When it comes to home interior painting, no job is too small for a professional painter. Whatever you need done, an efficient and organized professional painter can always make it happen.
If the scope of your painting project is relatively small, such as freshening up the walls in your guest bathroom or walk-in closet, for example, most experienced home painters will be skilled at assessing the time frame and materials required for the job, as well as the cost estimate, through a straightforward, over the phone consultation.
Small Jobs May Eliminate On-Site Assessment Time
The pros are pros for a reason. They know just what questions to ask and can zoom in on the particulars without wasting your time. Your basic description of the room and its size can eliminate the need for and cost of an on-site Continue Reading…
When it comes to painting the exterior of your Vancouver home, after from the all-important decision to leave this tricky and potentially dangerous job to a top-notch professional, the next vexing verdict to be tackled is: What colour will look good?
Aside from popularity, there are a number of factors to consider when making your choice. For instance, have a good second look at the colours of the neighboring homes. Not to say be a total copycat, but do go for reasonable compatibility with the area’s general theme. No one wants to live next to a harshly-hued eyesore.
At the same time, make sure to choose a colour that suits the design of your house. Hiring a Vancouver painter to provide sound advice and show you a full range of choices will alleviate the stress.
Classy Colours for Exterior Painting
1. Gorgeous Greys
Ask a Vancouver painter and he’ll tell you that grey (and not just those “50 shades”!) has risen in popularity when it comes to colour selection for home exteriors. Grey is valued for having presence while being easy on the eyes and is part of Continue Reading…
Aside from what you might gather from home improvement magazines or DIY project TV programs, painting isn’t always as easy as pie. Here are some excellent tips and good advice from a trusted Vancouver painter to help you avoid the most common pitfalls.
1. Cracking or flaking
Low-quality paint can cause this unsightly problem. If the cracking doesn’t go down to the substrate, remove the loose paint, sand to feather the edges, prime bare spots and repaint. For cracking that does reach the substrate, remove all paint and prime the wood or plaster before repainting. Apply high-quality paint at the recommended spreading and thinning rates.
2. Mildew
In a climate like the Pacific Northwest, where moisture is prevalent much of the year, learn from the experience of a trusted Vancouver painter who Continue Reading…
Stink, stank, stunk… To put it bluntly, if you think the Grinch may have lived in your newly-acquired commercial property, don’t despair too soon.
You’ve acquired the perfect space for your new business, but have just one problem: it stinks! If the place was previously used as a greasy spoon restaurant or longstanding cigar club, for example, then it’s perfectly understandable. But that doesn’t change the fact that it still smells awful. Finding a suitable place for a great price isn’t always easy, so don’t give up on making it just right for your brand new endeavour. With the help of a commercial painter, you can make that place smell daisy-fresh and ready for business!
Clean Walls before Commercial Painter Starts
If the premises are greasy or smoky-smelling, for example, then you definitely need to clean the walls. Consider using a sponge mop and TSP, but avoid using this on textured ceilings. If there’s been too much odor absorption in the textured ceiling surface or Continue Reading…
When planning for interior painting in your home, the first thing you automatically think of is freshening up the walls. Most people often forget about also taking care of baseboards and molding, the trim around windows and doors, and last but not least, the ceilings. Remember that the surfaces of a room don’t exist in isolation; you’d be surprised how yellowed and dingy ceilings can look, for example, next to newly painted walls.
Before receiving a firm estimate from and finalizing an agreement with your painting contractors, you should examine your intended painting project areas as carefully and thoroughly as possible to make those all-important decisions about what definitely does and doesn’t need to be rescued with some cosmetic repair and a fresh coat of colour.
Prior to Painting Contractors, Examine Trim and Ceilings, Too
Consider each room or area to be painted more or less in sections or as a collection of components, examining all trim in one go, for example, so nothing gets missed. Walls are generally a given, of course, but do take note specifically of Continue Reading…
Don’t Climb that Stairway to Heaven Before Your Time!
Fear, uncertainty and physical danger go hand in hand when it comes to house painting unless you are a professional painter.
Whether inside or out, most houses have areas higher than you can easily reach, even when standing on tippy-toes! That means you have to stand on some kind of platform or ladder device to reach them.
And that is where the danger begins …
Unless you are 100% comfortable working off-the-ground this is something to consider carefully before you embark on your do-it-yourself project. Even standing on a chair you might suddenly experience vertigo (dizziness) and become unbalanced and fall. That means paint all over you, the floor, the furniture and possibly a painful or serious injury.
And even if you don’t lose your balance but are still slightly nervous at heights, that shaky brush is not going to make a nice straight line around Continue Reading…
Special Project: Re-painting a Fireplace
This is an actual fireplace re-painting project.
Although the original fireplace had a nice oak surround and there was nothing wrong with it, the look did not fit the homeowner’s new décor so they asked us to paint it.
Steps For Painting the Fireplace
First the firebox was sealed with plastic to ensure no dust or ash drifted onto the fresh paint. Next it was primed so that the new paint would stick to the glossy varnish and tiles. Finally, it was coated in a hard-wearing enamel as the finish coat.
The very hard to reach areas were sprayed with Continue Reading…
As the race for space in city settings intensifies, it’s no secret that condominium units have become so prevalent and popular. Whether high-rise or low, you want your own condo unit to be as personal as possible, with a welcoming feel and attractive décor. The very first step in that direction is to choose the best possible colour for your interior condo painting.
Colour lies at the heart of almost any design concept, and creating a cozy condo haven is no exception. The predominant colour you select will have a starring role in creating just the right ambiance for the fairly limited space offered by most condominium suites. Want to get your condo painting right the first time? Here are some useful tips to note.
Quick Tips to Consider for Condo Painting:
1. Extend space with bright colours
When it comes to successful condo painting, interior decorators usually opt for colours that seem to extend the small space afforded by the unit. Bright but neutral colours like cream, white and pale taupe tend to create an illusion of space, especially when compared with darker shades, which may make rooms feel more closed in.
2. Be true to your own taste
One of the most common mistakes people make when choosing a colour for condo painting is that they consult look-books too much and forget to Continue Reading…
Hiring professionals to do your home painting project is ideal to get the great results you are after, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still save on your bottom line budget. There are a number of simple things that you can do ahead of time to help speed up the process for your painters while lessening the overall cost of the job. Doing what you can to save time before the starting gate opens also means that you can move back into and enjoy your freshly painted rooms that much sooner. Here are some helpful hints to outline the best steps to take when preparing for your painter.
5 Hints for Having a Happy Painter
1. The Takedown
It’s only logical that everything, including paintings, photographs, wall hangings and any other artwork and ornaments, need to be removed from the walls prior to home painting. Rather than leave it to the painter, this is certainly an advance task you can do yourself. That way you are responsible for your great-grandmother’s decorative china plate collection, and can pack and tuck it safely out of harm’s way. That takes care of the obvious items, but here’s the important follow-up: if Continue Reading…
It sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock horror film.
But I spend so much time on my blog educating people on how to recognize a GOOD house painter I thought maybe a reverse approach would illustrate it better. So I have provided a made-up example of the opposite side of the story in this “Diary of a Bad House Painter”
MONDAY the 13th
7am:
“The 13th must be my unlucky day. I still feel hung-over from that party last night. What was I drinking anyway? Uhhhhh….. Turn off the alarm and go back to sleep for a while. Good idea. ZZzzzzz….”
9am:
“I feel a little better after getting some sleep. Better get dressed and head out to my customer’s house. I know I had her address here somewhere. Let me see…Oh! Better not forget my smokes!”
10am:
“Show up at customer’s house. What a b____! She keeps ragging on me about how I was supposed to be there at 8 o’clock. Sheesh! What’s the big deal? It’s only a couple of hours. I mean she woulda been here anyway right?”
10:15am:
“Ask customer for some cash to pick up the paint. She doesn’t believe me that they only sell paint for cash! Well she finally forked out and I’m heading to the paint store. Better get a coffee too while I’m out. I need a break from the stress of dealing with that b____!”
11:15am
“Got a great deal on the paint. Saved $15 a can. Hope she doesn’t notice it’s different. I’ll tell her this is a better kind. Yeah, that’s it. She won’t know.” Continue Reading…
