When it comes to getting a room painted fast, a paint roller is a do-it-yourselfer’s best friend. Here’s how to get the best results from yours:
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Listen to BOB VILA ON PAINT ROLLERS, or read the text below:
Nothing says clean and new like fresh paint. If you’re moving into a new place this fall or just want to perk up the old one, your paint pail is your best friend.
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Listen to BOB VILA ON INTERIOR PAINT PREP, or read the text below:
PaintSwatches app from Aquariform Designs. Photo: crunchbase.com
There’s a special place in my heart for apps that help match paint colors. PaintSwatches (from Aquariform Designs) allows you to do so with a minimum of fuss.
This $1.99 iPhone app is elegant and flexible—high praise for any bit of software—and it’s relatively simple to navigate and use. In contrast with other similar tools, PaintSwatches isn’t weighed down with unnecessary functions; it’s light and quick and useful.
Most of the mandatory bases are covered, and I’ll get to those features in a minute. What I particularly like is the ability to import a photo and create a color scheme based on it. If I were so inclined, I could use this tool to create a room of colors inspired by the view I snapped at the top of a ski run in the Rockies, or by a shot of my daughters plowing through autumn leaves in the front yard.
The app enables you to pick colors from several paint makers, including C2, Sherwin-Williams, and Glidden. You can scroll through swatches, type a tint’s name and/or number, or search paint names for words like “silver”, “frost”, or “pepper”.
Chosen swatches are collected in a bar at the top of the screen, and you can pull each one down to see how they play together. You can create notes about the project or send all of the paint info (though not the swatches themselves) via email to your family, contractor, or neighbors (to tweak their noses).
With its new eco-minded Emerald paints and ColorCast Eco Toners, Sherwin-Williams gives homeowners more high-performing, zero-VOC options.
This summer, Sherwin-Williams broadened its eco-friendly offerings with the introduction of its high-end Emerald interior and exterior paints.
The company, which received the EPA’s prestigious Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 2011, plays up the “beauty, washability, and sustainability” of the new zero-VOC line. The finishes emit few odors during or after application and have built-in antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew on the paint.
The interior paints also received Indoor Air Quality Certification from GreenGuard, a third-party nonprofit certifying products that meet strict chemical emission limits, and which contribute to healthier indoor air.
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Looking to learn how to paint trim? It’s not so different from painting other surfaces in a home. Your method will vary depending on whether or not the trim is already installed.
When you’re painting, windows are often the hardest things to get right.
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When it comes to re-painting, everyone’s least favorite part of the job is prepping the surface… but it’s also the most important. Using the right tools can make it a lot easier.
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It’s not uncommon to find beautiful woodwork with coat after coat of paint obscuring its detail, especially in older homes.
Photo: From Bob Vila's Home Again "Bob's Shingle Style House"
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Use a power sprayer to cut days off your next big paint job.
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Summertime’s a great time to get to that exterior paint job you’ve been putting off.
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Listen to BOB VILA ON EXTERIOR PAINTING PREP, or read text below:
