Thursday, May 28, 2009

Sudbury MA | Exterior Painting Contractor

Sponsored By Mombrini's Painting Project

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Just go to Mombrini's Painting Project

So it's about time again to repaint your home outside. But how do you choose exterior house paint colors? This can be a real headache of indecision. If you pick a wishy-washy color possibly none of the trim work will contrast with it. If you pick a very strong vibrant color and contrasting trim color in the home might look like a place out of Alice in Wonderland which again is not good. This might bring your neighbors knocking at your door.

Taking great colors will show the best features of your house or hide some of the worst features of your house. But the question is what are these colors.

1- You can hire a pro for paint consultation

2- You might want to look at your neighbors house and see if you want to possibly use some ideas from his house paint colors

3- Something to consider is look at your roof color/your brick color/siding color. These colors will establish a baseline for picking a color to harmonize with them.

4- Considering the house look at how many detailed features you have on its and you might want to paint these different features different colors for example shutters, moldings, doors, porch decks, pillars. These are all some things you might want to highlight with color to make them stand out.

5- I suggest walked to the front of your house look at it from a distance and keep in mind to make sure that you are going to paint your home do we want it to look for example not lopsided on one side with a color for example.

For more ideas

From years of experience and working on hundreds of homes I see hundreds of great ideas on kitchens and washrooms and bedrooms. Too many to mention. For great ideas and how to do stuff ask me at: http://www.diyblog.ca or http://www.hollywoodpainting.com/exteriorHousePaintingColors.html

Thursday, February 12, 2009

How to Repair Drywall

How to Repair Drywall

Sponsored by Painting Project, Marlborough MA
Providing Home Improvements projects to Greater Boston Area.

Drywall repairs come in varying shapes and sizes. From small dings and scratches to car sized holes as in a garage. Also, I often see dings where the door handle has made an impression on the wall (or maybe even a hole). To avoid this problem, install a door stop on the baseboard. This will prevent the door handle from coming into contact with the wall. Another thing I've seen is when a perfectly innocent section of drywall will fall victim to teenage rage. I really don't have a clear remedy for that, but I can help you repair the drywall!

People are often intimidated by doing the repair themselves for different reasons. Mostly because the tools and materials are unfamiliar and if they do try it, the job doesn't look right and they shy away from trying it again. These problems are easily remedied and I will cover everything you need to know to get a pro looking job. In this article we will talk about repairs up to 12" square and on a flat section of wall. Large areas and corners will be covered in another article.

First, look at the offending area. Determine whether or not the drywall is damaged all the way through. If it is not, or the hole is 6" in diameter or less, then you don't need to cut out a section. For this you will need a drywall repair plate. You don't need one of these plates if the damage is not all the way through. If the hole is all the way thought and more than 6" you will need to cut approximately 1" around the hole. Don't do it yet as I will explain.

Next go to your nearest hardware store or home improvement center. You will need a 6" taping knife, 1 gallon of joint compound, a sanding sponge (or 150 grit sand paper), a hawk and a utility knife are helpful items too. Don't be shy about asking for help at the store. If you are using a repair plate then that is all you need. If you are cutting out the section then you will need a piece of drywall. Some places sell 2'x2' sections. Call ahead to find out. Also get a drywall saw and drywall tape. Drywall tape isn't like regular masking tape. It comes in two different styles. Fiberglass mesh and paper. The fiberglass is easier to use but is not good for corners. For this discussion we will use the fiberglass mesh. You will need 1 1/4" drywall screws and a battery operated screw driver is helpful as well. Don't forget primer, paint and paint sundries!

If the hole is not all the way through then scoop some joint compound out of the bucket with the taping knife and smooth it over the area. Its Best to put too much on and then smooth it off lightly several times removing the extra from the knife each time. You can repeat this process as many times as you like to achieve the desired results. There should be approximately 1/8" of joint compound when you are finished. Don't worry if it's not perfect! This is only the first coat. Let it dry 24 hours. Put a fan on it if you can. If the compound is more than 1/8" thick, or if there is high humidity, it could take a couple of days to dry. If you want it to dry sooner, get the powder type of compound that you mix with water. Just remember that it can set up really fast! It is dry when it is hard and dry to the touch. Once the compound is dry, take your taping knife and lightly scrape the surface smooth. Then put on another coat. This time, lightly scrape the dry compound allowing the wet compound to fill in the gaps. Go all the way around the outside of the dry section making sure the edges are tapered flat. This is called feathering. The smoother you make it the less sanding you will have to do. A third coat is common and some pros will lightly sand in between the second and third coats. Give it a light, final sanding.

If you are using the repair plate, simply apply the plate according to the instructions that came with it and follow the above instructions for smoothing on the joint compound.

If the hole is 6" or bigger then cut a new piece of drywall, using the drywall saw, that is approximately 2" bigger than the hole . Next, hold the new piece on the wall making sure the hole is covered completely. Trace around the new drywall marking the wall. Cut the wall with the drywall saw making sure to leave approximately 1/8" gap around the new drywall. If you cut across a stud you may have to finish the cut with a utility knife. Cut two pieces of wood (1"x2" is good or whatever you have) about 4" bigger than the hole. Make a mark about 2" from one end of the wood. Put the wood behind the drywall about 2" from the edge of the hole and line up the mark with the edge of top of the hole. Put a drywall screw through the drywall into the wood on each end. Repeat for second piece of wood. Put the new piece in the hole and screw through the new drywall into the wood. Applying too much pressure can cause the previous screw to pull thought the drywall. Make sure the screw heads are barely below the surface. Apply the mesh tape over the gaps. Smooth the joint compound on over the mesh tape making sure to cover it completely. Do not feather the edges of the joint compound on the first coat. Follow the above instructions for finishing the joint compound. Once the repair is finished apply 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint.

Have a happy repair day!

More instructions at http://www.mikespillman.com/Howtodo

Mike is an expert at doing several different types of home repair and improvement projects. Tile, painting, doors, windows,carpentry, light pluming and electrical, cabinets, drywall, wood moldings, flooring...you get the idea. With his carry-around handyman work shop he has 100 percent customer satisfaction and has worked in many parts of the U.S. Mike can talk you through the project you want to do like no other. He is now ready to share his knowledge and experience with you. Sign up to recieve his free how-to-do e-mails, news letters, links and even ask for advice on your current or next home repair and improvement project.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Painting Contractor Concord Ma

Painting Contractor Concord Ma

Hiring an Interior House Painter? Check Out These Tips First

Painting the interior of your house is no small project. If you are like many people you don't have the time to do the project yourself or your want more professional results that you can get doing it on your own.

The logical thing to do would be to hire an interior house painter to do the job for you. While this sounds like an easy task there are actually a few things you should consider before jumping in and hiring the first painter you stumble upon in the phone book. Here are some tips for hiring an interior house painter that will help you get the best value for your money, get professional results and make sure the job is done right.

Cost

One of the most important considerations when hiring a painter is cost. Prices can vary wildly between companies so it is a good idea to call around and get quotes from as many companies as you can before hiring one.

Time to Complete the Job

The last thing you want is for your house to be torn apart for weeks while you are waiting for a painter to finish the job. While you are calling to get cost estimates for the job be sure to ask each painter how long it will take for them to complete the project. Some companies may be able to finish the job in a day or two while others can take a lot longer.

Reputation/References

Even if you find a company that is inexpensive and promises to get the job done quickly, it is still not a guarantee that you will get good results or that they will stick to what they promised.

The best way to make sure that a company or individual painter is really qualified and will stand behind their promises before hiring them is to look into their reputation & references. Find out how to learn more about an interior house painter or company before hiring them including where to find real customer reviews, who to ask for recommendations and how to get insight into their past work and experience at http://add6.com/how-to-find-a-house-painter






Sunday, February 01, 2009

House Interior and Exterior Painting Pictures

Few steps are need in order to choose the right color
for the exterior of your house.
A good well know activities is to see the houses
around your house, and also drive around different
n streets in your town to see what people are doing
to get an idea of what is out there.
also you can contract with a color consultant to help
you in the process.

I you want to see some house exterior painting pictures
you might be able to go to google and do a search.

Sponsored by: Painting Project - Marlborough MA
http://www.PaintingProject.com

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Tools of the trade in the Painting Contractor Industry

Sponsored by Painting Project - Marlborough Painting Contractor.
Need Painting Contractor in Westborough, Sudbury, Northborough,
Shrewsbury and other Metrowest Cities and Greater Boston?


Tools of the trade in the Home Painting Contractor Industry

The brush and the roller are the tools most readily associated with the painter. Recent advances in paint manufacture have led to a standardization of brushes, with many older brushes falling from fashion.

The airless spray gun is the latest tool in the painter's closet. It's powered by an electric, pneumatic or fuel powered motor which pumps paint through a hose into a gun which atomizes the paint to a fine spray. Graco is the leading manufacturer of this type of spray gun and equipment for painting contractors.
With the airless spray gun it's possible to paint extremely large areas of surface in a short time.

The ground brush, also known as a pound brush, was a round or elliptical brush bound by wire, cord or metal. They were generally heavy to use, and required considerable usage to break them in. These brushes were predominantly used in the days before modern paintmanufacture techniques; hand mixed paints requiring more working to create the finish. These brushes still have use in applying primer; the brushes are useful in working the primer into the grain of the wood. Pound brushes required an even breaking in to create even bevel on both sides of the brush minimising the formation of a point which would render the brush useless.

Sash tools were smaller brushes, similar to a ground brush, and used mainly for cutting in sash or glazing bars found on windows.

Sash tools and ground brushes generally required bridling before use, and a painter's efficiency in this skill was generally used as a guide to their overall ability. Both these brushes have largely been superseded by the modern varnish brush.

Varnishbrushes are the common flat brushes available today, used for painting as well as varnishing. Brushes intended for varnishing typically have a bevelled edge.

Distemper brushes, used for applying distemper, were best made of pure bristle and bound by copper bands to prevent rust damage. Styles differed across the world, with flat nailed brushes popular in the North of England, a two knot brush (a brush with two ovular heads) popular in the South of England, and three knot brushes or flat head brushes preferred elsewhere. In the United States distemper brushes were known as calcimine, kalsomine or calsomine brushes, each term being the U.S. variant of distemper.

Fitches are smaller brushes, either ovular or flat and 1 inch wide, used in fine work such as to pick out the detail on a painted moulding.

Stipplers come in various shapes and sizes and are used to apply paint with a stippled effect.

A duster or jamb brush was used to dust the area to be painted before work commenced.

Limewash paint brushes were large brushes with a triangular head used to apply limewash.

Stencil brushes, similar in style to a shaving brush and used for the purpose of stencilling walls or in the creation of hand-made wallpapers.

Brushes are best stored in a purpose made brush keeper, a box on which a wire could be suspended: the wire would be threaded through the hole in a brushes handle so as to suspend the brush in a cleaning solution without allowing the brush to sit on the bottom of the container and thus cause spreading of the bristles. The solution would also prevent hardening of the brushes and oxidization. These were generally rectangular and stored several brushes. A lid would enclose the brushes and keep them free from dust.

Surface Protection Dustsheets or self-adhesive protection film (Packexe Ltd the leading manufactures) are required to protect surface areas where decorating is being done.


Sponsored by Painting Project - Marlborough Painting Contractor.
Interior and Exterior Professional Painters

Need Painting Contractor in Westborough, Sudbury, Northborough,
Shrewsbury and other Metrowest Cities and Greater Boston?





Westborough Interior Painting Contractor

Need a Interior Painting Contractor in Westborough MA.
Painting Project Interior Painting contractor.