The five biggest mistakes people make painting walls!!
Painting walls tends to be easier than ceilings, they’re more accessible and it’s a matter of just pulling furniture away from the walls and covering the floor and your away. Even though painting walls is cleaner cut, mistakes can still be made. Here are the five biggest ones when you’re painting walls for your interior wall painting project.

• Lack or too little preparation. What I refer to is filling cracks and holes prior to painting. Your prep work is vital in determining the outcome and finished product of any job your doing. When it comes to painting, remember 95% is prep and 5% is finish work. You stick to that rule and you can’t possibly go wrong. OK!
• Putting too much filler or Spackle on the walls. I’ve seen some people and been to rescue missions where people have got this wrong and it looks like either a couple of things have happened, firstly it has looked like they stood back and threw it at the walls from a distance or their two year old child got into the room while they were getting coffee and had a plaster party. In which case I’ve spent hours sanding and getting the walls back to a decent surface to work with. There really is no need to over fill your walls, take your time relax have some fun throw some filler or Spackle at someone enjoy the process of preparing your walls and you say “yeah right whatever”. But seriously now just a couple of light skims if you don’t get it the first time do a second skim it will save hours of backbreaking work trust me.
• Failure to stir your paint and strain it through a stocking to remove bits of foreign junk and stuff. Just because it’s a new tin of paint and they’ve shook it up in the shop doesn’t mean it’s clean and doesn’t mean it’s stirred well. Make it a practice every time you open a tin of paint new or old to do these two important things and your walls won’t look like the surface of the moon and have bits of alien material on them.
• Painting walls with the wrong technique. When applying paint to walls GET A ROLLER OR EXTENSION POLE. Don’t roll it by hand, you need nice long strokes from the ceiling to the floor and you won’t need to work from a stepladder everything can be reached from standing. You need to put plenty on and lay it back off into the wet edge. This method allows you to keep flowing and moving without a break in your coat, allowing for a nice even consistent coat of paint…… oh and don’t forget to second coat. A nice build on the wall makes for better cleaning and if you had to fill your walls prior to first coat it stops bad flashing or patchiness in the final product.
• Tool mistake, a cheap and nasty roller sleeve. Try not to go for synthetic or sponge sleeves, although the synthetic sleeve can be used if you have no other option. The problem with these sleeves is they just can’t get enough paint on and when you’re talking walls you need good flow and plenty sliding on. What you need is! and I swear by them, they are the only ones I use and have done for years THE SHEEP SKIN OR LAMBS WOOL ROLLER COVER. I personally prefer the later one myself lambskin or lambswool. It leaves me with a nice smooth finish even if I really lay the coat on heavy. Sheepskin sleeves are a bit coarser which probably makes them better for things like brickwork or rough surfaces. I use them mainly for rendered brickwork where I can put plenty on. They take a bit to load up at first but once loaded they’re smooth and easy to use. Try both synthetic and lambswool, I guarantee you’ll go to the lambswool cover, they wash out a whole tonne easier and once cleaned out properly will last you years and years. You can’t beat natural fibre products when it comes to painting walls

Well that is all the wall painting tips I have for you today for your DIY painting project. Until next time.
……….Happy painting folks………….Wayne…..the painter ……..

For more information http://paintrescue.com

A bit of education will reveal that Boston house painters may come up with different approaches to the exact same job.  Knowing what those approaches are will help determine your costs and allow you to intelligently evaluate a house painting estimate.

Exterior house painting can be accomplished in a variety of ways.  Some house painters will prefer to spray the paint on, and others will rely on brushes or rollers to paint the same walls.  Each technique has advantages and disadvantages.  Painting contractors using the spray method may be faster, but often create a mess if windows and trim are not protected from the spray. Rollers will give a fast job without the mess, but are best suited for painting stucco, concrete and brick.  Brushes are the slowest application, but experienced house painters will often rely on them for the best results, especially on shingle and houses with clapboard or other siding materials.  

Before calling a contractor for your first quote, be aware of the condition of the walls of your house. Is the paint peeling, bubbling or cracking?  Is there mold, mildew or moss growing on the walls?  A good painter will not paint over unstable surfaces. Preparation requirements like scraping off old paint, priming raw wood, and caulking imperfections, gaps and cracks will affect your estimate.  

For Interior house painting, the approaches are similar to exterior.  Faster jobs, especially in new construction and vacant properties where mess is not a big factor, could be spray-applied.  Finer interior work will be accomplished with rollers and brushes. In all cases, painting contractors should be protecting windows and furnishings from any contact with paint, so be sure to inquire how your contractor plans to do that.  Ruined carpets and windows with paint on the glass are things you should never have to deal with.

Your house painting estimate will also depend on your choice of paint.  This includes both the quality of the paint and the color.  Obviously, the best quality materials will cost more.  Decide in advance if you want a cut-rate job, or a first-class one.  Then be sure that quotes are for similar quality paints and the exact same colors.  

Painting contractors will know if the job will require one coat of paint, or multiple coats.  If you are trying to hold costs down, choose a paint color which is the same as the old color.  Painting white over white may involve only a single application, but painting a light color over a dark one may require three coats.  Since you will be paying for each coat of paint, be prepared for the cost.

Finally, with all this in mind, approach two or three Boston house painting contractors, and then compare the costs.  The estimates will give you a good idea of cost and value.

Here are useful tips learned during more than 40 years of installing epoxy urethane floor seals and coatings on Fortune 500 company concrete floors, as well as in basements, garages, and decks. These tips can help you avoid mistakes that can limit the life of your floor.

There are three broad steps to doing your floor project: planning and preparation, repairing, and applying the coating. This article is the first in a three part series, and deals with planning and preparation.

General guidelines for applying an epoxy coating to your floor:

Do no harm.

Investing in prep produces the best value, (cost divided by years of service).

Let the chemicals and equipment do the work.

What can go wrong, will go wrong, unless you think ahead.

Technique is what separates mortals from Rembrandts.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Now let’s get started with tips on how to plan your job and prepare your floor.

Plan the job.

Stick your coating to something that is not going to move

The better the tools, the less work you have to do.

Removing loose concrete is as important as removing dirt

Different types of dirt require different cleaners

“Shocking” the floor can help free dirt and contaminants.

Some things must be abraded off.

Don’t blow bubbles through your finish

There is only one way to remove gum

Asphalt bleeds

If you coat over things that move, your floor may move

Vacuum out those holes

Gravity is unforgiving

. Once you prep your floor, anything in the air will eventually end up as dirt on your floor. So don’t wait too long to do your coatings. Bugs, leaves, dust, and lint can eventually compromise the quality of the job you end up with.. Water settles in floor cracks and holes. If you vacuum them out or blot them with a rag, you will not have the problem of unexpected delays due to finding water still in your floor after the surface has dried.
. Adhesives are often a problem to remove on floors. But if you leave the adhesive, your coating is like an eggshell. A hard exterior with a soft interior will often let the shell crack and peal away.
. If you use a solvent-based floor coating and coat over any asphalt spots, the solvents will make the asphalt bleed into your finish spoiling the color. Use a scraper to remove any asphalt. Then follow with some degreaser or mineral spirits.
. Modern gum is actually synthetic rubber and is not affected by cleaners or most solvents. Scraping is the most common method of removing gum but a 190-degree hot water jet works fast if you have one.
. Gases often come up through your porous concrete floor. Methane and radon gas are very common under concrete slabs and move their way through the concrete causing some bubbles in the finish. But most often bubbles are caused by the chemical reaction still going on between your cleaners and the floor. One or two good scrub rinses are needed to help avoid generating gas bubbles in your floor.
Gum, adhesive, asphalt, some paints, concrete splatters, silicone sprays from Rain X, and Tire Shine are just some of the blemishes that you may need to scrape or grind off by hand when preparing a floor.
When you do your laundry you put your shirt in the wash and it is probably at a pH of 6.5 or 7. Then you add your detergent, which may bring the pH up to 8 or 8.5. That pH change is part of what make the dirt particles want to let go of the fabric. When we do floors, we shock the floor by bringing the pH up to 12 and then hitting it with the acidic cleaner dropping the pH to 5.5 or so. That really helps make concrete particles that are about to let to, let go.
. If one cleaner worked for everything there would only be one cleaner sold. But some dirt and contaminants, like fats and oils, respond to alkaline-type cleaners and some dirt and contaminants, like minerals, rust and concrete respond, to acidic-type cleaners. If alkaline and acidic are mixed they cancel each other out to neutral, so two separate cleanings are needed for your concrete floor, one alkaline cleaning and one acidic, followed by a good scrub rinse to stop the chemical action.
. If you walk over concrete with your socks on, you will usually see that they get all dusty. That’s because the concrete is constantly deteriorating and breaking away. Your preparation should leave only concrete that is well attached, so aggressive scrubbing is a must.
Renting power scrubbers, walk-behind vacuums, double-bladed squeegees, and long-handled scrapers are all multipliers that reduce your work and increase your performance. You can try to do without lots of fancy tools, but you might have to ask yourself, will you stop your work earlier than you should because it’s just too much work.
. Remember that a floor that has 3000 lb. or more going over it every day needs much better adhesion than a wall that may get brushed by an elbow occasionally. Stick your coating to something that is not going to move.
Save trips to the store and costly delays by getting everything you need ready before the job starts. One quick step would be to go to a website like www.concrete-floor-coatings.com for a free cost analysis which will list everything you need to do your job, including step by step instructions.

Remember, “Life imitates Star Trek.” You may begin to notice in the future that virtually every floor in the galaxy seems to have a flow-coated, two-part coating on it. I am seeing fewer and fewer new wood floors, linoleum, or oriental rugs. How about you?

Follow the rules and your job will turn out with the great look you want.

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com or phone 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7).

The real solution for this problem is using concrete paint. You can use concrete paint to cover the whole surface and make it look completely different, the paint will help you change the look and you can also add some sand to the paint to help prevent problems like slipping or falling on the concrete because of water or cracks, the paint will make these problems disappear.

Whenever talking about changing or replacing concrete we are talking about an expensive work that will almost surely take some time and effort that might disturb the family living in the house for some time, this is why the concrete problems should first try to be solved by a quicker and simpler solutions, the concrete paint solution is much shorter and easier than redoing the whole area of the concrete. The only thing you need to do is visit a shop and decide on the color that you want, buy the other necessary things for this project, find some free time and paint your concrete.

There is also place for creativity when painting your concrete, you can buy a few different colors, make a plan of how you want to paint it and paint geometric shapes, different patterns, words and letters, colors that correspond to the house colors, swirls and circle shapes and check board shapes. You can also use templates for these shapes, you will need to make or get durable templates and use them to give your concrete a unique look.

The only important thing you should bare in mind is that before painting the concrete you will need to examine all the concrete surface to make sure that it is clean and dry, in any case you should clean the whole surface to make sure that no oil stains or water is not present on the surface because concrete can hold a lot water. You can clean the surface by using a broom on the dry surface and then using a broom and some strong cleaning produce, washing like you do at home, and then using water to wash away the soap. Once the concrete is clean and dry the painting can start.

Once you will complete the painting you will understand how easy and simple it is to reinvent your concrete surface look, and also understand that once you are bored with the colors you could change again and again, good luck with your new concrete paint and new concrete surface.

Paint stripping is the act of removing paint from a certain object or surface for a particular reason. It could be for the purpose of renovation or for a health concern such as to remove paint which may contain a harmful chemical such as lead.

Removing paint may be accomplished through varying methods. One could be through proper use of chemicals which is the easiest and quickest way to remove paint. The paint stripper is initially applied to soften the painted surface then scraped off or washed away with water. Chemical paint removers come in a variety of forms such as semi-paste and liquid forms.

Here are some basic types of paint removers are obtainable from the market:

• Liquids dry too fast and so are best for clean coatings with one or two paint layers only. They are also suitable for irregular surfaces and stubborn pots.
• Brushables come in a thick, paste-like form that can be applied in intense layers to stay wet longer than liquids so as to remove ten or more layers of paint in a single application. Due to its extra sticky formula, it could be applied to overhead or vertical areas and can be washed away with water.
• Sprayables, which may come in spray bottles or sprayers, are meant for easy application. Although they are thin enough to spray, such chemicals are thick enough to adhere and are also water washable.
• Aerosols are formulated for convenience and speed in the application of paint remover. Like sprayables, they are also sprayed onto the surface but produces a foamy layer thick enough for removal of numerous paint layers. They are best for smaller jobs and for working on areas hard to reach with a brush.

Sanding is another method of removing paint using any type of power or hand sander. There are different types of power sanders, such as belt, disk or drum sanders, in the market which are ideal for bigger sanding jobs. Paint can be removed from the surface quickly and easily through sanding but it could also remove some of the surface underneath the paint such as in woods. Thus, paint from fine pieces of furniture is not commendable to be removed by sanding. In manual sanding, it is better and more effective to use an open coat, coarse sand paper instead of fine sand paper as the latter clogs up rapidly. Sanding methods is recommended only on extremely rough paint removing jobs.

The application of heat is also another method of paint stripping. When heat is applied onto the painted surface, it destroys the film of the old paint which results to an easier scraping of the old paint away from the surface. Heat guns, or special electric paint removers may be used to accomplish this method. After the application of heat, immediately scrape off the paint by utilizing a broad paint scraper. If working on a painted wooden surface, keep in mind not to allow the heat gun to stay on one spot as it may burn the wood. Keep moving the gun on various areas to prevent darkening or browning of spots due to excessive heat.

Paint Begins to Peel When a homeowner can see the paint peeling off the house while standing on the ground, it’s time to have the exterior redone. Contrary to popular belief, putting a fresh coat of paint over an old surface that is coming off will not make it stick. A reliable, professional painting contractor will not suggest this as a solution. A discount is not worth the bigger mess that will result.

The surface needs to be scraped and prepared for a new coat of paint. Depending on the condition of the exterior, siding or panels may need to be replaced. Homes made of stucco or solid flat surfaces may need patching before painting.

Fading Color Even the most durable, long-lasting paint needs to be recoated at some point. Fading from the sun, rain and wind will effect the luster of the color. Darker colors fade faster than lighter ones. Compare a recent photo of the house to one that was taken just after it was painted. If you can see a difference, it’s time to redo the home’s exterior.

Colors of the Past Sometimes it’s just time for a change. If the house color is quite obviously a relic of the 1990s or earlier, consider breaking out of the past. Give the place a fresh, new, updated look. Before choosing the color, see what is available in specific finishes and textures. Some of the newer paints have anti-mildew or special chemicals added. Do some research to find out if the local climate makes this necessary. Choose a new house color that will not show dirt. Be sure it is something that everyone living in the house will not mind looking at every day.

New Paint Helps a Home Sell When a house looks tired and worn it will be more difficult to sell. With the struggling real estate market, repainting a house will give it an advantage over other homes in the same geographical area. Choose a color and finish that blends in with the neighborhood. This is not the time for making a bold statement. Choose a coordinating trim color. Use a quality paint and an experienced contractor for best results.

Repainting Time Frame A home’s exterior should be repainted every 8 to 10 years with normal wear and tear. Locations with harsher climates should be redone every 3 to 4 years. Not only does it improve the value and look of the home, it protects the exterior from damage and weathering.