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!

Cleaning and Coating Your Deck in 3 Steps

Well, Winter's over and we're moving our way through a bit of a rainy Spring.  Chances are, if you look out your window, your deck isn’t looking the best right now.  Maybe the wood’s grayed a bit, maybe it’s black in some spots--maybe the coating you had on it is fading.  Maybe the deck isn’t as water-repellant as it should be.  Whatever the situation, there’s a good chance that many of our West Michigan decks aren’t looking as beautiful as they could.

And that can be a little depressing.  Largely, because I know that most of us tend to think that a deck project is a great big ordeal.  But hold on, there's good news:  cleaning and protecting your deck is not a complicated or painful or even time-consuming project at all.  With the right information, the right tools and some nice sunny weather, it can actually be a fun project with a huge payoff!  

Here's a list of the supplies you'll need and/or want:

1. Defy Wood Cleaner (available at any RepcoLite, Port City or Snyder Paints location)
2. Scrub Brush
3. Garden Sprayer
4. Power  Washer or High Pressure Hose Nozzle
5. Paint and Stain Pad Applicator
6. Brush
7. 4' Extension Pole

Here's what you need to do:

The first step in any deck project is to clean the deck.  This is absolutely critical.  Many folks want to skip this step--they see the deck and they figure that this cleaning process is extra, that it’s something we made up just so we could sell you more stuff.

On the contrary, it's crucial to the success of your project and here’s why: the final appearance of most deck protector products is affected by the color of the deck before you coated it.

If your deck boards are old and gray-looking, the new coating you put on is typically going to take on a dull, old look.  If you want to have a deck that looks new and vibrant and beautiful, it’s important to wash away that dull, weathered gray, and get your wood back to a newer, brighter look.

So, the washing part of the process is critical and we recommend a product called DEFY Wood Cleaner.  It’s a powder you mix with water and then spray (using the garden sprayer), scrub or slosh onto your deck boards. 

Once it’s on--and this is the hardest part of this step--you let the solution stand for about 10 - 20 minutes.  After that complicated waiting process is over, you should scrub the deck with a good push broom or a stiff-bristled scrub brush.  Then, it’s just a quick rinse with a power washer and you’re ready for the next step.

Once you’ve got the deck cleaned and looking better, it’s time to let the deck DRY.  This is such a hard concept for most of us to grasp (mainly because we want to keep moving with the project and we feel that a delay is simply slowing us down.)

But as unnecessary as it may seem, this delay is absolutely critical.  Once you’ve introduced all that water to the deck, it’s important to let the wood dry for at least 3-4 good drying days.  And, by good drying days, I mean exactly that:  good drying days.  (To clarify:  a good drying day is a day without rain.)

So, let the deck dry 3-4 good drying days and then, before you move ahead with any wood protector product at all, you should do a water-drop test--to make sure it’s dry and ready to accept your coating.

To accomplish this, just sprinkle a few drops of water over various parts of your deck.  If the wood is ready to absorb a coating, this water should soak in within a few seconds.  If it doesn’t, it’s critical that you DON’T apply the coating.  If the water doesn’t soak in, your deck is either not dry enough yet, or it’s not porous enough to accept a finish.

Putting a wood protector on your deck at this point could easily create a maintenance hazard down the road--so even though you want to finish the project, if your deck doesn’t pass the water drop test, don’t proceed.  Instead, give it another day or so and repeat the test.  If it still doesn’t soak in, give RepcoLite, Port City Paints or Snyder Paint a call (or drop us an email at info@repcolite.com) and we’ll walk you through the next steps.

If the water does soak in--and that’s what’s going to happen most of the time--then you’re ready to finish the deck.

Once the deck is dry and has passed the "water drop" test, it's time to apply your deck protector.  Now, when it comes to choosing a deck protector, there are a lot of options out there:  don't be misled by a national advertising campaign or a big-name brand.  These products aren't always the best options.  (For a thorough discussion of our recommendations for deck coatings, check out our article:  The Truth About Deck Coatings) 

To proceed with this discussion, I'll assume that you've picked a deck protector like RepcoLite's Wood Protector.

Start with the railings and be careful to put drop cloths or cardboard down on the deck to absorb drips.  Brush the railings with one coat of wood protector (never more than one coat, period!)  Work your way around the deck and when you're finished with the railings and spindles, it's time to coat the deck's surface.

The easiest way to do this is to use an extension pole and a pad applicator.  Working out of a standard paint tray, you should be able to mop the product onto your deck boards very quickly and evenly.  

One note of warning here:  when you apply the wood protector, do not apply it in square patches.  You'll get overlap that way and this is not desirable.  Instead take one or two or three deck boards and apply the product on the entire board--from one end of the deck to the other, turning the pad applicator slightly on its side to get between the boards.  By working like this, you'll never have overlap and, if you have to quit or pause your work for an hour or so, you'll be able to pick up right where you left off, starting on the next uncoated board.  

Apply the product over the entire deck in this manner, making sure to start the deck in such a way as to have a means to exit the deck when you finish.  

Once the deck is coating is applied, you're done.  Simply walk away and give it some time to dry. When that's happened (normally just a day or two), you'll be able to get out there and enjoy the now protected and beautiful deck all summer long!

4 Simple Tips for Perfect Paint Storage

The search for the perfect method to properly store paint is one of those Holy Grail-type quests in the painting world.  Everybody everywhere has an idea (or two) as to the best ways to ensure that your paint doesn't dry out in the can as it sits on your shelf.

Some people argue that the ideal thing to do is to store your can upside down--because it will prevent air from seeping in.  Others claim that the best thing to do is to lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the opening before pounding the lid on:  this will provide an extra seal, again preventing air from seeping in. Some folks pour water into their paint before they store it, others coat the rim with vasoline, others vacuum seal the can little plastic bags.

The ideas are endless, but really, most of them either don't work or simply aren't necessary.  (We'll deal with some of these methods and discuss why they don't work and should be avoided in a later blog entry).

For now, instead of focusing on all the novelty ideas out there, here are 4 tips--solid, reality-based tips--that will help you make sure that the paint you store today will still be ready to use in a few years.  

Transfer your paint to a smaller container you can fill to the top.  If your paint gallon or quart is half full or less, don’t just pop the lid on and store it that way--it will dry out quickly.  Instead, move it to a smaller, sealable container that you can fill to the top. This will keep it in liquid form much, much longer.  A variety of different containers will work in these situations--the key is that you're able to fill the container AND that it will seal well.

Keep the rim of your container clean and free from built up paint.  Many people use the rim of their can as a "wipe off" point for their brush.  As a result, paint accumulates in the rim and can often be dried and hardened by the time you're ready to put the lid back on.  

Avoid this by using a pour spout (available for less than $1 at any RepcoLite store) and working out of a secondary container (this is important for other reasons as well--see here).  This way you can keep the rim of your paint can clean and free of paint.  

When you’re finished painting, take a couple extra minutes, before storing your paint on your shelf, to wash and clean out the rim so that your lid can achieve a good, tight seal.  If there's paint in the rim you can't clean out because it has hardened, use a rag and some hot water.

Along these same lines, when putting the lid on your container, use restraint!  You may have the power, the rage, the enthusiasm of Thor (see inset), but please, don't use those superpowers when pounding on the lid.  It will only result in sorrow, misery and a bad seal that will cause your paint to dry out prematurely.  

See, pounding the lid on with extreme force (some might say 'brutality') never works.  We've all done this.  We've all thought "if I just hit it hard enough, it will go on."  Well, it doesn't.  It just bends the can, warps the lid and prevents the can from ever sealing well again.  

So use restraint.  If you follow Step 2 and keep the rim clean and free from paint, you should be able to tap the lid gently on with a small rubber mallet. 

 

Finally:  store your paint in an area that will not freeze and which is not subjected to extreme temperature changes.  This rules out most of our Michigan garages.  Once latex paint freezes and thaws, it’s usually unusable--so find a good storage place in an area with controlled temperatures.  (Think basement or lower level storage area!)

Do these things, take these precautions and you’ll find that 5 years from now, when you need to do a couple touch-ups, your paint is still usable and in perfect shape.

Cleaning Your Siding After a Fire

It's Spring.  And with weather like we've been having, many of us are feeling the itch to turn our attention to the exteriors of our homes.  We'd like to clean them up, spruce them up, get them looking good again after winter.

In fact, a customer of ours just posted a comment on our facebook page (which you should check out here and become a fan!) requesting that we talk about how to clean the siding of our homes.

Turns out he had a fire recently and a lot of the siding is now smoke-stained.  Now, with the nice weather (and with Tulip Time approaching), he's feeling the push to get that siding cleaned up and looking good again.  

So to hopefully help him out (as well as others of you with the same issues), here's the scoop when it comes to cleaning smoke damage from your vinyl or aluminum siding.  (And by the way, if your siding is simply dirty, you can skip straight to step 4!)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

•  Soot Sponge 
•  Broom/Tire Brush
•  Shop Vac
•  Jomax House Cleaner (available at RepcoLite and Port City Paints)
•  Hose or Power Washer
•  Garden Pump-Up Sprayer 

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:

Step 1:  Dry Brush

The first thing to do when you've got smoke damage is to resist the urge to rinse it all down with water and various cleaners.  This often can make the mess worse and harder to clean up.  Instead, start with a broom or a tire brush and go over your siding, lightly brushing away as much of the loose debris and dry soot particles as possible.

Step 2:  Vacuum

Once you've done this, it's time to break out your shop-vac (with a brush attachment if you've got one).  Go over the siding again, removing as much of the soot and debris as possible.

Step 3:  Break Out the Soot Sponge

After you've done this, it's time for the Soot Sponge.  And, because this is likely a tool many of you aren't familiar with (I know I wasn't) let me explain it briefly.

Soot Sponges are also referred to as Chemical Dry Cleaning Sponges.  They're thick, porous and made of rubber.  Basically, they look and feel somewhat similar to a big eraser.

Soot Sponges are used dry.  This is important:  using water or detergents--at least in this initial cleaning stage--often results in smearing the stain around.  So use the sponge dry, lightly sweeping it over the stains in even motions and in only one direction, working from top to bottom.  When you do this, the sponge will function like an eraser and will remove dust and soot from your siding.

Once the surface of your sponge has filled up, you've got a couple options.  The best option is to cut away the dirty layer with a utility life, exposing a new clean layer underneath (be careful--I speak from experience). If you prefer not to cut away the old layers, you can wash the sponge out, but you must let it dry thoroughly before using it again.

Usually, you'll be able to clean about a 12' x 20' area with one 6" sponge. 

Step 4:  Clean and Rinse

After using the Soot Sponge to remove the bulk of the smoke stain from your siding, it's finally time to hit it with Jomax House Cleaner. 

Now, Jomax is a cleaner manufactured by Zinsser and it's a great product for safely cleaning your siding and removing everything from soot residue to mold and mildew.  Using Jomax to kill mildew is more effective than just using bleach and water.  It's also safer.  While bleach is added to Jomax, the bleach activator in Jomax increases the cleaning power of the bleach while at the same time bringing down its alkalinity to levels that are safe for surrounding plants or grass. 

With that said (and because I don't want angry phone calls/e-mails), I'd still suggest spraying nearby plants and grass down with water before you apply Jomax and immediately after you've rinsed it off your house.  You know--just to be safe.

 

OK, so pick up a quart of Jomax concentrate from RepcoLite, Port City Paints or Snyder Paints and mix it according to label directions.  

 

Using a hose or a power washer, wet a section of your siding (as well as your surrounding grass and plants) and then, using a standard garden pump-up sprayer, spray the Jomax mixture onto that section of your siding and scrub it lightly with a good scrub brush.  Work from top to bottom and when you've scrubbed a section clean, go ahead and rinse it before it has a chance to dry out and leave new streaky stains.

 

Work your way around the home in this way and before long, you should have things looking good again!

The Vile Showerhead (or, Finding the Dread-Free Life)

I'm a "dreader".  That's not a word--I know that.  But that doesn't change the truth:  I dread things.  On a regular basis.

For example, I re-decorated my bathroom about a year ago.  I put wood planking on the walls, hung some wallpaper, stained and varnished new trim, installed a new (bowed) shower rod and new curtain and finally, to finish the whole thing off, I installed a new shower head.

Which was the biggest mistake I made.

See, right after installing it, my wife marched right in, closed the door and proceeded to take a 45-minute shower.  When she was done, the kids all marched through, one after the other.

When the shower marathon ended that day, I opened the bathroom door and it was as if a cloud had localized in that tiny room.  I literally couldn't see the other side through the steam.  The little ceiling fan was working overtime, but there was no way it could keep up.

"Fortunately," I thought, trying to wave away the steam, "this is something that won't happen everyday.  Once the 'newness' of the shower head wears off, we'll go back to having to fight the kids to take baths."

Nope.  Not a chance.  Every single day since the installation of that vile shower head, our bathroom is engulfed in steam.  Shower after shower, hour after hour:  steam, steam, steam. 

Well, that went on for a long time and then the inevitable happened:  the mold started growing around the edges of the ceiling.  The wallpaper started peeling and curling up on all the seams.  My beautiful bathroom had gone from a place of despair to a place of beauty and then back again to a place of despair all in about 6 months time. It was depressing to say the least. 

And that's where the "dreading" comes in.  Everyday, I'd look at the ceiling and see the mold or the wallpaper and see the peeling and I'd dread the "fix-up" job that was to come.  

I dreaded it because it seemed like such a big job:  fixing the mold, fixing the paper, repainting the ceiling.  I'd just gone through some of this work and now, thanks to that dumb shower head, I had an even bigger mess to fix.

And so I stared at it for a long time.  I thought about it.  I tried to ignore it.  But most of all I dreaded it.  

Until finally I got so sick of being depressed and frustrated about it that I actually fixed it.  

I took a week and on a Monday night, I sprayed the mold with a bleach solution and scrubbed the ceiling.  That took me exactly 17 minutes.

Two nights later I came back with more bleach--no scrubbing this time, just the bleach on the mold.  That took about 7 minutes.

On Friday night I went around the room and primed all the previously moldy spots with ProFlo Alkyd primer and then I re-pasted all the peeling paper.  That night's work took about 15 minutes.

Finally on Saturday, I got ready to paint the ceiling and finish the job.  I was ready for a big, painstaking job (I hate painting ceilings) but I was surprised to find that the whole thing took about an hour from the time I opened the can of paint to the time I put the paint back on the shelf in the workroom.

In the end, I realized that the job I'd dreaded for the last 6 months or more had taken me less than two total hours to fix.  In my mind, I'd exaggerated and inflated and imagined the work to be 10x worse than it was.  I imagined the mess, the problems to be 10x less fixable than they were.  I imagined the pain to be 10x greater than it was.

I'd spent 6 months feeling bad and frustrated and almost (in a sad and pathetic way) depressed about a room that took me less than 2 hours to fix.

So how does this apply to you?  Well, I can't speak for you, but I've talked to many folks in the paint store at RepcoLite who feel the same way I was feeling.  They're frustrated about the seemingly endless amounts of work needed in their homes.  They look at the jobs and the work to be done and assume that they're worse than they really are.  And so they do what I did:  they put them off and they stew on them, thinking about them and mulling them over in their minds for months until the jobs seem even bigger and more horrible.  In short, we dread them and waste our time worrying about them and frowning over them.

But what we really should be doing is "doing" them.  The jobs aren't as bad as we think.  They'll go smoother.  They'll go more quickly.  They won't be as painful.  And best of all, once we're done, you'll notice what I noticed:  a real sense of relief and freedom from the work that had been hanging over my head.

So, bottom line:  If you've got a project that's creating that feeling of dread, jump into it.  Get it accomplished.  And then kick back and enjoy the dread-free life...

The Least Flashy Job in Every Paint Project: Wall Washing

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.

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!

How to Clean Up Latex Paint Spills

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!

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!