Closet Prep & Paint Blog

I met a woman the other day and we were talking about closet companies and she was shocked to find out that closet organizer companies don’t tear out, repair and paint the existing closets before they install the new closet organizer systems.  She assumed, like everyone else, that that should be a part of the process.  In their defense, closet companies specialize in designing and installing closet systems.  They are not demolition and painting companies!  They should not be expected to tear out and paint the closet.  Tearing out a simple 8’ x 8’ closet with a single hanging rod and one stack of built in shelves is an entire day’s job if you know what you are doing.   You have to be very careful when removing the rods and shelves so you don’t punch holes in the walls, all the caulking has to be removed and nail holes fixed, the entire area needs to be spackled, the walls need to be sanded and painted and all the debris has to be removed from the house.  Think about it, if closet companies took the time to do the tear out and paint, they would never be able to install closets.  That’s where Closet Prep & Paint comes in.  We fill the gap between design and installation.   Closet companies are experts at designing and installing closets.  They offer free estimates, they send a designer to your house, the designer is knowledgeable and measures the number of feet you have of long hang and short hang.  They count the number of shoes you have and count how many folded items you have.  They ask lots of questions to make sure that the design they provide you with will hold what you already have and give you room to grow.  They make sure that every available inch is used to the best of its capacity.  The recommend accessories and talk about what colors they have to choose from and if you want any moldings or doors and drawers. Some closet companies design with you when they are there in your home.  Some come to measure and then send you the design.  Some draw the design by hand and some use a design software to produce computer generated designs.  The point is, they design and install the closet systems they build.  It slows down their production to do the tear outs.  Closet Prep & Paint gives the closet industry a solution to the problem of prepping closets.  We don’t work for the closet companies and we don’t design and install closets.  We prep and paint the closets.  In the past, closet companies would explain that this part of the process is something you, the client, was responsible for, remove your clothes and get the closet ready for us to install.  But when asked who does this, they had no answer.  Now, they can refer their clients to Closet Prep & Paint.  We support the closet industry.  We are good for our word, show up on time and complete the work for the price we quote.

We always ask our clients how we are doing.  Here is a survey from a recent client. 

I met a woman the other day and we were talking about closet companies and she was shocked to find out that closet organizer companies don’t tear out, repair and paint the existing closets before they install the new closet organizer systems.  She assumed, like everyone else, that that should be a part of the process.  In their defense, closet companies specialize in designing and installing closet systems.  They are not demolition and painting companies!  They should not be expected to tear out and paint the closet.  Tearing out a simple 8’ x 8’ closet with a single hanging rod and one stack of built in shelves is an entire day’s job if you know what you are doing.   You have to be very careful when removing the rods and shelves so you don’t punch holes in the walls, all the caulking has to be removed and nail holes fixed, the entire area needs to be spackled, the walls need to be sanded and painted and all the debris has to be removed from the house.  Think about it, if closet companies took the time to do the tear out and paint, they would never be able to install closets.  That’s where Closet Prep & Paint comes in.  We fill the gap between design and installation.   Closet companies are experts at designing and installing closets.  They offer free estimates, they send a designer to your house, the designer is knowledgeable and measures the number of feet you have of long hang and short hang.  They count the number of shoes you have and count how many folded items you have.  They ask lots of questions to make sure that the design they provide you with will hold what you already have and give you room to grow.  They make sure that every available inch is used to the best of its capacity.  The recommend accessories and talk about what colors they have to choose from and if you want any moldings or doors and drawers. Some closet companies design with you when they are there in your home.  Some come to measure and then send you the design.  Some draw the design by hand and some use a design software to produce computer generated designs.  The point is, they design and install the closet systems they build.  It slows down their production to do the tear outs.  Closet Prep & Paint gives the closet industry a solution to the problem of prepping closets.  We don’t work for the closet companies and we don’t design and install closets.  We prep and paint the closets.  In the past, closet companies would explain that this part of the process is something you, the client, was responsible for, remove your clothes and get the closet ready for us to install.  But when asked who does this, they had no answer.  Now, they can refer their clients to Closet Prep & Paint.  We support the closet industry.  We are good for our word, show up on time and complete the work for the price we quote.

Ok, now that you all know who we are, let me tell you a story.

When my daughter was approaching the teen years, I decided it would be wise to leave my office job for something with more flexible hours.  Because I was a single parent and not ready to have my title change from “Mom” to “Grandma” just yet, I needed to be able to be home more to run off all the teenage boys.  It was the best decision I ever made.  With no sales training or design experience, I made a frightened leap from corporate America into the fascinating world of closet organizers.  I was very fortunate to become a designer for Closet Factory http://www.closetfactory.com  and fell in love with the industry.  Closet Factory offers high end closets as well as pantries, custom home offices, entertainment centers and garage systems.  I quickly realized that my clients faced a challenge when it came to taking out their existing rods and shelves.   Many had no one to help them with this aspect of the project.  In order to provide a solution to this dilemma, I began to arrange to do their tear outs myself, on days I was not designing.  Hence, Closet Prep & Paint was born.  It’s been many years now, and instead of just providing this service to my clients, I now support all the major closet companies.    

I’ve added a “Feature Story” http://www.closetprepandpaint.com/FeaturedClosetOrganizerStoryPage.html  on our website in order to highlight the design process from start to finish.  This is also an area of the website where designers and closet companies’ can highlight a project that they want to show off.  Since Closet Prep & Paint support closet organizer companies exclusively, I wanted to foster a relationship with them and their designers. 

You’ve all seen the ads!  Valpak, Money Mailer, Washington Post and Red Plum.  Just to name a few.  The closet organizers’ advertising illustrates beautifully organized closets.  You dream about your closet looking like that and decide to call for a design consultation.  You meet with a designer, who measures your space, takes inventory of your clothes and presents you with a design to convert your crummy, falling down, cluttered, closet into the one you’ve been fantasizing about.  All you can think about is how organized you’ll be when they install it.  You can hardly wait the 2-4 weeks for the closet company to manufacture it and come back and install it.  Unfortunately, during this process, it never occurs to you that your existing rods and shelves have to come out or what to do about the condition of the walls.  Does this magically happen?   Oh no!  And you certainly don’t want to take your precious Saturday off to do it.  You’d rather be doing anything else.  Golfing, going to dinner, waiting for that cute guy to call that you met last week – anything but ripping that old system out and painting the walls. 

While you wait to get your long desired masterpiece, your designer tells you that is your responsibility to get the closet ready and your heart sinks!  Fortunately, they offer you a solution to this problem.  Not only can you get the work done in one day while you are at work (so you can keep that date on Saturday), you can enter Closet Prep & Paint’s drawing for a chance to get it at half price.  The moral of the story, don’t be a grandma too soon and don’t be disappointed when you finally get the closet you’ve dreamed of.  Some closet companies don’t tell you about prepping the closet first.  They just come in, rip the existing stuff off the walls and install the new one.  We have had to go and fix many clients’ walls after installation occurred.  It is much harder then, and IT COSTS A LOT MORE!  Remember … Woman who can’t find shoes, can’t go on date.  More later.

GRAND OPENING! Closet Prep & Paint, LLC  supports the closet industry by removing existing closet rods and shelves in preparation for the installation of new closet organizer systems.

Customizing closets is an important decision, and if done right, can add value to your home and bring you many years of enjoyment.

When deciding to hire a closet company to optimize storage in your closets, it is important to consider the materials, color selection, accessories and design aspects. Working with a professional closet designer will ensure that you receive a beautifully finished product from start to finish.

All closet companies design and install closet organizer systems. But few offer a referral to a company that specializes in closet tear outs. This leaves the question of who will remove the existing rods and shelves. Closet Prep & Paint works with the client and the closet company’s installation schedule and tears out the existing closet materials 1-2 days prior to installation of the new closet organizer system. Closet Prep & Paint is the only company that specializes in prepping and painting closets for the closet industry. The company is woman owned, based in Manassas VA and currently serves the DC metro area. If you do not live in the DC metro area, stay tuned! We will be franchising to your area soon! We offer free estimates by phone or through our website. Visit our website at www.ClosetPrepAndPaint.com and enter our monthly drawing to win 50% off any services we offer.

Most homeowners don’t want to tackle this project themselves as it is difficult to remove the existing shelves without damaging the walls and is very time consuming. When we arrive, we tear out existing rods and shelves, repair the walls, paint and haul away all the debris and work is usually completed in one day. Then your closet company will come and professionally install your new closet organizer system.

Since we specialize in closet tear outs, no one can beat our prices!