In some living rooms, walls and ceiling in the same color makes sense.
Planning to paint the living room ceiling and walls the same color brings back memories for many homeowners. A student room, the first apartment, even a first home may have benefited from just such a strategy, covering the evidence of frequent occupancy and teaching the new resident to paint all at the same time. While student days may be in the past, the one-color approach still makes sense in a variety of situations.
Instructions
1. Experiment with color use before deciding on a single-color strategy. Several paint companies and online design sites let you try out virtual color schemes. See the impact an all-over color choice is likely to have on your room. You can also explore using trim colors to reinforce or contrast with your all-over look.
2. Remember basic color design theory. Light colors tend to make spaces look larger, and dark colors tend to make them look smaller. Light colors reflect light, while dark colors absorb it. If you are painting both walls and ceiling the same color, position a number of color swatches in your room, high and low. Notice how both natural and artificial light function in your space with this color.
3. Use the all-over strategy in hard-to-handle spaces. A single color will help a room with lots of angles, sloping ceilings or awkward dormers. Rooms dominated by staircases or very high ceilings also benefit from the softening effects of an all-over color scheme.
4. Combine all-over wall and ceiling color with a contrasting trim color to produce crisper definition of a space. This strategy can be particularly effective in rooms with lots of detail in woodwork and moldings.
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Wood paneling has long been a staple of home interior decorating. Knotty wood paneling in particular gives a rustic look to any room. The paneling is often pine, which is stained to mimic a variety of different woods. Because knotty wood is natural and no two pieces are exactly alike, decorating with the paneling gives you an opportunity to create a room that is uniquely yours.
Horizontal Panels
Paneling is often vertical, with the planks going from top to bottom, but nothing stops you from using the planks horizontally on the wall. When you reach the end of the first row you will have to cut a plank piece to fit into the available space. Using the remainder of that cut piece to start the next row will ensure that the plank joints do not align from one row to the lower row. Continue to do this as you lay more rows and each one will have their joints aligned slightly differently from the one above and below it.
Wainscoting
Wood can be overwhelming if it is throughout the entire room. An easy way to overcome this is to only set the planks with one vertical row in the style called wainscoting. The planks start at floor level and extend upward 3 or 4 feet, depending upon the plank length. Because the planks are the same length there is no cutting involved except to fit the corner planks in. Install a chair rail at the top of the paneling and paint or wallpaper above it.
Accent
Knotty wood paneling goes particularly well as an accent throughout the home. One wall in each room that is paneled gives the whole home a consistent theme without the expense of completely paneling each room. Use it to set off a wall where focus is directed, such as where the fireplace or entertainment center is, or behind a wet bar in the recreation room.
Painting
Painting knotty wood paneling opens up a variety of colors yet still gives the wood texture. This reduces the rustic look but provides more options for matching decor. Painting knotty wood is different since the knots can affect the paint color. Preparing the surface first with a coat of Zinnser Gardz or Kilz primer will seal away the knots and prevent discoloration of the paint.
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Users usually create a virtual car as part of an online game where they customize cars and then race them on tracks or obstacle courses. Some of the virtual car sites are more appropriate for teens, but most of them are kid-friendly. Users generally do not have to create a member's account to play.
Instructions
1. Visit ABC Ya!, Funny Games, OGN or MTV. These sites will have a game or feature that will allow you to create your own virtual car.
2. Select a car body style you want to customize. Style options usually include coupes, SUVs, pickups or vintage cars.
3. Choose a color of paint for your virtual car. Paint options will vary from site to site, but will usually include white, red, blue, turquoise, maroon, yellow, orange, dark purple or pink. Some sites allow users to paint a car with a camouflage, racecar, taxicab, emergency vehicle, American flag or police car patterns.
4. Design your wheels by picking out custom rims. Rim and wheel styles may include regular alloy rims, chrome rims, racing wheels or monster truck wheels.
5. Pick out a paint design for your virtual car. Users can customize their cars with lightning bolts, flames, wood panels, mud stains, tinted windows, armor, headlight covers, window clings, big horns, stars, fender lights, rear and front spoilers, LED lights that go under the car and antenna balls.
Other items to choose from include 24 carat gold plated grills, flaming tail pipes, flashing emergency lights, hood ornaments, fake advertisements for the top of the car (like on taxicabs), airplane wings, big water pistols, satellites or a snowplow.
6. Choose a scene for your car. After you have picked out all the accessories your virtual car needs, pick out a background scene to accent how good the car looks. Scenes may include a mechanic's garage, city streets, a driveway at a house, raceways or a trailer park.
7. Save an image of your completed car to your computer to view later or print. Then enter it into a race car competition or an image gallery for others to view.
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Stucco is a decorative surface made from a mixture of aggregate, binder and water. It is a versatile material that can be easily shaped and applied when it is in its wet form. It becomes very hard and resistant when it is dry. It is used as an exterior and interior coating in architecture and interior design. Like all materials, stucco tends to develop cracks and deteriorate over time. Fortunately, you can repair and repaint stucco surfaces.
Instructions
1. Remove loose stucco and dust the rest of the surface with a broom and a thick brush. Pry out the dirt from the insides of the bigger cracks and holes with a chisel or screwdriver. Use a can of compressed air to remove the dust and dirt inside the cracks.
2. Apply caulk in small and thin cracks, using a caulk gun. Press the caulk in the hole with your fingers and use a damp sponge to remove the excess material around the crack. Let the caulk set for an hour.
3. Wet the whole stucco wall surface. Use a garden hose to spray the wall or rub the wall with a wet sponge or a sponge broom. The stucco surface should be soaked and saturated with water.
4. Make a mortar mix in a shallow bucket. Use a paddle tool or a trowel to mix the mortar.
5. Apply PVA glue on the damaged area, where the stucco crumbled away and in the bigger cracks. The glue will create a patch. Wait for two to three minutes for the glue to dry. Fill the cracks or coat the area around the cracks with mortar. Then apply a bitumen-coat fiberglass cloth layer on the same area, as well. Press the whole patch with a paint roller and let it dry.
6. Apply primer on the stucco surface. If you apply primer only on the damaged areas, the difference in tone and finish will be obvious. Let the primer coat dry completely.
7. Paint the whole stucco wall with a paint roller or a wide paintbrush. Again, painting only the damaged area will result in an uneven look, so it is best to paint the whole wall.
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It's easy to be disappointed when you spend money on quality paint, and then take up a couple of hours of your valuable time on a wood-painting project, only to be displeased with the results. The finish may appear uneven, full of imperfections and covered with unsightly brush marks. Fortunately, careful surface preparation and a little care can give you a smooth, glossy finish you can be proud of.
Cleaning
Whether the wood has been previously painted or is unfinished, it needs to be dry and clean of all dirt, grease and debris before painting. This can be done with a rag and a mild soapy solution, which should then be wiped off with a dry cloth. It's best not to soak the wood, especially if it's unfinished, since this will greatly extend the drying time.
Sanding
With the wood totally dry, a fine-grade sandpaper should be used to eliminate any scratches and nicks in the wood's surface. This will rough up the surface of the wood, allowing for better adhesion of the primer and paint you'll be using. For previously painted surfaces, you may want to inspect for any deep gouges and divots and fill them with wood filler using a putty knife. When this is dry, you can then sand the surface lightly for a smooth finish.
Priming
Before you begin priming, it's imperative that all dust is removed from the wood's surface with a tack cloth. Painting over even fine dust particles will not give you the smooth finish you want. If you're painting the wood a color other than white, it's worth buying a primer tinted in the same color as the paint you'll be using, as this can make paint coverage quicker and easier. Painting in the direction of the wood grain, apply an even coat of the primer and wait for it to dry.
First coat
After the primer is dry, it's a good idea to give it a light sanding, and then clean again with a dry tack cloth. The paint should then be applied with a quality brush, and left to dry thoroughly. Care should be taken not to overload the paint brush, which will lead to unsightly drips that will show through the final coat.
Second coat
After checking the paint can for recommended drying times, you can lightly sand the first coat and remove the resulting dust with the tack cloth. The second coat of paint can now be added, using smooth, even brush strokes. When the entire surface has been painted, it's a good idea to remove excess paint from the brush and with the brush angled low, lightly drag the tips of the the bristles along the wet painted surface in the direction of the wood grain, which should help even out and minimize any brush marks.
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When the subject of exterior home beautification is raised, shutters are frequently mentioned. These window enhancers add a great deal of charm to Tudor cottages, as well as low-slung ranch homes. Creative homeowners regularly add design elements to their shutters as a way of personalizing their homes. If your favorite graphics are more celestial than down-to-earth, a fanciful mix of hearts and angels will give your home a signature touch.
Instructions
1. Measure your windows to determine the size of the vinyl shutters you'll need for your angel and heart design. Match those measurements to the closest standard shutter size. Decide whether raised-panel or board-and-batten shutters are best for your embellishments. Louvered shutters aren't appropriate; rarely are the border frames wide enough to embellish.
2. Search for heart and angel reference material, patterns or templates. Boot your computer. Scan the art. Save the images on your desktop as jpegs. Open a new document in any software program that allows you to import images. Size the documents properly so you're working to scale. For example, if your shutters are 6 feet high and 3 feet wide, work within a 6-inch by 3-inch field so your design maintains the correct scaling.
3. Choose the color you'll paint your shutters from your computer's paint picker. Try a few before you decide on the best one. Import the heart and angel jpegs to the shutter document. Adjust the size of the images. Experiment with different arrangements. You could have a line of five hearts interspersed by three angels, or you could make one element bigger than the others -- a giant heart with small angels on either side, for example. Another option is superimposing one angel over each of five hearts. Worlds of combinations await. Try a variety.
4. Print the finished layout to see how your design looks on paper. Make adjustments if the arrangement looks peculiar or lacks harmony and balance. Output a final color copy of your design and take it to the paint store. Match your colors to color chips. Have your vinyl-specific paint mixed. Add small cans of accent colors to your shopping cart for the angels and hearts.
5. Prep and paint the shutters in the background color you've chose. Apply more than one coat of paint with a drying period between the applications if you're not satisfied with the intensity of the color after the initial coat dries.
6. Create new, resized heart and angel templates: If the shapes on the shutters are larger or smaller than the original patterns you scanned, enlarge or shrink them on a photocopier to adjust the dimensions. Cut new stencils of sturdy plastic sheeting from the photocopies. Tape stencils to the shutters. Fill the heart and angel shapes with accent colors and a stippling brush.
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The process of manufacturing paint has been refined but not drastically changed in centuries.
At the chemical level, the colorants used in any manufacturing process are the same. Housepaint, plastics, colored leather, textiles, ceramics, paper, cosmetics and all the varieties of fine art paints use the same pigments, the only difference being how the pigments are designed in terms of lightfastness, particle size, purity, hue, chroma and, of course, cost. Today, all colorants are synthetic compounds, and the variety available depends largely on the demands of the largest market share using the colorants, which are manufacturing companies that specialize in foods, house paints, inks, automobiles and plastics.
How the individual paints are made, however, varies according to medium and is dependent on the binding agent used. This process will be better understood after a brief review of the backbone structure of paint, the function of the different ingredients involved and a breakdown of what pigment is and how it is categorized.
Backbone Composition of Paint
In the simplest terms, paint is nothing more than microscopic particles of pigment suspended in a vehicle, or medium. The basic recipe for making paint varies by manufacturer, but usually it includes pigment mixed with a brightener, a binder, plasticizer, humectant, filler, manufacturing additives and water. Paint gets its color from pigment; the rest of the ingredients comprise the vehicle, which is what makes the pigment usable as a paint.
The type of binder used determines the medium of the paint and usually gives the paint its name; for instance, oil paint uses a linseed oil binder, acrylics use an acrylic polymer binder and egg tempera uses egg whites or yolks. Watercolor paint is an exception--gum arabic is typically the binder, or sometimes other gums or animal glues, and water is the solvent.
The Function of Ingredients in Paint
The binder is the first, most crucial ingredient of the vehicle. It is a transparent liquid that transforms the pigment into a viscous fluid that can be painted with, it holds the pigment on the surface of the paper, canvas or other support, making the paint appear brighter, and it adheres the pigment to the support.
Some binders, such as gum arabic, tend to crack, darken or flake when dry. A plasticizer is added to paint to counteract these problems and also to retard drying in the tube. Glycerin is the most commonly used plasticizer for water-based paints, but other substances can be used; methyl cellulose, for instance, is used as both a binder and plasticizer in pastels and chalks.
A humectant is often added to help retain water in the paint, thus inhibiting drying and softening the paint. Carbohydrates like sugar syrup or honey have been used since the 19th century for this purpose. Humectants also make water-based paints easier to redissolve after they dry out on the palette.
Fillers are added to paint to thicken paint, make the consistency more similar from color to color, tone down especially vibrant hues of some pigments and reduce the cost of the paint. They are also necessary to keep paints from getting too glossy and lifting from the support too easily. Dextrin is one commonly used filler which can also be used as a binder; carrageenan or funori are also used.
Other additives come into the paint either in the packaging stage or during milling. These commonly include a wetting agent that helps speed up the mixing process when the paint is manufactured, additives that increase the shelf life by keeping the pigments mixed evenly with the vehicle and preservatives or fungicide to keep mold from growing.
Water is also added, especially in the initial grinding and mixing process of paint manufacturing. Most of the water evaporates away before it is packaged, but some remains, decreasing in direct proportion to the age of the paint.
What Is Pigment?
Pigments are chemical compounds with the attributes of color. Unlike dyes, pigments do not dissolve in water. They are either natural or synthetic, organic or inorganic. These four categories classify pigments as falling into one of four classifications: natural inorganic, synthetic inorganic, natural organic and synthetic organic. Natural inorganic pigments exist in nature as minerals such as clays, rust, stones and silica. Some examples include yellow ochre, burnt sienna, raw umber and lapis lazuli (natural ultramarine blue).
Natural organic pigments are made from roots, plants and animals. Because they are not very lightfast, natural organic pigments are not used in commercial paints, but some examples of these pigments are madder reds made from roots, carmine red from insects and indian yellow made from cow urine.
Synthetic pigments are not found in nature, but are manufactured to mimic and improve upon those found in nature. Iron blue, cobalt green, cobalt blue and zinc oxide were made before 1800 and are still used today. Nearly every paint manufactured today uses synthetic pigments, both because they are an improvement upon the natural compounds, which tend to deteriorate and fade with time, and also because of environmental concerns and scarcity regarding the use of natural pigments.
Pigment Manufacturing
Most pigment is not used for fine arts, but for a vast number of other industries including automobile paints, housepaints, printing inks, tattoo inks, pharmaceuticals, wood stains, dental ceramics, foodstuffs, colored leather and more. Pigments are manufactured by chemical companies across the world, such as BASF, Hays Colours, Sun Chemical Corp., Bayer, DuPont and so on. These companies create, refine and package the pigments in different forms dictated by the market needs and the properties of the pigment. Some pigments must be packaged as moist pastes, or else they would clump and become unusable. Others can be manufactured as powders, pressed into cakes or as fine grains.
How Paint Is Manufactured
Our machines and processing lines have increased the amount of paint that can be made at once, but other than that the basic mechanics of making paint have not changed much in over a hundred years. First, the paint manufacturer assembles the necessary raw ingredients, such as pigment, and grinds them to final specification. After that, the ingredients for the vehicle and the pigments are mixed into a paste which is then milled. Milling is the mixing of pigment and vehicle, and it is usually done on a machine with three large steel rollers that crushes, smears and folds the paste until it has reached the desired consistency. This can take several hours or several days, and when the milling is complete, the finished paint must age. Aging is necessary to ensure that the pigment completely immersed in the vehicle. Improperly aged paint will squirt out of the tube when opened, burst the packaging or harden in the tube. The last step is packaging. Depending on the paint, it is either poured into pans or tubes; if tubes, the cap is left on and the paint fills from the bottom. When it is full, the tube is crimped closed, labels are added, and the paint is ready for marketing.
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Decorating the interior of your home can be a fun and exciting project. There are many new, interesting techniques you can use to give your space a unique look. Most of these involve different painting procedures that create a faux or textured surface. Get creative ideas for your home decor by brushing up on these approaches.
Wall Stenciling
Stenciling is an interesting technique for decorating interior walls. The process involves applying color through cutout areas of a template to create a design. The look you end up with is only as limited as your imagination. Browse through your local craft store's stencil selections, or use cardboard and an exacto knife to make your own design. You can also paint your favorite saying on the bathroom or dining room wall. Design and create a mural in the living or stencil some vines up the walls. Stenciling will add depth and texture to your rooms. It is simple to do, with endless possibilities.
Faux Painting
Faux painting is a way of creating the illusion of texture where it does not actually exist. For instance, you can "build" a bathroom made of marble without buying a single slab. Sponging is the easiest texturing method, as well as the most versatile. The process includes using a sea sponge dipped in paint to create patterns on the wall. The result can give the look of stone, granite and even marble.
Ragging creates a textured look by using lint-free cloth to add and subtract paint. An example of the technique is rag rolling, in which you roll the cloth up like a newspaper, then use it to roll paint onto the wall.
Some faux techniques take practice or even a professional to create. Part of the fun is exploring all the ways to create a look to call your own. Kits are available at craft stores and home improvement stores to help with the process.
Stripes and Shapes
Stripes add a sophisticated tone on tone look to your walls. The process involves drawing or taping vertical or horizontal lines on your wall and then filling in the blanks with alternating colors. There is versatility to creating stripes in a room. You can choose to paint big thick stripes, or pinstripes. The result is a powerful look that changes to perception of the space.
Vertical stripes make your ceiling appear higher and add shape to a boxy space. Horizontal stripes make a room appear larger than it is and the ceiling lower. Diagonal lines give the illusion of movement. Stripes can be made quite easily by applying masking tape and painting over or around it.
Using a paintbrush or roller to create a look of crosshatch squares adds dimension to your room. This technique involves painting in alternating directions, using one color or two contrasting colors. The final product gives the room depth and creates an interesting texture.
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The hardest thing about computer and online interior design tools is that a flat picture does not accurately reflect what a three-dimensional room will look like. Many online interior decorating tools let you draw a room in two dimensions and convert it to 3D. Additionally, many show colors and textures and let you change them as you choose, so you can see what those dark red walls will really look like before you actually paint them.
Floor Planner
Start with a blank page, an empty room or an example you can edit. Drag features into place such as furniture, rugs, closets, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, stairwells and windows. Save your floor plan and convert it to a 3D view of the room you just designed. Share or print it, or go back to the 2D version and move things around some more.
floorplanner.com
MyDeco.com 3D Room Planner
Start with an empty room or an example you can edit. Add furniture, paint the walls, and choose flooring. View a small 3D version or click "big render" to generate a larger 3D version.
mydeco.com/design/
Autodesk Homestyler
Drag and drop rooms, windows and doors to create a floor plan for a whole house. Add items, including real products from Sherwin-Williams, Flor, Dacor, Flex Deck, Kohler, Corian, Zodiag and Merillat. Switch to 3D mode to see it come to life, and share it online with family and friends. Export in DWG or RVT format for use with professional design software.
homestyler.com
SeeMyDesign
Build your room and add window treatments, artwork, flooring and rugs. Paint the walls. Preview a realistic looking full-color room. This view looks more realistic than the other programs, but requires a file to be installed on your computer in order to work, and may not run on every computer.
seemydesign.com
Design a Room from Armstrong
Use this tool to visualize different flooring options in different style rooms. Choose from bathroom, bedroom, dining room, family room, foyer, home office, kitchen and living room. Then select a decorating style. The program gives you a pre-designed option; you can't make it look exactly like your room, though you can change the color of walls and cabinets. Then you view the flooring options and narrow them down by category. You can also learn features of different styles of flooring.
designmyroom.com
Colors Pallete Generator
This tool is really meant for web designers, but you can use it to generate a color palette for your room if you have a digital photo with accurate coloring that shows elements with the colors you want in your room. Upload it and it will generate a light, medium and dark color palette using the colors in the photo. A good way to use this would be to upload a photo of your couch, or tiles you plan to use in your kitchen.
cssdrive.com/imagepalette/index.php
PlanningWiz3
This tool is marketed for professional designers to use with their clients. It is meant to be added as a feature for an interior designer's website. The customer uses the software to visualize a room using furniture the designer has for sale, and captures contact information so the designer can contact the customer.
planningwiz.com
Plan3D
Plan3D is an online application for homeowners, contractors and designers. There is a charge to use it which amounts to only a few dollars per month but is paid annually. It is similar to some of the other 3D programs, but it offers a large library of textures and furniture and allows you to do outside landscaping as well as interiors.
plan3d.com
myPANTONE for iPhone
This tool for the iPhone connects to the Internet and provides accurate color matching to the Pantone color system. A designer or homeowner can hold the phone up to any colored item and pick the closest match in the Pantone color system for paint or textiles.
This software works on computers, tablets and smartphones that have access to the Internet. Subscribe with a monthly fee. This software offers many options that some of the other space planning programs do, but lets you add furniture and drapery options from vendor websites. It's good to help get an idea what a room will look like with various custom drapery options.
dreamdraper.com
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Because colors can evoke different moods, it is important to know how the color of paint in a home will affect your home's atmosphere.
White, Gray and Black
White evokes air, light, purity, truth, sterility, simplicity and youth. Gray evokes elegance, formality, neutrality, respect, stability, subtlety, wisdom, urban sprawl and balance. Black evokes sorrow, mystery, rebellion and sophistication.
Earth Tones
Brown and beige shades promote feelings of calm, nature, richness, tradition and dependability.
Warm Tones
Red, orange, and yellow are warm or hot colors. They evoke intensity, passion, boldness, energy, happiness, enthusiasm, desire and optimism.
Cool Tones
Cool tones, like blue and green, evoke nature, wealth, initiative, youth, confidence, security, harmony, unity, loyalty and strength.
Magenta, Purple, Indigo and Violet
These colors conjure magic, wisdom, pride, romanticism, spirituality, creativity and luxury.
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People value country houses for their casual charm and comfortable feel. Country house décor consists of organic materials, natural colors and rustic accessories. Country furnishings are antiques with simple lines and little detailing. French country style varies from American country style in its use of bolder colors and the inclusion of ornate accessories. Both styles aim to create an environment that is simple, warm and inviting.
Instructions
1. Select a paint color that is appropriate for your country style. American country interiors feature muted pastel colors like pale yellow, peach or sage green. French country interiors often use bold colors like mustard and brick. Opt for paint in a flat finish to give the walls a softer, worn look.
2. Paint around the edges of the wall with a brush and roll out the larger parts of the walls with a paint roller. Apply two coats of paint to achieve full coverage.
3. Incorporate a stencil design somewhere in your interior. Stencil a large image on cabinet doors or create a border along the top of the walls. French country motifs include paisleys, Mediterranean flowers and fleur-de-lis. Some common American country designs are hearts, birds, daisies, sunflowers, ivy and wheat sheaves. Use acrylic paint thinned with matte medium, as necessary. Gently tap the stencil brush on the surface of the stencil for complete, even coverage. Wipe the stencil off after each use.
4. Choose curtains that complement your wall colors. Although a solid, pale color is always a safe choice, you can also experiment with different patterns. Pastel floral patterns are appropriate for American country décor, while French provincial fabrics tend to feature bold colors and high-contrast patterns.
5. Place your furniture in a comfortable, functional arrangement. Country interiors are supposed to be informal and cozy. Arrange seating close to a fireplace. Set up a table and chairs in or near the kitchen for casual dining.
6. Select country accessories to complete your rustic look. Opt for items constructed of natural materials that have a handmade look. Some common decorative items include traditional tools, wooden decoys, hand-painted pottery, dried flower arrangements and embroidered objects. Intersperse some ornate antique items, such as silver platters and mirrors with gilded frames, for an elegant French country interior.
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Unless you're a vegetarian, the smell of a perfectly grilled steak is enough to send your taste buds into overdrive. If your passion for meat transcends the single serving and you've had some experience slaughtering and dressing beef, pork, lamb, chicken and other delicacies, there's probably a meat market business in your future. Learning butcher meat is a trade best learned at the side of a professional, but you'll probably need some help putting together the business side of your venture. Peruse tips in this article and you'll never again hear the question "Where's the beef?" It will be artfully arranged in refrigerated cases at the butcher shop with your name written above the door.
Instructions
1. Write a meaty business plan. Commit to paper your vision for opening, operating, running, funding and advertising your butcher shop. Figure out which competitors are close enough to be problems for you and your sales; include supermarkets, small grocery stores, other meat markets, delicatessens and big box stores. See how they operate, compare the prices each charge and keep these averages on the forefront of your brain as you move toward your goal.
2. Find suppliers. You may be in a position to buy directly from farmers if you live in an area that makes this type of direct purchasing the best and most cost-effective option. If you're located in an urban setting, researching and comparing costs and services of meat wholesalers and distributors are more logical options. Be forewarned: your margin will increase as a direct result of buying your meat from an intermediary, but on the other hand, distributors can get you cuts of meat that local farmers and ranchers might not be able to offer.
3. Follow through with the facet of your business plan for obtaining funding to start-up and maintain your meat market for at least a year until your business is established. If personal financing isn't an option, apply for a loan at a bank with which you do business, turn to a credit union for help or consider a second mortgage on your home if you've enough equity. A less-desirable funding source -- especially if you want to control every aspect of your meat market -- is to find a silent partner.
4. Determine your start-up expenses. If you're opening in a shop that previously served as a meat market, freezer and refrigeration cases should already be in place. Starting from the ground up? Shop and compare commercial suppliers to obtain these essentials. Additionally, buy as much insurance as your business broker recommends so you are fully prepared for any type of catastrophic, meat-related event.
5. Outfit your meat market and design the space so meat cutting and preparation areas are as spacious and well-appointed as space allows. You'll need cutting-block counters, racking units for commercial knives and cleavers, professional meat grinders and either a computer system or a cash register for ringing up sales. If your budget allows, opt for a computer and add software to tally and sort expenses to speed up accounting and bookkeeping tasks.
6. Connect with local health department and government agencies to ascertain the kinds of documentation required to open your meat market business. Apply for these permits and licenses and, if possible, invite a member of the local board of health's inspection staff to tour the premises before you are ready to open. As a newcomer to the business, you may have missed an essential task or piece of equipment that could halt or delay the grand opening of your butcher shop, so take this extra step as a precaution.
7. Oversee the delivery of your meat products, set up a dating system to keep tabs on when each delivery of meat arrives at your shop and begin preparing cuts of meat to stock your display cases. Have adequate sizes of bags, wraps and other supplies on hand to package meat for customers.
8. Purchase a back-up generator for peace of mind. Power outages are a fact of life and are, at the very least, inconvenient when you're worried about keeping lights on. If your pricey inventory of raw meat depends upon refrigeration 24/7, you probably won't want to take a chance on leaving this piece of equipment off your supply list.
9. Experiment with sales, incentives and marketing programs once you've opened your doors. Decades ago, when meat markets were the norm and supermarkets didn't exist, butchers knew customers' likes and dislikes as well as they knew their own. It wasn't unusual for a butcher to call a customer to inform him that a choice cut just arrived from the supplier and was earmarked just for him. This is exactly the kind of service that separates prime cuts from hamburger.
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Roller painting on aluminum siding is easier than painting on other products. Because the paint does not soak into the metal, more than one coat is not required. A primer is also not needed when painting aluminum. Painting with a roller has its advantages. Moving a roller up and down a wall is just as easy, if not moreso, than painting with a brush. There are a few techniques to follow, but none that can't be accomplished by any novice. The first step is finding a paint made for metal. Once you've chosen your brand and your color, you're on your way to adding life to the exterior of your home.
Instructions
1. Clean the aluminum siding so the paint will adhere properly to the metal surface. Kill any mildew that might have grown on the aluminum with bleach and a scrub brush. Rinse well.
2. Pour a few inches of paint, made for metal, in the bottom of a paint tray.
3. Dip your paint roller into the paint and roll it back and forth over the textured part at the front of the tray. This will spread the paint evenly over the roller and cause the excess paint to come off.
4. Place the paint roller on the aluminum siding and begin to roll. If the aluminum siding is horizontal you will roll your paint roller sideways. If the aluminum siding is vertical you will roll the roller up and down.
5. Make long strokes, going back and forth over the same area until it is completely covered. Paint with your roller in 4-feet by 4-feet blocks. Gradually move from one block to another blending the edges together to prevent overlap lines.
6. Dip your roller back in the paint as needed. Use a ladder to reach the higher siding on the house.
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Decorating a house with a large open space, even if the space technically includes two different rooms, seems easy at first glance. If you want to separate and define each space, however, it takes some creativity and smart decorating. The trick is to use paint to distinguish between the two rooms while avoiding overpowering one of the rooms at the same time. Find common elements to bridge the two rooms so that the change in paint color isn't so abrupt.
Instructions
1. Decide if you want the colors to be similar, such as two complementary shades of green or blue; or if you want to use two entirely different contrasting colors such as red and blue.
2. Use the corner where the rooms come together to separate them by color, or install a strip of molding between the rooms if they share a wall. This will clearly define each room's area but allow the entire space to remain open.
3. Incorporate items into each room that contain some of the coloring from the adjoining room. For example, if you use red in one room and blue in the next, find a rug, pillow or drapes that contain both colors. This will create continuity between the spaces as well as further defining each room as individual.
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Victorian interior design is one of the most complex decorating styles. That is because of the opulent color schemes, luxuriant fabrics, ornate furnishings and intricate decor pieces used to fashion a home with Victorian flair. If you are longing to decorate your home with rich, lush, old-fashioned style, learn about all the aspects of this fashionable theme.
Time Frame
The Victorian Era encompassed the entire length of Queen Victoria's reign, which was 1837 to 1901. This period that began what we know as modern times was an age of wealth and prosperity. Because of this, the Victorian style of home decorating and design is a display of apparent affluence. Furnishings and accessories are often cluttered, and always interesting flaunting privileged circumstances and an appreciation for culture.
Features
Victorian design literally starts from the ground up. Flooring can be luxurious carpeting, rich wood, or geometrically patterned tile. If you have wooden flooring in your home, stain it a deeper, darker color. Rosewood, mahogany, or walnut stains are good choices. Scatter woven tapestry rugs sporting peacocks, gardens, or other bird or floral motifs across the floor to add appeal. If you prefer tile, a combination of black and white in a striking pattern will provide a lovely setting for your furnishings.
Identification
Victorian home decorating can be identified throughout the home and from ceilings to floors. Walls were covered in dark colors and laden with dark, heavy items to make rooms appear smaller and therefore more intimate. Whether you choose wallpaper or paint, stick with rich colors such as emerald green, burgundy, plum and mauve. Hang intricately designed picture frames and mirrors. Large frames that cover a wide area of a wall or groupings of similar frames are characteristic of a Victorian living room.
Effects
The furniture you choose will have the greatest effect on your Victorian-inspired design. Choose large, masculine pieces composed mostly of wood in dark, rich colors. The wooden features of the furniture pieces should have intricately carved designs such as flowers, scrolls and animals. Choose lavish woven tapestry for the fabric covering the cushioned areas of the furniture. Pieces with claw feet or embellishments such as metal drawer pulls in the shape of a lion's head add further effect to the room.
Considerations
Accents such as elaborate crown molding, crystal lighting fixtures, gilded picture frames or vases, and ornate window coverings will top off your room. Because this design style is so lavish, be certain that it suits your taste before you commit to decorating your entire home in this manner. Begin by incorporating one or two pieces. If you love those pieces and find yourself drawn to them, look for more ways to decorate that room in Victorian design.
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The Internet is full of interesting and compelling graphics and photographs that you may want to use in projects as illustrations. Removing one image from a whole graphic can often save a lot of time and labor. A change in the background can create a completely new image that works perfectly for your project.
Instructions
1. Download the picture you are going to work with by selecting the picture and right clicking, then choosing "Save Image As." Save it on your desktop so it is easy to locate. Any photograph, piece of art work or magazine clipping can be scanned and imported.
2. Choose a graphics program such as Photoshop, PhotoImpact or Paint Shop Pro. You will use this program to cut the portion of the graphic out of the original and to save it for use somewhere else.
3. Open the picture in the working window. Use the "Select" tool to select the part of the image you want to cut out. Use the pull-down menu and select "Copy" to remove the selected object from the original picture. Open a new window in the workspace. Then position the cursor in the new window and select "Edit" and "Paste" to include the part of the picture that you copied, which should now appear in the new window.
4. Magnify the view of the window to at least 200 percent. Now select the "Eraser" tool and begin to make closer edits to the image that you want. Use the Eraser to delete portions of the picture. Select areas as close to the image as you can and work your way around the outline of the image.
5. Enlarge the image one more time. View the outline of the object that you want to keep and make sure that the edges are clean and you have removed all unwanted pixels. Now you are ready to save the image in a form that you will be able to use in another picture.
6. Select the "File" menu and choose "Save As." In the "File Type" drop-down menu, choose "GIF" and press "OK." When prompted, select that the file will be transparent by selecting the transparent color and press the "Yes" button. The background color of the picture is usually the transparent color. This will remove the pixels of this color from the image and save the rest of the image. Give the file a name and Select "OK."
7. Check your work. Close the window that is viewing the new picture and then choose "File" and open the new file. Examine the file that you saved and make sure it turned out the way you wanted it to.
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Bring the ocean home by creating a beach house room.
Your beach house room is a relaxing retreat inspired by nature and the ocean. Incorporate outside elements through natural wood furniture and paint reminiscent of the colors of the sea. Create a list of your favorite aspects of the seashore and introduce them into your design plan. With the addition of themed toys, your room will be a pleasure to relax in even with little ones by your side.
Instructions
1. Repurpose this bench by bringing it inside and adding an upholstered cushion and bold throw pillows.
Assess your space. Choose which furniture will stay, what will go, and what you will need to find. Re-purpose furniture by bringing it to the room from another space in the house. Pull an old rattan couch from the front porch. Stack old suitcases as a side table. Furniture in a beach retreat is made of natural wood or wicker, and is often colored white or light blue.
2. Use blues and browns, reminiscent of the sea and the sand, as paint colors for your beach-inspired room.
Choose a wall color. White is an option if you focus the decor on the the primary colors of red, green and blue, which are often attributed to sailing and nautical decor. Alternately, ocean blues or sandy beiges are soft, spa-inspired natural tones.
3. Sisal is a natural fiber reminiscent of grass on the dunes.
Purchase a rug for the floor. A natural fiber rug, like sisal, fits with a primary color palette or spa-inspired pallet. A room without a rug to anchor the furniture feels fluid and transient. A beach cottage retreat is just the opposite. It is a cozy space where you want to sit and curl up with a good book.
4. Frame a map as an inexpensive piece of art.
Arrange the furniture around a focal point, such as a window with a view of the outside, a fireplace or a framed nautical map. Sofas need tables or trunks nearby on which to rest drinks. Overstuffed chairs need a spot to hold magazines. Instead of a coffee table, use a farm table cut down to kneeling size with two small chairs tucked underneath as a coloring station for children. Store crayons in old beach pails.
5. Use ship's rope tied in a knot as a curtain tieback.
Hang light, airy, linen drapes in the summer that can be switched out with a darker, heavier, burlap or even velvet fabric in the fall and winter. Consider using heavy rope as a curtain tieback to add a nautical feel. Be bold with the fabrics that you use for throw pillows. Fabric stores and suppliers often feature nautical decorative fabric collections.
6. Have fun choosing decorative accessories and toys for your room.
Personalize your room. A pair of antique binoculars, a book about seaside vacations, a telescope for watching the tides and other decorative accessories are fun to work with; accessories should be things that you love. A book on tie knots and a basket of string are both decorative and entertaining. Fill a basket with dress-up hats reminiscent of sea captains, pirates and fisherman to entertain kids. A child-friendly model ship will inspire a child's imagination.
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Acrylic urethane paints are a thicker paint that can be used for wood or metal applications. The paint can be applied with a color pigment to it or it can be applied as a clear gloss coat that dries hard and offers the surface below protection from moisture and other damage. As a clear coat, acrylic urethane is favored among painters because it doesn't givee an amber tint to the final color of the piece like oil based products do. Follow the tips below for the best results when applying acrylic urethane paints.
Surface Preparation
Some painters will apply acrylic urethane finishes without much thought to the surface. But paint is only as good as the surface to which it is applied, so take time to clean the surface. If it is metal use a rag to make sure all the grinding dust is wiped off. For wood applications it is important that saw dust is wiped off so that the paint has a clean substrate to adhere to.
Safety Gear
The odor that is associated with acrylic urethane paints have been reduced over the years but it may still be aggravating in closed painting booths. Gear like safety glasses and a mask should always be worn when working with acrylic urethane paint. A full paint suit with a respirator should be worn if this paint is being applied in a closed paint booth. This gear will protect your lungs and skin from the adverse coating effects of this paint.
Brush Application
Acrylic urethane paint has been improved to the point that it can be easily applied to smaller areas with a paint brush and not create brush strokes in the finish. Brush application should be reserved for small areas though because of the fast-drying properties of the paint. Both the surface you are painting and the paint in the brush will begin to dry soon after the first stroke of paint. Use a brush that you don't mind throwing away when using this type of paint because you won't be able to clean it afterwards.
Spray Application
Applying acrylic urethane paint with a sprayer is a logical choice if you will be painting a large surface. Using a sprayer with this type of paint requires some planning though. Acrylic urethane paint dries quickly and will not wait for you to reload your gun or take a quick break. When using a sprayer it is advisable to make sure you have time to complete the job or to at least reach a good stopping point in the project, like a corner. As long as the paint is flowing through the spray gun it shouldn't dry in the gun. But after finishing the job it is important to clean the sprayer before the paint has time to dry and ruin the spray gun.
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A warm color scheme can complement the tone of a wood floor.
Wood floors are warm and cozy, but since they lend so much color to a room, it can be challenging to choose a paint color to go with them. Should you choose a color that matches or attempt to contrast? Consider the shade your wood is stained--whether it is light or dark, orange or golden. Even though choosing the right paint color is daunting, don't be afraid of color.
Warm Color Scheme
Rich reds, browns, oranges and bright yellows accentuate the warmth of your wood floors. Don't attempt to match your floors, or your room will feel like a cave; instead, select a warm paint shade that complements your floors. For example, if your floors are extremely dark wood, a pale yellow creates contrast. Medium-toned floors like oak pop next to chocolate brown walls. Red is an especially bold choice, but keep in mind that reds range from burgundy to brown, so be sure to choose a shade that looks good with your floors.
Get the Blues
Most wood floors are some shade of beige or brown, and blue is a natural match. Pale blue pairs well with dark brown wood floors, and is ideal for a bedroom, nursery or living area. This soothing shade makes the space feel serene and relaxing. For mid-tone floors, try a shade of blue with a touch of green. Avoid really dark or bright blue, as it will overwhelm the earthy tones of your wood floors.
Stay Neutral
White, beige and light gray are classic choices for wall paints, and they also pair well with hardwood floors. However, you must choose the shade carefully to be sure it doesn't muddy against the tone of your floors. Taupe can look "off" next to a floor with a clear, golden finish. Bring home a few swatches or test bottles of paint---even white comes in a variety of shades---before committing to a neutral color.
Add an Accent
If you like the idea of adding some color to your room but prefer mostly neutrals, consider selecting one bold color for an accent wall. Study the texture and tone of your wood floors. Choose a color that contrasts with them for maximum visual impact. For example, pale beige floors pair well with a deep purple wall, while cherry-toned floors really blossom next to mossy green.
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Usually people just buy ready-mixed stucco, but you can certainly make your own. With just a few materials, you can make a batch of stucco to use for your backyard project. Make sure you get your eye and hand protection because you don't want to have the alkaline stuff get all over you. This is a simple but effective method of making stucco.
Instructions
1. Pour one five-gallon bucket of fine clean sand into your wheelbarrow. This is the main part of your stucco. Modern stucco uses more Portland cement that the original recipes that have lasted for hundreds of years.
2. Dump a gallon of hydrated lime into your wheelbarrow. This is lime that has been treated with water to form calcium hydroxide. It is used in gardens to raise pH levels. It is powdery, so don't breath in the airborne dust.
3. Add about a quart of Portland cement and mix the dry mixtures together with your hoe. It helps to have consistency in the mix before you add the water since each of the components act differently with the water.
4. Turn on your hose and slowly add water. Turn off the water and mix everything together with a pushing and pulling motion with your hoe. If you still have a lot of dry powder, add more water and stir again. Be careful not to add too much water. When it is the consistency of pudding, it is ready for applying.
5. Keep the mixture damp. If is starts hardening before you are finished, you can add a little water and mix it up again, but usually that only works once.
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Victorian architecture was common at the beginning of the 20th century.
If you own a home built in the early 20th century, you own a piece of history. Over the years, many of these homes have been painted a number of colors, but the true beauty of your home will shine when it is painted the authentic, historical color it was originally meant to be. Several architectural styles of homes were built in the early 20th century, and each has its own historical color palette.
Victorian
The influence of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, where the exhibition buildings were painted pristine white, saw many Victorian style homes at the beginning of the 20th century painted white with white, brown, black or green trim. Victorian house colors of the late 19th century had been rich and dark, but as the new century arrived, these colors began to become much brighter and paler. Cream, yellow, gray and blue paint hues were used. Trims and accents began to include multiple colors, as many as five or more, in deeper, rich, and vivid complementary colors to the main house color.
Arts & Crafts
In the early teens of the 20th century through the 1930s, the Arts and Crafts movement appeared as an architectural style. Nature was a primary influence to anything Arts and Crafts, including home colors. Many houses built in this style had wood shingle siding that was oil stained in subtle shades of green, rust, brown and yellow. These same muted, earthy colors in greens, blues, yellows, browns, and reds were used on Arts and Crafts homes that did not have shingle siding but had more traditional wood or stucco exterior walls.
Bungalow
The bungalow architectural style of homes became common in the 1920s and 1930s. Not only are Craftsman and Arts and Crafts styled homes often considered bungalows, but Cape Cod, Georgian, Dutch Colonial and Williamsburg style homes as well. Bungalow homes are usually painted less ornate than Victorian, with a light colored body and dark, contrasting trim of two or three colors. Grays, greens, blues or combinations are predominate for historically correct bungalow homes. Often the front door is painted an entirely different color than anything else on the house, such as rich shades of red or blue.
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Paint rollers are one of the tools you will need to paint a concrete block building.
Painted concrete block buildings are virtually maintenance-free if done properly. There are two types of concrete block: smooth or split face. The split-face block, with its rough texture, will need twice as much primer and paint as the smooth-face block.
Clean Surface
Preparing the concrete block building before applying paint is the best way to ensure a finish that lasts. While water alone can remove dirt and loose paint, it is very important to remove efflorescence, a white powder that forms on the surface of the concrete. It is caused by water infiltration and requires chemicals to completely eliminate it.
Put acidic masonry cleaner into a pressure washer, spray the surface thoroughly and then use a scrub brush to get it all off.
Primer
If the concrete has never been painted before, it will need to be primed first. Use an acrylic block fill primer to neutralize the high PH level of the concrete block and fill in all the pores.
A gallon of this acrylic fill will cover approximately 200 square feet on a smooth surface and 100 square feet on a rough concrete surface.
Paint
Use a high-quality paint over the primer for best results. According to the experts at House Painting Info, the best choice Elastomeric paint. You can use any 100 percent acrylic semigloss or satin sheen exterior paint, though.
Application
Using both an airless sprayer and roller is the best way to get both the primer and finish fully into the concrete block. You want to get paint pushed deep into the pores to get a sealed, moisture-free surface.
Two people should work together for this procedure. First a thick, even coat of paint is applied with the airless sprayer and then the second person immediately presses the paint into the concrete block with the roller.
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Skaven are miniature figurines based on a race of man-sized rat-creatures featured in the Warhammer Fantasy setting created by Games Workshop. If you try to paint directly over bare, unconditioned Skaven figurines, the finish won't hold up to consistent handling. Because they're made of plastic, these miniatures are too smooth and nonporous to support an enduring finish. You can resolve this difficulty by roughening the Skaven figurines using the same friction-based abrasion methods professional painters use to enhance adhesion on all plastic surfaces.
Instructions
1. Wash each Skaven figurine with a water-based soap. Be sure to use a new sponge when washing. Avoid used sponges which may contain trace residues that could make the miniature too slick for adequate paint adhesion.
2. Rinse the miniature under a running faucet. Dry the Skaven figurine with a towel.
3. Abrade the Skaven figurine to promote adequate adhesion. If you don't carry out this important step, the final finish coat will not remain durable when handled. Scour the Skaven figurine with 100-grit sandpaper until every bit of the miniature feels slightly coarse to your fingertips.
4. Place the miniature on a canvas drop cloth. Do not use an inexpensive polypropylene plastic drop cloth; primer and enamel overspray will collect and pool on the plastic.
5. Coat the miniature with acrylic spray primer. Prevent ugly sagging and runs by holding a steady 8-inch space between the Skaven figurine and the nozzle tip of the spray can. Let the primed miniature dry for no less than three hours.
6. Coat the miniature with acrylic spray enamel. Hold a steady 8-inch space between the Skaven figurine and the spray can's nozzle tip. Let the painted miniature dry for at least three hours.
7. Paint acrylic enamel features onto the Skaven figurine using craft brushes. Don't handle the finished miniature for at least three hours after painting.
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Wood shakes are ill-suited for paint adhesion. If you nonetheless plan to paint shake siding, you must take some important steps: Condition the siding with a bonding primer before you paint, or the finish coating will eventually flake and peel. Choose a finish formulated for harsh temperatures and weather elements, or the shakes probably will shed their new finish. Use the correct application technique, or you may end up with uneven coverage.
Instructions
1. Wash the shake siding, using a pressure washer. Remove dust and cobwebs from each shake to avoid adhesion difficulties. Allow the shakes to dry for 24 hours.
2. Prime the clean shake siding, using a roller. Proceed left to right, moving your paint roller vertically.
3. Force the primer into the awkward areas that lie between individual shakes, using a nylon brush. Dab the brush against these areas to encourage even coverage. Allow the shakes to dry for two hours.
4. Use tap water to wash primer from all your tools.
5. Paint the primed shake siding, using the roller. Proceed left to right, moving your paint roller vertically.
6. Force the paint into the awkward areas that lie between individual shakes, using the nylon brush. Dab the brush against these areas to encourage even coverage. Allow the shakes to dry for two hours.
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Painting the walls in your home is a great way to prepare to sell your home, ready a new home for your arrival, or simply to freshen up a room. But professional painters can be expensive. With a little instruction, care and patience, you can learn to paint your own rooms to look as good as if you had hired a professional to do it for you.
Instructions
Surface Preparation
1. Carefully place a continuous line of masking tape along any window frames and ceiling surfaces that adjoin the wall(s) you plan to paint.
2. Using the small screwdriver, remove any wall socket plates and store carefully with screws. Prevent losing the small screws by using a piece of masking tape to tape the screws to the plate.
3. If the wall was previously painted with high-gloss paint, use sandpaper to roughen the entire wall surface to allow the new coat of paint to stick to the wall.
4. Take a slightly damp cloth and wipe down the wall to remove any remaining dust.
Paint Preparation
5. Open the can of paint and, using the stir stick, gently stir the paint until the pigment is entirely blended with the oil or acrylic liquid.
6. Carefully pour the paint into the paint pan until the paint just fills the reservoir end.
7. Place the roller flatly onto the top of the paint. Do not dunk the roller. Use the flat end of the paint pan and roll the roller to distribute the paint evenly onto the roller. If necessary, repeat the above procedure until you have a thin, even layer of paint on the roller.
Painting the wall
8. Paint the wall from the top to the bottom so that any drips can be painted into the lower part of the wall.
9. Imagine the wall divided into 2-foot by 2-foot sections. Start with one of the upper sections.
10. Apply the paint in an 'A' pattern. Roll upward from the lower bottom corner up to the center top.
11. Roll downward from the center to the lower-right corner.
12. Roll upward from the lower-left corner toward the upper-right corner.
13. Roll paint first in up and down strokes, then left and right strokes, filling in your 2-foot by 2-foot square evenly with paint.
14. Repeat these steps for each 2-foot by 2-foot section of the wall.
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