Put Your Pride Aside – Fix The Leak!!!

Often I am called upon to help a homeowner figure out why something in their home is leaking and what can be done to properly fix it. I have been fortunate to build a career out of being somewhat of a ‘leak whisperer’ and be able to pinpoint one of the things that homeowners near […]

What is a 5-in-1?

Three decades ago, when I was breaking into the home improvement world on the painting side of the business, I was bombarded with what seemed like an endless amount of new terminology from all angles on a daily basis. ‘Primer’ ‘Alkyd’ ‘Bullhorns’ You name it, it was like an entirely new language for me. I […]

How to Get Rid of Nicotine Stains

Have you ever taken a picture off someone’s wall (perhaps even your own?) and there was an outline of where the picture stood which almost made it look like the picture was still on the wall? Although this scenario could be stemming from a variety of different reasonings, one very challenging situation to correct is […]

Why Are Some Porch Ceilings Painted Blue?

Many moons ago, when I first started off in the contracting trade, one of the projects we took on was the exterior painting restoration of a cool, old farmhouse in Northern RI. I remember vividly as we worked on this project in the sweltering late summer heat that is synonymous with Northern RI at this […]

Popcorn Ceilings

Now and then we get calls asking for help with a ‘popcorn ceiling’. “Help” will typically mean either how to help get rid of them entirely or how to paint them without damaging them. Popcorn ceilings are ceilings where, for lack of a better way of describing them, there are little, tiny bumps scattered about […]

Why are Water Stains Brown?

Have you ever experienced the unsightly effects of a leak coming from somewhere in or around your home? Perhaps it is a leaky roof that recently started (…or has been leaking for years). Or maybe you have a pipe that is leaking or perhaps something funky going on with your bathtub that is causing water […]

Redoing a Ceiling – Better To Go Over Existing or To Start from Scratch?

There are a number of reasons why someone may want to replace a ceiling. Perhaps their existing ceiling has some type of texture to it that is overly annoying to them. Maybe they have a large section of the ceiling that is damaged (think – someone falling through a ceiling while putzing around in the […]