Tom Lopatosky – The Home Improvement Expert

Building Materials

What Is ‘Durock’ And What Is It Used For?

When installing tile, it is important to fasten it to a surface with a particular set of qualities that make the tile installation most likely to last for as long as possible without developing some type of an issue. The best “backer board” of this ...
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Deck Care

The Best Stain To Use On Hardwood Decks

After a long and harsh New England winter, many homeowners find that their hardwood decks need attention. Decks made from dense woods like mahogany or Ipe can handle tough weather, but months of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures still take a toll. Cosmetically, the wood ...
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Weather Conditions

When The Snow Melts…

Living in New England, sometimes we get a winter to “remember”. Typically, these memories are not the type where we enjoy sharing how warm and sunny it was. Usually, it is the exact opposite. Constant dreariness, ice dams, snow piled 10 feet high that seems ...
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Bathroom

The Best Material for Inside Tile Corners (Hint: It’s Not Grout)

When you are finishing a tile job, one of the most important decisions happens at the inside corners. Many beginners (…and even some professionals!) assume grout should go everywhere between tiles, including where two tiled walls meet. But professional installers almost always choose silicone instead. ...
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Exterior

What Are Soffit Vents?

Soffit vents are small openings built into the underside of a roof overhang. That underside is called the soffit and it wraps around the roof edges of most houses. The soffit vents help fresh air move into the attic while pushing warm, moist air out, ...
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Exterior

How To Prevent Ice Dams?

As we in New England are all VERY well aware, ice dams can cause serious damage to a home during the Winter months – particularly during Winters that are rougher than others! Ice dams form when snow on the roof melts and then refreezes at ...
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Exterior

What Is A Ridge Vent?

Sometimes I am walking around a house with a Client, and the discussion comes up (for various reasons) centered around their roof’s ridge vent (or lack thereof). In the moment, working to explain the concept of a ridge vent can be a little challenging, as ...
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Winter

The Dreaded Ice Dam

In New England, overall, we are VERY fortunate when it comes to ice dams. In the Winter of 2014, we were hit REALLY hard with them throughout the region and in 2015 we went through a ‘junior version’ of the previous year. Thankfully, dealing with ...
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Weather Conditions

Which Parts of Your Home Does Winter Damage Most?

Winter weather can be hard on your home. Cold temperatures, snow, ice, and strong winds can slowly wear things down if you are not careful. Knowing which parts of your home are most at risk can help you prevent costly repairs and keep your house ...
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Fire Extinguisher

Where Can You Recharge Old Fire Extinguishers?

If you have an old fire extinguisher that needs to be recharged, there are safe and proper ways to handle it. Fire extinguishers are important safety tools, but they must be serviced correctly to work when needed. Not all places can recharge them, and some ...
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Power

When A Tree Falls On The Power Lines, Who Is Responsible For What?!?

When a tree falls on power lines, it can cause scary scenes, outages, and confusion about who is responsible. The answer depends on where the tree came from, who owns the land, and what was damaged. Knowing the basics can help homeowners stay calm and ...
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Attic

Damp Attic Walls

Attic walls sometimes get damp, and it can worry homeowners because moisture can lead to mold, rot, and other concerns. The good news is that this problem is common and usually fixable once you understand why it happens. One main reason attic walls get damp ...
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Bathroom

How To Fix A Peeling Bathroom Ceiling

A peeling bathroom ceiling is a common problem, and it usually happens because of moisture and steam. Bathrooms create a lot of humidity, and if the ceiling was not painted or sealed correctly, the paint can lose its grip and start to peel. The good ...
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Bathroom

How Soon Can You Shower After The Bathroom Is Painted?

One of the more commonly asked questions we receive when painting the interior of someone’s home is how long after a bathroom is painted that people can safely take a shower. The short answer is that it depends on the type of paint used, the ...
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Materials

Something Sneaky About Composite Material

Although certainly the material of choice (whenever possible) for exterior trim replacement and updating, there is something to realize when replacing rotted wood trim with composite material. Composite shrinks. This is something you may not realize when first electing to update things and convert to ...
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OUR HISTORY

LOPCO Expert

While looking for a way to pay his way through college, Tom Lopatosky started LOPCO Contracting in 1995. Since then, when Tom began the company with less than $100 in his pocket, LOPCO has grown to become the Home Improvement Contractor of choice for a wide number of people throughout Rhode Island and Southern New England. Tom learned many valuable lessons as he grew the business while attending college. Ultimately Tom (in the year 2000) graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree with a Concentration in Marketing, a Bachelor’s Degree with a Concentration in Finance, and a Minor in Computer Information Systems from Bryant University (Bryant College at the time) in Smithfield, RI. 

Prior to earning his degrees, Tom graduated from Classical High School in Providence, RI (where Tom won the ‘Al Morro Award’ for Football in 1994). After High School, Tom left for the University of South Carolina to pursue his dream of playing football. Soon after his mother passed away in 1997, he relocated back to RI and completed his college career at Bryant. Tom continued to play minor league football for 9 years and was part of 4 championship-playing football teams. 

As the demands of the company grew, Tom decided to retire from football in 2006 and focus on LOPCO full time.
Under Tom’s leadership, the company culture of striving to overdeliver on every project they undertake has led to much repeat business and their clients are often very happy to tell their friends and families about their experiences with LOPCO. This has helped tremendously as LOPCO has sought to further increase their customer base. Tom’s long-term goal for the company is “To lead LOPCO Contracting in continuing to paint and build the way to social consciousness while becoming the largest painting and repair company in New England.”

Tom lives in East Providence, RI with his girlfriend Leslie and his daughters Tamara & Ivelisse. Tom has held a variety of titles over the years including President of LOPCO Contracting, Regional Board Member of the PCA’s (Painting Contractors Association) Northeast Council, President of the RI Chapter of the PCA, Board Member of RIBA (Rhode Island Builders Association), and Building & Property Trades Advisory Committee Member for MTTI (MotoRing Technical Training Institute in Seekonk, MA).

Tom has been a RIBA member since 2008 and a member of PCA since 2006. In 2013 Tom received the PCA’s National “Humanitarian of the Year” Award, a “40 under 40” Award from Providence Business News, and his BNI (Business Network International) Warwick peers voted him “Member of the Year”. Tom has been involved with BNI for a number of years as well as quite a few other networking organizations.

In 2006 Tom was inducted into the Classical High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Over the years Tom has been a contributing writer and/or columnist for ExpertBeacon.com, RI Local Magazine, ShopInRI Magazine, The Jewish Voice, The Rhode Island Echo, The RI Wave, the East Providence Reporter, and The Smithfield Times and also has had weekly Home Improvement Tips that have run on the radio (630AM & 99.7FM WPRO in the RI area) and on television (WPRI 12 in the RI area). 

Tom is Roman Catholic and is a firm believer that success is often correlated with a person’s faith, not necessarily a particular religion, but faith in a greater power. 

Roman 12:12 is his favorite Bible verse which reads, “”Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Tom is very involved with his Church (St. Adalbert’s Church in Providence, RI) – Tom served as Chairperson of St. Adalbert’s Church’s Polish-American Festival for 6 years – and really tries to make it a point on attending service at least once per week (Tom also spends 30-45 minutes in prayer prior to beginning each day).
As a fun sidenote, Tom made it as a Semi-Finalist in the second season of “The Apprentice” (the round right before the finalists are on the show!).

Tom has been featured on the Real Estate Radio Network, the ‘Discover Rhode Island’ TV show, and on The Strongpreneur Nation Podcast. Today, Tom has his own weekly Home Improvement radio show on 630AM & 99.7FM WPRO in the RI area – ‘PROTALK Home Improvement’. Tom feels VERY fortunate to have been involved with a number of terrific community organizations over the years, such as: Amos House, Children’s Wishes, Clinica Esperanza, Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island, Habitat for Humanity of RI – Greater Providence, The Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, The Town of Johnston, RI Police Department, Junior Achievement of RI, One Neighborhood Builders (formerly Olneyville Housing Corporation), Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, YouthBuild Providence, and YMCA of Greater Providence. Two of the biggest community initiatives that Tom has been involved with are being a lead organizer of ‘Clean Day’ on the Woonasquatucket River Greenway for nine years and a lead organizer for YouthBuild Providence’s annual ‘Build-a-Bed’ event for four years.

In addition to LOPCO, Tom also owns Cheer UP Athletics – an All-Star Cheerleading Gym located in East Providence, RI – and The Smithfield Times. Tom is an avid New York Yankee, University of South Carolina (ALL of their sports!), and Providence College Basketball fan. Tom’s extensive experience and overall industry knowledge have made Tom one of the most sought-after experts in the Home Improvement Industry. Remarkably, Tom is often even called upon by other contractors to help them through challenges in their businesses (often speaking at National Industry Conferences). Because he has made it a focus to delve into and solve problems that others in the industry simply want nothing to do with, Tom has become an invaluable resource for homeowners near and far. With all being said, it confidently is safe to say that Tom Lopatosky truly is – The Home Improvement Expert!!!

Print Media Features & Published Pieces

PROTalk Podcasts