Year: 2019

Easily paint small awkward objects

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I will be sharing three simple tips for painting small awkward objects. The ideas and principles behind each of these simple techniques can be adapted to many different shapes and sizes of objects that you may be using for your projects. The three items that I will showcase painting techniques for are stair hand railings, wooden plugs and wooden spindles.



How to paint stair hand railings

Oak wall stair railings stained with ebony stain
Stair railing project

Painting or staining small objects can be a challenge as they are hard to hold onto difficult to maneuver and because of this can make a pretty big mess. I personally discovered this while doing a recent project in my own home which I replace my standard White railings with a dark ebony color oak railings to update the look.

After applying the ebony stain I decided to spray with a varathane clear coat finish to protect the surface and give it a nice silky smooth feeling to the hand. To achieve this I had to figure out a way to elevate the railings in a makeshift spray booth allowing the varathane to flow on smoothly and uniformly around all the curvatures of the handrail. This was achieved by setting them on the very fine point of some 3-inch screws protruding through two by fours to elevate the railings.

Close up of stair railing elevated for spraying
Stair railing elevated on screw legs.

As you can see in the following picture the two screws elevate the workpiece nicely and the fine point on the tip of the screw leaves virtually no mark under the railing. The underside of the railing will not be visible or touched by your hand so a flawless finish will not be as crucial as it is on the top and sides of the railing. The top and sides of the railing must be flawless and the way to achieve this is by elevating them as shown and spraying the final coats of paint or clear coat varathane.

Painting tip for Oak railing set up for spray painting
As pictured above you can see the stair hand railings nicely elevated to accept varathane spray top coating

Paint or stain wooden screw plugs the easy way

Oak screw plug
Wooden oak screw plug

Wooden screw plugs are great for hiding screw holes but these little guys are hard to hold onto and very tedious as you do one at a time. Imagine trying to hold on to these with one hand and trying to stain and spray varathane with the other hand one at a time very messy and not a pleasant experience.

Painting tip for Two-way tape and screw plug set up for staining and clear coating
Screw plugs secured to cardboard via to a tape for painting

The answer to this unpleasant problem is simply two-way tape and cardboard. The two-way tape is sticky on both sides and securely holds the small screw plugs in place for painting. The cardboard makes it easy to move and position the small pieces for painting or spraying as needed.

Steps required to paint or stain wooden screw plugs:

  1. First you lay a enough two-way tape to accommodate all your screw plugs. Make sure to allowing enough spacing to work a paint brush around all sides.
  2. Peel the backing off the top side of the two-way tape to expose the second sticky tape surface.
  3. Simply press you’re small screw plugs or similar items into the tape’s top sticky surface. Now you are ready to go.
  4. Once they are full dry you simply pry the screw plugs off the two-way tape. Install into your screw holes.
Oak screw plugs drawing onto a tape
Two way tape and cardboard using ebony stain and varathane spray top coating.

The two-way tape and cardboard painting technique is a very efficient and quick way to handle small items. It would also make a great way to paint small figurines and handle arts and crafts project and hobby work. Once it’s completely dry simply peel your project piece away from the two-way tape. The underside will not be finished but when installed in the screw hole it will not be visible.

Spray your stair spindles for a professional look

tip for easily painting wooden spindle

Small and awkward objects are almost always better sprayed when they need to be painted or top coated and stair spindles are no exception. The only problem is that the over spray can be very messy and is undesirable in a finished home. For this reason I like to do all my staining and painting of the individual pieces in a shop or garage and install in the home after they are full dry.

As with any small pieces destined for painting, you need to identify the part or side of the piece that will be unseen or less prevalent when it is installed. In this case it will be the top or bottom of the spindle as they will be butted into the floor and top railing when installed.

Steps for spraying your stair spindles:

Steps for painting wooden spindle tip
  1. Start with enough 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 lumber to give you about 9 – 12 inches of spacing for each of your spindles.
  2. Drive a 3 – 4 inch screw through your piece of lumber until the head of the screw is counter sunk into the lumber at a spacing of 9 to 12 inches apart.
  3. Find the center on the end of your spindle by drawing a line from corner to corner. The point where they intersect is the center point.
  4. Press the center point down on the screw tip and rotate spindle until screw is firmly inserted into the end of the spindle.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all spindles are installed onto the lumber holder. You may need to clamp your 2 X 4 lumber to prevent it from tipping over.

Check out my quick video on setting up a railing spindle for spraying in my garage

Video – How to easily paint stair spindles for a professional look

Conclusion

I hope the ideas and principles behind each of these simple techniques will help you out in your future home projects. Remember these techniques can be adapted to many different shapes and sizes of objects that you may be working on for your projects. Hopefully this post has giving you some ideas for your next home painting project.

Questions, comments or ideas please contact us.

5 Simple home painting ideas

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5 Simple home painting tips and ideas

Here we will provide you with 5 simple home painting ideas to consider when painting any room in your home. Some of these ideas you will absolutely love, while others not so much. It basically comes down to your own personal preference and what you would like to achieve with a given area or room in your home. You may also play with a combination of two or more of these painting schemes to achieve the perfect room ambience for your situation.

After you finish this post and view the provided photos of various interior painting designs and you will know right away which ones you like and which ones you don’t, just go with your gut feeling and first instinct. Also bear in mind that each of the painting Concepts, presented here, each have different purpose and achieve completely different objectives for putting together the perfect room in your home.
Let’s begin.

1. Dark walls with light trim

Dark wall with white trim
Dark wall with white trim is a classic look for any room

Classic look and most popular by far that being said there’s not much too really say here because it is so common. Probably 70% of most rooms you will walk into will have this painting design concept and for good reason it is a nice look for most rooms. Walls do not have to be black just slightly darker than the trim and your trim doesn’t have to be white just has to be lighter than your walls just to add a little contrast between the two.

Light trim with darker walls is great for adding a cozy look and feel to any room. The larger of the two surface areas, the wall, sets the tone when you appropriately select the color to set the ambience you want for a given room. This home painting combination would be best used in circumstances where are you want to appeal to the largest number of people such as circumstances where you are showcasing a home for selling or renting.

2. All white look very little contrast

All White room with colored accessories
All white rooms are excellent for showing off colorful accessories

Bright white rooms can be great but must have lots of natural light to pull it off. Painting the entire room white is a quick way to freshen up a room and, make great painting ideas for beginners because there is very little time consuming cutting in trim paint between two contrasting colors, that is everything is the same color, white.

The all white look is perfect for showing off items and accessories in any bright room that you want to draw more attention to such as your prized collectibles, pillows, blankets, pictures, carpets, and so on. Take a look at the above picture of the all-white room above. Your eye will be drawn towards the contrast of the room accessories on the bed, the flooring, wall picture and even the colorful view from the window. Interestingly enough the room itself goes largely unnoticed.

Painted White bedroom
Painted White bedroom gives your room accessories a chance to shine

Most professional designers don’t like all-white rooms but it is your best option to showcase items that are darker or have great colors. Another great advantage is that white is neutral and very flexible which allows you to select any color furnishing and accessories you wish.
One downside to white is if you have kids you have to consider the fact that white will show all those little finger prints and wear and tear quite a bit more than darker colors.

3. Feature wall

Bedroom feature wall
Bedroom feature wall

Good painting tip for the feature wall are areas in bedrooms behind the headboard, rooms with fire place mantels, TV room wall where the TV resides are great ideas or any other walls you want to draw attention. The whole purpose of a feature law is to guide the eye towards room`s best assets and features. It does a great job of highlighting a room’s existing focal points just let your rooms architecture be your guide.

To get started pick your feature wall in a given room, then choose a strong contrasting shade to give the space depth and a focal point that will draw the eye to it. If you do not want too much contrasting color just simply pick a complementary color that is a few shades darker or lighter on the feature wall. The key with a feature wall is to guide the eye towards room’s best assets without being overwhelming.

Painted TV feature wall
Painted TV feature wall

Feature walls are great home painting ideas because they give a room focus and purpose and best of all if the rest of your room walls are in good condition you only have to paint the feature wall itself to get great results making it simple and very low cost room make over.

4. Painted colored ceiling make cool painting ideas

Dinning room darker ceiling
Dining room with a dark painted ceiling delivers warm cozy atmosphere

Your ceiling represents one sixths of any given room and therefore needs to be considered for your room painting ideas. Your ceiling covers as much surface area as your floor and is just as important for setting up the desired atmosphere for a given room.

The most common look for a ceiling is flat white but a ceiling has many more other viable possibilities depending on the atmosphere you’re trying to create. For instance a painted ceiling will cast its color onto the room and everyone in it, for example a red, orange or yellow ceiling will deliver the effect of a sunset setting the mood as warm and cozy. A darker paint creates the illusion that the ceiling opens up like a dark night sky, while a light blue will give a feeling of an open sky on a beautiful day.

Some other good ideas include blue or navy blue to cast an Open Sky feeling over your room. Flat black would work will in a theater or TV room and give you a cozy vibe for a room with a bar to give you an authentic pub feel.
Good point to remember with painting ceilings is to always use a flat paint. Using any other paint sheen like a semi-gloss or gloss, in my opinion, would be far too distracting on a ceiling to be enjoyable. One final thought on painting color on ceilings is to limit it to your select theme rooms in your home and not broadly across your entire home and let the room’s main purpose or theme select the effect you want to produce thus pointing you in the direction of your color selection.

5. Lighter walls with darker trim

I think, when used properly, this is one of my favorite room painting ideas and unfortunately it`s not used hardly enough. This look adds drama to the Space and has a tendency to energize and excite because it draws the eye to all corners of the room

Painting doors and trim black can create more classy and elegant look for a room and points to a higher level of sophistication. The high contrast between light walls and dark trim well energized and excite.

black or white stair hand railings comparison
Difference between black or white stair hand railings

Another great advantage of painting trims and doors dark or black is that it will not show dirt, fingerprints and wear and tear nearly as much as lighter-colored trims and doors. Case and point I recently converted my stair railings in my own home from a semi-gloss White to a dark stain for this very reason. It doesn’t magically repel dirt but it does hide it very well and with young kids running around

The bottom line is that dark trim, in my opinion, adds a sexy-classic look and can be used interchangeably where you would normally use white to paint trim, railings, door casings and doors. Great at hiding dirt and Imperfections while energizing the space in a Timeless fashion it truly does make a great painting idea

Conclusion

One thing is certain that these five simple home painting ideas and color combinations can easily transformer a room or a whole home into a very enjoyable space. Hopefully this post has giving you some ideas for your next home painting project.

Questions, comments or ideas please contact us.

Select the best Paint Brush for your project

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High-quality-paint-brush
High quality paint brush

Tips for selecting the best Paint Brush for your painting project

A little history on the paint brush.

Paint brushes have been around for many years in one form or another. Some research has indicated that forms of brushes for painting have existed for more than 12,000 years this has been realized by the discovery of primitive cave paintings and drawings found to be dated for such a time. The use of paint brushes for Calligraphy in China around 300 BC is well-documented. Primitive forms of paint brushes were man kind’s first instrument to express themselves.  Their primitive existence around the world by multiple cultures has been noted in various other examples as well.

In the 18th century animal hair was hand-glued to a handle. The beginning of 19 century gave way to rapid industrialization and the invention of the metal ferrule, this would have been a breakthrough for the painting industry that would have allowed it to mass produce a much higher quality product. In the beginning the metal ferrule was originally attached to a wooden handle using glue but it would loosen off due to the wood swelling from getting the brush wet which end turn would break the glue bond. The industry quickly move to cramping the metal ferrule to the wooden handle and have continued to do so to this very day.

The modern day paintbrush consists of three main parts

Paint Brush Components
3 main parts of a paint brush

The handle – Handles are made from a wide usually from plastics or wood.  Their shape is very important to those who paint often.  Long handles help an Artist reach further while shorter ones provide more control. 

The ferrule – Is the metal ring, in the middle of the brush, that is crimped and therefore holds the bristles too the handle. It started the paint brush Revolution in the 19th century as we discussed earlier.

The bristles – Bristles are what you spread the paint with and can differ drastically between brushes. Basically you will be selecting your paint brush based mostly on type of bristles it has and we will get to this shortly, read on.

Let’s get started on picking out the perfect paintbrush for your project

Step 1

Take a good look at your overall project and figure out what you will need to paint with a brush. Some examples such as door trim, doors, baseboards,
wall corners and ceilings areas too tight for a paint roller. The angled sash brush is your best paint brush for cutting in between the wall paint and the door trims. Use the following guidelines to select your paintbrush size.

Brush SizeBest intended Surface use
1 ” to 1 1/2″ Inch Hobbies & crafts. window mullions,
tight corners, very detailed areas
2″ to 2 1/2″ inchBaseboards. cabinets. furniture.
stain, railings, shutters, gutters
Angle sash
Edging Brush
2″ to 2 1/2″ Inch		Window frames. casings, mouldings,
cutting-in edges of walls & ceilings
3″ to 4″ InchExterior siding, decks. Fences. walls masonry,ceilings, doors, large areas.

Step 2

Paint Brush Painting

Consider what type of Coatings, paint or stain you will be using?

Paints or coverings basically have two classifications, water and oil base coverings.

  • Water base or latex classification you can find many different qualities of paints for different purposes. Some latex paints have more polymers for better coverage and stain hiding properties, others have inhibitors for prevention of mold and mildew crate for kitchens and baths. Paint technology in the area has come a long way over the years.
  • Oil paint consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil and is a slow-drying paint. Common applications of oil paint are in finishing and protection of wood in buildings and exposed metal structures. It as hard-wearing properties and is commonly use on the exterior surfaces.

Table outlining the different available paint brush bristles, their properties and the paints they pair with for best painting results.

Paint brush bristle Painting properties and best use
Chinex Perfect for today’s low VOCs and fast drying paint
and stains.
Maintains stiffness for good control.
Softer tips for increased paint pickup and release.
Easy to clean.
Nylon & Polyester Excellent for all pants and stains
Micro-tipped filaments result in finer paint finish. Combines the stiffness of polyester with the
precise tipping of nylon
Releases paint easily leaving a smooth painting result very good for trim work with latex.
Takes more effort clean time to clean.
Nylon Works well for all paints, especially low viscosity and faster drying paints.
Delivers a nice smooth paint finish due to its extra flex and feather soft bristles.
Extra durable, holds up well on rough surfaces and resists wear.
Softens in hot weather or pronged use latex.
Very easy to clean.
PolyesterBest uses are for latex paints and thinner water base paints.
Will not absorb water and resist softening.
Polyester bristles help eliminate brush marks.
Has excellent smoothing and leveling properties for latex paint.
White China bristles or natural bristle
Use with oil-based coatings, paints, stains, and
varnish with natural bristle paint brush
Excellent results when fine finishing is desired.
The bristle tips provide virtually no brush marks for a Ultra smooth finish.

After making your selection based on the paint your using and selecting the best corresponding brush, we have a few more considerations to keep in mind before you go shopping.

  • If you’re painting a textured or rougher surface then select the shorter bristles therefore should be stiffer to work the paint into the surface
  • Select an angled brush 4 trimming around moldings and baseboards makes it easier to cut in
  • Expensive brushes are usually better quality but they are not necessary just check your brush for straight uniform bristles. make sure none of the bristles become easily dislodge from the handle by giving a few a good pluck. If they do become dislodge from the brush move on to another brush.

When applying latex-based paint, it’s best to use brushes that have synthetic paint bristles because they hold their shape better and maintain their stiffness. Polyester brushes can be more expensive but they are well worth the upfront additional cost. If you clean and store them properly, they will last and perform well for many years.

Tips on how to clean and take care of your paintbrush

Paint Brush Clean up

Never allow paint dry on the bristles of a paint brush. While using your brush to paint always keep a little bit of fresh paint loaded on your paint brush bristles this will prevent the paint from drying while using your brush. As soon as you’re done painting with your brush it should be cleaned right away to avoid paint from drying on the bristles.

It’s easy just do the following

  • Remove excess paint using a paper towel or rag to squeeze out the excess paint.
  • Go to the sink, and rinse your brush under running lukewarm water. Using your fingers, gently and quickly squeeze the bristles to further dislodge any leftover paint.
  • Swish the brush around in your cup of water to release any leftover paint.
  • Gently shake off the excess water.
  • Use dish soap or regular hand-washing soap on your brush and gently wash the bristles with your fingers by working the soap through the bristles.
  • Place the bristles in between a paper towel or rag, and squeeze out the excess water.
  • Once you are certain all the paint has been you should removed, shake the brush to remove the excess water.
  • Place the bristles in between a paper towel or rag, and squeeze out the excess water.
  • Wrap your paintbrush with a piece of paper towel let it set for a few hours in the horizontal position to absorb all the water in the bristles.
  • After your brush is thoroughly dry it is most important to storage in the packaging that came with it when you purchase it.

Before you go shopping don`t forget to check our post on How to Select a Paint Roller

Here is a link to the best Paint Brushes available for your painting project.

Questions, comments or ideas please contact us.

Choose only the best Paint Roller for any job

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Paint Sleeve

Easy tips on Selecting the best Paint Roller for your next project

Ensuring you are selecting the best paint roller for your job is crucial. There are many different types of paint rollers and here we will give you all the tips you need for selecting the best paint roller . Understanding how to choose the right paint roller can save you time and money in the long run. Choosing the right paint roller requires a good understanding of what your project requires.

Step 1: Select the right size roller and handle:

Standard paint roller and sleeve
Paint roller

Selecting the right size will depend on your project, you may need two different size rollers and corresponding roller handles to complete your job. You will need a roller handle and a roller sleeve or refill to transfer the paint your wall. Pick a roller handle that is strong and rolls free therefore make sure it easily spins and does not bind at all or it will cause problems during the painting process. I do recommend buying good quality paint roller handle with paint tray because these items should last the DIYer a life time.

Paint rollers come in several sizes and roller covers come with different coverings, each with a different purpose in mind. To choose right roller you first need to select the size of paint roller you want and the kind of surface you’ll be painting. For most DIY projects you will be selecting either the 4 inch Mini roller or the standard 9 inch;

  • The “mini” is usually 4 inch in length are good trim rollers and use for painting small areas.
  • Standard painting rollers and most common are generally considered to be 9 inch in length to work on walls and ceilings.

Package deals are available local at home depot for paint rollers and on line at Amazon.

Step 2: Select the length of the paint roller nap on the roller covers.

great quality paint roller sleeve
High quality paint roller with plastic inner sleeve

You have to select the length of the nap on your roller covers. Nap is available in various lengths therefore use the one recommended for the surface you’re painting. In general, the longer the nap, the more paint it will hold but this may increase the amount of surface texturing. Don’t pick a roller based on the amount of paint it will hold. Use the following as a general guideline.

  • 1/4-inch nap or 6 mm – Smooth or fine surfaces, such as new walls, ceilings, wood doors, and trim
  • 3/8-inch nap or 10 mm – Smooth to light-textured walls best for smooth painting on new drywall.
  • 1/2-inch nap or 13 mm – Most walls and medium rough surfaces, such as textured plaster, and concrete. Great general purpose paint roller.
  • 3/4-inch nap or 19 mm – Rough surfaces, such as textured walls and ceilings, textured plaster, and concrete. Better penetration and coverage on rough surfaces.

Step 3: Roller nap material made from natural or synthetic fibers.

Select the best paint roller
Select your paint roller

Better quality rollers should have plastic inter and will hold up much better than cardboard cages they will last longer and are much easier to clean, than a cheaper cardboard version.

Roller nap is made from natural or synthetic fibers or combination of both. Here is a chart of most common materials use for roller construction and their properties for your home painting needs;

  • Polyester Knit – Specially formulated for today’s latex coatings. The highly crimped fibers offer the best protection against matting. Knit rollers pick up and release higher amounts paint than woven rollers.
  • Soft Woven – Not as popular as polyester knit. Can be used for both latex and oil coatings, they do a fine job with gloss and semi-glass paint.
  • Wool/Polyester Knit – Fifty percent of the roller cover fiber is natural wool, which allows for greater paint pick-up and delivery. Fifty percent is polyester, which helps the roller keep its shape during prolonged use. The blend results in an excellent balance of productivity and low matting.

Conclusions

There are many options available for paint rollers. But for the average homeowner, that will be painting walls and ceilings, you will want to purchase good quality roller handles and trays, stick with polyester knit or wool/polyester knit rollers combinations. If you are painting dry walled walls and ceilings then stick with a roller nap length between 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch. Favor the shorter nap if you want a slightly smoother finish.

Questions, comments or ideas please contact me.

Why Paint? Here are 3 reasons to start today!

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Nicely painted entrance and dining room
Elegant entrance way and dining room with beautifully painted trim and walls

Why Paint? Here are 3 reasons to start today!

The question is why wouldn’t you paint!

All jokes a side there is nothing that will give you a bigger bang for your hard earned buck than painting especially if you are put in the labor to make it happen. Repairing dings and dents in your walls and updating your paint will add value to your home quicker than then anything else. The cost of purchasing painting tools is relatively cheap and will last you many years.

Painting your home’s interior is one of the most affordable and easiest things you can do to upgrade your home. There are many advantages to upgrading your home’s paint but;

Here are 3 great reasons to start painting your homes interior today.

  1. Excellent way to give your home a cheap refresh. It also makes it a great time to repurpose rooms change the vibe various parts of your home by selecting colors and schemes to make your room look bright and open by selecting lighter colors or maybe adding darker natural tones to make your room cozy and warm for you and your entire family.
  2. Make your home healthier for you and your family. New low VOC paints are much healthier addition to your family walls and can dramatically change the air quality for you and your family. It also seal up your walls and inhibits the growth of mold scores and microbes that may be hiding on your home’s interior painted surfaces that are frequently missed during regular cleaning.
  3. Has I have frequently mention and firmly believe that nothing will clean up a house quicker and make a home look fresher than a good coat of paint on the walls and trim. It will add value to your home, increase enjoyment and pride for the entire family for years to come. I have also found that it incentivize children to help keep your home looking clean and new because they also appreciate the new clean look and instill a feeling of pride in the place they also call home too.

More to come stay tuned

We will be providing information and tips in future posts on how to pick the right tools. How to pick out appropriate rollers for the project you’re working on, paint brushes, painting, bedroom paint colors, home painting ideas, house paint, house painting ideas, how to paint a room, interior wall paint, paint, paint colors, painting ideas, painting tips, wall colors, wall paint colors, wall painting ideas and much much more.

If you have any suggestions on future articles or research you would like us to conduct please contact us

Thank you Rick