Mar 4, 2020 | Maintenance
Thinking about what paint type, color and quality you want for your renovation or new build can be quite overwhelming.
Likely the easiest of the three is choosing a fantastic color. So what happens after that decision is made? With plenty of choices to choose from, you’ll want to know the differences of each and how they might work for your space.
Paint Types:
- Matte Paint – The most common of interior paint. With no shine or sheen, matte paint is ideal for ceilings and walls. It can take more than one coat to get the color solid and can be applied with a roller or brush. The main con of matte paint is its ability to mark easily; cleaning and touch-ups will be a regular occurrence.
- Matte Enamel – Much the same as matte paint, matte enamel can be applied in the same way and has similar uses. The main difference is that matte enamel tends to be far more durable, making it an excellent choice for kitchens. Less touch-ups makes this paint ideal for homes with kids or pets.
- Satin – A great choice for walls that will need to be cleaned more often, satin paint has a soft sheen and smoothness with a finish somewhere between matte and gloss. Not ideal for walls with imperfections due to its tendency to show imperfections.
- Eggshell – With an extremely subtle shine but without the smoothness that comes from satin, eggshell paint hides those imperfections we don’t want seen. Often it can be applied with just one coat and is the perfect choice for most interior walls.
- Semi-Gloss – Most often used on trim, semi-gloss is a popular interior paint. It is easy to clean and offers a hard finish suitable for heavily used areas. Being a shiny paint, semi-gloss will show more imperfections and will take longer to dry.
- Gloss – A high shine paint that is one of the most commonly used interior paints besides matte, gloss can be used on most any walls. As with semi-gloss, gloss paint takes the longest to dry and shows all the imperfections on a wall.
The quality of the paint you choose can also make a huge difference in its use:
The main components of paint are Pigments, Resins, Solvents and Additives. These ingredients give paint its color, binding agent, carrier and added “extras”.
Higher-Quality paint will last longer and cover better. It has more total solids (pigments and resins) and fewer solvents than lower-quality paint. A higher-quality paint will leave a thicker, tougher film after the solvents have evaporated. Resins (binders) are plastic-like ingredients in paint that bind together to create a film. Higher-quality binders last longer & resist peeling, wear and blistering.
Lower-Quality paint has less solids and more solvents. Opposite of the higher-quality, once the solvents evaporate, the thinner paint film left behind doesn’t cover as well and is far less durable. Money and time will be spent repainting to achieve the look and performance of a higher-quality paint.
Finding the perfect distributor:
We have been working with Spectrum Paint on many of our renovation and construction projects. From excellent customer care to highly reasonable prices, Spectrum have been a huge help with all of our paint and coating needs.
“Spectrum is proud to be one of the largest distributors of paint for PPG Pittsburgh Paints and Benjamin Moore Paints in the nation. These companies are among the oldest, most respected names in the business and are leaders in today’s paint technology. Spectrum also distributes lacquers, stains and specialty coatings from other manufacturers in order to provide our customers a broad and complete offering of paint and related products.”
We highly recommend Spectrum Paint for their knowledge and expertise of all things paint!
Give us a call or message if you’d like to freshen up your space today.
Dec 9, 2019 | Maintenance
It’s that time of the year when weather can be unpredictable and rough. The hustle and bustle of life can make it difficult to to prepare your home for the likely freezing temps. Our simple to-do list will take the guess work out of it for you.
Keep your home happy and healthy this winter season!
To Do:
- Have your fireplace and furnace inspected and/or cleaned.
- Check for any window or door gaps that can cause heat to escape, drafts and higher utility bills.
- Prepare for snow or ice storms by having a shovel on hand and emergency provisions in case of power-loss.
- Check and clean your gutters and down spurts of any debris.
- Have your roof inspected for lose tiles or any other damage that can be made worse by heavy snow.
- Disconnect outside hoses and turn-off the water to outside pipes.
- During frigid temps, set your faucet to drip and open your cabinet doors to prevent freezing pipes.
Most of these simple yet effective tasks can be carried out by the homeowner themselves, but sometimes having a professional come in and tackle everything in one day can save you time and money in the long run.
We can efficiently inspect everything thoroughly and make any fixes and changes that are needed in a timely manner.
Contact us any time!
Jun 4, 2019 | Maintenance
It’s that time of the year when the temps get unbearable and just setting foot outside causes you to sweat uncontrollably.
We can’t change the weather (unfortunately!), but we can help with some proven tips and tricks to keep your home cool while still being energy conscious:
- Turn off lights in your home. This is a easy step to take, but often over-looked. Keeping your lights off when not in use can help lower the warmth of a room, especially if the bulbs are incandescent. Another great tip, switch all your bulbs to LED!
- Reduce sunlight. Keeping out direct sunlight will help keep the temperature down. Install blinds or curtains and keep them drawn. Don’t forget to check your windows for any damage and think about replacing them if needed.
- Keep cooking to a minimum. Easier said than done, of course. But on those really hot days, opt to make cold foods (salad), grill out or use appliances that don’t heat up your kitchen so much.
- Set ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise. Reversing the rotation of the blades will help push hot air up towards the ceiling, helping you feel cooler.
- Use heat-emanating appliances at the cooler part of the day (night). Running your dryer at night when it’s cooler will help keep the temp down in your home.
- Open windows at night. If you live in a state that has much cooler nighttime temperatures, use it to your advantage and open your windows. Keep safety in mind and only keep upper windows open through the night.
Keeping up with the maintenance on your home will also play a role in keeping it cool and lowering energy costs with constant running A/C.
Replacing air filters, repairs to weather-stripping on doors & windows and regular HVAC tune-ups are all important steps to take.
Our Repairs & Maintenance Team can take care of all the maintenance needs of your home or business, while you sit back and relax in the cool, A/C air! Request a quote today!
Jan 24, 2019 | Maintenance, Multifamily
Your roof is probably the most important part of protecting your home. It is first to come into contact with harsh weather conditions and needs to hold up to what Mother Nature throws its way!
Scorching summer sun can do its own damage, but today we are going to look into the wondrous winter weather that can really test your roofs staying power.
Snow accumulation can subject your roof to ice buildups called ice-damming. Ice-damming occurs when the sun comes out and the snow that has collected on your roof starts to melt. The melted water will start to run down the shingles into the gutters, which aren’t warm enough, causing the water to re-freeze. This re-frozen ice can build up in the gutters and downspouts and prevent water from running off the roof. This is where the problems arise from the melting snow working its way back up and under the shingles. Leaks can occur in your attic, ceilings & walls. Your attic is your homes barrier between the outside elements and the inside ceilings of your home. It is vitally important that there are no leaks in your roof and/or attic so your home can be protected at all times.
How to Winter-Ready Your Roof:
- It starts at construction. A water-repellent layer should be inserted under the shingles when the roof is being built. This is imperative in the northern states of our country, where harsher winters can really take a toll on your home. De-icing cables should also be run over the shingles and looped through the upper gutters.
- Insulate your attic thoroughly. This will minimize temperature fluctuations and keep the heat in the interior of your home.
- Periodically have your roof & attic checked. At the first sign of winter-related damage start an action plan to get it fixed and for reoccurrence not to occur.
- Make sure there are no over-hanging tree limbs or branches. Winter can bring with it harsh rain and winds as well as snow & ice, so getting the dangers away from your home now can prevent costly damage from falling limbs.
- Install snow guards. A snow guard allows snow & ice to drop off the roof in small amounts or melt completely before falling to the ground. This will prevent the sudden release of mass amounts of snow which can be extremely dangerous. Lower roof areas, gutters, vents, landscaping and even pets and people can be seriously damaged or harmed by a heavy “roof avalanche”.
Preventing winter from damaging your roof is the first step in protecting your home.
Give P&R a call today to get started!
Jul 11, 2018 | Maintenance
Summers can be grueling. From the damp, humid air to the hot sun beating down, most of us have endured some rough summer heat. Keeping hydrated and staying inside during the hottest part of the day will lesson the effects on our bodies. But what about our homes? We need them to stay as cool as possible so that we can stay as cool as possible!
Keeping energy costs in mind, here are some tips and ideas to help your home stay cool.
- Turn off lights in your home. This is an easy step to take, but often over-looked. Keeping your lights off when not in use can help lower the warmth of a room, especially if the bulbs are incandescent. Another great tip, switch all your bulbs to LED!
- Reduce sunlight. Keeping out direct sunlight will help keep the temperature down. Install blinds or curtains and keep them drawn. Don’t forget to check your windows for any damage and think about replacing them if needed.
- Keep cooking to a minimum. Easier said than done, of course. But on those really hot days, opt to make cold foods (salad), grill out or use appliances that don’t heat up your kitchen so much.
- Set ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise. Reversing the rotation of the blades will help push hot air up towards the ceiling, helping you feel cooler.
- Use heat-emanating appliances at the cooler part of the day (night). Running your dryer at night when it’s cooler will help keep the temp down in your home.
- Open windows at night. If you live in a state that has much cooler nighttime temperatures, use it to your advantage and open your windows. Keep safety in mind and only keep upper windows open through the night.
Keeping up with the maintenance on your home will also play a role in keeping it cool and lowering energy costs when the A/C is constantly running. Replacing air filters, repairs to weather-stripping on doors & windows and regular HVAC tune-ups are all important steps to take.
Request a quote today!
Jun 27, 2018 | Maintenance
Let’s talk windows for a moment.
They are an integral part of any home, residence or business. They provide light, air and security, while also keeping temperatures comfortable and energy costs low.
So when do you know if they aren’t living up to their full potential? A good quality and well-maintained window can have a lifespan of 20+ years (although other factors come into play, including living near the coast for example), but windows have a way of letting you know when it’s time for an update.
Signs it’s Time:
The obvious signs come from damage, warping or breaks. In some instances the issues can be repaired (weatherstripping or hardware for instance), but in most cases it is preferable to replace the window entirely. Fogginess, drafts, sticking/hard to open and not staying open windows are all giving signs that it’s time to evaluate replacement.
The next thing to consider is reducing your energy costs. Windows play a major role in the efficient heating and cooling of your home/residence. They provide sunshine (allowing heat) in the winter and can be opened in the Spring for those cool breezes to enter. Drafty windows that aren’t doing their job properly can cause your energy bill to increase by 20-25%. If this is the case, it’s definitely time to shop-around for new, energy efficient windows.
Renovating a historic home? It’s important to remember that a homes windows are a main focal point and they should always be in-keeping with the integrity of the building. Historical homes require new windows that are historically accurate, or even custom replicas. The cost will likely be more, but the overall charm of the building will remain.
Maybe your home just needs a makeover and it’s time to re-fresh and renovate. Windows can really make an impact on the style and look of your residence. They are one of the most prominent features of a home, and one of the first things seen from the outside. Not only should you consider their overall look, think about the functionality of the window and the amount of light you’d like to add to each room.
Thinking about selling? Nothing helps sell a home more than updated kitchens, bathrooms, roofing and windows. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, having new energy efficient windows will help your home stand out from the crowd in a buyers-market!
Lastly, one thing to always take into consideration when replacing your windows – location. Where your home or business is located will impact what type of window will work best. Not all windows are the same. Research and talk to professionals who can help guide you to the appropriate windows for your needs.
P&R Property Consulting Group have installed many windows (and doors!) over the years. From the planning to the installation, we make sure our customers have the right fit windows for their property.
Request a quote today!
