Consumer Reports - Buying advice Interior paint

Consumer Reports - Buying advice Interior paintPlenty of high-quality, durable wall paints are available to brighten your rooms. And you won't need to endure as many fumes as in years pastA fresh coat of paint is an easy, inexpensive way to freshen a room. Today's paints are significantly better than their predecessors of even a few years ago in several important respects: They spatter less, keep stains at bay, and have ample tolerance for scrubbing. They also resist the buildup of mildew (important if you're painting a kitchen, a bath, or a basement room that tends to be damp). Some are labeled low-VOC (volatile organic compounds).WHAT'S AVAILABLEMajor brands include Ace, Behr (sold at Home Depot), Benjamin Moore, Dutch Boy, Glidden, Kilz (sold at Wal-Mart), Olympic, Sears, Sherwin-Williams, and American Tradition by Valspar (sold at Lowe's). You'll also see designer names such as Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren, as well as many brands of paint sold regionally.You'll find several types of paints for interior use. Wall paints can be used in just about any room. Glossier trim enamels are used for windowsills, woodwork, and the like. Kitchen and bath paints are usually fairly glossy and formulated to hold up to water and scrubbing and to release stains. Price range: $15 to $45 per gallon.HOW TO CHOOSEBegin with the gloss. The gloss level will affect your perception of the color. Flat paints and textured walls absorb light, so colors seem darker. Glossy paints and smooth surfaces reflect, so colors look brighter.Then choose a color. Take advantage of the various color-sampling products and computer programs to get the color you think you want. Most manufacturers now sell small samples of many paint colors, so you can test a paint without having to buy large quantities. Manufacturers also offer large color chips or coupons, which are easier to use than the conventional small swatches. Sunlight and room light can affect your perceptions, so check samples on different walls or at different times of day.Fluorescent light enhances blues and greens but makes warm reds, oranges, and yellows appear dull. Incandescent light works with warm colors, but might not do much for cool ones. Even natural sunlight changes from day to day, room to room, and morning to night.Many aspects of paint performance depend on the quality of the base and not on the particular color. We test each brand's pastel and medium bases as well as white. So if you want a medium or dark color, it won't matter whether it's red or blue or something in between. Its performance should track with our findings.Buy the top of the line. The paints we test represent the top of each manufacturer's line. Over the years, we have found that lower grades--typically dubbed good, better, or contractor grade--do not perform as well. If a top-line paint will cover all but the darkest colors in two coats, lower-quality paints might need three or four coats. That makes them a poor value. But plan on two coats even with a top-rated paint for best coverage.Match a paint's strong points to the room's use. Here are the most important considerations:
Stains are more of a problem with flat paints.
Heavily used rooms need a paint that can stand up to scrubbing. Our tests show that paints in every gloss level can perform well in this regard. Some low-luster and semi-gloss paints may change sheen when scrubbed.
Mildew can grow in any warm, humid room, not just a bathroom or kitchen. A paint with high mildew resistance won't kill existing mildew (you must clean it off with a bleach solution), but it will slow new growth.
Sticking can occur with glossier paints long after they've dried. Books seem glued to shelves, and windows become hard to open. Most of the glossy paints we tested did not have that problem.

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How To Choose Eco Friendly Paint

How to Choose Eco-Friendly Paint
By eHow Home & Garden Editor
Chemicals released by some interior paints are called volatile organic compounds or VOCs, which eco-friendly paints can reduce or eliminate. Environmentalists and some health experts say VOCs add to indoor air pollution and may be carcinogenic. It's believed that even after a petroleum-based paint dries, it can emit VOCs for years afterwards. Read on to learn how to choose eco-friendly paint.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Know that low-VOC and zero-VOC paints must meet standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Low-VOC paints can have 200 grams of volatile compound per liter at the most. Paints with less than 5 grams per liter are considered to be zero-VOC products.
Step2
Understand that VOCs can be eliminated altogether if natural interior paints are used. Natural paints often incorporate plant dyes and minerals. For example, clay paint is made from minerals and water. However, the color selection for clay paints may be limited, and walls painted with them can't be washed if they get dirty; they must be repainted.
Step3
Consider milk paint as another natural alternative for interior paint that has been used for centuries. It's made from a milk protein, water, clay and pigments. It's a fast-drying paint that typically comes in powder form to be mixed with water.
Step4
Look for eco-friendly paints that meet Green Seal standards. Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that concentrates on improving environmental standards for many products, and it has developed a certification process for eco-friendly paints. Green Seal lists certified products and services on its website.

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Green Remodeling with Eco Friendly Paint

Looking for a way to make your house beautiful? There are many ways to update an old home, but whether you’re tearing down walls or just adding a little color, one thing you’ll definitely need is paint.
Virtually hundreds of paint choices fill the shelves of your local hardware store, so selecting a healthy, dependable, and eco friendly paint can take a bit of time, unless . . . you are equipped with the knowledge of a few key qualities that set eco paints apart from the rest. Before we dip our brushes into that bucket, let’s look at some reasons why run-of-the-mill paint can be hazardous to our health and to the environment.
Potential Hazards of Paint
According to the EPA, the concentration of pollutants inside your home is several times higher than what you’ll find outside, due to the lack of ventilation in rooms compared to the open spaciousness of the great outdoors. Without proper ventilation, airborne chemicals collect indoors and eventually cause damage to our bodies. Headaches, dizziness, fatigue, asthma, cancer, and heart disease are all potential side effects of indoor air pollution. Although the contamination cannot be attributed to any single source, paint and paint-related chemicals play a significant role inside a typical home.
The airborne chemicals released during painting, after the paint is dry, and as paint is removed, fall into a category of pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—potentially carcinogenic carbon-based chemicals that evaporate easily and contribute to indoor air pollution. Harmful compounds in the VOC category range from formaldehyde to pesticides to cleaning chemicals. They can be up to ten times more concentrated indoors than outdoors, in both rural and industrial locations. However, VOCs contribute significantly to air pollution out of doors as well. VOCs are released in the highest concentrations during paint application, but most paint will continue to emit harmful fumes for years afterwards.
The quality of many natural paints is commonly criticized because, in times past, colors tended to fade and you could not wash the walls without a touch-up following close behind. Newer eco paints, especially some newer lime washes, are more durable, washable, and longer lasting than those that came before them—some are even used for the restoration and preservation of national monuments!
Low-VOC Paints
Due to environmental regulations and increasing consumer demand, paint companies have developed new house paints that emit little or no VOCs. This is achieved by using water as a base instead of traditional, petroleum-based oil solvents. "Low-VOC" paints must meet the EPA standard of a maximum 200 grams volatile compound per liter of paint. Varnishes are awarded a limit of 300 grams. Although this is already less than half the VOC content of typical paints, Green Seal—a non-profit organization dedicated to improving environmental standards for paint and other products—has developed a certification process that limits low-VOC paints to 50 grams of VOC per liter. Look for the Green Seal on paint products to ensure only the lowest VOC paints are used in your home.
Ultra low-VOC paints are labeled "zero-VOC." These paints can sometimes cost a bit more than the regular cans, but the EPA restricts this label to paints with less than 5 grams of volatile compound per liter. Check to make sure that the products contain little or no formaldehyde, ammonia, or acetone—non-petroleum compounds that can adversely affect indoor air quality. Biocides and fungicides that prevent mildew growth and extend the shelf life of paint are also commonly added, despite their toxicity and their tendency to off gas for years after application.
Eartheasy provides a list of companies that produce low-VOC paints and directs you to Web sites where low-VOC options can be purchased.
Natural Interior Paints
A natural paint does not contain heavy metal or any VOCs. Natural paints and wood finishes are often composed of natural plant dyes, oils, and waxes. A number of environmentally conscious companies manufacture these products in all of the expected forms—paint, primer, finish, sealer, stain, wax, etc.—but many consumers find the costs overwhelming. Let's take a look at our natural options to see how they measure up.
Clay PaintClay paint is one of the most common natural paints—it is composed of earth-based minerals and uses mostly water as a solvent. If you enjoy an earthy, adobe look for your home, a coat of organic clay paint may be a good choice for your green home remodeling project. Colors range from natural earth tones to an assortment of blue, white, and orange tints. Clay paints adhere readily to most surfaces found inside a house, requires only two coats like most standard paints, and also function as an effective odor-absorber. The downside is that these paints are usually more expensive than petroleum-based paint and do not come in as wide a range of colors or textures.
If you wanted to paint your trim bright red or neon yellow, clay would not suit your needs. Also, clay paints can only be used indoors and clay-painted walls cannot be scrubbed, washed, or wiped down after they are stained or dirtied (without risking damage to the paint job), thus requiring touch-up painting to cover damaged spots. Although this problem can be remedied with a low-VOC sealer, you will have to commit a few extra dollars to purchase this premium product on top of your already costly clay paint.
Lime WashA reasonably inexpensive green alternative to traditional paint is lime wash. Limestone, a calcium-based mineral, is combined with water to form a simple, natural paint that is the basis of all whitewashes. Lime wash can be used indoors or outdoors and forms a unique, glowing finish that comes in a variety of colors. Surfaces that take well to lime washing differ from traditional paint surfaces because lime wash actually sinks into its subsurface, leaving a coat of calcium crystals that wears off the surface over time and creates a characteristic antique look. Because of this, lime wash can only be used with porous materials such as brick, wood, plaster, and concrete—drywall and painted surfaces do not take lime wash effectively. Lime wash is applied in thin coats, several of which may be needed for a thorough paint job. Although 100% natural, limestone is corrosive to both eyes and skin, so wear gloves and goggles during application.
The quality of natural paints is commonly criticized because, in times past, colors tended to fade and you could not wash the walls without a touch-up following close behind. Newer eco paints, especially some newer lime washes, are more durable, washable, and longer lasting than those that came before them—some are even used for the restoration and preservation of national monuments!
Milk PaintAnother time-tested natural paint is milk-based paint. Casein, a protein found in milk products, is separated from the milk and mixed with water, clay, and earth pigments to form a thick, eco-friendly paint. Casein paint is a form of tempera paint, a fast-drying egg-based paint that has been in use since the days of ancient Egypt. Today, it is purchased in a dry, powdered form. The powder must be mixed with water and then used immediately (usually within hours to days) to prevent the paint from clumping before it reaches its destination. Milk, like clay, is intended as an interior paint and only comes in a matte finish.
Exterior Paints and Finishes
Unfriendly chemicals are often required to toughen paints slated for use in the great outdoors. Natural paints are rarely tough enough for outdoor use, so the variety of environmentally friendly outdoor paint is not nearly as extensive. Fortunately, the problem of VOCs is far less detrimental in outside painting projcts, as the air dilutes the effect of VOCs and awards outdoor paints and finishes a little leeway that is not given to indoor-use options. Outdoor coatings may call themselves eco-friendly as long as the product does not contain heavy metals or toxins.
Green remodelers concerned about outdoor air pollution do have options for low-VOC outdoor coverings. For those of us who are determined to find a completely natural exterior coating, the options are generally limited to stain, finish, or lime wash. For environmentally friendly low-VOC paints, browse these brands and others on the net or store shelves:
· BioShield Paint
· earthBorn Paints
· Ecos Organic Paints
· Safecoat
· St. Astier Lime Paints (especially their Natural Hydraulic Limes, which are non-toxic, recyclable, salt and bacteria resistant, and inhospitable to mildew)
· YOLO Colorhouse
Green Seal provides a list of certified paints and coatings.
Paint Removal
Some paint projects require removing a coat of paint before applying a new one. If you are trying to renew an old piece of furniture or get the paint of your beautiful wooden floor, you are going to need a paint stripper.
Before purchasing a remover, check the type of coat that you are trying to remove. A paint requires a different solvent than a wood finish, and different finishes necessitate separate strippers as well. Check that you are using the right product for the job—it will save you hours of elbow grease in the long run. To remove a coating from an upright surface (such as a wall), consider getting a remover that is a little pasty so that it stays in place after being applied to the surface.
Paint strippers are often petroleum based, which brings up the problem of VOCs, but they also contain a particularly harmful chemical called methylene chloride or, dichloromethane. If you can’t find a methylene-free remover at your local hardware store, look on the internet—there are a few eco friendly manufacturers available on the web. Be careful though, a methylene-free stripper still contains some pretty harsh chemicals. When performing your paint removal project, keep your workspace well ventilated and use gloves to keep unwanted compounds from absorbing through the skin.
A warning for readers who plan to remove paint: Before removing an old paint project from your walls, test for lead, especially if the surface was painted prior to 1980. Lead testing kits can be purchased at hardware stores nationwide. If your paint does contain lead, you may need a professional paint removal service to clear this toxin of your home without risk of contamination.
Painting Tips
If you are planning to try some of the environmental paint options presented in this article, here are a few tips you might find useful:
· Paints that do not contain VOCs are often water-based, which means they can be damaged by freezing temperatures. Store your paints indoors and time your order carefully—the paints can be damaged by cold weather during shipping.
· Store paint cans upside down. This will ensure that the lids are on tight, and will prevent air from flowing in and out of the can, which causes the paint to thicken and dry. A healthy can of paint saves the environment and your bank account.
· If you are using a combination of water and oil-based paints, be sure to use separate brushes for each one. As we all know, oil and water don’t mix, and trying to combine paints on a brush will result in a poor finished product.
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Painting expert Brian Santos shares his secret for altering paint scent. Read more in his new book, "Painting Secrets."
From Painting Secrets from Brian Santos The Wall Wizard



Author Brian Santos
Q. I hate the smell of paint -- can you help?Brian Santos: I've been painting all my life and I still do not like the smell of paint! Here's a tip: To every quart of interior latex paint, add four drops of vanilla extract. You can also use other extracts, such as peppermint, as long as the alcohol in the ingredients is methyl alcohol, which is formulated to mix with water. Do not use perfume or other alcohol-based fragrances; they won't mix properly with water-based paint. Unfortunately there's no similar trick you can use with oil-based finishes

7 Things to Know About Paint

Good products, good preparation, and proper application are the keys to colors that last.
From Remodel
By Becky Mollenkamp


1. Spend more for quality. The accrued costs of frequent repainting cancel the "savings" you enjoy by buying the cheap stuff. Good-quality paints cost more because they have a higher percentage of titanium dioxide, which determines covering ability, and other additives that increase durability. The heavier bodies of high-end paints help them go on smoother, splatter less, and resist fading.
2. Look at luster. Sheen refers to the degree of shine. Generally, the higher the gloss, the better the finish will stand up to stains, abrasions, and cleaning. Choosing sheen can be a matter of personal preference, but there are some general guidelines to follow. Flat paint is widely used for ceilings but is not a good choice for walls in high-traffic areas. Eggshell works well in bedrooms, living rooms, and hallways where frequent cleaning is not needed. Easier-to-wash satin or semigloss paints are good choices for bathrooms and kitchens. Use high-gloss paints for trim, cabinetry, and doors that are in perfect condition.
3. Choose color wisely. Light colors tend to open up a room, making it seem lighter and more spacious. Dark hues add depth and/or warmth. Use a dark color on a single accent wall to create visual interest without making the room feel smaller. Before painting a room white, pay special attention to how surrounding elements will reflect light and alter the color. For example, red furniture or carpeting may make white walls look pink.
4. Test paint color before you buy. The only way to be certain about a paint color is to see it on the intended surface, surrounded by the room's other elements. Some paint manufacturers now offer larger paint chips, as well as in-store or online programs that virtually paint a digital image of your room. But the best test is to buy quarts or sample sizes of a few colors, paint small sections of a wall, and observe during different lighting conditions.
5. Use the right equipment. Choose brushes with long and dense bristles -- nylon for latex (water-base) paint and natural for oil-base paint. A 2-inch angled sash brush, a 3-inch trim brush, and rollers are enough for most jobs. For rough or textured surfaces, get a roller with a 3/8-inch or thicker nap; for smooth surfaces, use a roller with a nap of 1/4 to 3/8 inch.
6. Determine how much paint you will need. Some manufacturers include calculators on their Web sites to help you figure out how many gallons of paint to buy. You can also use this formula: Add the widths of the walls, multiply that figure by the room's height, and then divide the total by 350 (the square footage that 1 gallon typically covers). This formula doesn't factor in doors and windows, so you should have paint left over for touch-ups.
7. Do the prep work. Paint will cover more uniformly and adhere better to clean, dry, nonglossy surfaces. Scrape off any flaking paint, fill holes with spackling compound, and sand walls. Wipe off sanding dust, and wash dirty walls with a trisodium phosphate solution. Remove switchplates and other hardware, and apply a primer, which helps to conceal stains and ensure uniform color and absorption.

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5 Ways to Connect Rooms with Color

By Better Homes and Gardens
Subtle yellow walls allow for vibrant accent colors to change in each room of the house.
Do the colors in your home play well together? If not, you might have a missing link.

Introduction Linking rooms with color may not seem very important if your rooms can be separated by closing doors. If you can see from one room into another, however, the color relationships between those rooms affect whether your living space feels smoothly harmonious or jarringly chopped up. Using unrelated colors in adjoining rooms can make the house feel like a disjointed series of spaces, while colors that relate to each other draw the eye from one room to the next and create a pleasing flow.

Creating a flow: In a house with an open floor plan or one in which rooms connect through wide openings, it's even more important to choose colors that relate to each other in a pleasing way. In this situation, the challenge is to give each space its own identity according to its function and still achieve a feeling of unity.
Fabric patterns are an ideal starting point for pretty color schemes.


Use a thread of color
Color cues Give each room its own color personality while ensuring a cohesive feeling by using a single hue as a theme that runs throughout.

Select your favorite: If you love lots of color, you can still achieve flow by choosing one hue to be a unifying thread that runs from room to room. Usually this unifying element is the woodwork -- baseboards, door and window frames, and molding at the ceiling. The connection can be more subtle, too, such as a recurring color in the fabrics, accessories, and furniture in each room.
You also can achieve a feeling of continuity by limiting your palette to two or three colors that you use in different amounts and applications throughout the house. Each color can be used in different values and intensities to produce a wide range of effects.
A green bedroom with pink accents crosslinks with adjoining rooms done in the same greens and pinks


Crosslink with colorNew houses often feature kitchens and great-rooms that connect physically and visually, separated only by a partial wall or counter. To paint each area a different color, use the partial wall or peninsula as the dividing line.
Unify the two areas by using the same trim color throughout, and reinforce that connection by bringing touches of each area's color into the other. For a smooth transition, choose two colors that are closely related and similar in value.

What's underfootIf you paint adjoining rooms in strongly contrasting colors, connect them by using flooring or area rugs that include both colors.
The wall and rug hues don't have to match exactly; one can be slightly darker or lighter than the other, and the eye will still perceive them as closely related.
Whether the walls are warm or cool, white trim keeps the room feeling airy and light-filled.


Unify with white trimPainting all of the trim throughout the house the same color of white isa no-fail way to create a sense of flow from room to room.
There are many shades of white, so select wall colors first, then choose a white that works with all of them. A sour-cream white contrasts crisply with bold colors and harmonizes with softer ones.
In developing the color scheme for your house, select colors that create the mood you would like to achieve. Link an area in your home with wallpaper to emphasize the area's openness and the way the spaces flow into one another.
White trim ensures that these spaces look connected, and reinforces the effect with subliminal cues or markers to make people feel anchored as they move through your house.


Choose a limited paletteOpen floor plans, whether in a suburban home, a condominium, or an apartment, allow architects to maximize the feeling of space without increasing square footage. That doesn't mean you have to paint all of the connecting spaces one color.
Give each area its own personality and achieve a unified look by choosing two or three colors that work well together and use them in varying amounts from room to room.

Try and Try Again: Getting just the right color may require several trips to the paint store until you get the right shade. It's important that the wall colors in adjoining spaces be of equal intensity so they balance visually. In the upholstery, rugs, and accessories, however, the color scheme can play out in a range of tones to create variety and interest.


Play with light It's a simple fact that light changes the appearance of any given color.
Take the same can of yellow paint and apply it to two rooms, one that receives little natural light and another that's flooded with sunshine, and it will look like two different colors.
To achieve a feeling of continuity and still give each room a subtly different feeling, exaggerate this effect: Choose two closely related hues and apply the lighter one to the sunniest space, imbuing it with a sunny feeling all day long. This works well for L-shape rooms, where one leg of the L is the living area and one leg the dining area.

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Color & Emotion

Expert Advice: Color and Emotion
Painting expert Brian Santos reveals color secrets and how color may affect how you feel about your space. Read more in his new book, "Painting Secrets."
From Painting Secrets from Brian Santos The Wall Wizard



Author Brian Santos
Q. I'd like my kitchen to be vibrant but want calmer hues in the bedroom. What colors are best for the different areas of my home?
Brian Santos: When selecting color for a room, keep in mind that each color has a psychological value. Review the following emotional correspondences and strive to make your design feel right as well as look right.



Red
Red is warm, bold, stirring, and energetic. In its pure form it can increase heart rate and raise body temperature. Use red in rooms where activity occurs, like a family room, or where sleeping and resting is not a priority. For a deep, instense setting, use other colors sparingly in a red room. The eye is drawn to red, so it also makes an eye-catching accent color.



Yellow and Orange
Yellow and orange are just as exciting as red, but they are more cheerful than bold, more bright than stimulating. Yellow and orange warm and enliven any room where they are used, but work especially well to brighten dark rooms. On large surfaces they are best used in light values.



Blue
Blue, the color of sky and water, creates fresh, cool, and restful feelings. Blue walls can make a south- or west-facing room feel cooler. Because it "recedes," blue also creates the illustion of space and distance, conjuring up emotions of haughtiness, formality, reserve, and sadness.
In spite of evoking such contradictory reactions, blue is a favorite because it is easy on the eyes and the nerves, making it an excellent choice for rooms where you want to relax or sleep.



Green
Green is the dominant color in nature. It is a pleasing, organic, fresh, calming, and restful color. It is a great color for any room where you want a relaxed and fresh atmosphere.



Purple
Purple is lush, regal, and passionate. It is an intense and highly emotional color, partly because it straddles the line between the warm red and cool blue. This makes it a difficult color to use in interior design, and it is usually confined to the role of an accent.



Black and White
Black and white are pure contrasts and intensifiers -- light and dark, yin and yang, all or nothing. Dramatic and elegant together, they lend sophistication in decor that is stylish and urban.

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Expert Tips for Painting Your Exterior

Better Homes & Gardens
The key to a good exterior paint job is proper preparation. Better Homes and Gardens contributing editor Danny Lipford gives you step-by-step instruction for painting your exterior.

Importance of Preparation
Painting the outside of your house needs to be done regularly to provide protection from the elements. But a good paint job requires a lot of prep work, which is as important as the painting itself.

Treat Mildew
Start by removing any mildew using a solution of one part bleach to four parts water mixed with a little detergent or trisodium phosphate (TSP) in a pump-up sprayer. Allow the bleach to remain on for 10-20 minutes then rinse off. Because bleach can damage plants, wet down and/or cover any shrubs or other plants in the area being sprayed.

Give It a Good Cleaning
Next, pressure wash the house to remove any loose paint and dirt. If used too aggressively, a pressure washer can damage wood, so exercise caution.

Remove Loose Paint
Use a paint scraper, putty knife, or wire brush to remove any loose or peeling paint. Repair or replace any rotten wood.


Sanding Can Speed Up the Process
Rotary sanders can speed up paint removal. The goal is not to remove all the paint, just the part that is loose or peeling. Feather out the edges so the finished paint will have a smooth appearance.

Protect Yourself
It's important to wear a protective mask when scraping or sanding paint, particularly in homes built before 1979, which can contain lead-based paint.

Prime Bare Wood
Once the wood has been sanded, use a stain-blocking exterior primer on exposed areas to prevent knots and sap from bleeding through.

Fill Cracks
Caulk any gaps or cracks with high-quality, exterior, paintable caulk. Allow caulk to dry thoroughly before painting over it.

Use Quality Paint
Apply two coats of a high-quality, exterior latex paint. Be sure to follow the directions on the can. Because the labor involved in painting your house is much more than the cost of materials, don't be tempted to substitute inexpensive paint.

Clean Rollers and Brushes
Use the curved edge of a 5-in-1 painter's tool on rollers to remove any excess paint before cleaning. If working with a paintbrush and latex paint, wash with soap and water, then run a wire brush through the bristles to loosen any dried paint.

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Hiring a Contractor or Designer

Hiring a Contractor or Designer
Knowledge is key in finding the best contractor or designer.

Locating the Best
Your first step in a remodeling project is to decide which trades belong on your team. An architect will develop a design, refer you to contractor, and oversee construction to make sure the plans are followed. Contractors and their crews make the plans happen by tearing out old components, moving and upgrading plumbing and electrical systems, and completing the new construction. Certified kitchen or bath designers flesh out the rough plan draw by the architect, or they can design the kitchen or bathroom. Interior designers have a variety of roles from drafting layouts, to helping make decisions about which projects are most important, to picking products.
Finding the Right Pro
When looking to hire a builder, be sure to do your homework: check references, visit job sites and past projects, and spend time talking about your needs.
Kitchen and Bath Perfection
If you're looking to renovate or update your kitchen or bathroom, a design or remodeling pro can help. Look for a professional with National Kitchen and Bath Association certification. A NKBA certified designer has mastered rigorous instruction in room layout, storage planning, cabinet installation, plumbing, and lighting.
Finding the Funds
What's the best way to pay for an addition or remodeling project? If you don't have the cash, taking out a home equity loan or home equity line of credit are popular options. A home equity loan, or second mortgage, is a fixed-rate, fixed-term loan based on the equity of your home. It's paid back in monthly installments. A home equity line of credit is a form of revolving credit, similar to credit cards, for which your home acts as collateral. Once you've set up a line of credit, you can access these funds whenever you want.
Whole-House Networking
Chances are, your family room is also a multimedia room, with TV, stereo, DVD, gaming system, and computer. Remodeling is the perfect time to update the room's wiring to meet these equipment needs.
Legal Limits
Before your build your deck, porch, or addition, avoid disappointment by making sure your project meets zoning laws and setback requirements.
Safety First
Short and well-trimmed hedges, well-maintained windows, and strong locks help keep your family and possessions safe from unwanted intruders.
Gardening with the Pros
Lush landscapes take work. If you want help creating or maintaining your lawn or garden, check out the variety of professionals available. Landscape architects have gone to school for landscape architecture and work with engineers to plan a landscape design. Landscape designers provide homeowners with ideas, create a budget, and design a plan for a budget that can be phased in over time. Horticulturists provide consultations on which plants do well in your particular soil and climate.
Dollar Stretchers
Wondering how the changes you make will affect your home's resale value? Minor and minor kitchen remodels, bathroom additions, master suite additions, attic bedroom conversion, siding replacement, and whole-house window replacement generally have the good returns on investment.

Making the Sale Before They Walk in the Door

Make the Front Door Special
Spruce up your front door with a coat of glossy paint in whatever color best suits the style of your home. A cottage-style house may look great with a country blue door, a Colonial may be crying out for a cheerful red door. As long as it's fresh and not too trendy, it'll attract positive attention. Make sure the door doesn't squeak when it opens, too!

Make It Sparkle
Wash your exterior windows until they shine. Don't forget to clean shutters, gutters, and siding, as well. It's never a bad thing to look like an overachiever in the home maintenance department.

Clear the Path
Power wash the sidewalk, driveway, and any other surfaces leading up to your front door. Let the area dry before prospective buyers arrive. Make sure garbage cans and recycling bins are empty, clean, and put out of sight.

Perk Up the Patio
If your deck or outdoor wooden furniture is looking tired, give it a new coat of stain or paint to freshen it up. Make sure your grill is covered or in great condition; if not, put it away. Place a few well-positioned pots of flowers or herbs near the back door along with another doormat.