Tips for Making Cutting In a Painting Job Easier

If you are inexperienced at painting, a simple painting job can take forever to finish - or at least feel like it is taking forever. To make things easier you should take a look at a few tricks from the professionals about one of the most time consuming parts of painting - ‘cutting in‘. By learning these tricks you can make painting an easy task. Plus when you are finished you will be amazed at how great it looks.

Painting seems very straightforward. You use a brush or roller to spread the paint on the walls and you are done. That is far from the truth, though. There are many little hassles that you may not even realize until you begin. Rarely are the walls and ceiling painted the same color, so there comes the point when you have to paint the top of the wall without getting it on the ceiling. This is called ‘cutting in’ and it is the most time consuming part of painting. The following tips address the issue of ‘cutting in’.

No matter what you do or how carefully you are there is always a need to put up a masking product to keep paint off surfaces where it is not intended to go. As mentioned above you will want to mask off the ceiling so the wall paint does not get on it. There are new products on the market that incorporate tape and a sheet of plastic or paper. These products are easy to apply and make painting quick.

Another way to make ‘cutting in’ easier is to learn how to use your brush properly. If you cut in by using the tip of your brush instead of the sides you will be able to avoid having to mask off certain areas. With this technique you should be able to ‘cut in’ the ceiling and around baseboards easily without having to mask it off.

‘Cutting in’ is a frustrating, but essential part of painting. By using the tricks above you should be able to maximize your time and still be able to ‘cut in’ to get results that rival the professionals.

Fixing a Water Stained Ceiling

If you have experienced a roof leak then you, no doubt, have a ceiling with some water damage. As water seeps through the damaged roof it falls onto the ceiling area below and creates a yellow or brown stain that is visible inside the home. Water spots or damage on a ceiling can make a rather unsightly addition to your décor. Many people try to cover them, but end up with the spots showing through eventually. Learn how to fix these spots for good and make your ceiling look like new again.

The first thing you should do with a water stained ceiling is to fix any damage. If it is cracked or peeling then you should fix this before ever trying to cover the water stains. You may need to even fix some of the ceiling area if water has damaged it which can occur if the roof was leaky for a long time or the area was not properly cleared of water. Once you have repaired any damage and have a flat, smooth surface to work with you can begin to cover the water stains.

Water stains have a way of repelling or busting through paint, so simply going over them with some white paint will not work. What you need to do for areas that have a visible stain is to use a stain sealer first. Simply paint the stained area with the stain sealer first and then paint over that with the desired color. You will most likely find that you need to repaint the whole ceiling so the fixed spot is not obvious, especially if you had to do a repair job on a cracked or peeling area.

By repairing stained ceiling spots as soon as possible you will avoid problems with mold or further damage from the moisture. It is also a project that can easily be pushed aside and forgotten about once the actual roof leak is fixed. It is something that will only take a couple hours and is fairly simple to do and once you fix it, you will be happy to know that the eyesore is gone for good.

Using a Home Improvement Assessment to Help You Finish Projects You Start

Home Improvement projects can get easily out of hand when you just dive into them without assessing your needs first. It is easy to start projects and then never finish them, either because you find a more pressing need or you do not have the money to finish. That is why before you start a home improvement project you really must do a home improvement assessment.

A home improvement assessment is where you look at what home improvement projects you want or need to do and figure out your budget for these projects. By doing this you will prevent many of the common issues a person faces during home improvement that often leads to the project or projects never being completed. You must look at two specific things - types of projects and budget.

There are a few different types of home improvement projects. There are those things that must be done to prevent damage to your home or if they are effecting your family’s comfort or safety. A good example is a broken window. You have to fix it right away or an array of problems and issues will come up. Another type of need are things that need to be done, but are something that can wait. An example of this type of need is siding the house. While old siding is not going to effect your home or family negatively, getting new siding will improve the look of your home and keep your insurance agent happy. Lastly, there are things that you want to do. These home improvement projects are not really going to matter if they are done or not. An example is painting the living room or adding on a deck. Once you categorize your needs you will have a better idea of what you should do first, second and what should wait for last.

Your budget is the bottom line. Once you have your list of projects based on type of need you can begin to see how many of these projects you will be able to do now and what will have to wait for later. All of the needs that must be done are first to be covered by your home improvement budget. If there is any money left over then you can go on down the list through the needs and wants. Budget problems are a top reason many home improvement projects are abandoned, so this is a critical part of a home improvement assessment.

A home improvement assessment will go along ways to ensuring your home improvement projects are a success. By planning and being very organized about the projects you have to do, you will save yourself the frustration of coming in over budget, or worse, not being able to finish because you have no money left.

Home Improvement Before Selling

Many people go into huge home improvement projects once they decide to sell their home. The idea is that they think doing these projects will increase the value of the home. The truth is that many projects are not going to raise the selling price. If you are planning to sell your home and feel you need to make improvements, then you should read below about what types of improvements to do and those to avoid.

The biggest rule when it comes to home improvement before selling is that projects should only be done if they are something that must be done or else the house will not sell. Besides necessary projects, you can also undertake some minor projects that are inexpensive, like painting the walls. Just avoid anything too expensive because it will not pay out in the end. Do not add on things like central air, a swimming pool or anything else that is consider extra because it will not reflect in the selling price.

Another thing to consider when doing improvements before selling is the outside of the house, including walkways, decks and landscaping. If you really want to increase the home’s value this is the place to look. First impressions come when the buyers step onto the property. Whatever is reflected by the exterior of the house will set the tone for their feelings abut the rest of the house. Inexpensive and simple things like, filling in cracks in sidewalks, painting a deck or adding a cheap stepping stone walkway can make a big difference.

When it comes to doing home improvements before selling it is very important for you to make sure they are done well. Shoddy work will not improve the selling price and could actually lower it. Hire a professional instead of trying to do the work yourself unless you are skilled at whatever the project is.

Doing home improvements before selling is very tempting. Often times you think that by doing a few projects you will help the selling price, but many times that is not true. Just remember any project that is too expensive and that is not necessary is just a waste of money.

Easy and Quick Home Improvement Projects

Not all home improvement projects must take weeks or months to finish. Home improvement is about making your home look better and make a better living experience for you and your family. Some people see home improvement as a project and simply do it for the love of it. If you are the type of person who enjoys home improvement, but want to do a quick and easy project then you should look into some of the great ways to improve your home in a day or less.

One of the simplest home improvement projects is revamping a room. Revamping a room is just changing the rooms look. This can include putting up new window treatments, reupholstering or covering furniture, moving furniture around and adding rugs, artwork or other décor. This type of project is fun because it usually involves a little shopping. You should first think of how you want the room to look and then go from there and tackle the project by changing and fixing the room as needed.

Another quick project is painting or wallpapering walls. Changing the look of walls can greatly impact the overall look of a room. It is important to first gather all needed supplies before starting. For painting, you will need brushes, rollers, pans, paint stirrer, tape and drop cloths. For wallpapering, you will need pans, paste or glue, water, brushes or rollers and drop cloths. Once you have gathered your supplies you can get started.

Other quick projects include adding organizing and storage units, building a new piece of furniture and small gardening projects. The idea of a one day project is one that is relatively simple, involves few supplies and is something that needs no special knowledge. They should not involve anything new or difficult that you have no idea how to do or is something you could not learn quickly. That would defeat the whole idea of a quick project.

One day home improvement projects are not going to be anything too major. They will not involve complex processes or require special knowledge. They are usually rather relaxing, and while they are hard work, they produce a great sense of accomplishment.