Dress for Success: 3 Tips for Your Next Paint Job!

A number of years ago, in the middle of the night, we heard something that sounded like gunshots outside our window. Well, needless to say, the second I heard the “shots”, I hopped out of bed, ready for action. Fight or flight, right?

Anyway, I was standing there, running through all the potential scenarios in my head when I looked down and realized I was in my underpants.

Well, this wouldn’t do.

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The Inevitable Forgetting of Important Things

Andrew is a habitual "Forgetter."

My family and I just wrapped up another Little League season and among all the wonderful things that baseball season brings into our lives, there's one thing that I could do without:  the Inevitable Forgetting of Important Things.  

There are a number of Capital Letters in that phrase, so let me explain:  Whenever there was a baseball game on a week night, our evening would devolve into chaos quite quickly.  I'd arrive home from work five minutes after the time we should have left.  To get back on schedule, I'd typically eat dinner without chewing it while I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth. This was a multi-tasking miracle in regards to the number of tasks accomplished at once.  However, because of the diverse nature of the tasks, it was also messy and somewhat disgusting.  Still, it's what was necessary to get to the game on time.  So I did it.  

Once that strange combination of eating/teeth brushing/clothes changing was done, I'd run out to the van, hop into the driver's seat, turn the key and then, for the first time in the entire evening, I'd pause. Turning around, I'd stare each of the kids in the eye, hold their attention for a second or two, let the import of the moment sink into their little heads, and then I'd ask:  "Do you have everything?"

It was a simple question.  A question meant to jog their little memories.  A question meant to make them ask the question in their own heads:  "Do I really, truly have everything I might need for tonight's athletic event?" 

Instead, every time I asked the question, they'd respond immediately, with absolutely zero thought (and with some exasperation):  "yes, dad".

Well, I've got five children and the oldest two are13, so this isn't my first rodeo, so to speak.  And so I would never let them off that easily:  "You have everything?  Really?  How about your glove?  Your hat?  Your bat bag?  Your bat?  Your cleats?"  I'd rattle off every single piece of baseball gear I could think of as they answered with an immediate "yes" to each item.

Finally, after what felt like a 30 minute deposition, I'd turn around in my seat, ease the van out of the driveway, and begin the journey to the baseball field.  And every single time, after I was far enough away from home to make going back frustrating, I'd hear it start:  the scuffling of their little fingers as they clawed through their bat bags looking for something.

I'd hope against hope every time I heard this that they were looking for a Mento.  But no.  After about 30 seconds of frantic scuffling, someone would nervously clear his throat as happened several nights ago:

"Uh, Dad?"

"Yes..." (through gritted teeth).

"Ummm.  Funny thing . . . you know when you asked if we had everything and then listed off all the things?"

"Yes."

"Well, you know what you forgot to list off?"

"No.  What did I forget to list off?" (through gritted teeth again).

"Well . . . and this really is hilarious . . . you never asked me if I was wearing my cup."  At this point the kid usually breaks into nervous laughter and falls silent. No one else typically laughs at this point because they know trouble when they see it.

I try to keep my cool and clinging to a very unreasonable hope, I ask:  "Are you wearing your cup?"

"Ummm.  Not technically.  I actually forgot it.  We'll have to go back and get it.  But don't worry.  I'm pretty sure I know where it might be..."

Every time.  Every game. Oh, sometimes they'd forget gloves.  Sometimes, it was their bat.  Maybe their hat, their sunglasses, their Gatorade . . . it doesn't matter.  Whatever it was they forgot, it was always something we'd have to go flying back to the house to retrieve.

And it drove me nuts, stressed me out, and got almost every single game night off to a rocky and uncomfortable start.  All because we weren't organized.  All because we were starting something without having all the right equipment.

Well, the same thing often happens when we're working on paint projects. We start the work and after we dip our expensive brush into a new gallon of oil-based paint, we realize we forgot to pick up paint thinner.  Or we pour our paint into a tray and realize that the roller cover we had isn't the right one for the project. Or--and this just happened to me a week or so ago--we run downstairs to grab that paint brush we've got in the basement only to find that we didn't clean it out well enough the last time.  Now it's unusable and we're standing there with our paint can open and no brush to apply it with.  

Click here to download the file!

When we forget to amass the right tools for our paint projects, we find the stress level rises quickly.  Our schedules are thrown into chaos, and all too often (if you're like me) we try to make things work using the tools we have, not necessarily the right ones.  And usually, the results are frustrating and disappointing.

The good news about all of this is there's a fix.  At least for the paint project part of it (I don't know how to fix the baseball stuff!).  Anyway, the way to make sure you've got all the right tools for your next paint job is as simple as using a basic "Project Checklist".

We've got one that you can download by clicking this link.  It's a simple tool that will help you mentally go through your project ahead of time.  The list will recommend certain items and most of the time, you'll discover one or two things you would never have thought to gather ahead of time.

Tackling a paint project can be a very rewarding and fulfilling experience.  It can even be somewhat of a stress reliever--almost therapeutic in a way.  Just make sure you've got all the items necessary before you start and you'll discover how smoothly a project can go!

3M Delicate Surface Tape

Every now and again, a new product enters the home decorating field and changes the way everything is done.  Today I want to very briefly highlight one such product:  3M's Delicate Surface Masking Tape.

Now hold on, don't click away just yet.  I know the very words "masking tape" don't necessarily instill a feeling of raw, unchecked excitement even in the hardiest home decorating gurus, but this tape is different.  It's worth a quick read.  Trust me.  You'll thank me later.

See, 3M's Delicate Surface tape will give you razor sharp, crisp lines when you paint.  Oh, it can be used on all sorts of delicate surfaces including wallpaper and recently painted walls, but for me, the biggest, most important aspect of the tape is the sharp lines it leaves behind.

After all, I hate taping a room off.  I cannot stress this enough.  I hate it.  It's time consuming.  It's no fun (I just want to put paint on, not spend this time taping).  And then, usually, after all that work of taping, I roll my paint on, pull the tape off and discover that there are many areas where the paint leaked under the tape.  My lines aren't crisp.  It's depressing. 

But that's where this particular tape changes the game entirely.  The lines are absolutely razor sharp.  They're perfect.  You can go through all the work of taping your room (which still isn't fun--even with this tape), but the end results make it all worthwhile--no paint leaking under the tape, no wallpaper or wall paint peeling off when you remove the tape.  Nothing but sharp lines and perfect walls. 

Now, of course, the tape is more expensive than regular masking tape--probably a couple bucks a roll more.  But think about it this way:  you're going to spend all that time masking a room with good tape or with cheap tape.  You're going to do all that work painting that room.  You're going to spend all that time pulling the tape off when you're done.  Isn't it worth it to do all of that and end up with perfect results?  Isn't that worth an extra $2? 

OK, that's enough said.  Instead of reading, do a little viewing.  Here's a video that will give you crystal clear proof that this tape's worth the money!  Check it out:

5 Tips to Help With Touch-Up Painting

photo by bigstockphoto.com

I received a question in my email the other day regarding touching up some paint on a wall.  The question was a good one and I thought I'd spell out a few simple tips here that will help make your next touch-up job go a little easier.

TIP ONE:  MAKE SURE IT'S THE RIGHT COLOR!

It happens often:  you paint the walls a certain color and then pick up another gallon of paint in a slightly darker color.  It looks great.  Until 2 years later when you grab that darker color by accident and use it to touch up spots on your lighter walls.  Suddenly a quick touch-up project becomes a repaint.  If you've worked with multiple shades of similar colors, never assume that the gallon you grabbed is the right color. Always test a sample in an inconspicuous spot before proceeding!

TIP TWO:  EVEN IF YOU'RE SURE IT'S THE RIGHT COLOR, CHECK IT BEFORE YOU DO ALL THAT WORK!  

What I mean is this:  even if you never used multiple shades as described above and you're absolutely, 100% positive that you are holding the can of the paint you originally used on your walls, you should still check that color.  Yes, it was originally the right color, but things have changed.  The paint on your walls typically darkens and deepens over time.  And even in the most immaculate households, it can sometimes get a little dirty.  What that all adds up to is that the paint on your walls may no longer match the paint in that original can.  So don't do what so many folks do and touch up 27 silver-dollar-sized spots on your wall only to find out the next morning that every single one of them is lighter than the wall paint.  Instead, sample a small area first, allowing the paint to dry down adequately, before you begin touching up.

TIP THREE:  IF THE PAINT'S TOO LIGHT, FIND A SWITCH PLATE!

This tip is pretty self-explanatory but sometimes folks don't realize just how many options are truly open to them.  If you check your color before touching up and discover that it's too light--don't panic.  All you need to do is look for something in your room that has your wall color on it.  This can be a switchplate, a piece of trim, a picture frame or anything along these lines.  If you can't find anything like that, another option is to simply cut a small, shallow hole in your drywall and remove a quarter-sized sample.  Take this sample and bring it to RepcoLite and we'll custom match a color for you so you can accomplish your project.

 TIP FOUR:  PAINT CORNER TO CORNER IF POSSIBLE!

OK, once you have your color figured out, it's time to actually do the work.  And the ideal way to do any touch up is to look for an obvious breaking point in a room and paint a larger section.  What I mean is this:  ideally, don't touch up 25 quarter-sized spots on your walls.  Rather, paint that one wall corner to corner with your new color.  Or paint from your built in cabinet to the doorway.  Basically, look for a breaking point and paint a larger section.  This will help your new paint blend in visually much better and makes the whole process of  touching up much easier.

 TIP FIVE:  SMALL AMOUNTS OF PAINT USING THE ORIGINAL APPLICATION TOOL!

Sometimes, you just don't want to paint corner to corner.  Sometimes you simply want to do the little touch-ups.  When that's the case, here's the best way to tackle it:  First, make sure you use the application tool you used to originally applied the paint.  If you brushed the paint onto the surface originally, then use a brush to do your touch-ups.  If you rolled the paint onto your walls, then use a small roller of similar nap to do your touch-ups.  And, when you're doing these, use small amounts of paint and put some care and effort into feathering them out.

Touching up our walls doesn't need to be complicated.  But it does take a little effort to do it well.  If you follow these tips, you should have no problem pulling it off!

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

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!

Bad Uniforms and What They Teach Us About Paint

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! 

4 Ways to Speed Up Your Next Weekend Paint Project!

The thought of tackling a painting project doesn't always fill us with excitement.  In fact, a lot of us dread these "weekend-killers."  Many of us don't get all warm and fuzzy over the thought of spending tons of time painting.  At least I know I don't.  

Oh, the painting isn't really the problem--that part's relatively fun.  It's the washing of the walls, the patching of the nail holes, the taping.  It's the PREP WORK that I really hate.  And I hate it because it adds so much time to my project.

But there's a simple fix for this:  Do the Prep Work Early!

• PATCH THOSE NAIL HOLES:  If you're going to try to roll paint on your living room walls on a Saturday morning, then take 15 minutes on a Monday night and go around the room filling all the nail holes with a good spackling compound.  We recommend White Lightning Lightweight Spackle or Crawford's Spackling.  Go around the entire room and fill ALL the nailholes and then quit for the night.

• SAND THE SPACKLING:  The night after you spackled all your nail holes, take another 15 minutes and go around the room doing a quick sanding of those spots.  By this point, (if you've truly waited 24 hours) the spackling will be bone dry and will powder nicely as you sand it.  This stage of the project should only take you 15 quick minutes as you work your way around that room.

• WASH THE WALLS:  Every paint job should start with a good wall washing using TSP (TriSodium Phosphate).  However, washing the walls down on the day you want to paint can really slow you down--it'll take a good 30 minutes to an hour to wash the walls and then another 15 minutes or so for them to dry.  Avoid all of this by washing the walls down early. Just as we mentioned with the spackling and the sanding, take a night in the week BEFORE you plan to start painting and go around the room, washing the walls down.  Doing this will save you all that time on the day of your project.

• ROLL OUT THAT MASKING TAPE:  Finally, the night before you plan to do your work, apply your masking tape to all your trim and around your doors and ceilings, etc.  Of course, if you're going to do this, you'll want to use either 3M's Blue Painter's Masking Tape or 3M's Blue (Orange Core) Safe Release Painter's Tape.  Both of these tapes will still cleanly remove after being applied early!  

If you tackle these prep work steps early, you'll have more nights of work--but, each night will be relatively short AND, best of all, when the weekend arrives, all the boring work will be out of the way.  All you'll need to do is pop the top on your gallon of paint and start rolling your new color on your walls.

Accomplishing this work early is a great way to minimize the frustration of a paint project.  Give it a try--you'll like the results!