Lead Paint Removal Laws

Painter — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:04:52 +0000

The EPA has issued a new law, in affect 2010, requiring all contractors to undergo training and certification for removing lead paint. Without this certification, contractors and their builders will not be allowed to work on any property built prior to 1978, the year when lead paint was banned for use in private residences in the USA. However, this new regulation will not affect homeowners doing small DYI projects.

Garden Painting

Painter — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:36:27 +0000

Whenever painting outside be sure to follow a few prepatory steps. First, be sure to clean the surface of whatever you paint, like a garden shed. Fresh paint won’t coat nicely if it is trying to stick to dirt and grime rather than to a a cleaned and primed surface. Also, sand down any rough areas to help prevent your new coat of paint from peeling. Lastly, seal up any cracks or holes in your surface. If you’ve already put this much work in you might as well finish the job right.

Now you are ready to apply a new coat of paint.

Prepare For Painting

Painter — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:34:59 +0000

When you want to repaint a room it’s not enough to just buy some paint and get started. You need to prepare the room, and yourself, for painting, or otherwise you can have a very messy job ahead of you.

The first thing you want to do is mask off any windows, doors or woodwork that will not be painted. Taking this precautionary measure is much easier than trying to take paint away from areas that should not have been painted later. It will also give your paint job a clean and professional look. Next, you want to cover all the furniture in the room as well as the floor. Remember, paint can drip and splatter. Use drop clothes, old sheets, newspapers, or cardboard to protect furniture and flooring from these paint droppings.

Finally, don’t forget to prime the walls before painting. Trying to paint over old, dark and peeling paint will make your new paint job look messy. Take the time to sand down the walls and use a white colored primer to give your walls a neutral finish, perfect for applying a fresh coat of paint. And of course, don’t forget some special painting clothes for yourself. You probably will get dirty by the end of this job–so don’t wear any good clothes.

For more tips on preparing a room for painting, check out www.paintsplashes.com

Getting The Kids Involved

Painter — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:05:15 +0000

The big interior paint job is coming up and you need to figure out what to do with the kids. How will you ever get the new coat of paint up on the walls with the little ones running under foot?

The best way to get the job done while keeping the kids entertained is to get them involved in the project. Find a way for your kids to contribute on painting day. Explain to them how to use a brush or roller and set up an area in the room for them to help paint. Show them the right motions to use for applying paint to the walls and then give them a designated square on the wall which will become their area of painting. (Just be sure to cover the floor under that area as you can’t count on your kids being very neat with the paint).

By providing a role for your kids to play in the painting of the room you will not only keep them busy and entertained, allowing you to complete your painting project, but you will provide your children with a sense of self-worth allowing them a chance to have some fun while at the same time helping you to finish the job.

For more ideas on getting your kids involved, check out this great article on painting with kids .

My Room Colors, My Moods

Painter — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:38:53 +0000

Feeling Angry? feeling Sad? Feeling Happy, Calm or Energetic?

It seems that paint color plays a role in mood. At least that’s what house painters are saying. My friend Adi G has been painting for years and specializes in home/wall murals. “Color choice is critical as it sets the tone for the home’s atmosphere as well as the home owner’s mood”, says Adi.

I’m pretty sure I agree. I look back and think about the different colors I’ve painted my room over the years.

age 6- I was a happy-go-lucky girl. I loved dancing, singing and playing with my millions of dolls. Predictably, my room was Pink.

age 11-This was my tomboy stage. I wanted to play sports and hang with the guys. I forced my mother to change my paint color and so-my room was blue.

age 16- This was my most rebellious year. I was a somewhat angry tiny-bopper obsessed with Blink 182 and Alanis Morissette. My room reflected my mood and was a dark shade of gray. Yes, believe it or not I had my room painted gray.

Currently, as a young adult my room is a soft beige. The color suggests peacefulness and creates a calm. There’s nothing more soothing than coming home after a long day of work to my beautiful beige walls.

And there you have it. The colorful story of my life.

http://www.paintsplashes.com/the-psychology-of-color-and-effect-upon-the-body.shtml

Wonderful Wall Murals

Painter — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:06:05 +0000

There’s nothing like a creative wall mural. Growing up, I was always envious of my friends with Disney characters dancing on their walls or realistic images of an exotic beach. Some of my friends’ parents painted the murals, while others hired professional painters. Either way, there walls always seemed more exciting than my plain off-white walls.

It is for this reason, I decided to have wall murals in my house. Because I am not an artist, I hired a painter to come in and decorate my walls. I explained the vision I had in mind and she made it a reality. In my dining room, I chose to have tropical birds resting on branches, while in my kitchen, hanging antique bordered the wall.

Murals are a great way to enhance a room, without having to buy new furniture. Painters range in price and experience, and of course you can always paint yourself or ask an artistic friend to help you out.

New Year, New Colors

Painter — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:04:49 +0000

It’s a new year and it’s time to revamp your home. You can buy new furniture or different wall hangings, but the easiest way to give your home a makeover is simply to repaint your walls.

If your walls are white or beige, consider going bold and introducing color into your home. If your home is already colorful, you may want to tone things down by painting your walls a light cream or pastel shade. choosing a color is certainly not an easy task, but hopefully we can offer you some help in the process.

Let’s take a look at some of this season’s hottest colors and the feelings each color invokes.

Yellow has always been a popular color and this year is no different. Yellow is cheery and reminiscent of sunshine. It will undoubtedly lift your mood and encourage creativity and innovation.

Lavender is this year’s favorite bedroom color. Lavender is relaxing and peaceful–conveys royalty and prestige. A bed spread of darker shades of purple will compliment your lavender wall beautifully.

Slate and Charcoal Gray are the “beiges” of this year. Gray is slight yet daring deviation from the ever so common beiges and browns that cover most walls. Gray manages to achieve the same calm, natural effect that beige portrays, but with a subtle twist.

This year change starts with repainting your walls. What fresh colors do you have in mind?

Non-Toxic Paint

Painter — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:46:29 +0000

We know that paint fumes are bad for pregnant women, but what about for babies and children? Did you know that even long after that nasty smell of paint has cleared from you room your newly painted walls continue to emit toxins into the air? The compound that makes regular paints dangerous is called VOC, or volatile organic compounds. This compound can continue to be released into the air for years after you have finished painting. The good news is that today there are many options for high quality, toxin free paints with either low or no VOC. When choosing to paint your home, especially a child’s room or nursery, you may want to consider purchasing a non-toxic paint. This will prevent you from getting those horrible paint fume headaches that come from painting with regular VOC laden paint.

How To Create Raised Stencil Effects

Painter — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:22:51 +0000

Raised deocorative stencils are not hard to add to any room. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to paint on your walls, then you should consider this method. Even if you end up buying all of the materials to make the stencils, this will end up being a relatively inexpensive project.

The first thing that you need is a stencil that you like. There are several ways that you can get a stencil. The easiest way is to go to the store and buy a stencil. The second thing that you can do is just to buy mylar stencil sheets and cut your own. If you do this, you will also need an exacto knife - but it’s not difficult to make a stencil that you enjoy. Just cut out the design you want and then you’ll be ready to go.

More on creating decorative raised stencils.

Faux Painting Your Floors

Painter — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:34:21 +0000

You do not have to restrict faux painting to the walls of your room. You might find that this will work well to make your floor look a lot brighter than it does already. For instance, if you have a room with a concrete floor, then you should probably think about painting it â€“ if only because adding a different type of floor covering will cost more (and be a lot less fun) than just painting over the floor.

There are several different methods that you can use to paint the floor as well. Sponge faux painting on floors is a great way if you do not have a particular design in mind for your floor. Additionally, this is probably the easiest way to end up with a design on your floor that looks the way you want it to. After all, most of the other types of faux floor painting involve trying to match a particular design type. Sponge painting, on the other hand, is just a way for you to make a pattern on the floor.

Learn how to create faux paint effects on your floor with the full article.