The Best Professional Painting

Any suggestions for installing tile and wood flooring in a 100 year old farm house?

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:12:14 +0000

Our house is around 100 years old, so you can imagine the floor is not so even. We want to replace the carpet with wood flooring and the kitchen linoleum with tile. I’ve read some answers where the floor should be even for tile, my husband things he can install it without evening it out. I told him it might crack easier. Of course he thinks he knows how to do it even though he’s never done it before and is not an expert! LOL He wants to install real hardwood flooring in the living room also and I think the floor there is pretty level. Any hints or suggestions I can pass along would be greatly appreciated! I want the floors done right even though he won’t hire a professional. Thanks!

I just did what you are wanting to do in the now house that we are in renovating at the moment:

Once you have ripped up the lino – get the floor as level as possibly by scraping off all of the glue as you can – get a chisel out if you have to just get it all off –
Tiling: In regards to your tiles –
The smaller the tiles the more uneven your floor can be, if you have tiles that are over 600 x 600mm you need to have a reasonably level foor.
Your floor needs to be leveled as much as possible the larger the tiles you go – you can pick up a level compound from bunnings or tiles shops -read the directions on the can ( generaly you spread it over the surface ) this will level the floor first – then once its dried you can tile over it with the normal tiling manner and tools. Really easy to fix!
If you dont level the floor first your tiles will crack -( i bet you your 100 year old house they will! ) and the glue wont stick properly and then you have wasted your time and money!

my husband asks: what is the real hardwood going onto – concrete, joists, more timbers?? –
Again all needs to be checked first –
Timber in Timber:
How to check if its level – easy get a long level ruler ) the longer the better 2mtrs+ makes your life easier!!
and check it really well!
Again if you dont have it level the timber when it expands might not go back to the same position and you might end up with gaps all over the place.
We used a floating timber floor with the hardwood on the top – so i can sand it back if i want to later – HOWEVER you need to glue any floating together – no matter what they say – we have had problems and we cant fix it now.
My husband is a building supervisor so any more q’s and i am happy to ask him for you.. have a great reno!! Sunny

How do you estimate interior painting costs without materials?

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:12:11 +0000

$60 – $100 is unreasonable,,,No offense.

The sq. ft. of the area to be painted is a factor however.

Having been in the trades more than 25 years, "$25 to $40" per hour is fair.

I never bid a job at less than 40 hours. I often charge time and materials if the customer is willing, due to factors that may insist themselves in the rapid or slow copmpletion of the job.

For Non Profit orgs. I charge 55 cents a sq. ft, add 15% and materials unless supplied.

As a tradesman I cannot in good conscience, PAD my bill by charging for tools I need to complete a job,,,IE: Brushes. Those are items I should be expected to have. I do however, charge reasonably for comsumables, IE: Mud or caulk.

If you’re speaking of this as a do it yourself,,, you cannot figure labor cost into the issue.
If you’re having this done by a pro, get more than one estimate,,,AND
If you’re DOING This for another, expect them,,,and even suggest to them, that they get comparative estimates.

Rev. Steven

Should I add primer if I’m painting over old exterior paint?

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:12:05 +0000

The loose paint was scrubbed off, I’ve cleaned the wall with water and now I’m wondering whether I need to put on primer just on the places where the wood is bare or everywhere.

You should prime the whole thing. It will make the whole result more hard-wearing, and you won’t need as many coats of paint.

Would you rather have wood or tile flooring in your bathroom?

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:10:13 +0000

I’m remodeling my bathroom, and I can’t decide between tile or wood. Which would you rather have?

definately tile! i have wood and it is TERRIBLE! Wood shows water spots and tile is most fitting fot a bathroom

how to quote an interior painting job?

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:10:09 +0000

using oil base paint on wood trim and doors. what is the cost per foot?

it depends on where you are in the country. call around to paint places in the yellow pages and ask.

Tips for exterior painting? Painting house (prep, type of paint, etc…)?

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:10:04 +0000

My house is single story, stucco and vinyl siding. I was planning to use roller for stucco and sprayer for siding. Also do you paint the eve’s first or last? Thanks…

Top to bottom–that is how you paint a house.
After scraping and priming,caulking etc… You want to paint the eves first–paint does drip and it drips down on to the siding or stucco below,not to mention ladder marks on the fresh paint.Latex paint does not touch up well.
On the stucco a GOOD acrylic paint is in order–the vinyl could be tricky.Make sure it is CLEAN and I would use an acrylic adhesion primer (ask your paint dealer,not wall mart)and finish with two coats acrylic.I would stay away from dark colors,dark will absorb more heat,causing the siding to expand then alternately contract causing stress to the paint leading to failure.(in other words vinyl can be tricky to paint and guaranty for years)
Thin primer and paint with amulsabond to promote adhesion and let paint dry and cure a few days before masking onto it with the blue or green tape to prep for spraying.

what is the best cleaner for wood floors? what is the best cleaner for tile floor?

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:24:09 +0000

i have used orange glow and am now using murphys wood soap and they both leave a my floors feeling sticky the nect day please help me with a new cleaning solution?? thankyou so much

I also had wood floors throughout my whole house, and loved Murphy’s Oil Soap.

Interior painting. Is it better to paint the trim 1st before painting the walls? Or better to do trim last?

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:24:06 +0000

Was thinking of first doing primer and paint on the window and door trim and then once dry then mask trim and then prime and paint the walls. Would this be a good way?

Im a profesional painter myself and the usual way is to paint the walls first and then after dry tape and paint the doors and trim.
either way, just make sure you give enough dry time in between, or you will end up with a mess.

Need help bidding interior and exterior residential painting projects.By the sq. ft ?

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:24:04 +0000

Getting frustrated bidding and measuring jobs.I’m underbidding,Still making money though but would like to improve my bidding skills.Any info would be helpful.Thanks so much !

Might be easier to figure your cost per gallon of paint that you apply! Charge so much per gallon, and you know a gallon will cover about 350sq ft on a good day! If something takes two coats that is in your favor as it will use more paint!

i am putting a peel and stick tile floor over a wood floor … any suggestions???

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:24:12 +0000

do i need a backer between the peel and stick or just clean the floor well??? this is going over a wood floor painted with oil based paint….. professional answers only please and thanks in advance!!!

Oh horrors…. please don’t do that. You’ll regret it sooner rather than later. Peel and stick tile is not very thick. Which means that as you go along, you’ll soon find that the cracks between the wood flooring planks will show thru the tiles. Yep. You’ll get lines in your tile.

And I fail to understand why you would put something over a wood floor. I highly suggest you have the floors properly sanded and then refinish them. The oil paint will come off so don’t worry about that. And you may want to keep in mind that your peel and stick floor won’t add any value whatsoever to your home. In fact, it will reduce the selling price dramatically. However, if you refinish the floor properly, you’ll find that you’ve upped the value of your home considerably.