Regardless of how well you care for the exterior of your home, if you own it for long enough, the chances are good that you’ll need to repaint it. Exterior paint performs several useful functions for a home, such as allowing it to reflect or absorb heat—not to mention increasing its overall appearance. But painting a home’s exterior can be a very involved process, and you could be left at a loss if you only have experience with indoor painting. For this reason, it’s crucial that you’re thinking about all parts of the project and what you can do to make it easier along the way. These are a few key things to consider when painting your home’s exterior to ensure the results are everything you’re hoping for.

The Weather During the Project

One of the main differences between interior and exterior paint jobs is how much of an effect the weather can have on the process. Paint products need certain conditions to properly cure to the surface of the siding, so if you’re working with too much heat or humidity, you can risk having your fresh coat of color slide right off within a few weeks or months. Because of this, you’ll want to choose a few days when you know that the weather will cooperate. It’s best to complete this job during one of the drier times of the year with very little rain and lower humidity.

The State of Your Siding

You should also stop to think about what state your siding is currently in before you start painting it. In addition to high humidity, your new paint could also fail to stick if your old coat is beginning to flake or if your siding needs repairs. As such, you’ll want to make sure that this surface is in the best possible shape before you take brushes to it. At the very least, this often involves sanding the old paint off and washing it thoroughly. Should you notice that certain parts are loose, broken, or rotted away, take the necessary steps to fix them before you do anything else. You may even want to hire our professional siding repair services in Cumming, depending on the severity of the damage.

The Presence of Lead in Your Old Paint

But before sanding away the old paint, do a bit of research into the history of your home. If your property is older, built before 1978, there’s a high probability that your old exterior paint contains lead. This substance, when flaking away, releases toxic particles into the air around it. Inhaling lead paint over time can make individuals incredibly sick and inflame already existing respiratory ailments. For this reason, you’ll want to take extra precautions if your home does, in fact, have this type of paint on its siding.

Choosing the Right Exterior Paint Products

Another key thing to consider when painting your home’s exterior is the type of paint you’re going to use to replace the old coat. Though lead paint has been illegal in use on homes for several decades, there are other potential additives to be aware of, such as VOCs. VOCs are released into the air as paint dries and can have potentially harmful effects on those in the immediate area. This risk isn’t as substantial when painting outdoors, but it’s still something to be conscious of.

Additionally, the paint you choose for your home’s exterior will need to be outdoor paint, specifically. Unlike indoor paint, which is stain-resistant and holds up to scrubbing, exterior paint products have additives that resist fading and the growth of mildew. Because they perform two different functions, you’ll need to choose the right one if you want your paint job to last.

Using a Primer Along With the Paint

Primers work wonders to help the paint dry properly against the siding and leave a smooth, clean finish. This is why it’s best to use a primer along with your chosen exterior paint. Fortunately, a lot of modern paint products include a primer mixed into the paint so that you can apply both the paint and the primer at the same time—and it only costs a little extra. This can save you ample amounts of money and allow you to get more use out of each individual can of product.

Protecting Your Surrounding Foliage

Make sure that you’re properly protecting the grass and foliage near your home while you’re painting. This project can be incredibly messy, and getting extra splatter on your bushes and flowers can both make them sick and diminish their appearance. For this reason, just like you cover your furniture for indoor painting tasks, you should also take care to cover your landscaping. This way, you can ensure that your plants are out of the way while keeping them safe from any potentially toxic substances in the paint. Keep in mind that you should cover any outdoor furniture or utilities as well, such as the garden hose, grill, and deck chairs.

Giving a Professional a Call

Arguably the most important thing you should consider for a job like this is whether you should call a professional. It’s common for homeowners to want to take these projects into their own hands. However, this can cause you to miss crucial details about the process that could have a lasting effect on the finished product. As such, it’s often best to go straight to those who have years of experience in the industry. They can answer whatever questions you might have and help you complete your painting job in a way that fits your needs.

If your home is in desperate need of a new exterior paint job, but you don’t know where to begin, reach out to us at Bear Mountain Custom Painting. As experienced exterior home painters in Cumming, GA, we’ve broken these projects down to an art form. We consider it our duty to think about all the details of a job so that you, as the homeowner, don’t need to worry about how it will get done. Instead, all you need to keep in mind is the vision you have for your beautiful home.

Drywall is a popular option for homeowners looking to quickly and affordably renovate their homes. Created by layering wood, plaster, and paper, these sheets of wall finish provide a room with a clean and seamless appearance that’s easy to customize. However, as a trade-off, several different things can damage this material, which means a professional carpentry service in Cumming, GA may need to replace more often than you’d expect. These are some of the signs you should replace your home’s drywall instead of fixing it.

Large Cracks or Holes

One of the benefits of installing drywall along the interior of your home is that you can effectively patch it with carpenter’s putty. Unfortunately, this only works if the hole is small. When the damage to your drywall is a bit larger, you can’t cover the area in a way that leaves the surface looking as smooth as it once did. Should you notice any larger cracks snaking their way across the walls or accidently slam your doorknob through the wall behind it, replacing the drywall is probably the better option.

Water Damage

Prevalent water damage is also a common reason to replace your drywall. Because drywall materials are incredibly sensitive to moisture, direct exposure to water can quickly soften and weaken their structural integrity. This can cause them to develop wood rot or mold, which can begin negatively affecting your health if left to flourish. For this reason, you should immediately act upon signs of water damage, such as dark stains, leaks, and collapsing materials.

Splinters Near the Walls

You may find large plywood splinters if there’s a problem you need to address. This only occurs with drywall products that use plywood panels, but it’s something to be aware of if you aren’t sure what yours is made from. These splinters begin to form when the paneling has suffered some form of damage, whether it’s water damage or the house settling and putting extra pressure on the walls. These things will fray the edges of the drywall and leave splinters on the floor.

A Hollow Sound

If your walls sound hollow when you knock on them, this is also a telltale sign you should replace your home’s drywall. Drywall may seem thin, but it’s actually quite solid and sturdy in the proper condition. If you notice your walls produce a hollow sound when you knock on them, it could be an indicator of damage underneath the surface. In some cases, this could indicate insect or water damage, as both will eat away at the interior before breaking through the other side. Either way, it’s often best to cut out a section of the wall to properly inspect the situation.

Whether repainting a bedroom or replacing a leaky faucet, some of us find it’s a better use of our time to do certain renovations on our own. Regardless of how handy you consider yourself to be around the home, there are always a few renovation projects that you should only trust a professional to handle. New gutter installations are one such job. Though seemingly straightforward, this task comes with a fair share of risks that only gutter installation professionals in Cumming, GA are properly equipped to deal with. These are some important reasons to hire a professional for gutter installations and mitigate the potential dangers and errors involved in the process.

Heightened Safety

Gutter installation can be incredibly dangerous for those who don’t have experience with the task. In fact, the height alone is enough to severely injure you, should you fall from your ladder. Professionals are trained and provided the correct tools to safely navigate the rooftop environment and reduce potential risks. Among their arsenal are safety harnesses, fall protection lanyards, and safeguards to prevent accidents.

Effective Gutter Customization

While you can order gutters in a series of standard sizes and shapes, they may not always properly align with your home’s specific architecture and dimensions. As such, you may find partway through the project that you need to customize the gutters before they can sit correctly on the home. For this reason, professional gutter installers are also well-versed in the art of material cutting and gutter customization.

Top-Quality Materials

Access to the highest-grade materials and styles is another important reason to hire a professional for gutter installations. Unlike many of the models you can purchase at your local hardware store, the gutters installed by industry professionals typically use stronger, more durable materials. This enables them to withstand the stress of particularly bad storms and last significantly longer.

Protective and Lasting Results

You simply can’t beat professional results. Since gutters are meant to direct water away from the home’s roof, siding, and foundation, they need to be installed in a very specific way. Ensuring proper installation will provide the highest amount of protection for your home, significantly reducing the risk of water damage. Additionally, professionals also provide each of their clients with a warranty on their work. This makes it easy and affordable to fix any components that fail post-project.

A bathroom renovation is one of the most exciting types of projects to undertake in your home. From replacing the hardware to installing new tile, each detail gets you one step closer to the sanctuary you’ve been longing for. No bathroom upgrade is complete without a fresh coat of paint in the color of your choice. However, there’s a plethora of options to choose from, and narrowing down which hues would work for you can be a chore. To give you some ideas and start off your search strong, here are a few of the best colors for painting your bathroom.

Classic Neutrals

Neutral colors make a great match for any area of the home, but they’re especially effective in the bathroom. The introduction of white, tan, or gray walls makes this space appear more elegant to anyone who steps in the door. It’s also common to paint bathrooms in these colors to showcase extravagant lighting fixtures and light-colored, contrasting tiles.

Light Blues

Light shades of blue are also incredibly popular among homeowners because of the soothing atmosphere they provide. Arctic and powder blue are both particularly effective in the bathroom setting, as they provide the space with extra light while incorporating their trademark cool tones. Additionally, the lightness of these blues also draws out the boldness of other colors. This can help you draw more attention to specific aspects of your design.

Natural Greens

Deep, natural green is one of the best colors for painting your bathroom. Because bathrooms are generally considered tranquil places, homeowners often feel drawn to plants and other outdoor elements for their design. This includes painting the walls a deep hunter green, light green, or even pistachio, depending on your tastes.

Finding the perfect color for your upgraded bathroom can be difficult if you don’t know where to begin. Because of this, we at Bear Mountain Custom Painting seek to provide all our clients with ongoing support during this initial decision-making process. Our professional house painters are well-versed in the art of picking quality color schemes, and they can help you in finding something you’ll love.

The idea of moving into your new home is incredibly exciting for many homebuyers. With the mountains of paperwork finally signed and the long, arduous process over, you’re ready to get on with your life. However, you might get more benefit out of waiting to move your belongings in—despite how badly you want to get it over with. There are a lot of things to do when moving to a new environment, and performing some of these tasks before changing residences can make things go significantly smoother. Here are a few home improvements to complete before you move in to ensure optimum safety, security, and timeliness.

Change Locks or Replace Exterior Doors

When a home comes under new ownership, exterior locks are one of the first and most important things to change. This is the best way to guarantee that everyone who previously had access to the property no longer does and that the home is now exclusive to your family. But, if it’s an older home with some exterior damage, simply switching out the locking mechanisms might not be enough. There are ample benefits to getting new exterior doors installed on your home, such as increased security, refined appearance, and improved privacy. Performing these tasks ahead of time will keep you and your belongings safe from the very beginning.

Paint the Home’s Interior

You can also take this opportunity to paint your new home’s interior before your possessions are there to get in the way. Many homeowners paint walls with neutral colors, such as gray, white, and tan, before placing them on the market because they appear less personalized and are, therefore, easier to sell. But most new homeowners prefer to change this color scheme to match their own personalities and style preferences once they’re living in that space. Painting your new home to your liking before moving your things will make the process significantly easier in the long run.

Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Another crucial home improvement to complete before you move in is to check, test, and possibly replace the home’s old emergency detectors. Though these devices are mandatory in every home, they often go overlooked and are frequently out of date. This can prevent them from working effectively when you need them to the most, and you definitely don’t want to be caught unawares in a new living environment. Before you’re officially living in the home, make sure your detectors are all working properly so that you’re ready for an emergency.