when cured and then paint your background color and follow the rest of previous instructions to completion.(paper mask..."tuffback"... will work on concrete surfaces and will speed up your process)
Trust me this all works!
"werks fer me it'll werk fer you"...good luck no matter what you do.
If you have any questions drop me an e-mail
[ July 24, 2002, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]
Posted by Airbrush Bobby (Member # 5) on :
I just did a job like that. Finished today... all pounced and painted with fitches and cutters... price accordingly! You'll work for those dollars! I actually had a great time and got a few other jobs while doing it! Good luck and have fun painting!!!
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