Spring Cleaning? Pay Attention to Your Cleaners

If you are cleaning with conventional products, you may want to think twice. Many of these cleaners have toxic or harmful ingredients that can pose a risk to you or your family’s health.

Here are some common cleaners to avoid and what to reach for instead.

Household Cleaners With Toxic Ingredients

Air fresheners are one broad category of household cleaners to avoid. Air fresheners contain volatile organic compounds that can lead to headaches, memory impairment or even nervous system damage.

General cleaners like surface or floor cleaners can also contain dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde (otherwise known as formalin), triethanolamine or sulfuric acid, among others. These chemicals can become volatile, leading to coughing, headaches, or burning in the eyes and throat. Use of these products in the long term can lead to severe health risks.

Not only can these chemicals have a harmful effect by themselves, but if you accidentally combine them, they can become lethal. If at all possible, it is best to avoid using these chemicals so you don’t even run the risk of an accident.

Safe but Effective Alternatives

There are a lot of effective cleaning alternatives on the market, as well as a variety of DIY cleaners.

Look for any product marketed as all natural. A commonly used all-purpose cleaner is Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap, which can be used for almost any cleaning task, from hands to countertops and laundry. Other popular brands include Seventh Generation, AspenClean, Aunt Fannie’s, and Attitude.

There are also options if you want to avoid chemicals or store-bought products completely. According to Wellness Mama, you can make your own cleaners using different combinations of vinegar, baking soda, water, and lemon for most cleaning tasks. Not only are these ingredients safe, they can make you house smell so much better than a bunch of chemicals will.

Our Best Spring Cleaning Tips

One of the biggest reasons for an annual spring clean is to eliminate the stagnant odor resulting from reduced ventilation during winter. According to Dimensions, using bright citrus scents can make a perfect choice for a kitchen, bathroom, sunroom, or living room as they will quickly freshen up the space.

Clutter can also make a space appear less clean. Take some time to sort through closets and drawers, not only to make sure you are only keeping things you truly need, but also to ensure everything has a place. Dividers and drawer organizers can help with this process as well.

Finally, don’t forget about cleaning the walls and windows. Floors and countertops are easy to clean, but dust can also settle on the walls and windows. Using a damp towel to clean these surfaces can help make your home appear cleaner.

With these cleaners and tips in hand, all that’s left is to do a deep clean of your home to prepare it for spring and summer.

If you have finished your cleaning and you think your home needs a facelift, reach out to us! We can help you with any of your painting and cabinet needs.

How to Make Your Home Feel New Again

Coming home to a fresh, inviting atmosphere is one of the most relaxing aspects of each day. It can bring immediate calm, especially if your home feels fresh and new. Give your house a simple facelift with immediate results with these easy projects.

A New Front Door

A whole outdoor renovation may be out of the question, but you will be pleasantly surprised by how much of a difference a new front door will make. A relatively affordable project, it creates an inviting look right from the driveway. 

You can modernize the aesthetic of your house with a colorful door or go for a classic look with a wooden door. Be sure to consider the trim that outlines the door, and go for a look that matches the siding and windows. Investing in the exterior of your home will pay off later on–if you ever choose to sell it. Curb appeal can raise your sales price by up to 17 percent.

Relevant: Clever | Sell My House

Fresh flowers

Look no further than a meadow for a simple way to freshen up your interior or exterior. Take your kids outside and pick some wildflowers, display them in mason jars on your coffee table, kitchen counter, or bathroom and voila! A new look.

For an outdoor upgrade, consider adding window boxes to your exterior and rotate seasonal favorites: marigolds in the spring, Black-Eyed Susans in the fall. Pansies do well pretty much all year. This low maintenance and cost effective tip is sure to please.

Deep Cleaning

No one likes to do it, but performing a deep clean can certainly enhance your home. Think about the tops of the cabinets, crevices behind the appliances, and corners of your shower. Does the thought of this make you shudder? Time to get out those rubber gloves and tackle dirty and leaky showers. Make it a family activity and spring clean (no matter the time of year). Even the oldest houses look good after a cleaning and a fresh coat of wax.

If you can afford it, call a service to deep clean your house, and you will not regret it. While you are at it, when is the last time you cleaned your carpets? Carpet cleaning companies will even scrub your furniture and upholstery, which can do wonders.

Relevant: Sealrite Solutions | Leaking Shower

Bring More Light in

Cleaning your windows, adding lamps, changing light bulbs, or any way you can bring more light into your house is a surefire way to brighten the atmosphere. Dark spaces tend to hide dust, so lightening up your space will also encourage you to keep the room tidy. You could also examine if the color of your walls is making the room feel darker than it really is. Why not experiment and try funky table lamps or grand chandeliers for a cool space enhancing technique. 

In addition to making changes to the interior, you can assess the exterior of your home for light-blocking trees. While trees provide shade, they can also cause roof damage and block the sun from streaming through your windows. In this case, you may want to consider removing light-blocking trees. You may be surprised by the difference it makes in lightening up your home.

Relevant: Treequote.com | Tree Removal

Change the Fixtures

Everyone seems to have at least one brass doorknob or faucet in their home holding out from the 80s. Consider replacing these with a more modern brushed nickel, stainless steel, or gunmetal look.

Even your kitchen will benefit from the relatively easy replacement of cabinet hardware. Look for modern trends at your local hardware store, and you can change them out in under an hour, freshening up your kitchen in no time.

Throw Pillows

Many of us have fallen victim to a new sofa trend only to regret it a couple of years later. Still more of us keep our sofa for its comfort, not its looks. An easy way to add style to your living space is with bright throw pillows. Aim to pick up an accent color in a nearby chair or piece of artwork, and your pillows will tie the colors in the room together nicely.

Relevant: Ballard Designs | Choosing Throw Pillows

Flooring

Your flooring gets a lot of use and little recognition. If you have carpet you could either try giving it a deep clean or you could decide to replace it altogether. A deep clean will allow you to disinfect and clean the fibers, making your home smell and look new. It is cheaper than getting new carpet or hardwood floors, though the option to replace your flooring is a good one if the carpet falling apart. Hardwood, laminate, and engineered wood floors will all freshen up your space and help you keep your house clean.

Relevant: Michael’s Professional Carpet Cleaning | Carpet Cleaning Services

Embrace the Character of Your Home

Perhaps the best thing you can do to make your home look new is work with its character, not against it. Older homes carry a charm that is impossible to mimic. Sure, new homes are shiny and tempting, but your older home can be too. Enjoy your built-in shelves, arched doorways, and authentic brick exteriors. Don’t be afraid to spruce up the paint, so long as you’re not covering up things that could add to the value of your home. Remember to make it feel fresh with small accents while celebrating its unique soul.

Relevant: Etsy | Embrace Your Imperfect Home

Make Your Home Feel New Again

Your home should bring a sense of peace and calm to your life. You don’t need to buy a new home to feel a sense of freshness. Instead, invest your time, energy, and dollars into some simple ideas to see significant results.

Here are a couple other articles we think you’re really going to enjoy:

How to Be Prepared for an Exterior Home Painting

Even though exterior home painting can look like a fairly simple job to a naïve eye, there are some preparation techniques that are more than worth knowing. Preparing the façade, setting up the place, protection against splash damage and other work that has to be done prior to painting is incredibly exhausting unless you know exactly what to expect.

The problem with this scenario lies in the fact that the exterior painting gets done once every 10-15 years. This means that this is either your first exterior painting or that you’ve already forgotten about most of the details regarding the last paint job. With that in mind and without further ado, here are several tips that will help you get prepared for an exterior home painting.

1. Preparing the surface

The first thing you have to do is prepare the surface accordingly. This mostly depends on the type of materials that cover it, seeing as how aluminum siding, stucco and wood siding all have different properties, as well as different longevity. Wood siding should be replaced after 4 years (if stained), while stucco lasts longer than six years. If, for the reason of pragmatism, you wanted to wait until you could handle all of these issues at the same time, you’re in for a bit more work. As for the rest, mildew can be bleached, while the rest can be rinsed off with a hose or a power washer. The latter can be rented, if you have a hard time justifying a purchase for a device you’ll use once per decade.

2. One- or two-story building

This particular angle changes virtually everything. Sure, at the moment you might think you can do it all from the ladders, yet, ladders do have their limitations. First of all, painting is a lot of work and it requires freedom of motion, one that you won’t have standing on the ladder. This leads you in one of two directions. First, you can set up a scaffold with is frugal but complex and dangerous. The simplest way to go about this is to find an elevated work platform for hire, which you can move at your own behest. In this way, you get a reliable and mobile work surface and your painting efforts become much more efficient.

3. Watch out for potential hazards

Another thing worth considering is potential hazards, other than falling, seeing as how this is something you should worry about when choosing your work platform. This last part we’ve already discussed in the previous section. Some other things you need to watch out when painting, is the issue of electrical and telephone wires which, although isolated, still might pose a substantial risk. Moreover, some areas of your home are in a direct contact with trees and branches, which might cause you to bump into them, thus increasing the hazard of tripping and falling. So, if pruning is not an option, you should at least exercise increased awareness.

4. Evaluating old paint

Another thing you need to learn is how to evaluate old paint and treat it accordingly. For starters, you need to learn how to treat cracks, as well as how to estimate if it was caused by an excessive buildup. A 1/16-inch-thick means that the last time around, there was too much paint on that single spot. Now, you should peel it off and be extra careful when reapplying. On the other hand, if weathered wood appears you’ll have a different problem altogether. Peeling might reappear, while the paint might stick to a previous surface. Preparing the layer thoroughly might, therefore, be the best option you’ve got.

5. Consider painting all the rest

Once you paint the exterior of your home, your old windows and doors will look even shabbier than before. Sure, improving the façade is a great idea on its own, yet, if you’re aiming to improve the impression that your entire exterior makes, you won’t be able to stop there. Front door makeovers, window replacement and even landscaping all require you to invest time, effort and resources, which is something to consider when planning your exterior home painting budget. While seemingly different, all of these projects need to be paid from the same wallet.

In conclusion

At the end of the day, if you’re doing the project yourself, you have to look past the ROI. The risks, the competence, the cost of the additional equipment might be too much for you to handle, while, on the other hand, you might have similar previous experience or already possess a part of the necessary equipment for the job. In the case of the latter, you’ll find the project much less complex and expensive than you’ve initially expected. Either way, like wars, these projects are won or lost in the preparation stage.

Tips For Remodeling Your Company Conference Room

The way your office looks is going to say a great deal about your company. It is essential that your office gives an excellent first impression to potential clients, employees, and business partners. If you feel like you are living in the 80s, maybe it is time to remodel your office. Your conference room is one of the most important parts of your office. Remodeling your conference room can be a great way to rally your employees together and feel great about your meetings. Here are a few tips that can help you remodel your company conference room.

Prep for Remodel

Preparing for the remodel is just as important as deciding the plan to follow for remodeling. You’ll need to prepare by having a place to put the conference room furniture. Depending on the size of the conference room, you may have a lot you’ll have to remove. It’s always an option to rent a storage room just for the duration of the remodel to hold the conference room furniture. Be sure to properly secure and lock whatever location you use to store your furniture since you don’t want thieves to take advantage of your property. Make sure that you have all the proper tools and supplies necessary for your remodel and if you feel the need, hire a professional to handle the remodeling.

Sliding Barn Doors

Sliding barn doors are a great way to incorporate both modern and rustic design into your company conference room. Since they don’t need to be fitted to the exact size of a doorframe, sliding barn doors provide versatility, and you can design an entire conference room around these doors for a burst of character you haven’t seen anywhere else. Your paint choice can match a more rustic look when you are adding these sliding barn doors. An interior designer will be able to help you create a great look for your company conference room around these rustic sliding doors.

Utilize New Technology

Projectors, state of the art computers, tablets, and smart TVs are just a few of the many pieces of new technology that you can use to create a beautiful conference room. This new technology is going to help your employees stay more engaged during your meetings. When you are meeting with clients, you are going to have a much easier time making a good impression if you have the latest technology.

Upgrade Your Lighting

Lighting can set the mood in your office. If you are dealing with illumination that is harsh and uninviting, it can be difficult for you to have productive meetings. However, if you have lighting that is too dull, it can be difficult for your employees to focus during these meetings. It is important that you find the right balance in your lighting design that will help complement your overall conference room feel.

Painting is also a great way to change the lighting up in your conference room, and also a perfect manner in making it feel new. Make sure to check out our work when it comes to commercial painting.

Give it a New Name

It may seem silly to name a conference room, but this is a great opportunity to do a simple team building exercise with your employees. Aside from fostering camaraderie, it also helps them feel more personally invested in the company.  Pick five potential names and let your employees vote on which one they like best. Or, let them contribute potential names themselves. If you find yourself stuck, check this list of conference name ideas to get started.

Make Your Conference Room Comfortable

Comfort is key when you are having regular meetings in your conference room. Make sure that you don’t skimp out on your seating when you are remodeling your company conference room. Having your employees comfortable during critical meetings will help you have more interaction and an overall better attitude during your meetings.

These are just a few of the many tips that can help you when you are remodeling your company conference room. Remember that your conference room is a significant part of your office. If needed, you should consult with a professional before remodeling your conference room.

5 Tech Tips to Enhance Your Home Theater Room

Does your home theater setup underwhelm you? Try these five tips to bring a movie theater quality experience home.

1. Blackout Curtains

Natural light and glare can ruin any movie viewing experience. There’s a reason why theaters do not have any windows. Buying blackout curtains hold back unwanted light and can keep your room cooler at the same time. Keeping light out of the room is a necessity for the best viewing experience, especially if you have a highly reflective television screen or are using digital projectors.

You might also wish to paint the room to a darker color for better contrast. This can be an easy DIY project to undertake, just consider following our interior painting tips, as you don’t want to damage anything or get set back in your home theatre improvement process.

2. Calibrate Your Audio System

Every room is different. To hear the sound how it was intended, you have to make sure your system knows the location of each speaker in your room and has them set to the right volume. Many receivers come with automatic calibration features and special microphones that will take care of this for you in minutes. You can even do this right from your smartphone.

3. Automate

Do you have a pre-movie setup ritual? You have to turn off all the unwanted lights and make sure all of your equipment is set to the correct input. Use smart devices that will transform your everyday living space into a quality theater experience in no time. You can use automation to turn down your lights, set your A/C to the right temperature, and ensure that equipment like an audio receiver, or digital projectors are ready to go.

4. Improve the Quality of Your View

Think projectors are just for the cinema? Bring that premium experience home with a digital projector. Home projectors offer the same high definition experience you would expect from a top of the line panel. The size of your image is only limited by the size of your screen – which can even be your wall. However, you should make sure that you match your screen to your projector. Equipped with the latest technology, 4K projector screens enhance all aspects of your viewing experience for the best possible movie night.

5. Soundproofing

Soundproofing your home theater room by putting up acoustic absorbent can keep the right sound in and the wrong sounds out. You can get rid of unwanted home noises like A/C kicking on. Once you’ve made your room soundproof, you can set your audio receiver to the widest sound range possible. This will allow you to get rid of the compression used to make quiet sounds audible in noisy rooms.

6. Remember Safety

When you’re done with your home theatre, you probably will have a lot of wires going to various places. You’ll most likely have your TV or projector set up, which then needs to be set up with whatever you’re using to watch movies, plus a sound system and any other devices you might want in there. Wires that conduct electricity can cause fires or shocks when frayed or nicked. Remember to keep them separated and organized, maybe even color coding your wires if you have time. It will be for the best, especially if you might have kids or teens who will be using the room.

In the end, a good movie viewing experience is all about how you like it. Experiment with sound and video settings to find the best setup that works for you.

How To Do a Green Home Renovation

If you own your home long enough, you are going to want or need to do renovations at some point. Deciding to “go green” with your renovations by making environmentally friendly changes can offer some benefits both to you as a homeowner and to the environment. Here are some ways you can make your renovation project as green as possible.

Reuse What You Can

Millions of tons of construction debris and other materials from homes and businesses are dumped in landfills every year as a result of renovation projects. Keeping as much of that out of the landfill as possible by reusing it isn’t just green, it can also cut down on your expenses. For example, rather than gutting your kitchen to the studs as part of a renovation, make only needed strategic changes. If your cabinets are in good shape, paint or reface them and reuse them. A fresh coat of paint changes a lot more than you think it would. Keep flooring that is in good shape and matches your new color palette. If you can’t manage to use everything right away, you should store them. Even old boxes that you might think would take up a lot of space can be compacted down with careful stacking and bailing wire. For things you don’t reuse, see if you can donate them to a non-profit rather than disposing of them.

Focus on Energy-Saving Improvements

When you are doing renovations, look to make improvements that will save energy. That could involve installing appliances that use less electricity and water. It also could mean installing energy-saving lighting or making some other energy-saving improvement to your home such as installing solar panels on your roof. If you have problems keeping your home at a consistent temperature, you may want to look at replacing old windows and doors. These culprits can be huge energy leaks, and replacing them can also provide a great face-lift for your home.

Buy Eco-Friendly Furniture

If your renovation project involves a makeover of your living room or bedroom that will include new furniture, you can green up your project by buying eco-friendly furniture. Bamboo is a particularly eco-friendly type of material because absorbs more carbon dioxide than other kinds of trees and plants. Also, as NuEnergy points out, bamboo is technically a grass rather than a tree, so it grows quickly and without much effort. It also helps reduce deforestation, which is always a plus.

Use Recycled Materials

Using recycled materials in your renovation project is one more way to make it green. You can buy furniture or other items made of recycled wood or other materials. You may even be able to find some recycled construction materials. Check local listings and DIY groups regularly for materials that people are getting rid of.

Making your renovation project as green as possible may take a little extra work, but it will be well worth. Not only will you be making positive moves for the environment, but you may also save some money on your project as well.

Why and How You Should Declutter Your Home Before Serious Renovations

A serious home renovation is a big undertaking that has the power to transform your space and your lifestyle. Your new home will become more functional as well as more aesthetically pleasing. But because of how substantial the planned work may be, it is essential to prepare properly ahead of time. One of the best steps that you can take to prepare your home and belongings for the experience of renovating is to declutter.

The Importance of Decluttering

Your contractors generally need to have a clean slate to work with. This means that all furniture, home décor, and other items need to be removed from the work area.

In many cases, you will be able to store items in your garage or in a spare room; however, there may be cases where it is necessary to rent out a storage unit for your furniture and other possessions. If you decide that you do need a storage unit, make sure to get the appropriate type for the items you are storing. Salt Lake Stor-N-Lock explains, “If you plan to store items that are susceptible to fluctuating temperatures, such as family heirlooms, electronics, wood or leather furniture or important paper documents, you will want to search for storage units with climate control.

When you spend time decluttering, you can eliminate the number of items that need to be moved, packed, and stored. You also eliminate the number of items that need to be unpacked after the renovation project is completed. While this saves you time and energy, it also can save money by reducing the size of the storage unit that you need to rent as well as the number of boxes and storage bins that you need to buy.

How to Declutter

To declutter your home, you need to essentially sort through all of your items one by one. Only keep items that you will have a need for after the renovation is completed. For example, you may not need all of your home décor if you plan to redecorate after the work is done.

When you begin the process of decluttering, decide whether each item should be kept, thrown away, donated, or sold. It can be hard to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. Rachel Jones recommends that you “Look carefully at the items in front of you. Pull out just the ones that you know you absolutely want to see them in your new home. These are things that you use regularly or love.” When that’s done, look at what’s left. If the items in front of you don’t seem worth the effort of packing and moving, then it’s time to let them go.

If you plan to keep items, ensure that you pack them smartly and safely. This means packing items together that belong in the same room, and wrapping delicate items in protective bubble wrap or wrapping paper. Place the heaviest items in the bottom of each box or bin, and place the heaviest boxes and bins at the bottom when stacking them. Be sure to clearly label all boxes and bins using detailed descriptions about what the contents are and where they belong. This will come in handy, because there is always a chance that you may need to access some of your stored items before the renovation project has been completed, and because it will make moving your items back inside that much easier.

A serious home renovation essentially requires you to empty the work area of all personal items. You will need to move everything out of this space just as you would if you were moving into a new home. With this in mind, it makes sense to thoroughly declutter before packing up your belongings.

5 Renovation Projects That Will Boost Your Home’s Value

If you own your home long enough, you are likely to do at least one renovation project. While the goal for most homeowners when renovating is to improve the look and utility of their home, a secondary goal is to increase their home’s value. Not all projects have a significant return on investment, and you need to make sure you know what you are doing before you start so you don’t accidentally damage your home. Here are a few projects that will help your home value.

New Doors

It might not seem like much of a project, but replacing doors around your home is a small, inexpensive project that has a lot of bang for the buck. The best door replacement projects are to replace your front entry door or to replace your garage doors. Both projects will boost your home’s value by about as much as you spend on them. This is especially important if your doors don’t hang properly anymore, or if they aren’t very sturdy. Replacing doors adds to the home value because it also adds to your home security.

Landscaping Improvements

Another renovation project that many homeowners never think of is landscaping improvements. Doing things as simple as trimming trees and shrubs and filling in bare spots in your lawn can give you a big boost in home value. You can also add new garden areas or features in your backyard, such as a firepit or decorative seating. As with replacing doors, landscape improvements tend to get you a value increase that’s commensurate with the amount of money you spend.

Minor Kitchen Remodel

Among the most sought-after improvements, people are looking for when buying a home is updated kitchens and bathrooms, and you can add a lot of value to your home by making some minor improvements to your kitchen. You don’t need to go all out and gut it; simple changes can make a big impact. This can include replacing flooring and countertops, refinishing or refacing cabinets and replacing hardware and fixtures. A minor kitchen remodel that’s done right can add back to value 90 percent or more of what you spend.

New Paint Job

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for making your home look newer. Whether you decide to paint the inside or outside of your home, the paint will spruce up any dingy looking areas. For indoor projects, choose colors that match the scheme and layout of the room. Brighter or lighter colors bring more energy in and make the space seem bigger. For larger projects, it may be a good idea to get professional help.

Repair Siding

If your home has siding that is in poor shape, replacing it is absolutely critical. Not only can broken or old siding make your home look run-down, but it can also open up a host of other problems. Siding protects the walls of your home from the elements, so you could end up with some nasty damage you need to fix. Cracked siding can also open up a way for pests to get into your home. Make sure you make this a top priority as soon as you notice any problems.

While home improvements can be a lot of fun when done right, it is important that you figure out what you are doing in advance, even with small projects. There are plenty of programs out there that will help you figure out what you are doing, making your research much easier. Just remember to have fun!

Resources:

How to Replace an Exterior Door

Re-Painting Any Room in Your Home

Rules of Renovation

Kitchen Renovations for About $25,000

Do Floridians Need to Worry About Frozen Pipes?

When you think about issues with frozen pipes, you might think about this being a problem in colder climates. As a Floridian, you might not think that it’s something that you have to worry about during the winter. However, even though the winters in Florida are pretty mild when compared to many places in the United States, this year’s weather extremes may have you thinking twice.

 

What Happens with Frozen Pipes?

When the temperatures drop below freezing, the water inside your pipes can freeze. According to Fletchers, “when water expands inside a pipe, it can have a major impact on your home and yard. The expansion puts great pressure on both metal and plastic pipes, and no matter the strength of the pipe it can break or crack. The last thing any homeowner wants is a flood, so be extra aware of pipes exposed to severe cold or in unheated interior areas including outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool and hot tub supply lines, water sprinkler lines, pipes in basements and pipes in attics and garages.”

 

Should Floridians Worry About Frozen Pipes?

Even though you probably want to prevent the issues that can go along with frozen pipes, you might not think that you need to do anything to protect your pipes if you live in the Sunshine State. However, temperatures can still occasionally drop to near or below freezing in Florida, particularly at night during cold periods like the first weeks of January 2018. Even though this might only happen a couple of nights out of the winter season, this can still provide an opportunity for your pipes to freeze and flood your lower floors. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to go ahead and protect your pipes now so that you can prevent problems later.

 

How to Protect Pipes from Freezing

If you would like to go ahead and take extra precautions against frozen pipes this winter, you should know that doing so is pretty easy. You can insulate your pipes by wrapping them with pipe wrap insulation or tubular sleeve insulation. You should be able to pick up the materials that you need from a local hardware store or home improvement store and do it yourself over a weekend.

 

What if it’s Too Late

If you’re already experiencing flooding due to frozen pipes or other weather problems, shut off your main line (and breaker, if the water is high enough), remove as much water as you can as fast as you can, and try to protect your walls. If your walls are damaged, you can replace the sheetrock and get a professional to match your paint.

 

As you can see, even if you live in Florida, it’s worth it to think about the possibility of your pipes freezing. Luckily, doing so is easier than you might think, so you should be able to get the job done and protect your pipes quickly and easily.

5 Tips for Re-Painting Any Room in Your Home

There’s nothing like a freshly-painted room. A new color can transform a space, creating just the mood you’re looking for. Sometimes, though, achieving that perfect look can come with a lot of work. Here are some tips to make your job a little more comfortable.

1. Plan to Succeed

Before the paint goes on the walls, there is a lot of prep work involved. It can be tempting to skip this prep work to get done more quickly, but doing so will only give you a result that you won’t be satisfied with. It’s important to calculate how much paint you’ll need for your room, so you won’t have to rush out and buy more in the middle of your project. Also, make sure you have all the materials you need to protect the surfaces you don’t intend to paint, including drop cloths, painter’s tape, and plenty of rags to quickly clean up any inevitable spills.

2. Give Yourself a Little Space

It can be hard enough to reach every single nook and cranny in your home. It’s even harder when you don’t have enough space to fit your body in to provide plenty of leverage. If at all possible, move furniture out of the room to be painted, rather than just moving it to the center of the room. This way, you’re sure to have plenty of space, and can more easily reach those high and low areas on your walls. Not to mention, paint has this uncanny ability to get on surfaces you don’t want it to be on, even when those surfaces are protected. By moving furniture out, you give yourself greater assurance that it won’t end up with paint on it.

3. Get it Done Quickly

Painting a room is hard work, and it can be tempting to take frequent breaks and spread the project out over a week or more. If at all possible, try to avoid spreading out your project to prevent chipping the paint when you’re moving around with furniture in an unfamiliar configuration. Not to mention, if you leave it for too long, dust could become a problem as it attracts to the new paint surface and is then spread when you’re working in the room.

4. Keep it Feeling Good

Paint drying can be affected depending on the temperature of the air in the room in which it was applied. If it’s too cold, the paint won’t dry as quickly, but if it’s too hot and humid, the extra moisture in the air will slow down the drying as well. Therefore, your HVAC system needs to be in great shape before you begin your painting project to ensure the paint dries quickly and evenly. The faster your paint dries, the sooner you can enjoy the final results of your hard work.

5. Finish it Right

If you’ve finished your painting project and gotten everything moved back in, and then you notice a spot you missed or that has gotten chipped since you painted it, don’t be afraid to correct the issue while you’ve still got all your tools handy. The problem might be in a place that no one else is likely to notice, but for you who put in so much work on the project, you’ll see it every time you’re in the room. Give yourself the satisfaction of a job well done by touching up the paint before you put away your tools.

Enjoy!

When everything is finally done, all that’s left to do is sit back and enjoy the spectacular results. The satisfaction of completing a painting project by yourself is tough to beat, at least until your friends and family see your great work and want you to help them out too.

Sources

http://www.provincialheating.ca/

https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/heating-ventilation-and-air-conditioning-systems-part-indoor-air-quality-design-tools

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/skills-and-know-how/painting/painting-prep-the-key-to-success

https://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/blog/web-business-ideas/top-ways-start-and-succeed-with-a-diy-projects-blog/

https://welovepainting.com/interior-painting/