TIPS & TRICKS

Want to know how to save money on your next painting project?

In this weeks video, I share 2 great money saving tips I often share with my clients. And just like most of my clients, I believe strongly that you are going to love them! :)

When I was 23 years old, I lost $50 000 on one job...

To say that this was a challenging time would be a major understatement. And honestly, I still find myself surprised that I stayed in the painting business after that.

But one thing I can honestly tell you today is that I would not change any of it... HONESTLY! :)

In this weeks video, I share with you the lesson I learned from this $50 000 mistake and why it's the reason you're now receiving these videos of mine :)

If your house has been on the market for a while (and not selling) or you're thinking about putting it up for sale sometimes soon, here are 3 things to consider to help you determine if you should invest in Painting to help SELL YOUR HOUSE:

1- Are the colors dated?
2- Are there visible cracks and dings in your walls?
3- Are you in a Buyers market or Sellers market?

For this weeks video, I'll help you answer those questions and also give you a few additional tips to help you create a great first impression for those potential buyers :)

This past week, my YouTube Channel reached the 1 000 000 views mark!!! :)

This is a pretty significant milestone and I'm finding it hard to find the right words to truly show how grateful I am that you are taking the time to watch and share these little videos of mine. So I'll keep it simple... Thank You! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! :)

A few months ago I made a video in which I made a Commitment to answer any questions that was sent my way. This was posted on my YouTube Channel and on my website and since then, I've received numerous questions... one of which I am answering in this weeks video - DO YOU KNOW ANY GOOD PAINTERS IN [...]?

My goal is to help you leverage the Power of Color in your home and office. I hope you'll have found some value in this video. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions, comments or different opinions.

I love to hear from you :)

Cheers for now!

Remi Boudreau
Licensed Painter & Color Consultant

Caulking along the top of a counter is not easy, but this little trick is sure to make a world of difference in terms of time and quality.

FIRST: You’ll want to apply some painters tape along the edge of the counter to protect it. I recommend leaving a small portion of the top of the counter exposed (aprox 1 millimiter) so that the caulking has a bit of surface to grab on to. This will prevent the caulking from sinking into the hole and will make the transition from counter to wall much smoother.

SECOND: You’ll want to choose a Siliconized Acrylic Latex Caulking. This type of caulking gives you the strong bonding and flexibility of Silicone while allowing you the possibility to paint over it after you’re done.

Note:  If the walls over a particular counter top are tiled, other products might be better suited.

THIRD: You’ll want to make sure the area in question is dry and free of dust. Then apply the caulking into the crevice and smooth it out with a wet...

1- Remove any personal pictures:

When people are going to be walking into your home, it’s important that they can imagine themselves living in your home. Doing so is much harder when you are looking at pictures of the family who’s currently living in it. Make sure your walls are decorated… but with neutral decorations that can be enjoyed by anyone.

2- Repairs cracks & nail pops:

Most people who buy a new house know that it will settle after a few years of it being built and may show cracks and nail pops. This is usually not seen as a scary thing to those people buying a new house. But keep in mind that this house you are now trying to sell will not be new to those potential buyers. This means, when potential buyers see cracks or nail pops in your home, they may be wondering if there is anything wrong with the structure of your house. Remove any potential doubt they may have and have those repaired first. 

3- Update the colors:

When your house is on the...

The biggest mistake I see when people are using tape is this... they tend to leave it on for way too long.

The ideal time to remove tape is immediately after you've applied your last coat. The problem is that if you leave the paint dry for too long, the paint film will have had time to dry and create a continuous film going from the wall and overlapping onto the tape... this means that you're essentially going to be tearing this paint film in two as you attempt to remove it. But by removing it as soon as you finish your last coat the tape will come off much easier and won't peel off the paint.

If you happen to paint over a wood knot without sealing it first, this is what happens...

To prevent this you'll want to apply a shellac based primer (the most popular one is called BIN). This primer will act as a sealant and will prevent the wood sap from bleeding through the paint. For best results I recommend applying at least 2 coats of this primer (although 3 coats is safer for really tough stains).

This primer is available in a spray can, a quart size paint can or regular size paint can and requires approximately 15 minutes of drying time between coats.