Tom Lopatosky – The Home Improvement Expert

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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Uncategorized

The Christmas Tree Nook

One of my favorite features of homes we work on – particularly older ones – is the seemingly random ‘bump-out’ that many of them have which serves as the PERFECT place to position one’s Christmas Tree. How did this come about being a common practice ...
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Exterior

What Causes The Board Behind A Gutter To Rot Out?

When the board behind a gutter begins to rot, it is usually a sign that water has been getting into places it should not. This board – often called a fascia board – sits right behind the gutter and helps support it. Because these are ...
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Exterior Lights

Why It Is Important To Make Sure Your Exterior Light Blocks Are Properly Flashed

“Silicone” is NOT the answer. When installing exterior light fixtures on your home, there are some folks – even some professional electricians – who believe that simply running a bead of exterior-grade silicone around the light block that the fixture itself is mounted to is ...
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Uncategorized

Are Your Bluestone Caps Popping?

Bluestone stair tread caps can be beautiful and durable, but many homeowners are surprised when they begin to “pop,” loosen, or shift out of place. When this happens, it usually means something has gone wrong beneath the stone that needs attention before the problem becomes ...
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Cleanup

The Power Of The Tack Cloth

A tack cloth is a special type of cleaning cloth used in home painting and woodworking projects. It is a soft, loosely woven piece of cotton fabric coated with a sticky substance, often made from resin or wax. The sticky coating is what gives it ...
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Trim

How To Best Paint Old Oil Trim?

A number of years back there simply was almost no question. Painting the trim on the interior of your home with oil paint was undoubtedly the way to go. Although latex paint was available, there really was no comparison between the quality and durability of ...
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Closets

What Is The Purpose Of A Cedar Closet?

Maybe you have one in your own home, or perhaps have an Aunt Betty who, once in a while, refers to her ‘Cedar Closet’. You may already even be familiar with cedar closets in general, but never really understood much about them other than they ...
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Gutters

What Is The Difference Between A 5″ And 6″ Gutter?

When it comes to protecting your home from rainwater, gutters play an important role. Gutters collect the water running off your roof and direct it safely away from your house, helping prevent water damage to your siding, foundation, and landscaping. One of the most common ...
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Basement

Old Fieldstone Foundation Water Seepage

If you are someone who owns a home with an old fieldstone foundation, you may have a good ol’ ‘Catch 22’ (a problem you can’t solve because the conditions conflict) on your hands. While it is not unusual to appreciate its historical beauty, as with ...
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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