How To Properly Paint Rusted Metal

Recently I was returning from a day out visiting job sites on Block Island, when as I was boarding onto the ferry, I almost had a heart attack! It was a simply gorgeous November day and apparently one of the ferry maintenance staff had been tasked with painting a number of rusting support columns which […]

Do I Have To Prime New Pre-Primed Wood Again Before Painting?

On the surface, it may seem counterintuitive. But when getting ready to paint new pre-primed wood, you should ABSOLUTELY prime it again prior to working through the rest of your prep and finish coating. Priming pre-primed wood again before painting is important for several reasons. While pre-primed wood may seem ready for paint, adding another […]

What Is The Best Way To Strip Paint?

Stripping paint can be a big job, but with the right steps and tools, it can be done effectively. Here’s a simple guide on the best way to strip paint from wood, metal, or other surfaces. Before you start, gather these supplies: – Paint stripper: A chemical gel or liquid that loosens paint. – Scraper: […]

Why Does Exterior Paint On Wood Surfaces Peel?

There certainly are a wide variety of items related to home improvement where if you asked the opinion of a professional as to ‘why’ something was occurring (or not occurring) you would receive a differing answer from every individual you asked. The reason why paint on wooden exterior surfaces peels falls right in line with […]

How Does The Color Green Relate To Home Improvement?

As the luck of the Irish might have it, the color green is clearly synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day. What you may not realize, however, is that it is also VERY closely related to Home Improvement! The color green is, in fact, like a secret weapon in the world of home improvement. It’s not just […]

How To Pick The Correct Paint Sheen

Certainly, one of the more asked questions that I receive when I am having conversations about painting, whether interior or exterior, is what sheen of paint should be used when painting the surfaces that are being coated. While at the end of the day, the decision really is situational depending on who is viewing the […]

How To Clean Old Paint From Paint Brushes

A good paint brush has always been a decent investment. Yes, of course you can buy what we in the industry refer to as a “throw-away” brush, but unless the project you are doing is literally a ‘one-time’ event, there certainly is value in learning to maintain this seemingly small investment. If you want to […]

Baker Staging

Unique names which are synonymous with the contracting trades are always fun things for me to delve into the origins of. ‘Baker Staging’ is no exception to this. Years ago, seemingly every time we utilized it, I attempted to piece together in my mind, why this particular type of apparatus was called ‘Baker Staging’. Have […]

Trapping Mildew Between Product Coatings

There is a scene in the classic original ‘The Karate Kid’ (1984) movie where Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is being coached by Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) through an exercise which Daniel believes is pointless at the time. Daniel was shown by Mr. Miyagi a technique in which he should be stroking the brush when painting a […]

How Wet is TOO Wet to Paint?

There are many inaccuracies that we have had to work through over the years which combat viable and efficient production. As in many industries (healthcare, the practice of law, you name it!), when working with a client, situations arise which should truly rely on professional expertise, yet receive pushback from the client in terms of […]