Home owners are often advised to slap on a fresh coat of paint before listing their properties, but they shouldn’t overlook the impact of color.A Zillow analysis of more than 32,000 photos from sold residential properties finds specific colors can either boost or crimp a home’s selling price. The analysis controlled for square footage, the age of the home, the date of the transaction and location, and then compared the sale prices of homes with white walls versus those with more colorful paint.Color makes a big impact on buyers and can serve as a powerful tool for attracting prospective buyers. Trends of course change over time, so it’s important to research what colors buyers are currently interested in. Desirable colors help future buyers envision themselves living in your house. At the same time, Zillow warned certain colors can put off buyers, especially darker colors. Check out the following seven examples of paint colors making a difference:

1. Grey or Blue Front Door

Even front doors make an impression on prospective buyers. Zillow found that homes with doors painted shades of navy blue to dark gray or charcoal earn a premium of $1,514.

2. Grey and Beige Exteriors

Pick a mix of gray and beige — “greige” — for your exterior, according to Zillow. Its analysis found homes with these shades on their outside sold for $1,526 more than white properties.

3. Blue Kitchens

Blue is now the most appetizing color for kitchens, Zillow found. In previous years, its analysis showed that yellow kitchens sold for $1,300 more. But in 2017, the preferences shifted to light blue to soft gray-blue kitchens, which earn an average premium of $1,809.

4. Taupe or Light Beige Living Areas

Prospective buyers are attracted to light beige, pale taupe or oatmeal living rooms, paying a premium of $1,809 for central living areas with these shades, Zillow found.

5. Blue Bedrooms

Blue is thought to be a calming color, which may explain why buyers prefer bedrooms painted in these cool shades. Bedrooms painted with these tints receive a premium of $1,856.

6. Blue Dining Rooms

A shade of blue in your dining room can deliver an average premium of $1,926, Zillow found. This year’s favorite shades are slate blue to pale grey blue.

7. Blue or Purple Bathrooms

The biggest bang for your buck will be in the bathroom, where picking blue or purple hues will pay off, according to Zillow’s analysis. When it comes to the powder room, think powder blue to periwinkle, the real estate data firm said. The average impact on a home’s sale price is a bump of $5,440.

THINK TWICE BEFORE USING THESE COLORS

While certain hues can enhance a home’s value, some colors can also have a negative impact on prospective buyers, Zillow found. One of the common themes is deep colors, as well as a lack of color. Deep colors can make it hard for a prospective home buyer to picture their furnishings in. A lack of color can make a living space feel very cold and not inhabitable. Here are the colors and room combination that Zillow found had the biggest negative impact on selling price:

• Blue living room -$820
• Yellow kitchen: -$820
• Medium brown, taupe or stucco home exterior: -$1,970
• Red dining room: -$2,031
• White bathroom: -$4,035

If you’re planning to put your home on the market soon, or are just looking to update the look of your house, give Spectrum Painting a call today at 973-706-6033 to set up an estimate.We are also happy to offer consultations with our color expert as part of your Spectrum experience. Click HERE to found out more information about this service.

Painting multiple rooms in your home is a fun and exciting time, but it can definitely cause a few headaches and be a bit stressful. While the end result will be a home that feels more personal or updated, it can get frustrating to have painters in your home. Not to worry though, as Spectrum Painting is here to help make the process a little easier by prioritizing which rooms should be painted first.

After almost 29 years of experience, here is a prioritized list we’ve put together along the way:

• Bedroom and bathroom: Painting these two rooms first will get them out of the way and allow you to feel at home even if the rest of the house is still being prepped and painted. You will also be able to shut off your room from the paint smells.
• Kitchen: It is best to paint the kitchen as one of the first few rooms since this is where most families tend to congregrate. Getting the kitchen done right in the beginning can cut down on going out to eat, as you’ll be able to stay home and cook!
• Living/family room: This is likely one of the largest rooms in your home, so it might take longer; however, once it is finished, you will be able to move your furniture back and enjoy your freshly painted room.
• Laundry room/mud room: Painting these rooms last usually works out as customers will sometimes store items, clothing, etc. in these areas while other rooms are being worked on. Also, many mud rooms are used at the main entrance and exit of homes, so you’ll be able to come and go as you please, whether it’s going to work, picking up the kids from school or heading out to pick up some donuts and coffee for your fantastic crew as a thank you!

Fun Fact: If part of your project incudes refinishing your kitchen cabinets, Spectrum does suggest empyting them out before we begin prep so nothing becomes dusty, like food or your plates and mugs!

Customer service is our number one priority here at Spectrum Painting, so we will work with you to make sure we are tackling your painting project in the most convenient and efficient way. Give us a call today at 973-706-6033 to set up an estimate for your interior project! Check out our website to learn more about the many services we offer, including cabinet refinishing!

Why pipe freezing is a problem

Water has a unique property in that it expands as it freezes. This expansion puts tremendous pressure on whatever is containing it, including metal or plastic pipes. No matter the “strength” of a container, expanding water can cause pipes to break. Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines, and water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets. Also, pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation are also subject to freezing.

Pipe freezing is a particular problem in warmer climates where pipes often run through uninsulated or underinsulated attics or crawl spaces.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Before the onset of cold weather, prevent freezing of these water supply lines and pipes by following these recommendations:

• Drain water from swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following manufacturer’s or installer’s directions. Do not put antifreeze in these lines unless directed. Antifreeze is environmentally harmful, and is dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife, and landscaping.
• Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
• Check around the home for other areas where water supply lines are located and are in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated. A hot water supply line can freeze just as a cold water supply line can freeze if the water is not running through the pipe and the water temperature in the pipe is cold.
• Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a “pipe sleeve” or installing UL-listed “heat tape,” “heat cable,” or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Many products are available at your local building supplies retailer. Pipes should be carefully wrapped, with ends butted thightly and joints wrapped with tape. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for installing and using these products. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes – even ¼” of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that usually do not have frequent or prolonged temperatures below freezing.

During Cold Weather, Take Preventive Action

• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.

To Thaw Frozen Pipes

If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Locate the suspected frozen area of the water pipe. Likely places include pipes running against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.

• Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt more ice in the pipe.
• Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, and electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device. A blowtorch can make water in a frozen pipe boil and cause the pipe to explode. All open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide.
• Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.
• Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.

Future Protection

• Consider relocating exposed pipes to provide increased protection from freezing. Pipes can be relocated by a professional if the home is remodeled.
• Add insulation added to attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures in these areas.

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to have your pipes freeze and they have caused damage, Spectrum Painting can help! Call us today at 973-706-6033 to have an estimator come out to take a look at the damage. Besides painting, Spectrum can also install new sheetrock, drywall and can help with insulation needs.

At Spectrum Painting, we are always trying to add value to your painting project by properly labeling your paint cans after your interior or exterior painting project has been completed. With New Jersey temperatures now dipping into the single digits, here are some simple steps you can take to extend the life of your leftover paint:

Here are a few things we recommend:
1. Store paint cans in a dry location where temperatures are above freezing.
2. Keep paint cans away from direct sunlight or extreme heat from a furnace or boiler.
3. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the can before sealing it.
4. Close cans using a mallet to insure a tight seal.
5. Store cans on plastic or wood shelving to prevent cans from rusting.

If stored properly, leftover paint can last up to ten years.

We hope you found these painting tips helpful. If you have any interior painting, exterior painting, wall paper, carpentry, power washing, deck refinishing or epoxy floor coating questions, we would be happy to answer them. Call us today at 973-706-6033 to schedule your FREE estimate!

Thousands of cans of wall paint are purchased every year for exterior or interior decorating. Sometimes, the paint is used up, but often there are leftovers. Usually, if this is the case, these half-used cans find their way to the back of the garage or storage shed and are never seen or thought of again (until it’s time to do a little spring cleaning). But these cans of wall paint create clutter, accidental spills and are just an all-around hassle. Instead of disposing of the paint color, consider recycling the wall paint instead! This avoids the potential for unnecessary waste, but also allows your paint color to live a new life.

Here are a few painting tips for recycling:

• Donate it. This is one of the easiest things to do in order to get rid of extra paint. Donate wall paint to amateur painters such as friends, family members or organizations (church or a club, for example). You can always offer your extra wall paint to an online recycle program such as freerecycle.org, or list it on a neighborhood social networking site like nextdoor.com. These websites allow you to search locally, making it easier than ever to donate to a fellow New Jersey resident.
• Recycle it. New Jersey does not currently have a paint stewardship program but that doesn’t mean options aren’t available if you’d like to recycle your paint. Passaic County has household waste collection programs that will happily take your old or unused paint color. Other surrounding counties in northern New Jersey such as Bergen and Essex Counties also have programs available.
• Buy just enough. This is probably the hardest way to avoid having extra paint color on your hands. Generally, painters would rather have extra than not enough. If painters run out of paint, then it slows them down having to leave and get more. Plan ahead and consider how much paint is necessary for the job. Not sure? Contact the crew of professional painters at Spectrum Painting and they’ll be able to help you.
• Save for later use. Many painters will save any extra paint in case they need to touch up walls in the future. This is a great painting tip if you only have a small amount left over. Obviously if you have more than necessary, the three listed above will be more helpful. But if you have just a little left, seal the bucket properly and store it in a cool, dry place. That way, if there is a new interior decorating idea that pops into your head, or you simply need to touch up a scuff or scratch, you’ve got the wall paint on hand.

If you come across cans of paint that you want to get rid of, don’t hesitate to recycle them or give them away! The painting tips above are great ways to utilize your leftovers in the best way possible. Don’t have leftover wall paint, but you want more information on paint color and interior decorating ideas? Call the painters at Spectrum Painting for more information. They’ll be able to answer your questions and help you get started with your next painting job today! Call us at 973-706-6033 to set up an estimate.

New and current homeowners alike are always looking for ways to update their home, especially their kitchen. While doing a complete overhaul can be quite expensive, there are other ways to achieve the look, one being refinishing your cabinets. Changing the look of your cabinets can give this active space in your home a whole new feel.

While the most expensive option if refacing your cabinets (changing out hardware and all the doors and cabinets with new ones or applying a laminate), the most effective option is refinishing. This can be achieved by either painting or staining the fronts and either cleaning and installing the previous hardware or upgrading. This option also offers your best return on investment.

Just as the painted wood work and doors in your home need periodic painting, so the kitchen cabinets will also need maintenance. An advantage to painted cabinets is that any nicks or worn areas can easily be touched-up, thereby extending the life of the paint job.

Cabinets in colors can be very exciting in the kitchen: in postal blue, light pastels, whisper gray and sunny yellow can all create surprising results. Decorating magazines often show cabinets in spruce green, Navy blue and weathered or faux finishes. Typically, we tend to see homeowners keeping with a clean white finish or a modern black color.

Small to medium kitchens can be completed in as little as three days, while larger kitchens can take upwards of five days. Spectrum Painting is able to offer either a brush or spray finish, depending on the job and customer preference. In terms of spraying, we are able to achieve this on site or in our shop, depending on the work space, etc. We have a portable spray system we are able to assemble in your garage or basement, or we can take all the cabinet fronts off and transport them to our shop, where we’re able to spray them.

Call Spectrum Painting today to set up an appointment and to discuss your options with one of our estimators. Also, feel free to check out our cabinet refinishing page or take a look at a previous article we did on awesome color combinations for your kitchen! Call us TODAY at 973-706-6033 for your estimate!

Sherwin Williams has introduced their color of the year, Oceanside SW-6496. Per the Sherwin Williams site, Oceanside’s “a collision of rich blue with jewel-toned green, a color that is both accessible and elusive. A complex, deep color that offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown, Oceanside, bridges together a harmonious balance of blues and greens that can be found in what’s old and new.”

This color will look gorgeous in the bedroom, dining room, living room, home office or used on a front door exterior and interior doors! Try it in a nursery or kids’ room too!

It’s a peaceful, sophisticated, inviting neutral that is the perfect jumping off point to create a color scheme for your home. It evokes a tranquil watery oasis and also strength in its depth of color.

Here are some of the colors that Oceanside works well with and compliments:

What do you think about this color trend of jewel tones? Are you ready to do your bedroom or other living area in Oceanside? Give us a call today at 973-706-6033 to set up an appointment with an estimator for all your residential or commercial painting needs. Is this color not your cup of tea? Not a problem, as Spectrum is happy to provide consultations with our color expert!

Benjamin Moore recently announced their color of the upcoming year as Caliente (AF-290). This fiery red is strong, radiant and full of energy. According to the Benjamin Moore website, “Caliente is the signature color of a modern architectural masterpiece; a lush carpet rolled out for a grand arrival; the assured backdrop for a book-lined library; a powerful first impression on a glossy front door. The eye can’t help but follow its bold strokes. Harness the vitality.”

Spectrum Painting has recently used this color on some interior projects, including a little boy’s room right here in Pompton Lakes.

The corresponding color palette associated with Caliente includes Pleasant Pink 2094-60, Texas Rose 2092-40, Cranberry Cocktail 2083-20, Black Beauty 2128-10 and Moonshine 2140-60.

Caliente is a strong color for bedrooms, as an accent wall or even your front door!

Spectrum Painting’s exterior season might be wrapping up, but our interior season is already full steam ahead. Give us a call today to schedule an estimate for all your holiday painting needs and touchups. You can reach us at 973-706-6033 or check out our website for more information and to check out all the services that we offer!