When you are working with wood, you sometimes need to make sure that the wood is waterproof before you do anything with it as if you don’t, it can be vulnerable to damage and long term rot — which you want to avoid.
Of course, even the best waterproofing will not be permanent, but at the very least you will protect the wood for a good period of time when you waterproof it.
With this being the case, here are five tips to waterproofing wood in Denver Metro, CO
1. Check If It Has Been Waterproofed Already
Before you take the time to waterproof the wood with which you are going to be working, it is worth finding out if there is any waterproofing protection on the wood itself.
This is not to say that if you discover that the wood already has some waterproofing that you cannot add to it — for there are different degrees of waterproofing and it’s not easy to see how long ago it was done.
With that being true, if you want to see if there is any you need but drop a few drops of water to the surface of the wood and see the reaction that the water has.
If the water beads up at all and can roll off of the wood, you’ll know that there is some waterproofing involved.
If however the water is absorbed into the wood surface, you will know that there was no waterproofing involved and that you will certainly have to take action.
2. Choosing A Waterproofing Technique
The next thing you’re going to want to do after ascertaining if there is any waterproofing is to decide what technique you’re going to want to use in waterproofing the wooden surface.
There are waterproofing oils that you can use, epoxy resin, varnish, and a number of non-toxic formulas that serve the purpose of waterproofing the surface of the wood.
The question of which technique you will want to use largely depends on the kind of wood you have and some of the side goals that you wish to accomplish through waterproofing — it’s worth looking into each technique to see how it will benefit you and then to make a determination as to which will be best.
3. Mixing Your Own Oil
In addition to being able to purchase oil that is good for waterproofing your wooden surface, you can actually mix your own oil, something that will possibly make for a nicer oil blend.
This is because you will be in full control of what goes into the oil and how much, and so you will have a certain scale of quality control that you might not have if you purchase it pre-mixed.
The basic measurements for mixing your oil is one part linseed oil, one part tung oil, one part mineral spirit and one part liquid polyurethane — together you will have your own oil.
Adding more linseed oil or tung oil will darken the oil itself, which means that if you want your finish to be darker, you can do so.
4. Going In The Same Direction
In the process of applying the waterproofing solution to your wooden surface, you’re going to want to make sure that you apply the solution in the same direction consistently.
If you mix the directions in which you apply the solution, you will find that the color will not be fully consistent, and that is not something that is particularly pleasant thing in terms of wood aesthetics.
Better to always move in the same direction – just remember what direction you’re moving in and you should be okay.
5. Multiple Coats Are Okay
Once you have applied a coat of the waterproofing solution, you can allow it to dry and then once it fully dries, you can then apply a second coat to it and further.
Multiple coats of waterproofing are okay and will lend to a darker color of the stain.
Don’t settle for just any painter when you can get the attention to detail and professionalism from Imhoff Fine Residential Painting in Denver Metro, CO. Call us today to speak with one of our professional color consultants.
7 Tricks For Basement Painting in Denver Metro, CO
There are some areas of your home that people don’t think of in terms of the need to paint, and for some reason, the basement happens to be one of them which is odd because it’s a room like any other.
Of course, it can be a bit more difficult to paint your basement as it can get a bit more chilly sometimes and there can be variances in humidity — but if you work at it you can make it work.
Here are seven tricks for basement painting in Denver Metro, CO.
1. Increase The Lighting
The first thing you’re going to want to bear in mind when you are painting your basement is that you should increase the amount of lighting that you have down there.
This is not just to say that you should have more lighting only during the painting process, though of course this is quite helpful for your painting.
Rather, it means that you should also consider the use of lighting in your basement in general and how you might benefit from having more lighting down there, particularly if you lack windows — and even if you have an abundance, for basements seem to get a bit darker (or so is the perception) and it’s good to have more lighting.
2. Light Colored Paint
Speaking of light, another good thing for you to do in terms of painting your basement is to make use of lighter color paint.
This is nice in that having lighter colored paint can make even a darker looking basement look brighter just by the nature of the paint being lighter in color.
3. Check For Cracks
When you’re preparing to paint your basement, one important thing that you have to do is to check the surface that is going to get painted to make sure that there are no cracks.
If there are any cracks to be found there, of course, you will want to make use of filling — the kind will depend on what makes up the wall itself in that the filler you use for concrete might not work for other kinds of the wall.
4. Don’t Skip Primer
Primer is an important step in the painting process, and this is the case even when you are painting your basement.
The paint will adhere better to your basement walls when you first apply a coat of primer.
5. Glossy Finish
There are many kinds of paint that you are going to be able to use in the process of painting, but you might want to use glossy finish paint for your basement.
This is because paints that have a more flat finish can be a bit duller and in a place like a basement, you want to amp up the brightness as much as possible.
6. Use The Right Paint For Concrete Walls
There are certain paints that are appropriate for just about any kind of interior wall, but when it comes to painting your concrete walls, you will want to especially be careful to use the right kind of paint.
Specifically, you are going to need a kind of paint that is specific to painting concrete.
7. Spray Painting May Not Be Worth It
Lastly, though there are quite a few ways to paint your basement walls, it’s entirely possible that it just won’t be worth it to spray paint them.
Spray painting is a fantastic way to paint your walls, but the caveats are that you have to have the right kind of equipment in order to do so well — if you don’t, you are likely going to have to spend a lot of time going over the same areas a number of times just to get it right.
Don’t settle for just any painter when you can get the attention to detail and professionalism from Imhoff Fine Residential Painting in Denver Metro, CO. Call us today to speak with one of our professional color consultants.
7 Tips For Being Prepared For Interior Painting in Denver Metro, CO
When you’re looking to paint the interior of your home, you might think that you can just get right into the painting project but it involves a good amount of preparation involved.
If you don’t take the time to prepare for your interior painting work, you are likely going to spend more time on painting and as such possibly more money — given that the time you waste on any painting project is the same as wasting money on it.
With that being the case, let us now look at seven tips for being prepared for interior painting in Denver Metro, CO.
1. Calculate The Space To Be Painted
When you’re looking to paint the interior of your home, it’s tremendously helpful to know exactly how much space on the walls is going to be painted.
There are a number of reasons that this can be beneficial, starting with the fact that you should know how much there is going to be there to be painted before you start so that you can budget for the time — if you don’t know the number of square feet you have to paint how can you know how long it will take?
Secondly, it’s helpful in that you can determine how much paint you are ultimately going to need to buy — if you don’t, the best you can do is to guess and that will leave you with either too much or too little paint, both of which are bad for a painting project for different reasons.
2. Have The Right Paint
You should probably know going into a painting project that you have two basic kinds of paint for home painting — that which is used on the interior of the house and that which is used on the exterior.
Within those two categories, however, there are a number of subcategories and those bear keeping in mind as you won’t want to use the kind of paint that is good for one sort of room in another room.
One of the biggest things you should think about is how much traffic a room is going to see and based on that adjust — the flatter the paint, the more difficult it can be to clean, so you would be better off using a glossier paint for areas that see a lot of foot traffic (or even just the occasional jam covered toddler!)
3. Clean The Area
In painting the interior of your home, you are going to have to clean the area around where you are going to be painting as well as the surface that is going to get painted.
These two things are important because you don’t want to paint over dust in your interior painting, but you also want to make sure that no stray bits of dirt that could be on the floor make their way up to the walls.
4. Know When To Sand
It’s important that you know at what point in the painting process you are going to sand — for sanding should be part of the painting process.
Specifically, you should definitely sand after you clean the walls but before you apply primer — this will help to prepare the interior wall for the painting process that is to follow.
It makes the surface smoother, which is a fundamental part of making sure the paint will ultimately stay on.
5. Make Sure You Have Primer
Following in line with the sanding is to make sure that you have primer, which is the coat that goes on before the actual paint.
A good primer coat is much better for adhesion than the bare surface of the wall alone and will get the paint to stay on longer — you see fewer issues with paint peeling when you use a primer.
6. Be Ready To Wait
Some people just don’t realize that a big part of the painting is waiting for the paint to dry.
Don’t think about painting over wet paint — just don’t.
Make sure the paint is fully dry before you paint over it — and after cleaning, make sure it is dry then as well.
7. Get The Proper Protective Gear
Lastly, think about what you are wearing when you are painting — will it protect you during the painting process?
You should be well covered and be wearing a face mask as well as goggles — this will keep you safe during the painting process.
Don’t settle for just any painter when you can get the attention to detail and professionalism from Imhoff Fine Residential Painting in Denver Metro, CO. Call us today to speak with one of our professional color consultants.
7 Colors To Paint Your Bedroom Ceiling in Denver Metro, CO
When you’re thinking about painting your bedroom ceiling, it’s entirely possible that you are going to look up there and think that you are basically relegated to white — but this is not the case.
There are so many other colors that you can use for your ceiling, and it’s important to realize that having an open mind about this could be the key to having a spectacular ceiling that you can enjoy looking at for years to come.
With that being the case, let us now look at seven colors to paint your bedroom ceiling in Denver Metro, CO
1. Light Yellow
Light yellow is not one of the most obvious colors to choose for your bedroom ceiling, but it can be one of the more pleasant ones depending. on the shade of yellow that you choose.
Yellow can bring to mind a sort of peaceful sort of setting and additionally can make one think of the sun, especially the way that the sun is drawn by younger children in school.
Of course, though it is somewhat well known that the actual sun does not really resemble the artistic endeavors of a young child, we nevertheless can appreciate having the color on our ceiling.
2. Light Blue
Another good choice for your bedroom ceiling is the color light blue, and there are good reasons that you might want to choose this color for your ceiling over other colors — particularly if you are aiming for calm in your bedroom when you are trying to go to sleep.
Specifically, this is the case because light blue has a sort of calming effect on people, and therefore by having light blue on your ceiling you can appreciate this kind of effect and how it could make you feel.
It also has somewhat of a relationship in terms of nature and the environment, in that it resembles a nice blue sky.
3. Green
Another color that is related to the environment is green, in that you can think of the various things in nature that are green like herbs and bushes and even the leaves of the trees during the warmer months.
You might even think of some kinds of algae that are green, for these too are beneficial in the environment — but generally speaking, you will not want to use the kind of green that one sees on a screen for television and film production.
4. Gray
Gray is a bit more of an odd choice for a bedroom ceiling but it is the kind that you can make work.
This is so even if you choose a darker color of gray and not a lighter color — for just because you have a darker color it doesn’t mean that it is not a pleasant color for your bedroom ceiling.
5. Black
To go further off of the previous entry, you actually can have black as a color for your bedroom ceiling.
Just because there might be some that will say that it will necessarily make your bedroom seem smaller does not make it so.
Indeed, you can have a perfectly pleasant black bedroom ceiling.
6. Pink
It certainly is not the most usual color that a person can have for their bedroom ceiling, but pink is actually a sensible color for it — providing that you don’t object to the color pink.
It’s pleasant to look at and can really bring a lot of joy into the room.
7. Apricot
Lastly, you may want to consider apricot as a color for your bedroom ceiling — it is certainly going to get the attention of people who may want to visit your home, as it is not a usual color used for a bedroom ceiling.
Despite this, it can really make a possibly drab bedroom look splendid.
Don’t settle for just any painter when you can get the attention to detail and professionalism from Imhoff Fine Residential Painting in Denver Metro, CO. Call us today to speak with one of our professional color consultants.
7 Tips For Updating Your Bathroom in Denver Metro, CO
When you’re looking to update the look of your home, a place that you might not think to do any work is the bathroom — you might think that since you don’t spend all that much time there, what can be done?
Indeed, the bathroom is a good room to update, especially if it has been a while since the last time the bathroom has gotten renovated — there could be a number of things that were done the previous time that make it due for such an update.
With this being the case, let us look at seven tips for updating your bathroom in Denver Metro, CO.
1. Updating The Toilet
One of the best things that you can do to update your bathroom is to update your toilet.
This can be a good idea not only for the aesthetic of your bathroom but for some of the environmental concerns that come up when you have a bathroom.
For example, you can take a typical higher water using toilet that you would see from the past and replace it with a toilet that uses less water, or even one that allows you to choose if you want to use less water when it is not so necessary.
2. Re-Tiling
Another nice thing that you can do for your bathroom that changes the look considerably of your bathroom is to re-tile it.
This too can have functional purposes as well as the tiles that you put on the floor, for example, can have heating elements included that will make getting out of a shower a much more pleasant experience.
Of course you can also re-tile just for the purpose of making the bathroom look a bit more stylish, especially if the last time your bathroom was retiled coincided with the popularity of Disco.
3. Painting
Another fantastic way to update the look of your bathroom with not too much work (depending on the size of your bathroom, of course) is to paint the walls, or at least the part of the walls that are not tiled.
It’s important when you paint your bathroom that you not only pick colors that go along with what you have in your bathroom but you use the appropriate paint that is resistant to mold and mildew.
4. Better Shower Head
Depending on what kind of showerhead you currently have, there’s a good chance that you might benefit from having a better showerhead.
This could mean anything from using less water over the course of a typical shower to spreading out the water so that taking shower is more akin to standing in the rain.
5. Updating Cabinet Hardware
A relatively simple way to update the look of your bathroom without putting in too much work (yet which will certainly be noticeable) is to update the hardware to your cabinet.
This can be things like the pulls of the cabinet as well as the drawer or drawers — and if your cabinet doesn’t have any pulls, it would be a good time to add some!
Having pulls on the cabinet makes it easier to open.
6. Chandelier!
As nice as the lights are in your bathroom, if you don’t have a chandelier you could very well have a possibly improved lighting situation on your hands.
A chandelier will make your bathroom look considerably more pleasant and though it may be a bit over the top, it could be just the thing that your bathroom needs to look its best.
7. Add A Handheld Sprayer
Lastly, when you want a better bathroom you might just need to add a handheld sprayer to the shower setup.
It serves you well in terms of showering and can definitely be helpful for parents.
Don’t settle for just any painter when you can get the attention to detail and professionalism from Imhoff Fine Residential Painting in Denver Metro, CO. Call us today to speak with one of our professional color consultants.
