DEAR TIM: I'm getting bids on a new roof and some of the roofers want to use a nail gun to install the shingles. Is this a good idea?
I've also heard stories about inferior galvanized nails that don't hold up and start to rust soon after being installed.
What type of nails would you use when installing shingles on your home and why? How can you tell the difference between different galvanized nails? Cheri B., McAlester, OK
DEAR CHERI: Roofing nail guns are mainstream now and accepted by just about every roofing material manufacturer that I know of.
Drive Nails Correctly
It's important the guns drive the nails correctly per the written instructions of the shingle manufacturer, so be sure to take the time to read the written installation instructions about this.
Nails Need To Outlast Roof Material
While you're checking out the instructions, pay attention to the type of nail the shingle manufacturer recommends so you don't void the warranty. Realize the fastener is the lifeline of the roofing material.
It's vital the fasteners last longer than the actual roofing material. If the nails or fasteners rust and fail, the shingles can succumb to gravity and/or be blown away in a moderate breeze.
Free & Fast Bids
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local roofers who can supply the BEST NAILS.
Many Inferior Nails Used
You should be very concerned about using inferior roofing nails. I'm in the process right now of re-roofing my own home.
I didn't build the home I live in. It was constructed just fourteen years ago.
It had a heavy-duty architectural shingle on it that was supposed to last forty years, but it started to fail two years ago. You can read the saga of my failed asphalt shingle roof - Roofing Ripoff.
Cheap Nails
Now that I'm taking off the curled, brittle shingles that are losing granules by the minute, I see the roofer used cheaper electroplated galvanized nails, many of which are rusting.
Gold Standard
When it comes to galvanized nails for roofing, the gold standard is hot-dipped galvanized nails. These steel nails are cleaned chemically and then immersed in a vat of molten zinc that sometimes contains some lead.
The molten zinc is very hot, usually between 815 - 850 F.
All the nails have been galvanized. The one being held was electro-plated and it’s rusting after just 12 years. Next to it is a new electro-plated nail. The four gray ones are hot-dipped nails, some have a distinctive irregular coating of pure zinc. The irregular ingots are solid zinc. Photo Credit: Tim Carter
Hot-Dipped Galvanizing Video
Watch this video to see the steps it takes to hot-dip galvanize any steel item. It's fascinating.
Fast Process
It doesn't take long for the steel nails to rise up to that temperature and when they do, the steel atoms vibrate rapidly and interlock with the zinc atoms creating a zinc-steel alloy that resists rust quite well.
When the nails come out of the molten zinc, they also have an additional coating of pure zinc on them.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local roofers who can supply the BEST NAILS.
Best Dipped Twice
Zinc doesn't rust and the coating protects the steel from the ravages of water. The best nails get a second dipping in the molten zinc bath.
Other Ways Not So Good
There are three other processes of galvanizing nails, but they simply don't offer the level of protection as hot dipping. Hot galvanizing is a process whereby zinc dust or chips tumble in a hot drum with cold steel nails.
IMPORTANT TIP: The hot galvanizing process doesn't sufficiently heat up the steel to produce a zinc alloy on all the nails. This process is cheaper to do for nail manufacturers than hot dipping.
Mechanically Plated
Nails can also be mechanically plated with zinc dust. The cold steel nails tumble around with the zinc dust, tiny glass beads and a chemical.
The glass beads and the chemical work to apply a thin coating on zinc on the nails. Once again, this process doesn't create the all-important alloy and the zinc coating can be uneven and thin.
Electroplating - The Worst In My Opinion
The final process is electroplating. Here the cold steel nails are immersed in a chemical liquid where electricity is applied to the solution and a very thin coating of zinc is applied to the steel.
These are very common nails your roofer may use for your shingles. These are the WORST ones. They look gorgeous, but they're electroplated. DO NOT ACCEPT THESE. CLICK THE PHOTO to discover MORE about these nails.
This process produces very shiny nails that almost look like too good to be true. They don't have much zinc on them and as I can attest, they rust in short order when exposed to the elements. They can even rust when NOT EXPOSED.
In my case and in many roofs across the USA, electroplated nails are rusting just from the CONDENSATION under the shingles! This condensation happens on many nights when dew forms on the cool nails because water vapor is present under the shingles.
When the sun comes out and heats up the roof, the water evaporates. The process starts all over again when the sun goes down and the roof starts to cool.
Electroplating Galvanizing Video
Here's a poor quality video showing the electroplating process. Only the first 30 seconds and last 30 seconds are important to watch.
All the video in between is just the drum turning and the chemical coating the bare steel washers.
The white plastic tank contains a liquid chemical that's transferring the zinc to the bare washers. It's NOT a giant vat of PURE MOLTEN zinc.
New Hot-Dipped Nails
Years ago, it was impossible to locate hot-dipped galvanized nails that would be comparable with nail guns. Fortunately, it's possible to get them for just about any roofing nailer.
IMPORTANT TIP: Be sure your contract with the roofer specifies hot-dipped galvanized nails and pay close attention to the minimum length called for by the shingle manufacturer. Be sure you LOOK AT THE BOX LABELS when the roofers come. You want to see the words 'hot dipped' on the label.
Nail Length
If you're applying a thin shingle to a wood surface and no other shingles are present, you might be able to get by with nails that are only one and one-quarter-inch long. The shingle warranties are very specific about the nail length and you want the right nail so they have enough holding power to resist blowing off by strong winds.
Look At Label
To tell the difference between nails, you probably need a little bit of experience. The first thing to look at is the labeling on the boxes or containers the nails come in.
The wording must say hot-dipped. If you just see the word *galvanized*, that's not enough. Don't be fooled by the words *hot galvanized* either. CLICK HERE to see a label with false advertising on it. These were being sold at one of the big box retailers you probably go to all the time!!!!1
It's got to say hot-dipped galvanized.
Traditional Hot-Dipped Nails
Hot-dipped galvanized nails not used in a nail gun are usually very distinctive. Often they have clumps of zinc on the shaft or the coating of zinc is somewhat uneven on some of the nails. Go back up and look at the photo of these nails at the top of this column.
You may even discover small ingots of zinc in the box or nail container. Other methods of galvanizing leave a much smoother appearance on the nail surfaces than hot dipping.
The Nails I Use
I'm using hot-dipped nails because I want no rusting. I want my realistic and gorgeous synthetic slate shingles to stay attached to my roof when any number of punishing nor'easter storms pummel my house with howling gale-force winds.
I have a feeling I'll be out the next day helping to secure my neighbors' roofs because their roofers chose to use the cheaper nails. Don't you make that mistake.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local roofers who can supply the BEST NAILS.
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]]>To get ready for the old man, it was time to do some rustproofing on some things of mine that stay outdoors and other things that are stored in my unheated shed / garage.
I discovered long ago that a 50/50 mixture of used motor oil and diesel fuel does a magnificent job of preventing rust.
I brush on a thin coat on all my garden tools that I put away for the season. You can use it on any metal that gets wet. I've found it's best to do this outdoors and to let the coating dry before bringing the tools back into the garage.
You may have another rustproofing method that achieves the same goal that doesn't involve paint.
So tell me what you do to prevent rust without using paint that peels. I'm always interested!
Power Tool Survey
Would you be kind enough to spend 60 seconds taking a quick survey? It's about power tools and one brand in particular.
I've been receiving requests to review certain tools and often I have to convince the manufacturer that you're really interested in the tools.
CLICK HERE to help me help you make better tool investments!
You can see the survey results from others who have taken the survey before you. Just SCROLL to the TOP of the survey form AFTER you click the SUBMIT button and then click the SEE PREVIOUS RESPONSES text link.
New Air Infiltration Product
Dow has introduced a new water-based foam product to help stop air leaks in new construction.
Framing lumber is not always straight. Air that somehow gets into walls can sneak into or out of your home via tiny gaps between the drywall and framing lumber.
Imagine if there was a gasket between the edges of the drywall and the framing lumber? Ta Da!
CLICK HERE to discover more about the Dow GREAT STUFF PRO Gasket system.
Hurricane & Other Storm Leaks
Several days ago, I received quite a few emails about wind-driven water leaks from folks who endured the wrath of Hurricane Irma.
It seems there's a myth out there that if you have a brick home, it's waterproof. I'm thinking this misconception comes from the Three Little Pigs fable, even though the wolf was just blowing air.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
CLICK HERE to get a friendly reminder on what happens in a big storm when the wind is lashing your brick, stone or any home with rain drops.
Quirky Questions
I'm going to try to see if this new feature is sustainable.
As you might imagine, I get LOTS of questions each week. Some are mundane, many are very complex and others are downright quirky!
When you have a question, always submit it to the Ask Tim page and include PHOTOS if you can!
Quirky is not so bad and provides a fascinating insight as to what's going on out there.
Here's one that Susan sent to me last night. She lives in Big Springs, WV. That town name is a clue to part of my answer!
" I want to excavate a cave into the hillside and finish it into the back rooms of a house. I know I will have to provide for water runoff, and put an air inlet and outlet for fresh air. In W. Va., the mountains are mostly rock. None of the answers about excavating a foundation are nowhere near what I want to do."
What about that for a question? Here was my answer:
Sue,
This is so easy. Talk to a few local coal miners.
In all seriousness, there are MAJOR issues with respect to groundwater control, deadly gases, rock collapse, etc. when thinking of spending time underground in a cave.
Experienced miners have a handle on all of this.
Battery-Powered Blower
I'm putting together a photo review of a dandy little battery-powered blower I've been testing for about four months.
I prefer to really put tools to the test before sharing my results with you. Not all tool reviewers do that.
Some of my peers get a box from their UPS driver and within a few hours there's a fancy tool review up. They never actually take the tool out and test it.
Yes, this is true.
These fast reviews gives *some* PR people and tool sales managers a tingle up their leg, but it does little good for you.
You need honest reviews where the reviewer has decades of experience using tools in paying customers' homes. This experience allows the reviewer to have a base line for overall performance.
As for the blower, you're going to LOVE IT!!!! Why? Because I do!!!
That's quite enough for today.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
]]>There are no trick questions here!
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]]>DEAR TIM: As result of Hurricane Irma, I had a leak in the ceiling in the bay area of our kitchen. It happened in the past with other intense storms.
I suspect the problem could be water penetrating the brick and/or wind driven rain entering under the facia and over and down the inside of the inside face of the brick. The brick lentil spans across the bay, so if water is making its way in, it has nowhere to go but to the drywall ceiling in the kitchen.
Before I dig into this and hire contractors, I’d like your opinion. What’s going on and what’s the best way to fix it? How could this leak have been prevented when my house was built? Jim McV., Cumming, GA
DEAR JIM: You and thousands and thousands of other homeowners suffered damage from wind-driven rain from Hurricane Irma.
Physics Formula
All you have to do is recall your high school physics class and it starts to make sense. Remember the simple formula: Force equals mass multiplied by acceleration?
F = ma
Water is heavy. If you need a refresher course on this, just open up your car window as you drive in a gentle rain shower and see what the drops feel like hitting your hand at only 50 mph much less 100 mph or greater!
Free & Fast Bids
Each Drop A Hammer Blow
Each water drop that smashes against the side of your house is like a hammer driving the previous water drop deeper into any crack, opening or other tiny space where normal down-falling rain causes no issues.
The fable about the three little pigs and brick homes didn’t cover wind-driven rain! ©2017 Tim Carter
All Brick Leaks
Brick walls leak water. It’s been a known fact for well over 100 years.
Builders and brick masons many decades ago realized this and used two different bricks to construct exterior walls. The entry point of most of the water is the vertical mortar joints that are called head joints.
Old Buildings Had Soft Inner Brick
While to the naked eye it seems that the mortar and brick make an impenetrable barrier, such is not the case. Old brick buildings had a softer absorbent brick that was used on the inside of the wall.
This brick was designed to soak up the leaking water and then immediately release it back to the air once the sun came out and the breeze pulled all moisture from the wall.
The soft inner brick was made by not firing the brick in the kiln as long as the harder outer layer brick that had to be more weather resistant. The hotter and longer you fire a brick in a kiln, the more weather resistant the brick becomes.
You can fire some brick so long that they become almost as hard as granite and as durable. Many older streets in cities and towns had these super-hard brick laid as roadways. You can still see them in downtown Athens, Ohio at the entrance to Ohio University.
Brick Wall Video
This is a pretty decent very BASIC video about brick wall construction. In parts of the video you can see the wall is two brick wide. Imagine if this were for a home and the inner layer was a different softer brick.
Modern Brick = Niagara Falls
Modern brick veneer construction discarded this wonderful system that’s worked for ages. Now the water that leaks into the wall, as you’ve already surmised, runs down the back of the brick much like the water over Niagara Falls. It’s easy for it to find a way into most homes as you’ve discovered.
Multiple Flashings
Modern builders who use brick veneer are supposed to install flashings at every horizontal break in the brick wall. This means there needs to be a flashing at the lintel that’s hidden behind the roof of your kitchen bay, above and below every window, door and any other thing on the wall that’s not brick.
Wood Walls Need Protection
The wall framing must be covered with a waterproof material that overlaps like roof shingles so any water that ends up touching it can’t get to the wood framing of the home nor to the interior wall and ceiling systems.
You can see the water-saturated brick. Many gallons of water seeped into the brick during the hurricane. ©2017 Tim Carter
Base Flashing
At the base of the brick wall, there needs to be a flashing that captures all the water and redirects it to the outside of the house. This means there needs to be plentiful weep holes, and there needs to be a mesh product or some other system behind the wall that ensures wet mortar that falls behind the wall can’t interfere with the movement of the water to the outside of the house.
Great Skills & Magic
It takes great skill to install all these flashings and membranes. The Brick Industry Association has many detailed technical publications showing how all this is supposed to happen during construction. But for you, it’s now a moot point. You need to go to plan B.
Wall Water Repellent
Your job now is to apply the best silane siloxane water repellent money can buy.
This is a magnificent silane - siloxane water repellent that soaks into brick and mortar joints. CLICK THIS IMAGE NOW TO HAVE THIS DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.
It may require two coats. What’s more, these two applications need to happen within minutes of each other. If you wait too long between coats, the first coat could block the second coat from penetrating the mortar and brick!
The best of these clear sealers have microscopic solids that can help plug up the minute passageways that water is using to cause your leaks. It’s going to take a little research on your part to locate the best sealer.
Water damage to the ceiling, due to driving rain. ©2017 Tim Carter
Two People & Blower
When you apply it, be sure two people are working as a team. One will be equipped with a backpack leaf blower.
This is a fantastic backpack leaf blower. I own this one and love it. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO HAVE IT DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.
As the person with the spray wand applies the sealer, the worker with the blower directs the wind blast right at the wall driving the wet sealer deep into the brick and mortar joints just as Irma did with the rain. You want the sealer to penetrate deep into the wall.
Sun Degrades Brush-On Sealers
Years ago I ran across a milky liquid you could brush on the mortar joints and a small amount of the brick. It would dry clear and act as a barrier to the driving rain. But recent research of mine while writing a book about defective asphalt shingles indicates this product will no doubt break down with exposure to direct sunlight. While it may work for a while, eventually the ultraviolet rays of the sun will destroy the film.
Column 1214
]]>Sheila Wilde from Pocatello, Idaho emailed me. She's an energetic older DIY woman who had a great question.
"How can I sink the finishing head nail into the wood near the curved areas of a molding I'm installing?
I started there and then went on to use the wider area with the nail gun, which holds 1-inch finishing nails.
I've tried two ways, but one marred the wood and the other just didn't work out. Any help would be appreciated."
I compliment you Sheila on your spirit and drive!
Nail Gun Issues
Let's talk about the nail gun issue. The wood trim you're using must be very soft or you pressed too hard when using the nail gun.
Most nail guns will not mar the surface and the only depression you see is the shape of the finish nail.
I'll also add that a 1-inch nail is probably not long enough. You need the nail to penetrate the molding, then through the drywall into solid wood. You'll discover you often need a 2-inch nail to accomplish this.
If you're applying a wood trim over solid wood, then a 1-inch nail might be sufficient.
Great Finish Nail Gun
Here's a fantastic cordless nail gun I've used. It requires no gas cartridges, no hoses, no compressor, etc. You just take it out of the bag and squeeze the trigger.
It drives nails perfectly each time I've used it. What's more, my first nail gun was a Senco. It's a brand I love and trust!
This is an amazing cordless finish nailer. Here I'm using it outdoors on a piece of exterior trim. It works even better indoors on fine pieces of small woodwork. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have this tool delivered to your doorstep in days.
Free & Fast Bids
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local finish carpenters who can sink finish nails with ease.
Finish Nail Gun Video
Watch this very informative video about how to use a finish nail gun to get perfect results.
Traditional Nail Sets
If you can't afford a finish nail gun, then you just need to use a traditional nail set.
These are small hand tools that allow you to drive a finish nail into wood keeping the head of the hammer far away from the wood.
These are standard nail sets. The yellow one has the smallest tip. These are very affordable and work well. CLICK THE PHOTO to have these nail sets delivered to your doorstep in days.
Different Sizes
The nail sets come in different sizes or widths. The tip of the nail set is designed to fit into the tiny dimple you probably have overlooked that in the head of a finish nail.
This dimple cradles the tip of the nail set so it doesn't drift or slip off the nail as you tap the nail set with the hammer.
Nail Set Video
Watch this carpenter use a nail set to drive a nail below the surface of the wood.
IMPORTANT TIP: The only mistake I feel he made is that he gave the nail one extra blow to get it VERY CLOSE to the wood.
I wouldn't do this if you're a rookie! There's too great a chance the hammer head will touch the wood.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local finish carpenters who can sink finish nails with ease.
DEAR TIM: The natural gas lines that are being installed in our new home are not the heavy black iron pipe. They're a new flexible stainless steel piping system that is installed like electrical wire.
What is this material? Is it safe to use? Are there advantages to using this pipe?
Can you cut into the pipe at a future date to install an added gas appliance? Is there another alternative gas piping material? Betsy F., Augusta, GA
DEAR BETSY: Congratulations! You're now the proud owner of some wonderful corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST). This material was approved for residential use in 1988 by the National Fuel Gas Code.
Code Approved But....
It's an ingenious method of supplying natural gas to fireplaces, furnaces, cooktops, clothes dryers and any other gas appliance. Virtually all state and local code authorities permit its use and many contractors are finally embracing it.
I have this flexible gas line in my own home in central New Hampshire and never worry about it at all. Some plumbers will tell you it's faster and cheaper to install this new CSST piping.
I happen to be a master plumber and given the choice I'd install traditional threaded black iron pipe. More on this in a just a moment.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local plumbers to install flexible gas lines in your home.
CSST Video
Watch this video to see how CSST pipe is installed.
Works Well
I remember when the material was first introduced. Many of my fellow contractors who install gas lines thought it was unsafe. Some of their arguments never made sense to me.
For as long as I have been in the home building business, we always used similar brass appliance connector tubing when gas was supplied to a clothes dryer, a cooktop, or a gas range.
Here are two short pieces of the flexible stainless-steel gas lines. You can practically tie it in a knot it is so flexible. If you have lots of pipe to run, this may be the way to go. © 2017 Tim Carter
Hundreds of thousands of houses have these corrugated appliance connectors in service right now. They have worked swell for many years.
Thin Walls, Lightning and Screws
The argument that did make sense to me was the thin nature of the pipe. There are lots of instances of houses that have been destroyed in gas fires because CSST pipe was ruptured by a lightning strike.
The pipe in the walls acts like an interior lightning rod. It's vital to follow all instructions provided by CSST manufacturers and to BOND the tubing electrically.
Errant screws or nails used to attach cabinets, trim, pictures, etc. can puncture this pipe. That would never happen with a piece of traditional black iron pipe.
Only a direct hit from a hot bolt of lightning will bore a hole in traditional black iron pipe.
Dangers Of CSST Video
Watch this video to see what you think about the dangers of the material.
My CSST
The current home I live in here in central New Hampshire had these flexible gas lines installed in 2001. I've had no issues with them at all and I even had to do a kitchen remodel where I extended an existing line.
Fast Install
The CSST has many advantages. Perhaps the biggest one is labor savings. Traditional black iron pipe takes a lot of time to cut and thread.
I know as I have installed thousands of linear feet of the heavy material. As you said, the new CSST is installed like electrical wire.
You simply pull the material between two points and cut it to length with simple tubing cutters.
Black Iron = Lots Of Labor
Black iron pipe is the exact opposite. A typical black iron pipe installation requires a professional to precisely measure, cut, and thread the individual pieces of pipe. All of these steps are very time consuming.
CLICK HERE to get FREE BIDS from Plumbers to install Flexible Gas Lines.
Fewer Leak Locations!
When you use CSST, you can minimize potential gas leaks. A typical black iron pipe installation has many 90 degree, tee and coupling fittings.
These fittings are used each time you change directions or join two pieces of straight pipe together. Each of the cast fittings can be the source of a leak.
What's more, the threaded joints on both sides of the fitting can also be potential leak points. Because the CSST snakes its way around bends and obstructions as one solid piece of tubing, you only have a fitting at each end of the line. If you do have a leak, these fittings are almost always readily accessible for adjustment.
Not DIY Friendly
Working with CSST is not really a do-it-yourself proposition. Many of the manufacturers of this material require professional installers to take a short training course that familiarizes them with the small nuances of this unique gas piping system.
Two Install Choices
This is traditional black iron pipe. Each end of a piece of pipe must be threaded. It is messy and hard work, but I must admit I sort of enjoy it. © 2017 Tim Carter
Adding Lines
Adding additional gas lines at a future date is not a problem if you plan for the possibility during the original installation. The CSST systems can be installed one of two ways:
The series installation resembles traditional black iron piping. A larger diameter main line CSST pipe supplies gas to smaller branch tubes that feed each appliance. This is often the easiest system to adapt at a future date.
Manifold Method
A parallel CSST system mimics an electric panel. All of the gas lines that feed each appliance start at a central distribution point. To add a line in the future you need to have an extra gas port on the manifold within the panel.
Soft Copper Maybe?
If you are not able to get CSST tubing and can't handle working with black iron pipe, consider using soft copper. It offers all of the same advantages of the CSST systems.
Soft copper is approved for interior residential gas piping in many cities and towns. You don't solder it like water lines.
Flare Fittings
Connections are made with common flare fittings that tighten with standard wrenches. The only specialized tool you need is a flaring tool made to fit the pipe size you are working with.
If you use copper for gas lines in your home, be sure to label them so a future weekend warrior doesn't mistake them for a water line!
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local plumbers to install flexible gas lines in your home.
Author's Notes:
If you have ANY DOUBTS about flexible gas lines or CSST, visit a local firehouse and talk to the team leader that's on duty. Visit SEVERAL fire houses to get different opinions.
In regard to your article on the CSST systems being installed in new homes. If you care to, read an article that was published in April of 2003 in the Dallas News regarding banning this installation in the city of Frisco, Collin County, Texas. Lightning strikes have caused numerous fires in residential homes as a result of CSST failing. Although the manufacturer states that it is completely safe, in fact safer than ridged black pipe, it has some serious issues. I have seen three fires in our own community as a result of CSST failure. The manufacturer accepts no responsibility for improper installation, and does not provide in any great detail, of detrimental or catastrophic failure if done so. I just saw your article and thought I would provide feedback. If you have questions on the article I mentioned, you may contact the Dallas News. Thank you for your time.
Maxwell J. Brunner
Lieutenant
Menomonee Falls Fire Department
Email- maxbrunner@menomonee-falls.org
I responded to this very interesting email with a few thoughts of my own. My first suspicion would be that the tubing acts like a lightning rod of sorts. The thin walls of CSST might not seem to handle as much of a strike as black iron. Black iron is so much thicker that it may actually take a lightning strike better.
I suggest you look up the article in the Dallas News if you want more details.
Column 296
]]>DEAR TIM: My house has a combination of wood and vinyl siding. The wood siding needs a fresh coat of paint, but I want the color of the two sidings to be consistent.
My wife wants a new color that is different than what we have now. Can I successfully paint vinyl siding?
If it is possible, are there special paints and techniques that I must use? Donald N., Scranton, PA
DEAR DONALD: If you had asked this question several years ago, I don't think you would have liked the answer. But fortunately, there have been some major breakthroughs in the paint and coatings industry.
New Sticky Paints
Several new exterior paints are available that have been formulated to stick to vinyl siding. They perform so well that the paint manufacturers offer a long-term warranty so long as you follow the paint label instructions.
Vinyl Expands & Contracts
Painting vinyl siding is challenging for several reasons. Vinyl siding has a very high expansion/contraction coefficient.
This simply means that it expands and contracts significantly as it experiences periods of exposure to sunlight and then periods of shade or darkness. When direct sunlight hits the siding, it grows dramatically.
This movement of the siding caused older traditional exterior paints to fail in short order as the bond between the paint and the siding was severed by this constant back and forth movement.
Painting Vinyl Siding Video
Here's how pros paint vinyl siding. I can't vouch that everything they're doing in the video is correct, but if you do decide to paint, you may want to use a sprayer as you see in the video. It's the ONLY way to apply paint to vinyl.
Free & Fast Bids
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters.
Dark Colors & Heat
Vinyl siding also soaks up heat to a great degree. If it gets too hot, it can buckle and distort.
This is vinyl siding. It was dark red from the factory, but it's faded as you can see. Because the vinyl is dark it's going to expand even more when the sun's rays strike it. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter
Lighter Colors Better
This is why many vinyl products are offered in lighter colors. Because of this fact, you can actually damage your vinyl siding if you paint it a color that is too dark.
IMPORTANT TIP: The paint manufacturers highly recommend that you paint the vinyl siding a color that is no darker than the current shade of your vinyl siding.
Stay in Shade Family
For example, if your siding is currently a light shade of beige, you can paint it a light shade of green, blue, tan, etc. The trick is to use paint store color chip cards to guide you.
Locate a color that is as close as possible to your existing vinyl siding. Use that color chip card as a benchmark and find complimentary paint chip cards that have the same depth of color as the paint chip that matches your siding.
You can then select a color that is equal to or less in color richness and depth as your existing vinyl siding color.
Urethane Paint
You must use the right paint to achieve victory. The ones that seem to work best with vinyl siding are ones that have a urethane resin. You can also use a paint that has a blend of urethane and acrylic resins.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters.
Super Sticky
Water-based urethane paints have extraordinary adhesive qualities. This is exactly what one needs to combat the daily movement of the vinyl siding.
Here's a great urethane-fortified paint. That's why on the label it says it's for porches and floors! It's tough enough to walk on so you know it will perform really well on your vinyl siding where no one can walk except squirrels. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO have this paint delivered to your home.
Exterior latex paints that contain urethane are readily available. Simply look for the word urethane on the label of the paint can.
Squeaky Clean
To get the absolute best results from this paint job you need to do a few other things. I feel that a clean, dry surface is very important.
If you clean your house like your own body or your car, you'll have a great head start. This means using soap and water and some good old-fashioned elbow grease.
Rub & Scrub
Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.
You must mechanically remove the dirt film from the existing painted surfaces with soapy sponges, rags or brushes.
The best cleaning solution is a mixture of Stain Solver certified organic oxygen bleach and a small amount of liquid Dawn dish soap.
Stain Solver is a powder you mix with water. I use hot water and stir it for two minutes making sure all of the powder is dissolved.
You apply it to vinyl siding that's in the shade. Keep the siding wet with the solution for up to 15 minutes then scrub the siding with a brush used to clean RVs.
Pressure Washers No Good
Don't count on pressure washers to clean your existing surfaces. Not only do they not get all the dirt off the surfaces, but they also can inject massive amounts of water into and behind the siding. This hidden water can cause big problems as you begin to apply the new paint.
Remove Mildew
If mildew is present on the existing surfaces, use an oxygen bleach solution to remove it. Stain Solver Oxygen bleach will not harm the vinyl siding nor any vegetation near your home.
IMPORTANT TIP: Avoid chlorine bleach as it's highly toxic to vegetation.
Shade Is Your Friend
Painting in direct sunlight is also not the best idea. If you can paint your home in cooler weather and preferably on overcast days, the paint will have excellent conditions in which to dry and bond to the vinyl siding and existing wood siding.
Windy, hot and sunny weather is not the best time to paint contrary to what many people believe.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters.
Message from Tim:
Years ago while researching a column about cleaning decks, I discovered the wonders of Oxygen Bleach. It is perhaps the 'greenest' cleaner I know of as it uses oxygen ions to break apart stains, dirt and odor molecules. There are no harsh chemicals, and it works on just about anything that is water washable. I decided to create my own special blend using ingredients made in the USA. In fact, the raw materials in the active ingredient are food-grade quality registered with the FDA. I call my product Stain Solver. I urge you to use it to help with cleaning your vinyl siding. You will be amazed at the results! |
I think it's a scale issue. The wonders of Mother Nature are so much larger than us and contain such vast amounts of power and fury.
Your appetite to know more about hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, earthquakes, forest fires, blizzards, etc. no doubt is hard coded into your brain stem.
I feel part of the attraction is scarcity. All of those natural forces can take away something from you that's pretty valuable - your life.
Then there's the inner morbid curiosity we all seem to possess that Don Henley explores in his famous hit song Dirty Laundry.
If you've not listened closely to the lyrics, you should.
CLICK HERE to read them.
You & Clutter
Let's be honest with one another. I'd like you to answer these questions:
The past three weeks I've been involved in a massive project here at my house solving all those above problems. It's a project you might have to do to, but have been putting off.
I put mine off for nine years and simple could no longer stand it.
Years of clutter are disappearing. I've just about wrestled the demon to the ground. I can see large sections of floor again in my shed.
I'll be able to park two vehicles in the garage this winter with lots of extra space.
My garage attic will be so open I may create a man cave extension with a lounge chair and my model-trains-under-glass coffee table!
I inherited the horrible packratitis disease from my mother. She had a chronic case. I don't have it quite as bad as she did, but I'm infected. My wife Kathy may disagree.
I just wanted to share how liberating it is to be free of so much stuff. It's a fantastic feeling.
I was able to sell many things. Other things went to the free room at our town dump. I discovered the best thing to do is create a FREE pile in the garage and when someone comes to buy something, they can pick anything they want from the pile. It's a FUN GAME and people are delighted to get something for free in addition to paying for what they came for. It's a win win win.
To help put the declutter icing on the cake I had Kathy order a few things for me yesterday from Amazon.com. I need to finish organizing decades of accumulated nails, screws, bolts, nuts and many other small items that are very handy to have.
You can have your own small hardware store and save yourself LOTS of money. Have you noticed the outlandish price hardware stores and big box stores charge for one screw, bolt or nut? WOWZA! No way I'm throwing all mine out!!!
I've had lots of great durable plastic bins for years. I got most of mine 30 years ago. They were in the rear of my utility body truck holding nails, screws and other small parts.
Now they're on some narrow shelves in my garage, but I need more.
What you see above is an Akro bin. They come in all sorts of great sizes. They're also very affordable.
They come in about seven or eight colors. Black, red, blue, gray, green, yellow, purple, clear, bone, etc.
They stack very nicely. You can store lots of different things in these bins so you can find them!
I'm using different colors to help me easily identify groups of things like:
CLICK HERE to see all the Akro bins.
They have a lip on the back you can hang them from the Wall Control metal pegboard I so love. CLICK HERE to see the wonderful Wall Control pegboard I've got in my garage.
Stop the BANG!
Are you remodeling or getting ready to build a new home? Then you MUST give SERIOUS consideration to pocket doors.
Not just any pocket doors, but ones made by LE Johnson that have the newer soft-close feature. Yes, you can get heavy pocket doors to close SOFTLY and not BANG!!!
You've surely seen cabinet drawers and shelves and other sliding things that have this wonderful feature.
CLICK HERE to discover more about the fantastic LE Johnson soft close hardware.
Guess what? If you have an existing LE Johnson pocket door, there's a great chance you can ADD this new hardware.
It only takes a decent handyman about an hour to complete the job.
CLICK HERE to watch a video showing how the soft close STOPS a pocket door from SLAMMING going either direction.
CLICK HERE to see how to install the soft close hardware in a pocket door frame.
Subway Tile Backsplash - It's All In The Prep
I got a great question from Pam in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday.
It was so good I turned it into one of my national columns.
CLICK HERE to see an amazing photo.
Hurricanes / Floods & Mold
With all the extreme weather happening, it's time for you to get back up to speed on mold and how to STOP IT.
CLICK HERE for a quick refresher course on MOLD PREVENTION.
That's quite enough for today.
I've got some great projects happening here at my house this week and need to take advantage of the great weather.
I'll be taping a swell video or two tomorrow showing you step-by-step how to create threads on black iron pipe. You may not realize how easy it is to do assuming you've got the right tools!
I want you to understand it's not magic to cut threads on a smooth black iron pipe.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
]]>Think of how many people are out there who just had a new roof put on this past year. Not counting the one million new homes built last year I'll bet there were at least three million new asphalt shingle roofs installed on existing homes in the USA. The sad fact is that the wide majority of those new roofs have no protection against roof algae. The roofers or the homeowners simply are unaware of the problem and unaware that you can buy shingles that have copper coated colored granules.
I hope you are not in this situation. If so, no problem, as there is a way for you to poison those little devils, bacteriologically known as Gloeocapsa magma. We just need to clean your roof and then introduce copper onto your shingles. I know, you may not like the look of a 2 inch copper strip at the top of your roof. However, it will look a whole lot better than the unsightly algae stains!
Clean the Roof First
Common sense should tell you that you need to clean your roof first. That process is described in another article.
Getting the Copper or Zinc
Sheet copper or zinc is usually available at any roofing supply house. These are the places that REAL roofers go to purchase their roofing products. Do NOT confuse these places with the large home center stores sprouting up everywhere! The roofing supply houses sell copper for all kinds of roofing uses. They also sell zinc. Both metals will kill the algae, but I think you should use copper. Zinc has a tendency to produce a grayish film over time, so it may discolor your shingles. Copper should not cause a problem on your roof.
How Many Strips and Where?
That's tough for me to answer without seeing your individual roof. One thing is for sure, you need the strips as high up on the roof as possible, so that the copper coats as many shingles as possible. Depending upon how long your roof is, you may need a strip of copper halfway up the roof as well. Some roofs are big, some small. One strip, across the entire roof, having a 2 inch exposure should protect 14 to 18 feet of roof below it. This photo shows how the strip should look once installed. This strip is near the top of the roof and is tucked under the last fully exposed course of shingles. It is a piece of tin, not copper, and is only 20 inches long. I didn't have a strip of copper in stock at the time I took the photo. I just wanted to show you what it should look like. Your strips will run the entire width of the roof.
Installation of the Strips
Most asphalt shingles are installed so that they have a five inch area of the shingle exposed to the weather. You will also notice that you don't see any visible nails. If you lift up a shingle you should see the nails. They are just above the bottom edge of the shingle you just lifted. This means that you should be able to slide a piece of metal up underneath a shingle and not hit anything for about six inches (five inch exposure plus one inch nail height.)
Can you see how you should be able to slide a piece of metal up under a shingle for about six inches? At this point, it hits the nails holding that shingle in place.
Your task is simple. Cut long 7 to 8 inch wide strips of copper. Slide them up under the shingles until you hit the nails. Then, every four feet or so, lift a shingle tab and drive a copper nail through the copper strip. When you let the shingle tab back down, it should completely cover the nail. If this doesn't make sense, you had better call a professional roofer. I have seen lots of mistakes by homeowners with good intentions.
Column B374
]]>DEAR TIM: We’re in the home stretch of a delightful bathroom remodel job. One of the final steps is to install subway ceramic tile as the backsplash above the dual-bowl sink.
The plaster wall above the new granite top needs to be repaired. After we removed the old ceramic tile there were giant holes.
My husband is in a hurry and wants to do the patch fast with a pre-mixed product that comes in a tub from the local big box store. I want your expert opinion as to the best way to repair the massive depressions in the wall from where old trim tile pieces were removed.
Do we need to remove the old hardened glue from the walls too? Pam L., Columbus, OH
DEAR PAM: I’m humbled that you feel the expert opinion will emanate from my fingertips as I type this!
Countless Wall Repairs
The truth be told I’ve been in the exact situation you’re now facing countless times while working in paying customers’ homes. The tile style changes from year to year, but the method of getting the wall ready for the tile has not changed.
High-Gloss Tile Shows Wall Defects
Let’s first talk about high-gloss finish ceramic tile first before we go much farther. We need to do this to slow down your husband so he keeps the key out of the car’s ignition as he tries to get to the big box store.
Have you ever noticed how a small dent in the door of a new car stands out like a sore thumb? The paint may not be chipped or scratched, but you can clearly see the inward depression.
Free & Fast Bids
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can do this repair for you.
Light Reflection
This happens on high gloss surfaces like car paint because the reflected light off the metal is bent by the dent. In other words, high gloss finishes are unforgiving if the surface beneath the gloss is not in the same plane.
Wall Must Be Flat & Smooth
If you want every aspect of your bathroom remodeling to be gorgeous, you need to be sure the wall surface under the tile is not only perfectly smooth, it needs to be in the same plane. If the subway tile pieces are not in the same plane on a flat surface, they’ll reflect light differently and it will look like a drunk tile setter installed them.
Here are the two monster defects in Pam's wall. See that uneven old yellow adhesive? It's got to go. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter
Repair Wall Early
I see by the photos you sent that the new granite top and faucets are installed. This is going to make the job of repairing the wall much harder as you work around these finished items. The wall repair should have been done long before the cabinet, top and faucets were installed.
Chain Of Adhesion
You also need to be concerned with what I call the chain of adhesion. What’s that old saying? “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” I can clearly see in your photo that you’ve got traditional plaster applied to gypsum lath panels nailed to the wall studs.
For the tile to stay affixed to the wall for decades, the bond between all the wall elements needs to be as strong as possible. The pre-mixed compounds I see in the big box stores contain very weak glues in almost all cases. What’s worse is some of the glues in these products are water soluble. Premixed drywall joint compound and common spackling are great examples of products with these weak glues.
Cheap Products Not Waterproof
Once these two products are dry, you can dissolve them by rubbing them with a wet sponge. Rub your plaster walls for days with a wet sponge and nothing happens except for you getting blisters and sore muscles. Plaster is waterproof and it bonds tenaciously to just about anything.
Remove Old Adhesive
Here’s how I’d proceed to make your walls ready for the stunning subway tile I’m sure you’ve selected. First you need to purchase some liquid adhesive remover.
Here's a great adhesive and mastic remover. Don't use just any adhesive remover. It needs to say it's made for tile mastic. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW to have this delivered to your home in days.
This product brushes on much like liquid paint remover. it’s imperative you protect the granite top and faucets and any other finished item like the front of the vanity cabinets from this harsh chemical.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can do this repair for you.
Follow Directions
Follow the directions and get all the old yellowed tile glue off the plaster exposing the original white lime finish plaster. Once it’s off, now it’s time to start to repair the deep depressions.
Traditional Base Plaster
Purchase a bag of Structolite base plaster. You can get this online or from a local building supply store. Be sure the holes in the wall have all loose material removed and brush away and dust.
This is a fantastic gypsum base-coat plaster. You just mix it with water and it really sticks to wallboard and other old gypsum plaster. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW to have this bag at your doorstep in days.
Mix up the Structolite plaster per directions on the bag. You want it to be the consistency of somewhat stiff applesauce.
Structolite Mixing Video
Watch this video to see how to mix Structolite. For small amounts you can just mix by hand with a stiff 3-inch broad scraping knife.
Take a wet sponge and lightly pat the old base plaster in the hole to get it slightly damp just before you’re ready to apply the Structolite. Pack in the new plaster being sure to keep the new plaster 1/8-inch lower than the existing white lime plaster finish you exposed once you removed the old glue.
Use a straightedge to ensure the Structolite is lower than the old white lime plaster. Allow the Structolite to cure for one day.
Finish With Durabond 90
The next day fill in the slight depression and all other tiny holes in the plaster wall with Durabond 90. This is a dry-setting joint compound that’s much like the white lime finish plaster on the wall.
This is the dry setting joint compound I prefer. It mixes easily with water. Use COLD water to slow set time. Mix until it's like warm cake icing. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW TO HAVE THIS DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME. NO NEED TO FIGHT TRAFFIC AND RUDE SHOPPERS.
Mix it with water to the consistency of warm cake icing so it’s silky smooth. You only have 90 minutes to work with it before it gets hard. You can use cold water to slow the hardening process.
Take your time and be sure the wall surface is as smooth as glass and in the same plane. Use a long straightedge or metal level to help you locate small depressions that may exist in the old white plaster finish. Fill those with the Durabond 90 product so the final surface under the new subway tile is as flat as possible.
Durabond 90 Video
Watch this video to get an idea of how to work with quick-setting plaster or setting compound.
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can do this repair for you.
Column 1213
]]>It didn’t look too bad from a distance…
But up close, it had definitely seen better days.
We considered stripping and restaining it, but I’m really having a black furniture moment right now. So, I decided to use Glidden’s new Diamond™ paint on it. I ran into our area’s Glidden rep at Home Depot not too long ago, and he was so excited to tell me all about the new formula and the extensive testing it went through. It’s supposed to be great on durability and scrubability, so I figured that it would work wonderfully on a piece of furniture that receives a lot of use.
Tom and I hauled the table out to our garage and started sanding off the original finish and evening out all of the scratches and dings. We started with a belt sander and 150-grit sandpaper. This is what it looked like after sanding half of the table down.
After we were finished with the 150-grit pass, we put 220-grit sandpaper on a finish sander to smooth it out. The result was super smooth.
This table has a leaf that flips underneath it, so I separated the sections before painting. I also used a tack cloth to wipe off all of the sanding dust so that my paint finish would remain smooth.
Glidden Diamond™ is a paint + primer formula, so I decided not to use a stand alone primer. I was worried that the paint might soak into the wood, but this is what it looked like after one coat of paint. Outstanding! I used a mohair roller, and the application was very smooth.
I gave it 2 more coats of paint (3 total) thinking that it would have extra durability. Let’s be honest – I don’t know if that’s how it works or not, but I figure I’d rather paint more coats now than have to go through this process again down the road.
I don’t really have any pictures of the painting process, since I try to work quickly to maintain a wet edge with no roller marks. However, I did get a picture to show you how I let the paint lay. Here is a picture of one of the legs right after I rolled it. I try to use a really light hand and don’t worry about smoothing it all out. You can see at the top where the paint itself doesn’t look smooth.
A good quality paint will level (i.e. smooth out and lay flat), and Glidden Diamond met that challenge. Here’s the same leg after it was dry.
Because it is 103432098349 degrees outside right now, I painted the entire table in my kitchen. Glidden Diamond™ is no VOC and low odor, but I would say that there is actually no odor. Tom walked into the house from work and couldn’t even tell that I had been painting. There’s virtually no odor – I honestly stuck my face in the paint can and couldn’t smell the paint.
It’s too soon for me to talk about how wear this paint will wear on our kitchen table, but I am very optimistic about it. Even just two days after painting it, I can put plates and bowls on it without them sticking. That’s a good sign to me, because that rarely happens so soon after I paint a piece of furniture.
I’m really happy with the way my table looks now, and the transformation was really inexpensive (other than the chairs I bought, but I have been coveting these for years).
Obviously, Glidden Diamond™ will perform exceptionally well on your walls. Just think what it could mean in high traffic and kid areas. Durable and scrubable? Yes, please!
Want to try it out yourself? Glidden is giving away 5 gallons of Glidden Diamond™ to one lucky winner! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below (you’ll need to switch over to my blog if you are reading this post via email) to be entered. This sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents, 18 and older.
As a MyColortopia Team member, this post is sponsored by Glidden. All reviews and opinions are my own.
]]>Guys! One of the very last builder’s beige rooms in my home is gone. I feel like there should be trumpets sounding and confetti flying. Are you celebrating like us?
The kitchen has been the bane of my existence since we repainted our common open spaces in Lindsay White. At the time, we didn’t paint the kitchen, because I wasn’t exactly sure what direction I wanted to take it. I had dreams of turquoise cabinets and an amazing backsplash, but those dreams required a lot of time, money and effort – none of which I had.
When I offered to host my sister’s baby shower at my house this summer, I knew that now was the time to get the kitchen under control. Luckily, the folks at FrogTape® brand painter’s tape must be on my same wave length, because I got an email asking if I could review their painters tape for a project. Boy, Howdy! Of course, I said yes!
We started by priming and painting the kitchen ceiling in Lindsay White. And by we, I mean Tom. I’m recovering from a leg fracture (hello, roller derby), and I didn’t want to try to stand on my toes to reach the ceiling with the roller. I did go ahead and start taping off the windows and wall trim while he was working, though, so we would be ready to paint the walls when the ceiling was dry.
I used two different types of Frog Tape. For the vast majority of our project, I used the green Multi-Surface type. It tears easily, so it was no big deal to tape a lot of trim quickly. When the ceiling was dry, we used the yellow Delicate Surfaces tape since it was freshly painted.
When we were ready to paint the walls, I painted right over the tape.
After two coats of paint (Peacock Blue), I peeled the tape off at a 45-degree angle. It gave me a nice line with no paint bleed. FrogTape is the only painting tape treated with painted PaintBlock Technology, which means it reactions with the water in latex paint and instantly gels to form a barrier against paint bleed. I hate when I have to go back and touch up lines with an artist paint brush, so this was great!
I wish I would have done a better job taping so that all of the old beige was covered, but you’ll never see this spot after I hang our window blinds up. It’s way more noticeable in the close up photos.
This is a bold color, right? Well, no worries. I only used it in 2 of the walls in my kitchen/breakfast room. The rest is Lindsay White. I also used this Peacock Blue in my Mary Blair Feature Wall and in the Playroom, both of which open to the kitchen. I need to figure out how to take a big panoramic shot of that for you guys to see.
In the meantime, here are some shots of the freshly painted breakfast area. I still have a few more decorating touches to add – like some sort of valence on the windows – but it is a huge change for us as is!
We used the yellow FrogTape for Delicate Surfaces tape on this transition from blue to white. Perfection!
I finally hung my cuckoo clock back up on the wall. It works, but it drives me crazy in the middle of the night so I’m leaving it unwound.
If you have a room that you are working on painting, give FrogTape a try. We were very happy with the results it helped us achieve!
Looking for some fun paint ideas? Check out the FrogTape® painting inspiration Pinterest page.
As a part of that process, I’ve decided to take my heat transfer vinyl game up a notch. I love making HTV items, but I always have trouble with the designs lifting. It seems that I can’t get enough pressure on the design, and my household iron just doesn’t get hot enough to really adhere the vinyl to a shirt.
So, I bought myself a gift – an actual heat press! I bought this bad boy (Amazon affiliate link) about a month ago, and I’ve been going hog wild putting HTV on everything in sight. I seriously couldn’t recommend this heat press more, so add it to your wish list if you are in the market. And if you have any questions about it, let me know and I could put together another post on the heat press.
I found some cute little shoes for Emma at Old Navy, and I decided I wanted to try to put some HVT designs on them.
Crazy idea? Sure was. But did they turn out adorable? Absolutely.
Here’s the easy process I went through to make these. Those of you who have craft cutters, listen up! I use a Silhouette CAMEO (Amazon affiliate link) and am very happy with it.
I began by finding a piece of black and white flamingo clipart online. I imported it into my Silhouette Designer Edition software, and “traced” the design. If you need help learning how to trace in your Silhouette software, check out this post.
Then, I was left with the outline of a flamingo. I resized it so that it would fit on the toe of the shoe, duplicated the design, and then flipped one of them so that the flamingos could be facing each other.
I wanted to put her name on the side of the shoe, so I found a cute font and sized her name so that it would fit.
I duplicated her name and then flipped the entire design horizontally – you have to cut out all HVT in reverse!
I cut the design out of Siser Easyweed vinyl in Fluorescent Pink. Over the past few years, I have traditionally only used Siser vinyl for my HVT projects, because they have many different texture and color options. Additionally, I think their vinyl just cuts cleaner and adheres better than other brands I have used. I generally buy pieces of Siser vinyl at Expressions Vinyl, but Siser sent me a sample pack recently – including this Fluorescent Pink.
After cutting the design, I trimmed and weeded the pieces.
Then, as my heat press was warming up, I positioned the elements on the shoes. I used heat resistant tape (Amazon affiliate link) to secure the designs so that they wouldn’t shift.
Then, I wrapped a Teflon sheet (Amazon affiliate link) around the shoe and carefully pressed each design to the top plate (the heated part) of the heat press. I have heat resistant gloves (Amazon affiliate link) I wear so that I could get my hand inside the shoe and really press hard. Siser Easyweed HTV is recommended to be applied at 305° (see why HTV doesn’t work great with a household iron?), so I wanted to be careful in case I accidentally touched the top plate.
When the vinyl was secured, I peeled off the clear transfer sheet and her shoes were ready to go! They turned out so darn cute!
Do you do HTV projects? If so, check out the Siser app on the App Store and Google Play. They have all of their colors listed and many excellent how to videos.
Siser sent me a sample pack of heat transfer vinyl to use in a few projects. All ideas and opinions are my own.
]]>While this isn’t a post to hash out everything that’s been going on (I’m sure I’ll talk about it at some point), I do want to offer my apologies of sort for putting Makely on the back burner. As I know you would agree, parents do everything we can possibly do for our kids, and this year that meant only getting to focus on the critical elements of our lives while we kept our heads above water. Now that summer is here, Tom and I have had a collective sigh of relief. And for us, that relief means we can work on all of those projects that we’ve been putting off.
Once such project is finally creating a painted version of the Jaws poster that inspired Zack’s room re-do. I originally found it online, and I knew that I had to incorporate my version of it into a piece of Jaws artwork to hang above his headboard. I can’t explain why I love this so much, but I guess that’s just the thing about art. Zack loves sharks, and I felt like this poster was going to make his room sharky without being “sharky.”
This was such an easy project once I decided to get going on it! I started by picking up a piece of 2′ x 4′ MDF (medium-density fiberboard) at Home Depot. It was taller than I wanted it to be for his wall, so Tom used the table saw to cut about a foot off of the height.
Next, I primed the entire piece with a good quality primer. Even though I was going to use Glidden Complete™ – Stain Blocking Paint + Primer on the piece, I know from working with MDF that it soaks up paint like crazy. The primer was to put a barrier between the MDF and my good quality paint, so that color wouldn’t be effected.
The top part of the piece was going to be Lindsay White (like Zack’s walls), so I went ahead and just painted to top half of the piece in that color.
Then, I attached a large picture hanger on the back of the MDF and hung it on his wall. I wanted to make the ocean a modern ombre and match the lines on his wall, so I carefully sketched out the lines where I would need the colors to transition.
The next part was the most difficult part of the whole project. I resized in Photoshop Elements the Jaws that poster I had found online. Then, I broke it into sections that would fit on a 8″ x 11″ (normal printer paper size) by using my guide lines. I was then able to crop the poster to just one section, print it out, and then Undo the crop (Command + Z on a Mac, Control + Z in Windows) to move on to the next section. The result was the poster printed across many sheets of paper that I taped together to make the sign to trace onto my MDF.
There are many ways you can trace a pattern onto wood or MDF (my favorite is this one), but I used my serrated tracing wheel to draw out the detail lines of the letters, the swimmer, the shark and its mouth. Then, I just filled in those lines with pencil and drew in the other missing details, like his teeth and eyes.
Finally, it was time to paint! I laid plastic sheeting across my kitchen table and broke out my Glidden Complete™ – Stain Blocking Paint + Primer. The first area I painted was the swimmer, and she is painted in Summer Sandcastle. I was working with the piece upside down at this point, so I was able to quickly move on to the Jaws letters, which are painted in Red Geranium. I moved to the other side of the piece and painted the shark in Ascot Blue.
The Glidden Complete™ – Stain Blocking Paint + Primer laid down so nicely! I painted each color with 2 coats (except the Red Geranium – reds always require more coats than normal), and the color was vivid and rich. It covered my pencil marks, which is not always the case for other paints. This will be great paint to use if you have something to hide on your walls or ceiling, such as a water stain or crayon marks.
Once the details were finished, I was able to paint the ombre ocean colors. The largest portion of the ocean was Marine Blue, so I painted it first. Then, I mixed the Marine Blue and Lindsay White in equal parts and painted the top part of the ocean. I did the same thing with Marine Blue and Deep Pool for the small bottom part. After that was dry, I used a paper towel to blot on the the mixed paints over the top and bottom lines of the Marine Blue, which blended the areas together to form a nice ombre effect.
After the piece dried, all I had to do was hang it on Zack’s bedroom wall. He quickly declared it “Jaw-some.”
I am thrilled that this last big project for his room is finished. Now I only have to put together a few little details, and I can declare it DONE!
Do you have a project you need to get finished? Glidden is giving away 5 gallons of their great Glidden Complete™ – Stain Blocking Paint + Primer to one lucky winner to get them on their way to declaring it DONE! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below (you’ll need to switch over to my blog if you are reading this post via email) to be entered. This sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents, 18 and older.
As a MyColortopia Team member, this post is sponsored by Glidden. All reviews and opinions are my own.
]]>I used to suffer from crazy allergy symptoms. I was simply beautiful to look at and talk to when everything was in full bloom. I’m kidding. In actuality, I thought there was not enough Kleenex in the world to make me tolerable to be around.
But then, two things happened that sort of changed things for me. The first is that I had Emma. I literally have zero idea as to why my allergy symptoms got remarkably better after I gave birth to my second child, but they did. I only have anecdotal evidence to support this, but I think Emma must have had magic powers or something.
The other thing I’ve started doing is using an essential oil blend that I made from Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint Young Living oils (or LLP for short). As soon as I start to fill a twinge of allergy congestion or headache, I swipe my blend across my forehead, under my eyes, across the bridge of my nose, and under my nostrils. You know, like this animated graphic (which really cracks me up):
To make my own blend, I bought a roller bottle and put 20 drops each of Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint in it. If I use it on my kids, I put some coconut oil on them before I apply the oil so that the Peppermint doesn’t feel too hot. I like to use empty essential oil bottles with a Young Living roller cap for my roller bottles, but here are some good looking ones with metal rollers on Amazon if you don’t have empty bottles (Amazon affiliate).
I’m not the only one who loves LLP. My new friend Spudly is a big fan, too!
I choose use Young Living oils because of the Seed to Seal promise. These products are genuine and without synthetics. The company carefully monitors every aspect of essential oil production – literally from the each plant seed to each bottle’s seal – so that it can produce essential oils with unmatched purity. I feel confident using them for myself and my family. There are absolutely other oils on the market, including some that you can buy for much cheaper. However, from what I’ve found doing my own research, Young Living essential oils are the only that I personally feel comfortable using.
If you would like more information on Young Living essential oils and how they can help your family with their wellness goals (and ease seasonal allergies!), please reach out to me at Lindsay@MakelyHome.com. I’m always happy to answer questions. Or if you are ready to get started using Young Living essential oils in your home, you can sign up here.
If you sign up as a Young Living Member, you can order a Premium Starter Kit, which is the perfect way to get started using oils. If you become a Young Living member (you can’t order the kit by signing up as a retail customer) and place an order for a Premium Starter Kit in the month of April through this link, I will send you a personal gift to help you get started with your essential oils. I am certain that you will be pleased to have it, as I use mine nearly daily!
Here’s to having fewer seasonal allergy symptoms!
]]>Although my kids haven’t been to Disney when they were old enough to pin trade, they do participate in a lot of pin trading through Destination Imagination. At both the State and Global tournaments, there are hoards of kids gathered around trading pins and working on their negotiation skills.
We just got back from the Texas tournament yesterday, and Zack brought home a huge amount of pins to add to his Destination Imagination pin collection. As I was adding them into the book I made for him, I decided to show you the DIY Pin Trading Book I made for him last year, because it is working really well! You can buy pin trading books at our DI tournaments (and at Disney!), but I wanted to make my own that had some special features – and it was cheaper than purchasing one sold just for pin trading.
I bought a few things on Amazon to get started. The first thing I got was a zippered 3-ring binder that has a shoulder strap. It was important to me that Zack could carry around his pins on his own, and I wanted it to be zippered so that he wouldn’t lose pins when he was running around. The binder I bought him also has a zippered pocket on the front, which I wanted, too. This is the link to the exact binder I bought for him (Amazon affiliate link), but you may want to search some more on Amazon since there may be some different options now. This one was $17.99.
I also bought a few bulk sets of 9×12 black 2mm Foamies sheets. I’ve seen people use felt for page inserts, but they felt too flimsy for me. The Foamies sheets have some thickness to them, so they don’t feel like they are flopping around. I bought 2 packages of 10 sheets on Amazon (affiliate link), but again, check prices before you order. They were $6.41 a package when I ordered.
With my three-hole punch, I punched holes in the Foamies pages and inserted them into the binder. Depending on the size of the pins, we do anywhere from 6-10 pins on a page so that they don’t get too heavy and rip.
I like to keep his pins organized by type so that he can have a better idea of what he has. For example, these pins are from Regional tournaments that he has participated in.
I also ordered some rubber backs for the pins in his collection. Many of them had metal butterfly backs, but I was worried that they would scratch up the surface of the pins underneath them. It’s also always good to have extra backs on hand because your kids will probably lose some! He keeps extras in the zipper pocket on the front of his binder. I bought a package of 50 rubber pin backs on Amazon (affiliate link) for $5.99. We’ve actually gone through all of them, so I need to order some more.
We have now used all 20 pages of Foamies in his pin trading book, and they are so neat and organized! He loves looking through them, and I love that they aren’t all over the floor of his closet.
Do you or your kids have any trading pins? How to your store them and carry them around?
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