Monday, February 18, 2013

Stain your Concrete - Don't Paint it! - Interior or Exterior

Concrete Stain Water based

H&C® Concrete Stain Solid Color Water-based

H&C Concrete Stain Solid Color Water-Based (formerly known as Shield Plus Ultra) is a water-based stain that provides long-lasting, durable and a decorative finish to interior or exterior concrete and masonry surfaces.  H&C Concrete Stain Solid Color Water-based is highly resistant to pool chemicals. 

Where to Use

  1. Pool decks
  2. Patios/Walkways
  3. Interior floors (laundry rooms, basement floors)
  4. Stadium supports and parking garages
  5. Athletic courts
  6. Block and stucco walls
  7. Asphalt driveways and properly prepared concrete driveways
  8. CMU, split face and fluted block
  9. Precast, poured in place, and tilt-up concrete

Key Advantages

H&C Concrete Stain Solid Color Water-Based bonds to concrete and forms a tough shield so it doesn't fade, peel or flake like paint.  It is resistant to acids, ultraviolet rays, oil, gas and alkali while maintaining a decorative finish.  Available in a variety of ready-to-use and tintable colors, as well as a clear, this stain is ideal for high pH surfaces.  Fortified with silicone, this easy to apply solid color stain comes in various prepackaged and tintable colors!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Exterior Color Schemes (Thinking Spring)


Exterior Color Schemes  (Yes, spring is just around the corner)

Browse a variety of regional, exterior color schemes below. From coastal to inland, historic to modern, we've got you covered.

Click on the Scheme for more details
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America’s Heritage

Ranging from exuberant hues that adorned ornately appointed Victorians to the softer, restrained shades of Craftsman bungalows, our featured color combinations are based on authentic schemes from their respective areas.
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Desert & Southwest Style

The Desert & Southwest Style Palette highlights the warm, earthy tones of sun-baked adobe homes, terra-cotta roof tiles and desert sands with just enough contrasting hues of green and gray to cool you off.
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Northern Shores & Seaports

In the Nothern Shores & Seaports Palette, you'll find softened shades of traditional colors found throughout nature. Slate blue, dusty red and subdued gray-green tones offer a calming serenity reflective of a vast, pristine landscape.
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Southern Shores & Beaches

Throughout the Southern Shores & Beaches Palette, look for sun-washed tones that are as hospitable and accommodating on a breezy ocean side veranda as they are in a formal parlor served up with sweet tea.
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Suburban Modern

Offset the rich ambers, avocado greens and inky blues of the Suburban Modern Palette with neutral tones and aluminum or stainless steel accents for a sleek, contemporary style.
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Suburban Traditional

The Suburban Traditional Palette had established color combinations that befit traditional residential architecture and blend well with suburban landscape.

Choosing Interior Color Schemes


Are you unhappy with your home's interior design? If so, you may be the victim of a bad color scheme. It's no secret that color can either make or break a design, but luckily, neither is finding out how to choose the perfect color palette for you.
When the color's right, it can:
• Enhance feelings of health and wellbeing
• Modify perceived temperature — make your space feel warmer or cooler
• Transform perceived space — make your space feel larger, or more cozy and intimate
• Illuminate dark areas
• Create mystery and romance in dull areas
• Energize static areas
But it has to be the right color for you. Color, and the psychology of color, is a big design trend says Barbara Jacobs, principal of Barbara Jacobs Color & Design. "But generalizations — green is relaxing, blue is soothing, red is energizing — only apply when certain hues are used," she says. "A sharp, electric green definitely would not be relaxing; a deep blue-green might feel cold instead of soothing. The wrong red used in an entire room might create the sensation of entrapment rather than energy."
Before planning color in your personal environment, make a mini-questionnaire and poll yourself and your family. Your answers are 50 percent of the project because your color choices depend on them for direction, Jacobs says. She gives her clients a very long questionnaire with hundreds of questions, but you can start with these five. The answers will lead you to your new color scheme.
1. Where is the room?
2. How many windows are there and which direction do they face?
3. Is there landscaping outside that will have an effect on the colors in the room?
4. Who will use the room, and what will they do there? Is it private or community space?
5. Will it be a sociable and active place, or a peaceful place? How do I want it to feel?

Saturday, February 2, 2013

How to Choose Interior Paints - Quality Painting Systems.



A little interior painting help from Quality Painting Systems 
Tackling a home improvement project can quickly devolve into one of the most frustrating endeavors a homeowner can experience. You may not know it, but there are dozens of varieties of interior paint to choose from.  Some may be easier to clean; others may be more environmentally friendly.  One is best suited to fit your needs.
Here at Quality Painting Systems we have faced some unimaginable painting challenges while working with virtually every type of paint available.  When you take the plunge and walk into your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams we want to ensure that you have a greater understanding of the pros and cons of each type of interior paint and how that paint may be best suited to complete your project.  Quality Painting Systems has worked closely with Sherwin-Williams paints for many years, through our experiences we have absorbed a lot of information about their product.  The following tips can help steer you toward the optimal paint for your project.

Durability

Kids, pets and cooking are factors to be considered when choosing an interior paint.  If you are the proud parent of a creative toddler who prefers the wall to a paper canvas you may want to consider Duration Home as your next paint purchase.  Duration Home is a comparably durable and washable paint that is low in volatile organic compounds or VOCs.  VOCs are emitted as gasses from various liquids and solids.  They are found in household products such as cleaning materials and paint among other things and can include chemicals which may cause long and short-term adverse health effects.  Needless to say, a low level of VOCs is another feather in Duration Home’s cap.  Yet, Duration Home does have several disadvantages to consider.  It is on the high-end of the cost spectrum typically pricing out at over $55.00 per gallon.  The paint is often difficult to touch up, tends to bleed through trim tape and does not come in a flat finish.  Lastly, Duration home does not provide the most glamorous “final coat” finish available.  If you are looking to awe your next house guest with a lustrous coat of paint you may want to look elsewhere.

Going Green

If you are a more environmentally conscious consumer Harmony may be the right paint for you.  Harmony is a zero VOC paint that emits very little odor.  Harmony provides above average final coat coverage that will make your finished product look good.  The paint touches up a little better than most so when that inevitable ding in the wall occurs, a touch up is not a major problem. On the flip side, Harmony is not very durable and gets dirty rather easily.  Overall the paint gets, and this seems to be a pattern, average marks while costing a little over $38.00 per gallon. A great alternative and can save a few dollars is the new Promar 200 Zero VOC line. Available in all the deep tone colors and every finish including our favorite for this paint "Low Sheen Egg Shell"

Most Aesthetically Beautiful Paint

Do you need to dazzle that perspective buyer?  You may want to indulge yourself inCashmere, which is arguably the most eye popping paint available.  Cashmere goes on smooth and lies beautifully flat.  Sherwin-Williams’ magnum opus also touches up quite nicely.  

Best Value

We endorse Super Paint as a great all-around value.  Super Paint has an appealing final coat finish for the money.  The paint touches up quite well and is surprisingly durable.  The price ranges around $40.00 per gallon.  The only down side to Super Paint is that it is not a low VOC paint.

On a Budget

If you are like most Americans and are feeling fiscally pinched during these difficult economic times, fear not, there are a few more affordable options at your finger tips.  The Sherwin-Williams Classic 99 and Design Basics paints can give your home a face lift on a budget.  The Classic 99 will provide decent (for the money) coverage and final coat finish for around $33.00 per gallon.  Design Basics is the lowest quality of the low as far as interior pants are concerned, but if your current decor makes you nauseous you can slap on a fresh coat of this for $20.00 per gallon.  Neither Classic 99 nor Design Basics are durable paints, but they do touch up relatively well.

Consider the Options

Painting your home is a visibly tangible investment that will be a part of your life for years (barring a change of taste), to come.  Make sure to take your time when selecting your paint.  Prepare yourself and match your needs to the proper selection.  We hope this primer on interior paint has been helpful.  

Sherwin Williams - Cashmere Paint Information - Qualitypaitingsystems.com

This is one of my favorite paints to put on my customer's interior walls. It does cost a little more, but the results are second to none. In my opinion, it's a provides a great balance of durability with great texture and a smooth consistent look. This is what's in my home.

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Easy to apply with a low-stipple finish, Cashmere is the epitome of smooth.Cashmere is a unique, ultra-smooth, high-hiding interior latex paint engineered primarily for residential repaint work. The non-sticky application goes on like butter, providing an exclusive, silky, high-end finish in flat enamel or low or medium lustre that your customers will really notice and truly appreciate. And thanks to its great coverage and scrubable sheen, it’s easy to maintain.
What sets Cashmere apart:
  • Rich finish. Because of its easy flow and leveling quality, Cashmere releases from the brush and roller with limited drag, resulting in a smooth, flawless finish.
  • Great durability. High hide and scrubability make Cashmere perfect for everyday use and a snap to maintain.
  • Room-enhancing sheen. A paint’s sheen — a measurement of its light-reflecting abilities — has a dramatic effect on the overall look of an interior room. Cashmere is available in flat enamel and low- and medium-lustre sheens, making it perfect for accommodating every room type and look your customer is trying to achieve.