Archive for July, 2008

Best Brands for Exterior House Painting

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

One benefit of choosing Kimberly Painting as your Cumming painters is that we use only high-quality paint from Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore and Porters Paints. Here is a little about the products your Cumming house painters will be using to give your home a whole new look.

According to ConsumerSearch.com, Sherwin Williams is rated as “Best Exterior Paint.” Though it’s considered to be a little pricey ($50 per gallon), the site says, “When it comes to best exterior house paint, building and painting contractors name Sherwin-Williams Duration more than any other paint.” Since the paint lasts longer and comes with a guarantee for as long as you own your home, this is a safe investment. The Sherwin-Williams Super Paint ($42 per gallon) is a popular paint with high endurance, say Cumming house painting experts. Many people enjoy the company’s online “color visualizer and selection tool.”

Benjamin Moore is another highly recommended Cumming painting product. The company has been around since 1883 and is the end result of over 100 chemists, engineers and technicians’ research. They’re known for their rigorous scientific testing, which involves more than 25,000 coating samples put through the most extreme weather conditions. You can find hundreds of colors, but if you want to match a rug, piece of furniture, blanket or curtain color you love precisely, Benjamin Moore has machines that can create a code recipe to make that exact shade! Cumming painters like working with this company because the options are limitless.

Porter is the third company your Cumming house painting pros work with. This signature line has been in the business of sophisticated interior design for more than 85 years. In addition to having a rich selection of colors, Porter Paints use mildew-inhibiting additives and low odor formulas to remain on the cutting edge.

Revitalizing Your Victorian With the Help of Atlanta Painters

Monday, July 28th, 2008

For many Victorian homeowners, it had been their dream to buy this brilliant behemoth built between 1837 and 1901. Perhaps it was the bay windows and the round turrets, or the Crown molding and detailed woodwork on the porch railings that first sold you. Now that you own one of these beauties, it’s time to consider how you can revitalize its classic look with the help of Atlanta contractors.

Bold colors work extremely well with classic Victorians. Authentic Victorian hues include natural greens, browns, deep dark reds and oranges. More modern San Francisco Victorian colors include vibrant pinks and purples. The bulk of the house is generally painted in a mid-tone, with light window and door trim, as well as carefully selected dark architectural accents. Contrary to popular belief, white was rarely used, except for trim work. The best Atlanta painters favor high-quality paints like Sherwin-Williams, which offers a line of paint labeled “Victorian” to help you choose the best colors to accent the architectural splendor of your home.

Enlisting Atlanta house painting professionals is the best way to give your turn-of-the-century home a facelift, but there are other stylistic considerations that can give your house that timeless charm. Take the time to restore original wood flooring, keep that claw-foot bathtub, add wicker furniture to your spacious porch, use darkly colored area rugs and choose classic light fixtures and cabinetry.

How Atlanta Contractors Will Eradicate Your Mold & Mildew

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

You’ll know it when you see it and your heart sinks: Is there a brown furry animal growing from your wood? Did someone sprinkle baby powder in that corner? That green has got to be the lighting, right? No one likes to admit they’ve got mold growing on their home, but in a way these unsightly blemishes are God-sends because they alert you before structural damage can occur.

Atlanta house painting experts come across mold and mildew on wood trims, window and door casings, soffits, fascia, gutters and siding quite frequently – mostly because the climate is so wet and humid here. Mold usually appears as a result of excess moisture coming in contact with an unsealed material. Where mold occurs, rotting will come next unless you take care of it.

To get rid of the dingy discoloration, your Atlanta contractors will pressure wash with a mildewcide comprised of bleach, tri-sodium phosphate and water to eradicate any existing mold. To keep moisture out of that location, they may need to arrange landscaping (like ivy), add a gutter or downspout or build a roof overhang to shield the area from heavy rainfall. Sometimes the building material is so porous it naturally invites green grime, which is particularly true of stucco or wood siding. In that case, your Atlanta painters will add a layer of gloss or semi-gloss latex and an oil-based water-repellant preservative paint primer.

Choosing Colors for Your Atlanta House Painting Project

Friday, July 25th, 2008

People are more adventurous with colors these days. In fact, it’s extremely rare to see an Atlanta house painting job done all in nondescript white. Victorian “Painted Ladies” – like those found in San Francisco – are all the rage, primarily because the brilliant contrasts draw the eye to some of the stunning architectural features. Dark tones around door frames and window sills, mid-tones in the archways and a bright color around the trim all accentuate the best parts of your home. If the three-tone concept sounds like Greek to you, don’t worry – that’s what your Atlanta contractors are there for!

There are a few stylistic options for the interior of a house. Before calling your Atlanta painters you’ll want to take a look around the house and have a basic idea of what you like. First, examine the existing finishes: What color are the cabinets, bricks, tiles or wood stain? Next, you may want to emphasize certain features like crown molding or arched windows by using contrasting colors or glossy finishes. To unify your rooms, you may use alternate shades of the same color. Color is the greatest trick on the eye: you can manipulate the palette to emphasize or minimize certain features in your rooms. For example, you can widen a room by using darker colors on short walls and lighter colors on long walls. You can make a ceiling look higher by painting the walls lighter. To make a room feel more intimate, you can paint the walls in reds, golds, oranges and browns. By contrast, blues, greens and violets make small rooms appear larger. Also reflect on how a light source might affect your colors. If you’re really having a tough time choosing your color, get a professional opinion from your Atlanta house painting experts!