Home Improvement Education

Exterior

What Happens When it Rains in the Middle of Exterior Painting?

Many years ago, at some point in the mid to late 90s, we were painting a home I believe in Northern RI (I want to say either Lincoln, RI or Cumberland, RI) and while we were working on the home, we got caught in a ...
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Exterior

How to Prep Peeling Exterior Paint on Modern Homes

When approaching painting the exterior of your home, it is no secret that proper surface preparation should be the single most important focus in order to best ensure maximizing the longevity of the exterior paint coating. Obviously, there are other factors involved as well (quality ...
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Informational

How to Get Paint, Tar, Gum, etc. Out of Clothing

Recently I received a somewhat frenzied call from a good friend of mine who frantically asked, “What’s a great product to remove paint stains? Got some on my jacket and fighting to get it out completely.” Clearly, he had just received an unwelcome dose of ...
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Caulk

An Exterior Caulking No-No…

Many years ago, we were working on a project in Providence, RI that at the time when we were doing the surface preparation on the exterior of the home, we noticed there were several gaps throughout the butt areas of the home’s clapboard siding. Being ...
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Deck Care

What are Lap Marks?

Even though the exterior house stains of today perform much differently than their ancestors from yesteryear, they certainly embody many of their elders’ characteristics. As an example, when able to be used, long-term wise, stains tend not to be as susceptible to peeling as paint ...
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Exterior

Do Curling, Warping, or Buckled Siding Shingles Need to be Replaced?

One of the more “New England”-oriented things to do when it comes to the exterior décor on one’s home is to let white cedar shingle siding weather. When using the term “weather”, I am referencing literally, not (or minimally) treating the shingles. The purpose of ...
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Painting

Is Painting Over Wallpaper a Good Idea?

Once in a while I get asked a serious question which is done with valid intention, but to some folks hearing it being asked, may invoke a bit of giggling until they hear an answer for it which possibly changes their tune and gets them ...
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Ceiling

How to Get Rid of Nicotine Stains

Have you ever taken a picture off someone’s wall (perhaps even your own?) and there was an outline of where the picture stood which almost made it look like the picture was still on the wall? Although this scenario could be stemming from a variety ...
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Deck Care

What is Cedar Bleed?

When painting the outside of your home, there are a number of head-scratching odd phenomena that can occur. They tend to rear their head in various forms. Some are super unsightly. Some are not really noticeable, but once you see them, they are hard to ...
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Basement

Maintenance After the Pre-Cast Bulkhead Install

One of our favorite types of projects to tackle is when we get hired to fabricate and install a new precast bulkhead unit. Sometimes we are replacing an existing unit that had gradually corroded over time. Other times we are hired to fabricate and install ...
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Deck Care

Why Does Wood Turn Gray?

Every once in a while, we get a call from someone who recently noticed exterior natural woodwork at their home begin to “gray out”. It does not matter whether it is a deck in their backyard or siding on the outside of their home, it ...
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Painting

To Prime, or NOT to Prime…

At times when working on the act of painting our homes, whether exterior or interior, it is not unusual to feel our inner Hamlet cause us to ask the head scratching question “To Prime, or NOT to Prime” as to whether something should be primed ...
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Exterior

Incorrectly Overlapping Flashing or Aluminum Trim Wrapping

One of the things that we seem to have developed a reputation for over the years is being able to diagnose leak sources stemming from seldom thought of places which moisture can be penetrating one’s home from. When it comes to figuring out from where ...
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House Plants

How to Save House Plants While Away on Vacation

Deep down inside my soul, I realize that I have better chances starting at Center for any team in a professional basketball league than I do at being trusted with any type of garden advice whatsoever. Recently I came across some neat tips however that ...
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Prep for painting

What is the Most Proper Way to Store Paint?

When repainting someone’s home, it is not uncommon for them to want to paint it the same color that it was painted previously. Obviously, we do not expect Clients to rattle off the paint formula off the top of their head (a paint formula might ...
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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!!!

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