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6 Painting Mistakes
There are many aspects involved in getting a great paint job. Detailed prep, advanced products, and skilled craftsmanship are a few items that ensure a longer-lasting paint job. Below are some items to avoid that occur all too often. Mistake #1: Inadequate Preparation. A quality paint job starts with high performance surface preparation. Professional prep includes anti-mildew power washing, removing loose and peeling paint, countersinking nail heads, priming new wood, …
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Painting Your Kitchen: Tips and Techniques
Haven’t got the appetite for painting your kitchen? Follow this advice and you’ll have a recipe for success in updating one of your home’s most frequently used rooms: PREPARATION IS KEY Before anything else, survey the existing paint in your kitchen. It’s important to know what kind of paint is already on your walls. If the original paint is oil-based, you’ll need a high-adhesion latex primer before you can apply more …
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CMG Names 2012 Colour of the Year
If you’re planning ahead for 2012 and want to know what is happening in terms of colours, the Color Marketing Group (CMG) suggests Boyz-N-Berry, a “deep rich purple with slight red undertones. It is mature and elegant yet has a youthful edginess. It reflects our changing mindset on so many issues — off centre and unconventional, spiritual, meditative yet impulsive. It is serene and in control.” It is also able to blur the line, being both masculine and feminine and appealing to everyone.
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When It Comes to Color, Follow Your Heart
How do you feel about your home and how does your home feel about you? It is a well-known fact that different colors in the home can have an immediate impact on our mood. Changing a color is one of the most exciting and economical ways to transform a space; alternatively, choosing a color can be a very overwhelming experience, since there are as many colors available on the market as there are grains of sands on the beach. Understanding color is vital to creating your perfect space.
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2011 Colour of the Year
You may have noticed the return of bright colours over the past few months. Perhaps most prominent among them is pink. Not the dusty rose hues of the early 80s, or the fluorescents from a few years later, but a bold, fuchsia-like tone. So it is not terribly surprising that Pantone has named it their 2011 colour of the year.
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Working Safely With Lead-Based Paint
Until recently, contractors, homeowners, and the general public in the U.S. had little knowledge of the dangers around them as they worked on older buildings. Many historic restorationists who focused on buildings from the 19th and early 20th century knew that the lead commonly used as a binder and colorant in old paint could poison them. In 1971, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD) enacted laws to reduce lead in house dust in federally-assisted housing. It wasn’t until 1978 that the US outlawed the manufacture and application of lead-based paint. Most European countries had done so decades before.
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Staining Your Door 101
Staining your front door is a simple process that can achieve elaborate results. Three easy stages – Preparing, Staining, and Applying a top-coat – will allow you to increase both the aesthetics and value of your home. Preparing to stain your door just might be the most demanding step of the process. You will need access to a standard set of tools, acetone, and a quality stain. Doors can be stained either hanging in the opening or removed from the frame. To …

