BobVila.com

Here's a fun paint project you can do with your kids to help them personalize their space:Use a base of latex paint and let your kids choose there favorite acrylic colors to mix in. Mask off a chair rail line and fill in with natural sponge. Roll on stripes with a 4" sponge roller, using a yard stick as a guide. Use a rubber stamp or sponge to apply an accent design.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Interior painting is one of the all-time favorite do-it-yourself jobs, but like everything else, there is a right and wrong way to paint a room. Make it easy on yourself and do it like the pros. Start by emptying the room or at least giving yourself access to all of the walls by grouping and covering furniture in the center. Mask off the floor carefully with tape and dropcloths, rosin paper or painter s plastic. Shut off the power to the room and remove lighting fixtures and electrical plates. Remove the window hardware as well. Some skip these steps and wind up spending more time cleaning up drips and spills or replacing ruined items. Prep is as important as paint. Fill and patch nail holes and imperfections and clean the woodwork. Prime any bare wood, new drywall or stained areas. Paint the room from the top down. Start with the ceiling, cutting in from the edges with a brush and rolling the rest in long, even strokes with a roller on an extension rod. Wait between steps for the paint to dry. Cut in for the walls next using a brush or paint pad to follow the line of the ceiling. Don t worry too much about neatness around the trim since you ll paint that last. Actually, a good thick layer between the wall and trim will help fill any gaps for a uniform look. The walls need at least two coats with a roller: the first will hide any imperfections in the wall, the second will even out the finish. Use an extension roller here to keep your strokes and pressure even and to save your back. Once the walls are dry, tackle the trim from the top down with a good 3- or 4-inch brush. If your hand isn t steady, you can mask window panes with tape and stick-on corners. A small paint pad made especially for sash will help you stay inside the lines, and a good sharp razor blade will get rid of any mistakes after the paint is dry. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Before you add to your electric bill trying to keep cool this summer, add something to your windows instead. The first principle of passive cooling is to keep the heat from getting inside. Even though it seems like a wintertime activity, weatherstripping your windows and doors and caulking gaps can really make a difference in summer, too. There are lots of ways to shade your windows from the sun, and if they seem a little old-fashioned, it s because they worked even before there was air conditioning. Large roof overhangs and porches, awnings, shutters and louvers can all be seen on old southern homes. Awnings can actually reduce summer heat gain by up to three-quarters. And you can remove them in winter to let the sunlight in when you need it. Light-colored awnings are best because they deflect more heat. Solar screens are another option. Installed outdoors, they can cut heat gain in half, and you can still enjoy the view. Interior window treatments aren t quite as effective as the outdoor methods, but they re better than nothing. Densely woven fabric drapes, Venetian blinds or roller shades will control some heat gain just by keeping out direct sunlight. Again, lighter colors are most effective. If you re replacing your windows, ask about low-E glass. A low-E, or low-emissivity coating, depending on which surface of the window it s applied to, can keep heat where you want it and keep your costs down year-round. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. How do you ensure you ll get the selling price you want for your home in a buyer s market? Now is not the time to install those granite countertops you ve been dreaming of because you probably won t get your money back. To get the best price you can without breaking the bank, grab a roller or hire a painter. Paint is the tried-and-true, budget home improvement that realtors recommend. Pay special attention to the areas that potential buyers will see first. On the front fa ade or even just the area around the front door, scrape and repaint any peeling or flaking areas to improve that all-important first impression. Be sure to repair any damage, nail holes or cracks, and choose an eggshell or a matte paint finish to take the focus off any imperfections. If the paint s still in good condition, a light pressure wash will brighten it up and welcome visitors. If your front door is purple or your wallpaper saw Nixon impeached, now is the time to go for cream, white or beige. Some realtors even recommend repainting the whole interior in off-white to provide a clean slate. It might not be your style, but the more neutral your home s color palette, the more possibilities a buyer will see there, and that s where your work will pay off. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Bob talks to Ed Waller from CertaPro Painters about painting of the guest bedroom in the Melrose, Massachusetts, project. Waller explains that the paint being used is a latex paint which does not contain VOC's (volatile organic compounds). As a result, the room is free from noxious odors even as the paint is being applied. The no VOC paint actually holds to the walls better and is only a little more expensive than conventional paints. Two coats will be applied in this project so no spots are missed. Bob notes how the paint is being applied over the molding. Waller explains this is so no spots are missed and when they go back to paint the trim, a craftsman will paint with precise, straight lines to cover any molding gaps where it meets the wall. Bob is surprised that the radiator has been painted, but Waller says old radiators are often painted with latex paint with no negative effect on their heating ability. Bob asks how to find a good painter. Waller looks at the previous work they have done and who they have worked for, then trains them properly with full supervision in the field. Waller encourages the use of an extension pole when painting as, for a minor cost, it helps the painting process greatly. Weller also encourages painting in a direction from floor to ceiling to apply the paint evenly across the wall. When it comes to painting the trim, the crew uses a semi-gloss no VOC paint from the Sherwin Williams Harmony line. The primer that was used was also a no VOC paint from the same line. Painting the trim requires a steady hand and is the measure of a good paint job. Expensive brushes with synthetic, flared bristles are used while painting latex on the trim. Waller reviews proper painting technique using a pail to hold the paint, and gently tapping the sides of the pail with the brush to get rid of excessive paint before applying. Weller also gives tips for painting older panel doors. The door is painted entirely by brush rather than roller and work is done with tough stuff first working inside to out, top to bottom, and left to right. Bob reminds viewers to tape the hinges and remove the doorknobs and keyhole covers before painting. The tape is removed before the paint dries completely.

Charles King of AMPM Door Service helps Bob revitalize the original aluminum sliding doors on the Miami condo. The aluminum is corroded and badly pitted on the exterior from exposure to salt air. King and his crew rub magnesium ore aluminum polish across the surface with cloths, then with abrasive pads, to clean off the residue. The interior aluminum shines up nicely, but King advises a quick coat of spray paint on the exterior to give a polished look and seal off the aluminum. The doors no longer slide well and have too much play, so King removes the doors to examine the rollers and clean the tracks. The nylon rollers need replacing, but the task is simple and saves Bob from replacing the doors completely. King finds a similar roller in his kit and fits it to the door, is able to use the existing rubber gasket, screws the roller housing to the bottom of the door, and reinstalls it. Now revitalized, the sliders work and look like new.

Bob talks with Brian Miller of Miller & Sons Painting about the painting being done. One of the painters is cutting a straight line where the two surfaces meet. Whenever a home's interior is painted, corners like these should be filled in before rolling paint on the wall. The lines that are cut in at the ceiling and corners should be two to three inches from the edge so that the roller can roll into the wet paint for an even coat. Sherwin-Williams Duration, a self-priming latex paint designed for one-coat coverage, is being used throughout the interior. Eighteen-inch rollers are used to get a smooth finish and decrease the lap marks. They are using a half-inch nap to put more paint on the wall.