Filed under Painting for do-it-yourselfers
Exterior Painting, EPA Lead-Safe RRP Guidelines
Boy is it Hot! I’m currently painting the exterior of a home built in 1938 in the historic Butler-Tarkington neighborhood of Indianapolis. It is my first exterior paint project on an older home since the new EPA guidelines for repair, renovation and paint (RRP) came into play. These guidelines have slowed me down by about […]
Greg Mrakich Painting: Tips to Maintain Your Wood Windows (and Save Money on Window Replacements)
I have received more and more calls lately to re-paint or touch up the interior of wood windows. Windows are subjected to the extremes of weather causing them to expand and contract every day. When you consider the ‘oven effect’ of heavy blinds, curtains, drapes and shutters, it’s a lot for the wood and the […]
Blue Tape: the Professional Painters’ Choice for Clean Edges
I got a call the other day to do a paint estimate on a rental property. Although I don’t work on a lot of rental properties, this was close to home — in the Broad Ripple area of Indianapolis, so I thought I’d check it out. As it turns out, the prior renters went nuts […]
Selecting the Best Paint Finish for Walls and Trim
It used to be that walls were always done in a flat finish paint and the trim, and by trim I mean all woodwork, was painted with a gloss finish paint. The only exceptions were kitchens and bathrooms where everything was done using gloss paint. Times have changed. Today, when a house is built, the […]
Greg Mrakich’s Tips for Painting Wood Paneling
Many homes built in the 1950s through early 1980 have wood paneling in at least one room. Some of the paneling is very high end – solid wood tongue and groove and is a great addition to the look of the home. When I lived in Los Angeles, one of my customers had me paint […]
Greg’s Interior Painting Tips: Bold Colors and Accent Walls
If you watch any home improvement programs (especially on HGTV), you may have noticed that bold room colors and accent walls are popular. Designers love to use bold colors. My Indianapolis area customers often ask me “is this color too much for this room?” So, today’s topic, when is a bold color right for a […]
Painting Tips For the Do-It-Yourselfer
One thing I have noticed here in Indianapolis when doing painting estimates is that many interiors were not previously painted by professional painters. Wall paint on ceilings and trim, thin coverage of paint, paint on the carpet or floor, and crooked lines are all giveaways. If you are going to tackle your painting project yourself, […]
