Alkema Painting

They were able to schedule the job while we were on vacation so that was convenient. There were some parts of the old exterior that looked like they had been power washed but not scraped, the wood was just peeling a bit. Other than that we were very pleased both in the quality of the work and interfacing with a very professional company.

We originally got an estimate for the inside more than a year ago. Other projects took precedence so this one was put off until just now, however they didn't change the price of the original job quote one cent, amazing. First day they came and prepped; second day they finished up. Workers were clean and respectful which I’m learning to appreciate more and more. I was really impressed with their prep work. Chris had them sand down and retexture parts of the wall, fixed corners that had been chipped away, and they were able to make thirty year old drywall with the associated holes and repairs look almost like new. There were a number of little things that weren't in the quote that we asked if they could do while they were here and for a small fee jumped all over it. One or two small things were missed, I contacted Chis and someone was out the next day. A great company isn't one that does everything perfect (never happens) it's a company that quickly responds to anything that falls short.

Chris showed up on time, worked neatly and quickly, and completed the job in a very short time-frame so that we could move into our new house quickly. He was open to any additional work I added as he was working on my original request.

The owner Chris came out, I think the day after I called for an estimate, and sent me the estimate that night. He told me when he came out I should get several estimates and I tried by setting up dates for two other companies to come out with good recommendations on Angie's List, but with the second bid I knew that Alkema's price seemed quite fair and I appreciated his honesty and fairness. What was especially nice is that he included getting the paints in his bid, which was not the case in a more unfriendly bid from another company. My wife was working in the house with our seven month old daughter the second day while Chris's assistant, Nemiso was painting and she really enjoyed talking with him. Of course we want to have a great paint job, but to have people who are friendly and you feel comfortable around is I think almost equally important, and that is the case with Alkema.

They sent a lone novice new employee worker on the first 2 days. They first spray painted the ceiling which caused overspray on windows, light switches and closet door frames. They did not clean the overspray until I pointed out the mistake. I believe they should have rolled the ceiling and not sprayed. There were many places with poor paint coverage and/or roller lint in the paint. They fixed the problems only after I pointed out the mistakes. Their process is to slather on the paint and wait for you to go through and find all the bad spots and problems, which they will then go back and fis. I think they should do a good job, inspect, correct, and then present to the homeowner. Chris had an indignant attitude and almost acts like he is doing you a favor by correcting the problems; but he did go through and correct the items I pointed out. The final product was OK, but not worth the hassle. I wanted the work done and to have them out of my house so I did a lot of the clean up afterwards (I still have paint on my exterior screen door). Also there was a minor language barrier with the employees. Not a plesant experience: I recommend looking further for a painting contractor, even if other contractors come in with a higher bid.

The quality of painting was good. Painters arrived on time and were very responsive to what I needed done.

I am most likely to consider them for the job. I like their price. To me, pricing is very important. Also, the estimator had a good personality.

Alkema rep/tech came out to the house and provided a quote on replacing a few of the original deck boards, as well as pressure washing and coating the decks afterward with stain. The decks were pressure washed but not all of the old existing stain was removed. Although the old stain appeared to be difficult to remove, tech could/should have probably spent more time in the prep phase to eliminate the old buildup. Rep underestimated the amount of oil based stain required and had to leave the job site to obtain more product which he did and then returned to completed the job. On one of the decks, the tech was unable to remove any of the old water based epoxy coating and so recommended reapplying a compatible water based sealer. The job was completed over time to accommodate both of our busy schedules.

On schedule, thorough, professional. No surprises.

They came out to give us the estimate and they were very pleasant.

Alkema did a very good job power washing and staining our deck. They were friendly, prompt and professional.

They did a very good job. They were on time, professional and the paint job was amazing!

We started this project by bidding out the project to four Angie listed exterior painting contractors. We prepared our own statement of work describing the project and exactly what we wanted and requested unit pricing for each function. Alkema was one of only two bidders that followed our pricing instructions. We chose Alkema because their price was within our budget and responsiveness to our issues were excellent. Chris provided excellent customer service and resolved all our issues when discussing issues or needed clarification on how they were going to Paint the front railing, the doors, the garage door and the south wall of the house which was over 25 ft. High and difficult to get to the trim. Alkema was the best value and completed the project within time frames and without change orders. I would definety use them again.

Never had them do any work because they failed to return my phone call request for bid.

Great, they were careful, competent, professional and friendly.They had a very good price and it was a big job.

Very well - they were very professional and we were comfortable with them in the house.

I was impressed with the responsiveness of Alkema Painting. It was nice to have a live person pick up my calls. They were able to send someone out for an estimate the same day I called and they were able to begin work two days later. Overall, the quality of work was good and everyone was very professional.

Alkema scheduled very quickly and did a very good job. They were very fair in pricing and responed well to last minute changes. I would reccomend Alkema to my friends. The only caveat is to watch your window treatments. Some got broken or re-installed incorrectly. Otherwise, a job well done.

The jobs went well. Chris Hall takes pride in the work performed. They came when they said they would and completed the projects in a reasonable amount of time. I don't remember how long I had to wait between having the estimates done and when they started the work, but the timing wasn't critical to me. Work areas were clean when they left. I had a clear understanding of what I was getting for the price I was paying, and we were able to work out a reasonable price when it was discovered that extra work was needed (Item #4 above started as just touch-up on the one wall only, but the siding was in such bad shape we changed to a full removal and replacement of the siding which then required a full paint job).

The work was good. They were clean and kept things clean. He was fast and friendly.

Everyone was very personable but I think they rushed. When you do a visual inspection it looks good, but I think they left a lot of things in terms of cleanup. There is some paint on the tile and a light fixture, and it seems like they got a little lazy at the end. I didn’t see a lot of these things until later. There may have been some miscommunication because we couldn’t be there on some days. The price was reasonable and I think they did a pretty good job with the actual painting. I probably won't use them again.

I thought that they did a good job and that the price was reasonable.

We did not use them, instead we used Brannick but they were a very close second. The estimator was early, quick and got us an estimate by the end of the day.

They were prompt they gave the estimate right away. But I used somebody else. I have a regular painter whom I used. I would consider them for a quote in the future.

Contractor came to our house to inspect the site in preparation for bidding. Soon after, we received an emailed bid, which I accepted subject to agreement on the work schedule. He emailed a contract, unsigned, which spelled out that Alkeema would apply a primer coat and a finish coat. The contract left the schedule blank. I filled in the schedule, modified the statement of work slightly, and returned the signed contract with a check for the deposit. I received an emailed response agreeing to the schedule but didn't receive a signed contract until I asked for it. Two days before the scheduled start, the contractor called an said that he was sliding the start date by a week because he was late on another job. I told him that wasn't acceptable (we had other work scheduled which could not begtin until the painting was complete). . He said "OK, we'll be there" and two workers appeared on schedule. They applied one coat and removed the masking. I questioned the job foreman who said " We used a special paint that doesn't need a primer." I called the contractor and reminded him that the contract called for two coats. He agreed and the workmen returned the next day and applied the second coat. The finished product looks good. I'd use Alkeema again but I'd be careful again to get a written contract and monitor carefully to ensure compliance.