There’s a good chance you’ll be outside enjoying this holiday weekend enjoying time with friends and family. While you’re getting your grill prepped for your cookout you might also consider seeing if your deck couldn’t use a little extra care before company arrives.

Power washing should be a part of your regular home maintenance. Not only does it keep your deck looking beautiful, but it also quickly removes dirt set deep into the wood’s surface. You do need to be careful when using a power washer on your deck though as too high a pressure may etch the wood.

Tips Safely and Successfully Power Wash Your Deck

• Clear everything off your deck before starting to save yourself time and avoid missed spots.
• Set your power washer to its fan tip setting. You’ll want to avoid spraying a single jet of water, since this might cause damage to your deck’s surface.
• Keep the pressure low to start. Set your sprayer’s pressure to 600 psi and increase the pressure only to what is necessary to clean the wood.
• Test along a small length of wood like a stair tread in case you set the pressure to high and cause damage. A stair tread is relatively easy to replace compared to a full-length deck board.
• Start where your deck adjoins to your home and board-by-board work your way outwards. Always spray in the direction of the wood grain with the sprayer no closer than 12 inches from the deck’s surface.
• Avoid visible cleaning edges by overlapping your spray path slightly with the one before.
• Never point a power washer at your home’s windows or at a person.

Immediately after power washing your deck you may want to hold off on returning your washer to the shed or the store you’re renting it from. Wet wood looks very different from dry wood and can disguise imperfections or spots that didn’t get quite as clean as others. Allow your deck to dry fully, then check to see if you need to touch up any sections before calling your job finished. If you need something to pass the time while you wait, your sidewalks would almost certainly benefit from a quick power washing.

A Note on Raised Wood Fibers

There is a possibility as you clean your deck that you will notice some raised wood fibers. As your deck dries these spots will be rougher than others. Rough spots on handrails or floorboards can lead to splinters, so take a few minutes to spot sand these areas.

With a little bit of care and a couple free hours you could have a clean and refreshed deck to enjoy with friends and family over the holiday weekend. Just remember to keep the power washer’s pressure low to protect your deck’s surface and practice proper safety around people and windows, and this bit of deck maintenance will be a breeze.

There is nothing more important than the first impression when you’re trying to sell your home. Chances are you’ve put a good deal of thought and work into giving your home curb appeal by updating the landscaping or using paint to freshen up its exterior surfaces, but have you considered the first impression your home gives when a potential buyer steps through your front door? If you want maintain their interest, you’ll want the interior of your home to look just as good as its exterior.

A Quick and Cost-Effective Way to Make Your Home Look Its Best

For its ease and relatively small price tag when compared to other home improvements, giving your interiors a fresh coat of paints is one of the best investments you can make before putting it on the market. Not only does a fresh coat of paint in a flattering color look great, but it also can make rooms appear brighter and more open if you use a light color.

Picking a Paint Color Potential Buyers Will Love

One of the things that can be most challenging when you put your home up for sale is the process of depersonalizing your space. If your walls are covered in bold or outdated paint colors, there’s a good chance potential buyers will struggle to envision their own belongings in a space. Make it easier for them by painting your walls in universally appealing colors. Neutrals interior paints like beige, white, or gray will help create a blank canvas for people to picture making into their own.

High-Impact Areas for Interior Paint

In a perfect world you would have all painted surfaces in the interior of your home looking their absolute best with a fresh coat of paint, however time and budgetary constraints don’t always make this possible. If you have to prioritize which surfaces of your home get attention, we recommend considering these places first:

• Cabinetry in kitchens or bathrooms
• Rooms in outdated colors or wallpaper
• Touching up scuffed trim and doors
• Spaces like entryways, mudrooms, or halls that get heavy use

Whether you repaint the entire interior of your home or just focus on one or two rooms, updating your home with interior paint is one of the fastest ways to make it an attractive, inviting space potential buyers will want to consider making their own.

Do you live in the Northern New Jersey area and need assistance with your next interior painting project? We are here to help! Contact us to see how our team of trained professionals can transform your home.

Who knew the color of the year for 2016 would be white? From Benjamin Moore’s Simply White (OC-117) to Sherwin Williams Alabaster (SW7008), everyone was going for a different shade of this classic color for their dining rooms, bathrooms and living areas. White can be a versatile color, both for traditional and modern homes. Both companies offered color palettes that complimented this classic color.

As the year begins to wind down, color experts are starting to discuss what lies ahead for color in 2017. According to some experts, 2017 will be the year of confident color choices. There is mention of a lot of jewel tones, including warm tones to icy hues that stand out and are by no means muted. Dusky blues, blue-greens, bright yellows and spicy reds look to take center stage when choosing new colors for your home.

On the other end of the spectrum, grays will continue to be a popular trend, but more of an upbeat version, often times paired with a yellow and blue accent wall or an orange door. While not suited for everyone’s taste, it is a very daring look and a real attention grabber.

When the time comes to redo your interior or even change the color of your house, make sure to call Spectrum Painting. We offer color consultations for those stressing over making a color choice. Call us today at 973-706-6033 to schedule a FREE estimate.

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. In addition to labeling your paint cans, there are other 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. You can email us at info@SpectrumPaintingLLC.com or call us at 973-706-6033.

Spectrum Painting and Paper Hanging LLC has been in business since 1989 and is the leading provider of interior and exterior painting services in Wayne, NJ and the surrounding areas. Spectrum Painting and Paper Hanging LLC serves Passaic County, Bergen County, Morris County and in additions to interior and exterior painting services, also provides the following services: wallpaper installation and removal, carpentry, power washing, deck refinishing, epoxy floor coatings, and more.

Call us today to schedule your FREE estimate! 973-706-6033

Your bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, but unlike most rooms it receives a high concentration of moisture daily. Whenever you turn on the sink or the shower, you are introducing more moisture and humidity into the air, which is why mildew is often found in bathrooms. All this extra moisture can wreck havoc on bathroom paint. But there are ways to protect your bathroom paint and make it last longer, here are a few tips:

Mildew Resistant Paint

Certain paints are specifically designed to stand up against high levels of moisture. When you paint your bathroom, make sure to use a high-quality latex paint. There’s also a special line of Benjamin Moore paint colors that’s mildew resistant. Such as Benjamin Moore’s low-VOC Aura Bath and Spa paint and Eco Spec WB Silver paint, which is a zero-VOC commercial paint. These Benjamin Moore paint colors are low-odor interior paints with additives that inhibit mildew growth. Before you apply the paint color, make sure to properly prime the surface. It will help your paint color last a lot longer.

Good Ventilation System

You need to have a way to increase airflow circulation and get rid of the moisture that accumulates after a shower or bath. It could be an open window, a ceiling fan or exhaust fan. After you take a shower or bath, try to run the fan for about an hour. This will help get rid of the steam and moisture, and thereby protecting the paint job.

Stop Any Peeling

Peeling paint occurs more often in rooms with high moisture, and it’s caused by moisture getting between the wall paint and the actual wall surface. Moisture can do serious damage to walls and ceilings so you need to take care of it immediately. Not only will it save your wall surfaces, it will help protect the rest of your bathroom paint job. As the paint peels, it’s easier for moisture to get underneath the wall paint. Resulting in even more peeling paint. So in order to stop the cycle, you need to remove any peeling paint pronto.

When you are applying bathroom paint, it’s a good idea to use professional painters. They can ensure that you use the proper paint, and their expertise will help the paint last longer. Read about our team of professional painters who serve the Wayne, NJ area.

So you’ve finally completed that wall painting project that’s been gnawing at your to-list for months. All you want to do is prop your feet up and relax after hours of moving your arm up and down. But those piles of paint cans won’t stop staring at you. Yeah, it may be tempting to throw the lids on, move the paint to the garage floor and be done with it. But you may need to use that paint again. And it won’t look nice if you don’t store it properly. So before you settle into the couch to catch up on your favorite TV show, take the extra 10 minutes to ensure your paint stays fresh years down the road.

Where to Store It

The place you decide to store the paint needs to have low-moisture and be temperature-controlled. A nice dry basement would be a good option. But set it on a shelf instead of the garage floor, to help protect against moisture. If you don’t have a basement, a closet inside the house would work just as well. The reason that you want avoid a high moisture environment is because the metal can will develop rust around the lid. When you go to open the lid, the rust will fall into the paint and ruin the paint job.

A temperature-controlled environment is very important given that the weather in Wayne, NJ area can get both quite hot and very cold. If the temperature of the paint color gets too high or too low then it will change the consistency of the paint and make it unusable. If this goes on for too long then the paint can turn into a hazardous waste and be harmful to the environment.

How to Store It

First of all, make sure to clean the sealing rim of the can where there may be paint buildup. This will help the lid seal tightly. Then place some plastic wrap across the opening of the can, creating a gasket between the lid and the can. And then to seal the lid down, take a rubber mallet, not a hammer, and gently hit lid just enough to ensure no air can get in. When you store the paint, place the can upside down so the paint color can help create that airtight seal.

When you need to use the paint again, do not shake the can. First, open the can and take a look at the paint color. You’ll need to remove the thick layer that has formed over the paint. If there is a thick layer, it doesn’t mean the paint color is unusable. But it does need to be removed before the paint gets mixed up. If you mix up the paint before this layer is removed, you’ll get lumps in the paint that can ruin the paint job.

Dealing with the messy cleanup after a wall painting project can be real pain. But you don’t have to deal with it. Our team of professional painters can handle the entire project from start to finish. No mess. No cleanup. No frustration. Give us a call today to see how our professional painters can help you.

You probably don’t give too much thought about the cleanliness of the exterior of your home. You have the laundry, kids’ rooms, kitchen and your own bedroom to clean. And since you spend more time in those rooms than you do staring at the siding or brick on your home, it makes sense for those rooms to be your top priority. But if you are feeling bored with your home and you feel like it could use a facelift, pressure washing its exterior could be the perfect solution.

Don’t Neglect the Face of Your Home

Consider how much time you spend cleaning the interior of your home. Okay…how much time you wish you could spend cleaning. It’s probably a whole lot. But the inside of your home is away from all the dirt, grim, leaves and mud—how much more susceptible to getting dirty is the outside?

It’s easy to focus on cleaning the inside of your home because you see it all the time. But the exterior paint, brick or siding of your home collects dirt and grime on a daily basis. It is also the first thing people see, whether they are just driving by or coming for a visit. Put your best foot forward by investing in pressure washing your home. Not only will it help beautify your home, but it can also help the exterior surface and outdoor paint last longer.

Pressure Washing Can be Tricky

If you do want to clean off years of build-up from your home, then you may decide to go the DIY route with pressure washing. It may seem like all you need to do is buy a pressure washer and aim it at the house. How hard could it be, right? Unfortunately, pressure washing a home can be a bit tougher than you might imagine. First you need to make sure you get the right equipment. There are quite a few different types of pressure washers and each one serves a different purpose depending on what you plan on washing. For instance, a boat would need a unit with different features than a home would.

It’s also important to know how to use the washer before you aim it at your house. If used incorrectly, you could damage the exterior paint. Your home’s exterior will determine the technique you use to pressure wash your home. For instance, if you are washing siding panels that overlap then you should avoid spraying the bottom edges of the panels and instead work across the topmost panel to the one it overlays. These techniques can you help preserve the quality of your home’s exterior as well as the outdoor paint.

If you’ve tried to pressure wash your home and found it to be incredibly difficult or if you just don’t want to deal with the hassle, we have general contractors who can handle this task for you. Just give us a call at Spectrum Painting and one of our general contractors will come to your home and leave it looking like a brand new house.