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Protect Your Deck This Winter

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As the leaves start to fall and the temperatures get colder, you might start reminiscing about the great times you had out on your deck this year.  With a new coat from the best exterior home painters in Overland Park, and deck staining in Overland Park complete, your deck was a beautiful place to relax during the summer months.  Before the chill in the air turns into harsh winter weather, clean and protect your deck to prepare for the severe winter weather ahead.  Wood repair in Overland Park is prevalent, but with proper protection, your deck can be spared.  Protect your deck this winter!

Clean Your Deck

 

Just like cabinet refinishing companies in Overland Park will tell you, cleaning your newly stained, painted, or finished surface will lengthen its lifespan.  Cleaning your deck is a great way to avoid wood rot repair in Overland Park.  Ground-in dirt and barbecue stains can ruin your deck’s appearance and cause degrading of your wood.  Exposure to the sun can also turn your wood gray and exposure to moisture and create the perfect place for mold to grow.  This is why cleaning your deck, even after your painters in Overland Park leave, is essential.

 

You can use a bleach-free cleaner formulated for wood to restore your deck to it’s most natural beautiful state.  Cleaners will loosen and lift the dirt off of your deck, and remove the gray weather wood and stains of mold and mildew as well.  Cleaning your deck will not only make it look beautiful but extend its lifespan as well.

Apply A Protective Finish

 

After a proper cleaning, it’s essential to apply a water-repellent finish to protect your deck against any damaging effects from harsh winter weather.  House painters in Overland Park can help you get this job done.  There’s a wide range of premium exterior wood finishes that offer protection against the winter weather elements that will still give you your desired deck appearance and look.

 

Maintenance Tips From The Best Exterior Home Painters In Overland Park

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If you’ve hired the best exterior or best interior home painters in Overland Park to paint your home to increase your curb value, then performing the proper maintenance and inspections is exceptionally essential.  House painters in Overland Park aren’t hired for a one-time fix, they are hired to ensure house looks beautiful and healthy.  To make the most of your investment you should check the painted surfaces several times a year, especially after severe weather conditions to see of your painters in Overland Park need to be called for maintenance or touch-ups.  Here are Maintenance Tips From The Best Exterior Home Painters In Overland Park.

Dirt

 

Removing any dirt or grime before it has a chance to build up is essential.  Just like your trusted cabinet refinishing companies in Overland Park will tell you that cleaning your newly finished or painted surface is critical, so will your painters.  You can clean the exterior painted surfaces of your building by power washing the exterior of your house, store, or office building.

 

Rust

 

You can remove rust with a mixture of ½ cup Epsom salts to every 1 cup of water you use.  Rust is critical to remove.  Rust can shorten the lifespan of your paint job exponentially.

 

Mold & Mildew

 

This is a critical cleaning step even after deck staining in Overland Park.  Cleaning mold and mildew from any painted surface are essential when maintaining the beautifully painted surface.  You can use household bleach on the exterior walls affected by mold or mildew with a 3-to-1 ratio of water and bleach.  Work the solution into the surface and go 1 foot beyond the affected area.  Keep the area wet for around 20 additional minutes, then rinse thoroughly.  Just like preventing wood rot repair in Overland Park, the same diligence should be applied to removing and preventing mold and mildew.

Time Saving Tips From The Best Interior Home Painters In Overland Park

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Whether you are looking for cabinet refinishing companies in Overland Park, or house painters in Overland Park, everyone has something that needs to be touched up.  Interior or exterior, the same principles can apply.  Some ways can save you time during these chores.   Here are some Time Saving Tips From The Best Interior Home Painters In Overland Park that all painters in Overland Park will love!

  • Use an edger instead of painter’s tape. Even the best exterior home painters in Overland Park will agree here!  Take your time during the corners while using a quality edger.  Taking your time here will ensure you don’t have to spend even more time carefully taking over areas you don’t want to be affected by the paint.  An edger can do all of that for you!
  • Use a Sash Brush for painting corners. Using a 2-inch angled sash brush can be great for ensuring you don’t miss a single spot when painting pesky corners.  Deck staining in Overland Park or painting, we all have pesky corners to deal with!
  • Cover your rollers with plastic wrap and refrigerate while taking a break. Nothing is more aggravating than when the paint left over on your rollers dries while your back is turned.  Covering your rollers with plastic wrap and refrigerating them will ensure they stay ready to paint, and keeping you from wasting time cleaning them while you should be painting.
  • Skip the paint trays! Skipping the paint trays and using a five-gallon bucket with a roller screen inside instead can be a handy trick.  This can save you time not having to refill your paint roller as often.  A five-gallon bucket should be able to last during your entire paint job unless it’s overly extensive.  Even the best interior home painters in Overland Park use this method!
  • Use a hammer and a nail to poke holes into the rim of your paint cans. This will allow the paint to drip back inside the can after you pour it out rather than draining all over the can and then onto the floor.  Making a mess is the last thing you want to do while painting, and this helpful tip is a great way to interrupt that mess before it gets too big!

The Best Fall Deck Maintenance

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Whether you talk to someone deck staining in Overland Park or even the best exterior home painters in Overland Park, they will all tell you to take advantage of the fall season.  The fall is an excellent time of year for painters in Overland Park to work on not only your house but also your deck!  Fall is also a great time of year to do your routine deck maintenance chores.  Here are some of the best fall deck maintenance tips!

Look For Signs Of Rot

 

Wood rot and wood repair in Overland Park can be an unfortunate repair job to need.  Inspect your deck annually for wood rot repair in Overland Park.  Begin by checking the stairs, especially where the stringers meet the ground.  Another great place to check is the perimeter post.  If you can push a screwdriver a quarter of an inch into the suspected area, you probably have wood rot, and will need wood repair in Overland Park.

 

Inspect The Ledger

 

You will need to use a flashlight to inspect the ledger of your deck, but it does need to be paid close attention to.  Inspect to make sure that all of the important framings is attached correctly, correctly linking your deck and home.  A damaged ledger is the cause of over 90% of all deck collapses.

 

Check The Railing

 

Don’t just leave it up to your house painters in Overland Park and other workers, but check it yourself to ensure your deck is healthy and safe.   Give your railing a good shake!  This will let you know if there is anything loose or damaged.  Drilling pilot holes can repair loose connections, and adding galvanized lag screws to these specific areas.

 

Preventive Measures

 

Fall is a great time to wash and seal your deck if you hadn’t done it early in the year.  Make sure to work while the temperature is mild, and not too hot or too cold.  Make sure you trim nearby bushes and trees, and not to let leaves and debris collect in the corners of your deck.  This can cause wood rot and mold.  It’s also wise to clean and inspect your deck where furniture usually sits.  It’s easy to forget about an area if it can’t be easily seen.

How Often Should You Paint Your Home’s Interior?

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The best interior home painters in Overland Park understand the value a fresh coat of paint can have a home.  Not only for its visual appeal but also the quality and upkeep of the interior itself.  House painters in Overland Park are hired for many painting reasons, but not always at the right time.  Along with painters in Overland Park, cabinet refinishing companies in Overland Park know the proper amount of time to wait before re-painting or refinishing your home.  So, how often should you paint your home’s interior?

How Often Should You Paint Your Walls?

 

Some walls in your home need to be repainted more frequently than others due to daily wear and tear, especially walls near and around doorways, or the garage.  Walls in a formal dining room that are only used once or twice a year won’t need to be repainted as frequently.  Kitchen walls, hallways, and bathroom walls will need to be repainted more regularly than most, however.

 

  • Living & Dining Rooms – every 5 to 7 years
  • Kitchen & Bathrooms – every 3 to 4 years
  • Bedrooms – every 2 to 3 years
  • Hallways – every 2 to 3 years

 

Painting Tip: Drywall repair before painting.  The best interior and best exterior painters in Overland Park can help guide you through the process before the painting formally beginning.  

 

How Often Should You Paint The Ceiling?

 

Painting your house interior also includes the ceiling, which many people forget about.  Repainting your ceiling an be a great way to brighten up your entire home.  Over time, white ceilings will show up yellow in spots that are affected by much natural sunlight.  Deck staining in Overland Park should be treated the same way in regards to damage from sunlight.

 

Before letting the yellow ceilings get too bad, keep in mind that your ceiling paint will last twice as long as your wall paint, according to painters in Overland Park.

 

Repaint your ceilings every 10 years.

 

Painting Fact:  Flat white is the most popular color for ceilings.  You can expect to see an immediate brightening of the room by 20% according to the best interior painter in Overland Park. 

Care & Maintenance For Your Deck

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Annual deck maintenance is essential.  Deck strainers in Overland Park understand the dangers of not attending to your deck routinely.  Take action today by taking care of your deck with these tips, and don’t be calling wood rot repair in Overland Park.  Here are some tips for care & maintenance for your deck.

 

Look for Signs of Wood Rot

 

You can do this by probing structural members of your deck with a flat-head screwdriver.  Check the stairs, especially where the stringers meet the ground.  Wood repair in Overland Park is common and can be costly, but if caught early enough it can be resolved rather simply.  If you can push the screwdriver a quarter of an inch or more into an area of wood, you most likely need wood rot repair in Overland Park.

 

Inspect The Ledger

 

You will need to use a flashlight to inspect the ledger properly.  Get underneath your deck and inspect that all critical pieces of framing are attached correctly and intact.

 

Did you know that 90% of all deck collapses happen due to damaged ledger?

 

Check Remaining Joists, Posts, & Beams

 

This not only is required for decks but the rest of the house as well in many cases.  House painters in Overland Park inspect these areas regularly, and It’s a great way to avoid wood repair in Overland Park.  If a framing member can’t be easily removed and replaced, go ahead and reinforce it.  This is a better outcome than replacing members directly.

 

Check For Cracks Or Rotten Deck Boards

 

Not all cracks are a fundamental threat obviously, but they can be ugly and irritating.  The best exterior house painters in Overland Park run into this issue all the time, and these small cracks can be fixed if wanted.

 

Check The Railing

 

Checking the railing is essential not only for the visual appeal of the deck but also for you and your visitor’s safety.  Drilling pilot holes may remedy loose connections in the railing into the wood and then adding galvanized lag screws into them.  Remove the fastener and seal the crack with an exterior grade adhesive, then drill a new pilot hole and insert a new galvanized deck screw.