Painting and Repainting Your Child's Bedroom

As a parent, you might have had to repaint your children's bedrooms at least once. Kids change a lot as they grow up and their preferences, such as the colors of the walls of their bedroom, change too. The little girl who once enjoyed pink toys, clothes and curtains could now cringe at the sight of that shade.

When repainting bedroom walls, it is important that you have the proper preparation before actually painting the room. Doing this will ensure that you get the results you have planned.

The following are a few tips that can help you with this project:

1. Shop for paint. There are different types of paint and the one that you should use depends on the type of wall you have. Enamel paint creates a glossy and hard finish that can withstand wear and tear. Latex paints act like oil-based paints in the sense that they are washable and are perfect for indoor and outdoor surfaces. You can do some research online to find out more about the different types of paint commonly used for home remodeling or you can drop by a paint store and inquire about this matter. 2. Clean the walls. Scrape off the paint that have started to chip off. Get a cloth and dip it in water with soap. Scrub the walls to remove the dust, dirt and other impurities. 3. If there are cracks and scratches, use sandpaper to smooth the area. 4. If there are portions on the wall, such as electric outlets, that you do not want painted, cover them with masking tape. 5. Using a paint mixer, stir the paint thoroughly to distribute the thickness and density. 6. Pour an enough amount of paint on the paint tray. 7. When painting the wider portions of the wall, you can use a roller. If there are small, hard to reach areas like the corners, you can use a small paint brush. 8. Once you are finished, just leave the paint to air dry overnight. It might be a good idea to leave the windows open so that the fumes will not get stuck inside an enclosed space. You might get nauseated or dizzy if the air inside is not circulated properly.

It's pretty simple, right? I hope that you have a great time repainting your bedroom. If possible, do this task with your child so that you can have a fun, bonding time.

Choosing a Professional Painter for Your Home

Choosing a painter for your home requires a lot of dedication and commitment because you do not want to compromise on the results you desire. Although it might be expensive for you to get one as compared to doing the job on your own, it is a better deal because the work will be done efficiently and effectively in a professional way. If you want to get the best kid of painter for your needs, there are some procedures you must carry out to guide you in the process.

First of all, you need to determine the areas in your home that requires to be painted. When you have this in mind, you will also need to find out the price ranges in the market to help you come up with a budget for the project. With a budget, it will be easier for you to find the painter who suits your budget. Finding these painters is not a difficult thing as you can ask friends, family and colleagues to recommend the ones they know.

You may also check different sources including the yellow and white pages or the internet. When you have found a number of them that meet your needs, ensure that you conduct an interview that will provide you with the information about their company and their operations. Some of things that indicate that a painter is professional include the response of the current and previous customers and the time used to finish the project. While inspecting the job done, it is important that you check out the work they have done in the past in order to find out how the paint has weathered against the different situations. The painter should not only be timely but should also offer high quality work by use of high quality painting tools and paints.

The painter should come to your home and inspect the areas that need the painting before they quote their price. The price should encompass details such as the areas to be painted, how many coats will be applied and other additional details. This will ensure that you know what you are paying for. You should also find out the types of painting techniques they might use. They should also be able to listen to you and provide you with the information needed as the painting project progresses.

Waterproof Paint Is A Great Idea

Waterproof paint is great way to prepare a basement for refinishing or just protect interior walls from any potential water leakage or seepage. The type of waterproof paint needed will mostly be dependent on the type of walls to be painted and any existing problems with the walls. Like any type of painting, there will be certain preparation activities that will make the process smoother and easier. Finally, it is important to properly care for walls that have been covered with waterproof paint in order to make them stay like new.

The base of the paint can be made from oil or latex. Oil-based paint is the best option for walls that are paneled, bare wood or have other imperfections. This type of paint will help cover up problems in the wall and will not allow wood grain to show through. Latex-based paints are usually less expensive and easier to wash off; however, this type of paint will make any wood grain in the walls become raised and be very obvious. For new construction or smooth sheetrock walls, latex is usually the best choice. The finish of the paint is also an important choice. Flat paint is best for disguising rough walls, but it is not wipe able. An eggshell or semi-gloss finish will help hide wall imperfections but are still washable. Gloss and high gloss finishes are the easiest to clean because almost anything can be wiped off of them. However, these very glossy or shiny finishes will reflect a great deal of light and will make even tiny imperfections very noticeable. When painting outdoor surfaces, one should consider specialty waterproof paint that usually contains a form of epoxy to truly seal the surface. This type of paint can be fairly expensive and will require special brushes or applicators.

Before beginning to paint the walls, one should start by repairing any major blemishes. This includes filling nail holes with spackling and sanding smooth. After fixing any marks, the walls should be dusted with a dry cloth. For walls that are very dirty, a quick wipe down with a damp rag may be helpful. When painting cement walls, which is common when waterproofing a basement, it is important to properly treat the cement walls first. The high levels of alkaline found in cement blocks can damage paint, but can easily be neutralized with special solutions available at any paint or hardware store. Like with other painting projects, one should tape off edges with special painter's tape that will not damage walls. Any furniture or flooring that cannot be completely removed from the room should be protected with a tarp or drop cloth.

Waterproof paint will help seal the walls, but should not be exposed to an excess of water when not necessary. To clean, use a clean sponge or rag with warm, soapy water to wipe the walls from the top down. For tough scuff marks, a product like the Magic Eraser can do wonders to remove the marks without damaging the paint underneath.

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Preparing Surfaces for Paint Spraying

There are a variety of reasons why you would want to paint a surface. It could be to beautify your project with color or can be to protect the underlying surface. No matter you're your reason, preparation is an important step when taking on a paint spraying project. Preparing the surface to be painted ensures that the paint will adhere to the surface. This adherence will make a difference in whether you get a perfect finish or not. There are different preparation methods depending on the type of material that is to be painted.

Preparing wood products for paint spraying can take time but the end result will make it well worth the time. Wood is porous so paint will generally adhere to it fairly easily but you want to be sure that the surface is smooth. To accomplish a smooth wood surface you will need to sand the wood. Depending on the size of your surface, it can take quite a bit of sandpaper to complete your project. Sanding can be done by hand or can be done with an electric or battery powered sander.

Start sanding your wood with coarse grit sandpaper. To determine the grit size of your sandpaper just remember that coarser grit sandpaper will have a lower number than finer grit sandpaper. You want to sand the surface area in a back and forth motion or a side to side motion. Next you want to move to medium grit sandpaper and sand the entire surface in the same manner you did previously. Lastly, use fine grit sandpaper to finish up your preparation. By the time you are finished you should have a smooth surface free of imperfections.

Preparing metal for paint spraying is quite the opposite of preparing wood. Unlike with wood, metals are non-porous. This means that the paint will need something to grab onto when its applied. You can give your metal surface something to grab on to by sanding the surface with medium grit sandpaper. This roughens the surface of the metal to allow paint to adhere better and give you a smooth finish. Do not worry about it not looking smooth before painting it because the paint will fill in the areas where you sanded.

Another preparation method used for some materials before paint spraying is the use of a primer. Primer works in two ways. Primer can cover up a darker color paint to allow for a lighter coat to be applied without having to strip or clean the old color. It also serves to give something for the paint to adhere to. This is important as mentioned above for metal and also some non-porous plastics. Primer can be applied with paint spraying equipment or can be applied in the traditional method with a brush or roller.

Proper preparation of your surfaces before paint spraying them will ensure that the paint adheres properly. Proper adhesion will help you achieve that smooth, beautiful painted finish that you want for your project.

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Painting Tips for Your Home

The mortgage of your new house is set, you have the keys, and now you are ready to decorate your new home and make it your own in every way, up to and including the color of the walls. Before you go riding into the sunset armed with a bucket of Sunset paint and brushes, be sure you have taken steps to ensure you are fully prepared to paint a room.

First things first, before you start picking out colors and buying supplies, you should be aware of the issues that could arise from painting your walls too soon after your house is built. Your builder should have told you that you should wait about a year before painting the walls, but if they did not, take this advice into account anyway. You want to wait a year before painting because the plaster in the walls needs time to dry and settle properly. The walls will start to show some small hairline cracks during this time, which is normal. You will be able to fill the cracks before painting. However, if you do not wait the recommended amount of time, your walls will crack under the new paint and you will have to fill the cracks and repaint over the filler. By waiting a year, you avoid extra work.

Once you are ready to get started with putting some color on your walls, you should make sure you are stocked with the appropriate supplies. Be sure you have measured your walls first so you do not buy too much or too little paint. One gallon of paint can usually cover about 400 square feet. When you do buy paint, look for one that includes a primer in the formula. If you prefer not to buy paint with primer included, then you will have to buy primer separately. Make sure you buy a primer that includes a stain blocker. On your list of supplies, you should have a pouring spout, stirrer, roller brush and replacements, roller tray and tray liner, roller cover, blue painter's tape, hole filler, drop cloths, screwdriver, and a sponge. You should also make sure to buy a 2-inch angled sash paintbrush, as this type of brush will give you more control when painting trim.

A little-known secret to avoiding paint fumes is to add a few drops of vanilla extract into your paint. Make sure you do not ever do this with any white paint, as the vanilla extract will ruin its color. Keep in mind a few other tips. When you put your paintbrush into the paint can, do not put the entire brush into the paint. Use only a third of the brush in order to avoid clogging the base of the bristles. Extra paint will not make the process faster, and in fact, may slow you down. If you have excess paint on the rim of the paint can, use a screwdriver wrapped in a rag to wipe it off. Also be sure to label your paint lid with a dab of its color and the actual name and number. If you do not have time to clean your paint rollers, put them into an airtight bag and place it in the fridge or any other cool spot overnight. Be sure to remove excess air from the bag.

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Methods to Learn How to Use Paint Spraying Equipment

Paint spraying equipment is used by amateurs and professionals alike to accomplish a variety of painting tasks. Paint spraying equipment is fairly easy to use and give the benefits of saving time and money spent on materials. Using paint sprayers usually only require that you apply a single coat of paint which is where the savings in time and money comes from. If you have never used a paint sprayer before and are looking for ways to learn how to use one, there are a variety of ways that you can get the help you need.

Consulting your owner's manual is likely the first resource to turn to that will help you learn how to use your paint spraying equipment properly and efficiently. The owner's manual will give you step by step instructions that are specific to your paint spraying equipment. This will ensure that you are not missing anything that you may have missed when consulting other resources. Always keep your owner's manual stored in a safe place so that you can easily refer to it again and again if you need to.

Another great resource to help you learn how to use your paint spraying equipment is through live demonstrations. Many home improvement retailers and other similar retailers will sometimes host workshops. These workshops are designed to help the do-it-yourselfer take on a variety of tasks on their own. You can find a retailer that is holding a workshop specific to paint methods or even more specific to using paint spraying equipment. During or after the workshop you can ask the presenter questions if you had trouble understanding anything.

The Internet is used by many people as a resource for a variety of things. You can easily find information or tutorials on how to use paint spraying equipment on the Internet. The great thing about the Internet is not only can you find written instructions or tutorials, you can also find videos. Videos can sometimes help you to understand the given instructions better because you can actually see what is going on. In some cases, you can find forums that you can post questions to should you have any after finding what you need.

There are a variety of television shows that are focused on teaching people how to take on do-it-yourself projects making them a great resource to use as well. Many of the television programs focused on these types of projects are hosted by some of the best professionals in the business. Learning how to use your paint spraying equipment from a pro will not only give you the best instruction that you can get but will also give you confidence to take on your project on your own.

If you have never used paint spraying equipment before, then finding a good resource for instruction will benefit you. You can use the resources above to find the information you need and that is most convenient for you and your project.

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