Homeowner association covenants and restrictions
Thursday, February 11th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
It’’s good to do a little extra homework before applying paint to the exterior of your home. There may be homeowner association restrictions on the colors allowed to be used. Don’t make a costly mistake.
This rule can vary widely, though, so do a little checking. One of my friends lived in Phoenix some years back, and the rules were different in virtually every subdivision. One allowed a very limited choice of one of four colors, ranging from a light tan to a milky-cream white. Yet only about ten miles away there were no two homes that had the same color - and the range was a riotous swing from fire engine red to kelly green to citrus orange. I’m not kidding.
These “color covenants” might apply to newer subdivisions as well as older homes with historic value. Check with the leadership in your homeowners association about the types of color combinations allowed.
Some Knoxville areas have people restoring older homes, and you may be one of them. If this is true, you might be in luck: You could receive tax credits and other incentives if you stay with the home’s original color scheme and help restore your home to its original hue … in some cases, I’ve read that it could be worth as much as 50% of the contract price for an exterior paint job!
Don’t rely on memory
Thursday, February 4th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
A big mistake many people make is in trying to keep wall colors “in their head” when they shop for new paint. Even experienced color consultants have difficulties doing this, so my advice is to gather some easy-to-carry items from the rooms you want to paint. It doesn’t need to be huge … maybe a few paint chips and fabric swatches attached to a piece of cardboard, a throw pillow, a color photo, or a box with samples of tile.
If you’re leaving the current paint color on the walls, don’t forget to take a sample of that paint with you by painting it on a sheet at least as big as notebook paper. The large amount of paint will help you visualize better when you’re at the store.
Get your kids involved
Monday, February 1st, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
No, I’m not talking about them grabbing a brush and painting your trim, but your children can have fun with a brush and a place to show off their creativity.
(I can’t help it - I love to “talk shop” and enjoy encouraging others to get into the joy of painting as well.)
Our painters need to be exact in their interior and exterior painting services for your home, but your little ones can enjoy the freedom of flat-out artistic mayhem! Let me give you an idea on a little bit of extra fun the next time your kids are handling the tempura paints for an afternoon at the easel:
Try adding table salt to the paint. You’ll be delighted at how it will add texture and sparkle to their masterpiece when it dries.
Let’s go a bit further: Add some flour with the salt to thicken it up, giving it a 3-D effect along with that sparkle. Your paint will be thick, so use heavy paper and allow plenty of time for it to dry. Don;t forget… you’re more than welcome to join in on the fun!
Exterior paint: choose carefully
Friday, January 29th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
When I say “choose carefully,” I don’t just mean the brand of the paint you are using. I am talking about the choice of colors.
Take into consideration the effect of the sun, harsh weather and other conditions that will play havoc on your paint job. Pure yellows and reds are especially susceptible to gradual change and can oxidize faster than other colors, so I would avoid them.
Probably the most favorable exterior colors are neutral toned with a medium value. This includes light to medium browns and beige colors - they’ve got a nice strong resistance to UV light.
How much paint for each room?
Thursday, January 28th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
It’s not a magic formula, but you should be aware of some basic facts whenever you purchase paint for a room. Follow my guide and you’ll do fine.
First, I always tell people to buy a reliable paint from a national manufacturer and remember to purchase one of its higher grades.
Second, you must to buy enough paint to actually finish the job in one project. What I mean is, if you run out of paint and then jump in the car to buy more, you have a half-finished wall. The problem you’ll encounter is that even if the color match is perfect, the overlap will show.
The standard for purchasing is to remember that a gallon of paint will be good for 400 to 450 square feet. Simply calculate the number of square feet by measuring the total footage around the perimeter of the room and multiplying by the ceiling height in feet.
(Don’t subtract for windows, doors or other openings unless they’re huge.)
What about the ceiling area? Just calculate the width times the depth of the room.
Why hire me?
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
There are times when you’re tempted just to tackle a painting job on your own… but soon you realize that you should have left the job with a professional.
Why hire a professional like McLains? Among the many reasons, I would emphasize these:
1. We properly prepare the surface before the actual painting gets underway.
2. We are careful to select the proper paint for the proper situation.
3. We have the proper tools required to achieve an optimal finish.
4. We realize that in many situations that painting can be hazardous, like when we are working on ladders and handling solvents. Older buildings may be coated in poisonous lead paints and we are prepared to handle that challenge. We have the appropriate safety equipment to keep us safe … and you and your family safe as well.
We don’t like zebras… er, their stripes
Friday, January 22nd, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
I’m as much an animal lover as the next guy, but I don’t have much care for zebra stripes…that is, when it comes to professional painting. You may not be aware that this would be a concern, but it is to McLain’s.
Let me explain: Zebra stripes occur when the top coat doesn’t cover the previous color surface completely and a striped appearance is evident. If the top coat doesn’t cover well or if a painter is not careful to roll enough, zebra stripes will show. The way you can prevent this (if you want only one coat painted) is to use the very same color on the walls presently. The other way to prevent (if more than one coat is used) it is to have a painter who rolls enough and is constantly monitoring the coverage.
We are always aware that our proper job is to leave absolutely no hint of zebra stripes. No offense to the four-legged creatures, though.
The best way to touch up a wall
Thursday, January 21st, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
You always need to be careful when touching up an existing painted surface. We professional painters take extra care with this. If you find yourself needing to deal with this repair yourself, I highly recommend that you use paint from the original can but don’t use the same “strength” - reduce it by about 10% to 15% with the reducer that is recommended on the paint can’s label.
Now, the paint isn’t the only detail you must remember. How you paint it is just as important. The tool rule is fairly simple: If the paint was applied with a roller, use a small trim roller. If the paint was brushed on, use a brush.
Carefully, carefully add a small amount of the touch-up paint to the brush or roller. Slowly “feather” the edges on the needed spot, working from the outside toward the center of the area. By lightly drawing the brush across the area outside of the touch-up toward the new paint area, you’ve made a “transition zone” that diminishes the appearance of the touch-up.
Cleaning a surface that has already been painted.
Monday, January 18th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
We’d all like to believe that our freshly-painted walls and other surfaces are going to remain spotless for the next ten years, but the fact is that dust, grime, an occasional spill, and other factors are always a concern for us. You’re aware that maintenance cleaning is a necessity to the life of your painted surfaces, but what’s the best choice is cleaning solutions?
May I suggest that when you are selecting a cleaner, you must be sure to use a non-abrasive cleaner. If you apply an abrasive cleaner, you can wreak all kinds of havoc on that nice surface, so please be careful with what you use. Another note: when you’re cleaning a waterborne paint, be careful to avoid products that are ammoniated. The overall answer is simple, really: mild, soapy water will generally do the job just fine. Play safe, though - always test the cleaning solution in an inconspicuous area to ensure that it does not damage the paint film.
Do you know your color temperatures?
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
As I’ve said in an earlier post, the basic principles of color are hue, value, intensity and temperature. When you combine these four areas in the right way you’re going to be on the way to some great color decisions.
One of the four principles is temperature - You’ll hear people talk about colors as warm or cool. You can set the mood of the room if you know how to maintain a balance of temperatures. Warm colors would be colors like red and yellow. Blue and green are called cool colors, and then there are neutral temperatures such as beige. Not only will the proper temperature set the mood of a room, it can also modify and define the perceptions of a room or space.