The Least Flashy Job in Every Paint Project: Wall Washing

Posted on November 21, 2011August 6, 2019

Not too long ago, the kids helped me do the dishes. That’s cool right? I mean really, you walk into the kitchen after dinner expecting to take on the job and you find 2 or 3 kids there already working, placing all the freshly washed and dried dishes on the counter for my wife or I to put them away. Yes, there’s no way around it: that’s cool.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. Being kids, they’d never thought to clean off the counter. It was still covered with the mess of making dinner–the chunks of hamburger, drops of grease, some lettuce parts, some spilled ketchup . . . all that stuff–the things we’d normally wipe off from the counter BEFORE we piled dishes up on top of it.

They put in all the work, but because they hadn’t thought about the counter, some of the work was wasted and had to be redone. OK–now, for the paint point. See, we run into this all the time at RepcoLite–oh, not with counters and dishes, but with walls and paint.

For example, not too long ago, a customer walked into the store frustrated because his new paint wasn’t bonding well to his walls. He explained that there were places–especially on his wood panelling–where it wasn’t sticking well and he wanted to know what was wrong with the paint.

Turns out, there wasn’t anything wrong with the paint. The problem, as became clear in the conversation that followed, was that he had never washed the paneling down before painting. Over the years, he had cleaned it with Endust or some other dusting spray and the waxes in those cleaning agents can remain on the surface for years and will often repel a latex paint.

That’s just one scenario of the many that happen daily. Remember, nobody washes dishes and then sets them down on a dirty, unwiped counter. Likewise, we shouldn’t spend all the time and energy and money involved in a paint project only to roll our new paint over unprepared surfaces.

Take some time the night before your intended project to give the walls a good washing. It’s not a flashy, exciting part of a paint project. It’s one of those things that we tend to ignore or skip. But it’s important! Remember, even if the walls look clean–you don’t see spiderwebs or dirt or dust or other goo stuck there by your kids–take the time to wash over them with TSP. You’ll be giving yourself a clean palette, a clean foundation to work on and you’ll be much less likely to encounter problems in your project.

Easy DIY Stenciled Headboards

Posted on September 21, 2011August 6, 2019

Here’s a great idea from a blog we follow called Simply Sjostedt. It’s a simple way to create an entirely unique, interesting, headboard using only some planks, a stencil and some paint.

Here you can read about how it was done and see pictures that chronicle every step. But before you click the link, remember the Cardinal Rule of any project: don’t be afraid to tinker with the idea.

What I mean is this: the plank background here is a great “blank canvas”. Sure, you could stencil it–as we see in the picture at the left–but don’t be afraid to make this project your own.

For example, you could paint the boards a solid color and distress them. Or, you could go a different route and stain and varnish the planks. The stain job could be done with an eye toward a rustic finish or, if you prefer, a fine wood finish. Both results would be easily achievable–you just need to figure out which would work better for you. Really, the possibilities are endless. Use your imagination and your creativity and see what you can come up with! (And, if you come up with something really cool, let us know in the comments!)

Decorating Made Easy: Decorating with the 60-30-10 Rule

Posted on September 7, 2011August 6, 2019

The 60-30-10 rule is a tested concept used by interior decorators everywhere. It’s a simple proportion that spells out the ideal amounts of color to use in your decorating.

To keep it as simple as possible, 60% of your room should be composed of your dominant color, 30% should be composed of a secondary color and that final 10% should be reserved for accents. Now, maybe that sounds a little confusing . . . so here are some examples:

This room is a perfect example of the 60-30-10 rule in practice.
60% = Lavendar (walls and blanket)
30% = White (bed and fireplace)
10% = brown/tan (chairs, dresser, floor)

Another great example:
60% = Tan (walls, floors) 30% Brown (couch, tables)
10% Blue and White (pillows, vases, etc.)

A classic example showing that you don’t need a soft, muted color on your walls to make this work.
60% = Red (walls, accessories)
30% = Cream (furniture, rug)
10% = Tan (floor, accessories)

Another great example that clearly demonstrates that the main color doesn’t need to be calm, simple, neutral or BORING!
60% = Green (walls, accessories)
30% = White (furniture, art prints)
10% = Dark Brown (floors, chair legs)

An example that proves you can use the 60-30-10 rule to work incredibly vibrant and bold colors smoothly into your decorating.
60% = Blue (walls, light)
30% = Pink (bedspread, chair, painted leaves)
10% = White (trim, doors)

The color options are endless and it’s not difficult to see that using this rule helps you keep your color scheme under control and helps you produce an end result that’s very focused, very clean and very inviting!

Dental Neglect and Home Improvements

Posted on August 4, 2011August 6, 2019

The other night, we–my family and I–were sitting in the living room, watching the Tigers. The kids were running around, driving us a little nuts and eventually there came a point when I stood up and put my hands on my hips. (Which really, is something I wish I didn’t do because my wife and kids always mock me and laugh and say that I think I’m a Super Hero. Which I don’t, the picture below notwithstanding. I just happen to stand like one.)

At any rate, I stood up, put my hands on my hips and said, “Alright! It’s time to brush your teeth!”

Caleb, my 10-year-old son, just snickered, nudged Andrew, his younger brother, and whispered in a too-loud whisper: “Look, Dad acting like he’s Superman again.”

I looked down and realized my hands were on my hips and my chest (or stomach) was all puffed out. All I really

Proof that I have a tendency to stand like a superhero.

lacked was a cape and tights. And muscles. And height.

I thought for a second about how sad a Super Hero I would actually make before returning to the issue at hand: “Go! Go brush your teeth. It’s time for bed.”

Well, they scampered off–all 5 of them–like a small heard of domesticated beasts. But amidst the thundering of their stampede, I heard something I couldn’t believe: I heard Andrew–in confidential and extremely boastful tones–say the following:

“I haven’t brushed my teeth in four days!”

To which Caleb responded with: “Wow. How do you get away with it?”

To which Andrew replied, “I fake it.”

Well, at that point, I’d heard enough. The last thing I need with 5 kids is for Andrew to start promulgating a gospel of dental neglect. I stomped into the room, stood with my feet shoulder-length apart, straightened my back, puffed out my chest (or stomach), put my hands on my hips and said:

“Andrew Peter! You will brush your teeth at least twice a day or…or…” I searched and searched for the right threat, the right punishment, the right ultimatum to level at this hygiene-negligent son of mine. Ah, yes, that will do. “Or, you will pay your own dental bills!”

Andrew’s face clouded over and he looked down in defeat. Then, he looked back up. “Where am I going to get money for all of that? I’m just a kid.”

What? Money for…? He was trying to get me off-topic. “It doesn’t matter where the money comes from,” I said. “I’m saying you’ll have to find it and pay the dentist for all the bills that you rack up because you don’t brush your teeth.”

There. A definitive closing argument. Now, we should be able to move on.

“You mean ‘pay him’ like when I pay at the restaurant? When you give me money and I pay? Like that?”

His eyes were big and innocent and I couldn’t tell if he was really curious or if he was messing with me.

“No. Not like that. You’ll have to earn the money yourself.”

He paused. Looked down, thinking. Then his face brightened: “Dad, the only money I get comes when I get Tooth Fairy money. So if I’d lose all my teeth, I’d have enough money to pay the dentist, right?” I started to respond that that didn’t make any sense, but he kept rolling. “But then, I wouldn’t have any teeth to brush or any teeth to have to pay the dentist to drill, right?” He was picking up steam now, the clear end of his logical masterpiece in sight. “So then, I’d have all the money and I wouldn’t have anything to pay the dentist for and, I wouldn’t have teeth to brush. I’d be rich.” He finished with a flourish and I half-expected the other kids to rise to their feet, clapping.

I needed to end this and I needed to end it now. I puffed out my chest one more time, struck my pose and said, “Brush your teeth” in a very no-nonsense kind of way.

Caleb, who’d watched the whole exchange, snickered and said, “Superman has spoken–we must obey.”

Well, that kind of broke the ice and we all laughed a little bit. But I couldn’t shake Andrew’s desire to not brush his teeth. I mean really, who intentionally tries to avoid brushing their teeth? Who else but a kid would ignore such a simple project–especially when ignoring that project is only going to lead to expensive and painful work down the road?

I was just thinking those thoughts when the home improvement point hit me (yes, I’ve written enough blogs and radio segments about paint to see paint-related points in everything): I’m doing the same thing he is–with the exact same consequences.

See, there are all sorts of little projects around my home. A hallway ceiling that should be painted. Kitchen cupboards that need to be touched-up. Some peeling edges on my wallpaper that should be stuck back down.

I’ve got all kinds of little projects. Some are bigger than others, but most are really, just 10 and 15 minute jobs. In the grand scheme of things, they take no time at all. They cost almost nothing and they don’t require loads of expertise or special tools.

And yet I routinely ignore them. I do. I don’t know why. I guess I’m like Andrew–I don’t want to take the time to do these little fixes. I just keep telling myself that it’s not a big deal, that I’ll get to it later.

But the problem with that line of thought is that failure to act now only causes bigger problems later. Just like Andrew and his teeth, I’m saving time now, but I’m going to have to pay the piper, later. And I’ll have to use my own money to do it.

For example, the peeling wallpaper is a perfect case in point. The spot I needed to fix was about 3 inches long all along a seam. Nothing. It wouldn’t have taken any time or money or effort at all. (Notice I’ve shifted to past-tense to talk about this). A little dab of paste, some safe-release tape to hold it down for a few hours and it would have looked like new. But I left it and didn’t do it. I ignored it.

But Tessa didn’t. She found it and, of course, figured it should be picked at, peeled, pulled at. Well, one thing led to another and before long, she’d created a much bigger problem that took much longer to fix. On top of it all, the fix I managed to come up with wasn’t nearly as effective as the easier, cheaper one would have been.

So now, that’s me and my family–what’s your’s like? Are your kids brushing their teeth? If not, do they brag about it, too? Is that just a kid-thing? Or do I have bad-hygiene kids? And how about you? Not so much your teeth, but do you have projects at home like I do? Easy, quick projects you keep ignoring?

Well, maybe it’s time to tackle them. Maybe it’s time to cross them off your list and deal with them on a more regular basis–before they become bigger, more expensive problems down the road.

Give it some thought!

Bad Uniforms and What They Teach Us About Paint

Posted on August 2, 2011August 6, 2019

The year was 1976. The team was the Chicago White Sox. The Sport? Major League Baseball. Yes. Major League Baseball.

Maybe some of you remember this, maybe this is new to many of you, but for 3 games in 1976, the White Sox sent their players out on the field wearing…yes, shorts. And not cool, baggy shorts. No. Tight, clingy shorts. With their socks pulled up all the way to their knees.

This alone would have been bad–a fashion faux-pas of epic proportions–but the designers of this sleek little number weren’t done. They added to the shorts what would have been a boring white shirt were it not for the GI-NORMOUS 1970’s black collar.

Together, the whole outfit was so horrible, I’m pretty sure opposing teams refused to even take the field against the White Sox. White Sox players themselves likely spent hours in counseling and therapy sessions after being ridiculed and laughed into oblivion by former fans.

And yet, what’s interesting to me is that underneath that ridiculous outfit, these men were still Major League Baseball players. They are/were more successful than me by a long shot and yet, looking at the pictures, it’s almost impossible to think of them that way.

It’s a perfect example of that old saying about how the clothes make the man (or, of course, woman). When we say that, we know that clothes don’t CHANGE who we are, but they certainly affect how we are perceived.

For example, think of the manliest man playing the game today–I’m not going to name names, you just get somebody in your mind. Picture that player and then dress him–in your mind–in this bozo outfit from the 1970s. Give him shorts and white socks with black stripes pulled up to his ankles. Put that little shirt on him with the big fluffy disco collar. I guarantee if you do that, you’ll be unable to take him seriously. The goofy get-up doesn’t change who he is, but it certainly changes who we think him to be.

Now let’s shift gears and talk about paint.

Your home–your living room, your kitchen, the exterior of your home itself–can be in great shape. It can be solid, well-built, brand-new. It can be composed of the highest quality materials and consist of the best workmanship known to mankind. It can be all of those things, but if the paint colors are boring or were poorly chosen, all of the quality underneath remains hidden.

Look again at the pitcher in the top picture. He may be a tremendous athlete (and even if he wasn’t, he’s still likely 20X more fit than most of us). And yet, even though that may all be true, he looks so silly in his little shorts and his big collar and pulled-up socks that I look more manly sitting here typing this story about paint colors than he does throwing curveballs and 4-seam fastballs.

As I said earlier, clothes MAKE the man–they alter our perceptions–and the same is true with your home. You can take the best, highest quality workmanship and hide all that quality beneath poor paint jobs and lousy color choices.

It’s a remarkable concept: an athlete takes years and years of sweat and work and effort to hone him or herself to be the best he or she can be in their sport. Just like those White Sox players. And yet, all that work can be tossed out in a minute when you cover them over with a stupid-looking uniform. You can spend hours and hours and tons of money making your home exactly the way you want it, but if you choose the wrong paint color–something that simple and that superficial–the rest of the work is cheapened.

So all that to say, choose wisely. Color matters. The right colors can make your home look like something out of a magazine and the wrong colors can make it look like kids built it. Choose the right colors!

How to Clean Up Latex Paint Spills

Posted on July 27, 2011August 6, 2019

On a number of different posts here, I’ve talked about paint tools you need to own: certain brushes, certain rollers and so on. However, a must-have tool for every do-it-yourself painter or professional contractor is something that’s not as obvious: a wet/dry vacuum.

Believe it or not, this can be one of the most helpful, time-saving (and potentially life-saving) tools in your arsenal. See, when people paint inside their homes, one of the most common occurrences involves a ladder, a paint tray and the innate human desire to take short-cuts. Typically, it works like this: you’ve got your paint tray hooked to your ladder and you’re happily working your way around your room. At some point, you decide to move the ladder and, because you’re almost at the end of your project, you decide just to pull the ladder–after all, if you do it carefully, there’ll be no problem, right? Well, normally there isn’t. But every now and then, the ladder hits something and before you know it, the paint tray goes over the edge, hits your carpet (it always misses the dropcloth!) and you’ve got a mess.

And that’s why having a shop-vac on hand is such a life-saver: it gives you your best chance of dealing with the mess and preventing it from becoming a disaster.

However, having the right tool on hand is one thing. Knowing how to use it is another. So, with that in mind, here’s how you go about using your shop-vac to clean up a LATEX paint spill:

DON’T PANIC

The first thing you need to do–as is the case with any emergency–is to resist the natural urge to freak out. Yes, you spilled paint on the new carpet. Yes, it’s a mess. Yes, you’ll probably be in big trouble with someone else in your home. But freaking out and running around in circles isn’t going to help you save your neck. Calm, cool thinking wins out every time. So stay calm. That’s step one.

COLLECT YOUR TOOLS

Calmly (but quickly) grab a bucket of water, some old rags and either a couple wide (6″-10″) putty knives or some scraps of cardboard.

REMOVE PAINT FROM THE SURFACE

Start your clean up by removing as much paint as you can from the surface. You can do this by scraping it (carefully) off with the wide putty knives or the ripped up scraps of cardboard. Use either of these items to scoop as much paint off the carpet as possible and return it to the paint tray–NOT THE BUCKET (since you don’t want to add any contaminant to your paint bucket).

BRING ON THE DAMP RAGS

After the excess paint has been removed and you’re left with the paint that’s soaked into the carpet, bring out your damp rags. Use these to sponge the spot and remove as much of that soaked-in paint as possible.

BREAK OUT THE WET/DRY VAC

After you’ve done all of this, it’s time for the WET/DRY vacuum. Hit the spot carefully and pull up as much paint as possible. Introduce more clean water, work it around with your fingers or hand and then vacuum it back up. Do this again and again and again until the paint has been completely removed. Don’t quit with this step until you feel you’ve pulled out as much of the paint from the spill as you’re going to get. Once you let it dry, you’re done–you can’t go back for a second try tomorrow night.

DRY THE CARPET WELL

Once the paint’s removed, carefully blot the wet area with dry towels (don’t scrub the spot with your towels as you can damage your carpet that way.) Blot the area, removing excess moisture and then put a fan on the area and allow it to thoroughly dry.

If you follow these steps carefully and thoroughly, in about 24 hours, the spot should show no signs at all of the near tragedy that happened there. And all because you had a wet/dry vacuum in your tool belt!