Tom Lopatosky – The Home Improvement Expert

Drywall

How Long Should Plaster Cure Before Painting It?

If you have ever done or looked into doing any type of painting project around your home (whether on the inside or the outside), the chances are that you have heard the warning that surface preparation is the key to a successful paint job – ...
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Exterior

How to Stop Paint on Galvanized Metal from Peeling

One of the more challenging types of paint failures to combat is that of peeling paint on galvanized metal. Galvanized metal is steel or iron that has had a zinc-based protective coating applied to it in order to neutralize the formation of rust on its ...
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Carpentry

Whatever Happened to ‘Bleaching Oil’?

When many folks think of New England, amongst the wide variety of picturesque imagery, can often be found the stereotypical New England beach house. These days, beach houses have often developed into edifices that could very well be said to make the average McMansion jealous. ...
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Exterior

What is a Juliet Balcony?

Every so often I hear terminology relating to a home or some type of construction that admittedly makes me stop and think, “Where have I heard that before?” Recently I was asked by a Client for a bit of advice on a project involving a ...
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Carpentry

What is Putty Used for in Construction?

When nailing up a piece of wood, composite, or other miscellaneous material, often one of two things occur. If you are nailing with some type of pressurized nail gun, there is a hole on the backside of the nail head that is formed. If something ...
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Basement

What is Parging?

New England is a part of the country where the majority of folks have some type of basement. Contrasting from a good portion of the rest of the country where most people’s homes are built on “slabs” (most often to lessen the chances of flooding, ...
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Chimney

Painting Chimneys – The Ultimate Roll of the Dice

If you were to take a stroll down any street in a densely populated residential area, depending of course upon where you are strolling, you may notice varying degrees of people who have the chimneys on their home painted. While I am known to say ...
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Exterior

The Difference Between a Gutter and a Downspout

In any industry, there are items that people not within that industry may mix up terminology for. When this occurs, the person whose industry is in the middle of this verbal confusion will most often become quickly perplexed. An example of this may be say ...
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Ceiling

Popcorn Ceilings

Now and then we get calls asking for help with a ‘popcorn ceiling’. “Help” will typically mean either how to help get rid of them entirely or how to paint them without damaging them. Popcorn ceilings are ceilings where, for lack of a better way ...
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Ceiling

Why are Water Stains Brown?

Have you ever experienced the unsightly effects of a leak coming from somewhere in or around your home? Perhaps it is a leaky roof that recently started (…or has been leaking for years). Or maybe you have a pipe that is leaking or perhaps something ...
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Bathroom

What is the Best Floorcovering for a Bathroom Floor?

When deciding to renovate/update your bathroom to any degree, one item that folks often contemplate over what the best approach would be, is what in the world to do with the bathroom floor? Clearly, there are almost infinite answers as to what someone might want ...
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Contractors

Why is it so Hard to Find a “Good” Contractor these Days?

Even before the recent pandemic began to take over all our lives, finding a Contractor did not seem to be the easiest task to do. Finding a “good” Contractor, some may say that it would have been easier to find a unicorn. With the advent ...
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Being Mindful to Keep Snow Clear from Critical Areas

Every Winter is different. Some years, us New Englanders flirt with record snowfall totals as the Winter progresses. Other years, the most snow-hearty of us are disappointed in the lack of this white stuff. No matter where we fall on the ‘snow lover scale’, falling ...
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What Affects the Price of Wood? Carpentry

What Affects the Price of Wood?

In the Summer of 2020, I needed (3) 20’ long, 5/4” x 6” pieces of pressure treated decking for a deck repair we were doing in Providence, RI. Let me emphasis the number ‘3’, I literally needed three pieces of wood. These pieces of wood ...
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Converting a "Normal" Closet to a "Laundry" Closet Carpentry

Converting a “Normal” Closet to a “Laundry” Closet

Every once in a while, I see certain trends emerge through conversations I have with potential Clients. One of the more popular recent ideas that have been the basis of quite a number of discussions, have been desires to convert a “normal” closet to a ...
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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