Archive for the ‘Interior Painting’ Category

Painting back of tank with fish and plants?
Painting back of tank with fish and plants?
I made the mistake of not painting the back of my tank before filling with water / fish / plants. I have a black plastic background now but its way too reflective and it drives me crazy. Is there a way to paint it without killing everything? Would spray paint be best or regular paint applied with a brush? Talk to me people…

Painting back of tank with fish and plants?
Why would you kill everything??? The background should be painted on from the outside of the aquarium. If you can get a small roller than can reach behind the tank without painting the wall you’re all set.
__________________
~Vanessa

3 Tips for Choosing a Paint Color for Your Bathroom | Home Remodeling Ideas

October 2nd, 2009 | Bathrooms | Tagged Bathroom details, Painting, Planning tips

Painting your bathroom is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to give it a new look. But, choosing a paint color can be a real conundrum if you have no idea how to go about it. Following are three things to consider that will help make selecting a color easier.

Size Matters: The size of your bathroom matters when it comes to choosing a paint color. Most interior decorators will advise you to choose colors that make your space appear larger, for this is what many want. However, if your bathroom is large (lucky you!), you may want to make it appear smaller and/or more intimate.

So use this rule of thumb: Lighter colors make a space appear larger, while darker colors shrink a space.

The Style: The next thing to consider when selecting a paint color for your bathroom is the style/feel/mood you’re going for. Do you want a spa-like feel; a romantic feel; a country feel? Whatever it is, remember, the paint color you choose lays the foundation for making your decor come alive.

Budget: Lastly, budget must be a consideration. While painting is an inexpensive way to change a room quickly, paint alone does not a décor style make. So you have to consider how much the other changes you want to make are going to cost, eg, fixtures, accessories, flooring, etc.

Bathroom Painting Tip: Nothing detracts from a room like an inferior paint job. After all, walls are the largest surface in a room. And if the paint job is amateurish, no matter what else you do décor-wise, the room will never live up to its possibilities.

If painting is not a skill you possess, hire a professional painting company to do it right. You won’t regret this investment in your home.

How to Paint a Wall in 4 Steps | DoItYourself.com
Learning how to paint a wall is a fun and a rewarding task that can be shared with your whole family. Follow the steps below to get started in painting a wall in your home.

Step1-Gather the Necessary Materials

You will need the following materials to get your project off the ground:

* 1 large paint bucket;
* 1 metal screen for the bucket;
* 1firm bristled brush;
* 1 one roller;
* 1 can of primer (unless your walls are white in which case you won’t need to prime);
* 1 roll of plastic poly;
* 1 roll of painter’s tape;
* 1-2 pieces of sand paper, and;
* 1 can of paint.

Step 2-Before You Prime

Use the plastic roll of poly and some blue painters tape to cover and protect the floor and any valuables near the wall you intend to paint. Take down any art work that may be on the wall. Use the painter’s tape to cover the corners of anything you don’t want paint on like the window or mantle.

Step 3-Prime Your Wall

Use the hard bristled brush to edge the wall. Edging the wall means that you should paint a 8-10 inch wide margin around all corners. This will make it easier to be accurate with the roller. Once you have edged and rolled the entire wall in primer, wait for it to dry thoroughly and then sand it. Run the sand paper up and down the entire wall until it is smooth and shiny.

Step 4-Paint Your Wall

Follow the same steps for painting as you would for priming. Edge the wall’s corners, windows, and anything else that may be risky to use the roller near. Once you have completed the edging, use the roller on the rest of the wall. Don’t forget to run the roller along the metal screen in the paint bucket, this will keep your work clean and even. Depending on the thickness of your paint and your personal color preference, wait for the paint to dry, sand it once more, and then paint again. Always use at least two coats and three at the most for the best results.

How to paint a room without painting the ceilings? | Paint Tips
I’m just wondering how to paint a bedroom without getting the paint onto the ceilings. This is the first time my parents and i are going to paint a room! Excited! We’re only going to paint the walls. So what materials do we need besides the paint? Like what type of brush do we use? Or the rolly thingy.. Do we need to layout anything on the floor? Thank you for your help!

If you have any furniture in the room, place it all in the middle and place either an old sheet or a plastic tarp over it to protect it. Vaccum the floor to keep from getting it stuck in your paint on your walls.

If you don’t have furniture there, protect the floor instead. Don’t use newspaper, since it makes the floors all dirty with newsprint ink. Do you know if the walls are painted with oil based paint or is it latex or acryllic paint on the walls now? If it’s latex, you can simply paint over with latex paint. If the walls are a dark color or a very vibrant color such as red and you’re planning on putting on a light color, then you’ll need to prime your wall with primer. If the walls are a light color now and you’re planning on painting them a dark color or a vibrant color, it’s best to also use a primer and have it tinted to match your paint. That way, you won’t need as much paint. Otherwise, you’ll need 3 sometimes 4 coats, depending on the color.

If the paint on the walls is oil based paint or you aren’t sure, then use an oil based primer, no matter what. You can paint latex paint on top of oil based primer, but if you paint latex paint on top of oil paint, then your latex paint will scratch, peel and scrape off within days, sometimes within hours. The oil based primer I like to work with is Bull’s Eye H2Oil, which you can pretty much find at any Home Depot.
http://paint-and-supplies.hardwarestore.com/49-353-interior-primer/zinsser-h2-oil-base-primer-sealer-170670.aspx
I like it because it’s easy to wash up after. Most oil based primers need turpentine to wash up after… yuck!

To paint your walls and not get any on either the baseboards or the ceiling, simply use painter’s tape. Don’t use ordinary masking tape as it will be an absolute hassle. You really need painter’s tape. they sell it either at any home hardware or paint store and you can sometimes even find some at Dollar Stores.
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotch-BlueBrand/Scotch-Blue/Products/One/
Simply put this tape on the ceiling where the wall meets the ceiling. Paint away and as soon as your final coat of paint is dry, remove the tape carefully, pulling it away from the wall. Don’t wait until the paint is dry to remove it, or you risk ruining your paint job. You can use the tape along door frames, window frames, molding and trim.

Here are the items you’ll need to paint – oh… and your brush should be suitable for the type of paint – latex or oil – the brushes are labelled at the store so you can’t go wrong there. Some brushes are suitable for both so if you’re using both oil primer and latex paint, then get one suited for both types of paint. As for the roller, you’ll find that rollers are labelled for the type of surface you’ll be painting – thin pile for smooth surfaces, thick pile for rough surfaces – such as popcorn ceilings or stucco surfaces. Between coats, so your brushes and rollers don’t dry, simply wrap them tight in old plastic bags. When your first coat is dry, simply take the brush or roller out of the bag and do the next coat. This way, you save time washing up because you only do it once – at the end. You’ll easily be able to tell them apart. Don’t use foam brushes or rollers as they are more suited to painting furniture.

Here’s the list of other items you’ll need:
RAGS – to wipe up any spilled paint or drops or smears on the wall. Have one damp rag and one dry one.
BRUSHES, ROLLERS, EXTENDABLE HANDLE
STEP LADDER
SMALL PLASTIC CONTAINERS – they’re much easier to lug around than a gallon and if they spill, the mess is contained – you can use old margarine containers that have been cleaned – paint washes off plastic easily
GOOD LIGHTING – if you’re painting in the evening – I don’t recommend it.
PAINTER’S TAPE
PLASTIC TARP OR DROPCLOTH – an old sheet works fine, even to cover furniture.
PAINT TRAY for the roller. Never fill this up too much, as it makes applying paint to the roller difficult and it’s hard to move around the room without making a mess.
A FAN – which is great for helping the air move around and dry quicker.

Here’s a video or two to show you, how to do it, just in case you’re more visual or in case I forgot something – this is a great video!
http://www.howcast.com/videos/716-How-To-Paint-a-Wall

Hope this helps… have a great time painting! I love painting!

http://snovalleystar.com/2009/09/23/brightening-the-high-school%E2%80%99s-halls

Tricia
Prewitt, a Mount Si High School senior, painted a photography and web
multimedia mural at the high school over the summer. Photo by Laura
Geggel

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Paint Color to Sell Your Home – It isn’t White!! Portland Home Stager Shares Paint Color Tips

For decades, the conventional wisdom when getting ready to sell your house was to paint all the walls back to white. But that is SO yesterday!  White …. the color of snow & ice … does absolutely nothing to warm up a house. It doesn’t highlight architectural features and it doesn’t enhance the colors of your wood, granite or other finishes. To sell your property today, you need to use soft warm decorator colors that are current. That way they not only look beautiful in the home, but will go with the existing furnishings of your prospective buyers and remind them of the beautiful new furnishings and colors they have been eyeing at the stores in anticipation of their new home.

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Brighten Kitchen Design with Color
posted by Kitchen & Bathroom Designer
Color can dramatically change your kitchen design and the way you view your space. Here are some easy ways to add color to this important part of your house. Read the rest of this entry »