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Painting Software

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:05:36 +0000

It seems we use our personal computers for everything these days – including painting our houses! That’s right; there is software out there that can actually help you do a better job when painting your house. The tools, however, are all color related.

Wouldn’t it be great to see what your chosen colors will look like on a house before you actually apply them? You can. You can’t see what they look like on your house, however. There are many sites that allow you to select colors and view them on images of one or more houses.

Here is a list of resources:

Lowes
http://www.valsparatlowes.com/coordinate-colors/color-by-architecture.html

Benjamin Moore
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/

Sherwin Williams
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/paint_color_samples/

ColorCharts.org
http://www.colorcharts.org/ccorg/

Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/fixit/house.mspx

Bob Villa
http://www.bobvila.com/DesignTools/ExteriorDesigner/ExteriorDesigner.html

Martin Senour
http://martinsenour.com/home_decorating/palette_match.asp

EzyPaint
http://www.resene.co.nz/ezypaint/main.htm

It is a great idea to try out potential colors using one or more of these tools before purchasing your paint. It can save you a great deal of money, and keep you from painting your home using colors that you don’t realize you hate before hand!

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Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Painting Safety

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:03:49 +0000

Before you start a house painting project, make sure that you learn and adhere to all associated safety precautions. Painting can be more dangerous than you imagine. But by learning the safety rules, you can paint your house without running into any mishaps.

The biggest safety hazard when painting is falling off a ladder. This is a common mishap, and it can be avoided by ensuring that no ladder is placed on an uneven surface. You should also make sure that one hand and both feet are firmly planed on the ladder. When using extended ladders, make sure that it is leaning against a solid surface, and that the base is on level, secure ground.

Many of the products used when painting are poisonous. Keep all products out of the reach of pets and children, and avoid getting those products in your nose, eyes, or mouth. Read the potential health hazards on each product that you use, and make sure that all products are used in well ventilated areas.

Most products will also be very flammable. Don’t smoke in or near the area that is being painted. Also, avoid storing leftover paint in hot areas, as some are combustible. For safety reasons, don’t throw rags that are used away. Burn them – safely – in a barrel instead. Have a water hose nearby. If you cannot burn them, fill an empty paint can with water, place them in that can, and seal it – and throw the can out with the trash.

Lead paint is a problem and still exists on many older homes. Make sure that you remove every bit of old lead paint, and wear gloves and a mask when doing so. You don’t want to breathe any of it in!

When painting the exterior of your home, watch out for power lines. Call your electric company and ask them to come out and put a protective cover on power lines that are near your home. Also be aware that after you remove light switch covers and outlet covers, these switches and outlets are dangerous. Keep children away from them, and be careful not to get paint inside!

Finally, make sure that you have and use personal protection equipment, including gloves, goggles, and a mask or respirator. Additional PPE may also be required, such as a hard hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

When working, always be aware of safety issues and hazards. By being aware that they exist, the chances of being affected by such a hazard are much smaller.

Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Painting Unusual Surfaces

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:02:39 +0000

You can actually paint over a variety of materials. Tile, paneling, old wood, and cabinets can be painted. You can even paint appliances and make them look brand new again. It’s all a question of knowing how to do it, preparing the surface properly, and using the right paint and primer for the job.

Painting over Tile: Start by cleaning the tile thoroughly. Dry the area. Apply a Block out/under coater to the tile. You may want to lightly sand the tile before applying the under coater. Allow four hours for the under coater to dry, and then apply an acrylic gloss enamel, in the color of your choosing. You can also use a ceramic acrylic, satin enamel, or flat finish paint. If needed, apply a second coat. The under coater and the enamel can be applied by spraying for the best results.

Painting over Paneling: The only thing required to paint over paneling is to use a good primer, such as Kilz. Allow the primer to dry, and then apply paint as usual. For best results, apply two coats.

Painting over Old Wood: Old wood is painted the same as new wood. It is important, however, to remove all old paint first. Once all paint is removed, prime it with an oil based primer, and paint it with oil based paint. This is due to the fact that older wood was probably originally painted with oil based paint.

Painting Appliances: Sand the entire surface to roughen it up. Use special epoxy paint to cover the surface. Make sure that you tape portions of the surface that you do not want painted. For best results, use a paint sprayer to apply the epoxy.

Paint Cabinets: Before painting, remove all doors and hardware. Doors can be painted before you re-hang them. Remove the paint, prime the cabinet doors, and the frames, and then apply two coats of paint, waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next.

As you can see, pretty much any material can be painted over. Again, it’s just a question of using the right products, and preparing the surface properly before starting. Now, when you decide to repaint your kitchen, you don’t have to worry about matching the paint to your appliances and cabinets – you can match the appliances and cabinets to your paint!

House Painting 101 eCourse

Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Painting the Exterior

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:01:35 +0000

Before you start painting on the exterior of your home, you will need to do one additional prep task. You need to use masking tape around or on sections that you do not want painted, such as trim work. Unlike the interior, you only do a little taping at a time. For example, you might go ahead and tape on the side that you are currently working on, and wait to tape sections that you are not working on.

When painting an interior, you start with the main color, and save the trim work for last. This isn’t so when painting an exterior. You start with the trim, and then paint the main portions. Paint window sashes, overhangs, window casings and door casings. Paint any other type of trim work that you have. If you aren’t sure, paint those things that require the least amount of paint (the contrast or trim color) first.

Next move to the main color, and paint the flat surfaces of your home. This is done the same way that an interior is painted. You get close to the edges with a brush, and then use a roller on the larger surfaces that must be covered. For each strip that you paint, make sure that you overlap the last wet strip by about one inch.

Just as you did when preparing the exterior for paint, paint on the shaded sides of the house. For some exterior material, you may be able to cover the majority with a roller, but then need to use a brush for fill-ins. A perfect example of this are homes with shingle sidings that overlap each other – a brush may be needed to get paint up in the gap between the shingles.

No matter what you are painting on the exterior, remember that it isn’t good to start painting next to already dry paint. Apply wet paint next to wet paint. For best results, break the painting up into sections, and paint an entire section at one time. Don’t stop for a break until an entire section is finished.

Plan your sections! You don’t want to have to lean a ladder up against wet paint. Ideally, you will move in a direction, and paint as you go, always leaning the ladder against portions of the house that have not yet been painted. Often you will work directly above the ladder, and other times you will work to the side of the ladder. Start at the top of each section, and work your way down, until that section is complete.

Depending on the size of your home, it may take a couple of days to get the entire exterior painted. If a second coat will be needed, you can choose to apply the second coat after each section has dried, or after you have applied the first coat to the entire house. You may find that you save time by painting a section, painting the next section, then applying the second coat to the first section.

This way, the first section has time to dry while you paint the second section. By the time you finish the second coat on the first section, the second section will be ready for that second coat, and then you start the whole process over again with two more sections.

Remember that you need to paint in the shade – not only for health reasons, but also to keep the paint from drying too quickly while you are still working on a section. This will prevent brush marks. When the sun moves to a side that you have finished painting, make sure that you stop to take a look at it. You can see problems easier in sunlight than you can in the shade.

As with interiors, remove masking tape while the paint is still wet. Also, since it may take more than one day to paint the exterior, make sure that when you quit each day that you soak your brushes in paint thinner, and that you replace the lids on the paint cans tightly.

Only allow the brushes to soak for an hour or so, and then rinse them well with water, and lay them out to dry. They need to be dry when you start painting again. You do not, however, want them to be stiff. So, once you’ve rinsed them, make sure that you blot them well with absorbent towels to get out excess water. When rinsing them, rinse until the water runs clear.

Make sure that you stir the paint again when you start back up as well. It will settle after several hours. If you are returning unused paint in the paint pan to the can, make sure that you strain it, so that debris doesn’t get in the can of paint.

Once you’ve finished the entire house, you will want to get any trim that you have removed painted, and allow it to dry. Inspect everything closely, to ensure that you haven’t spattered paint on surfaces that you didn’t intend painted.

Sometimes paint drips, so be sure to check surfaces where more than one color was used to ensure that there are no drips of darker paint on lighter paint or vice versa. Fix mistakes or problems as you find them.

At the same time, however, remember that if you let every little imperfection stop your progress on the exterior of your home, you will be trying to get it repainted for weeks or months! An imperfection on the exterior isn’t nearly as noticeable as an imperfection on the interior.

When everything is dry, start replacing trim and hardware that you have removed, until it is all replaced. Toss out drop clothes and used up brushes and paint pans. Get everything cleaned up, and even consider mowing the grass and weeding the garden. Now, fire up the barbeque, sit on your patio, and admire all of your hard work!

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Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Painting the Interior

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:00:03 +0000

Finally, after all of that preparation work, you are ready to paint your room. Believe it or not, this is the easiest and fastest part of painting! As easy as it is, however, there is a method to it that should be used.

Always start with the ceiling. Paint around the edges of the ceiling first, using a two inch sash brush. Start at the wall, and come out about three inches or so. Paint around light fixtures, again, using the brush and coming out three or four inches. Also use the brush to paint around any moldings or trim that could not or was not removed.

Get your paint roller, and start rolling paint on the ceiling. Make sure that you paint in the same direction at all times. Begin in a corner, and each time you start a new strip, cut into the last strip you painted by about an inch. This will keep brush marks from appearing. It is important that you continue to paint, adding new strips, while the last strip that you did is wet. Again, this will reduce marks where you painted strips.

Before you paint further, allow the ceiling to dry, and see if an additional coat is needed or not. Get on the ladder and look at the ceiling closely to ensure that all areas were sufficiently covered.

While you are waiting for the paint to dry, you can clean up any paint spatters. Read the label on the paint can to see how long you should wait between coats. You want one coat to dry before you add another coat, for best results.

Following the ceiling, the next thing to paint is the walls. Any trim that needs painting, including baseboards, should have already been removed or taped. The walls should be painted the same way as the ceiling. Use a sash brush to paint around the edge near the top, and come down about four inches.

Following this, use a roller, and paint up and down. Make sure that each strip covers the last strip by about an inch. You will also need to use a brush on the corners. Paint up and down, and come out about two or three inches. Continue painting until all walls are painted.

Wait for the first coat to dry, and then add an additional coat, if needed. While you are waiting on the walls to dry, you can start painting the trim that you have removed from the walls.

Before you start painting trim that has been left on the walls, it is vital that you let the wall paint completely dry. This is because you have to tape again. Once the wall paint is dry, remove all of the tape, and then apply tape on the wall, above, below, and beside trim work.

In most cases, you will use a brush to paint trim – not a roller. The only time a roller would be appropriate is if you have removed the trim. However, they now make tiny rollers that are the perfect width for some trim work, such as baseboards.

When painting windows make sure you remove all of the hardware first, if possible. If this is not possible at least tape the hardware to keep from getting paint on it. You should also tape the panes of the window, or use newspaper and tape around the edges.

Paint the doors last. Remember when painting doors and baseboards, you can put masking tape on the carpet as well. Ideally, you should use a drop clothe, and tape it to the floor at the wall. You paint the doors last simply because you will be moving them around quite a bit while painting other surfaces.

In most cases, you will want to remove the masking tape while paint is still wet. This must be done slowly and carefully. If you leave the tape on until the paint has dried, you risk pulling dried paint off of the wall with the tape, where you painted on the tape as you painted the surface.

Do not use a fan to dry paint. Let it dry naturally. Using a fan to dry the paint will only serve to blow debris into the wet paint. Also, if your home retains moisture a great deal, avoid painting on rainy or humid days.

That’s it! Inspect to be sure that you’ve covered everything and that it looks the way you wanted it to look. Replace outlet and switch covers. Replace window covering hardware, doorknobs, and window locks.

Replace newly painted trim. Re-hang pictures – but this time use special window hangers, instead of nails. Finally, move your furniture in – carefully, so as not to bang any of your freshly painted walls!

Read the paint manufacturers instructions for keeping your painted wall maintained. Most glossy and semi-glossy paints can be wiped with a damp clothe. Before moving anything into the room, make absolutely sure that the paint is dry. For best results, wait at least twelve hours to fully allow the paint to ‘set.’

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Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Preparing for Exterior Painting

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:35:42 +0000

Preparing the exterior of your home for paint is a much bigger job than preparing the interior. The amount of time it takes depends a great deal on how large the home is, and of course on how much repair work needs to be done.

You should note, however, that exterior painting does not offer the opportunity of having a totally clean and prepared surface for painting. If you are extremely picky about this, it is going to take you several months to get your home painted – if you ever do in fact get to the painting part.

With that said, let’s get started. You may think that the first job is to scrape the paint off. That’s wrong! That paint is protecting the exterior of your home, and there are other prep jobs to do before we get to that. Let that paint remain a bit longer.

The first thing to do is to make any needed repairs. Remove mildew – almost all homes will have areas of mildew on the outside. Replace any rotten or decayed wood. Fill big dents and holes in wood with filler, and of course, use joint compound around window and door casings, as well as caulking. Make sure that you smooth these areas with a putty knife, and sand the area after it has dried.

Check for power lines. These can be a safety hazard. If there are power lines attached to your home, call your power company. Tell them that you are about to paint your home, and you would like to have a protective cover placed over the lines. They should do this free of charge.

Remove shutters and storm doors. These can be painted separately, and removing them will make the entire job much easier. Also remove rain gutters, and any type of molding and such that can be removed. Store these items in the garage for the time being. Remove all window screens as well.

Cover porches, steps, and decks with drop clothes. If your home is a mixture of brick and wood, cover the brick work as well. You should also cover flower beds, as the chemicals in the paint may kill the plants. Because wind may be a problem at some point, secure the drop clothes with tape if possible to prevent them from moving out of place.

At the same time, use caution. While it is safe to place step ladders on drop clothes, it is not safe to place extended ladders (those that lean up against the house) on drop clothes, as they will not be secure.

Use a dust brush on all of the cracks and crannies. You won’t be able to remove every speck of dust from the exterior, but you can remove a great deal of it. You will need to wash your house, but this should be done several days prior to other prep work, as the wood will need time to dry. You can wash it with a water hose, or use a sprayer with a solution of bleach and water. Again, make sure that you do this several days in advance of priming and painting, because the wood must be absolutely dry!

Scrapping is the biggest job, and with all other preparation tasks done, you are ready to scrape the old paint off. Remember that this paint is protecting the wood, so the best method is to scrap one side of the house, and then prime it. The primer will protect it until you can get paint back on the surface. So, scrape, prime, scrape, prime, scrape, prime, scrape, prime. That is the order!

Now, in many cases, you do not have to scrape all of the old paint off. Mainly, what you are scraping off is peeling and cracked paint. Work on the shaded side of the house at all times, if possible, and again, prime as soon as possible after scraping.

Look for nails that are driven all the way in. Make sure that they are not rusted, and if they are, use sandpaper to remove the rust before you prime those areas. Often, after priming an area, you will be able to see imperfections that you could not really see before you primed. Go ahead and repair those areas, making sure that you prime them again after they are repaired.

You do not have to prime the entire exterior. You only need to prime the areas that are bare of paint. However, if you are moving to a lighter color paint than the existing paint, it either all needs to be scraped off, or it must be primed before applying the lighter color – or the darker color will bleed through.

Ask your paint dealer to try to match your primer to the color of the paint that you will be using. In many cases, they can do this, and it won’t cost any extra to have this done. This is especially important if you are repainting the house the same color, as the primer may actually change the color of the paint slightly.

Your house is ready to be painted. Make another walk around, and just be sure that you’ve made all of the needed repairs, removed what you could remove, that you’ve scraped and primed what needed to be scraped and primed, and that you have sufficiently covered areas that are subject to paint spatter.

Again, on the exterior, it is just about impossible to create an ideal surface for painting. You are subject to the elements. There is going to be dust. Once you’ve painted, however, and the paint has dried, you can lightly sand areas that have a lot of noticeable debris.

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Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Preparing for Interior Painting

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:33:22 +0000

The first step to preparation for interior painting is to clear the room of everything that you possibly can; including furnishings, knick-knacks, and window dressings (this includes blinds and shades). The fewer objects you have in the room, the faster everything else will go. Those objects can be moved to a different room for the time being.

With that done, remove light switch covers and outlet covers. These are actually inexpensive objects, so if you break one removing it, don’t despair, you can purchase new ones. If yours are old go ahead and replace these with new ones anyway. If you are using the old ones, make sure that you wash them. You may try soaking them in a solution of bleach and water to freshen them up.

Also remove hardware, such as that used to hang curtains and blinds. Make sure that you fill those holes in with spackle as well. Have new brackets and such for curtain rods and blinds available, as they usually get all bent out of shape when being removed.

Next, look at the condition of the existing paint. Is it peeling or cracking? If it is, you have to remove it before you can apply fresh paint. This can be done with sandpaper. Avoid using a scrapper on dry wall. Look for any spots where debris is in the existing paint and sand over that as well.

Look for chipped wood and dents, and make these repairs using wood fillers and compound. Use the caulking on joints, window frames, and door frames. Wash the walls down, and make sure that there is no mildew anywhere. Remove any nails from the walls, and use spackling to fill those holes, and smooth them with the putty knife. After fillers and compounds have dried, use the sandpaper to smooth them even further.

Use the dust brush in the corners and tight places to remove all dust and debris. Make sure that you also use the dust brush around the bottom of the floors, even you have carpeting there. Look for places that brooms and vacuums don’t reach. Remove trim, if possible. It can be painted later, and then replaced. This will make it possible to paint with less taping.

You need to do the taping now, which takes a while. Basically, any surface on the walls that you do not want painted the same color as the walls should be covered with tape. This includes window frames and windows panes.

Again, taping takes time, so remove anything that you can, such as trim and baseboards. It is easier to not tape them, and it’s easier to paint them separately – off the wall so to speak.

Tape up doorknobs as well, or remove them completely. When you tape, make sure that the ends of the tap overlap the last piece of tape that you used. Use lengths of tape about two to three feet long, and make sure that it is even and covering the surfaces you do not want the paint applied to.

Sweep or vacuum the floor. Cover the floors and any remaining furnishings with your plastic sheeting or drop clothes. Use the primer on the ceiling, walls, and the trim (later). This will cover any discoloring, old paint, and in many cases, even stains. Allow it to dry.

When the primer dries, examine the walls again closely. Sand out any debris, and look to see if there are any problems that you missed on the first go-around. Make sure that the primer did hide old paint and stains.

Don’t allow any imperfections to go untreated. For interiors, most problems can be fixed, and it is just a matter of finding the right product for the repair. There are compounds that are material specific, such as compounds to repair dents and cracks in dry wall, compounds for joints, spackling to fill holes, and more. Find the right product and fix the problem – you will be glad that you did!

A good primer, such as Kilz, will cover most stains and discolorations. If it doesn’t, however, you will need to use a stain sealer for this. After you have covered the stain with the sealer, you will need to re-prime the area.

Don’t skip the primer! Yes, it’s true that primer is often more expensive than paint, but it is necessary. Not only does it cover darker colors and such, but it also gets your surface ready to receive the paint. This helps the paint to last longer – it will adhere to the surface much better with primer.

Usually, one coat of primer is all that is needed, but you may need two if you have dark paint on the walls, and you are moving to a lighter paint. Pay attention to what the suggestion on the can of primer says about the number of coats to use.

That’s it. Your room is ready for paint. Look around again, and make sure that all problems have been fixed, and that the primer has covered discolorations and stains. Remove as much dust from the room as you possibly can, and make sure that furnishings and the floor are well covered with drop clothes.

You can wait until the following day to paint, but try not to wait longer than that, or you will most likely have to do all of the dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming again, as dust accumulates even with a small amount of time.

House Painting 101 eCourse

Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Choosing Your Paint

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:13:06 +0000

When purchasing the materials needed to paint your home, you will spend the greatest amount of time choosing the paint. There are different brands, different types of paint, and of course different colors. Some people take weeks or even months choosing the colors that they want to use!

Let’s start with choosing the color, since that will be the biggest decision that you face. If painting on the interior, you obviously want to use a color that matches or compliments your furnishings, unless you haven’t purchased furnishings yet, in which case you can choose any colors you want. But ideally, you will stick with a main color that complements your furnishings, and a trim color that complements the main color.

Choosing the Paint Colors

A new trend is to use three colors, with one wall painted a darker contrasting color, the other three walls painted a lighter color, and then the trim painted yet another color. Unfortunately, you can’t be told what colors to choose.

All you can do is go by your personal tastes. You should, however, remember that paint dries darker than it looks in the can. Darker colors will make a room or house look smaller, and light colors will make homes or rooms appear to be larger than they are. Darker paint will highlight accents better than lighter paint.

The paint stores have made it very easy to choose color schemes with those little sample cards. Ideally, you should choose all of the colors that you will use that are on the same sample card, as these are complementary colors to each other.

For the best results, when you are at the store, ask the salesman to mix the paint of the color you have chosen, and then paint a little on the back of the sample card and let it dry before you leave. In fact, in most stores, they will do this for you, and then you can go home with that dab of paint on the back of the sample card to hold it up to the wall, or your furniture to see how it will look.

Exterior Colors

When choosing exterior colors, pay attention to the surroundings and your roof. Your roof color can’t be changed without getting a new (expensive) roof. The paint you choose should look okay with your roof color. But you need to look further than that. Bright pastels may not fit in well in a neighborhood that is full of darker colored homes or brick homes.

Paint Types

Once you’ve chosen your colors, you need to choose the type of paint that you will use. Your choices are Flat, Glossy, and Semi-Gloss. Flat paint is obviously not glossy. Flat paint is more ‘dry’ looking and – flat. Flat paint is often used on the exterior. Glossy paint is usually too glossy, even for an interior, so for interiors, you will most likely want semi-gloss paint.

Another tip: Glossy paint shows imperfections, including brush stroke marks. However, glossy paint is easier to clean. For interiors, choose a semi-gloss paint that won’t show perfections so clearly, but will still be ‘washable.’ You can use flat paint for trim and such.

Also note whether or not you are seeking exterior or interior paint. It states on the can which one it is, and this is important. Exterior paint will be too heavy for interiors, and interior paint won’t hold up on exteriors.

The brand really doesn’t matter that much. You will have your own idea about which brand is better, but in the end, it’s all paint. Go with a brand that you like, or go with an off brand name and save money.

Before you buy gallons of paint, buy a pint of paint, and take it home. Paint an area of about two feet by two feet to get the best idea about what that paint is going to look like. Don’t worry about messing up your wall. You can do this on the wall behind furniture, so that you can easily hide it until you’ve chosen your paint.

How much paint do you need? Before you head to the paint store, get some measurements. Find out how many square feet the room or house that you are painting is. When you get there, read the cans, and they will tell you how many square feet a gallon of paint will cover.

Buy at least one extra gallon of each color. Those ‘guesstimates’ on the back of the can aren’t always right, and you will want a little extra for touchups later on. When you do get home and you’ve selected your colors, get a piece of paper and write down all the information about each paint and put that information in a safe place. You may need more paint later on.

Again, choosing the paint color is the hardest part of shopping for materials. Paint is expensive, and you don’t want to buy gallons of paint, paint your room, and then have to start all over because you hate the color, or the color was slightly ‘off.’ Buy a pint and do a test, and keep repeating this process until you have found the perfect color or colors for your house or room.

Now that you have your paint, and all of your materials, you are ready to get started. In the following pages, we will cover preparing your room and preparing the exterior of your home for paint. It is vital that you not paint until the surface is ready. You would be surprised at how many people rush home with their paint and start slapping it on the walls – only to find that they’ve wasted a great deal of money on paint to have a room or home that looks like it was painted by a three year old.

While there are similar preparation steps for interior and exterior painting, there are aspects that are special to each type of painting. Let’s start with preparing to paint on the interior.

House Painting 101 eCourse

Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Materials Needed for Painting Your Home

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:05:05 +0000

Again, you need more than brushes, rollers, paint pans and paint. Here is a list of all of the materials that you may need, with an explanation of what each material is for. Read this list carefully, and make sure that you have all of the materials that you need before you start. You can literally triple your prep time if you have to keep running back to the home improvement store to get needed materials that you forgot!

Ladders: You need two ladders, actually. You will need an extension ladder if you are painting the exterior, and at the very least, a step ladder for painting the interior. You may also need a six foot ladder. This is more than a ‘reach’ issue; it is also a safety issue. Don’t try to replace a ladder with a table or a chair!

Paint Pans: These are special pans designed for paint rollers. You can’t skip this. Paint pans are reasonably cheap, and you should buy several. You can also buy pan liners, but the pans themselves are so cheap, you should just buy additional pans instead, and throw them away when you are finished with them, or wash them out and store them.

Paint Brushes: Don’t get cheap here. Get good brushes, in varying sizes. They cost anywhere from $3 to $7 each, and you need at least one of each size. Brushes are used for trim work and small work, where special care is needed.

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Paint Rollers and Refills: Most of the painting is done with a roller. The roller consists of two parts. The actual metal or plastic roller is the first part, and the covers go on the roller. The roller is then rolled down into the paint, which is in a paint pan, and then rolled on the walls to cover them with paint. You will also need an extension pole, which is screwed into the bottom of the paint roller to help you reach higher places.

Paint Sprayer: Some professionals use paint sprayers. Note, however, that these are expensive, and unless you know what you are doing, you may not get the paint evenly on the walls. Because these are so expensive, you are really better off just using paint brushes and rollers. Sprayers are great for exterior painting, however.

Masking Tape: You need lots of masking tape! You will be using it extensively in the prep work. Buy a package that has ten rolls. You will see varying colors. Choose a color that is in direct contrast to the color you are putting on the wall, so that it is easier to see.

Plastic Sheeting: Buy lots of cheap plastic sheeting. This will be used as drop clothes to cover the floor and furnishings that could not be moved out of the room. Plastic sheeting is cheaper than clothe. When you are finished with it, you can easily throw it away.

Sandpaper: You will need 120 and 220 grit sandpaper. This is used to smooth any rough spots on the surface that you will be painting. Don’t assume that you won’t need this – you will.

Rags: Buy several packages of cheap ‘shop towels.’ These are cloth, but you probably won’t be washing them. You will most likely throw them away when you are done with them, so make sure that you don’t buy expensive ones.

Caulk and Caulking Gun: Caulking will be used to seal some areas, such as where joints meet, corner boards, and window frames and door frames. Once the caulking is dry, you can paint right over it.

Scrappers and Blades: Scrappers and blades for the scrapper are used primarily for exterior prep work, because all of the old paint must be removed from the exterior before adding fresh paint, for best results. Overall, scrapping is the biggest job for exterior prep work, so buy extra scrappers and get other people involved if possible!

Stir Sticks: These are simple wooden sticks that are used – you guessed it – to stir the paint. Yes, paint must be stirred, and usually, when you buy paint, the store will give you paint sticks for free.

Water Hose: Needed for exterior prep work and clean up work whether painting inside or out. You don’t want all that messy paint in your kitchen sink or tub!

Spackling Compound: This is used to fill holes left in the wall from nails. You definitely want to fill these holes before you start to paint.

Wood Dough: This may or may not be needed. It is used for wooden pieces, such as baseboards, to fill in dents and holes that occur over time.

Joint Compound: Joint compound is usually used to cover the point where two pieces of drywall meet. But it can be used in prep work as well to fill any dents in the drywall, or even in wooden pieces.

Joint Tape: Joint tape is used with Joint Compound. The tape is applied first, and then the compound is applied over it.

Stain Sealer: In most cases, you can’t paint over a stain. The stain will show through the new paint. Instead, use oil based or alcohol based stain sealer on the stain first.

Paint Thinner: Paint thinner is used to thin paint. It will typically be used for cleanup. For example, you will use a bucket, pour some paint thinner in it, and soak your brushes in that overnight to get all of the paint out of them.

Paint Strainer: Paint strainers are used to keep debris and lumps out of your paint. When you add paint to a paint pan, you should pour it into the pan through a strainer. If you are pouring paint from the pan back to the can, again, use a strainer.

Buckets: You will need small buckets for soaking brushes and such. In most cases, you won’t pour paint into these buckets.

Putty Knife: This will be used to smooth any putty or compounds that you use during the prep work.

Dust Brush: You need a good stiff brush to get the dust and dirt out of corners and such. A small speck of dust can literally ruin all of your hard work!

Hammer: For the most part, you will use the claw of the hammer to remove nails from the wall. Even if you plan to hang your pictures right back where they were when you are finished, you still need to remove those nails before you paint!

Utility Knife and Paint Can Opener: Paint cans are not easy to open. There are special openers that are used. You will also need a utility knife handy, in case you need to cut anything – such as joint tape or masking tape.

Screw Driver: Screw drivers are used to remove light switch covers and outlet covers. These are removed during prep work. Check your covers to see which type of screwdriver you need. A Flat head screwdriver is needed for screws that have just one slit in them, while a Philips screwdriver is needed for screws that have crossed slits.

Gloves: Not required, but it will make it easier to clean yourself up when you are finished. If you have tender skin, gloves will also prevent blisters from the paint roller.

Goggles: Goggles are an essential piece of safety equipment, to help keep paint, paint thinner, and dust out of your eyes.

Hat: Not required, but it will keep the paint out of your hair. Don’t assume that you can be careful enough to keep the paint off of you – you can’t.

Dust Mask: Used when preparing the room for paint. All of the dust needs to be removed. This will help prevent you from breathing it all in.

Respirator: This is definitely needed if you are painting a room that does not have proper ventilation. It will filter the air that you breathe. You do not want to breathe in paint fumes!

Paint: Obviously, you need paint, and plenty of it. You may also need a primer. But what colors do you need? It may not be what you think. Read on!

House Painting 101 eCourse

Materials Needed for Painting - For Sale

Choosing Your First Home Theater System

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:36:20 +0000

Everyone knows they want a home theater, but they don't necessarily have a great idea of exactly what they want to make that dream a reality. They have a concept to which they cling, but the don't necessarily have a blueprint in mind t help them realize their objectives. One can build a home theater system that would be the envy of any cinema, or they can amass only the bare necessities to improve their at-home viewing experience. Options really do abound! Regardless of specifics, though, everyone is looking to put together a home theater. The objective is always the same—to improve the quality of entertainment at home.

One can spend tens of thousands of dollars to build an awesome home theater system replete with every new high tech bell and whistle. The best DVD player, embedded speakers, gut-shaking bass from the sound system and a screen so clear and vibrant it doesn't even seem real are available to those willing to spend the money. For others, a system costing a few hundred dollars may be in order. They may only need a DVD player, a basic sound system and a reasonably sized tradition television set to meet their goals. There are some common characteristics to both extremes, though. A clear visual, good sound quality (usually featuring a surround sound effect), and a means of playing the preferred recorded medium (today, the DVD). If those basics are present, one has a home theater, regardless of what they may have spent to get it.

Some will choose an integrated solution often referred to as a home theater in a box. These low-end solutions are relatively cheap. They generally do not include a television or monitor, but do supply a bundled DVD/CD player, a series of usually compact speakers that can be placed to duplicate theater-style sound, and a receiver/amplifier to power the sound. They are virtually pre-assembled and ready for operation right out of the box. These systems generally cost far less than assembling a system one component at a time. However, the home theater in a box solution often suffers from lower overall quality and a lack of power that can be frustrating for those with larger spaces to fill. One can upgrade the speaker quality for these systems, but will be limited in terms of increasing the output power. They can be good solutions for those looking for a low cost rig, but do not mimic the power and overall performance of higher end home theater system equipment

One can purchase their home theater equipment in a variety of locations. For those with simple needs a large multipurpose retail store such as Target or Circuit City may do the trick. Shoppers may not find the ultimate in home electronics at these stores, but they can find basic systems at reasonable prices. Big box stores usually offer a reasonably wide selection and although the top of the line equipment may not be offered, several quality options will be.

There are some who will eschew the department stores for stereo and home theater specialty shops. They will be willing to pay more for the kind of equipment that ensures a truly amazing home theater experience. Others will shop for equipment online, trying to steal the best possible bargains on the components and supplies they need to perfect their home theater system. Internet shopping of this sort is best suited for those who know what they need. Others may benefit from discussing the matter with a member of a specialty store sales staff who can inform them about equipment specifications and make recommendations for purchase while offering overall home theater advice and option. Higher end stores often offer more customer support, which can make them a great place to shop if one is looking for a home theater system that is somewhat more advanced over the budget entry level systems.