Category: Painting & Handyman Blog

A home repair checklist helps you stay on top of home maintenance. Many homeowners use a home repair checklist to guide their regular home inspections. We recommend you inspect your home at least quarterly. When you make regular home inspections, minor issues can be repaired before they become major (and costly) problems. Here’s what you should go on your home repair checklist.

1. Drainage. Water should drain away from your home’s foundation. To make sure that happens, gutters and downspouts should be clean and in good repair. If you have downspout extenders, make sure they’re connected and directed to keep rainwater away from your house.

2. Siding. When siding is in good condition, it protects the rest of your home from the effects of weather. Loose, cracked, or rotting siding cannot perform this important job. Damaged siding needs to be addressed promptly before it allows water to leak into your home. If the damaged area is small, it can be repaired. Widespread damage usually means it’s time to replace your siding.

3. Plumbing Leaks. They aren’t always obvious as a leaking

faucet. Check pipes in cabinets under sinks and fixtures in unused areas like a guest bathroom. Also, any toilet that makes noise when it’s not in use is probably leaking from the tank to the bowl.

4. Doors and Windows. In addition to checking windows and doors themselves for damage, look around them for gaps. Sealing these air leaks keeps warmed air inside in winter and hot air outside in summer. Inspect window screens for tears.

5. Decks. You should check your deck for loose boards, soft spots, and rotten wood. Any of these problems require prompt repair because they can become safety hazards.

We hope our home repair checklist has made inspecting your home easier. If you found some issues that need to be dealt with, contact us. We can provide handyman services to help you with your home maintenance needs.

If you neglect to clean your home’s rain gutters, a variety of detritus can collect in them until they become clogged. This may result in a range of harmful and costly problems that have the potential to badly damage your home.

Overflow

Water could back up and flow over the sides of the gutters. This might cause damage to your doors, siding, windows, foundation and cellar. If you have a wooden deck, clogged eavestroughs may cause its boards to rot.

Overflowing rainwater could also reach the interior of your house. It might harm insulation, ceilings and walls. If such problems persist, floors and carpets may also eventually suffer damage.

Dampness

Clogging makes it difficult for rain gutters to fully dry. This promotes mold growth inside of eavestroughs and downspouts. Mold may also proliferate on any materials affected by overflowing rainwater. Mosquito larvae often benefit from persistently wet areas as well.

Collapse

If a clogged trough becomes excessively heavy, it might fall down. This could destroy it or cause other damage. Falling gutters may shatter window glass, break vinyl siding panels or dent any aluminum surfaces.

Damming

When a trough fills with tree debris, rainwater won’t be able to drip off the roof’s edge. This may result in an ice dam during the winter. Consequently, your roof might leak and its materials could suffer significant damage.

Infestation

Clogged gutters provide a habitat for stinging insects, ants and squirrels. These pests can build nests in the troughs and feed on tree debris that has collected in them. Vermin may eventually invade the attic or other parts of your home.

To prevent these problems and avoid costly house repairs, schedule professional gutter cleaning before your eavestroughs become clogged. Please contact our friendly staff to request a quote or learn more about our services.

Depending on the materials and weather conditions, both interior and exterior doors may last more than a century or as few as two decades. You can find at least six major reasons why replacing a door may be essential in the near future:

1. Thanks to new knobs and hardware, replacement units simply work better. They also fit their frames more precisely. If you currently struggle to open, shut or lock an entrance, consider purchasing a door as soon as possible.

2. This home upgrade protects your belongings from thieves. A new unit will close tightly and lock securely. You can also add extra security features, such as multiple locks or a peephole. Consider choosing a more rugged material like steel.

3. Any new door will have a major positive impact on the appearance of your house. Furthermore, an entrance is one of the first things that people notice when they visit a home.

4. It could increase your property’s resale and rental values. Bankrate ranks garage and front door replacements among six of the most lucrative home improvement projects. Likewise, a house with attractive entrances will probably lure suitable buyers more swiftly.

5. An upgraded entry door can help cut your heating and cooling costs. Unlike an old unit, it won’t have any holes or cracks that leak air. You could select an insulated model to maximize the benefits.

6. Replacing a door may block unwanted noise and improve privacy. You can achieve these goals by upgrading from hollow to solid interior units. An insulated exterior model with no windows will produce the best results in a noisy environment.

Basically, this home improvement makes life easier, enhances comfort and represents a wise investment. Please contact us today if you want to benefit from high-quality replacement doors and professional installation at affordable rates.

Your wood deck is a beautiful outdoor extension of your home’s entertaining space.  The demands of summer sun and weather on your deck can create problems if left unchecked during the cooler winter months.  Protect your deck and extend the life of your outdoor space with these regular maintenance tips.

Sweep and Wash Weekly

The surfaces of your deck collect dirt, debris, pollen, and other grime on a daily basis.  Left unchecked, this debris can degrade the paint, stain, or wood decking.  Sweep your deck and rinse it clean weekly with water to clean surfaces.

Plants and Shrubs

Potted plants add focal points of interest and beauty to your deck but can cause spots or stains to the wood surfaces due to soil and water runoff.  Surrounding shrubs, trees, and other plants add interest to the landscape and privacy to your deck but can become problematic if allowed to grow too close to the sides of your deck.  Move potted plants around weekly or biweekly and keep surrounding landscape plantings trimmed away from the wood surfaces of your deck.

Power Wash

As the cooler months approach, remove all items from your deck and use a power washer to remove deep stains, any patches of mildew, and grime that has accumulated over the season.

Sand and Repaint or Restain

Sun, wind, rain, hail – all of these weather elements contribute to fading of your deck’s paint or stain.  Regular use and high-traffic patterns across the surface of your deck will also create areas of greater wear.  Restore the beauty of your deck by sanding away the existing paint or stain and repainting or restaining the exposed wood.  Be sure to add a coat of sealant over the finished deck once the paint or stain has cured.

Check for Rot and Cracks

Even with the best maintenance schedule, your wood deck can have boards or posts that experience cracking over time or weaken due to dry rot.  Regularly check your wood deck for signs of cracked boards or dry rot and replace individual areas as needed.

Caring for your wood deck is an investment in your home’s value and extends the life, beauty, and enjoyment of your outdoor space.  At Excellent American Painting, we specialize in keeping your wood deck beautiful and functional through carpentry repairs as well as staining and painting.  Contact us today for a free estimate.

A storm door usually consists of fiberglass or aluminum with a large window and insect screen. This product may last for several decades if it’s well-made. You can find about six major reasons to install one:

1. These doors shield home entrances from the elements. Rain and snow won’t reach your front doorway as easily if you have a second layer of defense. This may prevent surfaces from rotting, rusting or growing mold.

A front door typically costs much more than a storm unit and contains more vulnerable materials. If you can protect it from harsh weather, you won’t need to spend as much money on repairs and replacements.

2. When you want to let in some cool, fresh air, you can open the window. Its screen will keep pests at bay while allowing excess heat to escape your home.

3. This equipment will make your house more energy-efficient. Cold drafts may enter a building through gaps around a single barrier, but they normally won’t be able to penetrate two doors.

4. A second layer of protection could stop burglars from invading your home. Most latches can be locked from the interior, and some manufacturers even provide a separate lock with its own key.

5. This minor improvement project offers an affordable way to enhance the appearance of any house. A newly installed storm door will probably look better than the outer surface of an old front door.

6. When your house appears more attractive, offers better security, uses energy efficiently and needs less maintenance, you can sell it quickly and set a higher price.

If the advantages of a new storm door appeal to you, please contact us today. We can install a durable unit that will protect your home and enhance your quality of life for many years to come.

The kitchen is one of the busiest places in a home. Because your family spends so much time in the kitchen, you will naturally want it to look its best. One fabulous way to refresh the look of your kitchen is to have the cabinets painted. Painting your kitchen cabinets, instead of purchasing new cabinetry, has several advantages.

Less Expensive than New Cabinetry

Paint, even high-quality brands, will be a lot less expensive than getting completely new kitchen cabinetry installed. With money always being tight nowadays, especially for families, paint is an excellent, lower-cost alternative that most homeowners can fit into their budget.

Faster and Less Inconvenient

With busy schedules, it’s often hard to find the time for major renovations, not to mention the inconvenience of dealing with a torn-up kitchen while the work is in progress. Having your kitchen cabinets painted takes significantly less time than getting new cabinetry, and because painting takes less time, your family won’t be inconvenienced for as long, which is essential for those with busy schedules.

Select Custom Colors

When you choose to paint your kitchen cabinetry, you can select specific colors, instead of having to settle for whatever colors the cabinet manufacturer has in stock. You can even create a custom color to use in your kitchen to give your home a distinctive look that makes your interior stand out from others in the neighborhood.

Will Look Like New Cabinetry

For the best outcome, have your kitchen cabinets painted by a professional company. Painting experts can produce a result that will make your cabinetry look brand new. Everyone will think that you replaced your cabinets entirely. With a quality paint job, your cabinetry will continue to look gorgeous for many years.

Investing in newly painted cabinets will give your kitchen a look that you’ll love. For more information about getting your cabinets painted or any other painting needs that you might have, please contact us today.

A child’s bedroom should be a place of comfort and wonder, a place where they enjoy spending time. A creative paint job is one fabulous way to make your child feel secure in their room, and at the same time introduce creativity to them.

1. Chalkboard Paint

Most children love to draw. Having an area in their bedroom, painted with chalkboard paint, where they can show off their artistry is something that every child will love. You can have an entire wall painted this way or section off part of an area to use for a chalkboard.

2. Multi-Colored Paint

Another creative paint job for your child’s bedroom is to have stripes or geometric shapes painted on one wall. Each design should be a different size and a different color for a fabulous look. You can go bold with intense colors or tone down the look by using pastels.

3. Border Paint

A great look that also provides function is to select a base color for the walls, and then choose another color to paint a wide border halfway up one or more walls. Atop this border, your child can hang artwork and pictures, leaving the rest of the walls smooth and nail-free.

4. Ceiling Paint

For a fun look, you can have the ceiling painted a different color than the walls. This type of paint job will immediately draw attention upward and make the room feel more spacious. Choose a light blue to simulate the sky or a cheery yellow for a welcoming feeling.

Lots of fun and unique choices exist when painting a child’s room. For more information and ideas about paint for every room in your house, please contact us today. We’re happy to discuss your options and advise you about what range of colors will look best in your home.

Nothing beautifies your home like a fresh coat of exterior paint in a smart color scheme. Though it’s tempting to give your house this much-needed makeover yourself, you may actually save more money in the long run — not to mention peace of mind — by hiring a professional painter.

Paint Quality

When it comes to exterior house paint, quality matters. Choosing the right type of paint for the surface you’re covering is the difference between a coat which stands the test of time and paint which begins to fade or peel prematurely. A professional can help you select a high-quality paint and recommend the appropriate finishes for different exterior areas of your home.

Prep Work

Even with high-quality paint, a paint job is only as good as the prep work done beforehand to make the surface ready for painting. Sometimes areas need to be sanded, repaired, or caulked, and in certain situations a primer must be applied. A pro painter has the tools and skills to prepare any surface correctly.

Time

It goes without saying that hiring a professional painter will save you the time it takes to do the job yourself. But sometimes it’s easy to forget the time lost in cleanup as well. By hiring a professional, you won’t have to worry about washing rollers, cleaning a paint sprayer, putting the ladder away each evening, or laundering those grubby work clothes.

Tools

Besides buying the paint and a good primer if one is needed, there are a lot of tools involved in painting the exterior of your home. Purchasing all these items yourself adds up, and you’ll need to store everything as well. Hiring a professional means that he or she brings all the tools and equipment needed, including ladders and scaffolds. Not only will you save on hassle, but your painter supplying the proper tools also means safety and efficiency.

To get the stunning exterior you’ve been dreaming of for your home, contact Excellent American Painting. We’ll leave your house shining with curb appeal for years to come!