Category: Uncategorized

Are you thinking of using wallpaper in a bathroom?

With the continued popularity of wallpaper in homes, bathrooms are the most popular request we receive for wallpaper installations. How about you? Have you seen a Home improvement show that highlighted wallpaper? Does it have you thinking of installing wallpaper in your bathroom or powder room?

Hello Everyone, David Cook with Dfanco Painting and Wallpaper here in Huntley IL. Today we are talking about wallpaper in a bathroom. As we look to serve and help customers in areas around us like Elgin, PIngree Grove, Hampshire, South Ellgin, And Algonquin, the question of Wallpaper in a bathroom has been a hot topis this week.

FAQ’s about wallpaper installation

this one is best served with a video we did…

Can I install grasscloth in a powder room?

Yes you can! Grasscloth is a great product. It will last for years when it is cared for properly. Keep in mind grass cloth is an organic material- it actually is grass that has been dried weaved and sewn into a backing paper to be glued to your walls.

So you cannot wash it- you need to have a brush attachment to vac the paper clean. Water can cause the ink or color to fade. Other issues we have seen are cats- cats can use the grass to rub against, or use as a scratching post.

Can I wallpaper my bathroom without it peeling?

The short answer is yes! Wallpaper has come a long way in the past 10 years. Why?

• Wallpapers are constructed of more sturdier materials.
• The wall materials (drywall) is made much better than it used to be.
• Wall primers that are used to seal the walls create a surface that is exceptional to hang wallpaper on. These primers will make sure that moisture does not penetrate the drywall and keeps the wallpaper adhered to the primer, not the walls.
• I will say- USE A EXHAUST FAN! paint and wallpaper although sturdy sound materials cannot withstand long exposure to moisture/heavy humidity (water running down walls)

What does all of that mean to you? It means that the wallpaper, when properly installed, will not peel from your bathroom walls!

Installing wallpaper in a bathroom is economical!

Powder rooms and bathrooms are usually much smaller than other rooms of your house. This means less wall space.  Less wall space means less wallpaper is needed to cover the walls.

Where to find wallpaper for your bathroom?

• If you are unsure of what to get or wnt to see/touch the wallpaper and you are in the Chicagoland area- go to JC licht. They have great designers who can help you pick the right wallpaper.
• we suggest staying away from etsy or other on line sites- we have had more issues with paper bought there than success. Name brand paper give you best results.
• Be mindful of the width of the wallpaper. The wider the paper, the less rolls you need.
• every maker of wallpaper has unique variations of how long a roll can be
• If you pick a large pattern repeat, you will need and waste more paper.
• You may be able to buy wallpaper by the yard, which could be more affordable.

How to get a Estimate for your Bathroom Wallpaper Project

We tell people before asking for a price for wallpaper, to find out what wallpaper you want. Every paper can be unique in the style, type of adhesive, primer, or prep work needed. For rough numbers and get you started- You can start with it will cost about 650 to paper a powder room.

Once you have the wallpaper selected, we can come measure the room, verify how much paper you need, and get you a final cost.

How can we help you with your Wallpaper Installation?

Do you have questions about wallpaper installations in your bathroom? Please let us know.  We want to be able to help you and answer your questions. Most importantly, we want you to love the space you’re in!  Still not sure or have questions about wallpaper installations?

Here are some recent blog posts about wallpaper

• How much does it cost to wallpaper a room?
• Is wallpaper back? YES!
• Wallpaper as an accent wall

Give us a call, send us a text, or email us today! We will install your wallpaper, so you will enjoy that bathroom and make sure you have a great place to go! (Yes, that is a bad joke about using the bathroom.)

So you are ready to start painting your cabinets! Your friends or neighbors hired a paint contractor to paint their Kitchen Cabinets. You, however, are still not sure about the process and how to go about hiring a professional cabinet painter. Now that you are here- let’s talk about Frequently asked questions, FAQ’s about Cabinet Painting

Hello Everyone, this is David Cook from Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper here in Huntley, IL, where we look to answer FAQ’s about cabinet painting, along with your most asked questions or issues regarding Painting or Wallpaper. Aside from Huntley, we can help in towns such as Crystal Lake, Carpentersville, Barrington, Bartlett, or St. Charles.

What color can I paint my cabinets?

There is very little that you cannot do. If you want your oak cabinets to look like maple- that is a whole different conversation for a different day.

We tell people you can for the most part pick any color for your cabinets- yes there a few exceptions. We cannot match Behr Whites into the paint we use for cabinets. So if you are repainting your cabinets a new color or painting cabinets the same color- pick a color you really like!

So once you have selected a color- be careful- here is a video on color issues…

Some colors can only be made in their respective brands. There are colors from Sherwin Williams that only Sherwin wiliams can make. The same is true of Benjamin Moore.

Will the paint peel from my painted cabinets?

The reason paint peels from your cabinets is because your paint contractor or painter did not do a good job to clean, sand the surface being painted and did not use a bonding primer.

If a surface is clean, dry, scuffed and primed properly, paint will not peel.

Will painted cabinets chip?

Yes. The softest surface- in this case, is wood. Kitchen cabinet painting is not much different than other painted wood surfaces in your home. Wood dents and when it dents, the paint is harder than the surface it is applied to so it chips away. Just like your car.

What type of paint do you use to paint cabinets?

We have traditionally used hybrid lacquers- waterborne finishes to paint cabinets. This year after testing for a year, we have started to shift to Urathanes. Professional painters have been using these products for about 8-10 years now. There are some good reasons, and the biggest are:

• better color matching
• easier touch ups
• better chemical resistance
• more readily available
• more user friendly
• less solvents to clean products with

So the biggest products are Emerald Urethane and Advance Urethane.

How do I clean cabinets after I paint them?

Cleaning painted cabinets should be done with BONA hard surface cleaner or a 50/50 mix of water/vinegar. These products will not harm the surface, or cause water damage.

Can you repaint my Malomene or thermal foil cabinets?

This is a tricky question. Cause yes you can, paint them. BUT painting these or other veneer type surfaces can cause problems. We have to clean the surface, our cleaning can cause the finish to peel. Using cleaning products can cause moisture to get into the surface- usually MDF, and cause the MDF to swell and be damaged permanently.

How long will painted cabinets last?

If you buy painted cabinets or we paint them the same is true. If you take care of painted surfaces they should last for years. How they are cleaned, worn used etc will ulitmatley determine how long they will last. (but once cabinets have been painted, most people are looking to replace cabinets as the next step.)

How to find a professional cabinet painter near me?

We think it is easy. Start with google!

• Does the paint contractor have a website?
• Is the painter listed on google maps
• Do you see a verifed business by Google?
• Can you find any Google reviews?

Ask your local paint retailer who they know. There are many companies that will fit your needs. Several factors you need to consider when hiring a paint contractor:

• does the painter have liability insurance if not guess who pays if there is an issue
• can the paint contractor provide or have workmans compensation insurance? – if not… ?
• what type of warranty or guarantee can you get
• How many people will be working on your painting project
• how long will it take to paint the cabinets
• will the cabinets be sprayed?

What other questions do you have about cabinet painting?

We are here to help! These are our FAQ’s about Cabinet Painting. If you have other questions about painting. your home- let us know! We look forward to seeing how we can help you love the space your in!

Have you been watching home improvement TV shows or reading home magazines? If so, then you are seeing that wallpaper installation for your home is on the rise! If you are confused about wallpaper you are not alone. Lets talk about FAQ’s about wallpaper installation.

Hey Everyone- David with Dfranco PAinting and Wallpaper here in Huntley, IL. We help home owners and business with their Painting, Wallpaper and Cabinet painting projects.

We serve the Fox valley area including ALgonquin, Crystal Lake, Dundee, Elgin, South Elgin, St Charles, Pingree Grove and Hampshire! (dont see your city it is ok – we probably go there too)

Where Should I buy Wallpaper?

If you are lucky enough to be in the Chicagoland area, then we by far tell people to head over to JC licht stores. You can also buy from Sherwin Williams stores. We say JC licht because some of their stores have designers in them which can help you make the right decisions.

Buying wallpaper is like buying almost everything else. You get what you pay for. The cheaper the paper- the cheaper the paper and harder to instal for the most part. So know who or where you. are buying from.

With little regulations or standards in the wallpaper industry it is very hard for us to give recommendations. The materials used to print wallpaper are ever evolving. Which makes our job as installers very difficult. With changing paper and ink the installation process can change as well

How Much Wallpaper do I need?

Although it is the 2nd most asked question about wallpaper installation, it is by far the hardest to answer. How much wallpaper you need will depend on several factors such as:

• Size of the room
• how tall walls are
• If the paper has a repeat pattern
• How large are the rolls
• The width of the wallpaper

Each of these issues will determine the amount of wallpaper needed.

How much will it cost to install my wallpaper

Another loaded question. Here is a link to a blog article on this subject as well.

Cost is based on how long it will take to install. You can expect to pay 500-800 for a wallpaper installation

How long will it take to Install my wallpaper?

Time needed to install wallpaper will depend on where it is being installed. The time needed also depends on how big the room is. We also are affected on the size of the paper.

Walls or wallpaper that is large and needs two people can take longer to install as well

Should I buy Prepasted or Unpasted Wallpaper

We say Unpasted! with unppasted paper we know exactly the type of adhesive to use and what it will do. If we are given pre pasted wallpaper, we are working with alot of unkowns;

• is the paste safe for touch or animals
• are there harmful chemicals
• will it stick to paint
• does it need special primer
• does type of water affect activation
• does it need a activator

Can I use wallpaper in my Bathroom?

Oh yeah! As long as you have it installed properly, and the paper in good quality wallpaper will work in a bathroom.

I do say that with one thing- make sure you have ventilation! Steam is how paper is removed, how paint peels and how water damage happens. Use a fan!

Do you install Self Stick Wallpaper?

Yes. Agin get a good one. Products from 3m, York, Spoonflower work really well. BUT!! read the instrutions- some self stick papers need a paint to be used, primer to be used, walls that have cured 30 days etc.

Dont go cheap on Wallpaper!!

Have other wallpaper Questions?

Let us know- we are here to help! Do. you have something that should be added to the FAQ’s about wallpaper installation list- let us know!

Hello Everyone- I am David Cook, with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper, here in Huntley, IL. Buzz word this week is wallpaper ceiling. Adding ceiling wallpaper is a great way to make your room pop! But how much does it cost to wallpaper a ceiling?

Great question, and overall not too complicated of a question either. If you live in the St. Charles, Geneva, South Elgin, Barrington, Crystal Lake or Hampshire vicinity, this article is for you! So let’s get into what we need to know from you and what you can expect from us during this wallpaper installation process.

What kind of wallpaper can be installed on a ceiling

The hardest part of a wallpaper ceiling install is selecting the wallpaper. Almost any type of wallpaper can be installed on a ceiling. I say almost because I most likely would not use a peel-and-stick, self-stick type wallpaper on any ceiling. The adhesive on these materials is really meant to be temporary and peel away. We have found that these self-sticks don’t do well in tall or overhead applications. Another thought- You also want to find something that won’t attract dust such as grasscloth wallpaper.

Best wallpaper for ceilings

Most other wallcoverings will work well because we can prepare the ceiling with specialized primers and adhesives to get the best performance and long lasting performance. The style is as unique as the customers we install for. Murals, geometric, metallic, patterns, non patterns, some be afraid!! Types of Wallpapers that we have installed vary such as:

• commercial wallpaper
• vinyl
• murals
• paper
• digitally printed graphics

How to prepare a ceiling for wallpaper

Once you have selected a wallpaper for your ceiling, then the fun begins! We will have to measure the space that you are looking to have wallpaper installed on. We need to figure out:

• which direction the paper should go
• if the paper is long enough to span the space- otherwise you have seams in the ceiling
• do you have enough paper?
• what type of primer we need
• what type of adhesive we need
• can we paste the surface or do we need to paste the paper?
• will this need 1 or 2 people?

In order to get the ceiling ready for wallpaper, the basic wallpaper tool is pole sand the surface area to get rid of any burrs, or times that may have gotten in the paint from the previous paint job. Once we have that done, we are going to apply a primer. The primer will seal the surface for wallpaper making it adhere to the primer vs the drywall, and protect the drywall from any damage that may happen.

After we allow the primer to dry, we will apply a coat of adhesive to the surface and allow that to dry overnight. When we come back the next day and apply the wallpaper to the previously primed ceiling with adhesive, it will stick like Velcro!

So what is the cost to install wallpaper on the ceiling?

I have set the table to show you the prep needed, now it is a matter of how much time it will take. No matter what, most ceilings are a 8 hour event for 2 men. With that you can expect to pay about $989-$1205, depending on paper. prep, height etc.

Most ceiling installs require or need rolling scaffold, planks support braces etc. to get the paper up on the larger area.

That is about it.. the prep we use, the issues we face and some basic ceiling wallpaper installation costs. We hope that helps.. if you have other questions about wallpaper installation in general please let us know how we can help so you can love the space you’re in!

It is spring! The time for people to start moving has started. Phone calls are now ringing from customers about doing some painting at their homes to help it sell faster. One of the many calls we receive is about painting my house before I sell, But the top question is Is Will painting my house get me more money?.

Hey Everyone- David With Dfranco Painting and wallpaper here in Huntley, IL. We work to help home owners and businesses with their painting and wallpaper needs in Bartlett, South Elgin, St. Charles, Algonquin and Pingree Grove to name a few areas. As we discuss the issue of painting your house, and will painting help improve the value, you may have questions- let us know! You also may have a different view point- let us know! Your insights and questions may help other people dealing with painting their house.

Should I paint before selling my home?

While there is no best answer for this questions, there are some good themes or similarities we see and hear from realtors and people moving into a home. The top issues we see and hear are:

• look how dirty the walls are
• I hate these colors
• I don’t want to have to spend the money before moving in
• I don’t have time to paint
• how do I know what colors to paint

What do you want a potential home owner to think of when you see your house? Do want a buyer to think how much work it needs or I’m ready to move in? Paint is a cheap fix cheap and it is the most value in terms of appeal.

The wrong paint color is all a person will think about and the first thing a potential buyer will scoff at once they are back in their car.

Things to paint before selling a home

Lets keep this quick and simple- take a quick walk around your house and take a look at these areas:

• look at the doors and door frames- are they dirty or dinged up?
• Do you have a lot of holes from pictures on the walls?
• Are the walls banged up with nicks and dings?
• Does the mud room and closets have a lot of scuff marks on the walls?
• How are the kids bedrooms? No colors that will send people away angry?
• Bathroom walls- do they show signs of water, moisture etc

Best colors to use to help sell a home?

This is a very interesting question as there are no great answers, because to say neutral is not a safe answer any more. It used to be a neutral earth tone was great, not any more. There are people that love a solid white house, but not everyone. We do many homes in gray, but the gray’s have so many underlying tones of blue, green, etc. It can be hard to pick one that some may decide not to keep in the house because they hate the color! Crazy right?

This pic is from the house we bought (fixer upper) – deep red and water stains never painted over- don’t give a buyer a reason to say no, walk away or show a reason to pay less for your home.

That being said, for the most part we are picking neutral grays, such as Agreeable gray from Sherwin Williams is very popular right now, However!!!-2024 has shown white as a strong contender the the most common color we will be using in homes.

Can I just do touch ups?

I wouuld lover o tell you yes- but the answer is going to be no. Due to changes in paint, age of paint, age of existing wall finishes, differences in tints and colorations, it is almost impossible to touch up walls effectively (so no one see its) anymore.

So just bite the bullet, paint the whole wall.

Can painting a home before selling increase value?

This is a definite yes. You want the buyer excited about moving in, not stressed about having to find a painter before they can move in. Curb appeal matters, if it didn’t your brand new used car would not have been detailed before you bought it.

If you have questions about painting your house before you sell, let us know how we can help.

How Much will it cost to Restain Cherry Cabients?

If you have wood cabinets in your house and are ready for an update or refresh you have several options to consider. Should you replace cabinets, you could paint cabinets, refacing cabinets is an option, or maybe Restain the Cabients. Last week we started a project that is outside what we typically do- we started the task of cabinet staining! That has led to the question- What will it Cost to Restain Cherry Cabinets?

Can I Restain my Cabinets?

Before knowing cost – you should know if you can re stain cabinets. This video shows it best…

any type of water damage will make it almost impossible to re stain cabinets

So- you can stain! Now what?

We have been called, we have seen pics of your Cabinets and now it’s time to get an estimate. Here is where we get into the details that matter.

Cherry is a difficult wood to stain, so picking a stain color is the 1st step. Once you have a color, we will have to do a sample to make sure the stain is what your wanting.

Are you adding or getting rid of existing hardware? We ask this because if you have to fill holes- then matching the stain may be an issue- as not all wood fillers take the stain the same as the wood does.

Not all hinges are made the same

Knowing if you are going to replace any hinges- some hinges acannot be replaced. Older cabinet hinges or the style of the cabinet doors may result to not being able to get new hinges. If you are just swapping the same size and style of cabinet hinges for another then you should be good to go.

How long will it take to Restain wood Cabients?

Once we figure out what stain color you want for your Cabinets, the next question is usually- how long will this take? Great question! Re staining is time consuming. We are hoping that the typical sander can remove the clear coat and the stain as well. With 2 passes of 220 and 400 grit sandpaper.

The last job we figured 70 hours to sand off old finishes, stain, glaze and clear coat the cabinet doors- it took us 95.  Not fun. Two things we under estimated was the clear coat and the old glaze. The cherry cabinets had a very thick layer of clear coat on the cabinets which took 80 grit sandpaper!! 80 grit is very rough and not typical- so we had to use 120, 180, 220, 340, then 400 to get rid of the sanding marks we made to get rid of the older finishes.

We assume that fort the most part it wil take 2 hours per door.

Ok, so how much will it cost to Restain Cherry cabinets?!

Yeah, so we waited a bit to get to it, but we had to set expectations on what you can expect in the process of restaining. When we paint cabinets, we average 120-150 per door opening. (That included the boxes) For this it is more money- and probable close to the cost of refacing. It willl be close to 225-250 per door and opening. The sanding is messy, and takes a long time.

Problems with staining cherry cabinets

Let’s keep this ones short and sweet as we covered most of this in the video

• cherry has Gannon in it- which turns wood yellow or orange
• as cherry is red- you need to know how to kill the red undertones in the wood
• you need to use oil stains for best finishes
• clear coats for oil or modified stains are typically oil.
• Working with oil stain and clear coats are usually very smelly!
• Staining takes a long time! Each pice needs 4-8 hours to dry then 4-8 hours for clear coat to dry

Repairs is a little longer than a bullet point- if there are water stains, cracks, dents, old glue or other defects in the surface- re staining could be very difficult to achieve.

How can we help you with your cabinet refinishing?

From painting, staining or touch ups, we are here to help as best we can- If you have questions regarding cabinet paint or stain- let us know- We look forward to seeing how we can help you love the space your in!

That time of year has arrived- spring has sprung, snow has left us, and you are getting outside to start working on yard and home projects. As you look at your house and deck you see you need to clean it up or this is the year to tackle decks staining or house painting. Well then we are here to help with 3 ways to power wash your house Elgin!

Hello everyone I am David with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper here in Huntly, IL. We help people in Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Lakewood, Elgin, Gilberts, Hampshire, South Elgin, and St. Charles. These are some of the areas we serve. Today we are discussing power washing in relation to preparing the exterior of a house for painting.

What is the purpose of power washing your house?

the quick answer is to clean it. Your house is no different than your car- it gets dirty. Rain attracts dust, darker sides of the house can grow algae or mold. Power washing eliminates those issues.

Some power washing is just to clean the dirt off the house. In the 3 ways to power wash your house, we are reviwing what we do before painting the exterior of your house.

Cold wash power washing

A cold wash is a remarkably simple, fast way to get a house ready for painting. It can by done by almost anyone with a power washer. We are going to arrive, and use the power washer with low pressure to clean away.

• dirt
• griime
• cob webs
• loose paint
• bird droppings

An average house takes 2-3 hours to set up and clean. If the house is taller it may take longer. This process typically does not harm plants or vegetation.

Soft power washing of a house

Roofers actually use a soft wash to clean shingles. We use a soft wash to add water, light pressure and cleaning solutions to clean the exterior of your house. Soft power washing helps us remove:

• algae
• mold
• bacteria
• loose paint
• other organic matter

While we try to be careful, the extra pressure and soaps can affect plants around the house. We should cut back any overgrown trees or shrubs before we do our work to prevent them from rubbing on the house.

A soft power wash can take 3-6 hours depending on the size of the house.

Oxidation Power washing

Now we are into the more aggressive power washing for a house.

Oxidation washing can take more time than other forms of power washing. It also is typical of of aluminum and vinyl siding homes. Aluminum and Vinyl siding can get a white haze on it- we call oxidation. This needs to go away before exterior painting can happen.

You can easily remove it with higher pressure, soap, and pre-soaking. Since we are using higher pressure, you should protect any plants around your house from the high pressure.

The oxidation washes will take 5-8 hours depending on the size of the house.

Top issues with power washing a house

overall power washng is pretty simple but there can be isses that happen. The most common problem is too much water or too high pressure.

Excessive pressure can lead to issues by forcing water into or behind the wood, which slows down the drying process of the surface. If wood is not dry before painting, it can cause problems like flaking or bubbles. Water evaporating can create condensation and bubbles.

How can we help with your exterior house painting?

Have a question about exterior painting or staining? Let us know. We are here to help in the process of this investment! 

Have you just bought a new home? Or have you been in your home for some time and ready for a refresher? This came from a customer in Algonquin, IL, but don’t let that stop you from reading. If you need your house painted, Then this article is for you, so lets dive into Repainting The Interior of My House Algonquin!

Hello everyone, I am David Cook With Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper in Huntley,IL. We are working hard to help home owners and busines owners improve the look and feel of the space they’re in with interior painting. (we also do exterior painting, wallpaper installations, cabinet painting) We work in the Pingree Grove, Elgin, Carpentersvillle, Bartlett, and St. Charles areas (to name a few towns).

Todays Blog post is coming from the fact we have been doing alot of estimates and getting alot of calls about house painting. Specifically, questions on Repainting the interior of my house. If you are buying the house, consider scheduling the painting of your house before moving in.

Can I just Paint Ceilings?

Usually, when we begin estimating a house painting job, the first question is whether or not to paint the ceilings. More frequently has been Can I only paint ceilings.

When painting only ceilings, we cover and protect all walls, furniture, and floors. Using drop cloths and plastic sheeting to cover everything. That takes the bulk of the time when we quote to only paint ceilings.

When we paint the walls, we don’t worry about getting paint on them. We will paint them after we finish the ceilings.

They also ask us if we can just touch up ceilings. The answer can be yes- if you have the same paint. I will say, some of the ceiling paint is not a true flat which can affect the sheen and ability to touch up.

Other occasions require painting all the ceilings. For instance, there are nail pops and cracks in the ceiling that need fixing. After repairs, you will have to paint the ceiling.

When ceilings are older, discoloration can start happening. This issue will typically require two coats of paint.

Another questions related to painting ceilings is “What color should I Paint ceilings?”. Color is extremely subjective. We typically use stock white, but there are alot of white colors you can choose from.

Repainting handrails in your home

When we get calls Repainting The interior of my House, one of the most popular things to do is refinish or repaint oak spindles and handrails. The number one color is black handrails and newel posts with white risers and spindles.

Here are traditional oak handrails

Here is the after of oak handrails being painted black

Repainting Handrails and or Spindles is extremely time consuming. You have to consider all the masking twith painters tape that will need to take place. You must clean all the wood trim. The wood must also be scuff sanded before we begin painting.

After cleaning and sanding the wood, apply a good primer to cover it and stop stains from showing through. Once the Primer is dry, then we can paint the wood. It may sound simple, but painting small round spiindles with a flat brushes and rollers talkes time.

Painting handrails and spindles can make your home look better when you repaint it. This will improve the overall appearance and atmosphere of your home.

Removing or stripping wallpaper in your home

If you have older Wallpaper in your home, you may want consider removing it. Removing or stripping wallpaper accounts for quite a bit of the work we do. Most of the time, we are removing the wallpaper to replace it with something new and modern.

Wallpaper is unique and personal. What worked for the past homeowner may not work for you. In this picture below, The colors and style are pretty outdated. As part of the house painting project, we stripped the wallpaper.

You can also remove outdated wallpaper and install somethng you like!

In this bathroom, we took off the wallpaper and had to smooth out the ceiling because it was hard to remove. The person who put up the wallpaper didn’t prepare the ceiling properly before installing it.

We will paint the ceiling this time. We also repainted the trim in the room, and the homeowner will repaint the vanity.

Repainting Both Ceilings and Walls in your home

For this home, we repainted walls, ceilings, and trim. The older color of an off brown, was about 15 years old. So we updated the trim to a new brighter white, painted the ceilings a flat pure white, then painted the walls Agreeable Grey. I think it was a huge transformation.

It sounds easy here, but I can assure it is not. You have to consider which room to paint in addition to moving furniture. If there are a lot of people in the house, people must be able to move where we are painting. That means we have to move the furniture as well.

I thnk if you painting your house, doing both makes the most sense and is a better value for your dollar and our time.

Before we started painting…

Repainted walls, ceilings, and trim

Rooms being prepped for paint

Painting Kitchen Walls

Kitchen before we painted

Kitchen after we painted

Painting a Living Room or Family Room

Family room before we painted

Family room with ceiling, walls, and trim all repainted

Repainting your entire home is never without drywall repairs

As in any repainting job, this home was not without the drywall repairs. Many of them were as simple as filling in holes from older pics. But some were a little more. When you move into a new home, you willl have reapir to make.

Walls damaged from fish tank water

Walls damaged from wallpaper removal

How do I pick colors for my home?

Belive it or not, selcting colors when repainting the interior of your home is the easy part. We help by offering free color consultations. We can have a designer come to your home, with color samples to help you selct the paint colors you want. The interior Designer can also help with selction what sheen of paint to use.

Are you ready to repaint your home?

Not a lot of words in today’s post. Sometimes, pictures just do the work for us.

The one question you may ask is how much it will cost to repaint my home. I would love to say here is the cost, but we can’t. We are a painting company, but each Contractor uses several factors to develop estimates on painting homes.

• Are we painting walls?
• Are we painting before moving in
• Will someone paint the ceilings?
• Do you want the doors painted?
• Would you like windows or window trim painted?
• Does the trim or doors require any repairs?
• Changing colors can require three coats to cover older colors.
• The type of sheen you want will affect the cost of materials.
• Do we need to make some, a lot, or no drywall repairs?

These are most, but not all, considerations considered when we are doing a painting estimate for you.

When you want to repaint your home, contact us for a free estimate. We can often provide a virtual estimate using online listings of your home. Either way, let us know how we can help you love the space you’re in! 

You have a basement. Your basement has an exposed ceiling of wood rafters and metal duct work. The basement also has unfinished walls of bare concrete. If you are ready like this customer to update the look and feel of your basement with out spending a ton of money on construction here is an option for you. Painting Exposed Ceilings and Painting concrete Walls!

Hello Everyone- David Cook with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper here in Huntley, IL. Last weeks we painted our 4th basement ceiling for 2024! Painting your Exposed Basement Ceiling Black continues to be popular. This time we took a different step by painting the concrete walls white! Many of the homes we serve in the Chicagoland North West Suburbs such as Crystal Lake, Elgin, Gilberts, Pingree Grove and South Elgin have similar building materials so we can help you with something similar!

Issues with painting exposed ceilings

Depending on the age and materials used to build the house you can have several issues to deal with before painting your exposed ceiling.

• Cleaning dust, dirt, cobwebs,
• 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 color can I paint my exposed ceiling

Right now black is popular. In using a stock black product such as Black Aqualock Primer, or Black dryfall you gain an advantage in 100% coverage as there is no tinted, it is pre colored – HUGE difference for coverage.

But you are not limited to just black – with solid body primers you can pick pretty much any color you want! I cant wait to paint a fun color or white!

A picture is worth 1,000 words….

Painting concrete walls in your basement

So again we painted the walls in this basement as well! We had to do a quick clean of the dust, but overall walls were clean and ready to paint.

After masking the walls, we used a mason primer to go over the concrete- yes you have to prime concrete before painting it. Once the mason primer is dry then you can pick what ever paint or color you want and paint it white!

How much does it cost to paint wood rafters in my basement

The biggest issues with painting these areas is prep work. The more stuff you have in the basement the harder it is for us to prep and cover, which means more money. So please keep in mind that prep work will affect final cost. On average the cost to spray paint an exposed ceiling will cost from $2.50 to $4.00 per foot.

We hope this helps give you an idea of ways you can improve your home with paint. Painting Exposed Ceilings and concrete walls is an affordable way to get big lift for your home.

It doesn’t matter 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!!

Wallpaper, Wallpaper, Wallpaper! Is it cooming back, Do people still use Wallpaper, IS wallpaper even a thing? Yes to all. Today we share a a recent installation we Wallpapered Stairwells in Elgin, IL.

Hey Everyone, David With Dfranco Wallpaper, here in Huntley, IL. Today’s post is also in response to a question “Can you install wallpaper in my Stairwell?” Yes we can! It doesn’t have to be just in Elgin, as serve our surrounding areas of Algonquin, St. Charles, Barrington and Schaumburg to name a few.

Where to begin to Wallpaper a stairwell?

For this Wallpaper job in Elgin, the customer made it easy for us. The customer had already removed previous wallpaper from the walls. We had to do some repairs to the old plaster but in general it was pretty easy for us.

The walls were pole sanded, wiped down and then Primed with Roman 977 white primer.

The hardest part is always wallpaper selection. We had our customer go to JC licht in Geneva, and the had Renae help them with their paper selction. Once they selceted the paper we came out to engineeer the walls for how much paper they needed to order

How do I know how much wallpaper to order?

This is a loaded question! Wallpaper is tricky to order as each paper is unique. Each company can print the colors, widths, lenghts, type of materials as they see fit. There are no set standards with wallppaer printing. I call it the WA WA West of paper. Anything goes.

So for us to know how much wallpaper to order, we will measure each wall. We then need the wallpaper information:

• How long is each roll
• the Width of each roll
• If there is a pattern repeat for the wallpaper
• type of paper it is printed on
• special instructions for booking time and adhesive used
• pattern number

With this information, we determine:

• how many strips/panels are needed by the width of the paper.
• based on the height of each panel we determine how long each piece needs to be
• we add for the sixe of the repeat pattern and find how long each panel must be with the over laps for the patterns. A 24 in pattern repeat will in affect means that 24 in of every piece is trash.
• we determine how many panels we can get per roll
• then provide how many rolls you need

How long does it take to install wallpaper in a stairwell?

When we are installing wallpaper in stairwells, the time to install can vary. When we Wallpapered Stairwell in Elgin, The overall time to install depends on the height of the staircase, the dry time of the paper play a roll in the time needed. Additionally if we have to trim the the paper before install, or if we have to allow longer booking times it will affect the time needed to install wallpaper.

In the staircase from the photos in this post, it was 1 man for 2.5 days.

How much will it cost to wallpaper a stairwell?

This is another tricky question as it depends on the paper you select, the prep work needed, and the height of the staircase, to name a few items. In a ideal world, yuo can figure at least $650.00 for a smaller area.

The project above had 8 hours of plaster repairs, we painted trim, ceilings, and primed walls, then installed, and we were over $2,000.00. (plus the cost of the wallpaper)