Choosing an Accent Wall Color

Adding an accent wall to your favorite room is a great way to give your home’s design a lift without spending too much on new décor. But before buying new paint, it’s best to understand the best accent wall colors and what walls will work best as an accent wall.

Tips for Choosing the Right Accent Wall

Not every wall in a room is the best choice for an accent wall — a good accent wall rule of thumb is choosing a wall that your eye is naturally drawn to. Walls with architectural elements or where a prominent piece of furniture is displayed are ideal as accent walls so you can highlight those design features.

Accent walls are ideally solid and not broken up with windows or doors. While it may seem like a great idea to highlight beautiful doors or a great view, the accent wall will actually distract from those elements. And by placing an accent color on a wall with a window, you’ll actually find the light darkens the color and room during the day. If you’ve got a long, awkwardly shaped room, accent walls are a great solution to make the room seem less oblong — try painting the short wall at the end of the room to make the space seem smaller and more connected.

Understanding Color Basics

Now that you’ve chosen the perfect accent wall to paint, which color is best for the space? If you’re unsure if you want a different color than the existing walls, a subtle accent wall solution is choosing a paint color two shades darker than what you currently have. If you’re looking for a bolder pop of color, then understanding color basics will ensure you maintain harmony in your space. There are three color schemes to consider when painting — monochromatic, analogous and complementary.

Monochromatic: This scheme uses shades of the same color, which will create a lively and simply elegant design. Monochromatic colors create a visually interesting and coherent style.

Analogous: These colors are next to each other on the color wheel, like green and blue or orange and red. Like monochromatic schemes, analogous choices are a simple but add a bit more dynamism in the room by creating a focal pop.

Complementary: The most bold of the schemes, complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel — purple and yellow, red and green and blue and orange. These color combinations are energetic, and the most successful method to incorporate these contrasting colors is to pair warm and cool tones.

By keeping these color combinations in mind, you can successfully choose a color for your accent wall that compliments your existing furnishings and décor.

Best Accent Wall Colors

Consider your room’s purpose before selecting a color — do you want to feel relaxed or have a lively space that stimulates thought or conversation? Browns, greens and neutrals are great for a relaxing and natural-feeling space, while bold colors like reds and yellows will insert a burst of energy in the room.

Another detail to consider before painting is how this wall will easily incorporate and create harmony throughout the other spaces in your home. There are seven colors in the paint spectrum, and most colors are composed using the other colors. An easy way to connect rooms is by carrying elements from one room to the next — choose a color blended with several colors you’ve already incorporated as an easy solution to achieve flow.

Why Trust a Professional Painter?

Why should you hire a professional painter when you can buy paint at your local hardware store? By hiring a professional, you’ll experience the following perks:

  • Expertise
  • Professional tools and equipment
  • Presentation — no streaks or drips
  • Time-saving

Spruce up Your Home With Ottawa Painting Contractors

If you’re in the Ottawa area and looking to update your space, trust the experts at Painters Ottawa for accent wall painting. We offer free project estimates, Complete our online form to schedule a consultation or give us a call today at (613) 699-5668 .

How Our Interior Painting Services Can Help You Update Your Home

You’re happy with your home. You feel that the layout is perfect and your furniture fits each room beautifully and presents the ambiance that you desire. However, you have the feeling that there’s just something missing. It’s not an object that placed incorrectly or flooring that doesn’t match up, but you can’t put your finger on what’s needed to bring all of the elements together. The answer could simply be the need for a change of the interior paint colors in your home. If that’s the case and you need to find a company that can provide exceptional and reliable interior painting services Ottawa, you need to call us at Painters Ottawa.

A great way to transform a room is to use wall and trim colors that wake up the architectural features that the room exhibits. This is especially true with arched doorways, built-in bookcases, wainscoting, or tall windows. Interior colors have come a long way in the last several years. Gone are the days of the 80’s and 90’s that dictated the typical white and off-white color rules for the majority of rooms with maybe a playroom or child’s bedroom painted in a blue or pink hue. Our Winnipeg interior painting contractors has been helping homeowners like you by adding that touch of detail or that bold color scheme to an otherwise ordinary colored room with excellent results. These color changes turn ordinary rooms into rooms that “pop” with color and character.

Please visit our website: http://painters-ottawa.ca/

Or please feel free to contact us today for information and a free estimate if you are looking for the best interior painters in Ottawa has to offer:

Painters Ottawa
1145 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4
Phone: (613) 699-5668
Eddie@painters-ottawa.ca

If you have an open plan where your kitchen, living room, dining room and open hallways all occupy a large space, we can help define each space with different color choices and highlights that help make each room flow in to the next, yet hold its own elegant features and details. Colors such as chocolate browns, federal blues, deep reds, calming greens and dozens of others are now being used to accent and highlight any interior space that needs that little extra touch. Our interior painting services include estimates and consultations that can help guide you through ideas that can help bring out subtle details in your home, such as painting floor or crown moldings one step lighter or darker than wall colors in certain rooms or painting one wall a bold color for use as an accent wall, etc. These are the little things that go a long way to making the interior of your home look extra special.

So whether you’re looking to update your home with fresh paintwork or you’d simply like to change the color schemes in your home to better match your new or existing furniture or flooring, our interior painters can help you. Please see a sample of the collection of homes that we’ve had the pleasure to work on via our portfolio page.

 

Also Read: Can I Paint Over Mold in Bathroom?

Cost of House Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Exterior Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Interior Painting in Ottawa.

How to Make a Room Look Bigger Using Paint?

Space is at a premium these days. Finding ways to maximize limited storage has produced some interesting solutions. We think back to our college dormitory days, using plastic risers to create room for our belongings underneath our beds, or squeezing everything we own into our tiny urban apartments.

Along with our desire to optimize storage space, many of us are also interested in how to use visuals to turn around the look of a room. If you’re wondering how you can make a small room appear larger, there are a few different methods you can utilize, inspired by our friends in the world of interior design.

What Can I Do to Make a Small Room Look Bigger?

You can use paint in a variety of ways to alter perceptions of a room’s size and dimensions. It’s an easy way for how to make a small room look bigger.

Apply light shades to ceilings and floors. This will keep light from being absorbed and focus attention upwards, creating the impression that the room has a higher ceiling than it actually does.

Paint one wall a different color. Accent walls can have the effect of making the differently colored wall appear to have greater depth than its counterparts.

Integrating strong accent colors in strategically chosen areas can be used to draw attention away from the dimensions of your room and create the impression of depth. They can also help foster a lively feel — if you plan on hosting parties in or around this room, using bold accent colors can be a way to stimulate your guests’ senses and spark up conversation.

 

Making a Small Space Feel Larger Using Interior Design

In addition to using paint to alter peoples’ impression of the size of your room, there are a few interior design tips you can take advantage of that will help create this effect.

Move furniture away from your walls. This can help create the impression that your room has greater space by virtue of there being enough capacity to not have to shove things up against your walls.

Take advantage of hidden storage opportunities in your furniture. A hollowed-out ottoman with a removable lid is a great tool, as is a table with drawers and shelves.

Use mirrors to your advantage. Mirrors are highly effective at altering visual perception, so placing them in areas that create the impression of larger space is a popular trick employed by many in the interior design world.

Opt for furniture with exposed “legs.” This will open up the space underneath your couches and tables, encouraging your guests to look around and perceive that there is plenty of room to be explored.

Do you have a small room you’d like to expand with a sharp new paint job? At Painters Ottawa, a Ottawa-based painting contractor, we’re happy to share our interior design tips on how to make tiny rooms seem bigger. If your home has a room that could use a new look, contact us today for a free estimate.

 

Also Read: Can I Paint Over Mold in Bathroom?

Cost of House Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Exterior Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Interior Painting in Ottawa.

How to Match Paint Colors: Paint Pairing Guide

You can spend hours comparing paint swatches just to pick one wall color. And if you try to choose multiple colors for the same space, and you may start to wonder if you really need to paint at all. Before you start having nightmares about choosing colors, check out our paint pairing guide to help you narrow down the options.

Choose the Desired Mood

You can pick colors based on what you like, but it’s equally important to understand the psychology of color when choosing paint color palettes.

Color influences how you feel when you enter a particular room. Cool greens and blues tend to create a relaxing feeling, while bold and intense colors create an energizing vibe. Pastel colors create an open, airy feeling. Neutrals take on a variety of looks depending on how you use them and the other colors you choose for the room.

Before selecting room colors, decide what type of mood you want for each room. Do you want a calming, soothing bedroom that eases you to sleep? Do you want a bright and stimulating bathroom to wake you up in the morning or a relaxing spa-like retreat? Do you want a formal, neutral dining room or a casual space that encourages socializing?

Whatever feeling you’re trying to achieve, keep that mood in mind as you choose your colors to ensure they help create that feeling.

Use the Color Wheel

The color wheel you may remember from high school art class can be the perfect tool for picking multiple paint colors for your house. The wheel helps you choose complementary colors — which are located opposite one another on the wheel — to find combinations that look great together. When you choose complementary colors, both hues look brighter and cleaner than they might when paired with a different color. The color wheel consists of three types of colors:

Primary colors: The primary colors are red, blue and yellow.

Secondary colors: The secondary colors occur when you mix primary colors. They are orange, green and purple. On the color wheel, they appear between the two primary colors used to create them. For example, orange falls between yellow and red.

Tertiary colors: These colors occur when you mix secondary colors with primary colors. Examples include yellow-orange, blue-green and blue-violet. They fall between the primary and secondary colors used to create them. Red-violet shows up between red and violet on the color wheel, for instance.

How does all this help you with wall color matching? When you’re looking for colors to pair, look across the color wheel to choose complementary colors. Green lies across from red on the wheel. In a kitchen featuring cabinets with reddish wood hues, a green wall color works well. Yellow-orange appears across from blue-violet, so you might use one as the main wall color and another as an accent color.

Explore the different complementary color pairs from the color wheel to find inspiration for choosing your color scheme.

Another strategy is to pair colors next to one another on the color wheel. These are called analogous color schemes, and they create a casual look in your space. Green and blue is a common color combination used to create a relaxing look.

Consider Sight Lines

You can choose a different color palette for each room in your home, but keep in mind that no room exists in a bubble. When standing in one room, you can often see other rooms in the home. This is even more prominent in an open concept home. Choosing different colors for each room helps define the spaces, but those colors should also look good together.

When choosing color palettes for multiple rooms at once, start with the largest or most prominent space. You can also start with the room in which you want to use the boldest color scheme or a room for which you already have colors in mind. Continue choosing colors for rooms surrounding that main room, keeping in mind how well your choices work together.

Pick Your First Color

You have to start somewhere when choosing different colors that go well together for your home interior.

If you’re drawn to a particular color for a specific room, use it as your starting point for choosing your entire home’s color palette. You don’t have to choose your dominant color first. Perhaps you have an accent color in mind. Build from there by choosing colors that work well with your must-have color.

Find Inspiration All Around You

Look around your home, nature and the businesses you frequent for color inspiration.

The design elements you already have in your home provide a good starting point. You have those pieces in your home because you find them attractive, so it makes sense to look to those elements for color inspiration. Consider artwork, rugs and accent pieces you own. What colors do they use? Do you like the way the colors look together? Would you like them on a larger scale throughout your home? If you prefer neutral colors for your walls, look at the neutral elements in those patterns and designs. If you want a bold accent wall, look at the brighter colors in those décor pieces.

Businesses like retail stores, restaurants and offices may also provide some inspiration. Look at the displays in your favorite stores. What colors do they use that look good together? What wall colors do they favor? Many use boring white, but others will inspire you with beautiful or unique color combinations.

Mother Nature is another great source of inspiration for color combinations. Green is a prominent color in nature, and it’s also a great color to use in your home. It works well with many hues, including other shades of green.

Even your closet can inspire room color choices. Look at the color combinations in your favorite dresses, shirts and other items of clothing.

Some of these inspirational color combinations may look great in artwork or on clothes, but they aren’t quite what you want on your walls. However, they do give you an idea of the colors that work well together and they may inspire similar color palettes that do fit your preferences.

Balance Light and Dark Colors

Colors are described as light, medium or dark in value. A single color can come in various values. For example, you can have light, medium or dark blue. Most design schemes use all three values in each room to create contrast. Keeping those values in balance and knowing where to use each type of color helps you create an appealing design.

Lighter values are often found on the walls and floors, with the floors generally slightly darker than the walls. A general rule of thumb is to decorate from dark to light, starting at the floor and moving up to the ceiling. Your medium values come into the space through window coverings and furniture pieces. Accent colors tend to pull in the dark values, with the dark colors spreading through the room for pops of contrast.

Versatile Neutral Combos

Neutral doesn’t equal boring — and white and off-white aren’t the only choices. Neutral colors range from very light to dark. Gray, beige, brown, tan and black are considered neutral colors in a decorating scheme. You can pair light neutrals with dark neutrals to create dramatic contrast in the room.

Within each neutral color, you can find hues with cool or warm tones to help create the overall feeling you want. You can also pull in other colors if you don’t want a totally neutral room. Paint an accent wall to wake up a light neutral room, for example. Adding bold accents also brightens up a neutral room.

Gray is a hot neutral in home design. It’s a color that works in almost any setting, no matter the style. If you want to keep your paint color relatively neutral overall, choose two different shades of gray as your color palette. Select grays that are significantly different to create greater contrast. One shade lighter or darker on the same paint chip won’t make a noticeable difference on the wall, so it’s best to jump to a different paint sample or jump multiple steps on the same paint chip.

Bold Color Pairs

When done well, a bold wall color creates a beautiful and invigorating look in your room. But the key to avoiding a circus-like atmosphere is balance. Stick with one bold color and balance it with lighter colors. Neutrals, such as white or gray, often come to mind, but you can also use other colors to tone down the bold so it’s not overwhelming.

Classic Color Schemes

Some color pairs work well together naturally. These color schemes are frequently found on the pages of decorating magazines and in décor pieces. Classic color schemes offer an easy way to choose your palette because you already know the colors pair up well. Consider these classic color combinations:

  1. Dark blue and white
  2. Pale blue and bright red
  3. Black and white
  4. Red and gold
  5. Pink and green
  6. Green and yellow
  7. Green and blue

Monochromatic Color Schemes

Another way to make your room stand out is by choosing a monochromatic color scheme. Choosing various shades of the same color creates a sophisticated look. Monochromatic does not have to mean black, white or gray. You can create a monochromatic look around a bold color, such as green or blue.

To create the monochromatic effect, choose your feature color. Then pick three shades of that color, with a light, medium and dark choice. Use one of the three colors as your primary wall color, depending on how bold you want the look to be. Use the other two shades in the accents for the room.

You can add other colors in a monochromatic room to break up the look and make a dramatic element in the space. You might add white or black to the space for some contrast.

 

Also Read: Can I Paint Over Mold in Bathroom?

Cost of House Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Exterior Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Interior Painting in Ottawa.

 

Additional Tips for Coordinating Paint Colors

Learning how to match paint colors in different rooms can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be a challenging decision. If you’re still not sure how to choose multiple colors, keep these tips in mind:

Limit color choices: It can be difficult to narrow down your choices, but don’t overwhelm a single room with too many colors. A general rule of thumb is to stick with three colors.

Look at the bottom of the paint chip: When you look at paint strips, you’ll notice the top color is the lightest and the bottom color is the darkest. If you only look at the top colors, the light colors look similar. Instead, focus on the dark bottom color. Choose a darker color you like and that you can live with. You can then pull lighter colors from those strips to choose your coordinated colors.

Reflect your personality: Don’t focus too much on the trends and what you “think” you should paint your home. Choose what looks great to you. Infuse your personal decorating tastes into the home to create a space you love.

Mix warm and cool colors: When choosing multiple colors, you don’t have to choose only cool colors or only warm colors. Pairing warm and cool colors together can create a pleasing contrast and help balance out the room.

Test color combinations: Before you start painting walls, buy small samples of all the paint colors you select. Paint them onto large pieces of cardboard and place them in the room next to one another to see how they look in the space.

Take your time: When you’re ready for a change, you want that change right away. But choosing colors you can live with for years takes a little more time. When you choose your colors, keep your painted samples in the room for several days, viewing them at different times of day to see how they look.

Note lighting: The way paint color combinations look often depends on the lighting in the room. You get the truest idea of how two colors work together in natural light. Those colors may appear different as sunlight shifts and you use supplemental light. For example, incandescent lighting emphasizes warm tones and yellows. Fluorescent lighting can add a blue tone to your room colors.

Consider intensity: Bright and intense colors tend to add a sense of weight to the room. Less intense neutral colors create a lighter sense of weight to the space.

Pick finishes: The paint finish you choose can create subtle differences in the finished look. Painting the ceiling in one finish and the walls in another creates a subtle contrasting effect. You can do the same thing with walls to create an accent. Instead of choosing a completely different color for the accent wall, use the same color but in a different finish than the rest of the walls. Higher gloss finishes draw more attention, so choose the finish strategically based on where you want the most attention.

Be brave: Many homeowners tend to be conservative when choosing paint colors. While neutrals can be beautiful and even dramatic, don’t be afraid to try something bold and new. You may be surprised how much you fall in love with a bold color you wouldn’t normally consider.

If you live in Ottawa, contact Painters Ottawa for all of your professional interior and exterior painting services to match need. We can help you finalize your paint combinations to create a stunning space full of colors that work brilliantly together.

 

Why You Should Paint Before You Move Into Your New Home

Moving into a new home can be overwhelming, between packing, cleaning, organizing and unloading. But personalizing your new home and updating everything to suit your unique tastes is a crucial step in transforming your house into a home. With a fresh coat of new paint, you can update and modernize your surroundings and incorporate your personal style into the space.

New paint can also make your house feel clean, airy and welcoming. While repainting is an important step for new homeowners, you should decide whether to paint before you move in or after everything is placed and unpacked.

 

Reasons to Paint Before Moving Into a New Home

Put your personal stamp on your new home and begin the next phase of your life by painting your new home before officially moving in. Painting before settling into your new house is ideal for many situations — it can minimize stress, save time and finalize your decor decisions prior to moving in. By painting your new home before moving in, you can also benefit from:

Not Moving Furniture Twice: Properly prepping your painting area is crucial for protecting flooring, fixtures and furnishings. But if there’s no furniture in your home, you can ensure it doesn’t get damaged or ruined.

Adding Needed Personality: A house doesn’t truly feel like a home until you’ve added your personal touch. One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to insert your personal style is by painting your new walls with your favorite colors.

Saved Time: Having to move furniture to prep and paint can be time-consuming and difficult. But by painting before you officially move in, you can save much needed time that can be spent painting straight away.

Labor Savings: By having an empty home, professional painters can more easily maneuver from room to room, which can save time completing your painting project and save on labor costs.

Decor Inspiration: If you haven’t bought furniture for your new home yet, selecting a new color palette can help you decide which colors and pieces will best work in your space and accentuate your taste.

New Home Painting Ideas

  • Playing with fun and vibrant colors can be an exciting lift to your new home while showcasing your unique design tastes. However, choosing the right colors and combinations can be challenging. Too many contrasting colors can make your home feel cluttered and random, while a single color featured in each room can feel dull and uninspired.
  • Crucial tips for choosing complementary paint colors include creating flow from room to room and knowing how each hue can accent your existing furnishings and accessories. Also, consider the function of each room and how a fresh color can improve the look, feel and functionality of the space:
  • Choose a cool, welcoming color for your kitchen that invites guests and stimulates hunger. Explore shades of red, green, yellow and white.
  • Explore the wide range of whites available. Don’t settle for a pure white, though — find shades of cream, ivory and alabaster to accentuate your fixtures.
  • Make your dining room the life of the party by incorporating bold and bright colors like yellows, blues and deep greens.
  • Peruse the spectrum of colors available to find hues for your living room that best encourage lively conversation, creativity and relaxation. The ideal colors for living rooms are soothing neutrals, earthy greens and blues, or energetic reds and yellows.
  • Create a master bedroom and bathroom you can’t wait to sink into. Find subtle blues, greens and creams.

Reasons to Hire a Professional to Paint Your Home

So you’ve decided to repaint your new home before moving in. Why should you hire a professional painting company when you can buy paint and brushes at your local hardware store? By trusting a professional with your painting needs, you’ll discover the following benefits:

  • Extensive training, expertise and industry experience
  • Professional tools and equipment for a pristine finish
  • Superior results without streaks or dripping
  • With the right tools, experience and teams, professionals can complete your project much faster
  • Professional painting companies are licensed, trained and bonded

 

Moving into a new house can be stressful — but repainting doesn’t have to be when you trust the expert painters in Ottawa. We’ll handle all of your color selection and painting needs. Schedule an appointment today by calling (613) 699-5668 to speak to one of our team members, or complete our online contact form to request a free project estimate.

Why Quality Paint Is Worth the Price

Is it time to enhance your space with a fresh coat of paint? If it’s been a while since you painted your home, this is the perfect way to brighten, enliven and update your rooms.

Homeowners typically dive into a painting project for one of several reasons.

They are building a new addition.
They are updating a current room.
They are changing how they use a space.
They are tired of the old decor.
They are putting the house on the market.
They are moving into a new home where the previous owner had different tastes.

Other times, rooms need a fresh coat of paint due to wear and tear. Experts recommend repainting every few years to keep things looking sharp. Of course, some areas of the home suffer worse wear than others. Cleaning professionals suggest the following repainting timeline for each area of the home:

Hallways: Every two to three years

Bedrooms: Every two to three years for kids’ bedrooms, less frequently for adult bedrooms

Living and dining rooms: Every five to seven years

Kitchens and bathrooms: Every three to four years

It’s important to keep in mind that the financial cost is not your only investment. A painting project costs both time and money. You’ll be spending time selecting colors, prepping the space and, of course, painting the room. Once the walls, ceiling and trim are complete, you will spend additional time on cleanup. For professional painters, this process may be fairly quick. However, even the most experienced painters must follow these same steps, and, for many DIYers, the project is much more difficult and time-consuming.

With this investment in mind, it’s easy to see how important it is to select the proper paint for the project. Choosing quality paint will make all the difference in the world to your painting experience and the final results. We’ll cover the specifics of this below. However, before you can fully understand this, you must know a few things about paint in general and what differentiates high-quality paint from low-quality paint.

 

What Is Paint?

To get a good grasp on what makes quality paint, you must first know what makes paint, period. What ingredients make paint? The answer to this question has changed quite a bit over the years.

Decorating with paint is not a new idea. Cave dwellers used a combination of dirt, soot and animal fat to spruce up their rock walls. Ancient Egyptians mixed dirt, oil, fat, animal blood, stones and glass to create paint. Fast-forward to the 1200s, and we find painters’ guilds forming and professionals starting to standardize the craft. By the 1600s, house paint had become a common product, typically made with an oil or water base.

Two hundred years later, a couple of paint manufacturers revolutionized the industry. Sherwin-Williams opened in 1866 and soon after released the first ready-to-use paint and introduced the resealable tin can. Benjamin Moore established its line not long after. A shortage of oil during WWII transformed paint once again. Alkyds, or artificial resins, replaced oil as the most common paint base. Today, house paint is mostly acrylic, or water-based.

After extensive research during the first two-thirds of the 20th century, Benjamin Moore introduced its computerized color-matching system in 1982.

After all these changes, painters today can enjoy a standard recipe for paint that is safe and simple to use. Modern paint is made of:

Solvents are the liquid used to suspend the other ingredients in the paint. The solvent allows painters to spread the product evenly, then evaporates after application.

Pigments are what give the paint its color.

Resins bind pigments together to establish the final product.

Low-quality paint is diluted with a higher concentration of solvents and includes large pigment particles. In contrast, high-quality paint offers a greater concentration of fine pigments and high-grade resins. This combination gives the product a more durable finish and creates a more even color application. As you shop for paint products, keep these ratios in mind. Look for manufacturers that offer quality pigmentation and resins.

If the paint is mostly solvent, it offers very little to the painter other than frustration and disappointment. If a paint costs a bit more, this usually indicates it is made up of quality materials that will result in a better experience and more attractive finish.

 

What Goes Into a Painting Project?

To produce a quality paint job, you must select quality paint. However, a lot more than paint goes into a painting project. As you prepare to paint, you must gather a full range of supplies you will need to complete the project.

Primer: Many surfaces require a primer before quality paint can be applied. The primer prepares the surface by creating a smooth, even wall. It smooths cracks, covers blemishes and prevents the paint from getting absorbed into the surface. It also helps cover dark colors currently on the wall to reduce the number of coats of paint needed to finish the project. Various primers are available, depending on what you need to cover or what type of surface you are painting.

Paintbrushes: A plethora of brushes are available in all sizes, shapes and qualities. As with paint, selecting a quality brush can make a significant difference in the ease of your project and the final results. You’ll need at least one quality brush for edging. This task is necessary to blend the corners and edges of the space with the rest of the painted area. A quality brush will allow you to quickly reach these spaces and achieve a nicely blended finish.

Rollers: For larger areas, rollers are the best tool to use. Again, quality is important. Cheap rollers may take paint back off the wall as you roll, and they also may shed onto the paint. Choose a high-quality roller that is designed for the surface and type of paint you will be using.

Tape: Painters’ tape is useful for blocking off any surfaces you don’t want to paint. Use this for wall edges, trim, window and door frames or any other areas where you might accidentally spread paint if they are not protected. The tape is designed to be removed easily without leaving residue behind on the surface.

Dropcloths: Even the neatest painters need dropcloths. Use these to cover floors, furniture, counters or other surfaces below the area being painted. They also provide a safe surface to put paint cans, wet brushes or other dirty items you will use during your painting project.

Trays: Paint trays hold the paint in a way that allows you to easily apply it to your rollers or brushes. This method also protects the rest of the paint still in the can from being contaminated with a dirty brush or roller.

After you purchase all these necessary supplies, you want to spend as little as possible on paint, right? This might be tempting, but it’s not worth the savings. The right paint is the final and most important ingredient to a successful painting project. Because of this, it’s important to set your budget based on the cost of the paint. If you need to skimp somewhere, buy disposable dropcloths or medium-grade brushes and rollers, instead of top-grade. As you establish your project costs, consider what you can expect to spend on quality paint and make adjustments from there.

Is Quality Paint Worth the Price?

Quality paint is more expensive than other paint. It’s important to keep in mind the old saying: You get what you pay for. Cheaper paints won’t deliver the same quality as more expensive paints. You won’t achieve the same even coverage with cheaper paints, and you will have to apply more coats of the product. The cheaper the paint, the more coats you’ll need. The final result is little to no savings at all. Why? You have to buy twice as many cans of paint and spend twice as long applying them. Remember, your time is worth something, too.

 

What Makes Quality Paint Worth the Price?

Why is some paint so expensive? If you aren’t familiar with the paint industry, you may suffer sticker shock as you first begin pricing the products. However, you must remember the many advantages quality paint offers. With these in mind, the prices seem more reasonable. The benefits make the extra cost well worth the initial investment. Here are some of the advantages of using higher-quality paint:

Even coverage — Cheaper paints skimp on essential materials. As a result, you can’t get the same even coverage from these products. Quality paint is designed to provide even coverage in as few coats as possible. This thick, even coverage is just not possible with cheap paint.

Fewer coats — Most painting projects require one or two coats of quality paint to provide a nice, even finish. If you use cheaper paint, the number of coats required can soar into the double digits. This is especially likely if you are attempting to cover a dark color with your new paint. To avoid multiple coats of paint, use a quality product that can cover the surface with one or two coats.

Time savings— Using low-quality, cheap paint takes more time. As mentioned, you will probably have to apply additional coats of paint. Not only will this require more time for painting, you also have to wait for the paint to dry between coats. A simple paint job you could finish in a day with quality paint might take more than a week to complete with cheap paint, due to drying times.

Cost savings — With a higher price point, financial savings may not seem like a benefit of quality paint. Once you factor in the other benefits, this savings becomes clearer. Consider how many cans of paint you must purchase for the project. If a cheap paint requires several additional coats, you have to buy twice as much paint. Even if the initial cost of a can is half that of a quality can of paint, you end up spending just as much, if not more, on the cheap paint.

Durability — Quality paints offer staying power. Unless you enjoy painting, you probably want to paint as infrequently as possible. Cheaper paint is less durable and fades faster, which makes it more likely you’ll need to repaint again sooner. Quality paint, on the other hand, resists stains, scratches and fading. It offers a durable finish that better withstands daily wear and tear.

Simplicity — If you’ve worked with both quality paint and cheap paint, you know there is a difference. Quality paint is easier to apply. By using more expensive paint, you’ll enjoy a simpler process with fewer frustrations and headaches. Cheap paint often drips, coagulates, spreads unevenly and offers poor coverage. It can be as frustrating as trying to use a flat screwdriver in a Phillips fastener. It’s amazing how much more smoothly a project can go with the right tool for the job!

 

What Is the Best Method to Apply Quality Paint?

Once you understand the benefits of quality paint, you still have to make a decision when faced with a painting project. The question remains: Will you use it, and, if so, how? Homeowners typically have three choices. The first is to ignore the need for a paint job and live with dingy walls. However, the appearance will only worsen with time. Your property, living conditions and home value will suffer. It will also be more difficult to repaint if you wait longer, since there will likely be more damage to cover.

The second option is to repaint the space yourself. This option is excellent for those who have the time, skill, tools and willingness to complete the project. As mentioned, you will need quality paint, quality application tools and quality protection tools. In addition, you may need ladders, extension poles, scaffolding, safety gear or other project-specific tools. You will need to gather these supplies, then set aside the necessary time to prep, prime, paint, apply additional coats, then clean up. Not every homeowner finds these steps feasible. Due to schedule constraints or skill limitations, they decide painting is not the project for them.

This leads to the third option, which many homeowners find to be the best solution. You can contact a professional painter to complete the project. They will provide the required tools, skill and time to quickly and efficiently paint your space. With the minimal effort of a simple phone call, you can enjoy fresh surroundings.

If you decide your property could use a new coat, contact the professional Painters Ottawa. We use top-quality products to ensure smooth projects and create impeccable surroundings. We proudly serve Ottawa. If you have a property in this area that needs freshening, contact our team today.

Wood Deck Maintenance: Simple Tips to Keep Your Wood Deck Looking New

A well-maintained wood deck can completely elevate your home’s outdoor entertainment space. But without proper care, wood decks will look drab and outdated due to sun exposure, precipitation, debris, and normal wear and tear. The good news is that you can ensure your deck looks beautiful for many years by following these simple wood deck maintenance tips.

Be Sure to Sweep Away Debris

When your home has a wood deck, it’s important to keep it free from debris like leaves, pollen, dirt, and dust. If you leave these materials on your deck for too long, they can accumulate and cause unsightly stains on the wood. A good rule of thumb is to stick to a weekly sweeping schedule to keep your deck looking like new.

You also want to ensure that your deck stays as dry as possible in the winter. Snow and ice accumulation can severely damage wood if left unattended. Moisture from the winter elements can cause your wood deck to rot, plus create mold or mildew problems. These issues will not only affect your deck’s appearance but may also cause structural damage — which can lead to unsafe conditions. To keep your deck looking great, always remove snow and ice with a plastic shovel or a broom, and only shovel or sweep in the direction of the boards, not against them.

Keep It Clean and Sealed

Wood decks can often benefit from a good professional power washing and sealant application every one to three years. A waterproof sealant will help protect your wood deck from drying out from sun exposure and swelling from rain and dew. Having your deck power washed beforehand will also prep it for sealing by cleaning away mildew spores and other stuck-on debris that sweeping can’t get rid of alone.

Expert Tip! To find out if your sealant needs to be refreshed, lightly spray down your deck with some water from a garden hose. If you see water bead up on the wood, your sealant is still working. If it doesn’t bead up and sinks into the wood, then it’s time to call a professional for sealing help.

 

Make Minor Repairs

Regular deck inspections are essential in order to find damage and repair it before it’s too late. Making small repairs on occasion will help keep your deck looking new and alleviate the need to replace your entire deck later. Every season, it’s important to inspect your wood deck and fix damage right away. Here’s what to do:

Look for rotted wood. If you find boards that are damaged with rot, replace them as soon as possible.

Check for rusted screws and bolts. Over time, these building materials can rust and loosen which can impact the structural integrity of your
wood deck. If you notice rusted screws and bolts, replace them pronto.

Examine your deck for loose boards. These can become major safety hazards if you leave them be. Deck boards tend to loosen over time — even if you maintain your deck properly. Step on each deck board one by one, and if you find boards that are loose, use new screws to tighten each board.

 

Maintain with High-Quality Deck Stain

If you have a wood deck, it’s crucial to keep it stained properly to ensure longevity. When you hire professionals for your deck staining project, they will use one to two coats of proper, high-quality semi-transparent, semi-opaque or solid deck stain to keep your deck looking just the way you like it.

When professionally applied, a stain on your deck floor can last anywhere from 1 to 3 years, and stain on railings and vertical surfaces can last up to 8 years. If you maintain your deck using the tips above, your stain is more likely to last longer.

Trust the Deck Staining Professionals

Rejuvenating your wood deck with stain is a quick and easy deck maintenance solution that costs much less than deck replacement. Deck staining and painting professionals will do all the hard work for you and use only the best staining products to bring your wood deck back to life. Call us now at for a free quote for a fence and deck staining in Ottawa.

WHY OFFICE WALLS NEED PAINTING REGULARLY

We look at the benefits of hiring office painters in Ottawa. Discover the reasons to spruce up your workspace regularly and why hiring office decorators is a top investment If you run a business that operates out of an office, you’ll be aware that keeping it in prime condition is vital for the continued success of your company. Making sure your office space is clean, fresh and professional has a multitude of benefits – not just for the staff that works there, but for any visitors or guests you may have during working hours.

Tips From Expert Office Painters in Ottawa To Get The Job Done Right

A vital part of office upkeep is making sure the walls are painted regularly. Here are some reasons why you should consider painting your office walls more regularly – and some tips from our expert painters in Ottawa for choosing paint colours and getting the job done.

THE BENEFITS OF A CLEAN, FRESH OFFICE

First, we’re going to take a look at the benefits of having a clean and fresh office. Did you know that having an organised, streamlined workspace can actually boost productivity? Studies show that working in a space which is tidy, neat and fresh can boost motivation and reduce stress among staff. A study by Staples also found that 94% of employees report feeling more productive in a clean workspace, while more than three-quarters said that the work they produced was of a higher quality when they were in a clean environment.

If you have an office with paint peeling off the walls, or dingy discoloured paint surrounding your employees, the place is going to feel messy, unorganised and unclean. Simply giving your office a lick of fresh paint can brighten up the place and make it feel cleaner, which could end up boosting your employees’ productivity.

 

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

If you regularly conduct meetings with clients in your office space, you’ll know exactly how important it is to keep up appearances and make a great first impression on your visitors. For example – if you run a small accountancy firm and you’re welcoming clients into your working environment, they might be put off if they see that you’re operating from a premises which is not well kept.

If your visitors and potential clients walk into an office and see peeling paint or uneven patches on the walls, it’s not going to generate a positive and professional first impression. They might even take their custom elsewhere if they believe you’re running an unprofessional operation.

Repainting your walls at least one per year can help to keep up appearances and make sure that your guests aren’t put off when they arrive at your offices.

 

YOUR OFFICE IS PART OF YOUR BRAND

Branding is a crucial part of any business’ success in this day and age – and your office forms a key part of your brand. You need to ensure that your office, its colour scheme and its furnishings actually represent the identity of your business.

For example, if you run a small law firm, which needs to convey a formal and professional image at all times, it might be inappropriate to paint your office walls in bright, funky colours. On the other hand, if you run a trendy tech startup, your office needs to reflect that innovation, and going for plain old white might not fit the bill.

This is why you should consider regularly repainting your office – to ensure that the colours in your workspace are consistent with the brand you’re trying to build.

CHOOSING A PAINT COLOUR FOR YOUR OFFICE

So we’ve established that painting your office is important. Now we need to decide what colour you’re going to use the next time you have your workspace repainted.

Colour has been known to affect behaviour in a number of ways. In babies, it’s widely known that you shouldn’t paint a nursery yellow, because it can overstimulate them. Colour psychology is also used in branding to invoke certain feelings – blue is associated with trust, green is associated with peace and the environment, yellow is associated with youth and energy, and so on. These are things to consider when choosing your office paint colour.

Many office have crisp, clean, white walls – it’s simple and it’s effective. But a study from the University of Texas has suggested that white walls could be counterproductive for office workers. In a productivity study, workers were split into three groups and had to complete tasks in their different rooms: a red room, a white room, and an aqua room. While some people were able to ‘block out’ the effects of colour, all groups made more errors when they worked in the white room.

In other studies on worker preference, many have suggested they like to work in a blue, or blue-green environment. These colours are calming without being boring, and they communicate trust and innovation.

Some people choose grey as a neutral colour – but one colour psychology consultant from Edmonton said that grey lacks energy and could even foster a lack of confidence. If you’re going to use grey, you should offset it with a more energetic colour, like yellow or orange.

So what are the best colours to choose when repainting your office? Here are our recommendations:

Blue – you can’t go wrong with blue. It’s a conservative colour, associated with honesty and trust, which is why it’s used by many banks and financial institutions in their branding.

Green – green is associated with serenity, growth, and security. Darker shades of green are also used to indicate prestige, which is useful if you’re trying to attract high-end clients.

Burgundy – not as distracting as red, burgundy is a formal colour, perfect for more corporate businesses trying to project an image of control and responsibility.

If you’re not confident enough to paint your entire office one of these colours, choose a ‘feature wall’ in your space and balance it out with tonal beiges, nudes or greys, for a look that is professional without being overwhelming.

For more information about our office painting from our commercial painters in Ottawa, get in touch with the team today.

When is the Best Time to Paint the Exterior of Your Home?

You’ve decided to paint your home! Congratulations! Now for the hard part: when are you going to start your project? Painting the exterior of your home can be trickier than the interior, the main reason being that the great outdoors is unpredictable. Weather is the determining force in the world of exterior painting, and unfortunately, it doesn’t always cooperate. But there’s good news: from years of experience, Painters Ottawa knows the best times to paint your home! Let’s start with what you need to know about the ideal conditions for painting your house.

Ideal Conditions

Paint drying is related to temperature and moisture. So while it’s obvious that you don’t want to paint your house while it’s raining outside, you also don’t want to paint when the temperature outside is extremely cold or hot. Extreme temperatures can cause paint to dry unevenly, lead to clumps, or expose brush strokes in the paint while it’s drying. Generally, the months in the middle of winter or summer aren’t great for painting your home.

Humidity is an important moisture factor to consider and often gets forgotten because it isn’t a direct form of moisture like rain or snow. Your house may look completely dry from the curb, but porous materials like wood and mortar might be damp because of humidity. Whenever you paint, you’ll want a warm and dry day and to ensure that all of the surfaces you’re going to paint are dry as well.

 

Know Your Window

Having ruled out the extreme months of summer and winter, we’re starting to get a window of time to work with. It is important to remember that depending on where you live, this window might be different. While exterior painting in Ottawa might be possible until December, it might only be viable until October in other cities! It’s important to know your window where temperatures won’t be extreme, but will also be fairly static. This means that temperatures won’t fluctuate too much from daytime to nighttime, as this confuses paint as it’s trying to cure. Generally, good windows for painting are early summer months and early fall months because of minimal rain and temperature fluctuations.

 

Planning and Prep

Plan, plan, plan! With all the factors that go into your painting project, you need to make sure that you have everything straight before you start. So what are some things to think about and prepare for? Most importantly, you need to plan for the weather. However, this involves more than just picking a few clear days for your painting window. You’ll need to ensure that the days leading up to and after painting are dry so that your house can dry out, and so that your paint doesn’t get rained on while it’s drying. You’ll also want to check the weather for the nights in your painting window. Sometimes people forget that paint is still dying at night!

The weather isn’t the only thing to plan for. Different types of primer, paint, and finish can affect when you should paint your house – and there are A LOT of paint options out there. Need help prepping for your exterior painting project? From deciding what type of paint is best for your home, to settling on the right time to begin painting, our professional painters want to help!

Call us today! Whether you just need help starting, or you’d like us to handle your whole project, Painters Ottawa specializes in excellent customer service, prompt and clear communication, and extreme attention to detail. We won’t leave until you’re 100% satisfied with our work!

Bathroom Painting Tips

Having your bathroom painted can be fun and make the powder room feel fresh, new and clean. But if you’re going to have your bathroom professionally painted, it’s important you do it the right way. Preparation for bathroom painting isn’t hard, and it can make a real difference. If you’re looking for some solid bathroom painting techniques, read on.

1. Pre-Clean the Bathroom Walls

You may paint your bathroom because the walls have gotten scummy and dirty, but you can’t just slap a coat of paint over it and call it a day. If you don’t clean off that scum and grime, it will come off later and take your nice new paint job off with it. Make sure your painter has a clean surface to work with. A good bathroom wall-cleanser is a mixture of three teaspoons of laundry detergent diluted in a gallon of water.

2. Pre-Choose Your Bathroom Color

Before committing to a color, try it out. Get swatches of the colors you think you may be interested in to take home and tape them to your bathroom wall, one at a time, to get a feel for which color you might like to see on a more permanent basis. You don’t want to wait until the painters start to realize you’ve picked the wrong color.

Choose lighter colors or white to promote a feeling of freshness and cleanliness. Darker colors tend to be too heavy for a bathroom environment, and they make an already-small room feel smaller.

3. Move Your Toilet and Other Things in the Bathroom

You’ll actually get a better paint job if you temporarily remove the toilet tank rather than try to paint around it. Whether you move the toilet tank or not, take all other removable items out of the room, such as shampoo bottles, towels, etc., and cover the mirrors. Make sure your painters cover any little detailing you don’t want painted over with painters’ tape.

5. Make Sure Your Painter Uses the Right Paint

There’s more to paint than just color. You are going to want high-quality paints designed to stand up to a bathroom environment. For example, bathroom paint is going to get wet. It’s inevitable. Make sure your painters use mold-resistant, moisture-resistant paint.

6. Paint the Ceiling the Same Color As the Wall

One of the most important considerations when it comes to painting your bathroom is making sure the space feels big and open and not too dense and crowded after you’re done painting. Having a uniform color from wall to ceiling gives the impression of more airiness and greater space. Again, you don’t want a dark ceiling in the bathroom as it may make the room feel shorter. To make it feel even taller, you can try painting the walls with vertical stripes. If you want a wider feel, try horizontal stripes.

Now that you know these tips for painting your bathroom, it’s time to get started. If your home is located in Ottawa, call Painters Ottawa for a beautifully painted bathroom every time. We pay meticulous attention to detail when painting your bathroom or any room in your home. We have a highly skilled team using eco-friendly materials and promise first-class workmanship.

We will leave you with a beautiful, flawless paint job that will last for years to come. Ten Years’ worth of satisfied customers can’t be wrong. For a completely free estimate on a world-class bathroom paint job, call (613) 699-5668 or contact us online today.

Also Read: Can I Paint Over Mold in Bathroom?

Cost of House Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Exterior Painting in Ottawa.

Cost of Interior Painting in Ottawa.

Benefits of High Gloss Paint

Paint technology has come a long way in a short time. Many homeowners and residential painters are moving towards high gloss paints in areas where they’d never before considered using them. Now, more than ever, you can appreciate the benefits of high gloss paint in many more places than your kitchen and bath. Think of painting your ceilings, or even a feature wall, in a stunning high gloss sheen with deep, light-reflecting hue. Or consider giving your doors, millwork and cabinets an outstanding high gloss look.

Current advancements in high gloss paint chemistry allow seamless application and a flawless finish. At one time, that was nearly impossible with high gloss finishes. However, meticulous preparation is still vitally important. So is using the right application tools, and that’s often best left to professional house painters.

High Gloss Paint Evolution

People have painted things since the dawn of humanity. Cave-dwellers used earth-based colorings to sketch animals on their walls. Ancient Egyptians were master painters, perfecting high gloss looks with paints as well as with glass and stone. Medieval Europeans formed painters’ guilds, and they restricted access to entering the painting trade unless a craftsman served a lengthy apprenticeship. That particularly mattered in applying high gloss products.

When Europeans began settling America in the 1600s, they brought painting skills and materials with them. High gloss paints weren’t a novelty by then. In fact, high gloss sheens were the most traditional paint finishes available. In historic Canada, many folks demanded high gloss finishes. One of the main advantages of high gloss paint was to brighten candle-lit rooms. The challenge for colonial Americans was to bring the sheen down. Early paint technologists didn’t have the ingredients or knowledge to dampen the glow and still have their paints perform properly.

Paints evolved over the past few centuries, but they still serve the same general purpose — to protect surfaces, enhance their appearance and effectively reflect light. Today, we know there isn’t a right and wrong place to use high gloss paint. But, there certainly are right and wrong ways to apply it. That’s why hiring a professional painter is often the best choice.

What’s in High Gloss Paint?

To appreciate the benefits and advantages of using high gloss paint, you might find it helpful to know what’s in it. Paint gloss or sheen is the measure of the finished surface’s ability to reflect or diffuse light. Gloss paints shine because their finish is mirror-like. Gloss surfaces are exceptionally smooth with few microscopic irregularities to diffuse or spread light on an angular pattern.

Flat surfaces, on the other hand, are rough and bumpy when you examine them closely. Instead of reflecting or radiating light back on a direct angle, matte surfaces break light waves into diffuse patterns. Your eye doesn’t catch the reflected rays from flat or low-sheen surfaces the way it does with high gloss paints.

Paint manufacturers offer a range of sheen options in which they measure gloss by percentages. This rating system has been around a long time, and it’s well-described in a 1930s publication by the Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards. They describe “gloss” as the surface light reflecting properties and “glossiness” as the appearance resulting from the surface’s power to reflect light. In percentages, here’s how the general sheen categories rate:

  • Flat paints contain one to nine percent gloss ability
  • Low sheen paints have 10 to 25 percent gloss
  • Eggshell paints have 26 to 40 percent gloss
  • Semi-gloss paints have 41 to 69 percent gloss
  • High-gloss paints have 70 percent and above gloss ratings

In chemical terms, high gloss paints have a much higher proportion of resins than pigments. High resin quantities allow paint to flow more smoothly and evenly than low resin paints. This proportion keeps the paint’s pigment particles low and embedded within the resin coating, resulting in a highly-reflective gloss surface that reflects light and gives the painted surface a strong glossiness.

While we’re on the subject of paint chemistry, let’s take a quick refresher on what goes into a can of paint. Not all paint mixtures are created evenly. That’s especially true when you range from the flat end of the scale to the high gloss side. Here are the four components you’ll find in every paint mix:

Solvents: This is the liquid base you’ll find the other ingredients suspended in. Today’s paints have two solvent types. One is oil or what’s now called alkyds. The other is water. At one time, oil-based paints were the only way to get high gloss reflection. That’s no longer the case, as water-based paints now give excellent high gloss returns.

Pigments: Paint mixtures get their color from pigments. Pigments range from white which is the absence of color to black which is the presence of all colors. Pigments follow a gray scale from light to dark. They also range in granule size which affects their ability to lay low in resins and give that smooth, high gloss sheen.

Resins: Resins bind pigments together within solvents. Paint manufacturers use a wide variety of resin products, and this depends on how they want the finished paint product to stand up. Generally, stronger resins provide a tougher surface. They also contribute the final gloss condition on the finished surface.

Additives: This is where paint chemistry gets complicated. While you only have two options for solvents and a predictable variety in pigment colors, there are all sorts of additives you can put in paint. Some additives add to durability. Some affect drying time, temperature tolerance and moisture resistance. Other additives contribute to how shiny or dull a finished surface becomes.

Types of High Gloss Paints

Not every high gloss surface is actually paint. If you look at a gleaming baby grand piano, for instance, that’s not paint you’re seeing — it’s lacquer. That’s a different chemical and application process than paint. There was a time when lacquer finishes were popular in homes, but that was before paint technology could match the durability and light reflectiveness of lacquers.

The problem with lacquer finishes is applying them. Your sub-surface must be flawlessly smooth and free of any dust, grit or imperfection. Otherwise, impurities will show through, and the final product will be blemished. Lacquer finishes are usually sprayed on which requires extensive prep time. There is also an overpowering smell with lacquer products.

If you’re looking for a modern high gloss finish, the only practical way to go is with quality paint. Of course, getting the perfect sheen with paint requires the proper preparation and application as well. Paint technology has made it easier for DIY-ers to achieve a smooth, shiny finish, but only a professional knows all the little things necessary to create a truly flawless surface.

Let’s look closer at the two paint bases:

Water-based paint: You’ll often hear water-based paints called latex. That’s usually wrong because latex is a rubber product and it’s rarely used as a paint additive these days. When latex additives were popular, latex reacted badly with most oil-based solvents. It cooperated well with water, though, and that’s where the term latex paint came from. Nowadays, water-borne solvents are highly sophisticated and can create high gloss sheens.

Oil-based paint: Again, we have conflicting terms. Originally, most paints were oil-based with either a petroleum or vegetable solvent. Linseed oil was exceptionally popular as it took pigments, resins and additives well and flowed to an even surface. Linseed oil, like petroleum oil bases, dried hard and shiny. However, oil-based paints had a long curing time and were difficult to apply in low temperatures. Synthetic oils called alkyds slowly replaced true oils. Now, you’ll usually find alkyds behind a paint labeled oil-based.

Benefits and Advantages of High Gloss Paint

If you’re considering using a high gloss paint in your next project, you’re probably looking for its reflective effect rather than its performance. Appearance is definitely important, however, you should also consider what you’re expecting your painted surface to endure. Historically, painters applied high gloss products to high traffic areas. They wanted these exposed surfaces to stand up to heavy wear and tear.

Durability is still a main factor in choosing your paint sheen. Without a doubt, high gloss and semi-gloss paints are tougher and stand up to abuse better than flat, eggshell and low-sheen surfaces. You should match your desired appearance with your expected performance. Much of your decision depends on what surface you’ll be painting. Here are typical applications where you’d benefit by using high gloss paint:

1. High Humidity Areas

Kitchens and bathrooms have always been prime targets for walls and trim painted in high gloss sheens. Brand-name paint producers offered specific paint blends labeled “Kitchen & Bath” which were actually generic paint blends with a high gloss shine. There were two reasons for using high gloss and semi-gloss paint in “wetrooms.” One was to seal wood and drywall to resist moisture penetration. The other was to make cleaning easier as smooth, high gloss surfaces are easier to wipe down and retain their original luster. This holds true today, but you can extend your reach of high gloss paints well beyond your bath, kitchen or laundry room.

2. High Traffic Areas

Entryways, halls, stairs and floors are always serious candidates for high gloss paint. That’s due to the hard shell that high gloss products exhibit when cured. Just as high gloss surfaces resist water, dirt and contaminants, these tough finishes stand up to high traffic. High gloss paints also resist bumps, nicks and scrapes from moving items like furniture and even pets. You can’t get the strength and durability of high gloss products with any other paint type.

3. Accent Features

If you want to attract attention, the most effective device is a coat of high gloss paint. Have you noticed how many front doors glow from reflected light? That’s not by accident or a simple protective device. Smart designers know that a front door is a statement, and nothing speaks louder than a bold coat of high gloss paint. The same goes for interior features. Balustrades, crown molding and fireplace mantles wouldn’t be the same without their characteristic, high gloss shines. You can take this effect further with high gloss finishes on accent features like ceilings, walls and cabinetry.

4. Bold and Drastic Colors

It’s one thing to make a decorating statement with color. It’s entirely another thing to let bold and drastic colors shout out by using a high gloss sheen. Bright, reflective surfaces have a dramatic effect, both with natural daylight and artificial illumination after dark. White is always the classic mainstay for millwork and casings. And, white hues naturally glow with high gloss finishes. But you can achieve astounding results by using deep blues, vivid greens and feisty reds in features like walls, ceilings and screened dividers. All it takes is some imagination and the courage to pull it off.

5. Fun and Inventive Ways

Watch any kid respond to color. You’ll notice they go for the bright, shiny stuff every time. Perhaps children know something adults have forgotten — that high gloss surfaces are fun, especially when used in inventive ways. Your kids’ rooms are the place to start, particularly with furniture. They’ll love seeing a mirror-like reflection off dressers and bunk beds. Consider a high gloss wall in the playroom. Not only does high gloss brighten the area, it also makes it far more durable against bouncing balls and falling block towers.

Probably the only thing holding you back from going wild with high gloss paint is yourself. If you’re a cautious sort with traditional tastes, try sticking with conservative, muted colors but add the drama of a glossy shine. If you’re thinking of venturing in a bolder direction, a bold color can stand out even more with a reflective sheen. No matter your style, high gloss paint is the product for you.

 

Work With a Professional House Painting Contractor

Painters Ottawa Ottawa is your go-to professional house painting contractor in Ottawa. For 10 years, we have painted homes for thrilled clients by using the right mix of talented artisans, top tools, and five-star eco-friendly products. That includes gallons upon gallons of high gloss paint.

We have an integrated and structured management team. We approach each project with pride and integrity. Our workmanship is first-class, and we stand behind our work with a solid guarantee. Backing up our guarantee is our insurance, bonding, and contractor’s license.

For more information on a top-quality paint high gloss paint service call Painters Ottawa today at (613) 699-5668 . You can also reach us through our online contact form.

What Color Should a Ceiling Be Painted? Rules for Choosing Ceiling Paint Color

Is it time to paint your ceiling? Whether your ceiling paint has yellowed due to everyday wear, or you are choosing a new color to add some character, contacting a professional painting company is essential if you want to expertly revive your ceiling and enhance the look and mood of your home’s interior. But what color should your ceiling be painted? While the answer to this question depends on the painting technique you’re going for, and your personal taste, the following painting rules can help you choose the right shade for any room.

Painting Your Ceiling and Walls the Same Color

If you’re thinking about painting your ceiling and walls the same color, it’s important to know that dark or light paint colors work best depending on the type and size of the room you’re painting. Medium paint tones don’t work as well, so skip these hues unless you want to try a different technique. Painting the ceiling and walls the same color is ideal for the following types of rooms:

Small rooms. Selecting a darker paint color for the ceiling and walls in a small room will envelop the space in rich color and make it feel more intimate. But if you want a small space to feel roomier than it actually is, opt for a lighter color for the walls and ceiling.

Bathrooms are a perfect example of using the same color on the walls and ceiling, thus simplifying and making the room feel bigger and more modern.

Large rooms. In a larger space, choosing a seamless look with either darker or lighter paint colors will unify the room and bring focus to your furniture and decor.

Asymmetrical, vaulted, or angled ceilings. Using the same wall paint color for these types of ceilings can help simplify the shape of the entire room you’re painting. Try a darker shade for a cozier space, or something lighter to open things up.

Ceiling Painting Tip! Painting your ceiling and walls the same color works best in rooms with flat ceilings as opposed to those with scalloped texture.

Painting Your Ceiling a Lighter Color Than the Walls

When you paint your ceiling a lighter color, it can make the walls of the room feel higher and your space looks larger. The standard technique of painting ceilings lighter than walls is to whiten your wall paint with a ratio of 80 percent white paint to 20 percent color. This painting technique is perfect for opening up small spaces or making rooms with lower ceilings seem roomier. You may be well-suited to paint your ceiling a lighter color than the walls if:

– You desire a low-contrast look.
– You like simplicity and subtle tone changes.

The wall paint color you choose looks perfect when lightened for use on your ceiling. There is a chance the wall paint color you’ve chosen won’t look as nice when the color is diluted. If this happens, you may need to choose a different color for your walls and ceiling or try an alternate ceiling painting technique altogether.

Painting Your Ceiling a Darker Color Than the Walls

If you’re thinking about painting your ceiling a darker color than the walls, the technique can be ideal if you want to go for a slight contrast between your walls and ceiling, or if you want a high-contrast look in a white-walled room. When you paint your ceiling a darker color than the walls of a room, it’s crucial to choose a hue that is just two to three shades darker than the wall color for a sophisticated, polished look. You may want to consider painting your ceiling a darker color if:

You want to make your room feel cozier and more intimate. A darker paint color will create the illusion of a lower ceiling even if it’s particularly high. Exposed basement ceilings are a good example of using a flat black paint to make it feel like an industrial pub-like setting.

You want to accent crown molding or other decorative trim. Darker colors on ceilings can help create contrast and make these beautiful details pop.

Your room has white walls. If you’re feeling bold, choosing dark paint for the ceiling will give the room striking contrast you’ll love.

Ceiling Painting Tip! Try dark colors like charcoal grays, navy hues, or chocolate-brown shades on rooms with white walls to create a dramatic, contrasted look. A flat black can also be timeless when you have exposed ceilings.

 

Should I Paint My Ceiling White?

Even with a plethora of interior paint colors to choose from, you may simply want to paint your ceiling white. For decades, white paint on ceilings has been considered the best choice — and the safest. You can count on a fresh coat of white paint to cover candle smoke, cooking oils and sunlight stains, and brightening up the room below. Choosing to paint your ceiling white can often be an ideal solution. You may want to paint your ceiling white if:

The room is filled with bright colors. Do you have a lot of color going on in the room in terms of furniture, paint, decor, or upholstery? The best thing to do in this situation is to choose a white hue for the ceiling. If you decide to paint your ceiling any other color, it likely won’t blend well with the rest of the room.

You are painting the ceiling of a primary living area. While dark or light colors on the ceiling can often create sophisticated charm and enhance certain rooms, there are times when white is best. This is especially true if you are painting main living areas such as the family room or kitchen. If you value simplicity in these areas, white will likely be your best bet.

Your ceiling is textured or has visible imperfections. Choosing flat white paint in this case will help disguise any lumps or bumps along the ceiling. A color would actually enhance what you don’t want to bring attention to.

The room doesn’t get a lot of natural light. In rooms that don’t get much light, white ceiling paint is best as it works to reflect more light into these darker spaces.

Ceiling Painting Tip! If your walls are white and the ceiling has a flat, smooth surface, consider painting your ceiling a softer color such as a lighter peach, a sky blue, a very light gray, or a pale yellow to give your space a breezy feel. It’s the next best thing to white!

Further, a sky blue ceiling on an outside screen porch or three season room will give you the feeling of bringing the outside into your room.

Leave Ceiling Painting to Professional Painters

Deciding on the right paint color for your ceiling is just the beginning. Once you take the time to choose the best color and painting technique for your ceiling painting project, you want peace of mind that everything was painted correctly. Choosing to hire professional painters will ensure that your ceiling paint looks pristine and enhances the room perfectly with no messes below. Call (613) 699-5668 for a free quote for ceiling painting or popcorn ceiling removal or textured ceiling removal.

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Fit-Out Your Nanaimo Office

One thing employers do not appreciate is that places of work have no color, character or charm. Yes, you may sell printer paper for a living, but your office doesn’t have to look like it. We all spend vast amounts of our lives in the workplace, so why can’t our offices be warm, welcoming and actually a nice place to be?

As a team of office painting contractors in Ottawa, we’re here to squash the belief that bland is better. It’s not – not for productivity, efficiency or well-being. Here are five reasons you should fit-out your Ottawa office.

1). Increase workplace efficiency

The furniture, fittings, flooring and partitioning of your office all have an impact on the efficiency of your team. In Ottawa an office fit-out allows you to create a space that meets the unique needs of your business and use the available space as efficiently as you can.

It could be that the current layout of your office makes cooperation and collaboration between employees difficult. Or, you may be opening a new business and want to make the most of every inch of available space. Whatever your requirements, we are perfectly placed to help

2). Improve company image

We all know the importance of first impressions. If you visit a prospective service provider and their offices are dark and dated and their staff look miserable, you’re not going to be desperate to become part of their team.

The aesthetic appeal of your offices can have a huge impact on the perception of your business. The systems and processes you have in place may be the same as the dowdy workplace above, but if your office is light, bright, clean and spacious, it will have a positive effect on your visitors.

3). Boost employee well-being

The colour scheme plays an important role in the success of your office fit-out, with research showing the right colours can increase your employees’ moods, health, well-being and happiness. Orange lifts the spirits, yellow makes people feel happy and green creates a feeling of comfort and relaxation.

Of course, it’s also important to create a professional, well organized space. No office should be all sunshine and rainbows, but the thoughtful use of colour can really help.

4). Reduce the impact on the environment

The green credentials of business are becoming increasingly important for customers and clients as well as the employees and the business owners themselves. An office fit-out in Ottawa allows you to implement environmentally-friendly processes, architecture and technology. This can boost employee morale, improve the company’s image and help to attract more clients.

5). A better use of space

If your business is growing quickly then it may be time to look at your current layout and see how you can use your existing space more effectively. By taking the helicopter view, you can better judge where more room is needed and see where there’s too much redundant space.

At Painters Ottawa, we provide Commercial Painting and Office Painting (Interior & Exterior) service, creating useable vibrant spaces that help you get the best out of your team. Get in touch to discuss your requirements or request your free quote today.

Should You Paint or Stain Your Deck?

A beautiful deck is a great Canadian tradition. Decks add life and personality to the exterior of your home. They can be anything from inviting, classic meeting spaces to an elegant spot to spend time alone or entertain guests. Your deck is an extension of the rest of your home — it can add curb appeal, value and living space. The size and popularity of outdoor decks in the upscale market are increasing, even in areas with colder climates.

Decks are rising in popularity because of what’s happening indoors in many Canadian homes. As walls come down to make room for open floor plans, homeowners are doing away with formal living spaces. The deck has become a revered outdoor space of the modern Canadian home.

Every homeowner should realize that exterior decks require maintenance. Unprotected wood quickly becomes unsightly, as it absorbs moisture. It will crack, warp and twist without the proper protection. The sun’s ultraviolet rays will discolor the deck, whether it’s unprotected, painted or stained. The sun will also break down the wood’s lignin — the natural glue that holds its fibers together.

An older painted deck will eventually need a new paint job, or you might consider stripping and staining it. Stain on a deck will only last a few years. As a homeowner, you’ll have to decide how to keep your deck looking its best. Proper maintenance is an unavoidable cost that comes with enjoying a gorgeous deck.

Is It Better to Paint or Stain a Deck?

A common question facing many homeowners is whether they should paint or stain their deck when it’s in need of attention — and unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a simple answer. Neither option will last forever, but a professional painting service that’s fully bonded, licensed and insured will bring you the best results and can guide you in the right direction.

Let’s examine the pros and cons that come with painting and staining a deck, so you can make the best decision.

Painting Your Deck

There are plenty of reasons to paint your deck, but you should know that it masks the detailed elements of the wood that make it unique. It lasts longer and comes with many color options, but it ensconces what makes your deck special. Paint provides a uniform look, which appeals to many homeowners. Over time, the uniform paint will peel and crack, which looks rather unsightly, but it might be a good option if your deck is particularly old and weathered. Let’s take a closer look at all the details.

The pros of painting your deck includes:

It’s fairly easy to maintain. When you opt to paint your deck, you won’t have to refinish it anytime soon. A quality paint job, finished by a trusted professional, can last for ten years before needing repainting. Conversely, stains need to be reapplied every few years because they don’t offer the same protection against outdoor elements.

You enjoy more color options. If you choose to paint your deck, you won’t be limited in your color options. You can easily match the deck to rest of your home’s exterior, or use your deck to complement the color of your house. Many homeowners choose to paint the exterior of their home while painting the deck, which provides an excellent opportunity to unify your exterior space. Combining the two projects gives you the opportunity to make a striking impression that will last for years.

Paint hides flaws. If your deck is old and weathered, you may not want to display its every detail. The painting will mask the flaws in your wooden deck, making it a great option if your deck is near the end of its life. Painting can restore an old deck to like-new condition.

The cons of painting your deck includes:

Painting traps moisture in the wood. Decks are horizontal, so the paint simply lies on it, which leads to water pooling in certain areas. Over time, this traps moisture in the wood. As the deck naturally expands and contracts with the outdoor elements, the paint will eventually begin to chip and peel.

Painting conceals the beauty of the wood. When you paint your wooden deck, you cover the beautiful elements that make it unique. If you love the look and feel of your wooden deck, you may regret covering up its natural beauty.

Paint is generally permanent. Once you decide to paint your deck, it’s almost a given that you’ll always paint it. You can easily go from a stain to paint, but going from paint to stain is difficult, time-consuming and expensive — it would require going to extreme measures.

What to Expect When You Hire a Professional to Paint Your Deck

If you decide to paint your exterior deck, it’s wise to hire a professional if you want optimal results that will last for years. An experienced professional will listen to your vision, provide you with feasible options and give you a quote.

If you decide to move forward with painting your deck, a professional will:

Properly prep the deck for painting. The professional should spray the surface with a mold deterrent and then cleaned, rinsed and dried. Rotten boards should be replaced, nails and screws should be set below the surface and holes filled with an exterior grade wood filler, which will repel moisture. If necessary, they’ll strip the wood of existing finishes.

Preserve the wood. After cleaning, they’ll apply a paintable, water-repellent preservative, before moving on to priming.

Prime all surfaces. A good primer will improve adhesion, increase protection from moisture, and add up to two years of extra life to your paint job.

Explain your paint options. You can use oil or latex paint for exterior decks. Oil-based paints typically last longer and provide better protection against moisture, but they’re very shiny and don’t withstand high heat over time. Latex paints aren’t as tough, but they hold up better in regions with high temperatures. They also come in a variety of sheens, so you don’t have to use a glossy finish.

Paint all surfaces. A professional exterior painting service will address every surface, including those not directly exposed to the sunlight and other outdoor elements, such as the end grain. It’s important to use at least two coats of high-quality exterior paint.
If painting doesn’t fit the new vision for home’s deck space, consider staining.

 

Staining Your Deck

Staining your deck protects it from the outdoor elements while maintaining — often enhancing — its original, natural beauty. If your deck is made from a gorgeous wood, you can highlight its unique characteristics and beautiful grain. You’ll likely decide on a semi-transparent stain or a clear sealer for your deck, but stains also offer quite a few choices:

Solid stains. Solid stains create a darker, uniform look and cover most of the wood’s natural elements like paint.

Semitransparent stains. Offering a touch of color but allowing the wood’s unique characteristics and patterns to shine through, semi-transparent stains provide weatherproofing and UV protection.

Clear wood preserves. This type of stain is best for gorgeous wood decks, such as rich cedar and redwood, where you want to preserve the natural color of the wood and showcase its beauty. Some clear wood preserves contain UV protection, to keep the wood from graying over time. Most also contain a fungicide, to protect the wood from mold and mildew. They also contain less wax than a clear water repellent or sealer.

Unfortunately, staining doesn’t last as long as a quality paint job. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of staining your deck, so you can decide if it’s right for you.

The pros of staining your deck includes:

You choose how much of the wood’s color, grain and texture are visible. When you paint your deck, you’ll cover the entire wood surface with multiple thick, opaque coatings. When you stain, however, you can choose how much or how of little the natural wood shows through. You choose the level of opacity — from clear to solid-colored.

Quality stains penetrate the wood grain. A quality stain will seal the wood grain, so it prevents moisture from penetrating your deck and causing it to rot. A good stain generally provides better moisture retention than paint.

Staining allows you to highlight the beauty of your wooden deck. If your deck is made of beautiful wood, right stain and finish will enhance it. Unlike paint, which completely masks the wood’s beauty, a stain allows you to highlight its natural qualities. If your deck is made of cypress, redwood or cedar, and it’s in good shape, you may choose to stain it to showcase its color.

Stain is generally less slippery than paint. Some stains are slick, but for the most part they’re flatter and create a less slippery surface than a thick, quality paint job. If safety and slippage is a concern for your deck, stain is generally a better option.

 

The cons of staining your deck includes:

It won’t last for more than a few years. On average, decks need to be stained again every other year. A quality, professional paint job will last longer than a quality, professional deck staining. However, an oil-based semitransparent stain can last for three to five years.

Staining doesn’t fill cracks. You can use paint to cover flaws and fill in small holes and grooves in a wooden deck. You can’t rely on stain as a repair method, as it’s thinner than paint and won’t do much to fill in cracks and splinters.

Certain top-quality woods don’t hold a stain very well. Tropical hardwoods make for stunningly gorgeous decks, but they’re very dense and don’t hold stains very well. If you’re determined to apply a stain — understandable considering the natural beauty of tropical hardwoods — opt for an oil-based penetrating stain. If you decide not to apply a stain, apply a clear wood preservative every three to four years, to block damaging UV rays.

Staining won’t hide every flaw in the wood. If your deck is old and particularly weathered, a stain won’t work miracles. Paint may be a better choice if you’re looking for an option to hide flaws in the material.

What to Expect When You Hire a Professional to Stain Your Deck

Staining your deck comes with many different choices, and a trusted professional will explain your options and help you decide on the best option to make your vision a reality. Stain is available in many colors, so it’s important to test an area of your deck with the stain you want to use. The resulting color largely depends on the color of the wood itself.

If you decide to stain your deck, you can expect that a professional will:

Explain all of your choices. There are many considerations to make when staining a deck and a professional will discuss your options with you and give you expert, specialized advice.

Prepare the deck for staining. A professional will properly clean your deck for staining, whether it’s an older, weathered deck or brand-new. Older decks may need stripping, and they most definitely need thoroughly cleaned to remove dirt and other residue. New decks need cleaned to remove any mill scale, which is a crushing of the grain that takes place during the milling process. A professional also knows the importance of adding a wood brightener to restore the appearance of weathered wood.

Properly rinse. Professionals also understand the importance of properly rinsing the deck after cleaning, stripping, brightening and otherwise preparing the deck for staining. If any chemicals remain on the wood, they can break down the stain over time.

Use a prime, premium quality stain. A trusted professional will use a high-quality premium stain. Better stains are more expensive, and optimal results require a quality product.

Both paint and stain can increase the life of your wooden exterior deck. If left completely untreated, your deck won’t enjoy a long lifespan. Paint and stain each come with benefits that increase the longevity and quality of your deck space, but one option is likely best for your situation. A professional exterior painting service can help you decide which option is right for you if you’re unsure.

 

Address Your Home’s Exterior

After refinishing your deck is the perfect time to repaint your home’s exterior to match. When you upgrade the look of your deck, consider complementing it with another fresh upgrade. Your home’s exterior is a focal point for curb appeal, and you don’t have to go bold to make a dramatic change.

Keep your color palate simple, as consistency and simplicity will highlight your home’s charm and elegance.

Contact Painters Ottawa to Begin an Exterior Paint Job on Your Property

When it’s time to upgrade your exterior, consider Painters Ottawa. We’ve been exceeding expectations for nearly 10 years, and we can do the same for you. We are passionate about transforming your house to a world-class home.

We offer much more than paint or stain jobs. We believe in listening to your vision and presenting you with options until you discover what best suits your desires. We have the industry’s top talent — our team members possess the skills needed to satisfy your request for a magnificent home exterior.

If you need professional stain and clear system or anything in between, we will exceed your expectations. Visit our testimonials page to hear from our many satisfied clients, request a quote online or contact us today at (613) 699-5668 . Choose to work with professionals who stand for quality, expertise, and integrity.

Painted Trim vs. Stained Trim: Which is Best for Your Home?

Interior wood trim is an important design detail that can be found in nearly every room of a home. While many people often overlook their wood trim and leave it as is when they move in, when painted, wood trim can significantly transform the look and feel of a house.

Whether your trim is simple, or your home has elaborate molding or intricate trim details, professional interior trim painting can give your home a polished, beautiful look. But if you’re like most people, you are probably having difficulty deciding between keeping your trim stained or painting it. Before making a choice, consider the following factors to ensure your interior trim looks perfect inside your home.

 

Quality of Woodwork

The first thing to consider is the quality of your woodwork. Wood trim can either be “paint grade” or “stain grade.” One easy way to determine wood trim quality is to take a good look at what you’re working with. If your trim has already been stained, make sure to notice whether the woodgrain easily shows through the stain. If it does, you know that you have higher quality wood that you may not want to touch with paint. Stain grade trim is also perfect for painting if that is what you prefer.

On the flip side, if your wood trim has already been painted, and you are wanting to stain it yourself, you will need to strip off a small section of paint to look at the wood and determine the woodgrain quality. It’s important to note that if your trim was painted when you moved in, it’s highly likely that the wood is lower quality, which means that having it professionally painted would likely be your best bet.

Trim painting tip! If you notice that older woodwork has a substantial amount of cracks, holes, or dings, asking professional painters to paint the trim would be ideal, even if the woodgrain is high-quality on other parts of the trim.

 

Style of Home

You may also want to consider your home’s original style and the time period in which your home was built. If you have a newer build, painting your trim may work out much better than in a home that is 100 years old. If you have an older home, you probably have some high-quality stained woodwork. Stained wood trim is very common in older homes, and keeping it stained can bring a sense of warmth and rustic charm to a room.

Even so, some older homes can still benefit from painting trim. For example, the old Victorian-style “painted lady” houses can certainly get away with brighter paint colors.

If you don’t know when your house was built, conduct some research on your home and the neighborhood to discover the history behind it. What did your neighborhood home interiors look like originally? Any interior design information you dig up could help steer you toward the best trim option.

 

Trim in Other Rooms

When you’re deciding between painting your interior trim or keeping it stained, you should also think about the trim in other rooms of your home. Are some of your trim painted, and other trim stained? If the majority of your home’s trim is painted, you should probably keep things uniform and go with paint for the rest of the trim. On the other hand, if most of the trim is stained, or your house contains high-quality and decorative woodwork, you may want to strip off some of the paint and then stain the woodwork to match the rest of the trim.

 

Room Lighting

Many older homes have dark-stained woodwork which can make rooms without much natural light look dim and small. If this is the type of room you have on your hands, painting your trim white can help liven it up. But, if your home has a significant amount of natural light flowing in, you have the luxury of deciding whether to keep your trim stained or have professional painters paint your baseboards, doors, molding, or ornate woodwork a darker color to make them pop.

 

Combining Stained and Painted Trim

Sometimes certain homes can even get away with combining already-stained woodwork and newly painted trim for a truly unique look. Here are some common combinations that you may want to consider:

  1. Painting trim white but keeping window frames and doors stained to balance out your home’s older features with contemporary style.
  2. Painting crown molding white or cream and keeping baseboards, doors, and window frames stained to make a room’s impressive woodwork details stand out.
  3. Painting trim white and keeping just the door stained to brighten up a room while retaining a small piece of the room’s old charm.
  4. Keeping kitchen trim stained and painting cabinets white to help break up the room visually.

 

Paint Your Trim White

Choosing between painting interior trim or keeping it stained can be a difficult decision for many. This is why a large majority of people choose to paint their wood trim and moldings a white hue since it is so versatile.

The simplicity of white trim can work well with all sorts of room decorations, wall paint colors, or wall designs. White trim paint can also brighten up woodwork and make a room feel fresh and modern. So, if you’re still having trouble deciding whether to paint or keep your woodwork stained, white trim paint could be perfect for you!

 

Professional Interior Trim Painting

Whether you want to simply paint your baseboards and keep your doors stained, or are looking to paint wood trim throughout your home, it’s important to rely on experienced interior trim painters. Trim painting may seem like a simple task, especially if you’re only painting one room, but professional painters will ensure that your trim is washed, sanded down, and primed to keep your new paint job looking great for years to come. Get a free trim painting quote.

Office Decor Ideas for Small Budgets

Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could all kit out our offices as lavishly as we liked? With so many high-end office furniture stores in Ottawa, you might assume every business has a limitless fund for fitting-out and decorating their offices, but the good news is, your office decor doesn’t need to be pretentious or bankrupt you. In fact, there are plenty of office decor ideas for smaller budgets. Here are a few of our favorites…

1. A splash of personality

The best offices spaces aren’t just clean and functional; they also capture something of the spirit of the company. To create a feel that’s personal to you and your business, once you have the bare bones of your office design in place, keep a small part of your budget aside for a couple of unique touches. They don’t have to be expensive, but simply having a feature wall, a few antiques or a couple of vintage touches is enough to make your office your own. When it comes to all office decor ideas, in fact, we believe that the more personable they are, the better.

2. Keep it neat

A clean, tidy office will always look better than a dirty, disorganized one, but sadly, it takes no time at all to look like a storm has swept through it. Thankfully, an easy office decor idea is that you can help to keep your office neat and tidy without breaking the bank. You can keep nests of cables, cords, and wires out of sight with plastic ties and Velcro strips or by running cords along the backside of your desks using eye hooks or clips. Here are a few other tips and tricks to tidy up your rat nest of cables.

3. Bring the outdoors in

One of the cheapest but most effective office decor ideas is to bring the outdoors in. Not only do plants look great and add life to your office space but they also clean the air by filtering out pollutants and neutralising the chemicals found in furniture and decorating materials. They also oxygenate your office to reduce stuffiness, improve concentration levels and boost wellness at work. Here are some of the best plants to clean your office air.

 

4. Put up a couple of BIG pieces of art

When we say art, we’re not talking about splashing out on a couple of Old Masters. There are plenty of options out there that won’t break the bank and are delightful office decor ideas. Corporate art doesn’t have to be boring. Shun the trite inspirational phrases and go for something big, bold and colourful.

Simply downloading a digital photo online, printing it out, matting it and framing it is a great way to create some unique art for less. And don’t skimp on size. A couple of genuinely big pieces will bring the whole office together.

5. Bright lighting ideas

If there’s one consistently horrible thing about offices in terms of office decor ideas, it’s the fluorescent lighting that runs along most of the ceilings. If your office gets a lot of natural light then try to keep the artificial lighting minimal. Task-lighting that illuminates a particular space or other decorative lights that fit your decor is a far more attractive solution.

Looking for some more office decor ideas?
At Painters Ottawa, we perform office refurbishments & office fit-outs and office painting and decorating services to transform your office for less. If you’d like some more information or a quote, please get in touch.

Tips for Choosing the Best Trim Paint for Your Home

Painting your home’s interior trim or molding can dramatically change the look and feel of a room. Whether you want to change the color of your baseboards, window trim, door frames, crown molding or cabinets, professional interior painters can provide these trim painting services and more.

Before you contact a professional painting company to work on your next trim painting project, it’s important to determine an interior trim color that looks perfect with your walls, ceiling, and furnishings. The following interior trim painting ideas and tips can help you choose the best trim paint color for any room in your home.

 

Painting Your Trim White

White trim is by far the most popular choice amongst homeowners as it can give any room a classic look that matches practically everything. Whether you have bright, soft, or pastel walls, white trim paint will work to create subtle contrast. And if your wall paint is bold or intense, white trim can bring a lighter look to the room. If you simply can’t decide on the perfect color for your trim, white is always a great fallback that won’t let you down. White on trim is timeless.

Trim painting tip! Not all white paint is created equal. There are many shades to choose from whether you need cool, warm, or creamy undertones. A free in-home paint color consultation can be helpful if you need extra help picking the right trim color for you.

 

Painting Trim and Walls the Same Color

When choosing paint trim color for a small space, consider a color that is the same hue as your walls. Not only will this technique make the room appear larger, but it will also give it a modern look and the feeling of a more unified space. Be sure to choose a glossier finish for your trim so when the light hits, the trim can still stand out while up against walls of the same color.

 

Painting Trim Darker Than Walls

If you want to create a contrasted look or bring focus to your windows or door frames, choosing a trim paint color that is darker than the walls of a room can be an ideal choice. Try a dark-hued paint that is several shades darker than your wall paint to create a sense of depth. Or if you have an older home, consider having professional painters paint woodwork in dark mahogany or black-brown to bring out the intricate details.

 

Neutral Trim Paint Colors

While white is the most popular neutral trim paint color, there are other neutral hues that can create a look and feel that white can’t achieve on its own.

Black: A neutral paint color that can also be quite bold is black. If you want to make your crown molding or window trim pop, black can be an ideal color. Just be sure to use black with white or light-colored walls to create the perfect balance. Black trim can provide exceptional contrast to any room that contains an ample amount of trim and molding.

Gray/Charcoal: If you want a more elegant look, pairing a light gray trim with white walls, or dark gray with light gray walls can provide a touch of class to any room.

Cream/Beige/Brown trim: You can’t ever go wrong with cream, beige, or brown trim color as long as the walls and ceiling of the room have the same undertones as your trim paint.

Trim painting tip! If you want to create a more intimate feeling in a room, a neutral color that matches your ceiling can be an excellent option.

Bold Trim Paint Colors

If you’re bored with neutrals, you can always go bold with your trim. When your walls are painted white or a light color, boldly colored trim can create some much-needed contrast. White or light-colored walls give you a blank canvas and free reign to paint trim any color under the sun! If you feel like being bold, choose a fun trim paint color that matches one of your favorite throw pillows or a focal furniture piece. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Try greens, blues, yellows, purples, pastels — the possibilities are endless if you aren’t one to shy away from color.

What is the best sheen for trim?

Trim and molding can help define a room’s style, so it’s important to choose a paint sheen that helps it stand out from the walls. A gloss or semi-gloss sheen is always the most popular for trim. It works incredibly well on interior trim since it has a reflective quality. Not only that, but glossy trim paint is highly durable which can be beneficial in high-traffic areas of your home for those bumps, nicks, and scratches that happen to trim in every room.

Trim painting tip! Older homes tend to have woodwork imperfections, so using a lower satin sheen on your trim is always a good idea if you wish to disguise cracks, chips, or other blemishes.

Professional Trim Painting for Your Home

If your interior trim needs a paint touch up, or you want to bring a pop of color into your home, professional interior painters offer trim painting services in Ottawa that can meet your needs. Experienced professionals can give your trim the transformative look you desire, and the durability to stand up against everyday wear, cleaning materials, kids, and pets. Whether you need to revamp your entire house or just one small space, every room will look its absolute best with a professional trim painting team in your corner. Get a free trim painting quote today.

5 Ways To Increase The Value Of Your Home

Reports show that property value has experienced a 4.2% property value increase! Homeowners who benefit most from such a market increase have similarly taken advantage of several market hacks to further increase their property’s value. You too can take advantage of this by following and applying these 5 tips to increase the value of your home.

1. Redecorating

Decorating can be one of the most inexpensive yet high-return investments you can make in improving the appearance and increasing the value of your home. Redecorating can not only increase the aesthetic value of your home, but it can also increase the appearance of utilizing space. When decorating with potential buyers in mind, bright colors can be a bad idea, rather keeping the property’s paint color mutual and fresh can be a much better approach. Also, when redecorating this will also remove any damages to your house such as dents and holes in walls which can reduce the value of your home for potential buyers.

 

2. Upgrading Your Garden

A Garden in many cases can be the center of the home, alone it’s a desirable feature of a home to buyers, yet renovated it could become a standout feature of your home and in turn, increases the value of your property. With seemingly endless possibilities, a garden area is a perfect place to explore decorating with an open mind as well as being a perfect canvas for you to paint your perfect garden.

 

3. Kitchen Update

Decorating your kitchen can be great for increasing the value of our home. Whether you’re painting and decorating or laying new flooring or looking for a complete kitchen refurbishment. Decorating your kitchen can allow your own personal style & unique style to flourish. Whilst, the endless possibilities & importance of a kitchen can be a great area for improving the value of your home.

 

4. Splitting a House into Flats

Splitting your home into flats can be great for increasing your home’s value. Although it may seem as though it’s a rather drastic option to take, splitting a house into flats provides the opportunity to rent each individual living area creating multiple sources of income. However, there are a number of implications that must be considered before these actions are taken, most of all planning permissions. Also, if you are planning to transform a home into flats with simply maximizing profits in mind, there are also multiple tax implications which must be considered.

 

5. A New Bathroom

An updated bathroom can be a fantastic way to increase the value of your home. We’ve helped hundreds of customers in the past to increase the value of their home by updating their home’s bathroom area. The greatest aspect of transforming your bathroom area is that there are multiple possibilities- from tiling to painting, the options are endless. However, whatever option you do choose, the improvements will prove successful in the increasing of your home’s value.

There are lots of other ways to increase the value of your home. To learn about those contact Painters Ottawa today.

 

How Quality Painting Services Make a Difference in Your Home

At Painters Ottawa, we think that painting is the easiest way to make a difference in your home – especially if the painting is done by quality service. We know how much you value your home, and we do too, which is why we love sharing our painting tips with you and the rest of Ottawa! Whether you have already decided on beginning a painting project, or are just looking for a way to freshen up your home a bit, consider the following reasons of why a quality painting service could be exactly what your home needs! Our professional painters excel in quality painting services, excellent customer service, and prompt and clear communication.

Hand Over Your Stress

You could perform dozens of home renovation projects and achieve the exact aesthetic you’ve always wanted, but at what cost? A beautiful home is meaningless if you’re totally stressed out by your renovation project! Residential painting, interior or exterior, can often be a headache – especially if you have a large project. Hiring professional painting services is a great way to complete your project without having to carry the stress of it. We want you to enjoy the changes to your home, not worry about how you’re going to complete them!

Add Value to Your Home

Secondly, quality painting services will add resale value to your home. This is always important, whether or not you’re intent on selling your home in the near future. Professional painting services add value to homes in more ways than just painting – especially when it comes to exterior services. Power washing is a standard exterior painting service that can completely transform the exterior of your home and give it added curb appeal. Additionally, professional painting services will be able to handle multi-surface jobs, exterior detailing of hard to reach spaces and even deck restoration. Increased resale value won’t only be achieved through exterior painting services, but also by interior painting services. If you’re interested in ways that you could add resale value to your home through painting services, Painters Ottawa would love to help brainstorm with you.

Little Changes, Big Results

The best part about quality painting services is that they can have huge results without breaking the bank – however, you need to know where to implement these small changes. Easy places to implement small changes include trim and accent walls. Adding a splash of color to one wall or refinishing trim can completely transform the inside of your home, giving it a fresh new look and making it even more impressive to your guests. These small changes can be just as transformative as knocking down interior walls or reflooring, but require way less time, energy, and money! If you’re unsure of what interior painting services could benefit your home, our professional painters would love to stop by for a consultation. Give us a call! We know what styles and colors are in, as well as which interior painting practices can be most transformative!

6 Timeless Home Exterior Paint Colors That You Won’t Regret

A few months ago we published a blog about daring home paint colors, and now we think we should follow up with the flip side to that post. While daring exterior paint colors are often fun and bold, they usually only exist as trends and tend to go out of style as quickly as they came into style. This opens up the potential for a lot of regrets if you feel like you have to change your paint color to keep up with the trend. So with this post, we’ll be talking about six timeless exterior paint colors that we think would look great on your Ottawa home. This one goes out to the traditionalists, or at least the ones who don’t want to regret the color choice they choose for the exterior of their home.

Buttery Yellow

This light yellow color is extremely inviting – plain and simple. It’s also a classic. If you want to give your home a welcoming curb appeal, then a light yellow would be a great choice. Typically this color looks best on wood, but you can also pull it off with a brick exterior. That’s just how flexible this color is!

 

Tan/Khaki

A light neutral like tan or khaki is never a bad choice when it comes to exterior painting. This color is easy to landscape around, as well as decorate around with trim, shutters, etc. Especially if you live in a more traditional neighborhood, this would undoubtedly be a paint color that would blend well with your surroundings.

 

Light Grey

In the same vein, a light grey is a neutral that will always be around. Light grey will give your home a clean and sleek appearance from the curb, especially if you pair it with white trim. Just like the rest of the colors, a light grey is also a great exterior paint color choice because it won’t clash with your roof color – that is, if you have traditional shingles.

 

Pale Pink

Like light yellow, pale pink is a fun way to spice up a neutral feel. As well as inviting, this color is playful, soft, and peaceful, and would suit a home that embodies those qualities nicely. We especially think that pale pink would look great in Ottawa during the summer!

 

Brick Red

Red is probably a classic because of brick homes. Something about that brick red color is just homey, and many homeowners are painting their wood homes this red brick color. We can assure you that as long as the brick is still being used to construct homes, this color will be around. This red is strong and comforting, and pairs nicely with classic white shutters. Green really shows up well against brick red, which makes it ideal for homes with a lot of landscaping or ivy.

 

White

Where red exterior paint most likely comes from brick, white exterior paint most likely comes from the earliest whitewashed wooden homes. White looks good on homes for a number of reasons. First, it’s clean. The only thing to consider is just like a white car, a white house will show dirt when it does end up getting dirty. Second, it looks great year round. Whether your white home is blanketed in snow or basking on a sunny summer day, it’s going to look great!

 

Contact Us

Painters Ottawa believes that painting is the easiest way to improve your home. Whether you’re unsure of the painting project you want to start, or you know exactly what you want, contact Painters Ottawa! We offer professional residential and commercial exterior and interior painting, as well as commercial painting. Our professional painters are trained in quality service, excellent communication, and exceptional customer service. We’d love to help!

5 Reasons Decorating Your Offices is Great For Business

Although decorating your office may seem expensive, unnecessary and a negative business decision, decorating your office can, in fact, have positive impacts on employees as well as the overall success of your business.

1. Employee Work Output

To create a work environment where employees are comfortable, able to work in attractive spaces and have great access to what is needed for them to thrive in their everyday work. Thus, in order to achieve a high work output from all employees creating this stylish and controlled work environment can be at time paramount to the output of work from your employees. Alongside this, trends highlight that the overall feeling of satisfaction of employees can decrease workplace health and ultimately their overall work output- whilst more subdued and withdrawn employees are, the less work they are likely to be able to produce throughout the working day.

2. Business Attraction

Attracting customers is hard. The first thing customers do before choosing to do business with you is probably looking at how your company is presented. Therefore, decorating your offices (both internal and external decorating) can help to boost the attractiveness of your workplace alongside boosting customer attractiveness with your company. Decorating your company, as a result, can be a long-term investment which can push the number of clients your business attracts.

3. Colour

While often discussed in terms of the overall design you create with your office, the colour of offices have been scientifically proven to affect work productivity. According to a professor at the Lighting Research Centre, NY, results have shown that colour can directly impact work productivity (measuring neurological activity in relation to different colour variants highlighted that some colours can cause us to become more alert and focused). Overall, it’s drawn that different colours can produce different outcomes in employees- and the colour scheme you choose should be determined by the industry you are in. While the colour red is great for building energy and excitement, bright colours are useful for sparking ideas and soothing colours such as green are great for relaxing- depending on the type of outcome you want from your employees, you should consider the colour scheme you choose for decorating your offices.

4. An Economical Revelation

Although in many offices the design and decor is often overlooked and taken for granted, you may now consider that decorating your offices can engineer your employee productivity to the outcomes you need to grow and expand your business. Many other features of the design of your offices can further help you in achieving the results you need- so rather than thinking of your office redecoration as a poor financial decision, instead consider it a great financial investment. Much conducted research shows that the overall design of your offices can impact employee productivity, creativity and how content employees are at the workplace. Research highlights that larger windows encourage an increase in creativity, whilst redesigning your office through situating teams, departments and individuals logically in order to create more efficient workflows.

5. How You Present Your Business

Through this article we have comprehensively covered how decorating your offices are great for employee output and how in the long-run can, in fact, have a great economic turnaround, however a large part of decorating your offices is how you aim to present your business and whether or not the workplace created by you, truly reflects you and your company. If a business owner is to be completely committed to his/her business then they must feel as though they are the complete founders of their company, then all aspects of your business should be choreographed by you, including the design and decorating of your office.

If you are looking for best interior and exterior painting service in Ottawa for your home/residential space or office/commercial space, call Painters Ottawa at (613) 699-5668 .

4 Inviting Touches to Add to Your Home Before the Holidays

With the end of the year right around the corner, it’s time to finish any of those small painting projects you were planning on but never got around to completing! At Painters Ottawa, we think that painting is the easiest way to make a difference in your home, especially if it is done by a quality painting service. These four touch-ups are easy, especially for our professional painters, and will make your home extra inviting – just in time for the holiday season!

Little details make all the difference. Crown molding may seem like a minor detail, but it can transform the mood and feel of any room in your home. From traditional to more contemporary, molding is the finishing touch you need to complete your room. Not only will moldings make the rooms of your home more welcoming to family and guests, but they will also increase the resale value of your home. No matter the size, shape, or color of your room, crown molding is a valuable option for you. Repainting your trim will bring any room back to life!

 

Accent Wall

Your rooms wouldn’t be special without the things inside of them – so show them off! Accenting a wall creates a focal point that emphasizes the items on or near the accented wall. Consider what you want to highlight in the room, then paint a different color on the wall that these items are on or right in front of. For common areas like living rooms and dens, accent walls complement and emphasize fireplaces and TVs especially well. In the bedroom, an accented wall at the head of the bed usually shows the bed off the best. Not only will an accent wall liven up your room, but it will also make your belongings look great as well!

Paint Your Front Door

This exterior painting project is a minor task that will make a huge difference! New paint color on your front door will make your home feel new and exciting for you and your guests, and you’ll be reminded of this every time you come and go! Don’t want a new color? Consider just applying a new coat – your home will seem inviting before your guests even step inside. Red has always been thought of as the most welcoming front door color, but there are plenty of colors that will work for front doors depending on how bold you’re willing to be!

Plain Ol’ Touch Ups

Adding a new coat of paint to your home is actually a great way to make it more inviting. Many people paint their interior once and then don’t ever paint again. Over time, the paint naturally fades or becomes damaged by wear and tear. A fresh coat of paint, even if it’s the same color as your existing paint, can transform a room depending on how old the existing paint job is. Our professional painters are trained to recognize when it’s time for a new coat of paint, and they’d love to assess the interior of your home if you think it might be time.

Contact Us
If you’re unsure of what painting services could benefit your home, our professional painters would love to stop by for a consultation. Give us a call! We know what styles and colors are in, as well as which interior painting practices can be most transformative!

3 Easy Ways to Tell If Your Home Needs Painting

At Painters Ottawa, we have great painters in Ottawa, and all along the surrounding areas ready to tackle your project!

If you’re not sure you’re ready to get an estimate, there are some easy ways to find out if your house needs painting.

 

There are 3 common paint problems in homes. Simply take 5-10 minutes to walk around your house to identify any of these problems.

Problem #1: Fading Paint

You’ll notice the paint on your house fading on the areas that get the most Sun.. typically the south and west sides of the house. If you wipe a dry, dark-colored rag or towel on the house, you’ll notice some chalking paint come off the house. If you are noticing this happening, your wood is not very well protected any longer. Moisture can get into those boards and cause warping. The solution is to get a new coat of paint on there to protect it! At Painters Ottawa, we always recommend a full power wash before painting in order to remove that chalking from the house before applying that new fresh coat.

 

Problem #2: Peeling paint

This problem occurs in all parts of the home. The first places to peel are the areas that get the most moisture. Examples of this are window sills, the bottom of the garage trim, bottom of the door trim, or other places that snow sits. Once paint peels off, the wood is no longer protected. Moisture gets into the wood and can rot the boards. The solution to peeling paint is to scrape the loose paint off, sand the area down to create a good texture, apply a full coat of primer to protect the wood and a finish coat.

 

Problem #3: Cracking paint and failing caulking

Cracking is a very common problem you’ll notice in the joints of the house where boards meet. Check around door frames, window frames, and anywhere the siding meets the trim. If you notice cracks, this is where water can get behind the boards and got them from the inside out. The solution to this is simple: re-caulk those cracks with fresh caulking.

Now that you’ve found problems and identified, do you need to paint? The answer isn’t a simple yes or no.

The purpose of paint is to protect the house and beautify your home. If the house LOOKS bad, and it’s embarrassing, you should paint.

If you’ve noticed the problems listed above, it doesn’t mean you have to paint. If you choose to wait, you can expect those problems to get worse, you can expect more damage to be done to the wood, you can expect your paint price to go up the next year, and you do risk having to repair boards.

Repairing one board on a house could cost up to an extra $50-$100 per board. If this is the first time you are noticing the peeling paint, fading paint, or cracking paint… it’s probably not that urgent.

Our recommendation: If you’ve noticed problems at your house, now is a good time to paint. It’s only going to get more expensive. The longer you wait, the lower quality the job will be (because the surface is in poorer condition).

Contact us for a free estimate. When you get an estimate from Painters Ottawa for the interior, exterior or fence and deck painting, we’ll show you around the house, identify these problem areas, and show you exactly what we would recommend doing when painting your house.

How to Enhance Your Reception Area?

The reception area is an oft-overlooked but important space for any business. It can say a great deal about a company’s values, how it operates as well as the types of people who work there. In addition, it sets a tone very early on and provides first impressions which can be crucial to a company’s success or failure. Therefore, it’s pretty important to make your reception area a nice place in which to be. To help you in this important task, we’ve put together a few tips that should prevent potential customers or employees from doing an about-turn and running for the exit upon arrival.

Branding

Many companies display their name or logo prominently in their reception area. Although this may seem rather useless, seeing as most visitors with sound minds know where they’re going, it can actually provide newcomers with a personal introduction to your company. Your brand and corporate identity will be reinforced at the same time.

Seating

Seating is a really big deal when it comes to best, especially in a commercial context. Having somewhere for a visitor to sit while they wait is a no-brainer of course. But be sure to arrange the seating so that their backs aren’t against a door or full-length window – such features can induce feelings of vulnerability. Instead, position chairs against walls so that they add support and instill a sense of security and support.

Living

As mentioned, your reception area reflects your business, so include natural items like plants that symbolize growth and vitality. Live plants and flowers are particularly useful in this regard although steer clear of cacti due to their prickly undertones. If you really want to take things a step further, place your plants in the south-east corner of your reception space – this is known as the ‘wealth area’. Feng-Shui advocates are also keen on water due to its life-giving properties and soothing nature. Fountains or aquariums that encourage the constant flow of water can prove rather effective.

Cabling

Part of the clutter-free principles, errant cables running this way and that are going to make any space, not just your reception area, feel busy and cramped. Cables, like any kind of clutter, can disrupt a clean flow of energy so be sure to hide them away to improve the sense of organization and energy flow.

Lighting

Ensure that your reception area is well-lit. Lighting is the strongest manifestation of energy so try to allow as much natural light in as possible. Try to get the balance right with artificial lighting through – a reception area that’s lit too brightly may seem rather imposing and garnish.

Painting

Consider adding decorative features such as wall-paintings – art can significantly improve the energy of any space. Paintings that include water might be a good idea although avoid those which depict violent thunderstorms because of their obvious implications. Did you enjoy reading about the ways to improve your reception? Well, contact us, if you’d like to learn more from Painters Ottawa.

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?

Kitchen renovations are one of the most expensive items in home remodeling. Cabinetry costs more than replacing the kitchen furniture in many cases. If you can afford the expense, there are a wide variety of designs and styles available to update your cabinets. You can add extras like a kitchen island, lazy susan, or built-in appliance centers.

If replacing the cabinetry is too expensive for your budget, painting the kitchen is a less expensive alternative. Refacing involves replacing only the cabinet doors and exposed wood areas of the cabinets. The insides are left as they are to save money on the job. Painting is the least expensive option and can give the room new life. The job can be easily done over a long weekend with the right preparation.

You will need to decide if you will paint the entire cabinet, inside and out, or just the outside and the doors. To save time, consider leaving the inside of the cabinet alone, you won’t be able to tell the difference.

 

Preparing the Cabinets for Painting

Start by removing all hardware from the cabinets and remove the doors. Mark the doors, so you will remember which door goes on which cabinet. This will save you time and prevent aggravation later. Protect the counter tops and floor with drop cloths, old bed sheets or plastic sheeting. These can be taped in place, especially on the floors. If you will be replacing the flooring, paint the cabinets first.

Clean the cabinets thoroughly before painting. This is important. Grease and oils from cooking will prevent the paint from adhering properly. You could end up with an uneven color. A wood cleaner with orange oil works well for breaking down grease residue. Be sure to let the surface dry thoroughly before you begin to apply the primer.

Primer is an important step in the process. It provides a smooth, even surface for the paint to adhere properly. Use a roller for larger areas and a brush for small areas. Be sure to coat all areas, including the underside of the cabinets. Consider using sawhorses for priming and painting the doors, for an easier time and a more even coverage.

Allow the primer to dry thoroughly before you begin to paint. Overnight is generally sufficient for the primer to dry. Apply the paint in thin coats. It’s better to apply a few thin coats than to use one thick coat. Allow twenty four hours between coats for the paint to dry completely. Sand with a fine grit sandpaper between coats.

When the paint has dried completely, you are ready to put the doors back on and replace the hardware. Consider updating the hardware to match your new look. Door handles and hinges are inexpensive and can make a big difference in the look of the room.

 

Choosing Paint for Kitchen Cabinets

Don’t skimp on the paint. Use high-quality paint that is right for the surface being covered. This will be different for wood or metal cabinets. If you’re not sure, ask for help at the paint store.

In general, you will want to use enamel paint. You have a few choices in the finish. Gloss, semi-gloss or satin finishes are most commonly used. The higher the gloss, the stronger the finish and the easier it will be to clean. If you want less shine, consider the semi-gloss finish.

 

Safety When Painting

Be sure to paint in a well-ventilated room. Do the job when the weather is warm enough and leave the windows open.

Wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt to protect your skin from the paint. Plastic gloves can be worn to protect the skin on your hands.

Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from paint and fumes.

Looking for kitchen cabinets painters in Ottawa? Call Painters Ottawa today for a free quote.

Why Hire a Ottawa Painting Contractor in 2019

When deciding on whether or not to hire a painting contractor, there are several things to keep in mind. At the top of the list is the fact that a licensed house painting contractor has two things many homeowners do not; experience and expertise.

Painting and decorating projects require specialized skills. One good reason why persons pay for the services of a professional painting contractor when it comes to painting the interior or exterior of their home. Time restraints, convenience, safety, and health are among other considerations.

 

Safety and Health when Painting a House

Climbing on ladders and painting can be hazardous work; so is working with solvents and dust inhalation. Professional contractors are “safety conscious,” and experienced to handle these situations. Homeowners who opt to do the painting themselves risk unnecessary injury.

Houses built before 1978 may have been painted with lead-based paint, proven to pose serious health risks when scraped and sanded in preparation for repainting. Dust and paint chips from lead-based paint are a health threat to exposed individuals; working around lead-based paint, therefore, represents another safety hazard.

A licensed, professional contractor painting commercial or residential buildings that have lead-based paint have been trained to take precautions to protect you and your family from these health risks. They are also trained to protect themselves and their employees.

 

Quality Work Guaranteed with Painting Contractors

Finally, a house painting contractor will prepare surfaces properly for painting. Poorly prepared surfaces affect the appearance and quality of the new paint. To properly prepare surfaces for repainting is time-consuming, but yields great end results, and increases the durability of newly painted surfaces.

A qualified painting contractor is also familiar with the different types of paints, when to use what product, and how to apply each.

Painting Tips for Your Ottawa Home

Remember, everyone starts as a beginner at house painting. Just because you have never painted a house doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. The money you save by painting your Ottawa house is money you can put into other home improvements. It can also be a fun thing for the whole family to do.

Now we need to choose the colors we want to paint the house. There is a really cool tool online that you can use where you can choose exterior or interior options. Choose the project closest to yours. Get started and you will soon know what color you want to paint your house and you’ll have a vision of what it is going to look like when you’re finished.

Here are some of the basics. Of course, the first thing you need to do is wash down the walls of your house. A pressure washer can be rented at almost any rental yard and is the best way to do that. Now go around with a scraper and remove all loose paint and chipped areas. You don’t have to scrape the entire wall, but any areas where the surface is not flat can cause you problems as you paint your house.

Next, figure out your square footage so you can determine the amount of paint you will need to buy. Buy your paint in 5-gallon pails, rather than gallons to save more money.

Talk to the helper at your local paint store and tell him about your project. They can help you decide on how many brushes and rollers and other items you will need. You can buy natural or synthetic bristles for oil-based paints, but only use synthetic bristles with latex paint. The same rule applies to rollers. Good rollers can run you around $7, but buy high-quality paintbrushes. A good brush for cutting in around edges will run you about $30.

Make sure you purchased some painter’s tape. It’s blue tape that comes in different widths and is easy to remove without messing up your paint job. That brings us to preparation. Tape off all areas you don’t wish to get this color of paint on. If there are large areas to cover, make sure you pick up some rolls of plastic. You can tape the edges of the plastic down over whatever you need to cover.

Don’t paint out of the paint cans. The first reason is that leaving the paint can open will dry out the paint and make it difficult to apply. Another reason is that your brush or roller picks up dirt and foreign objects, which will end up in your paint and may even change the color as you go along.

Do all of your cutting or trimming in before you paint the walls. Use a 4″ brush and with a smooth stroke guide it around the edges where you taped off. Make sure you have plenty of paint on your brush. The biggest mistake people make is trying to stretch the paint too far. Keep drips cleaned up as you go with a small rag. Remember you will be rolling up to the edge of your cut, so don’t worry about that, just make sure you cover the edges well.

Start on the edges of your walls and work your way toward the middle. Most people don’t do this and problems can result. If you start and new can of paint in the middle of the wall and there is any difference in the color at all, it will show up there more than it would on the edges. So with each new can of paint you open, start at the edges first.

Dip your roller in water (for Latex) or solvent (for oil-based paint), before you start. Whether you use a pan or a 5-gallon bucket with a screen, make sure you roll it out a little to make sure it isn’t dripping. You don’t need to go all the way from the top to the bottom as you paint. Do what you can reach.

Apply the paint in a Y or an N pattern, then apply paint in columns up and down smoothing out all the edges or ridges as you go. Again don’t try to stretch the paint out, make sure you have enough paint on your roller to give it a good coat. If you are applying more than one coat, make sure the first coat is completely dry before applying a new coat of paint.

Corners are a difficult part to learn to paint. If you aren’t careful, this is where you will see paint drips later. Get as close to corners as you can, but don’t scrape the roller against the corner. That will cause drips. If you are unsure, have a paintbrush handy to smooth out drips. That is also a good idea overall. Keep a paintbrush ready for taking care of any drips or ridges you leave behind. Doing this as you go is much easier than trying to fix it after it’s dry or partially dry.

Using tray liners for your paint trays will save you a lot of time at cleanup. Soak your brushes when done for a while and they will also be easier to clean. For water-based paint, soak in water and for oil-based paint soak them insolvent.

I hope some of these tips have been helpful to you for your house painting. Have confidence that you can do this job yourself. You will appreciate and enjoy it much more knowing that you or you and your family completed the job rather than hiring someone else to do it.

If you live in Ottawa and looking for a professional painting company, call Painters Ottawa.

How Can You Protect Your Exterior Paint This Winter?

It may not feel like it just yet, but fall is around the corner.

This is really your last window of opportunity to make sure your exterior painting project is buttoned up tightly before winter (you can paint outdoors for a couple more months, but your painter’s schedule will likely fill up soon!). Fall provides even, cool temperatures that can be perfect for painting, especially since many modern paint formulas can adhere perfectly in chillier weather.

For our purposes today, however, let’s assume that your paint is in good condition and you simply want to be sure it stays that way all winter long. How can you set your finish up for success?

5 Practical Ways To Prepare Your Paint for Winter

Inspection

This first step involves simply taking a close look at the condition of your paint, siding, trim, fascia, eaves, etc… Weak or decaying paint should be addressed, as well as any signs of wood rot taking root. Catching these problems early on will save you from larger-scale remediation down the road.

Cleaning

Contaminants that collect and multiply on your siding will break your finish down if left unchecked. Mold, mildew, and dirt should be pressure washed away, leaving a clean, healthy surface behind.

Give Your Landscaping a Haircut

Bushes and shrubs that grow up alongside your house seem harmless enough, but direct contact with your siding can cause rot and damage over time.

Check/Replace Caulking

Dry, brittle caulk provides little protection against moisture and pest intrusion and compromises your home’s efficiency as well. Replacing this worn barrier with fresh material will instantly benefit your property.

Check Gutters and Downspouts

If your drainage system is clogged, or close to it, you’re inviting pests that nest in the debris, water damage, ice dams, and more. A quick but thorough cleaning will protect you from a host of avoidable headaches.

Partner with a Local, Professional Painting Company

Talk to your favorite painting company about performing a pre-winter check! This is an ideal way to have an expert set of eyes check your home for weak points, and provide an actionable plan for protection.

If you live in Ottawa, we invite you to contact us For painting exteriors of your Ottawa house. It would be our pleasure to serve you.

How Long Does Exterior Paints Last?

Here in Ottawa, there are many natural forces that challenge our homes. Hot sun, heavy humidity, soaking storms, strong winds, long winters, snow and ice… the factors are formidable! However, our exterior house paint bravely stands up against the weather that assails it, keeping our homes beautiful and protected. How long can this go on? How long does an average exterior paint job last in Ottawa?

The briefest answer is 5-8 years, but it’s not quite so simple. There are a variety of factors that can increase the life of exterior house paint, or decrease it:

Factors That Lengthen the Life of Exterior Paint

Premium Paint Quality

When you use premium house paints, they pay for themselves by extending the life of the paint job. The higher-quality ingredients provide better bonding, colorfastness, weather-resistance, and general longevity.

Excellent Surface Preparation

To get the best performance from exterior paint, there are a number of steps you can take. First, the surfaces must be clean and free of contaminants or failing paint. Second, replace or repair any damaged surfaces. Finally, prime any bare surfaces.

Multiple Coats

There are a number of reasons why two coats of paint are clearly a good investment:

  • They will stand up far better against the weather
  • Once the preparation is done, the work of a second coat is not great
  • The cost of more paint is negligible compared to the cost of repainting again sooner

Maintenance

To keep your house looking great year to year, and to extend the life of your paint, a small amount of annual paint maintenance is a great idea. This would involve washing the siding, trimming back the shrubbery to allow airflow against the siding, refreshing the caulking around windows and doors, and touching up areas where the paint is wearing out sooner than the rest. This can help you get several more years out of an exterior house painting job.

Factors that Shorten the Life of Exterior Paint

Deteriorating Substrates

If your exterior wood has dry-rot or other types of deterioration, the paint will not last as long.

Poorly-done Previous Coatings

When a previous coat of paint is actively failing due to poor quality (materials or application), it will continue to fail when new coatings are added. This reduces the life of subsequent paint applications. (This is why proper surface preparation involves removing failing paint).

Not Doing What We Mentioned Above

When you use poor quality paints, fail to perform adequate surface preparation, use only one coat, and neglect the maintenance, your exterior paint life will be shortened.

Quality House Painting

When you want your exterior house paint to look great and last as long as possible, Painters Ottawa is ready to serve you! We provide superior quality painting services to Ottawa.

Give us a call to get started with a free estimate. We look forward to hearing from you!

Exterior Painting and Maintenance Checklist for Your Ottawa Home

We all know that maintenance is a good thing. It’s why we go to the dentist, change our car’s oil, mow the lawn before the grass turns into a field… You get the idea.

Catching problems early makes solving those problems easier!

As a professional Ottawa painting contractor, we try to drive that concept home for our clients too. Waiting until a total paint failure, or until your foot goes through your deck as you step outside, isn’t  “getting the most” out of your home’s surfaces. It’s just creating a larger cost and headache for you.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for what to check for around your home’s exterior this spring and early summer. You’ll be glad you took the time!

Exterior Home Maintenance That’s Definitely Worth Your Time

1) How’s Your Exterior Paint Doing?

Peeling and flaking are signs that you definitely need exterior painting services. Ideally, it’s best to catch issues before this point! Keep an eye out for fading and spider cracks too; these are signs that total paint failure is on its way.

2) Don’t Forget Your Stain!

It’s easy to overlook, but too important to forget. Not only does a fresh coat of stain on your deck, porch, or railings look awesome, but it also provides critical protection for the wood.

3) Pressure Washing

Did you know that routine pressure washing will help extend the life of your paint and stain? We recommend talking professional pressure washing service, just to ensure that high-quality equipment is used and that your surfaces are protected from damage. Too many homeowners rent units, assuming that it’s an easy task, and open the door to potentially harming their home and/or themselves.

4) Replace Brittle Caulk

Caulk contributes directly to your home’s efficiency, sealing out moisture intrusion, pests, and drafts. Over time, however, caulk grows brittle and breaks down, compromising this essential seal. We recommend checking it periodically to make sure it’s in good repair and doing its job.

5) Repair Wood Rot Right Away

This wood-munching fungus will happily turn your beloved deck into an eyesore if it’s not stopped. An experienced painting company can find signs of decay in common weak points, then offer the wood repair/replacement services you need.

Looking For Your Pro Go-To Painter?

It’s invaluable to find and partner with a professional painting company that can really meet all of your diverse needs, helping you care for your home well.

If you live in Ottawa, or surrounding cities, give us a call at Painters Ottawa for exterior painting to renew your home or pressure washing to maintain the paints. It would be our pleasure to serve you!

How To Decorate Your Attic?

Use these tips from house painters in Ottawa to decorate your home attic.

For many second story homes, having an attic space is a benefit. Converting your attic into a usable room provides a valuable living space that has tremendous potential. Your attic could be a bedroom, playroom, home office, gym, or meditation space. Whatever the use, you’re going to want to navigate decorating wisely. Before you begin, check out what house painters in Nanaimo advise.

The Issues

Attic spaces feature several design challenges, including slanted walls and poor lighting. The way you choose to decorate the space can make a significant difference in its comfort and attractiveness. As painting is usually the first step in decorating, ensure that you wind up with the ideal attic room with these tips!

Remember Primer

When painting any room, it’s tempting to hurry the project along to get to the fun part of adding color. However, it’s crucial to prepare an attic room’s walls to accept paint if you want to ensure the best results. Drywall is often used to finish attic walls, so skipping a primer could result in uneven paint.

Select One Color

Attic rooms usually have odd-shaped spaces, short walls, and slanting ceilings. Because of this, you may be tempted to choose multiple colors to paint each wall, accentuating their distinct shape. Doing so, however, can actually chop up the space and make it feel shorter and smaller than it is. Choose a single shade for the room’s walls and ceilings so that it appears larger and the ceiling seems higher.

Opt for Light

One light color helps to create a calmer feeling for the room. It will also reflect the light, which is helpful in an attic room that doesn’t have many windows and lacks natural light. While is an ideal color for a bright and airy feel, while a cream or beige works if you don’t want too stark a look. If you can help it, avoid dark colors because you don’t want to create a dark cave room.

Choose the Right Finish

For an attic, you want to choose a paint finish that is slightly reflective so light bounces around the room more easily. Choose an eggshell or satin finish that offers a soft sheen that helps to keep the room light and bright. Semi-gloss or gloss finish paints may be too reflective and wind up accentuating every dent and flaw in the walls! or what you can do is attic or loft conversion.

When you’re ready to paint your attic, talk to the professional house painters in Ottawa. With the team’s knowledge, experience, and passion for painting, your attic will transform.

Winter Is The Best Time for Interior Painting

We often associate painting as a task for the warm weather. If you’re doing an exterior paint job, you may want to wait for it to be a little warmer, depending on the extent of the work. However, if you’ve got an interior paint job, this winter is the perfect time to get it done! From your Ottawa interior painter, here’s why to do that interior paint job now!

You can get a good deal.

Winter is traditionally a slow time for painting contractors. More often than not, painters have a busy summer. The overbooked summer usually hosts to everyone trying to get their exterior painting work done. Not only can you find a time slot to suit your lifestyle in the winter, but you may be able to find a good deal for your local painters.

You can get it done quicker.

When painting the home’s exterior, there is a running clock from sunrise to sunset. For reasons of quality and safety, it’s not wise to keep painting at night. With an interior painting job, you can have a painter work from nine to five without the worry of loss of light or safety. Because of this, you both have the flexibility to get the job done faster!

Cooler air is ideal for curing paint.

While the Ottawa summers have their virtues, painting in winter is ideal for an even set. The humid summer air doubles the paint’s drying time, holding up jobs, adding time to tasks, and raising the overall cost. In the winter with cooler air, just a small crack of the window dries the paint in no time!

Are you ready to leave the interior painting to the professionals? For a quality finish on your home, contact the expert painters directly at Painters Ottawa!

How Ofter Do Your Interior Wall Need To Be Repainted?

Are your interior walls due for a repaint?

The question of how regularly to paint inside and outside of a property comes up many times for homeowners. However, the answer isn’t straightforward at all. In most cases, it simply depends. As a homeowner, it’s your job to be mindful of the signs that indicate that it is time to get the paintbrush out. This is especially true when it comes to wall painting, given that walls are often exposed to various things that can damage the paint.

Here’s what to consider when scheduling your home’s interior repaint.

Previous Paint

If you have your interior painted by a high-quality provider and you take care of the surfaces, the paint job can easily last ten years or more. Professionals use the highest quality paints, apply them evenly, and ensure the surface is adequately primed beforehand. In comparison, rushed DIY jobs may only last one year or so before the cracks start showing.

The Room

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to repaint rooms separately. Not only is it more manageable, but also because the timelines for repainting are often very different. Hallways are subject to more wear and tear than a home office, for example. Dining and living rooms may need repainting sooner than a bedroom, too. Even so, don’t let moving furniture and decorating with new colors deter you from maintaining each room.

Sun Damage

Sun damage will inevitably fade the paint on your walls in places and rooms that are exposed to it throughout the day. This tends to happen slowly and gradually but can damage your walls considerably in some cases.

Another reason to repaint is for purely aesthetic reasons. Perhaps you decide that you want to change things up before you necessarily need to.

Hire a professional exterior home painting team to remove all of these concerns and leave the hard work to the experts who understand the process to achieve a beautifully finished product.

Skip your search of finding the right contractors in your local area and contact Painters Ottawa. We take care of painting your home’s exterior, using only the finest tools and our knowledgeable team.

Tips To Prioritize Your Room For Painting

Your Ottawa painter can help to prioritize rooms for painting.

Whether you love or hate painting your home, as a homeowner, it’s a must. Painting multiple rooms in your home can be fun and exciting, but it can also cause a few headaches. In the end, it makes your space feel more like home and reflects your personal style, but the process can be frustrating and time-consuming. To make it easier, here are some tips from your Ottawa painter on how to accurately prioritize which rooms should be painted first.

Bedroom and bathroom: Painting these two rooms first will get them out of the way quickly. This will also allow you to feel at home, even if the rest of the house is in disarray during the painting process. Also, you’ll be able to shut off your room from the strong paint smells.

The kitchen: Paint and food don’t mix. It’s best to paint the kitchen as one of the first few rooms so that your food doesn’t go bad. While the paint won’t directly affect the food, you may eat out more while your home is being repainted, leading your fresh produce to go bad.

Living room: Likely, this is one of the largest rooms in your home, so it is often a monster task to paint it. However, once it’s finished, you’ll be able to move your furniture back and enjoy your freshly-painted room!

Laundry room and utility room: Paint these rooms last so that your clothes don’t smell like paint. Remember to wash your clothes before you start this painting project and don’t do laundry during the process!

To reduce the paint smells around your home, open a window (weather permitting), opt for low or no VOC paint options, and light a candle after painting. Better yet, hire a team of professionals to take care of this for you! At Precision Painting, our experts are fast and thorough, leaving your home perfectly painted in no time. We’re reliable, knowledgeable, and serve the areas of Ottawa. Visit us today to get started!

Isn’t It The Time To Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets?

Determine if you should replace or reface your kitchen cabinets!

As you look around your kitchen, do you notice that your cabinets are starting to look worn or outdated? Age is just one of the reasons why you might consider replacing your kitchen and bathroom cabinets. But before you rip them from their hinges, consider resurfacing and finishing them! This is a great (and underappreciated) way of reviving your entire space on a dime!

Cabinet finishes are a great way to personalize your kitchen! Check out how you can update your cabinets:

Knobs and pulls: These handy features are more than a means to open cabinetry. Along with hinges, they’re integral decorative elements. When selecting knobs and pulls, determine if these elements will serve as an accent or blend in with surrounding cabinetry.

Accessories: Whether you’re installing new cabinetry or upgrading, you’ll want to check out what storage and organization options best suit you. Perhaps you want to upgrade to a lazy Susan or utensil dividers, or perhaps you wouldn’t change the layout at all – just the finish!

Lighting: As always, effective illumination increases productivity and brightens any space. Puck lights, fluorescent strips, and decorative cabinet lighting are available to upgrade your kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

Finishes: From dark wood to coffee glazes to colored tints, finishing your cabinets will lift any room!

Types of Finishes

The first choice to make is whether to go with matte, glossy or semi-gloss. This is completely your personal style! Your choice should also include whether to reflect or contrast the finish of your kitchen wall paint here. Once you’ve decided on the finish style, you can explore whether paint or stain is best for you. Stains now come in a variety of colors, but wood grain will more or less always show through when using stain, whereas paints will disguise the grain.

Are you stuck on what finish to choose for your kitchen and bathroom cabinets? Let the professionals step in to transform your home’s paint from dull to dashing! Contact Painters Ottawa for all of your kitchen cabinets painting in Ottawa.

Painting Your Home? Ask Yourself These Questions to Pick the Right Paint

Determine which paint meets your lifestyle needs with these questions.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to paint your home. However, when it comes to painting your home, many decisions must be made. From choosing the right paint color to contracting the right painters, it can be difficult to make so many decisions. However, it can also be difficult to choose the right kind of paint. Check out these questions to help make the process a little easier so that you can choose the paint that best for your needs.

How Do You Want the Room to Feel?

Color is an important design element. When it comes to choosing the right paint, it’s important that you choose the right colors. Cooler colors like blues and greens can make a room feel more tranquil while warmer colors like reds and yellows can make a room feel bright and energized. Think about what you want your home design to emote so that you can choose the right colors.

Are You Looking to Make a Room Look Bigger?

When painting your home, you have an opportunity to change the feel of your space. One element to consider is the size of a room. Keep in mind that darker colors tend to make a space look smaller while more neutral colors make a room look bigger. Choose a color palette that suits your space so that you can enjoy your home.

How Often Do You Paint?

When it comes to painting your home, it’s important that you consider your lifestyle. If you paint your home often, you may not need to think about the type of paint that you use as much as someone that paints infrequently. When painting infrequently, ensure that you choose a durable paint that can withstand the wear and tear of everyday life.

When it comes to your home, ensure that you choose the right paint. Let the professionals step in to transform your home’s paint from dull to dashing! Contact Painters Ottawa for all of your painting services in Ottawa.

Quality Painting Services Makes Big Difference in Your Home

At Painters Ottawa, we think that painting is the easiest way to make a difference in your home – especially if the painting is done by quality service. We know how much you value your home, and we do too, which is why we love sharing our painting tips with you and the rest of Ottawa and area! Whether you have already decided on beginning a painting project, or are just looking for a way to freshen up your home a bit, consider the following reasons of why a quality painting service could be exactly what your home needs! Our professional painters excel in quality painting services, excellent customer service, and prompt and clear communication.

Hand Over Your Stress

You could perform dozens of home renovation projects and achieve the exact aesthetic you’ve always wanted, but at what cost? A beautiful home is meaningless if you’re totally stressed out by your renovation project! Residential painting, interior or exterior, can often be a headache – especially if you have a large project. Hiring professional painting services is a great way to complete your project without having to carry the stress of it. We want you to enjoy the changes to your home, not worry about how you’re going to complete them!

Add Value to Your Home

Secondly, quality painting services will add resale value to your home. This is always important, whether or not you’re intent on selling your home in the near future. Professional painting services add value to homes in more ways than just painting – especially when it comes to exterior services. Power washing is a standard exterior painting service that can completely transform the exterior of your home and give it added curb appeal. Additionally, professional painting services will be able to handle multi-surface jobs, exterior detailing of hard to reach spaces, and even deck restoration. Increased resale value won’t only be achieved through exterior painting services, but also by interior painting services. If you’re interested in ways that you could add resale value to your home through painting services, Painters Ottawa would love to help brainstorm with you.

Little Changes, Big Results

The best part about quality painting services is that they can have huge results without breaking the bank – however, you need to know where to implement these small changes. Easy places to implement small changes include trim and accent walls. Adding a splash of color to one wall or refinishing trim can completely transform the inside of your home, giving it a fresh new look and making it even more impressive to your guests. These small changes can be just as transformative as knocking down interior walls or reflooring, but require way less time, energy, and money! If you’re unsure of what interior painting services could benefit your home, our professional painters would love to stop by for a consultation. Give us a call! We know what styles and colors are in, as well as which interior painting practices can be most transformative!

How Often Should I Paint My Home Exterior in Ottawa?

There is a lot of excitement in the process of exterior painting, with new colors and fresh life breathed into the outside of your home. However, no one wants to repaint their home exterior more than is necessary. So, how often do you need to paint the exterior of your house here in the Ottawa area?

Exterior house paint usually lasts about 5 to 8 years, but there are many factors that shorten or lengthen the life of your paint. Of course, the weather is a big one, and this will vary from year to year, as well as with where you live. But there are other things you can do to help your exterior paint last longer in Ottawa.

Three Factors that Decrease the Time that Your Exterior Paint Will Last

Deteriorated Paint Underneath – If the current coat of exterior was applied over already failing paint, then it will not last nearly as long. It will start peeling and cracking much more quickly, so try to avoid this.

Insufficient Surface Preparation – If dirt and other contaminants were not removed, or if your wall wasn’t cleaned or primed before painting, the paint will deteriorate much faster.

Dry Rot – If your wood has dry rot or is deteriorating in some other way, then the paint’s lifespan will be significantly decreased.

Things You Can Do to Help Your Exterior Paint Last:

Multiple Coats of Paint – If you apply more than one coat of paint, then it will last much longer. This is slightly more work and expense at the time of application, but nothing compared to having to repaint your whole house sooner.

High-Quality Paint – This is simple, but if you just use high-quality paint, it will last longer and look better. Better paint costs more, but in the scope of your whole project, the longer lifespan will be worth it.

Maintenance – If you do a small amount of yearly maintenance, you can get several more years out of a paint job:

  • Wash the siding every year or two
  • Trim bushes to allow airflow around the house
  • Touch up small exterior paint areas that wear out sooner
  • Refresh window and door caulking as necessary

Call Painters Ottawa – The easiest and surest way to make sure your exterior paint gives maximal performance is to hire Painters Ottawa to do the job! We emphasize surface preparation, use high-quality paint, apply as many coats as necessary, and we can take care of any needed projects in order to paint. Our services include kitchen cabinet painting and refinishingpopcorn ceiling removal and repairinterior painting, and exterior painting. You can call us at (613) 699-5668 to schedule a free estimate.

Filling & Sanding Walls Ready For Painting or Wallpaper

Here we go into a little more detail on how to smooth the surface by applying filler and sanding walls to help you get that genuine pro-standard finish.

The main thing that separates the average amateur DIYer from the professional decorator is the attention to detail during the essential preparation stage. When it comes to painting or wallpapering a wall, every extra hour spent ensuring that the surface is as perfect as you can make it will increase your overall sense of satisfaction upon completion.

 

Washing The Walls

The first step is to wash away some of the grime and paste left from previous wallpaper by sponging down with a sugar soap solution. This is a good idea even if the walls haven’t been prepared before, because any wall in a living space will attract dust and grease over time, so don’t be tempted to skip this step!

 

Filling In The Blemishes

If money is no object it’s always worth having the walls skimmed by a master plasterer before painting or decorating your walls, but this is an expensive solution and unnecessary if your current plaster is in reasonable condition. Fortunately, there are products on the market that make filling smaller to medium holes relatively easy for the layman.

Some Walls Need A Lot of Filling!

Easy-Filler is easy to mix and use, dries quickly and sands down with the lightest of touches, making it ideal for the kind of blemishes you’re likely to find on your walls. It doesn’t shrink and sticks to most dust-free surfaces, but it has a tendency to dry out quite quickly so work fast! Oh, and wear a dust mask during the mixing stage because it’s a very fine powder.

Apply it with a plastering trowel for larger areas or a smaller decorator’s knives/wallpaper scraper for smaller holes. It’s dry to the touch within the hour on smaller areas, but large holes will need to be left overnight.

There are plenty of fillers on the market though, so do have a look in your DIY store to see what’s on offer!

 

Sanding Walls Down

This is a satisfying job that will transform a tired old wall if you follow our advice and this is an essential step if you’ve had to fill holes in the plaster:

  • It’s important to wear a quality dust mask for this job – please don’t forget this!
  • The grade of sandpaper you require will depend on the state of your walls, but a general starting point of 70-grade will quickly remove the worst of the debris from your walls
  • Use a sanding block to ensure a flat sand, and work in a circular motion as you move across the surface
  • After your first fill and sand, check the walls again and fill any spots you missed
  • Repeat the sanding process but with 120-grade paper
  • Go over the entire wall, as a quicksand will help create a key for paint of paste
  • Once you’re happy that the walls are smooth you can wash them down again

If your wall’s very big, it might be worth using a quality brushless random orbital sander to make this job easier. Make sure that it has the option to plug into a vacuum cleaner unless you want to make a lot of mess!

Follow this simple guide to filling and sanding walls and yours will soon be in perfect condition for your wallpaper or paint – but if you’re unsure or uncomfortable with the process and live in the Ottawa area, you can always call Painters Ottawa and ask for a quote to do it for you.

Painting A Ceiling Like a Pro

Summoning up the enthusiasm to do a little home decorating is usually pretty easy, but when it comes to painting a ceiling, most people either call in a professional decorator or just completely ignore it! If this sounds familiar, don’t worry because our guide on painting a ceiling like a pro will demystify the process and, hopefully, leave your hair paint free too!

Tools For Painting A Ceiling

As with every DIY job, it’s essential to be prepared and have the right gear. Fortunately, you can paint a ceiling without investing in expensive specialist equipment – although there are a couple of things that’ll make this task easier. Let’s take a look at what you need:

  • A decent roller set
  • A paint bucket
  • Easy-fill filler and filling knife
  • A good quality 2” brush
  • An extension pole (or old broom handle)
  • Lots of dust sheets!
  • Maybe a sanding pole
  • Sugar soap and sponges
  • Step ladders

When it comes to buying paint for the ceiling, it pays to spend a little more and get specialized ceiling paint because it’s designed to be almost splatter-free – something your hair will thank you for! We also recommend using good quality stain block paint if there are any water leak patches on the ceiling.

 

Preparation

Before you start make sure everything is covered with good quality dust sheets because it’s much harder to contain the mess from a ceiling paint job than almost anywhere else. Use Easy-fill to deal with any holes – it’s so easy to use, dries quickly and sands effortlessly.

If the ceiling is flat painted, a quick rub over with 100 grit drywall sandpaper will help to cut through years of dirt and neglect – after all, who washes their ceiling? Follow that with a wash down with sugar soap and water and you’re ready to go.

 

Painting

As previously mentioned, you’ll need to go over any areas of water damage with a stain-blocking primer first. A couple of coats should do it, but some stubborn stains may need more.

The devil is always in the details, so take the time to cut in – time spent here will make or break your finish so give it your best attention. Using a quality brush and a paint bucket means that you can focus on the job in hand – you only need a little bit of paint at any one time, and a paint bucket helps prevent major spillage accidents.

After cutting in you can get down to the fun part: using the roller! Investing in the best quality lambswool roller will help keep the splatters to a minimum and ensure a really good coverage in the least possible time – that’s the combination a pro looks for. Work the ceiling in small areas, around 5’ square, first rolling one way and then back across the area at 90° to the first coat. Try to keep one edge wet for the next section to avoid overlapping marks, and feather the paint out on the areas you’re not painting next.

 

Textured Ceilings

With a previously painted textured ceiling, it’s quite tough to get the same level of finish, but if you work slightly slower you should be able to get a good coverage. Be careful not to overwork the paint because you risk pulling the old layers from the ceiling – another job for your high-quality lambswool roller.

As with every DIY and decorating job, if you’re careful and prepare properly there’s very little that can go wrong, but Painters Ottawa is always here for friendly advice or a quote if you’d prefer to let the experts take over. Painting a ceiling isn’t the most fun decorating job, but neglect it and you’ll regret it!

Painting A Fresh Plaster

It’s incredibly satisfying to have a room plastered to a high standard, but it needs to be treated carefully in order to get the best finish for your paint – so this month we’re going to give you our top tips for painting fresh plaster like a pro.

It would seem that painting fresh plaster is a simple task, but if you rush to get the job done you’ll struggle to get the high-quality finish that a well-plastered wall deserves. Firstly, it’s absolutely crucial that the wall is dry, but how long do you need to leave it? There’s no definite time frame because every wall, type of plaster, and atmosphere is different, so if you’re not sure it’s best to wait a little longer. Generally, you want the wall to be a uniform light colour with no dark patches – even small dark spots where the wall is still a bit damp could ruin the finish.

Don’t be tempted to speed up the process with hairdryers or fans because that may lead to cracking – instead leave the windows open to allow natural drying to take place.

Once your plaster is dry you may need to lightly sand the surface – although this shouldn’t be necessary if you’re plasterer is a good one! Use a nice fine sandpaper of around 200-400 grit for a smooth finish. After a sanding, it’s time for a mist coat to seal in the plaster.

 

Mist Coat

Essentially, a mist coat is a watered down coat of emulsion that sinks into the plaster to create a surface for the thicker coats of emulsion to stick to. Some decorators recommend a coat of watered down PVA, but it’s much less reliable for the amateur DIYer looking for a simple, quality finish.

The ratio of water to emulsion depends on a number of factors (and which decorator you ask!), but between 50/50 and 70/30 water to paint is a good starting point. As long as the mist coat is watery and has enough paint in to seal the plaster effectively you’re good to go.

Apply the mist coat with a roller and allow to dry for at least 24 hours, but be careful to either remove or cover your floors and furniture because the mist coat paint will splash much more readily than thick emulsion.

 

Top Coat

Once the mist coat is dry you can apply your top coats. As with all painting jobs, it pays to cut in around the edges first with a 2-4 inch brush before applying the paint evenly with a smooth roller. Use the best quality brushes and rollers for a great finish – that’s often the difference between the DIYer and the professional!

Follow these tips and your freshly plastered walls will soon look fantastic – there’s no simpler way to transform a room! Of course, if you’re nervous about undertaking a job like this yourself and you live in the Ottawa area, you can give a call Painters Ottawa to give you a free quote for plaster/drywall repair and interior and exterior painting!

Choose Unique & Magnificence Colors for Your Home

When it comes to embellishing your home, nothing can make a real impression on the overall finish when compared to the colors in the rooms. Choosing the colors may vary depending on the model or ambiance of your home. But, by selecting the right color schemes, with little imagination, and hiring the best painters, you can give life to your walls.

With years, paints would lose their vividness, and you will have to repaint them to keep the beautiful lustre of your home. When choosing colours for your home, it is important to go for something unique and different rather than merely repainting the same old shades. Choosing colours can be easier if you break it down into individual rooms. Let us now help you with more options for decorating your entire home with a colourful palette.

 

Living Room:

The living room is an excellent place in every home to hang out, spend the evening, watching a movie and talk to guests. So, choosing a range of colors that go well together is important for a brighter living room.

The colour you choose depends much on the furniture and the style of decor you are planning to add to the room. You can also mix three tones rich, neutral and lighter ones and play with shadows and lights in the room. You can also go for classic white, black, red or Brown if you have minimal designs. You can also take advantage of the architecture and arches of your living room highlighting them with different colours.

 

Bedroom:

We spend plenty of time in the bedroom. It is a place to relax and sleep. The best house painters often suggest neutral or vibrant colors for bedrooms. You can also create an ultimate lazy zone with light shades or dark tones. Grey, brown and blue are great neutral schemes that will help you relax after a long stressful day. They also wake you up to a bright morning and help you start your day.

 

Kitchen:

The kitchen is the place where women spend most of their time in a day. It is the room which you will first face once you wake up in the morning. It is a must to create a sense of freshness and also need to be clean and tidy along with sophistication when cooking or serving meals to the family. Choose a bright palette of colors with light shades for kitchens and make your kitchen a dreamy place for your women.

Quality paints will last longer and suffer from less peeling and chipping. The best house painting company will always choose the best once when deciding the colours and quality paints for your home. So by considering the best painters in wide range of colours available and with your limitless imagination, you can bring your dream come true inside your home. When a professional is by your side, why are you still waiting? Go ahead and create the magic.

Do you want your home be magnificently painted house? Wanna make it look perfect every nook and corner? Call Painters Ottawa to get a budget-friendly estimate on our perfect painting service. Call (613) 699-5668 .

Reasons To Paint The Exterior of Your Home

Well, there are many reasons to paint the exterior of your home. Your home is your largest asset so it pays to look after it. Painting the exterior of your home can increase durability, aesthetics and the value of your home. It can be one of the best value for money investments you can make to your home. Keep reading! We detail some of these benefits and more, below:

1. Aesthetic appeal

First impressions count. An exterior paint job can create a great first impression of an old, deteriorating paint job can do the opposite! Old paint fades, peels and goes out of date. Yes, paint colors to go through trends and can date a house or apartment building. That is one of the reasons that Painters Ottawa provides a color consultant to help you choose the colors that work best for you. In addition, the sun’s ultraviolet rays cause the chemical compounds in the paint to degrade (particularly if you use an oil-based paint), which means it will lose its color and luster. In particular, dark paints will appear to lose fade more quickly than lighter colors. Ottawa’s harsh weather can cause a number of issues with paint including blistering and chalking (when the paint becomes powdery). A good initial paint job, regular maintenance, and upkeep can prevent these issues.

 

2. Value of a property

A fresh coat of paint can increase the value of a property. No, doubt. Because this makes your house makes new and fresh even it is a year or 100 years old.

 

 

3. Protection against weather

The elements can play havoc on your home. Sun, rain, wind, insects, mold, and mildew are just some of the elements that can degrade the paint of your home. The right paint can prevent much of this damage.

 

4. Prevents termite damage

Painting and staining seal off exposed areas that are prone to damage from termites and other wood-eating pests. Painting your home can be one of the cheapest and most effective renovations you can do to your home to improve its looks and value. However, it’s not a simple as it sounds. Painting can be pretty technical. The right painter knows the right paint to use on each surface for its purpose. Choose the wrong paint and you might as well throw your money down the drain. Choose the right paint and the right painter to do a professional job and you improve the value and the longevity of your home. Painters Ottawa Ottawa is professional in everything we do from quote to clean-up. We have a proven 9-step process that ensures outstanding results and your satisfaction is guaranteed throughout the process.

Want to increase the value of your house or want to make it better in appearance, you can call Painters Ottawa at  (613) 699-5668 .

.

How Often Should You Paint?

We thought we would do some research to find out what is generally recommended before giving our opinion. The answer can vary greatly from 2 to 15 years and depends on a number of factors, as you have probably already guessed.

Here, we will answer this question based on what it is you want to paint and where it is located. Our focus, for the purposes of this blog, will be on residential houses and apartments. In which case, the question should consider exterior or interior surfaces. We will cover both.

Firstly, we will cover the interior. We need to consider factors such as the amount of moisture in a room. Clearly, bathrooms and laundries will be exposed to more moisture and will need to be painted and maintained more frequently.

How often should you paint a bathroom?

Due to humidity that is often prevalent in a bathroom, we recommend painting every 3-5 years. Good ventilation will let some of the humidity escape and extend the time between painting as will mold-resistant paint. Painters Ottawa Ottawa is experts in the application of mold resistant paint.

How often should you paint a bedroom?

The main factor here is children and the number of occupants in the home. Normally internal walls need repainting every 5-10 years. However, if you have young children consider painting every 2-5 years.

 

How often should you paint the exterior?

It really depends on your location, the climate and the paint that you have previously used as a guide:

  • Paint on weatherboard or fibro can last up to 15 years
  • Paint on timber will last up to 10 years
  • Paint on render walls varies dramatically based on the painter. If applied professionally, paint can last up to 10 years. However, much less if not applied properly. This is where professionals like Painters Ottawa really make a difference.
  • Stained and/or clear finished timber needs to be redone every 2-5 years.

Environmental considerations:

  • Full sunlight will reduce longevity by half
  • If you live near the water, especially the ocean, consider repainting every 2-3. Ask us about the use of high-quality marine grade paints and maintenance to reduce salt build up in these circumstances.
  • Sprinkler systems in your area

Ultimately it comes down to choosing the right paints for the situation and preparing the surfaces thoroughly. Painters Ottawa can advise you on the right paint for each surface and environmental condition and have a detailed preparation process to ensure the best result and longevity of your home.

Why A Professional Painter is Better than You?

Have you ever considered hiring a house painter? You should know how helpful a professional painting crew is. Paying someone to paint your home for you is entirely worth it.

When lacking free time but desperately want to paint your home, do not hesitate in calling an expert painter who has the time, crew, and equipment to get the job done timely and neatly. Painting contractors are up to date with the most current painting techniques, know the best paints to use, have top quality paint equipment, and possess years of hands-on painting experience. You are better off to leave painting your home to a professional.

Painting your ceilings? You may have vaulted ceilings which is typical in Ottawa homes. Good luck painting these ceilings on your own! First off, ceilings should not be rolled out our hand painted (usually depending on the surface). A licensed painter will have a special sprayer wand that attaches to his paint sprayer machine. This wand allows the painter to get close to the ceilings and spray on the coats of paint without using a ladder. This saves hours in time moving a ladder or going up and down the ladder.

In most cases, having a painter do the job can also save you the costs of materials. It is common that painting contractors who utilize paint supply stores such as Sherwin Williams to receive extremely big discounts on paint and supplies. Hiring a contractor will most likely save you money on the paint (allowing you to get a better quality perhaps for the same price as the generic paint) and painting supplies such as tape, rollers, brushes, and drop cloths.

So stop wasting time trying to plan out how you will be able to paint your own home, or how will you afford the supplies. A painting contractor will provide you with a service to get the job done fast and professionally. A true painting professional will walk you through all the steps he will perform, explain to you the paint he recommends, and ways to save on the project.

If you want to save time and money on painting your home, you can call our professional painting contractor in Ottawa at (613) 699-5668 .

Selling Your Home? – Which Color Has Biggest Impact?

Just now, the property market in Ottawa is in a great position. Means that it’s a great time to sell your house- but it also means that there’s a lot more competition than usual. There are only a certain number of buyers out there at any given moment, so you’ll want to do all you can to attract their attention. A good way of doing this is to paint your house- there’s nothing quite as eye-catching as a fresh coat of paint, and it will also make your home seem more modern, too. But what you might not know is that the right colors can also boost the value of your home- so it certainly pays to make the right choices!

First things first, let’s start with the most commonplace approach to painting your home before selling. As you probably already know, home buyers like to see properties as a blank slate. For that reason, many sellers opt to paint their rooms in whites and beiges. While it’s unlikely that the buyer will actually keep this color scheme in place once they move in, it makes it easier for them to imagine their own preferred paint job adorning the walls. They can also bring in Ottawa interior painters to get the job done for them in one go- much simpler when they can settle on a color scheme that works throughout the whole house.

However, that’s not to say this is the best approach. As we mentioned earlier, some studies found that homes with a particular paint scheme tended to sell for higher prices than average. So, let’s examine what exactly these secret weapons are. We’ll start with the kitchen: here, the order of the day is soft blues, to create a cleaner feel in the room. Since this is where all your food is prepared, buyers want to see it as somewhere hygienic. They also want it to feel more open and spacious since no one likes feeling stuck in the kitchen. On the other hand, a yellow kitchen is not only out of fashion at the moment, but it could also have a negative impact on the price your home fetches. After all, no one wants to have to update a new house themselves!

Next up, the bathroom. Now, you might assume that white bathrooms are the way to go, but that’s simply no longer the case. All-white fittings and walls have fallen by the wayside, and if you resolutely stick with that look in your home, you could knock quite a chunk off the value. Bathrooms and kitchens are the rooms that really sell houses, so give your bathroom a fresh, modern feel with a light blue to the purple paint job.

Of course, when you’re selling your home, you already have a lot to take care of, without the extra stress of repainting your house. So why not leave it to the experts, and let us handle the job for you? As the number one interior painters in Ottawa, we can get things done in record time, leaving you with one less thing to worry about. We can also repaint the exterior of your home to really maximize its curb appeal. Let’s work together, and get your house sold quickly, for the best possible price. Our paint jobs are every seller’s secret weapon!

Will Painting House Increase It’s Value?

Right now, we’re seeing something of a boom in the Ottawa housing market. More and more people are buying and selling homes, which is always good news for those looking to sell theirs.

However, when buyers have more choice, that means they can afford to be a bit pickier- which means you need to be a savvier seller. To ensure a quick sale, you’ll want to pull off every trick in the book to make your home more appealing from the moment they prospective buyer sets eyes on it. And what better way to do that than with an exterior paint job?

Ask any estate agent, and they’ll tell you that one of the most important factors in marketing a house is its so-called “curb appeal”. Buyers tend to make up their minds about a property within just a few seconds of seeing it, so it’s essential that you make a good impression. It’s tough to dislodge a negative view of a property, so the last thing you want a buyer to think is that your home is old-fashioned or past its prime. A recent coat of paint, on the other hand, can really turn things around.

Think about it: wouldn’t you rather move into a house that looks fresh and modern, instead of one that seems to need a bit of work done to it? A property that hasn’t been painted for ten years or more suggests that the inside isn’t going to be all that great either- it smacks of a need to carry out maintenance, and that the buyer will have to sink more money into getting the house up to standard once they have bought it. That could have a serious impact on the value of your home, so you want to avoid this happening at all costs.

On the other hand, if you make a strong impression with your exterior house painting, then it could actually boost the value of your home. According to one survey of estate agents, a new lick of paint can help to increase a property’s value by between 2 and 5%. Many buyers in Nanaimo actually do ask the agent when the house was last painted, so being able to give them the right answer will certainly work in your favor.

One important decision you’ll have to make, though, is the color you paint your house exterior. This will largely depend on the impact you want to make on buyers, as well as the dimensions of your wider property. Lighter colors make a building look larger compared to its surroundings, whereas darker ones make it seem smaller. So, if you want to really emphasize the size of your garden, a darker tone is best, but if you want the house itself to jump out at the buyer, then go for lighter shades. However, just like the interior of your home, neutral colors are generally best, to appeal to as many buyers as possible.

So, having your home exterior painted can boost the value of your home, so it ends up paying for itself. If you’re looking for the best Ottawa house painters, then look no further – Painters Ottawa is a perfect choice. Our services are highly affordable, but always reliable- our painters are guaranteed to do a stellar job. We use the very best paints around, but make sure our services are suited to your budget.

Give us a call today, and let us help you really wow everyone who comes to view your property!

Let’s increase the value of your property!

How To Remove Popcorn Ceiling

Popcorn ceilings came to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s and were a very popular ceiling treatment in homes across America. They became popular because of their inexpensive price tag and ability hide most ceiling imperfections. Rather than applying 3 coats of mud (joint compound) and sanding to perfection, builders could apply just one coat and then spray this thick covering over everything.

Once the 1980s were over, popcorn ceilings fell out of fashion along with leg warmers and, sadly, parachute pants. While I may break out my parachute pants to buck style trends occasionally, there is no love lost between most folks and their popcorn ceilings. Most of us want them gone and are willing to pay, but the truth is that you can do this yourself if you’re not afraid of getting a little messy.

 

Tools Needed:

  • 2 mil. or thicker Plastic Sheeting (lots of it)
  • Ceiling Texture Scraper
  • 6″ Drywall Knife
  • Masking or Blue Tape
  • Pump Sprayer
  • P100 or N100 Dust Mask
  • Safety Glasses
  • Canvas Drop Cloth
  • Ladder
  • An Old Hat

 

Step #1 Mask off EVERYTHING

Seriously, this is a messy process. Get all of the furniture out of the room. Put a layer of plastic on the floor and then put the drop cloth on top of that. Without the canvas, you’ll be sliding all over the place when any wet popcorn comes off. Tape plastic sheeting around the entire perimeter of the room at the top of the walls to keep the walls, windows and doors clean.

Step #2 Wet the Ceiling

Fill the pump sprayer with water and spray the ceiling down to wet the popcorn. This will allow for easier, more dust-free removal. You want the popcorn to be good and soaked but not so much that it affects the drywall underneath. A garden hose is not the right tool for this. You’ll have to let the ceiling sit for about 10 mins before scraping it off. Only wet as large of a section as you can work with. If you have a helper, one person can spray the ceiling as the other removes the popcorn. Find a system that works for your situation. Start with a 10 SF section and see how that works and then go up or down from there.

Step #3 Scrape it Off

Using the ceiling texture scraper, scrape the popcorn away. This unique tool allows you to attach a trash bag to it so that as you scrape the unwanted popcorn ceiling falls cleanly into the bag. It works well, not perfect, but it’s much cleaner than trying it without the bag. It takes a little bit to get used to the tool. Be careful not to gouge the drywall underneath. Use the drywall knife for the smaller nooks and crannies that you can’t get the texture scraper into.

Step #4 Sand it

Underneath the popcorn ceiling, you might find a fairly rough coat of drywall mud. It will likely need some sanding to smooth it out. Use a pole sander to smooth this out. If you had a plaster ceiling underneath the popcorn, you may find some chips and gouges that need repair.

Step #5 Skim Coat it

To get the ceiling finished and looking nice, you can either skim coat or touch up and patch any rough spots.

Step #6 Prime and Paint

Especially if there are any stains on your ceiling, use a good stain-blocking primer and then a couple coats of flat ceiling paint. Ceiling paint is extra flat in sheen to hide imperfections and covers very well at an affordable price.

Step #7 Clean Up

This is the fun part. Since you took the time to plastic off and cover everything clean up is a cinch. Just roll up all the plastic and put it in a garbage bag. Voila!

There you have it! Popcorn ceiling removed and the 1980s have been banished from your old house. You deserve a well-earned shower and the rest of the night off!

 

At Painters Ottawa, we can help you with the popcorn ceiling removal and repair. If you’re looking to get the popcorn ceiling removed then you can give us a call @ (613) 699-5668 .

 

Stucco Painting Tips

Tips and Techniques for Painting a Stucco Home

The main objective of every painting company is to give their customers the best painting services. Satisfied customers bring more business to painting companies. However, it is quite challenging to painting companies when it comes to painting special walls, such as those of a stucco home. This means that painters need to be more careful in order to give good results. Painters need to know the gray shades that a stucco wall should have in order to look outstanding after painting. Therefore there are several painting tips and techniques that painting companies should use in order impress customers with stucco homes.

What is unique with Stucco homes?

It is worth noting that Stucco homes have special exterior or interior walls. The walls are coated with Stucco that is applied when wet and left to dry, giving the walls a beautiful, textured appearance.  Stucco is normally durable and attractive making it suitable for covering exterior walls in places with unfriendly weather conditions. However, painting stucco homes is not an easy task and it requires skilled painters and the use of recommended exterior and interior paints and coatings.

Tips and Techniques When Painting Stucco Homes

 

1. Adequate skills and experience.

Stucco homes have special walls and painting companies need to assign painters who have adequate skills and experience in painting Stucco walls. It is worth noting that not all painters are qualified to paint stucco walls.

 

2. Use quality and recommended paint.

Stucco walls require special paint in order to look outstanding. Painting companies should, therefore, research for exterior and Interior Paint Color Ideas in order to ensure that they have used the best paint when painting stucco homes.

 

3. Apply the paint correctly.

Stucco exterior and interior walls are quite sensitive and painters need to apply paint correctly when painting them. Painters need to determine the correct paint application method to use and the number of shades to make in order to have good results.

 

4. Curing.

Always ensure that Stucco walls have cured for at least 30 days to avoid damaging the wall when painting. This also ensures that walls are dry enough to be painted.

 

5. Clean and dry.

Clean the stucco wall and let it dry completely before painting. Most of the home interior paints give good results when surfaces to be painted are free from dirt. Cleaning stucco walls prevent the formation of unwanted shades when painting.

Following the above exterior and interior painting tips and techniques makes painting stucco homes easy and more economical for painting companies. Customers get good results thereby bringing more business to painting companies.

Have a Stucco home?  Give  Painters Ottawa a call, (613) 699-5668 for free estimate for stucco painting and repair in Ottawa.

10 Interior House Painting Tips & Techniques for the Perfect Paint Job

How We Do Roof Painting And Waterproofing? (Our Process)

Do you know roof of the house is very helpful, your house and even yourself? Imagine how your house looks without good roofing or uncolored roofs and compare to the house of your neighbors. That’s why your roof needs to be painted.

Roof Painting improves the visual appearance of your house or building. In some cases, it can also increase the longevity of the underlining roof material.

Benefits of Roof Painting:

1. Saves your money:

Instead of replacing or renewing the roof, if you paint it, saves your money by three times.

2. Increases roof life:

If you hire a professional contractor to paint, your roof life can be longer than new. But if you use the better quality paint its even best.

2. Reduces energy consumption

Besides extending the roof life, they can decrease the temperature and energy consumption during the day by reducing the amount of load taken by the HVAC system.

4. Aesthetic improvements

If you have a metal roof that is worn out and shows signs of prefinished areas, they can be repaired with the wonderful coating. As objected to traditional coating system which is entirely ineffective in restoring the roof, the latest procedure consists of Kynar pigments which help to reconstruct the roof to an aesthetically pleasing condition.

This Is how we paint roofs?

Tools:

  1. Paint Brush, Roller
  2. Spray Paint Machine
  3. Wire brush
  4. Safety gear
  5. Primer
  6. Ladder
  7. Power washer

Process:

Roof Painting is like painting anything: It is all in the preparation work. This is particularly true for roofs which get exposed to all the elements and pollution, including moss and lichen.

Firstly, we prepare by pressure washing the roof with the high-pressure washer and make sure it is totally clean. We use the pressure washer to speed up our working speed, but you can also use hose and broom.

Particular care and knowledge are required when preparing. We check all around the roofs either it is cracked or not (especially for the tiled roof). If it is cracked first thing we do is replace and install new one or you can use mortar to cover and replacing damaged tiles or sheets, replacing flashing, replacing rusty roof screws, etc. before we use a pressure washing machine to clean the roof. Make sure the mortar is dry before painting.

Then in the second step, we again make sure roof is clean. We then tape off and mask all parts of the roof and adjoining areas not to be painted also to make cleaner we use degreaser and start to paint with the primer. This is a painstaking task but needs to be completed accurately to bypass over-spraying on cladding, bricks, gutters or other parts of the building not intended for being painted.

Then we paint with the enamel or any other color of your choice. For some its best to paint with water-based colors.
We apply the coatings for at least two times; it depends on how it looks and your requirement. We mostly use a brush to paint or spray machine (for tiled). Use water-based paint but if your roof has lost most of its color, apply a thick coating of sealer first.

We use and recommend you to use the high-quality paints that last for a long time and suggest you look at the quality than the cheap costs.

Roof  Waterproofing:

This provides extra care and extra benefits to it though it costs a bit more.

You can do it same as how we do:

  1. Make sure the roof surface is clean and dry and loose or flaking paint is removed.
  2. Apply an unthinned coat of quality roof seal to the roof surface to be waterproofed.
  3. Immediately embed Waterproofing Membrane into the wet coat of the roof seal
  4. Immediately apply another coat of Roofseal over the embedded membrane.
  5. Allow 48 hours to dry and, if required, finish with a coat of UV-resistant water based acrylic roof coating with Infrared reflective technology.

Repainting vs Replacing:

Replacing roofs costs 3 times more work and money than repainting it. Painting it save your money and time. But in some case like if your roof is out-of-date or fully damaged we suggest you replace it but protect it with few coats of paint. This can make the life of roof longer.

Some Painting Tips:

Here are some of the tips to paint like a pro:

  1. Use the energy-efficient paint: No need any reason for this.
  2. Make sure you can get down from the roof without walking over wet paint.
  3. Don’t use leftover colors, use roof-specific coatings (especially for metal roofs).
  4. Don’t forget to use sealant.
  5. Don’t use an airless spray gun on a windy day because paint can be blown away.
  6. Don’t paint when it’s raining and if it’s going to be hot, start early.
  7. Don’t forget to clean; you can use a power washer.
  8. Don’t paint until the primer dries.

The roof painting is not an easy job. So we suggest you to start doing with the professionals who have all required tools or do it yourself and following are the tips to be safe:

  1. Don’t work alone on the roof
  2. Wear sturdy shoes or boots and safety glasses and a hardhat
  3. Make sure the ladder is on a solid, level surface
  4. Wear a safety harness that’s tied to something sturdy.

Some may prefer to paint their home’s roof themselves to save the money but at the meantime it’s not safe. While it’s possible to complete this job without professional help, there are a number of benefits to hiring a professional to do it.

  1. No need to spend money on the purchase of equipment that you won’t use frequently.
  2. You’ll save time, and you’ll avoid work that can be dangerous without the proper equipment and training.
  3. It would be more high-quality work with the tools than hand and that satisfies you.

Does your home need Roof Painting, Waterproofing and Sealing in Ottawa, MB? Call (613) 699-5668  or complete our online request form.

How to Paint a Room

How to Paint a Room

 

Learn how to paint a wall, trim and ceilings with Painters Ottawa today.  We also have tips on planning for a paint project, tips on paint prep, buying paint, using paint tools and cleaning up afterward. We’ll share techniques for cutting in, using a roller and painting trim.

The correct sequence of steps is the key to giving any room a quick and refreshing paint makeover.

 

 

  1. Clean Ceiling and Walls:

    Cleaning ceilings and walls is the first and foremost process while painting interior or exterior of a house. Firstly, you should remove all dust, dirt, and grease spots (which can ruin a smooth finish) with water, a little mild dish-washing detergent or soap, and a cellulose sponge. Rinse ceiling and walls with clean water to remove the soap residue.

     

  2. Repair Damaged Surfaces:

    Scrape away old, flaking paint and lightly sand painted woodwork to “knock down” glossy surfaces and prepare them for new paint. Use a primer-sealer to cover high-gloss enamel paints before repainting. Fix any dents, chips, or cracks in the walls before you start painting. Patch small imperfections with spackling or drywall compound. For larger holes and cracks, cut away enough drywall or plaster to be able to create a patch. With drywall, you may have to cut until you can find a wall stud in which to nail the patch to. With a plaster wall, bridge the gap with fiberglass tape, then spackle over the tape. Allow the patches to dry, then sand smooth. Use a damp sponge to wash the dust off the walls before painting.

     

  3. Cut in Around Edges:

    Beginning at the corner of the room, use a 50 mm or 60 mm trim brush to “cut in,” applying an 8 cm strip of coating along the perimeter where the wall and the ceiling meet. Cut in a section at a time, alternating between cutting in and painting the ceiling to maintain a wet edge and prevent a visible line between the cut-in area and the rest of the ceiling.

     

  4. Rolling the Ceiling:

    Before you begin painting the ceiling, remove excess paint on the roller by slowly rolling it back and forth over the ridges of the paint tray. Start painting near the corner of the room, blending the coating into the ceiling line painted previously. Paint across the width of the ceiling, rather than the length, and make sure to roll in a motion across your body, rather than along your body, to avoid straining your neck and back.

     

  5. Painting the Walls:

    Once your ceiling is dry, return to the spot where you began painting. Use a trim brush to carefully cut in along the wall-ceiling line. Extend out two to three inches from windows, doors, and moldings. Once you’ve cut in around an entire wall area, use a roller to fill in the field. For efficiency, start in the corner of a wall and roll on a three-by-three-foot W pattern, then fill it in without lifting the roller. Continue in sections until you’re finished. Paint a wall at a time.

     

  6. Painting the Trim:

    Once the walls are completely dry, place painter’s blue tape where the trim meets the wall. Paint the moldings, baseboard and the door and window frames with a two-inch angled brush. When painting your trim, paint the tops of the doors and windows first and work your way down so that you can remove any runs as you go. Paint your baseboards last.

     

  7. Clean Up:

    If you need to take a break from your project, wrap brushes and rollers with plastic wrap to keep them wet and pliable for up to a day or more. When you’re ready to work again, simply unwrap them and resume painting. Paint rollers are inexpensive and disposable, but brushes are costly and worth saving, and they can be used many times if given proper care and cleaning. To make brush cleaning easier, drill a 1/4-inch hole just above the metal ferrule, then insert a wire or large nail into the hole. Suspend the brush over a jar or other container filled with enough water or paint solvent to cover the bristles. Let it soak for a while, then rinse and dry the bristles with a clean rag. Wrap the brush in plastic wrap or place the brush in its original package to keep the bristles straight.

If you’re looking to get your room painted then you can contact us by calling v or you can simply email us at Eddie@painters-ottawa.ca

How to Easily Remove Wallpaper?

How to Easily Remove Wallpaper?

 

As exciting as it is to get new wallpaper installed in your house, replacing it can be quite frustrating. Trying to peel it off without leaving the gunky backing on your walls is a feat no less difficult than buying the exact amount of paint for your home painting project. However, with a little knowledge, coupled with the right equipment and a lot of patience, anyone can successfully peel their dated wall covering off without losing their hair. Here’s how you can easily become a pro at wallpaper removal.

 

Prepare the Room

This process isn’t going to be pretty, so you’re going to want to prep your room for the challenge ahead. First, place tarps at the base of your walls to protect your floors from the solution you’ll be using to peel the wallpaper. Then, remove all outlet and light switch covers so you don’t damage them. Lastly, cut power to the room for safety purposes.

 

Fill your Wallpaper with Holes 

You want your wallpaper to be porous so whatever solutions you use can seep through the adhesive backing. All you need is a wallpaper scorer so you can punch small holes in your covering. It’s best to have holes at the top, middle and bottom of the wall so your solution hits all of the gunky material.

 

Pick Your Solution

There are a variety of different solutions that can make your wallpaper less adhesive and easier to peel off. You have a choice of numerous commercially-prepared products, or alternative methods like mixing fabric softener with water and using a steam wallpaper stripper.

 

Start Spraying and Peeling

Now it’s time to soak your walls. Begin by picking a section you can comfortably strip in 15 to 20 minutes. Then, let the solution you’re using soak the paper for a few moments and begin peeling. Work from the bottom up and use a wide, sharp tool to help remove the covering (we recommend a putty knife). Repeat this process until your walls are bare.

 

Clean Up 

In addition to tossing out your old wallpaper and spraying down your tarps, you need to wash your walls to ensure all of the adhesive backings is gone. Mix soap and hot water, grab a sponge and start scrubbing your walls until all of the gunk is gone. To cap everything off, do one last rinse with clean water and use a towel to dry everything off.

 

If you follow these steps, wallpaper removal is doable on your own. However, sometimes it’s best to leave a sensitive job like this in the hands of experienced professionals. The painters at Painters Ottawa have been cleanly stripping walls for years and will gladly handle it for you so you can attend to other tasks. Give us a call or fill out our online for to receive your free quote today!

Should I Hire a Professional to Paint My Ottawa House?

It’s a frequently asked question. Painting a room, not to mention an entire house, takes a lot of time, effort, and energy. If you are debating between a DIY project and hiring a professional, consider first the value of your own time.

Professional house painters in Ottawa will get the project done is much less time and save you the hassle and headaches that typically come with doing it yourself. Not only that, but they will do a noticeably better job. When it comes to increasing the value of your home, a professional painter will focus on details like straight lines and smooth walls using the best products available.

Here are some of the essential details that a professional painter can help you with:

 

  1. Planning

    A professional painting company will work with you to decide how many rooms you need to be painted. how many color choices you will need to make and, most importantly, how long it will take to finish. There is nothing worse than starting a project only to find that you underestimated how long it would take.

     

  2. Select a color palette

    A professional painting company has access to the best possible products as well as connections with other reputable home improvement specialists such as interior designers who can help you decide on the perfect color palette for you and your home.

     

  3. Decide on a paint finish

    As with selecting a high-quality paint product, a professional painter will help you choose a finish to best suit each room. You may not know that different finishes can affect the overall look and performance of the paint. For example, flat or matte finishes are perfect for bedrooms or guest rooms, while pearl or satin finishes work best in a bathroom or kitchen.

     

  4. Prepare the room

    A full-service painting company will ensure that your household items are protected before they begin painting. It is usually best if the homeowner packs up small or delicate items themselves as well as moving any light furniture. Then, the painters will move any heavy or large items to the center of the room and cover with drop cloths.

     

  5. Protect floors and woodwork

    Good service means bringing high-quality drop cloths and painters’ tape along to ensure that your flooring, carpets, and trim remain pain-free throughout the job.

     

  6. Repair and prepare walls

    A professional painting company will assess your walls before beginning any project. They look for nail holes, cracks, chipping, peeling and any other wall damage that will need to be repaired before any paint is applied. Once the walls are fixed up, they need to be properly cleaned to ensure that the paint sticks and you get the perfect paint job.

     

  7. Painting

    Professionals take special care to evenly apply paint so that you are completely satisfied with the results. Hiring a reputable professional means having it done right the first time.

     

  8. Final cleanup

    It is important to hire a full-service painting company so that you know the final cleanup is taken care of. No one wants to come home to a huge mess. You should come home to beautiful walls – that’s it.

 

Sounds like a lot of work, right? Rather than spending your precious free time doing it yourself, let a professional painter take care of the work for you. Now you can simply sit back and enjoy the results.

Have more questions about hiring a professional painter in Ottawa? We’d love to hear from you! You can reach us by emailing Eddie@painters-ottawa.ca or by calling (613) 699-5668.

DIY vs. Pro Painting

We all want to save a little money—and sometimes you can! But other times you may be trying to save at your own expense. So when it comes to painting your home, how do you know whether or not you should do it yourself or hire professional painters? At Painters Ottawa, we want you to be happy with your home above all else so we’ve put together a checklist of questions to help you decide which option is best for you.

 

1. Do you have the manpower/time/supplies?

You’ll have to remove or cover furniture, paint hard-to-reach spots, and dedicate time to painting. If you are unable to meet any of these, DIY painting may not be an option for you.

 

2. Do you know your paint color?

Paint can be mixed any number of ways and can be done at home improvement stores. But paint often looks different than it does on a wall. Having a professional can help you choose your colors and display them on your wall as you choose.

 

3. Have you completed many DIY projects before? Would you consider yourself handy?

It may seem like a no brainier but the painting does require a steady hand and a good eye to apply even coats of paint. If you are someone who works well with your hands, home painting may be a plausible option for a satisfactory result.

 

4. Is it one room or the whole house?

Painting a single room is often more doable for the average homeowner than the exterior of the entire house. When weighing costs versus the time spent going up and down ladders, choosing the efficiency of painters may be worth it.

 

5. Do you know a lot about paints, finishes, enamels, prep work?

A lot goes into painting than meets the eye. Whether it’s filling in holes or helping you decide the best finish to complement your home and lifestyle, having a professional to work with and discuss your ideas offers you a lot more than just peace of mind.

 

If DIY painting isn’t for you, consider the professional services of Painters Ottawa. Our painters have upheld the highest standards for painters in the industry for over 20 years. Trust our licensed, insured, and bonded professionals to get the job done beautifully and efficiently. To learn more about how our skills can benefit your home, give us a call. You can also get a free estimate by filling out our online form.