Home Related Questions and Answers

Monday, January 28, 2013

Difference between Automotive and Home paint sprayers?

Q. I know the spray pattern's different, (Which makes me wonder too, doesn't the house one overlap too much?)

But could I use a car sprayer for home painting? (Just no latex paints?)

Thank you for your time.

A. A car sprayer propels the paint through force of air. Your typical car paint is thinned out to allow easy flow through the tip onto the surface. Home paint is very thick and dense. Especially exterior. You could use the sprayer but you would have to thin it out so much it would not be worth the effort. Or the price of the thinning agent. You might even ruin the paint. Small home sprayers usually require you to thin the paint. Contractor grade sprayers use a piston driven system that forces the paint through the hose with more pressure negating the need to thin.
It would probably work just fine with a stain though.

How much do I charge for painting and repairs?

Q. I am looking in to doing some interior home painting jobs. I am not sure what to charge? Do you base it on the size of the rooms? How and what do I charge? How much should I charge for small repairs, putting in a new faucet, new fan?

A. Whether you bid the job or do T&M (time & material) you have to figure out what you are willing to work per hour. This may not be what you are worth per hour, as competition, location and economic times sometimes dictate terms.

The easiest solution I recommend to people in your situation, is to look over each aspect of the individual job (fan instillation, painting, etc) determine how much time it will take to complete each job from start to finish â¦â¦then double the time âyou thinkâ it will take. It may seem excessive, but it is a simple formula that has proven itself time and again.
There are many variables that go into bidding a jobâ¦â¦ but using this formula should assure you of being within the market range of a bid.
Whatever you determine your hourly at, plus material (and any mark up you put on material) would be your estimated price (and donât forget to figure any time spent at the store)

Having a home painted on the outside?

Q. When having your home professionally painted ( I assume with a gun ) how far can the fine mist travel? I realize there are varying factors, but am looking for a generalized answer. Typically how many feet?

Thanks
Alyssa - worthless!

A. Painters will take every precaution from overspray as they are responsible and accountable.

On a windy day I have seen overspray from soffits go over buildings and mist coat cars some 100 feet away.
A little heads upâ¦ and question to ask your painters. Ask them if they back roll when they spray.
This is something I require from all the painting contractors when doing homes, it extends the longevity of the job; although not as much so when shooting a nonporous job

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Commercial lighting fixtures - where to get reliable reviews?

Q. We are making a complete lighting plan for a new warehouse and we need a good site with reliable commercial lighting fixtures reviews. Any suggestions?

A. What kind of commercial lighting fixtures are you interested in? If you need a general review site, I would recommend http://www.commerciallightingfixtures.org/.

Does anyone know of a commercial lightset that can be raised on a flagpole to make it a Christmas tree?

Q. This is a 30' pole. I think that someone makes a commercial light "kit" that can be raised on the pole to make it look like a large Christmas tree at night.

A. Due to wind and tangeling the tree you want has to be secure.Here's what you have to do to make the tree, i use to do this for amusement parks in California. You have to make a small steel ring for the top and a larger steel ring for the bottom.Start at the center at bottom of large ring and pull up to small ring connecting each strand then towards the center again, then plug in to a power strip on the pole. Repeat with all strands, the rings must be secured to the pole either by cables or clamps. and to be safe a snorkle lift or cherry picker should be used for safty. Good luck

What range of chroma do fluorescent light bulbs come in?

Q. I am talking about regular, commercial light bulbs; not for studio lighting etc....
thanks!

A. check out this web site and for the wave lengths (or spectra) that fluorescent bulbs give off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fluorescent_lighting_spectrum_peaks_labelled.gif

How often should i clean the bedding of my snake?

Q. I have aspin bedding on the bottom and im getting him soon so how often should i clean it? Its a ball python btw and how would i bathe him or is it not required?

A. Ball pythons only need to eat once a week. The packaging on most bedding says to change it every 2 weeks, but I only change my once every month. The aspen bedding collects the snake's waste easily so you can just take the waste balls out. You should change it immediately; however, if you ever notice mold or anything that shouldn't. That is possible since you need to spray the bedding often with water to keep the humidity up.

What kind of bedding is good to use for my rabbit?

Q. I got a rabbit and we are moving him outside. I use care fresh bedding now but would like to change it to something more cheaper and better for outside. If you can please include specific details on how to use this bedding or where to get it from. All information is helpful.

A. I use to use straw with ASPEN bedding underneath which is dust free with no harmful chemicals like pine and cedar have. But now my bunny is inside so he has fleece :D But you can use fleece outside too if he is litter trained.

What is the best bedding for dwarf hamsters?

Q. I have tried a few different kinds of bedding, but I am not sure what is the best.
I have also heard that cedar and pine shavings are bad for their lungs.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A. Eco bedding is a shredded paper bedding that lasts longer than just regular shredded paper. They like to tunnel through it too. I use it for my hamsters and gerbils.

How to remove exterior paint from clothes?

Q. I got exterior paint on some clothes, and I was wondering if there is a way to remove it without damaging (bleaching) the fabric.

A. If it's a water based paint, then soap and water should remove it.
If it's a spirit based paint, then you'll need something like Turpentine (turps) to remove it.

DON'T put them in the washer until the paint is out as the hot water will 'set' the paint.

Good luck

How much does it cost on average to have a 2 story house (exterior) painted?

Q. We just bought a house and need to get the exterior painted. Should we do it ourselves, or hire a professional? It's a basic 2 story house. Not big at all.

A. Hello,
I am a contractor and I might be able to answer this question more acurate. There are a few aspects to determine a price of an exterior job.
1) how big is the home? ( yours though is a small home)
2) How much damage is done to boards( If wooden exterior) and/or paint).
I usually charge somthing between $1000- $3000 depending on the scope of the job.
Some people feel uncomfortable to work on the ladders;If you have worked on the ladders before and feel comfortable you can do it, if not you should look for scaffolding systems. Make sure that you prime and caulk boards property to prevent early water damage/decay to the bords. recently home depot ( BEHR) offers a new product that one coat of it does the job for prime and paint( Two in one).
If you decide to hire a professiional contractor, make sure he or she is licensed and have liablety insurance.
if you have any questions do not hesitate to e-mail me.
Best Regards
Nima

How much is a 5 gallon bucket of exterior paint?

Q. We are painting our trim on our house and was wondering the price range of a 5 gallon bucket of exterior paint. We are in Ohio but it doesnt seem like the prices would range a ton throughout the US. thanks in advance

A. Anywhere between $70 to $120 based on brand and quality. Behr premium plus is on the higher price range.

Check out homedepot.com and put in your zip code, select Paint on the main menu and choose Exterior Paint and Stain

Should the stain color in your hardwood floor match the stain color in furniture?

Q. I have light oak dining room furniture and will soon be putting in hardwood flooring. Does the color in each, have to match or should they contrast with one another?

A. Your floor choice should not depend on your furniture color as it will be there for a very long time and your furniture may be replaced in the future. So, why restrict yourself?
A medium oak will be better for resale and also much easier to maintain. Darker floors show the dust more. Your best to place an area rug down to break it up. If you think about it, would you not move into a home based on your furniture? Choose something that goes with the style of your home. I have used walnut floors in a very formal area with mahogany furniture but...had large Persian rugs to set the furniture on. For resale it wasn't the best choice as people have different styles of furniture. Look at the white and red oak.
http://www.wideplankflooring.com/wood-floors-by-wood-species.aspx

Is there a way to remove the cigarette smoke smell from wooden furniture?

Q. My mother gave me her dining room furniture. It's stored in my garage and it smells like cigarette smoke. I'm worried once I move it into the house, the house will smell like stale cigarette smoke. No one smokes in my house. Will it always smell like smoke?

A. I would try Orange Glow on it. I have a wooden bench that had sat in storage and smelled like mold and nastyness, and we used Orange Glow on it and it smells great now. Hope this helps!

Can someone recommend a good three part art print series for a dining room?

Q. I'm looking to get some artwork for my dining room. The furniture is dark wood, almost black. I would love something with scenery cut into three parts. Thanks!

A. Go to a craft store and look for a picture you like have them cut it into 3 pieces and frame it for you or do it yourself. Roxanne

How do you make the wires safe before you put a blanking plate on when you remove wall lights.?

Q. We want to remove 2 wall lights, but we do not want to permanently remove the wires, so we will use blanking plates, but are not sure how you make the wires safe first. Does anyone have suggestions please?

A. You don't say where you are. If you are in the UK you will need to use connector blocks (min 5amp rating) as we stopped using screw on type connections, such as wire nuts /midgets, many years ago. Connector blocks are widely available from diy shops.
Don't rely on turning the wall switch off to make the cables dead as there may still be live cables present. It is probably simpler for you to turn off the main switch (Usually the biggest switch at your fuseboard) After making sure that the cables are definitely dead, put the cables into your connector in exactly the same order as they were connected in the fitting. ie if a black and red cable were connected together in the fitting they must be connected together when you reconnect them. Many people make the mistake of not noting how it came apart. Put all your earth cables together and after gently tugging at all the cables to make sure it doesn't fall apart tape the connectors up before pushing back into the wall and covering with your blank plate.
You may be lucky and find that on removing the old lights you have existing connectors you can retain. In which case visually check there are no loose strands of copper after disconnecting the light and simply tape the connectors up.
If in any doubt of how to make it safe don't attempt it yourself, get someone in. Electricity kills.

Where can you get wall lights for your room?

Q. I have been watching room tours on youtube and a lot of people have really cool wall lights (not plain ones, like pink and stuff) ti make there room more fun, they have them over there bed and stuff. So I went to a couple of stores online but none had anything close to that. Please help!

A. Have you tried homedepot ive senn cool lights their

Can I use an AC wall light dimmer as a 12V voltage regulator?

Q. Hi. I need to reduce the voltage of a DC power supply from 16V (external laptop battery) down to 12V so I can use it as a power supply for my other 12 volts gadgets. Can I use an AC wall light dimmer for this? I've read that this works by reducing voltage so an incandescent lamp can be dimmed. I'd like to know your thoughts if it will work for my purpose.

A. You need to learn what regulation means. You might get it to reduce the voltage but that is NOT regulating it.

What kinds of window treatments can you hang when you have wood blinds?

Q. I am trying to decorate my living room, specifically I am looking to add window treatments. I have wood blinds (medium oak color) and wood trim (same color). Everything else in the room is really neautral - all khaki. I am wondering what kinds of things I can do for window treatments. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A. Sounds like we have the same blinds. The wood is so beautiful you really shouldn't cover it up. We put up simple valances in a neutral color ( close to khaki ) so when the blinds were open they were hidden and we had an open view. When they are closed you get the full effect of the wood. It would be a shame to hide it. It took us a few days to get used to just valances, but it works. Also it is cleaner. Less dust and less curtain cleaning.

What color window treatments in kitchen with gray walls and hunter green counter-tops?

Q. In the house we are buying my kitchen will have light gray walls, hunter green counter-tops, and white cabinets. What color window treatments should I go with?

A. Have you thought about installing shutters to your windows? Not only are they more effective at saving energy and insulating than blinds/shades, they last longer and are beautiful to look at. If you arenât familiar with shutters, they are solid window coverings that consist of a frame surrounding an inset of fabric, glass, a solid panel, or most traditionally, louvers. Louvers are panels that can be adjusted to allow different amounts of light into your home. Shutters can be hinged and movable or fixed in place, and can be placed either on the interior or exterior of your home. Shutters placed in the interior of your home can replace what would have been curtains. Not only would they last longer, but they are more elegant and serve a function. White shutters would look amazing in the kitchen you just described! Here are pictures of shutters (http://bit.ly/lSuo8x) if you're interested.

Ideas for window treatments for room with dark brown leather furniture?

Q. I need ideas for window treatments for my living room with dark brown leather furniture. My walls are a sand color. The room has two windows on the same wall 69 inches x 58 inches. The windows face our front porch which has an overhang so there isn't alot of natural light in the room after mid morning so I need something that won't make the room darker and that I can pullover during the day. Thanks for any suggestions. My accent colors in the room are going to be sage green and cream color.

A. You really need some color in the window treatments. Otherwise it is too brown/beige and pillows won't change that. I think a pattern might work the best. That way you don't have to closely match the sage with other accents.

Ideas:
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/bethany-sheer-drape/?pkey=cstriped-patterned-drapes-shades
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1288&f=30970
http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6E.aspx?DeptID=60156&CatID=64871&GrpTyp=ENS&ItemID=17c8668&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=60156%7c60193%7c60953&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=40&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=60156|60193|60953|64871&mscssid=639b5aadee39b49bd90fbd8e95519abe6xMnVNoV5a3oxMnVNoV5a3W200B4EDCDA5F751EC563AC810434ECB7DF3A1004906 (in desert khaki multi but you'd have to carefully match the tones)
http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=60156&CatID=64871&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=161e24a&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=60156%7c60193%7c60953&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=91&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=60156|60193|60953|64871&mscssid=639b5aadee39b49bd90fbd8e95519abe6xMnVNoV5a3oxMnVNoV5a3W200B4EDCDA5F751EC563AC810434ECB7DF3A1004906 (without the valence, just the printed curtain would be easier to match)