Newsletters

• So, What Is in a Can of Paint?
• Staging Secrets To Get Your Home To Sell Fast
• Getting Rid of Imperfections Before Painting
• Tips & How to Repair Stress and Settling Cracks
• How to Establish Color Flow in Your Home

FAQs

• What is the toughest kind of paint?
• What is the most important thing to take into account in order to achieve the best paint job?
• What kind of paint do you prefer to use?
• How do I figure how much paint I'll need for my project?
• Does it really matter whether I buy the expensive paint or a less expensive one?
• What is the difference between traditional latex and oil paint, and low or no VOC paint? Which should I use?
• What is the difference between a flat, high gloss, satin, and eggshell finish?
• Can I repair a tear in my wallpaper without hanging a whole new strip?
• Is lead paint really a concern for me and my family?

Newsletters

• The binder is the material that forms a continuous film and adheres the paint together and to a surface. It gives the paint properties like durability, toughness, dry time, and chemical resistance.
• The pigments are the coloring and filling materials. These are the tints and light reflecting materials.  The commonest used is titanium dioxide which provides white.
• The solvents are the volatile thinners that, in part, control the thickness of the paint in the can.  This is the part that evaporates and does not stay on the surface painted. The type of solvent or solvent blend can affect drying and appearance properties of a paint.
• Last there are various chemical additives that are used to give properties to the paint such as drier catalysts, flow control agents, thickeners, dispersants, adhesion promoters, UV inhibitors, fungicides and surface active agents (surfactants).

Staging Secrets

In today’s tough real estate market it is even more important than ever to make your home stand out from all the others on the market.  In addition to pricing your home in the right range for the area, here is a list of 10 quick staging secrets you can do yourself to help your home sell as quickly as possible.

1. Start with the outside.  The first impression of your home is crucial to capture a buyer’s interest.

• Remove all unnecessary items and debris.
• Check surfaces (trim and front door) to see if they need to be painted to freshen up the look.
• Prune bushes and trees.  Keep plants from blocking windows.

2. On the inside, remove all family photographs and items such as collectibles that are personal to you.  This will help buyers to mentally move in with their own things.

3. Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the entire house.  Keep decorative items to a minimum.

4. Rearrange or remove some of the furniture in your home.  When you’re selling your home, thin out overcrowded rooms to make them seem larger.

5. Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen counter-tops.  The kitchen is one space buyers concentrate on most.  Make sure not to forget to remove the magnets from the fridge.

6. Keep the bathroom as clear as possible.  Purchase a couple of new neutral (white) towels to freshen up the look.  Make sure the bathroom is clean at all times.

7. Review the house, room by room.  Paint any room needing paint.  Keep the color light and neutral to make the space look larger.

8. Clean carpet and drapes if needed.  Make sure to clean the windows.

9. During showings, turn on all lights and lamps.  Add lighting to spaces that seem dark.  This is the one item I highly recommend above all others.  Adequate lighting is the quickest way to make the space seem welcoming.

10. Play pleasing music when potential buyers are present.

In addition to the tips above, a staging professional can help by making suggestions specific to your home.  Services range from simple consultations to full completion of all the changes.  The investment in home staging will always help your home to show at its very best.

Tips, and How to Repair Stress and Settling Cracks

Look around; if you’re in your home or an office you may see cracks near the corners or by window and door frames.  These are caused by stresses which come from the building settling, or moving slightly.  These unsightly cracks can be repaired, but may return if they are not repaired adequately.  Use the following process and they are not likely to reappear.

First, the length of the crack should be scored to provide a “U” or “V” shaped groove with the crack itself being at the bottom of the groove.  The edge of the groove should be scraped to be sure of that there is no loose material such paint, drywall tape or repair compound there.  Then the area should be lightly sanded and dusted so it is clean.  A sealing type of primer should be applied to close up any porous material and provide a solid base for the repair.  A fiberglass mash tape should be applied over the groove and a setting type of repair compound should be pressed in through the mash to completely fill the groove and cover the mesh tape.  A drying type of compound may shrink too much, causing the crack to reappear almost immediately.  The material should be applied smoothly so little sanding will be necessary, and in a thin coat which just barley covers the tape.  Once this has dried, a light sanding to smooth the area will suffice.  Then a thin second coat of repair material should be spread on using a 6” wide spackling blade. This will even out the area within about six to eight inches of the original crack, and cover the tape completely.  It should be done with care so that there are no ridges or grooves.  This is called feathering out the repair.  Once the second coat of repair material has dried, it should also be sanded with more attention to detail.  Be sure at this point to sand out any edges or ridges. A coat of primer should be applied over the repair.  Then you should be able to apply a coat of paint although a third “Skim Coat” of topping compound may be required to completely hide the repair.

The most common errors we see in drywall repairs come from trying to get it done too fast.  Skimping on the prep will cause the repair to break away.  Trying to do it in one heavy coat will leave a lumpy finish.  Priming or painting the repaired area before is completely dry can interfere with proper bonding of the materials.  So how long should it take?  That depends on how deep the repair is, temperature, humidity and the specific products you use.  Your hands on time might be as little as an hour or two.  The total elapsed time for the project might be eight to twenty four hours.

We are preparing a video on this topic which we hope to have ready soon since a picture is worth a thousand words.  Until then, feel free to call for clarification or advice.

How to establish Color flow in your home

Establishing color flow in your home helps to create a cohesive look and links your living spaces together.  Although this can be achieved through various methods, here is a basic process of two rules you can follow when trying to create color flow in your own home. 

Rule one is 60-30-10.  Each room should have 3 main colors.  These colors will generally follow the pattern of 60-30-10 when referring to the percentages of each color in the room.  Of course the colors will differ in value (light/dark) and there will be other colors present in small amounts to keep the palette interesting.  The 60% color is referred to as the dominant color.  The 30% color is the secondary color. And the 10% color is referred to as the accent.  If your room doesn’t feel balanced, check and see if you have followed this basic rule.  Too many colors can be chaotic – too few can be boring.  Let’s work through an example of a living room.  We have beige walls, sofa, and carpeting in different values of the same beige (dominant).  We have striped chairs with a dark plum main stripe, plum drapery panels and dark stained cherry wood tones in the tables that pull a plum undertone (secondary) and finally terra cotta throw pillows, floral arrangement, and banding on the drapery panels (accent).

Once your basic palette is set you will travel your scheme throughout the home to keep the home unified.  However, taking the same exact tones and reusing them over and over again, does not create an interesting design.  So one way you can bring the color to the new room is;

Rule two.  Carry over 1 tone unchanged, modify the second and replace the third.  Working with the example above, let’s bring the plum over as the dominant tone for the dining room opposite the living room and put it on the walls and in a patterned area rug.  The terra cotta changes and becomes darker as the wood tone of the dining room table and hardwood floor.  Drop the beige and introduce soft green for draperies, seat cushions, and small accents in the dining room.

If these rooms are connected to a foyer and the family room, you could continue the flow by painting both foyer and family room a soft green/gray.  Bring the purple out as an accent this time and change its value (lighten it up) and add back the beige as a secondary but change it into more of a brown, leather for example, in the furniture.

Don’t worry if this seems confusing, just keep in mind the two simple rules.  60-30-10, and bring one, change one, drop one.  With these you can create color flow in your home.  Let artwork, accessories, and area rugs be inspiration for your palette if you’re having a hard time getting going.  Or, schedule a color consultation with a professional designer to create your color vision so you know exactly what to do with your walls, furnishings, and accents.

FAQs

Call us at 847 854-4670 to get specific information about your project

1. What is the toughest kind of paint?

A. Auto body paint
B. Floor / Deck paint?
C. Traffic line paint?
D. Airplane Paint?

If you answered D you got it right. Airline paint has to be able to go from 120 degrees on the ground to 40 below at altitude and be on aluminum that flexes without cracking. In addition it has to withstand running into dust particles at 500 miles per hour without being dulled. That is like getting sand blasted.

2. What is the most important thing to take into account in order to achieve the best paint job?

In one word: "Preparation" The best products, the highest quality brushes and rollers and the most skillful application will not make up for a lack of proper preparation. All too often, the focus is on putting the paint on the surface at the least cost and the result is a poor looking paint job that will not last as long as it should. We have seen so called professionals who advertise years of experience but will paint right over dirt on baseboards, not sand repairs and leave roller marks on the walls. A first rate job should include consideration for…

1. Protecting things not to be painted. This goes beyond throwing a drop cloth on the floor, and should include such things as taping the edge of the carpet and wood trim which is not to be painted, covering things in the vicinity with plastic and protecting the floors near where finishing is being done so a person walking out of the area does not track up the floor. It should also include sealing off areas where dust is produced during sanding and ventilating areas where spraying will occur.
2. Preparing surfaces to be painted. A good rule of thumb is to have surfaces clean, dry and dull. At minimum, surfaces to be finished should be wiped clean, patched and sanded, a coat of primer should be used unless the product is self priming, and preferably two coats of finish unless the product is very high quality and there is little or no color change.

Preparation for the finest quality work will include cleaning and sanding to remove contaminants and any unevenness in the previous coating, patching holes and sanding repairs, a coat of primer applied with a short nap roller or spray, resanding, inspection and repair of imperfections and a second coat of primer. Then it is time to paint!

Insist on getting the best prep and you will be pleased with the result. Insist on the lowest cost and you will get the lowest quality work!

3. What kind of paint do you prefer to use?

I prefer to use the paint that best meets the demands of the situation; both for the application and for the desires of the customer. Heavy use areas need a more durable coating. Those selling or renting out their properties are more interested in cost. Those who intend to stay in their home, or enjoy the finer things of life, tend to want a better looking finish. If you want to get good coverage in one coat, you need to use better quality paint. There are some brands of paint that I will advise against and others that I'll generally recommend. In my home I have used:

• Behr ceiling paint, as I like the bright white it has
• Benjamin Moore Aura on the walls, as I like the one coat coverage, ease of use, durability and rich look of the Matte finish.
• Muralo semi-Gloss and high-Gloss for trim and the garage door for its superior leveling and ease of cleaning.

4. How do I figure how much paint I'll need for my project?

There are many factors that will determine the amount of paint that is used in a project, such as the type of surface being covered, the color of the existing surface, and the color of the chosen paint. A general rule is to calculate the square footage of the surfaces to be painted, and divide by the number of square feet that your selected paint indicates it can cover. For best results, contact us or request information.

6. What is the difference between traditional latex and oil paint, and low or no VOC paint? Which should I use?

Low and no VOC (volatile organic compound) paints do less to damage to the environment than traditional latex and oil paint. Manufacturers of paint components and additives in conjunction with the EPA are striving to reduce the amount of harmful emissions in all types of coatings; including paint. In the years to come, it is likely that the older types of paints will be phased out.

7. What is the difference between a flat, high gloss, satin, and eggshell finish?

These terms indicate the sheen or gloss level, or degree or light reflectance, of the paint. Basically, these are terms that are used to describe paint's shininess.

• High Gloss
  Where to Use: Kitchen and bathroom walls, kitchen cabinets, banisters and railings, trim, furniture, door jambs and window sills
  Comments: More durable, stain-resistant and easier to wash. However, the higher the gloss, the more likely surface imperfections will be noticed.
• Semi-gloss
  Where to use: Kitchen and bathroom walls, hallways, children's rooms, playrooms, doors, woodwork and trim.
  Comments: More stain-resistant and easier to clean than flat paints. Better than flat for high-traffic areas.
  
• Satin or Silk (Range overlapping eggshell and semi-gloss)
  Where to use: Similar characteristics to semi-gloss and eggshell.
  Comments: Similar characteristics to semi-gloss and eggshell.
• Eggshell
  Where to use: Can be used in place of flat paints on wall surfaces especially in halls, bathrooms and playrooms. Can be used in place of semi-gloss paints on trim for a less shiny appearance.
  Comments: It resists stains better than flat paint and gives a more lustrous appearance.
• Flat
  What to use: For general use on walls and ceilings. Hides surface imperfections.
  Comments: Stain removal can be difficult. Use for uniform, non-reflecting appearance. Best suited for low-traffic areas.
• Matte Same characteristics as flat.

8. Can I repair a tear in my wallpaper without hanging a whole new strip?

Yes! Simply place a larger piece of pasted wallcovering over the tear so that it makes an exact match with the wallcovering on the wall. Use a razor knife to double-cut through both layers around the tear. Remove the layers and then clean the exposed wall area. Repaste the new outer piece into the area. Note: an irregular, wavy cut following the design in the wallcovering will make your cut less noticeable.

9. Is lead paint really a concern for me and my family?

Yes! Until 1978, lead paint was commonly used in paint on the interiors and exteriors of homes. Today, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that about 38 million homes in the US still contain some lead paint. When the paint begins to deteriorate it can contaminate a household and cause lead poisoning. Even if the paint in your home is in good condition, remodeling and renovation activities can break down paint and cause the lead to emerge. When working with lead-painted surfaces, it is important to contain any debris and clean thoroughly. People working in those areas should also take precautions to protect themselves from contacting the paint. Personal belongings including furniture should also be protected when working with lead paint. Always make remodelers and painters aware if you know your home has lead paint.