Cabinet painting has been a solid foundation of how we help people with improving their homes with painting. Finding a paint contractor in the St. Charles (and fox valley area) that can help you navigate the Top 3 Problems with painted cabinets is not easy. Everyone wants to hear how easy and affordable with our knowing there can be issues with painted cabinets. So let dive in St. Charles!

Hey Everyone, I am David Cook with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper, painting in St. Charles, Geneva, South Elgin, Bartlett, West Dundee and Elgin to name a few locations we serve.

Frequently asked questions about cabinet painting?

Here is a video to help with this one..

Water damaged cabients

Look familiar? Water damage is the number one problem with wood cabinets. It doesn’t matter if it is stained or painted cabinets, wood floors, or wood furniture, water will cause permanent damage to wood.

There several ways water can cause damage to wood cabinets, floors or furniture:

• Leaving wet rags hanging on cabinets
• Not using coasters on your furniture
• High humidity
• Washing wood (painted or stained) with water and leaving heavy water residue on the wood surfaces

After 15 years of painting and re-staining cabinets, water damage is always an issue.

The cabinets by your sink get the most abuse!

• Water from washing your hands, doing dishes, cooking, and cleaning usually take their toll in this area of your kitchen cabinetry.
• Next are the cabinets or cabinet panels next to your dishwasher. The ventilation from dishwashers was not given much thought as to where the steam goes. They have traditionally either gone out the top damaging countertops or out the sides damaging the cabinet right next to your dishwasher.
• Do not use harsh chemicals to clean cabinets – vinegar and water are all you need. Chemical cleaners will cause the finishes of your cabinets to break down faster and then allow water into the wood.
• Fix any problem as soon as it is seen, don’t wait for it to get worse!

Will paint peel from my cabinets painted cabinets?

When the time is taken to do the right prep work on your wood cabinets -the paint will not peel from your cabinets.  When we are getting cabinets ready for paint we have a multi-step process to make sure the paint sticks to the wood:

• We clean the entire cabinet surface with TSP, degreaser cleaner. This can take several times to get cabinets clean
• We also scuff sand the surfaces to give the primer something to stick to. When the cabinets are previously painted, the surface is slick so paint or primer has nothing to stick to. Think of it as glass vs. your skin – they both look smooth but one is more porous than the other.
• Bonding primer is what should be used as your primer for cabinets. This stuff will bond to almost anything! Without the right primer, paint will have issues with sticking to any wood you are painting.

The devil is in the details!! All of the prep work is the key to a great, long lasting paint job.

As for the paint- USE THE BEST! ILVA, ML Campbell, Shur Wood Aqua Chem, And now Urathanes, they are the best finishes to use for cabinets.  They are great paints!!!

How can I stop paint chipping on my cabinets?

I do want to put it our there- we cannot prevent chipping paint. No one can. Paint chipping from a painted cabinet from the surface will happen. When paint chips is from the wood being damaged. If a wood cabinet is dented- the paint will chip.

We would love to say there is magic way to prevent chips from happening, but there is not. Just like your car- we can’t prevent it.

Can you fix the peeling paint on my cabinets?

No.  If the paint is peeling from your cabinets then the only way to fix it is to strip all of the paint from the door(s). Sanding is usually the top method for that.

Other questions about cabinet painting?

These are the top 3 problems with painted cabinets we are asked,but if you have other questions about cabinet painting – please contact us and let us know!

Man that is a mouth full right? When we get a phone call or email about house painting we tend to get several questions that almost everyone asks about house painting. If your not sure about color, cost or prep needed to paint your home here is a starting place for you. So lets dive into the Most common questions about painting a house you should know. These are also common painting problems- so read on!

Hell Everyone, I am David Cook, owner of Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper in Huntley, IL. We help people painting the interior and exterior of their homes. We can also help with staining homes and decks as well. (dont forget our cabinet painting and wallpaper services).

Our painting services extend to most of the Chicago land Fox Valley Area including Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Carpentersville, Barrington, Bartlett and south Elgin.

How much will it cost to paint my house?

The number 1 question people want to know is the cost to paint. While we can give some general idea, we cannot say exact. We charge a minimun of $600 for our painters to go to a home.

It sounds expensive we know. When you add in liability insurance, workmans comp, unemployment insurance, materials, gas and paint, it adds up fast. We also want to make sure our painters are making a fair and good wage to provide for their families.

If you have a 2 story foyer you can expect to pay anywhere from $1200 and up. Final cost to paint your foyer will depend on the over all size.

Here is an article we wrote about whole house painting..

What kind of paint do you use?

We use Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore paints. These are easy to get, as there is a store of each right next to each other in Huntley. These are high quality paint.

Interior paint can vary in sheen form one brand to another. Paint colors are also unique to each paint manufacturer. So looking at different brands for your paint job is wise.

Does it matter what sheen I pick?

Paint Sheen is how shiney a paint is. Each sheen of paint can have a different price. Every Sheen has its own unique properties and value.

Flat paint is great for ceilings. Flat hides imperfections of the surfaces being painted. Flat paintis also easy to touch up. Some Interior Designers also like flat paint as it shows the color to its truest form.

Higher sheen like eggshell satin and semi gloss are more reflective. The reflection of the paint can look great. Keep in mind the more reflection paint has the more issues you can see. These issues may be nics, scrapes, dust, dirt, nail pops, or cracks in the wall.

For bathroom painting, there are specific paints to use. These paints vary in sheen as well, so the type of paint is more important than the sheen being used.

How long will it take to paint my house?

Each room of the house will vary in the time needed to paint. When it comes to the Most common questions about painting a house you should know this is the hardest question to answer. Your paint project may have Issues such as:

• Size of the room determines how long it will take to paint
• Painting walls only vs painting ceilings and trim affects the time needed
• How many rooms are we painting
• How much surface prep is needed?
• Do we need to repair interior walls before painting?
• How much furniture is there that we need to work around
• How many coats of paint we need to use
• The height of a wall affects how long we need for painting
• Humidity affects the dry time of paint surface for exterior painting and interior painting

What do I need to move before you paint?

We do move some furniture items. To make is easy we use furniture gliders. Some things we cannot move:

• TV’s from walls
• you need to completly remove fragile items
• valuables- high end paintings for example
• cabinets or furniture with knick knacks on them
• pianos
• Appliances**. (water line or gas line hook ups can break or leak)
•  

Will you fix nail holes from pictures?

This question is probalbly the number 2 question but it varies. If we see a hole we fill it, it there is a nail (unless you say other wise) we fill it.

Are you insured or bonded to paint?

Great Question!! This is one of the reasons we are typiclly more expesive painters. Work compensaton and liabilty can accout for 12-20% of the cost to paint your house.

It is important to know the painters in your home are proberly insured! If a painter is hurt in your home- what will happen?. If somethng is broke how will it be replaced? What happens if there is a paint failure – usually on a exterior- how will it get fixed.

We do not get into bonds- as that typically refers to government projects.

Last but not least is Employee or Subs

For many years we prided on having family members and full time employees as our work force. Family members went to other types of work. Covid changed our workforce.

We struggled with using Subcontracotor painters. It was to our detriment and yours we dis not hire independent or subcontracors sooner. We have found these paint contractors love what they do, are efficient and offer us more opportunity to serve you better.

Most of our subs have all of their owne tools and equiptment, and for exterior work that is a huge advantage. Not having to rent tall ladders to reach tall exterior surfaces saves you money!

As with any full time painter we hire, all of the subs we use also are back round checked. We want you to feel confident in the people that are coming to your home.

Do you have other questions about painting?

The Most common questions about painting a house you should know as we have them here are from our customers. Do you have other painting concern or questions- let us know! We are here to see how we can help you as best we can.

Common Problems Painting White Walls

2024 looks to continue in the trend of painting walls white. For the past several years we painted grey. The grey was the way!! Agreeable grey was by far our most popular color. For the past several months, painting homes white has been making its way as the most popular color.

Painting walls white does not come easy, so we are going to look at some of the most common problems painting white walls

Hello everyone- today we are talking white! I am David Cook with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper. We assist customers in various areas including Elgin, Algonquin, Pingree Grove, West Dundee, Carpentersville, South Elgin, and Bartlett.

We were at a home show yesterday. People asked us the most common question, “What are the most common problems when painting white walls?” So lets dive in!

Top compaint about white walls

By far and large the most common issue people face with white walls is cleaning. White like black shows everything. So if you have a home with kids and dogs, you better have a washable paint.

What color White should I use to paint my house?

Picking colors os something we don not do. We can tell you what is the most popular colors we have used. We can tell you what colors to stay away from.

Whites can have green, yellow, blue and grey tones to them making it very tricky to select a color. Keep in mind natural light. Lighting affects the colors you use.

The most popolar white we have used over the past year are:

• Chantilly lace
• Simply white
• Pure White
• Alabaster
• Snowbounnd
• Ice Cube

If you need help picking a white or any other other color- what we do is reccommend is:

• a free virtual consult from Sherwin Williams
• JC licht in house color consults (they come with a coupon for free paint $80)
• or hire us to paint the house and we will send a interior designer to your house for free!

Will white paint cover my existing paint colors

If there ever was a question to get a painter in trouble this is it. Maybe do you like the color would be worse.

Painting over dark colors typically means we are priming walls then painting them. If we have to paint over red or yellow- we are priming walls as well. Most times when we paint white walls we have to use 3 coats of paint.

White paint is not the same as it used to be. White paints since covid have changed significantly. We were told that the reason is the loss of an ingredient called Titanium Dioxide. This ingredient made white paint more opaque, able to hide imperfections better.

When we change ceiling whites- 9 or 10 times we have to paint twice to cover the old color.

Can you touch up white ceilings?

If your ceilings have been recently painted -yes. That is considering you have the same paint and you have a dead flat white paint.

We love CHB sherwin Williams. It is the workhourse of the ceiling paint we use. It covers great- it is true flat and it has not relaly changed in 15 years so we can use it to touch up!

You can see the video we did on white flat paint here. Not all white paints are really flat!!

Can you match the white paint colors I picked?

Matching white paint is a yes and no. If you want to use BEHR white in Sherwin Williams, it won’t work. If you want to match Chantilly lace in Sherwin Williams, it won’t happen.

Keep in mind that other paint brands cannot match the whites offered by Sherwin Williams. So if you pick a white from Sherwin Williams- we use Sherwin Paint. Benjamin Morre colors gets Benjamin moore Paint

Lets paint your house white!

We truly don’t care about the color, we just want to help you love the space you’re in by giving you the look and feel you will adore. When we Paint with Purpose, we offer assistance to a woman who has been sexually abused.

With every house we paint you make a difference. The money we raise sends them to camps, events, and provides the help they need in their recovery process. So when you hire us to paint, you are also helping someone in need!

Have other questions?- let us know..

Have a great day and God Bless!!!!

If you are buying a home, or moving into a new home, then nothing beats the look and feel of your home. Painitng your walls, gives you a clean, neat, and perfect Feeliing!

Moving to a new house? Most customers want new paint colors. And since you are moving you are asking about how Painting your house before moving in can happen.

Hi, I’m David With Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper in Huntley. We serve towns like Barrington, Elgin, Crystal Lake, Pingree Grove, St. Charles, and Bartlett. Today we are discussing a call we receive frequently – painting your house before moving in. We are here to see how we can help you love the space your in by helping with your interior house painting before moving

Scheduling your painting before moving in

One of the biggest obstacles that we hear from customers is can you get the painting done on a certain date. We would love to say yes to every single one. (Here is our link to schedule an estimate for you). It has been an extremely high success rate for us because of the amount of crews, people, and resources we have access to.

When are you closing? This is the biggest obstacle. Closing dates are not 100% for sure, so if there is a delay, it can wreak havoc on our schedule as well as yours. So the more notice you have the better.

Working around other contractors when we paint

The next biggest issue on paint jobs is working around other trades or contractors. Painting your home before you move in usually means we need to be quick cause you don’t have much time. So we are gonna ask you some questions that week absolutely do need to know before we start your interior painting;

• will you be doing any work to your cabinets?
• are you having new carpet or flooring installed or removed?
• is there going to be an electrician moving lights, outlets or switches?
• do we need to move furniture?
• do you want or take out any mirrors or vanities?

These questions affect when we can paint. If you are getting new floors, then we don’t want to paint until old floors are out. We have painted before new floors are installed- I just don’t recommend it – it can. lead to issues later (knick/dings in walls, scrapes on trim etc)

Are there holes for new lights, if so-you must fix those holes. It is better to paint after completing all other work so that you can make the mess, clean it up, and then paint.

Knowing your colors before you move in

I would say picking paint colors is the most difficult thing to figure out. What colors do you want to paint?

We have designers we use to help! Best of all these designers are free to you! It can be tricky if your bringing in items from another house, as they have a color or tone that has to be considered in their new location. We have done a few videos on popular colors, check them out!

Once you have colors selected it is easy for us to come in the house, cover the floors, and start painting.

Can you paint after moving in?

Yes of course you can! We can help with that as well. It may take a bit longer, as we have to cover everything or move items out of the way. Residential re-painting after you are in the home is the norm.

So if your moving in, moving out, repainting, or repairing- we can help with your house painting needs

If you own a home in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, Such as Crystal Lake, and you have a Deck or wood siding home, then you will be thinking of what type of stains to use at your house. Today we are sharing a video, about Best Exterior Stains for Decks and homes in Crystal Lake IL area.

I am David Cook, of Dfranco Painting here in Huntley, IL, and today’s question is about best stains to use for the exterior of your home, fencing, decks. So we will start with a video from the Store Manager at Sherwin Williams in Crystal Lake, IL. Even though Scott has some great information, you can use this information in other areas such as Elgin, St. Charles, Barrington, Bartlett, or Pingree Grove.

Transparent or Solid stain?

If you have wood decks, then odds are transparent stains are typically what are used. A transparent stain is basically is a clear finish with some color in it. It does a great job of adding a water resistance or water proofing to help keep water off the wood surfaces to protect the wood for years to come. Keep in mind with all stains in the Chicago area, this is a maintenance program. You will have to keep adding stain or coatings to protect the wood as the weather will wear and tear on wood surafces.

Solid stain is almost like paint. It is made to grab or bite, into the wood. It is kind of like paint to protect the surfaces, but it also gives a great barrier to keep the elements at bay. The stains are a richer look and feel compared to paints.

Should I use Oil based stains ?

Oil based stains can be a real pain to use. The smell, you have to use gloves, you need to have hazardous materials to clean up with, and they are difficult to dispose of when done.

That being said, Oil based products resist the elements much better than some of their water based or water borne products. Oil based products can become more fragile as they age- so they peel or crack after some years, where as the water based products usually will flake off just wear away (from our experience)

Oil based products also will need chemicals to strip them when they need to be redone, so there is more of an expense there as well.

Water borne or water based stains

The best part of these stains is that they are easy to clean up, easy to strip, and easy to get tinted. They are not meant for long-term use- not much is when it comes to water resistance and wood. The hybrid versions are waterborne, and they do offer a longer life than traditional water-based products.

I like the hybrids alot, and they seem to perfomr better over all, from our persective as painters at least.

What stain should I use?

This is a you get what you pay for, so answering what are the Best Exterior Stains for decks and homes, Crystal Lake, IL can be subjective a bit. Price, preference, color make a difference. However, the better the products used the better the life span of these products. We are Sherwin products for the most part as the stores are close to where we work, have good delivery, and great pricing, and they really do work with us to warranty their products.

Do you have question? Best Exterior Stains for decks and homes, Crystal Lake, IL

Spring 2024 is here!!! That means yard work, power washing and exterior painting season! If you have a house with wood, then you may be asking what ar the Best Paints and Stains for Exterior painting in Elgin, IL!

Hello Everyone- David with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper Here in Huntley, IL , and today’s article is from a question on what re the best paints or stains to use on my home? If you live in the Pingree grove, Gilberts, South Elgin, Geneva, or Algonquin areas- here is some information for you!

Best exterior Paints from Sherwin Williams

So we had some fun with this blog post and leaned into the experts at Sherwin Williams! The store in South Elgin, store manager Austin, gave us some great information on paint and stains for your home and or business. You can hit this link for more information on paint from Sherwin Williams

These paints can be used (depending on surfaces) for painting:

• Aluminum Siding
• Hardy Board
• Wood Siding
• Cedar siding
• previously painted surfaces
• some types of vinyl siding
• garage doors

Get a estimate now!

Best Stains for Exteriors of homes

Living in the Chicago area, there are are many areas where wood siding is used for exterior of homes. Cedar siding is the most prevent wood siding, with cement or hardy board being close 2nd. We see a lot of homes with manufactured wood/copmposite type siding as well.

Using Stain is something made for wood. It has more adhesion properties, and gives a very unique look for wood surfaces.

Transparent oil stains for wood

If you have cedar siding and have used oil type stains, then you want to keep oil in the wood, if possible. Oil does provide the best protection for surfaces made from wood as it naturally repels water. Oil will fade just like water based products. The Greta thing about oil toning products such as Rymar, is that you don’t have to strip oils stain before adding more protection or color.

Ryman Is one type of oil, but Sherwin Also sells Super deck oil stain than can be used on decks, siding or wood/log surfaces!

Getting an exterior paint estimate for your home

aside from filling out our contact us page, you can call anytime- we would love to see how we can help you with your exterior:

• exterior painting
• Pressure washing
• Painting Siding
• Staining Decks
• Cedar siding Staining

God Bless!!

If you are searching for a painter- you have landed in the right spot! know I have have used those same words for plumbers, electricians and septic contractors. Personally, I think D’franco Painting & Wallpaper is the best paint contractor in the Huntley area.  Here is a video that goes into one reason that we are different!

Is there a difference between painters?

As much as I hate to say this, the answer really is – It depends. Can there be that much of a difference? O Oh yes! . These are the top questions you should be asking:

• Are you insured?
• Do you use Subcontractors or have employees?
• Do you have workman’s compensation?
• How soon can you do our work?
• What kind of paints do you use?
• Do your crews speak English or can communicate clearly while the project is happening?
• Have you done ____ before?
• Does the company have any on line or Google Reviews?
• Finally, how much will it cost?

It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a paint contractor in Crystal Lake, Geneva, Pingree Grove, or South Elgin.  The right person for the right job is really up to you.  Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If you have one estimate that includes paint and the other does not, or if one person is quoting dutch boy and another is using Sherwin Willaims Emerald paint- there will be a difference in cost.

How should I pick a Painter?

I am speaking on behalf of D’franco Painting & Wallpaper, and what my wife looks for when we have to hire a contractor for our home.

Do they have a website, google reviews or referrals from the local paint stores? How long they have been in business? How much experience do they have? Most importantly – do I trust them?

Are you covered? We have to carry several types of insurance to protect our employees, our company and you the customer. In Illinois, some of these insurances can be expensive. Workman’s comp for example- if someone is hurt- who pays for that injury of it takes place at your home? Other trades need to be licensed – painters right now do not.

How much experience do they have? We pride ourselves in experience and our online reviews.  We want you to know how many times we have done a project. All you have to do is check out our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and of course our website.

Do they have their information on their vehicle when they show up? Most of Our work vehicles have our logos, and company information. I like to see when people show up, they take pride in who they are as a business. It helps to establish trust as well, as you know who is in your driveway or parking in front of your house. Your neighbors can relax knowing who or what the car is in your driveway or in front of their house as to who is parking out front. (We do however use Subcontracotrs, that you can see on our team member page.)

Best ways to search for Paint Contractors?

Obviously, google is the top of the list but there are other ways to find good, reputable, and quality people. Don’t limit yourself when the “best painter near me” is not actually right in your home town. Good contractors travel. Google also varies search results so a top ranked contracotr may not sho wup today but will in 1 hour. Do they have google verified? That is another great thing to search for.

• Have you asked your local paint store, or a few in the area? I usually ask 3 people
• Ask people you know, work with or family
• I have called people from the number on a work vehicle before
• There are a lot of people using Facebook as well

Ready to get your house painted?

I hope this article helped. There are a lot of really great contractors and people to help you with your home. I hope we can be one of them, but I also know we may not be the best fit for everyone. We are here to help. If you need a good contractor- give us a call we will see if we have someone we know will help.

When the time comes for wallpaper, cabinet painting, or traditional painting, we hope we can Help. We serve the greater Chicago area and NW Suburbs including Hamshire, Huntley, Carpentersville, St. Charles, or other surrounding suburbs.  Give us phone call or text to help you love the space you are in.

Every area of the county can be unique when it comes to wall finishes. Some areas are smooth, there are textures and popcorn ceilings. Selecting the Best paint for Ceilings is a matter of matching the paint properties to the type of ceiling and the effect you desire. For this article, we are gonna assume you have smooth flat drywall ceilings.

Hello Everyone, David With Dfranco Painitng, here in Huntley,IL. This wekes question is about what paint should I use for my ceilings. SO- Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make the best choice:

What sheen should I use to paint my ceilings?

Most Designers, Painters, Builders, Paint store Reps, and indusrty experts will agree that flat latex paint is the Best paint for painting the ceilings in your home (in general). Yes there are exeptions which I’ll get to in a bit, but a non-reflective finish is preferred in almost all situtations.

Again, we are writng this for homes in around the Pingree grove, Algonquin, Carpentersville, Elgin, St. Charles areas of Chicagoland as they are alll pretty much the same.

Why should I use Flat Paint for ceilings?

We could send a ton of time on this, but at the end of the day, for your interior painting, you want a flat paint to be applied to your ceilings because:

• it hides issues such as imperfections of the drywall
• there will be minimun glare or reflection
• there will be no shine- flat paints in general are the most accurate depiction of the color selected
• flat paint is easy to touch up- if you have water damage, lighting replaced you will apprecaite touching up a ceiling vs reppainting the whole thing

Types of paint to use for Ceilings

There are several brands of paint- how to choose? Here is a list of ceiling paints we have used, and what we like or dislike about them that is best for interior painting in your home. (paints do change over time, so asa of this article post this is what we like best)

1. Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling Paint – This product is specifically formulated for ceilings and features an ultra-matte finish. It’s known for its slow drying time, which reduces spatter, and its ability to conceal blemishes well​​. We have found that it leaves marks, and didnt really touch up that well, (an electrician added a light, we touch up around it and it left a sheen different from the paintinng we did the previou day) It is also the most exensive.
2. Harmony Interior Acrylic Latex – If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option, Harmony is UL Greenguard Indoor Air Quality and Gold certified. It includes mold and mildew inhibitors and is particularly effective for kitchen ceilings where you might encounter smoke stains or cooking odors​​. We used this product in a day care, funeral home and senior care facility. We had no issues with it, seemed ok- we only used it because thaat was what we were told to use.
3. BEHR Ultra Pure – Home Depot says, “this paint is versatile for various ceiling textures, offers stain-blocking capabilities, and is low-odor, though it may require more than one coat for optimal coverage​​”. We say NOT. Great marketing, poor deliverance- from our experience. I thought price was high, and as you can see in this video- I would not call this a flat paint.

4. Sherwin Williams Eminence Ceiling Paint –

This paint is newer to the market. We have only used it twice and that was due to the color selected. The can said that “This paint has no sheen and is a true flat”, and overall i think it was. Since it comes in a base color of Bright White, it an excellent choice for bright whites competeting with Behr.

OUR Top pick for Ceiling Paint- Sherwin Williams CHB

This paint is a powerhouse and workhorse. If your in the Chicago market your painters will know it well. It is said to outsell all their other paints. We have been using it since 2005. It has never changed, (that we have seen) the label is the same, smells the same, and works the same. In fact!.. we have gone back to do touch ups on ceilings 5 yrs later! We used the same paint, with a new gallon and you could not see where it was re painted! The Cost is amazing. We personally will only use this stuff unless told otherwise- it is that good. So hands down we feel that is is the BEST Inteior PAINT FOR CEILINGS

Good runner up- JC LICHT MHB ceiling paint. This product is meant to compete with Sherwin Williams CHB. We have used it once, and that was over 8 years ago, so I cant really give much information about it, except to say it is an option.

What is the difference between flat and other sheen levels

Sheen Levels determined how much shine or refelction a paint has. Flat paints, such as the ones mentioned, have the lowest sheen level. Which why it is ideal for ceilings as they diffuse light and reduce reflections. This quality makes imperfections less noticeable.

For wallls we tell people to use a low sheen/matte/ or eggshell. Sheen levels can get confusing!! It can drive us mad as well. Each paint line from each brand has their own sheen level, whichmakes it hard to match paint or do touch ups. The added tint also affects sheen, but alll lof these issues are best for another day.

Where can I look at the Flat paint types or sheen?

Images of Flat Paint Brands– For visual reference, images can be very helpful. However, for specific images of flat paint brands mentioned, it would be best to visit the manufacturers’ website. Maybe stop in at a home improvement store to see the color swatches and finishes. On line or digital images may not always accurately reflect the true colors. Which is also true of different cell phone cameras and image viewers.

When considering paint for your ceiling, remember to take into account the color and finish. Then the paint’s ability to cover imperfections, its resistance to mold and mildew, and the room’s specific conditions and usage. This will ensure you choose a paint that is both aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting.

Hello everyone, David Cook with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper here in Huntley, IL, with today’s you ask we answer – How Long after painting a bathroom can I shower? When we paint a bathroom, this is the top asked question, and most ignored answer.

Making sure the paint cures ensures a successful paint job, so lets dive into today’s question.

How long does it take to paint to dry to the touch?

When you are painting your home, and we are assuming interior painting for the purpose of this blog post, wet paint is never fun to work around. Each paint has its unique properties so you do need to check the lable to make sure you follow their specs- so you dont void the warranty.

Typically- dry to the touch is a few hours. It can be sped up by using a fan. Keep in mind dry to the touch does not mean cure time- huge difference- see below..

When will the paint be fully cured?

So- great question! The dry time is the touch. The cure time is when it is 100% dry, no more off gassing, can be put to its full use (ie washing)

The cure time is when all of the solids in the paint have fully dried. These solids are in part the tint, the main chemicals that make the paint what it is. They are fluid when applied and need time to dry together to get its full bond, water resistance, UV resistance, etc.

Typically, cure time is 30-45 days. Ok- but How long after painting a bathroom can I shower? You can use it in 24-36 hours, but make sure you avoid excessive moisture by keeping doors open, vents on etc, the last thing you want to see is moisture drips.

Tips to keep paint looking new in bath after painting

Everyone is anxious to start decorating after the paint is up and dry to the touch. But be careful! We have already answer How long to after painting a bathroom can I take a shower is 24-36 hours. The same rule should apply before hanging shower curtains, glueing mirrors, towel holders etc.

Whenever you take a shower- you should always have ventilation. That can be achieved with open windows, open doors and if you have one- using a vent fan.

If you have something on the wall- toothpaste, hairspray, dust, make sure to use care to clean it! We say to use microfibre and water- gently to clean- the more you wipe the higher your chances to make marks on the walls.

Other issues with paint in bathrooms

The number one problem is moisture. Water from showers, dripping from the sides or puddling where the water seaps into the drywall are the biggest issues we are called to fix.

Seap lines- looks like the walls are crying-

These typically are due to poor paint quality and or no ventilation while using very hot and steamy showers. Ventilation takes care of most of this- usually.

Have other Paint questions!

Let us know- we are here to try and help you love the space you’re in and take the pain out of painting!

So you’re thinking of what to do for your basement ceiling. Should you drywall, or maybe just hang a drop ceiling? Then someone told you; Paint your Ceiling Black! Now your thinking.. should I – could I- Would I dare- we say yes you should!

Hello Everyone- today’s question- Paint your Basement Ceiling Black is a hot topic for 2024 for us. We have done 4 of these projects now -and so far each time looks just as good as the last. The latest project comes from Gilberts, IL.

What you need before basement rafters black

You can see from the images here and the video above, the difference from wood to black is huge!

There area a few things to keep in mind..

• this is done by spraying- so there can be a mess to maek this happen
• if you have a basement full of stuff- your gonna need to move it out of the area being painted
• you will have to cover water pipes with insulation
• new HVAC vents will need to be cleaned before painting
• IF you have alot of loose wires, cables etc- the more that is cleaned up neatly the better things look when they are painted black

What kind of paint should I use too paint my ceiling black

There are two main type of black paint we have used to paint ceilings. The first is a commercial product, and it is called Black Dryfall. The 2nd is black aqualock primer.

Dryfall is typically used in commercial spaces. It is quite unique. You need to have some open spaces- 14 ft tall or higher for the product to really work its magic. At 14 feet, the product has enough air when falling that it dries out becoming dust! You then sweep it up!

Black Aqualock Primer, is stock black, not tinted- HUGE difference for coverage. When black is tinted it does not cover as well as a pre made black product.

Before and after Black painted ceiling

A picture is worth 1,000 words….

How can we help you paint your basement?

it doesn’t matter if what your painting in your home, we can help. Give us call and let us know what we can do to help you love the space your in with painting, wallpaper, cabinet refinishinng- and exterior painting as well!!