Sherwin Williams Announces their 5 Most Popular Colors!

TIMELESS
Have you ever been in the paint store, chosen your color from the tiny swatch, bought your paint, and rushed home to get painting? You do the cutting on the walls and start rolling things out. As paint begins to dry, you start to panic because the color you thought you bought is actually a shade of pink or peach! Now you either have to convince yourself to live with it or go back to the store for more paint and a bunch more work!
Timeless is the way I like to describe all the colors in Sherwin Williams top 5 most purchased color list. These colors will look great over the course of time. They are nice earth tones that won’t surprise you once the paint dries. If you like painting once every ten years, these colors are for you!

So here they are…
1. SW 6106 Kilim Beige
2. SW 6107 Nomadic Desert
3. SW 6108 Latte
4. SW 6142 Macadamia
5. SW 6151 Quiver Tan

The Best Product out there for Painting Interior Trim

What is the best solution for interior woodwork? Some people use high sheen wall paint. Benjamin Moore is well known for its Satin Impervo. In new construction, lacquer is the norm because it dries fast and smooth as glass, but it stinks.
These are all viable options but I am convinced that the perfect solution now exists for residential repaint trim work. Sherwin Williams has come out with Sherwood Kem Aqua Pigmented Lacquer. Why do I say this is the perfect solution? Quick drying, smooth finish, acrylic base and minimal fumes are the reasons why.

1.Quick drying allows for multiple coats to be built up on the same day, which keeps the project from dragging on. Quick drying also means that less dust and debris will have a chance to settle in the product while it dries. This is the biggest frustration when using slow drying oil paint.

2.Don’t like the brush strokes left in woodwork when the paint is applied by hand? Kem Aqua dries as smooth as traditional lacquer. It leaves a beautifully smooth glass-like finish.

3.Forget about dealing with paint thinner to clean up hands and equipment. The acrylic base makes clean up much easier.

4.The best part of Kem Aqua is the lack of stink. The paint fumes are insignificant compared to the incredibly strong smell of traditional lacquer. This is the clincher when it comes to residential repaint scenerios. You won’t feel the need to flee your house for days while the painting is done!

TOP 5 REASONS TO FINISH YOUR INTERIOR PAINTING IN THE WINTER

5. Painting crews are smaller so the quality of your paint job will be better. No summer helpers will be working in your house, the true craftsmen are the ones that work all year long.

4. You are less busy and will have more time to choose your colors and move furniture. Summer schedules are so busy and getting that painting project finished is just one more stresser.

3. You will get quick service from your painting contractor because he is less busy. In the summer you will probably be on the waiting list for a couple months because of the busy exterior season.

2. Raw material prices for paint manufacturers keep going up. Which has been bumping up paint prices every six months. Save money on your paint now before the next wave of price increases.

1. The new low VOC paints mean that your house won’t smell from paint fumes. The new wave of ‘green’ paint is here and the greatest benefit is the lack of stink!

The cold facts about paint

Here are some facts on cold weather and paint I received from the local paint store…

It is officially indoor painting season in Minnesota because the temperatures are too cold for outdoor projects. Paint application used to be cut off at temperatures of 50 degrees or above, but the new exterior acrylic paints are specially formulated down to 35 degrees.

If you are anxious to get outside in the spring you need to be aware of three different types of temperature. Ambient temperature pertains to the surrounding air. Surface temperature pertains to the substance being painted. Material temperature pertains to the paint product being applied. Applying paint that is too cold or in conditions (the ambient and surface temperatures) that are too cold can adversely affect performance, proper film formation, dry times and color.

It is also important to keep paint warm enough while being transported or stored. While most latex paints contain glycol to give them some measure of freeze/thaw stability, many of today’s low VOC or no VOC paints will not tolerate being stored or transported in freezing temperatures. Exposure to temperatures below freezing for even a few hours can cause issues rendering the paint unusable.

The details are the key!

The bulk of the house is painted but the tedious part begins. On this house we removed the metal storms and painted the wood double hung windows. We removed the old window glazing compound and replaced with new. We painted the windows and then pulled the tape off the glass while the paint was wet to leave nice crisp edges on the glass.

Now that the windows are finished it’s time to complete the final touches. The glass on the storms and double hung windows was cleaned. Downspouts, house numbers, and storms get reinstalled. Then we took the time to double check edging and touched up to make the paint job a true work of art. The crew was proud of their paint job because they took the time to do the job right. I am proud of their work!

Now it’s time to paint!

The hard part is done, the fun part begins. In general work top to bottom and left to right. You want to paint the soffit and fascia first because dripping on the uncoated siding won’t matter much. Reach as far as you can on the ladder to cut down on the number of ladder moves.

Siding is next on the list. Even though it is the bulk of the house, it should move the fastest. Typically we would spray and back roll, but with HFHI we rolled out the siding. Once the siding is done the house will start to look like new, but the details are left to make the job complete.

Prep work: The most important part

The most important part of the job is the prep work. Properly performed prep work ensures a paint job that will last. First, make sure the house is cleaned with water (pressure washing) to remove dirt. A clean surface will allow the paint to adhere better.

Now it’s time to remove overgrown weeds and take down the downspouts. Plastic was put down on this project so that we would collect the lead paint chips. Anything missed by the plastic gets removed with a HEPA vacuum.

Thorough scraping of chipping paint is the key to the life of the paint job. Caulk any gaps for aesthetics and to keep the house air tight. Prime any exposed wood with primer. Use oil if there is a risk of bleed through. Use acrylic in most cases because it withstands seasons better.

Why was Jimmy Carter in town last week?

This year the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Work Project was in my home, Minneapolis.  I volunteered as a house leader in north Minneapolis.  86 homes were worked on in Minneapolis/ St Paul, Washington, D.C., Baltimore/Annapolis, MD, and Birmingham, AL from October 4-8, 2010. 

Jimmy Carter joined forces with HFHI in 1984 building homes in New York City.  Every year since, he and his wife have spent a week in a different location, building homes with volunteers from all over the world.  The JRCWP has brought much more visibility and helped the growth of HFHI.

What I love about HFHI is that it isn’t a handout.  The homeowners must complete sweat equity by working on their house or other HFHI homes.  They still have a mortgage to pay, but it is affordable and interest free.

I first learned about Habitat for Humanity International in a college class where we read the book ‘A Simple, Decent Place to live’.  It tells the story of how founder Millard Fuller gave away his wealth to save his marriage, and together he and his wife Linda, founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976.

The final week of that class was spent in Macon, Georgia to work on a HFHI house.  That trip started my addiction of working on HFHI homes.  I took Spring break service trips to Florida and Connecticut, and I’ve been to Mexico and Michigan for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

In my next blog posts I will walk through the process of painting an exterior by using photos from the JRCWP.  Below is a photo with my crew and Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter in Puebla, Mexico in 2004.

Fall Maintenance Tips

School is in session, temps are dropping, and some trees are already changing color. So before this winter weather comes, you need to take some time to make sure your house exterior is ready to endure the winter cold and snow.

You can enjoy the winter fun knowing that your home is protected from Minnesota weather. Here are five easy maintenance tips to do this Fall:

5. Eliminate drafts in your windows.  Broken window panes need to be fixed.  Cracked or missing window glazing compound should be replaced.

4. Cracks and gaps need to be caulked to protect your house from moisture, air drafts, and insect infiltration.  Proper caulking will also keep your heating bill lower.

3. Chipping paint should be scraped, and the exposed wood primed and painted.  Moisture is usually the cause, and winter freeze and thaw will only make the problem worse.

2. Seal decks if there is exposed wood.  Snow is especially hard on horizontal surfaces.  You need to stain or seal your deck floor every two years.

1. Don’t let rotted wood progress any further for another winter.  Use wood filler for small spots of rot, replace the board for a permanent fix.

Fall has beautiful outdoor work weather, but the days are numbered.  Now is the time to complete your exterior maintenance before the snow starts flying.

Hirshfield’s Color Canvas

Hirshfield’s is promoting their latest colors for 2010.  Here’s my opinion on the latest offerings:

Building Beauty

The greens and beiges are great exterior body choices.  While Charm, Spark and Feature are nice accent colors for front doors or gable peaks.  I like the way these colors will harmonize with the landscape.

Beige Boutique

All of these colors have a cool color temperature and a calming nature to them.  Timeless colors that work great with your painted white trim interior spaces.

Respect

These soft blues and greens will give your space a feminine touch.  Considerate looks to be a versatile color, that appears blue or green depending on its surroundings.

Radical

This is definitely the boldest group of colors.  Don’t overuse these colors in the interior of your house.  Considerate these for accents or the one room you want to showcase.

Reactive

I could see some of these colors looking nice with white trim on the exterior of your house.  If you want your house to stand apart from the neighbors, give one of these a try.

You can view more details about these colors and to see the palettes at www.hirshfields.com/paint/10colourcanvas.html