How to Paint the Exterior of your Home

When it comes to painting the outside of a home, there are many steps involved to get a good finished product. The first step is gathering the right tools. You might think that a paint brush is the only tool necessary to paint a home. However, when it comes to exterior painting, you will want more than that. When you hire professionals, they will bring that equipment along. The list of equipment for professional exterior painting includes but not limited to pressure washers, scrapers, knives, paint sprayers, brushes of several sizes, drop cloths, and ladders of all sizes.

2. In exterior painting cleaning and scraping your home for paint is next.. Putting paint on a dirty surface will make the paint's life shorter. To get the best adhesion, you need to clean the house thoroughly before exterior painting. During the spray process, you will likely see some paint fly off and leave unpainted strips here and there. The next step is to scrape those areas to remove loose paint. Exterior painting works best on a smooth, clean surface. After scraping the house, most contractors will clean the house for a second time to remove the dust and debris of the scraping process.

3. The third step is protecting the surfaces around your home before painting. You have plants in your landscape. Your window panes should have protection. The sidewalks and pavement look better without paint splashes. After a thorough cleaning and scraping, exterior painting requires the protection for the outside surfaces. It will give the painters greater freedom in getting the job done. Moreover, with exterior painting you will need drying time. You do not want to try to do exterior painting when the surface is still damp.

4. The fourth step in exterior painting is actually painting your home. The contractors have done the prep work. All the vulnerable surfaces have protection from paint spills. This is the time when exterior painting is the item on the agenda. The painters will get up on the ladders and start the handwork. Working all of the edges before spraying is the most efficient. As the painters complete the body work, the trim painters follow. Getting the details right makes a difference in the exterior painting.

5. The final step is cleaning up and touching up. The main painting is complete. The trim is complete. The final steps in exterior painting are getting the details perfect. Professional painters will leave a few mistakes. However, the mark of true professionals is the fact they will correct those blemishes. Once the touch up painting is complete, the final step in exterior painting is cleaning up. That means removing all debris and leaving behind only a professional paint job. Whether you need to paint the interior or exterior of your home, it is imperative to find the right painter for the project. Bring in the professionals at Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C. and they can do the job from prepping to clean up.

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Happy Painting

A New Coat of Paint for Spring

  Spring is just around the corner and a lot of us are ready for a fresh look either inside or outside our humble abode.

  Where and how to start can sometimes push us into panic mode.  Not to fear.  With a little time spent looking at some of the latest magazines can go a long way. 

  Better Homes, Country Living, House Beautiful to mention a few.  These will be filled with pictures of the latest trends and colors.  Look specifically at where the changes are being done. 

  These pictures will also show you what colors are popular.  As you look through the pictures you will begin to think of areas or places you want to change.  Some are interior and some are exterior.

  You will need to look beyond all of the accessories.  These are pretty but most of us do not have any of them.  Just focus on the colors.  Look at the walls, woodwork, cabinets and the flooring.

  If the flooring is something like yours then you will begin to formulate an idea of what you want to do with your walls , ceiling, trim and cabinets.

  Look at the exterior of the homes pictured and locate those that are the same style of house you have. This will also give you a starting place.

  The exterior of the home usually only gets painted once every 15 to 20 years.  The interior is changed much sooner.  Some people will repaint at least one room every year.

  This is because a fresh coat of paint is relatively inexpensive compared to other things we might do to change the home. 

  This being said be sure and pick a good quality paint.  For the exterior I recommend a Paint and Primer combination product.  They do cost a little more but are well worth the extra few bucks because the paint job will be easier and last a lot longer.

  If you are going to do your own painting outside you will need all the help you can get to make it easier.  Good quality paint, High quality tools, a very good ladder and adequate time will get you started.

  If you are painting inside you will still need premium paint and the same high quality tools mentioned above.  Inside jobs require additional items.

1. Tape
2. masking
3. Drop Cloths
4. A very good sash brush
5. High quality roller and handle

  You will need to do 2 coats of paint wherever you plan to paint.  And if you are painting inside you will want to paint the ceiling first and work you way to the floor.  If you are painting trim or cabinets start with them first then the ceiling and then the walls.

  If you are using a dark or vibrant color be sure and get enough paint.  If you get 2 gallons then you will need to mix them together so eliminate any difference in the 2 cans.  And if you do not get enough paint there is the risk that the next gallon will be slightly different from the others.  And never buy just a quart to go with a gallon.  They are never the same, EVER.

  The same is especially true if you are painting the exterior of your home.  I once saw a house being painted Blue.  The painter purchased the paint 1 five gallon bucket at a time.  You could tell where each batch of paint started and ended and each bucket was different.  After painting the whole house he had to repaint.  The second time he painted it he purchased all of the paint he needed and kept mixing throughout the process.  This produced a good paint job.  Lesson Learned.

  Also, please prime all woodwork or cabinets with a premium Acrylic primer before you paint.  This will make sure the paint will stick and last.

  You can cover up your bucket of paint at the end of each day with plastic or a plastic bag with the roller suspended in the bucket but not down in the paint.  It will then be ready for the next day.  Clean up your brush at the end of each day.  Brushes do not do well if they are left in paint overnight.

  Once the job is done, plan on throwing away the roller cover.  Even if you buy a good one for around $10.00 a project of any considerable size will pretty much use it up and it is not worth the time to clean it up.  The brush, if it is a good one can be saved for the next project.  But you must clean it up and shake out the water.

  Take your time in choosing the colors or the project you want to tackle.  But make a schedule and set a goal for your decisions.

  You can buy samples for most paints and this is a good way to narrow your choices.  It is a small price to pay to make sure you pick the color you want and that it looks like you want it to in your home.  Some people buy several samples and paint a big patch on the walls of each color in several places in the room or around the outside of the house.  This lets you see it in different light and times of the day.

  Well, that is about it.  Don’t be afraid.  Very few people cannot make a decision.  You can do it.

Happy Painting

Ken Rader

Ken Rader Interiors                                                                                              

Visit our web site at ( www.kenraderinteriors.com)  and follow us at www.facebook.com/ken.rader.interiors

Easily Remove Wallpaper

STRIPPING OFF THAT OLD WALLPAPER Or (Why did I ever put that up?) Most homes built in the 80's and 90's have wallpaper in them somewhere. I know because I installed a lot of it in Northwest Arkansas during those years. But, like the hairdos of the 60's, we are ready to put that behind us. So, how do you remove this, this, this wall art thingy?
To start with be assured that what went up can come down. Some of it is just a bit more difficult. Do yourself a favor and go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy a wallpaper steamer. About $50.00 to $75.00. This is secret sauce, the Genie in the Bottle, the magic wand. With this tool most wallpaper will submit and turn loose the death grip it has on the walls.
The reason most wallpaper will not strip easily is that nobody wanted to use a primer on the sheet rock before hanging the wallpaper. And some even thought that if they used a wall size that would do the trick. Well guess what, it did the trick alright. Wall size just made it stick even more. So, get you a steamer and a scraper ( 6" is a good size and metal not plastic.) Sometimes when you steam it will peel off of the wall. Sometimes the front will peel off and then you can soak down the backing with a pump up sprayer and pull or scrape the backing off. Take you time and try not to gouge the wall too much. Each time you gouge you have to fix it. More work. Use a wallpaper stripper solution in the sprayer. NOT VINEGAR, NOT SOAP! You can buy wallpaper stripper in a concentrate. Use it. It was created for just such an occasion. Sometimes though rarely wallpaper just will not strip off. In such an instance you will be better served by skimming over the top of the wallpaper particularly at the seams to make it smooth. This is because if you just paint over the wallpaper you will see the seams they will just be a different color.  After you have stripped the wallpaper or skimmed over it you will need to texture the walls. This will produce a look that we all desire on our walls. All walls are textured. Just look is some houses and you will see. I will address the process of textures in my Popcorn ceiling scraping article. Please read that for further information about how to texture. Once this is done a good coat of primer and 2 coats of paint and your are done. It is hard work. But the result is a room or home that is up to date with the finish on the walls. Some wallpaper is coming back in style but it is expensive and the more expensive the paper the more expensive the installation. The sad truth is that as a wallpaper installer there is no way I am going to install $100.00 a single roll wallpaper for $20.00 bucks. I do not think that wallpaper will ever come back into style or be as popular as it was. I know, bell bottom pants are back and those colors of the 60's are in. But wallpaper has received the death stroke in my humble opinion. And painted walls are much easier to change than wallpaper. There are some borders with themes on them for kids rooms and that has a following. No one carry's wallpaper in stock much. That's a clue. Well on with the subject at hand. Make this a family project and get as much help as you can. Most rooms can be stripped, textured, primed and painted in 3 to 4 days by the DIY's. Professionals are much faster. So you might consider how much is your time worth. Try not to stress out but just work at a steady pace. No paper tigers!! It is a tool that is on the market that claims to assist in stripping wallpaper. All it does is damage your walls. Save you money. Use the steps and tools I have mentioned and you will get the result you want. Happy Painting to all Ken

CAULK BEFORE YOU PAINT

Proper prep work will ensure  a beautiful paint job.  With so many people doing their own painting a common question is, 'What will make my paint job look professional?'  Good question.  One of the tricks of the trade is Caulking.  You will need a little patience and a steady hand for this.  Don't think that anyone can caulk the first time they pick up a caulking gun.  So start with the proper tools.  Use a Drip-less caulking gun.  They cost a little more but they are worth it.  Once you squeeze the trigger you will want the caulk to stop coming out of the gun when you let off of the trigger.  With a regular caulking gun the pressure continues and  so does the caulk.  Next buy quality caulk.  It is tempting to by the cheapest caulk but you will regret buying that.  Cheap caulk usually has air pockets in the tube , and that is bad.  Cheap caulk is thicker and will not flow evenly.  Some of the best caulks on the market are a combination of Latex and silicone.  Do not use 100% silicone.  It will not stick any better and it is  NOT PAINT-ABLE!!!!  You will want to paint it.  Next cut a small hole in the end of the caulk tube.  This will allow you to control how much caulk comes out.  Once you put your bead of caulk down then get the end of your finger wet and smooth it out.  This will take a little practice but you will get the hang of it. Caulk all joints and edges of your woodwork.  Even if you do not see a crack. This will provide a smooth transition between the wood and the wall.  The only time you would not caulk is if you have stained woodwork.  Let your caulk dry overnight. It does need to be dry before you paint it.  Also, check out your caulk job and make sure you do not have any gaps or holes not filled.  This process in necessary whether you are painting inside or outside.  Especially outside as it will provide a waterproof seal between all wood joints.  If water gets behind your wood siding it usually will damage the wood and lead to more expensive repairs.  Take you time, this is not a race.  Get each edge or joint just the way you want it before moving on.  Also, any excess caulk left on the wood or walls needs to be removed.  This can be done with a wet cotton rag.  Another trick is to use blue masking tape along the wood edge.  Do not allow the tape to cover over any gaps that you will be caulking. If you use the tape before caulking and then caulking in the gaps you can paint over the tape edge and when the paint is dry just pull the tape and you get a straight and professional edge.  These are just a few of the tricks of the trade.  They do work.