Faux wood garage doors

     There's nothing like the look and feel of real wood with a deep warm stain, it's so elegant. The homeowner decided that the original off white  painted  doors needed to be changed.

     Do we change the doors to real wood which would cost a small fortune or faux them to match our front entry door. Well as you can see they went for the faux wood, great choice!

     Faux wood applied correctly can give the illusion of real wood and feel real to the touch, that's what faux is all about, fool the eye and everything follows. In the picture above I have the sequence of steps which I needed to take to build up the faux wood.

     The first door on the right I used base paint from Benjimen Moore Moreguard exterior latex # 1110. I applied only one coat and painted with a three inch brush going in the direction of the grain.
The doors were originally off white so I let a little of that come threw to add depth. I like to start the grain pattern right away if I can. Starting with a solid base is satisfactory.

     The middle door - I started to apply the first glaze B.M. Mooreguard Charleston Brown in the panels of the door. At this point my brush strokes were going in a horizontal pattern, side to side leaving some of the base showing threw. Each panel needs to have it's own personality so try not to repeat the same pattern.

     Door on the left shows the grain pattern running left to right. Normally the pattern would be horizontal with this door design and the grain would run up and down on the vertical frame pieces. I felt in this situation I would run the grain horizontally. These doors originally had smooth wood and were spray painted unlike the stamped metal doors that have grain running the same way threw out the entire door. I mentioned this because the grain comes out much better with a smooth base. The faux technique for metal doors is much different.

    Finally, the picture below shows a rich warm color and a nice sheen. I used B.M. Mooreguard #2107-10 in glaze. Take special care to apply the grain to each panel first and then the frames. Don't cover your work completely, let the under glazes show threw. Some areas I added straight paint # 2107-10 to create a more defined grain using an artist brush. Keep your grain random, try not to repeat the same pattern.

Click on to enlarge

    Protective finish - After the paint is fully dried I added a little ultramarine blue oil base artist color out of the tube to Exterior Spar varnish to reduce the orange color. To do this on your first coat mix 50/50 spar varnish and mineral spirits plus a dab of blue. Check on a sample board to see if your satisfied with the results. If your happy move forward apply this coat, let dry and then apply 100% exterior spar varnish.

   Now sit back in your driveway and admire your work!

Create an escape!

                              http://s1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee487/arrayofcolorinc/

                                                                Create an escape!

      Best seat in the house! Every day is a sunny day, no sunscreen needed, no books to read, just your imagination. We spend an average of a year and a half in our lifetime in bathrooms. Now that you know this, why not make this room a place you can really enjoy.

     In this bathroom there are painted blue skies, white clouds and clean sand all around. The palm trees swaying in the calm breeze and a small wooden fence we can follow down to the beach. This bathroom is a small room which needed to be opened up and appear larger. The blue sky automatically opens up the room. The white clouds and palm trees give the room a whimsical affect.

     Why not create a place to escape and enjoy the time there. Adding a light blue color to the walls in a small area gives you the illusion of space. Build on this scene by adding clouds. If you’re up for the task add palm trees and the beach. This is your creation; add all the things which bring happiness into your life.

     Use your imagination and don’t be afraid to paint some clouds or trees, its paint and it can be painted over. There are so many projects and techniques which will create a feeling of space and this is just one of them, one you will enjoy!

First Impressions

                             What was your first impression ? ....Exactly !

  
        Home for sale, not today! In the Real estate market today, you need to look over every single aspect of your home to gain an edge on the other guy. There is a  heated competition of homes for sale in your neighborhood. Sometimes the only thing needed is a fresh coat of paint.
 
       Take a look at your interior and exterior and try to be objective as possible, ask yourself, would I buy this home in it's current state. Ask a friend or relative to give there opinion or even your real estate agent, these people will be honest  and are trained to get your home to sell quickly.
  
       The first thing to look at is your curb appeal, does it look like it needs help? Pressure cleaning, painting the walls or maybe the trim is an easy job for the Do it Yourself-er! It may be in your best interest to hire a professional painter if the job is to big for you to handle.
 
       As your walking up to your front entry door what does it look like?  Make a good first impression with a fresh coat of paint on your front entry door. It will work wonders, it may be the only thing needed to sell your home!

Do's and Don'ts- Paint Rolling

                     

     I have rolled countless walls in the past 20 yrs. and would like to pass onto you some very good advice . Below is a list of do’s and don’ts for the DIY on how to apply paint with a roller to achieve professional results. Now remember I have many years experience and I’m still actively painting which keeps my craft sharp. If you’re a weekend warrior take your time, have patience and you will be very proud of your work.

    Do, purchase quality tools, lint free roller covers, heavy duty roller handle and

adjustable roller pole, heavy drop cloths. Keep the tools clean after use and you will have them a long time. It is worth the investment.  Don’t purchase cheep kits

    Now assuming the walls have been prepped and cut in you’re ready to roll….Oh! Wait a minute, if the paint your using is a flat finish the procedure is fairly easy. If you’re using a sheened paint there is more care involved. Shiny surfaces show all imperfections. I recommend painting one wall at a time.

    Tape off your base, door frames, window frames and chair rail. Bring your roller as close to these taped off areas as possible.This will help reduce marks left from the cut in and or roller when walls are dry.  Ok! You’re on your own, go for it!

    Do, choose a roller nap which goes with the type of wall texture. ½ inch for smooth surfaces and 3/4inch for slightly textured, 1 inch for heavy texture.

 I recommend purchasing a lint free roller cover.

    Do, roll vertically up and down the wall using slight pressure while moving to the left or right for your next pass.  Don’t roll an “N”or “M” at the start of each pass. Do not stop in the middle of the wall. Don’t roll in different directions.

    Do, use a tray to get the most paint if using a gallon. Use a five gallon bucket if using more than a gallon. Don’t waste paint and time.

    Do, start rolling three quarters of the way up the wall. Don’t start at the very top.

Since the roller is filled with paint there will be no room to spread out. There will be a big blotch of paint dripping down your walls.

    Do, apply an even amount of paint to the roller. The best way to do this is to tap the roller into the paint a little at a time while turning the roller to get an even distribution. Don’t submerge the roller into the paint.

    Do, keep your roller wet at all times. Don’t decide to have lunch and leave the roller out of the paint and expect it in good condition when break time is over.

Keep ceiling fans off so it does not dry the paint in the tray or form a skin.

    Do, keep an even pressure while rolling. Don’t push too hard, this will cause the paint to make thick lines on the wall, we call them ropes. Too little pressure will leave an uneven finish. Try not to stop in the middle of the wall.

    Do, apply paint to the roller after each pass to keep the finish uniform. This will also keep a wet edge on your work. After a couple of passes reroll over the area with only the weight of the roller and a dryer roller ( this is the only time a dryer roller is used ) Roll starting at the top and bring it down to the very bottom. This will smooth out any lines which may have been applied. Don’t let roller get dry while rolling on the paint. This is important when applying paint at each pass.

Do, let paint dry completely and most likely a second coat will have to be applied.

Follow all the above for the second coat.

Note – Some companies have a line of washable flat paints. These products have a low sheen to them which needs more finesse when applying. Follow these rules and you’ll have a better chance of success.