TIPS & TRICKS

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 finger. The excess will spil...

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 market, keep in mind that it...

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.