Tom Lopatosky – The Home Improvement Expert

Exterior

Does Vinyl Siding Decrease Home Value?

  An occurrence that is not so unusual when I am often discussing a project with a potential Client who is wrestling between vinyl siding or painting their home, is which route makes the most sense to go with? This seems to particularly be the ...
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Basement

Where Do Bathroom Vents Go?

  One of the more interesting questions I like to ask when walking through any type of bathroom project with a Client is,   “Do you know where your bathroom fan is vented to?”   Perhaps not surprisingly, most folks don’t have a clue – ...
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Carpentry

How Many Years Do Wood Fences Last?

During periods of time when we spend longer stretches at home (the best example of which may be most recently when folks have not had a choice but to spend longer stretches at home!), we obviously have a higher tendency to notice “things”. Particularly if ...
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Informational

Don’t Wait!!

  Obviously we are in the midst of one of the most challenging times that we as a society have ever experienced. I have been fortunate enough to be on this Earth for 4+ decades and I definitely have not seen anything close to this. ...
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Informational

“The New Normal”

Every so often a phenomenon occurs that interjects new terminology into the vocabulary of our world. This terminology can consist of individual words or groups of words that no one may have previously heard before and now seemingly overnight one cannot escape their presence. These ...
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Informational

Essential Home Improvement

  Given everything that is occurring in our world these days, the term ‘Essential Home Improvement’ sure may seem oxymoronic to many folks. After all, what the heck type of Home Improvement could be considered ‘Essential’?? Contrary to this particular opinion, there are seemingly tons ...
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Informational

Hand Sanitizer Paint ?

  Have you ever read on a bottle of Hand Sanitizer how it says it kills 99.9% of germs (or some variation of this statement)? My thought is if you had not heard that prior to very recently, perhaps now you may have with everything ...
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Exterior

What is the Difference Between a Carpenter Ant and a Termite??

  While working on people’s homes and businesses, it is not unusual for us to encounter insect damage, either actively occurring or from some time in the past.   Most often this damage is done typically from Carpenter Ants or Termites.     It is ...
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Brick

What is Efflorescence??‍?

  Way back when I first started my career in the Home Improvement industry, I heard the term ‘efflorescence’ and it immediately intrigued me.   I don’t know if it is because I enjoy the way the word rolled off my tongue (say it – ...
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Best time to hire Home Improvement Contractor

?Ever Wondered About the Plastering Process???

  If you live in New England, I don’t really have to tell you that our part of the country is very unique when compared to other areas of the United States.   This applies across many fronts – cultural, architectural, religious, environmental, culinary… You ...
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Leaking Problems

? FIX YOUR LEAKY PIPES!!! ?

  Recently we had a Client reach out to us who experienced a huge flood in her home.   I felt very bad about her being in this particular predicament.   Apparently, her upstairs tenant had been experiencing a slow leak under the sink in ...
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Electrical

Why Are GFI Devices Used?

When renovating a Kitchen or Bathroom, there are a wide variety of things that should be paid attention to which are very different than every other room in the home. One of the most notable of these items is obviously the plumbing aspect of things ...
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Doors

When Should You Replace Your Front Door??

  Whether it is your front door, or any other exterior-facing entry door of your home, there is typically a “useful” life component attached to any type of question as to how long one of these should last, before needing to be replaced. There are ...
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Cabinetry

Natural Wood Cabinetry Refinishing & Restoration

  As cabinetry ages, whether it is in the Kitchen, Bathroom, or another room, it typically begins to show the signs of wear and tear. This is especially true if it is cabinetry that gets a good amount of use. Assuming this occurs and the ...
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Deck Care

The Dirty Little Secret About Solid Deck Stain…

  Earlier this past week I was watching a video of a Contractor, talking about how excited they were about applying a solid deck stain to a deck in the backyard of one of their Clients’ homes. They could not wait until they applied it ...
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Basement

What are the Benefits of Epoxy Flooring??

  Many of us have concrete flooring around our home or business in one shape or form.   A few examples of this are concrete flooring that can be found in our basement, garage, or shop areas.   In a good number of instances, people ...
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Deck Project Ideas

  Although the New Year has just begun, I kid you not, if this is the year you are planning on working a deck project into your home improvement agenda, NOW is the time to get your ducks in a row, particularly if you live ...
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Uncategorized

Addiction During the Holidays & Beyond…

As we are in the homestretch of the Holiday season, it is a time of year when not everyone is feeling the happiest. It is a time of year when many of us know people that may not be in the best spots emotionally that ...
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Holiday

A Holiday Disaster!!

  This is a joyous time of year for many of us.   In fact, it is not far-fetched to say that for many people, the Holiday Season late in the calendar is their favorite time of year (though mine is the 4th of July, perhaps I am ...
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Best time to hire Home Improvement Contractor

Selling Your Home? To Repair or Not To Repair??

  Whether your home or a family home is getting ready to be placed on the market, there is always the question that comes up as to what should be done and what should not be done. Recently, I looked at a home for a Client that was put in a position of ...
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Exterior

Do You Enjoy Shoveling Snow?

  I am not sure I have ever asked a more rhetorical question to open up any home improvement snippet I have written. Though my Dad always said that he enjoyed shoveling snow because of the workout it provides.   I am not sure if he euphemistically looks at ...
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Interior

Holiday Interior Painting Ideas

  Perhaps you have been hosting some faction of the Holidays at your home for quite some time. Perhaps this is the very first time you have been called upon to host (which you gleefully accepted…even though now you may be wondering what the heck you ...
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Why You are Getting Water in Your Basement…

  One of the more unsettling things any home or business owner can come across, is water in their basement. This is particularly nerve-wrecking when you may come across it for the first time. If you have ever had this happen to you, you know exactly what I am ...
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What is the Best Month to Perform an Exterior Paint Job in RI?

  If you were to ask any exterior painting Contractor what the best month to paint the exterior of your home or business in RI was, you would most likely get one of two answers… You may get the ambiguous answer, where the Contractor kind ...
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Exterior

Why Does the Paint on My House Bubble?

  Recently I had two different conversations that essentially asked pretty much the same thing. “Tom, why does the paint on my house bubble?” The answer to each was a question from me. “When you see it bubbling, what else is happening at that time?” Although there are numerous reasons as to why paint might bubble, I am going to address the two ...
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Carpentry

When is Rotted Wood NOT Really Rotted???

  As the old saying goes, “If I had a nickel for…” In this case the 2nd part of this sentence would be “…every time someone told me that they had rotted wood that needed fixing, I would be a rich man!”   So then… If I had a ...
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If You Have a Chimney on Your Home, THIS is NOT Optional!!

  We all hear the horror stories. Someone enjoying the warmth and aura of their fireplace, on a cool Fall or cold Winter night, when all of a sudden they hear a loud popping and cracking noise, perhaps accompanied by dense smoke.   With their heart-pounding, they immediately call the fire department, which comes out and informs the ...
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Exterior

When is the Best Time of Year to Clean Out Your Gutters??

As Fall creeps in across New England, I believe many would agree, it is truly a blessing to be able to take in the beauty of the colorful foliage that takes shape in the process. The gorgeous patterns of brilliant Autumn colors can absolutely be ...
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The Magical Leak

If you live in New England, the chances are that you have experienced a Nor’easter, even if you have not realized it at the time. A Nor’easter is a wind & precipitation weather phenomena that is very unique. Most often in New England, our “stormy” weather approaches from the South/Westernish area. ...
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Informational

Do You Need Surgery?

Well now, that seems like it is quite a personal question to be asking, doesn’t it?!?! In this case though I am referring to if you may need surgery on your home. I was on the phone recently with someone that had surgery to repair a long hindering challenge with their back. It not ...
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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