Friday, December 21, 2012

Arkansas Best Painters-Ken Rader Interiors,"Painting in Winter?"

Interior Painting In Winter

by Anonymous from Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Is it wise to paint your home interior in ARKANSAS winter when the outside temperature is freezing? Does it create some harmful fumes for the inhabitants of the home if you are using water based paints? Does it affects its finish and how much time it takes to get the paint dry? Is it necessary to keep the windows open a little bit? What happens if the heat is on and inside temperature is set at 72 degrees? All the relevant information about interior painting at this time of the year?
Answered by KEN RADER OF KEN RADER INTERIORS-PAINTERS, NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Interior painting during a cold winter is very doable. Some problems you will run into include slower drying and curing of the paint. Fumes could also be another problem if you use oil base paint. Most if not all regular acrylic house paints are low VOC now so fumes is much less of a problem. If you are sensitive to paint fumes I recommend using a no-VOC paint.
Other problems with painting during cold weather are;
1- Condensation forming on windows. This is one good reason to ventilate during and shortly after painting.
2- The interior temperature could slow down the drying time a bit. Modern acrylic house paints dry very well in cool temperatures. This could be waiting overnight to apply a second coat. To help you could use a fan to circulate the air in a room.
Overall there isn't many problems with interior painting during the cold winter months. The best practices are paying attention to interior humidity and apply thinner coats to help with drying.
Several of the new paint products on the market such as paint and primer combination or Gliddens paint ,primer and filler combination dry very fast. This is a plus for painting indoors in the winter. They are also either Zero or Low VOC which will cut down on the smell as well. Most of these products can receive a second coat in about 1 to 2 hours and you will only need one good coat and a second light coat.
Painting the inside of your home during the winter is a lot of fun. You can't do much outside and are confined indoors for longer periods of time. And doing a project will keep you busy rather than zoning out on the couch with a movie, though that is a good thing from time to time as well.
I am posting some pictures of rooms that will perhaps inspire you to either paint the rooms yourself or hire it done by the professional. Winter is a slow time for professional painters so most will be able to do your job quickly and they usually have a winter special. We here at Ken Rader Interiors offer several specials during the winter months that make painting the inside of your house very appealing. Email us at kennethrader@att.net or give us a call at (479)443-3686 to find out what our specials are and book an appointment for a free estimate.
One of the biggest challenges to painting is picking the right color. A professional painting company will have a decorator on staff that can help you with that. We do and you will be amazed at how quickly a color can be chosen.

The colors in this bedroom bring the outdoors in, creating a tranquil setting
for sleep and relaxation.

Various shades of green combine with touches of blue for a soft palette ideal
for a bedroom.

Bold hues of pink give this bedroom a warm and sophisticated feeling.

Soothing earth tones and vibrant gold combine to give this bedroom a
non-traditional look

Artwork and accessories have no place in a room where materials and clean lines take center stage. White porcelain tile, cabinetry and countertops create a feeling of tranquility.

An aged mirror, flanked by two antique nickel sconces, carves out the room's focal point and creates the illusion of space in the home's first-floor bathroom.

AS ALWAYS,”HAPPY PAINTING AND DECORATING”

Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C. -- Painting Northwest Arkansas Beautiful, “ One house at a time”.

Serving Northwest Arkansas and the greater Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bella Vista area.
Professional Painters since 1987.

Check us out at www.kenraderinteriors.com
Like us at www.facebook.com/ken.rader.interiors

Ken Rader

Monday, December 17, 2012

ARKANSAS BEST PAINTERS-"UPDATE YOUR HOME OFFICE"!

KEN RADER INTERIORS L.L.C. IS PROUD TO OFFER THIS INFORMATION. WE OFFER ARTICLES ABOUT PAINTING AND DECORATING FOR YOUR EDUCATION AND ENJOYMENT.

WE ARE PROFESSIONAL PAINTERS AND DECORATORS IN FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS.
WE OFFER PAINTING AND DECORATING SERVICES THROUGHOUT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

FOR ALL OF YOUR PAINTING NEEDS CALL US AT (479) 443-3686
EMAIL US AT kennethrader@att.net and be sure and visit our web page at http://www.kenraderinteriors.com
http://www.arkansasbestpainters.com
http://www.kenraderinteriorspainters.com
HAPPY PAINTING AND DECORATING!
I get asked quite often," What should a home office look like?" In answer," Whatever you want it to look like."
I say that with tongue in cheek since more is involved than just what we might like. The more complete answer is," a designated space in your home that is dedicated to work or perhaps school work." It can be large or small but the actual size is not as important than what you put in the space. The furniture, accessories and the color all contribute to the overall feel of the space.
It can be as simple as a desk with a computer on it or a whole room full of bookshelves, desk, file cabinets, lamps, well you get the picture. I have posted several pictures of home office spaces. Notice that it is what the use of the space makes us feel like because you can do a lot of work in a very small space when you are in the right frame of mind.
The color that you paint the walls and the bookcases will go a long way in defining the look that you are wanting. Look at the pictures that we offer and you will see several different colors. Of all the things that you can do to make your space into a home office, painting the area will produce the most dramatic results.
You can color coordinate your furniture and accessories. The more complete you use accessories the happier you will be with the end results. It will not take a tremendous amount of money however it will take some unless you already have the desk and furniture that you want or can use. The big time eater will be the painting of the space or room. Give this enough thought so that you will be happy with the end results, color that is.
You will find several blogs on this site that can give you some pointers if you decide to do the painting yourself. Check out the posts that discuss the tools used and the kind of paint you will want to use. One quick tip," use zero VOC combination paint and primer". Glidden offers a combination Filler, primer,paint that works fantastic. Give it a try.
Shelves and a file cabinet tucked under the stairs are an efficient use of a tight space.
Home Office Designs: One Step Ahead

I hope this gives you some ideas to start with. Your home office will be your personal space and so it will probably not look exactly like any of the pictures we have here. But that is a good thing. By its very title "Home Office" you know it will end up being your space with your personal touch.
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of painting the space to reflect your personal touch. You get the biggest bang for your buck when you paint. That being said, consider hiring the paint portion of you project out to the professionals. It is money well spent. A professional paint job will give your home office a professional look.
AS ALWAYS,”HAPPY PAINTING AND DECORATING”

Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C. -- Painting Northwest Arkansas Beautiful, “ One house at a time”.

Serving Northwest Arkansas and the greater Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bella Vista area.
Professional Painters since 1987.

Check us out at www.kenraderinteriors.com
www.arkansasbestpainters.com and www.kenraderinteriorspainters.com
We have lots of ways for you to get in touch with us. Drop us a line, ask a question or share some good information. It is always welcome
Like us at www.facebook.com/ken.rader.interiors

Ken Rader

Monday, December 10, 2012

KEN RADER INTERIORS-PAINTERS IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Why You Should Hire a Professional Painter for Your Home

There are two reasons that I am qualified to write about this topic. One, I have been a Painting contractor for the last 35 years. In that time, I have worked with dozens of painters and hundreds of homeowners. Second reason: My wife loves to paint our house as a hobby.First of all, there are four types of painting that will need to be done on your home; interior, exterior, trim and specialty surfaces. Let's look at each one separately as the techniques, materials and skills required vary quite a bit. There are several other variables, such as whether or not your home is single or two stories, the over all size of your home and it's age.Interior walls are by far the easiest for most homeowners to do themselves. Wash the walls, patch any holes, cut in the ceiling and roll on two good coats. Sounds easy enough. Until you try to fit this extra work into an already busy schedule. You will also need to buy some supplies that you may never use again, like drop cloths, brushes, rollers, roller handles, paint trays, etc. Older homes often have paint that is oil based, or worse, lead added. These require special materials and preparation. Let's add in a two story home with stairwells and cathedral ceilings and the fun goes right out the window. Professionals deal with these issues all the time and have the skill and knowledge to make sure the end result is the quality paint job you seek.Exterior surfaces can present endless challenges to the DIY painter. Here in Southern California, most of the homes have a stucco finish. This surface is very rough and captures dust and dirt over time. Good painters use a pressure washer to clean out the dirt and knock off the loose paint. Also, depending on the age of the home, there can be a considerable amount of repair that is needed before paint can be applied. If your home has siding or a large amount of wood surfaces that have not been painted in a while, the old paint will have to be scraped off and any cracks filled (we'll talk more about that in the trim section). Again, the multi story home compounds these challenges.
Trim can actually be separated into interior and exterior categories. Interior trim like door casings, baseboards and crown molding are usually painted white or some other accent color. This is most often accomplished with a high gloss paint and a brush. There is an art to cutting in the edge of trim in such a way that you don't get trim paint on the wall, or vice versa if the trim is done first. One of my painters, Jeff, is an artist at this, but he has been painting for almost thirty years. Exterior trim, usually wood, suffers a great deal of damage at the hands of the elements. Unless it is painted every three to five years, there will most likely be peeling, cracking and checking (cracks in the wood itself). All of your trim will need to be scraped and holes and cracks filled. This is the time consuming part of doing a good paint job that most home owners either do half heartedly or skip altogether. Remember, your paint job will only be as good as your prep.

Specialty painting covers all of the things not mentioned so far. Painting or refinishing kitchen cabinets and other woodwork is definitely not recommended for the amateur. I repainted my cabinets with an airless sprayer and they turned out very nice, but it took me almost three weeks of evenings and weekends and I do have a fair amount of painting experience. If I had really nice cabinets and wanted them refinished with a glaze or a stain, I would hire a professional in a heartbeat. There are also those contractors who specialize in painting concrete to make it look like something else (brick, stone, etc.). The materials, tools and skills for this type of work will be way beyond the reach of the average DIY homeowner. Mural painting and faux painting can give your home a rich elegant look if they are done well. If you want to paint cartoon figures in your child's room, quality is not quite so important. As a matter of fact, let the kids help. If, however, you want a Tuscan countryside viewed through a villa window, unless you are an artist, hire a professional. Faux painting can actually be accomplished with some practice (my wife has gotten pretty good at it), but if you have a large area to cover, two story walls and ceilings or other such obstacles, call in the professionals.
Masking off bushes and landscaping, putting down drop cloths and other preparatory steps are necessary to avoid the inevitable mess that painting can cause. Unfortunately, many homeowners are in a hurry or are too inexperienced to make sure all of these steps are taken and often spend more time cleaning up than it took to do the painting in the first place. Painting contractors make a living at their trade because they know the best and most efficient ways to get the job done. That includes preventing costly down time due to spilled or over sprayed paint. They also have a tremendous amount of knowledge about types of paint and how to apply them. If you want quality results, let the pros do what they do best and spend the time with your family. You will be happier in the long run.

Monday, December 3, 2012

You can paint your Kitchen Cabinets

Painting Your Kitchen Cabinet Remodel

Ken Rader Interiors-Professional Painting Staff

PAINTING NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BEAUTIFUL."ONE HOUSE AT A TIME".

PROFESSIONAL PAINTERS

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE PROJECT

Screwdriver
All-purpose cleaner
Sandpaper
Primer
Paintbrush
Paint

When undertaking a kitchen cabinet remodel, you might want to paint your kitchen cabinets. They will need protection since they’re subject to plenty of wear and tear through daily use. Apart from being handled when they’re opened and closed, they are also in the proximity of heat and humidity from cooking. Any paint used to remodel cabinets needs to be hard wearing and durable. Several paint companies offer a combination Paint and Primer. These are excellent products and are the best choice when painting your cabinets.

Step 1 - Clean the Cabinets

Unless your kitchen cabinet remodel includes brand new cabinets, you’ll need to clean your old cabinets before you paint them. This will be much easier if you remove the cabinet doors and clean them separately. Unscrew the doors at the hinges. Use a strong all purpose cleaner on the door and the outside of the cabinets. This can require several applications to get rid of all the accumulated grease and grime. Allow the cabinets and doors to dry completely before moving on. Use of TSP or a TSP substitute are the best and most economically suited product for this job.

Step 2 - Sanding

Before you use primer, it’s important to sand all the surfaces. This doesn’t need to be a heavy sanding project; you only want the primer to adhere to the surface properly. Use a fairly fine sandpaper of around 150 grit but make sure you leave each surface lightly roughened. Please take your time and make sure that all of the surface is sanded. Of all of the steps taken to paint your cabinets, this is the most IMPORTANT ONE.

Step 3 - Primer

The kind of primer you use in a kitchen cabinet remodel used to depend on the kind of paint you’re going to use. However, the combination Paint and Primer that we mentioned earlier is the only way to go. Oil and Lacquer paints will yellow, gray or crack very quickly. The new acrylic paints will stay true to the color and are warranted for at least 25 years. But in all cases, the kitchen needs to be well-ventilated while you work and while the primer dries. You will only need one coat of primer. The primers that we suggest are "Glidden-Gripper", Zinsser- Bulls Eye 123, or Kilz-Total.
Even with the use of the paint and primer combination you will still need the undercoat of primer.

Step 4 - Painting

If you have a proper paint sprayer, you can use it to apply the paint. If not, a brush will do a fine job although it shouldn’t be more than 3 inches wide. You must apply paint in very thin coats for your kitchen cabinet remodel as nothing is gained by using a thick coat. Several thin coats, with proper sanding in between them, will give a much stronger finish to your kitchen cabinets. With the paint and primer combination you will be able to do the job in only 2 coats.

Step 5 - Additional Coats

Once the first coat of paint on your kitchen cabinet remodel has dried, sand it very lightly with 400 grit sandpaper. The purpose behind this is to create a smooth surface for the next coat to adhere to. Make sure your sanding is very light.
Clean off the surfaces so that no sawdust remains and then add a second light coat of paint. In most instances, two coats will be all you need but if you choose to add a third coat, give another light sanding before you apply it. Again, let the paint on the cabinets dry completely before sanding and also after the final coat of paint.

Step 6 - Finishing

To complete your kitchen cabinet remodel, hang the doors again and check that they open and close smoothly. Your new paint should look good and be ready for the demands of your kitchen. You’ll be able to keep them clean with regular use of soap and water.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Ken Rader Interiors-"What color for your home office"

Home Office Paint Selections

By Ken Rader Interiors- Painters in Northwest Arkansas

Aside from the feel and general appearance that you would want to create in your home office, the choice of paint colors likewise put on a great effect on your productivity rate when it comes to your working place. There are types of paint colors which function to motivate while there are those which appear distracting indeed. Take note that you need to use proper colors that would blend in with your intention to create a better environment for your working place.

The Cool Colors
The cool colors include the greens, blues, purples, and the likes which somewhat appear passive by nature as they recede in the backgrounds. They never have the ability to disturb or distract you. These cooler hues also help out in quieting the nerves, soothing the soul, and lifting a downtrodden spirit. In a psychological manner, these cool colors are inherently meditative and calming thereby leading to a deep concentration.
Green, the Color of Nature

The color green is closely associated with nature itself. It is very natural, rejuvenating, and restful in attribute. The home office paint color green is said to be one of the best since it is related to the goals of creativity and thinking profitably. Most study halls and offices are employed with a touch of green. The color green is also said to promote harmony and balance. It is also helpful in easing out stress.
The Warm Colors

The warm colors include the yellows, reds, and oranges. They are the active and lively hues which look like moving towards your direction and hence rooms painted with them seem cozy and a lot intimate. The warm colors are truly invigorating and cheerful. These hues are perfect to be used for the areas being occupied by people who want much stimulation from the workplace. These colors are said to be very helpful in awakening the mind as well as enlivening the spirit. However, due to the lively character of these hues, they may sometimes tend to become distracting.
The Whites

White always stands as a symbol of purity and peace. Smaller areas tend to appear spacious with the use of whites. Main walls in the office areas are best off with whites.
The choice of home office paint color actually depends on your own discretion. You would have to assess your response to these colors as you select one for your home office paint.
It is important to give your home office space a little thought and get well in mind what furniture and decorating items you will be using. You want the room to express your likes and personality. It can be a lot of fun and when you make the right choices you will feel a sense of accomplishment and you will enjoy working in your home office space for years to come. If that is what you want.
AS ALWAYS,”HAPPY PAINTING AND DECORATING”

Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C. -- Painting Northwest Arkansas Beautiful, “ One house at a time”.

Serving Northwest Arkansas and the greater Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bella Vista area.
Professional Painters since 1987.

Check us out at www.kenraderinteriors.com
Like us at www.facebook.com/ken.rader.interiors

Ken Rader

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