Well, I cannot say that this is an easy client to work with. He does seem willing and able to pay, but at the rate he is going, he will probably have us (or at least Leroy, who does the base coat painting) on retainer! He has been out of town for most of the time. Met with us the weekend of June 15th for some definite color choices (or so we thought), then had to leave again. Now he is back, examining the results, and changing his mind once again. Fortunately, he has been forthcoming with money, so that does not seem to be a real problem. We have probably incurred at least $600 + in product charges so far. Lots of paint (I mean gallons and gallons) for the base coats in various rooms, plus the pricier products that we use (such as metallic waxes and marmo lustre). So it is adding up. Normally, we do not do ANY of this without a deposit, but we are kinda working without the proverbial net here. He's here, he's gone, he's here again.... and all the time, deciding that this is not quite what he wants in this room, or on that wall, or...
Drummer has had to do the tweaking on the metallic wall of the dining room by himself this week. Client wants a little less copper - no, make that a lot less copper - wants some more gold and bronze - no, make that much more bronze, 'cuz he thinks the gold has a green sheen to it (it does not, trust me!). So after more bronze is added, he now thinks the remaining walls in the dining room (painted by Leroy) don't mesh that well anymore. So, off to the color charts again. That was what Drummer and I were doing last night. Sent Drummer off today with some suggestions for the client for the dining room, plus an additional color for just one part of the ceiling in the master (I hope to have photos that will do all of this justice, but I am not too sure how those photos will all pan out).
At least I think he was a bit more aware of WHY the walls aren't panning out as well as he would like, since he does have some texture on those walls. I didn't think it would be too big a problem, but it has actually been a big-ass ol' problem. Never again will we attempt this crap on a wall with even a teensy bit of texture. Drummer took a trowel (or maybe it was a tool called a Japan scraper) and showed him how we moved the product across the wall (or at least tried to move it, in this home's case). If you have ever seen venetian plaster applied, this is the same method. You have the trowel at an angle and try to glide the tool smoothly across the walls surface, spreading the product as you do so. So the client knows what we are up against, anyway.
We have padded in some of the mileage costs and may have to add more. Just on mileage alone, it is a 50-mile roundtrip from our home to his and back again. Plus most of that is on toll roads, and that adds up, too.
Boy, we hope to finish up this weekend. I do not want to be out there the weekend of my birthday - July 7 - but want to selfishly have those days to sleep in or whatever.
Gonna end this one... let's just say that the tale continues (sob!).
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