Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

For a beginner like you, home painting mistakes are so normal if you do it all by yourself, but even if a professional painter renders the home painting services for you, mistakes cannot be completely avoided. However, you should at least know the basic things that even professionals should also know to avoid home painting disasters. Even if you hire a painter, you should at least coordinate with him and point out the important factors such as the color that you want and how it should blend with your furniture and curtains.

First, you have to plan your home painting ahead of time. You should be able to allot at least two days for each room that you would like to be painted. Then, you can start selecting what color that would fit in your room. You should never recklessly select any color. You have to make sure the color would coordinate and blend with the colors of your furniture. For instance, if your entertainment set in your living room has the color of natural wood, then your wall should be a lighter shade of brown or warm pastel. You should also make sure your wall color matches the color of your carpet or flooring, as well as your curtains and furnishings. Also, if the colors of your furniture and curtains are dominantly light colors, then your wall can be about two to three tones darker, but not too dark, just enough will do. Same thing as when the furniture are of darker color, then the walls should have a lighter shade.You can also do some color sampling by looking at the color scheme or color wheel. You should be able to determine about two to three complimentary colors that you can use for your walls or ceiling.

After you have made your plans and decision on what paint color to choose, you are now ready to buy the materials that you would need in home painting. The necessary materials for home painting are the paints, paint thinner such as turpentine for oil-based paints and water for latex paints, bristle brushes, roller brushes, paint container for rollers, ladder, drop cloths, painters tape, masking tape, newspapers, and your coveralls or working attires. You should check whatever materials that are not available in your storage so that you can buy them all together in the hardware. After you have bought all the materials, you should start covering the areas that should be painted such as the flooring, windows, and hardware. Then, you can start painting.

The last and most important thing for you to consider is that you have to realize if you can realistically do it all by yourself or if you should need the help of a professional. However, even if you are a beginner on this, as long as you know how to avoid the home painting disasters, then you are ready to start your home painting tasks. There is nothing wrong with trying, so you get your notebook and start doing your first task.

From Home Remodeling Frederick Md

301 253-1068

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

Sponging
Sponge a contrasting color over the base coat after it has time to dry. The more the dissimilar color you choose, the more striking the effect will appear. This texture is easy to maintain over time by sponging on fresh color over marred areas and scuffmarks.

Sanding
Adding silica sand to latex paint for texture creates a fine textured surface that gives your walls a velvety appearance. Use a ratio of about 8 to 1 paint / sand by volume. You can add sand to any level of sheen paint. Some designer brands already have said in the paint. Sandy paint is thick enough to hide minor flaws, enables you to create the effect of plaster or stucco

Think blue for the new millennium.

Every year, Color Marketing Group, an Alexandria, Va., international, not-for-profit organization, forecasts the colors that will be introduced in products two years in the future.

Forecasters are color and design experts from industries that use color to sell products. These experts brainstorm with others in their industries about events (a presidential election), demographics such as the influx of Latino and Asian immigrants and Baby Boomers reaching middle age, the 2000 Olympics and intuitions that make them believe certain hues will be hot in two years.

Christine Dickey, a member who represents Toyota Motor Sales, USA, predicts colors in the first couple of years of the new millennium will be influenced by people’s desire for authenticity and heritage. “This trend is led by Generations X & Y, but is quickly being adopted by Baby Boomers seeking a slower pace of life filled with more tradition and spirituality,” she says.

These color theorists say blue will be the dominant color for the first half of the decade, with a variety of blues emerging in product categories from automobiles to house paint. Those shades will be supported by an array of neutral colors in cool and warm gray, clay, taupe and pale brown. Color forecasters also predict a new wave of soft pale colors led by aqua and true lavender, representing consumers’ desire for serenity in their environments. For those of us in need of a little energy, color experts offer spicy oranges, reds and gold browns from Morocco and Australia.

New colors first appear in fashion, then in home furnishings, and finally in exterior building materials. While fashion colors change with the seasons, building products are replaced by homeowners far less frequently, so they change color more slowly. Roofing, for instance, changes colors only once every 10 years, while interior colors shift every six to eight years.

How do these predictions affect home remodelers? Color experts say paying attention will keep your decor

From Home Remodeling Frederick Md

301 253-1068

Maryland Home Remodeling by BT Martin Contractors serving Bethesda, Potomac and Howard County for 30 yrs. We are fully licensed and insured, with excellent references available upon request. Our team of quality-conscious professionals will address all of your home improvement concerns, treating your home and property with high regards.

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

While it may be wise to leave exterior home painting to professionals, some people need to tackle the job themselves. If you find yourself faced with this daunting task, follow these tips for success:

• First of all, make sure you’re qualified. Exterior painting is physically demanding and requires a great deal of time and effort. Don’t waste resources planning to do it yourself if you may not be able to complete the job.
• Remember that exterior paint must withstand harsh weather conditions. Using the highest quality primers and paints available is worth it when you consider the wear and tear your paint job will need to endure. In fact, a poor paint job can lead to deeper damages to your siding.
• When choosing a color or color scheme, remember there are many factors to consider. The age and style of the home, location, neighborhood guidelines, surroundings, and condition of the property should all play a role in your decision.
• Consider getting practice with a paint sprayer. For a large job such as this, the extra effort needed to polish your paint spraying skills beforehand could mean a huge time savings in the end.
• Inspect your home’s condition and research the best ways to prep various surfaces for painting to ensure the best and most durable outcome.
• Staining versus painting requires the same amount of research and care. Choose the proper stain for your particular wood and climate, and make sure to remove all previous stain before reapplying. The wood surface must be clean and porous for the stain to set properly. Also, different types and colors of stain require different application techniques.
• Get answers to all your questions ahead of time. You have many resources available to you-take advantage. The Internet, hardware and home improvement store employees, and books or guides are all excellent ways to research and educate yourself beforehand to prevent roadblocks and problems.
• Plan on doing it right the first time. This is a big job that everyone will see, so the last thing you want is a big mistake or worse-needing to redo the whole thing. Take your time and don’t skimp in any way.

If you take the time to research and plan sufficiently, and follow the other guidelines above, you can succeed in repainting the exterior of your home without hiring a professional. Just keep in mind that doing so is one of the most difficult and important home improvement projects you can decide to tackle on your own.

From Home Remodeling Frederick Md

301 253-1068

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Home Remodeling News Throughout Maryland from Google

Homeowners chose renovation over selling [Maryland Gazette (MD)]

Maryland Gazette (MD) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) When Mike and Gillian DuVall moved into their Cape Cod-style home in Annapolis five years ago, they assumed they’d someday be moving to a new house.

In fact, they had planned on doing that right about now.

But then the housing market tanked, and the couple knew selling the three-bedroom home made little financial sense.

“We’ve had the house appraised a couple of times, and we’re just above what we bought it for – we’re very fortunate,” Gillian DuVall said. “But we knew we wouldn’t be able to sell it for what we need to sell it for.” So the couple decided to renovate instead. Once their $40,000 home remodeling project is finished this summer, they’ll be staying put for at least the next five years, she said.

“It’s not like we’re renovating and we’re going to turn around and sell it,” said DuVall, 34. “It’s not that kind of market.” At one time, couples like the DuValls may have purchased a starter home in hopes of one day trading up to something bigger and better.

But with a real estate market that remains soft, that’s not necessarily a good idea right now, say homeowners and real estate agents.

More county families are opting to renovate their existing homes rather than invest in new ones. They’re upgrading kitchens, adding bedrooms and even adding on apartment units in hopes of transforming something old into something new – at least until the market improves.

About 24 percent of Maryland homeowners have underwater mortgages, meaning they owe more on their homes than they’re worth, according to figures released this week by real estate tracking firm CoreLogic.

Article Source Maryland Gazette

Maryland Atorney General Orders Contractors To Pay $15K In Penalties

BALTIMORE — Attorney General Doug Gansler has ordered two former Maryland contractors and their company to pay more than $15,000 in refunds and penalties.

The office’s Consumer Protection Division found that Greg Haigis and Scott Huff and their company, Bay Area Build and Design, violated the state’s Custom Home Protection Law.

Gansler said they failed to place money from customers in an escrow account, failed to have a surety bond and failed to finish constructing a home in Anne Arundel County.

Haigis and Huff were the subjects of an 11 News I-Team investigation in which about a dozen homeowners claimed the men collected payments but never finished the remodeling projects.

Read more: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/28409051/detail.html#ixzz1RULFLl9w

Maryland Home Remodeling Tax Credits | Nosignos – Leaked News Stories
The tax credits change in accordance to style of maryland home remodeling undertaking and how green the undertaking is. Below is a rapid summary of the …
www.nosignos.com/maryland-home-remodeling-tax-credits/

Sell my home? Not now, thanks
Annapolis Capital
Once their $40000 home remodeling project is finished this summer, they’ll be staying … About 24 percent of Maryland homeowners have underwater mortgages, …

Remodelers and Homeowners weigh in on new EPA regulations
RealEstateRama
… MCR, UDCR, President of Merrick Design and Build Inc. in Kensington, Maryland. … The remodeling industry, the bright spot in the housing economy, …

Home Builders group sues EPA, says Chesapeake restoration strategy …
Washington Post
… members in home building, remodeling, multifamily housing construction, … About 16000 are in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which covers Maryland, …

From Home Remodeling Frederick Md

301 253-1068

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes

Recently, CBSs moneywatch.com featured an article by Ilyse Glink about the remodeling trends of 2011. The 12 trends discussed were based on the National Association of the Remodeling Industrys (NARI) exclusive poll of their top builders and developers.

It showed that while major renovations are still not a top priority, smaller projects are definitely on the rise:

From CBS www.moneywatch.com:

New year, new list of remodeling projects to start around the house. At least thats what remodelers and contractors are hoping.

So, what remodeling projects are on top of everyones list?

TheNational Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) conducted an exclusive poll of their top builders and developers for us and found that while most people are not starting major renovation projects due to the economy, now is the time to take care of the smaller jobs around your home.

Call it the over-arching remodeling trend for 2011:Tackling small projects while you wait to do the really big remodeling project thats on your list.

Here are 12 top remodeling trends to welcome in the aught teens:

1. Save Money: Remodel Your Bathroom. Old tile getting a little grungy? It looks like 2011 is the year for a bathroom update. Dennis D. Gehman, president of Gehman Custom Remodeling says, Bathrooms are the hottest project, we think its due to the economy. Baths cost less than a kitchen or addition and most houses have more than one bath, so there are more available to be remodeled.

2. Must-Do Remodeling Projects. Rather than going through major renovations, next year people will continue to only complete the projects that need to be done, like repairs to siding or roof leaks. Mitch Speck of Specktacular Home Remodeling says he is seeing a trend of people doing have-to projects instead of want-to projects.

3. Warming Up The House. Warmer tiles and colors are coming back. People tend to be moving away from minimalist, white designs in favor of cozier, earth tones. The trend, however, is not rustic. Instead, itss a mash-up of earthiness and modern design. Judy Mozen, president ofHandcrafted Homes, Inc., says she is seeing people favor rooms that are more contemporary and calming, but are still not totally contemporary.

4. Getting Decked Out. George Christiansen ofPequot Remodeling Corporation says his clients are building outdoor spaces for themselves. It appears that people want to sit outside again and are staying at home more frequently. Many pools are also being built in the neighborhood.

5. Hiring A Great Contractor. Darius Baker ofD & J Kitchens and Baths, Inc. says that consumer diligence is on the rise. Folks are finally getting the message that it is important to look closer at the companies they are considering for their project. They are asking the questions we have been telling them to ask for years.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINING 7 TRENDS FOR 2011

Originally Posted to Burgin Construction in California

From Home Remodeling Frederick Md

301 253-1068

Maryland Home Remodeling by BT Martin Contractors serving Bethesda, Potomac and Howard County for 30 yrs. We are fully licensed and insured, with excellent references available upon request. Our team of quality-conscious professionals will address all of your home improvement concerns, treating your home and property with high regards.