Interior & Exterior Painting Services Atlanta, Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Roswell, Buckhead, Sandy Springs

How To Paint a Bath

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Bathrooms are some of the more fun places to paint.  They are small and you can usually get creative with colors because of this.  However, the one factor that you must account for when painting your bathroom is water.

Bathrooms are exposed to lots of water, steam, and traffic.  For this, you must take care when selecting bathroom paint.  Since GreenWave Solutions has the best Atlanta painters, we use the best paint.  Our professional choice is Sherwin-Williams’ Duration Home Matte Finish.  This product is washable, scrubable, and water and mildew resistant.  The resins in Duration are very resistant to peeling when exposed to shower steam or water splashing from the sinks.  After you have selected your paint and color, here is what you need to paint your bathroom like our Atlanta Painting pros:

–          Brushes and rollers

–          Roller trays

–          Drop cloths

–          Drywall repair product and knife

–          Tape

–          Tools to remove the back of the toilet

–          Alkyd based aerosol primer (maybe)

–          Caulk (maybe)

Here we go:

1)      Repair any drywall damage (gouges, scratches, etc) and caulk everything (if necessary).

2)      After drywall compound has dried, sand repairs smooth and prime with oil primer.  During this step, prime and water stains that are around using the same primer.

3)      Remove switch plates and outlet covers, tape around towel racks, light fixtures, ceilings and anything else you don’t want to get paint on (unless you are good enough to cut a line without tape).

4)      Start painting.  I like to do the trim first (see #5) and then the walls.  Use your brush to cut and roll the big areas.  If you want to, you can remove the back of the toilet so that you can paint the whole area.  However, using a brush, you can paint behind it enough so that it looks completely painted.  I don’t like removing the back of the commode because it sucks and isn’t really necessary.

5)      Atlanta painting pro tip:  If you are not using tape, paint the trim first.  This way, it doesn’t matter if you get paint on the wall because it is easier to cut a straight line on the wall than on the trim.

6)      Let the paint dry for 30 minutes or so, remove the tape, and do a walkthrough.  Walkthrough refers to checking for missed spots, holidays, etc.

7)      Clean up and get some beer to reward yourself!

This Roswell painting How-to is brought to you by GreenWave Solutions.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, the best Atlanta painter and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Professional painting company painters use high quality interior paint.

Paint Product Review: Sherwin Williams Cashmere

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The review of Sherwin Williams’ Cashmere interior enamel.

Cashmere is a premium, low-VOC interior coating.  It comes in three sheens; flat, low-lustre, and medium-lustre.  Cashmere has excellent hide, coverage, and durability.  It is available in a white and deep base.  Cashmere is not available in the darkest colors.

We have been using Cashmere for over 5 years and have had only great experiences.  The paint has a thinner body, like Duration Home, which makes its load and release buttery smooth.  It also has very low odor and impressive hide.  Hide, often confused with coverage, refers to a paint’s ability to cover existing colors.  Cashmere has excellent application properties.

Cashmere dries to a very smooth, very durable finish.  It levels extremely well and roller and brush marks virtually disappear once the film dries.  All three finishes are washable and will not burnish with ‘normal’ wiping.

Overall, Cashmere Interior Enamel is a great paint.  Its low-VOC formulation combined with exceptional application properties and a beautiful durable finished product makes it a good choice for most interior painting projects.  It retails for $40-$50 per gallon, which is about average for premium interior products.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, the best Atlanta painter and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

GreenWave Solutions – Simply the best painters in Atlanta.

Interior and Exterior Painter in Dunwoody. Professional Painting Company.

What is Mud Cracking

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Have you ever done painting or drywall repair work and everything looked good when you were done, but upon returning the next day you were greeted with cracks (like in the picture above)?

This is called mud cracking.  It gets this name because it so closely resembles the cracking mud in a desert or dry river bed.  Ironically, the scientific cause is the same for both occurrences.

The cause for mud cracking is applying to thick a coat of paint, drywall mud, etc.  When you apply a coating at a milage rate that is thicker than for what it was designed, it causes problems as it dries.  Drying is the simple process of moisture leaving the coating.  When a coat is too thick, the outside layer that is exposed to air begins to harden as moisture is still trying to escape from the inside.  The escaping moisture causes the outside layer to expand and crack.  When the moisture get out, this outside layer contracts back to its original size, but the cracking can’t be undone.

Mud cracking is more prevalent in coatings that dry hard with little flexibility like drywall mud and enamels.

How do you avoid mud cracking?

Preventing mud cracking is the easiest strategy.  Be patient.  If the paint isn’t changing the wall color with one “normal” coat, then you are going to have to do another coat.  Trying to pile it on the wall so heavy isn’t going to magically help the paint’s hide.  It will only leave a sloppy, uneven, finish with a high probability for mud cracking.  The same goes for trying to use drywall mud to fix large, deep holes.

I know that us men don’t like reading instructions, but being a real man includes knowing when you don’t know stuff.  It’s like the old cliche` of asking for directions.  I’d rather stop, ask for help, save my time, gas, and stress instead of proving that I’m a “real man” by driving around like a moron for hours.  Also guys, I don’t care if you painted when you were in college 30 years ago.  Just like computers, phones, and cars, technology has also changed paint products.  Read the directions!

How do you fix mud cracking?

Okay.  So someone didn’t follow directions and the mud cracking has already happened.  Here’s how you fix it.

Sand it smooth and touch up where necessary.  This can be more difficult than it sounds.  Drywall mud is pretty easy because it is made to be sanded, however, if you are using an industrial enamel that is designed to be hard as metal, get your power sander ready.  Also, wear safety glasses and dust masks when you sand this stuff.  Breathing all of that crap is bad for you.

I hope that this has answered any questions you have about mud cracking.  Feel free to email us if you need any help.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Professional Painters do exterior and interior house painting in Dunwoody Ga

Interior Exterior House Painters in Dunwoody GA

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GreenWave Solutions announces that we are offering our professional painting services in Dunwoody and the surrounding neighborhoods.  This includes interior painting, exterior painting, carpentry, deck staining and sealing, cabinet staining, and more.

Dunwoody is one of Atlanta’s first suburbs.  It’s age makes the homes in this affluent neighborhood distinct and beautiful. It’s age also requires these homes to be maintained to preserve their beauty.

Preserving older homes is different from working on newer ones.  Oftentimes, older homes are better constructed than newer ones, but this doesn’t mean that they are easier to work on.  When dealing with older homes, you rarely know materials were used.  When it comes to paints and coatings, the products that were used are no longer being manufactured or may even be illegal now.  Some examples are lead paint and asbestos insulation.

Even when older homes don’t have toxic chemicals or carcinogens in their building materials, an experienced professional is required to do work correctly.  Trained painting professionals know how to bridge the gap between the technology of the 1970’s and the 21st century.

30 years ago, using oil based paint on home’s exteriors was a standard practice.  Now, that is a big no-no.  Science has learned that alkyd resins chalk, crack, and fade in UV light much faster than new acrylic resins do.  The problem was that the advanced acrylic resins were not invented 30 years ago.  So as science advances, technology advances.

GreenWave Solutions’ painters are able to restore and preserve the beauty of Dunwoody’s homes.

We are offering 15% off all house painting in Dunwoody until April 2013.  Contact us for a free estimate.

 

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

We are the best painters in Atlanta!

Stain Product Warning: Semi-transparent Stains are Horrible

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I like to keep my product reviews positive, however, I must be honest and objective to provide value to my readers.  I want to discourage all humans from ever using a semi-transparent deck stain (STS).  This is not manufacturer specific as I have never seen any semi-transparent deck stain look good, even when applied by professionals in perfect conditions.

If you go into any paint store that has a trained and knowledgeable staff (typically not a big box) and ask them if they recommend a toner or a STS product, they will tell you to use a toner.  If you push and ask them why, they will tell you things like the toner looks better or some customers complain that the STS didn’t look good, etc.  They are just being polite because the manufacturer of that STS signs their paycheck.  I can be honest.

Semi-transparent stains suck.

This is a product that really shouldn’t exist.  The philosophy is to provide consumers with more product options, but that shouldn’t mean terrible options.  When it comes to painting, consumers already have a plethora of options, each boasting that it is the best.  It must be incredibly overwhelming for a “non-paint” person to walk into a paint store and know what to buy.  The following narrative of a husband and wife choosing a stain is common and reveals the allure of the dreaded semi-transparent stain.

Wife: I want a solid color stain so that the deck that matches the accent color of the shutters and doors.

Husband: We already have enough color and we paid extra to use the better wood for the deck.  Why would we cover the grain that you thought was so pretty with a solid stain.  Let’s use a toner that brings out the wood’s natural beauty.

Wife:  I changed my mind.  The toner looks boring.

Husband:  What about this semi-transparent stain?  This is perfect.  We can choose a color, but you can still see the wood’s grain.  We get the best of both worlds.

Wife:  That is perfect!  Let’s go to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate semi-transparent stains!  We can say it’s your birth and get free ice cream.

I hope they enjoy the Cheesecake Factory because the fun will be over after they put that STS on their deck.  The idea of STS is good.  You use color to enhance wood’s natural beauty.  The problem is that semi-transparent stains are either too semi or too transparent which results in an incomplete and uneven appearance.  I worked for Sherwin Williams for 5 years and have operated GreenWave Solutions for 5 years and the most common complaint I got was about semi-transparent stains looking bad.  Customer’s being unhappy with STS is so common that we will not use semi-transparent stains on any project, even at a client’s request.

I have done this long enough to know that no matter how well you apply them, they always look bad and I don’t want people thinking that GreenWave Solutions does work that looks hideous.  Clients think they want a semi-transparent stain, but what they really want is a colored toner.  That is where I steer my clients that ask for STS deck products; to colored toners.

I’m sure that there are some people that think semi-transparent stains look great and they are entitled to their opinions.  There are also people that think “Honey Booboo” is a good show.  Some people just have bad taste.

Please save yourself, your painting contractor, and your paint store a lot of headaches and don’t choose semi-transparent stains for your deck staining projects.  Instead, use a toner that has the color you like.  And remember, because all wood accepts stains differently, DO A SAMPLE TO SEE IF YOU LIKE HOW IT WILL LOOK BEFORE DOING THE WHOLE DECK.

Good luck and remember that GreenWave Solutions is the best painting company in Dunwoody.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Interior, Painters, Painting, Paint Contractor, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Roswell

Review: Sherwin Williams Duration Home

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The topic of today’s review, Sherwin Williams Duration Home, is not a new product.  This product is several years old.  It is so good, however, I thought it deserved some attention.

Duration Home is the interior line of Sherwin Williams’ Duration brand.  It was the flagship paint for high end, interior durability until Emerald was released.  Duration Home comes in matte, satin, and semi-gloss finishes and has all color bases available.  This product is low-VOC and has a great finish.

Product Overview:

Duration Home:  Low-VOC

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – Granite Peak

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a flat finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 experienced

Initial Look/Feel:

Upon opening the can, you will notice that the Duration Home is not very thick.  It also has that ammonia like smell that high end, low-VOC coatings have.  Everything is pretty normal inside the can.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

As soon as you start painting with the Duration Home you know that you are using a great paint.  The thin body of the paint makes its application a breeze.  It easily loads onto brushes and rollers and transfers smoothly onto walls.  The most impressive things is that despite the thin body of the paint, its hide is as good as any paint I’ve used.  Because the matte finish has a bit of sheen, make sure that you paint into a wet edge to avoid hat-banding or picture framing.

Durability of finish:

I used Duration Home to paint a bathroom in my condo and after 6 years it looks brand new.  I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination.  The Duration Home has stood up to water, neglect, and even some abuse.  I have intentionally been rough on it to see what it can take.  This product lives up to its durable finish claims.

Pros:

  • Very durable finish
  • Excellent hide
  • Low-VOC
  • Easy to apply

Cons:

  • Expensive ($60/gallon)

Conclusion:

I am impressed with the Duration Home product.  I have liked it since Sherwin Williams released it about 10 years ago.  While it was one of the first “premium low-VOC” interior paints, it still competes with the newer products.  Duration Home prices have gone down with the release of Emerald which makes Duration an even better choice.  I like everything about Duration Home matte.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Interior Painting product reviews, professional painters, exterior, painting companies, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Decatur, Alpharetta, Roswell

Review: Sherwin Williams Emerald Interior Paint

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Because GreenWave Solutions is has good relationships with the paint companies, we get a lot demos and samples of products.  The most recent was a gallon of Sherwin Williams’ Emerald interior matte.  I have wanted to try this product out since they released at the beginning of 2012.  SW says that Emerald is the interior paint of champions!

 

Product Overview:

Emerald Interior 0-voc

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – French Red

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a satin finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 expert, 1 diy

Initial Look/Feel:

The first thing I noticed about Emerald was its thickness.  It is a heavy-bodied coating; thicker than SuperPaint.  Emerald has that familiar ammonia smell that is synonymous with high performance 0-voc coatings.  It has a strong smell, but they say it isn’t bad to breathe.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

We pushed this product to its limit.  We painted off white satin walls in a bathroom.  The Emerald did a good job.  Its self-priming feature did a decent job adhering to the shiny satin paint.  It did streak and smear some.  The dark red covered pretty well with one coat; however, we a second coat was needed for complete color change.  Again, I want to reiterate that I was asking this paint to do something “impossible.”  Overall, Emerald lived up to its hype.

Durability of finish:

I checked the finish after it had 24 hours to dry.  It was exceptionally hard and still very smooth.  Emerald has the most durable and smooth finish of any interior architectural coating I have ever seen.

Pros:

  • Most durable interior paint available
  • Excellent hide
  • 0-VOC

Cons:

  • Expensive ($70-$80/gallon)

Conclusion:

Sherwin Williams’ Emerald Interior product is excellent.  It delivers all of the performance that they say it will.  This performance does come at a price.  This product costs nearly twice as much as the next best interior paint, Duration Home.  If you want the best paint money can buy, then Emerald is for you.  If you want the best value, I recommend the Sherwin Williams Duration Home Matte.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

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How to Choose a Roller

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I was helping my cousin do some interior painting this weekend and realized how little the average person knows about proper painting techniques.  Oftentimes I struggle to think of topics about which to write because I can’t think of anything that people don’t know.  I guess I have been over thinking it.  I’m going back to the basics for my readers.

How to choose a roller

When choosing a roller, there are three factors that you must define:  nap composition, roller quality, and nap length.

Nap Composition

Nap refers to the fur on the roller.  Composition refers to what the nap is made of.  When choosing what type of roller to use, you need to know what kind of coating you are using.  Alkyds, acrylics, polyurethanes, and lacquers all require a different roller nap.  You use specific rollers for some coatings because the stronger chemicals can cause the nap to melt.  Also, using a roller designed for the coating causes the paint to load and release better, which yields a better finished product.

Manufacturers label the packaging to specify for which coatings are compatible with the roller.  A sure fire way to choose the correct roller composition is to choose your paint first and then choose a roller that works with it.

Roller Quality

Not all rollers are created equal.  Like with most things, the adage “you get what you pay for” applies to rollers.  The difference between cheap and expensive rollers boils down to two characteristics.  Cheap rollers tend to lose more hair while painting.  These hairs end up on whatever you are painting and dry in film.  This is ugly and unprofessional.  In addition to this, the nap on cheap rollers typically doesn’t offer good release which renders a less smooth finish.  The only time I recommend using the cheapest roller available is when you are painting something where quality is not a factor – like a dog house.

Professional painters Trick of the Trade:  Before using any roller, put the roller on the frame and wrap it with painter tape.  Remove the tape before you start painting.  This pulls out the loose hairs and prevents them from ending up on your substrate.

Nap Length

Nap length is the last factor you must determine when choosing a roller.  Nap length is measured in inches and range from foam, mohair, 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″ and more more.  What determines the length of the roller nap is how rough of a substrate you are painting.  If you are painting something super smooth like glass, then you should use a foam roller.  If you are painting something very rough like stucco, use the longer 1″ nap.  By using the right size nap, you ensure that you apply an adequate film of paint and get the smoothest possible finish.

I hope that this answers any questions about how to choose a roller.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

GreenWave Solutions is the best painting contractor in Atlanta.

CMU wall with Efflorescence.

What is Efflorescence

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Efflorescence.  What a weird word.

Efflorescence – ef-flo-res-cence (ef∋ le res∋ens), 1. a change on the surface to a powdery substance upon exposure to air, as a crystalline substance through loss of water. 2. to become encrusted or covered with crystals of salt or the like through evaporation or chemical change.

In English, efflorescence is that white, powdery stuff that you see on masonry walls.  Because this isn’t a chemistry class, we are going to focus on prevention and remediation, instead of causation.

Although efflorescence is ugly and sounds scary, prevention and removal are simple and inexpensive.

How to prevent efflorescence

This is very easy.  Make sure that the masonry substrate is  at least 14 days old.  If it seems uncured or “hot”, wait another week.  Then, prime it using a masonry primers.  Sherwin Williams makes a great product called Loxon Primer.

Once you have primed, simply apply an appropriate top coat and you are done.  If you followed all of the manufacturer’s instruction, you should not have any problems with efflorescence.

How to remove efflorescence.

This is more difficult than prevention, but it isn’t a huge problem.  First off, efflorescence is a cosmetic problem.  It does not degrade the monolithic strength of the substrate.  The efflorescence on the wall pictured above is ugly, but it won’t hurt the wall.  So if you have efflorescence and it doesn’t bother you, leave it alone.  If its unsightliness does bother you, here is how you fix it.

  1. Clean the efflorescence with muriatic acid.  Be careful; hydrochloric acid is nasty stuff.  You may need to dilute depending on the molar strength.
  2. Scrape the efflorescence.
  3. Make sure you have rinsed all of the muriatic acid and allow everything to dry thoroughly.
  4. Prime and repaint using the system described above in the “prevention” section.

I hope that you were entertained while reading this riveting expose` on efflorescence.

GreenWave is also the best interior house painters, exterior house painters, and house painting company and serves Atlanta, Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody, Grant Park, Inman Park, Johns Creek, Duluth, Milton, Roswell, and most major suburbs.

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Primers are important to professional painting companies, interior painters, exterior painting.

What is the Purpose of Primers?

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If you have ever been into a paint store you probably heard something about primers.  Whether you were asking about how to paint something or reading informational pamphlets, you learned that primers are important.  When talking to clients, I realize that “normal” people don’t know the exact definition of primers.  This article will help correct that.

What does a primer do?

Prepares a substrate to accept a top coat.

This is a short but vague answer.  A better answer is extrapolated when another question is asked.

What do you need the primer to do?

Answering this question will better define for what primers are used.  There are many different types of primers, each having a different purpose.  Here are some common applications for primers.

  • Promoting adhesion – This is important when painting hard, glossy surfaces like glass, plastic, metal, or porcelain.  If you painted directly on these surfaces, the paint would scrape off.  Bonding primers make these surfaces paintable.
  • Sealing stains – Painting over water, smoke or oil stains requires priming to prevent the stains from bleeding through the paint.
  • Sealing wood – In order to prevent tannin and knots to bleed through paint, you must prime raw wood.
  • Changing colors – When making drastic color changes, priming can save a coat or two of paint.
  • Smoothing substrates – Extremely rough and porous surfaces, like cinder blocks, are primed with a very thick coating so that the paint has an even surface.
  • Equalizing porosity – Primers are used to create a uniform porosity so that paints will have a uniform finish.  An example of this new drywall.  The drywall, tape, and finishing compound all have different porosity and require  priming if using a non-flat paint.
  • Preventing/Re-mediating rust  – There are primers that prevent rust on ferrous metals and others that reform rust into an inert metal.
  • Industrial applications – There are numerous specialty primers used for industrial painting applications.  These uses are too specific and technical for the purposes of this article.  If you have questions using these primers, you need to read the manufacturer specifications.

This concludes primers 101.  If you have more questions, email us using our contact form.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta’s painting company and house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead, Midtown, and many more!  We offer house painting in Johns Creek.

We are the best painters in Atlanta.

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What are VOCs in Paints?

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Intelligent people agree that global warming is real.  While its exact causes are unknown, scientists say that greenhouse gases are contributing to it.  Whether or not greenhouse gases are causing global warming, we can all agree that they are bad for us to breathe.  The chief cause of greenhouse gases are volatile organic compounds (VOC).

These compounds are organic chemicals with low boiling points.  Because of the low boiling temperatures, these chemicals convert into a gaseous state in normal conditions.  They typically are toxic and flammable.

Here is an everyday example of what this means.  Water has 3 states; solid, liquid, and gas (please don’t comment about plasma).  Water is solid at 0 C and below, liquid between 0-100 C, and gas at 100 C and above.

Instead of water, let’s look at toluene.

Instead of the vapor pressure of 100 C, toluene’s is 25 C.  This is cooler than room temperature.  Because of this a bucket of toluene will emit vapors in cool temperatures.  Unlike water, these vapors are toxic to humans, animals, plants, and the ozone layer.  Toluene is a solvent common to many industrial coatings and epoxies.

Why are the VOCs in paint?

Paints contain VOCs because of the chemicals that act as the paints solvent.  Solvents keep paint in liquid form until you use it.  That is why paint smells while it is drying and then stops smelling.  The fumes come from the solvents leaving the paint.

The reason that so many paints use toxic solvents is because that is all that technology had allowed for a long time.  Paints that used water as a solvent, like acrylics and latex, were not so durable as paints that used MEK, lacquer, and stronger chemicals as solvents.  This is just one of those “life isn’t fair” things like “why is the most delicious food the least healthy?”  God has a twisted sense of humor, I guess.

The good news is that scientific advances have made acrylic resins compete as good as their more toxic counterparts’.  By replacing the resin package, scientists are able to make awesome paints that use water as the solvent.  That is how paint manufacturers develop “0-VOC” paints that perform better than VOC heavy coatings.

Thanks science!

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta’s first and best green painting company.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead, Midtown, and many more!

Interior and exterior Brookhaven painters and professional painting company.

How to Paint a Bathroom

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This “How To” article is easier than wallpaper removal or popcorn removal.  We are going to learn how to paint a bathroom.  When painting a bathroom, the most important decision is what type of paint to use.

Bathrooms are unique rooms because they are high traffic and wet conditions.  The paint in bathrooms must be durable enough to withstand the traffic, but also water-resistant to stand up against steam from showers.  The simplest measure of determining durability of interior paints is sheen.  The higher the sheen, the more durable the coating.

In the old days, satin was the “go to” finish for baths.  Satin has lower sheen than semi-gloss but is more durable than flats.  With the advance in coating technologies, manufacturers have developed “washable flats” and matte finishes.  Washable flats and matte finishes have an angular sheen closer to a flat with durability that surpasses semi-gloss.  These finishes are typically reserved for premium quality lines of paint.  All major manufacturers have this finish as part of their product line.

Matte finish paints apply the same way as other those with other sheens.  Due to the high quality nature of these paints, they usually apply better than other paints.  Many have exceptional hide and are self priming.  GreenWave Solutions uses Sherwin Williams’ premium lines Duration Home and Emerald.

After you have chosen which paint you are going to use, it’s time to start painting.

To see how professional contractors do interior painting, see our “How to paint a room” article.

The easiest way to paint a bathroom or any other room is to hire a house painting contractor.  GreenWave Solutions has been Metro Atlanta’s premier painting company for over 8 years.  We specialize in interior painting, exterior painting, and all other residential and commercial painting.  Our goal for 2012 is to be the best painters in Alpharetta.  Our service area isn’t limited to Alpharetta.  We service Roswell, John’s Creek, Milton, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Brookhaven, and most major Atlanta suburbs.

Call today to schedule your free estimate.

By: GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Alpharetta.

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Atlanta Wallpaper Removal, Roswell, Alpharetta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Chamblee

How to Remove Wallpaper

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We are going to tackle one of the most tedious and annoying jobs for do-it-yourselfers – wallpaper removal.

Anyone who has removed wallpaper knows that it is a horrible experience.  The scraping is horrible enough, but after it is done, you are left with dirty damaged drywall.  Then you learn that refinishing walls is harder than it looks on HGTV.  After that you get to have fun priming and painting.  I can’t tell you that there is secret to make wallpaper removal easy, but I will tell how professional painters do it.  Here we go.

1. Gather all you materials.  This is list of almost everything you need (there may be other items that I take for granted because I see this all the time.  Please don’t send me hate mail if I forgot something).

  • a steamer
  • scrapers
  • construction paper and plastic
  • painters tape
  • sponges and rags
  • wallpaper removal gel or solution (optional)
  • powder drywall joint compound, “mud” (45 minute)
  • mud pans
  • finishing knives
  • paint brushes
  • rollers, frames, pole
  • sand paper and pole sander
  • dust masks and eye protection
  • alkyd or shellac based primer
  • paint

2. Prepare your work area.  Cover floors with the construction paper.  Try and close off the area using the plastic.  This is for keeping the dust contained.  Remember to close any intake ducts or turn off HVAC.  Take off switch plates, electrical outlet covers, and anything else that’s in way.  This process is annoying, but you will be glad you did it at the end.  It controls dust and makes clean up MUCH easier.  Trust me.

3. Time to start removing the wallpaper.  If you are using wallpaper scorers and gels, follow the manufacturers instructions.  If you have a steamer, start steaming.  I recommend using a scoring tool to make holes in the vinyl layer.  This helps the heat and steam get through the paper for better release.  This can go two ways; either the paper is going to comes off in nice big pieces or small ones.  Pray for the first option.  Use your scraper to get under the paper and GENTLY scrape the paper and adhesive from the wall.  Try your best to avoid gouging holes in the wall.  The more damage you do during the removal, the more difficult refinishing the wall is going to be.  Keep a bucket of warm water and wipe off the wallpaper adhesive while its wet.  This also will facilitate next steps.

4. By now you are ready for a break.  Take a break, eat something, drink a beer and let the walls dry.

5. Refinish the walls.  This can be tricky.  Make sure you mix the drywall compound using the ratio on the bag.  Only mix small amounts at a time.  Using your finishing knives, apply a THIN layer of mud over the areas that have damage or are rough.  The trick here is too use as little finishing compound as necessary to bury imperfections.  Remember the more you put on, the more you are going to have to sand off to achieve a professional finish.  Also, it is much easier to apply a thin 2nd layer coat having to sand down a even a 1/4 inch of excess.  Putting too much joint compound is one of the most common rookie mistakes.  After the mud dries (about 45 min depending on temperature and humidity), sand it down.  I recommend 150-220 grit paper.  Wear a dust mask and even goggles.  It is going to be disgustingly dusty.  That is why we made a barrier with plastic and closed intake vents in step 1.  Drywall dusts really sucks.  I’ve seen projects where people forget to turn on HVAC and the dust gets sucked up and blown through an entire house.  Not cool.

After you have sanded the walls, refinish any areas that need more work.  After everything is dry, take a damp rag or sponge and wipe all of the loose dust from the walls.

6. Take another break.

7. Now that you have smooth, clean walls you are going to prime everything that had wallpaper on it.  I recommend using an alkyd or shellac based primer for this.  Wallpaper adhesive is a water soluble, starch based product.  Using a waterborne primer can sometimes reactivate the glue and cause problems for the paint.  Alkyd and shellac based primers are going to have higher VOCs and typically have bad fumes.  Get fans blowing and open windows because these are bad to breathe.  Use a respirator if you have one.  Keep kids away, too.  They will have plenty of time to damage their brains in college.  The good news is that these products do dry quickly so the fumes dissipate quickly.

8. You’re almost done.  All that’s left is the easy part – painting.  Everything should still be prepared from priming so painting is super easy.  Choose your favorite paint and color and paint.  If you are using a dark color, have the paint store tint your primer so that one coat of paint will cover adequately.

Congratulations!  You have successfully removed and repainted a wallpapered area.  You also learned why so many people opt to call professional painting companies to do this job.  Doing it yourself can save you money, but the hassle and stress may cost you your sanity.

GreenWave Solutions specializes in wallpaper removal.  We remove residential and commercial wall coverings.  Call us to schedule your free estimate today!

GreenWave is also the best interior house painters, exterior house painters, and house painting company and serves Atlanta, Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody, Grant Park, Inman Park, Johns Creek, Duluth, Milton, Roswell, and most major suburbs.

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Sandy Springs.

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Atlanta Interior Painting

Interior House Painting Specials for Autumn

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Autumn is here and the cooler weather has come with it.  The shorter days, cooler weather, and Halloween decorations mean its time to get ready for the holidays!

GreenWave Solutions wants to make sure your home looks its best for the holiday parties and family gatherings.  Whether you want a brand new color scheme or just a freshening up, we have everything you need.  We offer color consultations to help you choose the perfect color scheme for your home.  Our professional painters specialize in using the new, low and zero VOC paints that don’t release toxic fumes and look beautiful!  We take the extra steps to ensure that your home, floors, and furniture are protected during painting.

We are having our annual Autumn specials.  GreenWave Solutions is now offering 15% off interior house painting services.

If your interior looks good, but your exterior needs some TLC, we also offer 15% exterior house painting for a limited time.  Call and schedule your free estimate today!

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interior and exterior painters.

House Painters in Sandy Springs, GA

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Autumn in the South is one of the most beautiful times of the year.  The leaves change color, the weather cools down, and the football tailgates and cook outs fill the weekends.  The weather is perfect for spending time outside.  Since you are outside more often, you may notice that it is time for home maintenance.

Whether its pressure washing, rotten wood replacement or exterior painting, GreenWave Solutions is the best at restoring your home’s beauty.  Our professional painting crews take the utmost care when painting your home.

GreenWave Painters are not only experts at exterior painting, but also interior painting specialists.  We take every precaution when painting inside your home.  We cover floors and furniture to protect your property.  All of our painters are trusted GreenWave employees – no random day laborers.

We know that the upcoming holiday season brings expenses so we are having our annual Fall Special.  For the rest of the year, Sandy Springs residents will get 15% off all house painting services (some restrictions apply).

Call or email us to schedule your free estimate.  GreenWave Solutions also offers custom gutter installation services.

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Sandy Springs.

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Interior and exterior house painting professionals. Painters in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Brookhaven, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Marietta, Duluth, Chamblee, Norcross, Milton, Cumming

Now Hiring Painting Estimator

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October 2012

[Atlanta, GA] GreenWave Solutions is hiring an estimator for residential painting services in Atlanta.  Make your own schedule!  Earn $800-$1500/week working  20-40 hours/week.

Job Description:

This part/full time position is an outside estimating position.  You will be given warm, call in leads for interior and exterior painting services.  Upon receiving your leads, you are responsible for scheduling appointments, estimating the project, and closing the sale.  We provide the leads, training, insurance, and the professional crews to complete the project.  This is a commission based outside sales position.

Requirements:

– Clean cut, professional appearance and attitude

– Reliable transportation

– Mobile phone

– Self-motivated individual

– Positive attitude

– Applicants may require background checks and drug screenings

Preferred Qualifications:

– Experience in construction industry

– Knowledge of paints and coatings

If you are interested in applying for this position, call or email GreenWave Solutions using the contact form on our website.  Please attach a resume/CV and a brief description why you would be a good fit at GreenWave Solutions.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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House Painting Specials in Buckhead, GA

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Everyone in Atlanta knows that the best holiday parties are in Buckhead.  Whether in a pristine mansion or a historic ranch, Buckhead has a wide array of homes.  Whatever type of home you own, GreenWave Solutions is here to make sure your house looks its best for all of your holiday festivities.

Our professional color consultants will help you choose a color scheme that will have your guest saying, “This is beautiful.  How did you pick these colors?”  Combining this with our experienced house painters produces high quality results that our clients have grown to expect.

If you interior looks good, but your home’s exterior needs freshening up, GreenWave’s painters specialize in applying all the new acrylic-based paints.  These paints have the same low VOC characteristics as latex paints with unsurpassed durability and cold weather application.  These paints have been designed for cold and damp weather application so that residential and commercial painters can work during the entire year.

Because we know that the holidays can get expensive, we are offering 15% off all house painting in Buckhead during Fall.  Call and schedule your free estimate with professional painters in Buckhead today.

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Buckhead.

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John’s Creek Residential Painting Specials

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Autumn is officially here and with it comes the fun of holiday parties and family gatherings.  And with parties and gatherings comes house guests.

Don’t you want your house to looks its best when decorated for the holidays?

GreenWave Solutions is here to help.

Our painters in John’s Creek specialize using the next generation of paints and coatings.  These coatings are designed for superior application, even during the Winter months.  Since Atlanta winters are so mild, GreenWave’s painters are able to deliver the highest quality house painting in John’s Creek all year long.

Because we understand that the holidays can be expensive, we are offering 15% off all house painting services, including interior painting and exterior painting.  So don’t wait.  Call and schedule your free estimate today!

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in John’s Creek.

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Work from professional house painters in Roswell

Roswell House Painting Specials

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Fall is coming and with it comes holiday parties, family gatherings, and house guests.   While seeing your family and friends is a fun and joyous occasion, nothing is more irritating than you in-laws’ opinions of ability to maintain a house hold.  We all know what I’m talking about; the murmurs and “looks.”

The most cited reason for not painting during Fall and Winter is the weather.  This is a logical objection because traditional paints don’t perform as well as during cold and wet conditions.  Technology has changed this.

The new generation of paints and coatings are developed specifically for harsher climates.  Paint manufacturers design new products with the weather in mind because an all-weather paint allows them to sell product all year long.  During R&D, they test these products to stand up to the harsher winters of the northeast and midwest.

This works out beautifully for us in the south.  Our winters are like spring compared to New York’s.  Consequently, GreenWave’s Roswell house painters are able to paint the entire year still delivering the uncompromising quality that our clients expect.

We understand that the holiday season can be expensive, and to help, GreenWave Solutions is offering Fall painting specials.

Throughout Fall, we are giving 15% off of all Roswell house painting services.  Call to schedule your free estimate today!

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Roswell.

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Alpharetta House Painting Specials

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As summer makes way for fall, the days get shorter and the weather gets colder and wetter. This doesn’t mean that painting season is over. It means that painting conditions change.

Many of the new coatings have been developed specifically for cold and damp weather application. When manufacturers design new products, they create products that can withstand the harsh winters of the northeast and midwest. Compared to those climates, Metro Atlanta seems like a tropical paradise. This is only good news for Alpharetta house painters.

Because these revolutionary coatings are designed for such harsh climates, GreenWave Solutions’ house painting crews are able to work throughout the entire year and still do the professional jobs that our clients expect.

So whether you are getting your house ready for holiday visitors or have just been putting off the paint job, now is the time to get this off of your “To Do” list.

We understand that the holidays can be expensive, so we are offering a 15% off special on all Alpharetta painting services.  Call today to schedule your free estimate!

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Alpharetta.

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