How To Remove Popcorn Ceilings

Instead of explaining in writing how to remove popcorn (acoustic) ceilings, we thought the video below explained it best. In Maryland, we don't see too many homes with popcorn anymore, but some of the 1960 and 70 homes still have it! Just remember, if your home was built prior to 1978, you must check for asbestos. Remember, if you are doing any sort of home improvement, drywall repair, or power washing, keep safety first.

Villages of Urbana Painting Project

We recently finished up a small interior painting project in the Villages of Urbana Maryland. We will post an after picture soon! We were contracted to add color to the new construction white walls in the family room and kitchen. We suggested putting up two accent crown moulding pieces too with an accent color. So what we ended up doing is our painter/carpenter installed a 4" crown at the top of the family room and then installed an accent 1" moulding below the top crown...about a foot from the top. We then painted the kitchen khaki color in between the two moulding pieces and a lighter khaki/taupe color on the lower walls. We used the following colors for the walls: Sherwin Williams "Totally Tan" and "Interactive Cream." Painting contractors can be a good source of painting ideas, color recommendations and help in deciding to paint a room or paint a home.

When Is It Safe To Sleep in a Room after it is Painted?

A common question asked by homeowners, especially with kids or with an elderly person at home is, "When is it safe to sleep in a room after it is painted?" I have a couple of simple answers:

• If you are using a Green-Friendly paint that has Zero VOCs, you can sleep in the room the same day. Zero VOC means there is no harmful toxins released into the air during or after the paint is applied. Two great products to use are Sherwin Williams Harmony or Benjamin Moore's Natura. 
• If the product you are using has a "Green Seal" logo of any kind and has a VOC of less than 100 per gallon, you can also sleep in the room the same night. However, if you use a product with low VOC, the paint will smell for more than 24 hours. Typically the smell will lesson in 2-3 days if you keep a window open and/or a fan blowing. If you have a question in your mind at all, 3 days is about the time when you won't smell much paint. Again, if it is low VOC and certified "Green" technically you can sleep in the room right away. 
• Paint that is not Green-Friendly or may even be oil-base takes quite a bit of curing time. It might dry within 1-4 hours (or 8 hours for oil) but the toxins it releases may take 1-2 weeks to be completely safe. Small children, the elderly or anyone who has respiratory problems should wait a couple of weeks before sleeping in a freshly painted room, especially if there are no windows. I'd suggest leaving a window open during the night too. I've never heard of any problems of homeowners who have slept in rooms right after "toxic" paints were used, but from experience, the fumes are pretty rough to inhale! So just use your judgement and decide if you or someone you know wants to sleep with a little bit of paint fumes! 

I will end with this, almost all paints on the market today are safe for the home: especially if you live in Maryland or California. The regulations by the EPA on paint manufacturers are strict! So, if you have a concern at all, contact Hallco, the local paint store or your doctor. You can also ask your painter what type of interior paint is safest for any special concerns when painting a room or painting a house.

Hallco Painting now serves Clarksburg, Maryland and the counties of Montgomery, Frederick, and Howard.

Kitchen of the Year

Thought some of you might want to see what the 2010 Kitchen of the Year was! House Beautiful, a nationwide magazine, has an annual "Kitchen of the Year" project which takes place in New York, near the Rockerfeller Center. 

Here is the Kitchen of the Year video.

Be sure to check with us for any questions you have about home improvement, interior paint, painting ideas, hiring a painting contractor, or home paining.

Consumer Reports on Paint

Consumer Reports is an excellent source for consumers to find good quality products. When it comes to reports on specific paint brands, we are not quite convinced that their results are always the best for each of our clients. In short, it really depends on where a homeowner lives and the overall climate. We've seen certain products that Consumer Reports rate medium actually end up out performing #1 ratings. Also not all quality paints on the market are tested. Typically the big players are on the Consumer Reports list: Cabot, Behr, Glidden and Sherwin Williams. 

So just remember, if a painting company has been around the paint industry for quite some time and knows a lot about paint, they should be able to give you better advice. In Maryland, Hallco has had excellent results with Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore products. The two top exterior product's we've used have been Sherwin Williams Duration and Benjamin Moore Aura. You really can't go wrong. Oh, and for decks, we have a special product that will probably not be on the Consumer Reports list in the near future, but it is simply an amazing product! Learn more about the special Deck coating.

Hallco specializes in home painting, home improvement, and painting ideas. We're here to help you.

Painting Project in Chevy Chase MD

Hallco Enterprises is wrapping up a power wash and repainting job in Chevy Chase MD. We power washed last last week and are applying a prime coat and a finish coat of Benjamin Moore's premium exterior finish, Aura. Aura is one of the most expensive paints on the market but has excellent bonding and a long life. We specialize in power washing, also called pressure washing, as well as home improvement and home painting. Call us if you need help painting a house or painting a room.

When Is The Best Time to Paint The Exterior of a House in Maryland?

Painting a home's exterior in mid-Maryland or D.C. can be done typically from the beginning of March through the middle of November. Hallco has actually painted a number of exteriors in December and early January, but only when there is a warm front. Sherwin Williams paint company has made a paint called Duration that can be applied to most exterior surfaces down to 35 degrees. So basically, if the temperature is above 35 degrees, you can typically paint exterior wood surfaces and some non wood surfaces, such as stucco or concrete.

If the weather is really humid and the temperatures are close to 100, we'd suggest waiting a bit til the humidity and temperatures drop. But, Sherwin Williams again has a product called Resilience that works in more "humid" or damp climates. My suggest is to try to avoid a very hot and humid day!

If you have a question about painting, let us know. We can answer your questions about home improvement, painters, interior paint, power washing, your painting ideas, painting a room, sheetrock repair, and painting a home.

Exterior Painting in Darnestown MD Near Germantown

Hallco Enterprises was recently asked to do a challenging chimney paint job located in Darnestown near Germantown, MD. The clients had a delicate and slanted roof, making walking on it impossible. They also had a well landscaped yard with delicate grass. Hallco's only choice was to use an 80 foot boom lift to paint several of our client's chimneys. We used Sherwin Wiliams Loxon Masonry Primer and Sherwin Williams Duration Exterior Satin as the finish. The Loxon primer is the best product to use for chimney surfaces, and the Duration is Sherwin Williams top grade exterior paint. 

We will be doing a number of small painting projects in the near future, but the challenging chimney project was high priority. We specialize in home improvement through interior painting, exterior painting, pressure washing, wallpaper removal, sheetrock repair, and color selection.

Holiday Lighting in Maryland for Ramadan

Christmas Decor by Hallco typically provides holiday lighting during the Christmas season from Thanksgiving through the New Years. However, we just received our first request to install lights on a home in the Germantown MD area in time for Ramadan. The homeowner requested white lighting around his home, which our company was able to do just in time for their religious holiday. In addition to holiday lighting, Hallco offers home improvement painting services, painting ideas, and pressure cleaning. 

How To Dispose of House Paint in Montgomery County

Below is a webpage that helps homeowners who live in the Montgomery County Maryland area use up, dispose or recycle their house paint. If you have a specific question about how to dispose of your paint or would like Hallco Enterprises to do this for you, please let us know. We'd be happy to help. Always use environment safety when planning any home improvement, interior painting, exterior painting, power washing, or wallpaper removal.

Montgomery County Website on Disposing of Paint 

Wallpaper Removal in Ashton MD

We recently received a call from a homeowner in Ashton, MD, who was doing some painting in his home when it suddenly came to a halt. He got to the powder room and forgot it had old ugly wallpaper. The owner tried a few techniques to remove the wallpaper and realized, it was not worth the time. 

The short story is Hallco Enterprise does not mind doing small projects. We were hired for this one day project to remove the wallpaper for them. Our painters are fast and skilled at removing wallpaper. At the end of the day, our new customer can continue on with his painting project or hire us to do it for him. We are happy to help either way. Ashton Maryland is located off the 108 highway in Montgomery County. 

Hallco Enterprise paints houses throughout Montgomery, Frederick, Howard and the DC Metro. Always use environment safety when planning any home improvement, interior painting, exterior painting, power washing, or wallpaper removal.

Painting Furniture in Maryland

A homeowner wanting to paint a piece of furniture has several options: 1) Do it yourself, 2) Hire a local painter who knows how, or 3) Hire a professional furniture refinisher. The first option is the most affordable, doing it yourself, but it does take time, using the proper tools and a little bit of training! You can find a number of how to articles and videos on the web, and we came across an excellent article from the Inspired Room. Take a moment to read Melissa's article on "How To Paint Furniture."

Hallco Enterprises, located near Gaithersburg, MD does have some experience painting furniture. If you'd like to try the option of hiring a painter, you can email and/or call us to discuss your project. If we feel it is best to hire a furniture refinishing company, we will let you know. We have done a number of projects for clients such as repainting some kitchen chairs and a table. Hallco is also available for planning painting related home improvement, interior painting, exterior painting, power washing, or wallpaper removal.

House Painting in Frederick MD

In between the quick thunderstorms we've seen the past few weeks, we at Hallco continue to paint both interiors and exteriors. This is just a reminder that now is a great time to get your exterior siding and/or trim repainted before the fall and winter months set in. We can still paint in the fall, but you know how busy the fall can get! Many clients like to have us change colors and freshen up their interiors before Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday season begins. So, if you are thinking about painting the exterior of your home before the summer ends, Hallco can still fit your painting project in our schedule. 

Oh and don't forget about Hallco's Painter for a Day. For just under $500, you can have Hallco touch up or freshen up select areas of your home's interior or exterior services. To learn more about our popular program, view our Painter for a Day page. Hallco is also available for planning painting related home improvement, interior painting, exterior painting, and power washing.

Your Price Is Too High | Painting Contractors in Maryland

Comparing painting estimates can be a daunting task, especially in this economy. Painters are consistently at war to get work, so they try cutting their prices. However, in order to cut their prices, they have to find a way to cut overhead. Sometimes, this is a good thing: cutting "off the fat." But some contractors will cut overhead in a way that is not helpful to homeowners. They might cut back by paying their employees less, using cheaper paints, cutting out their contractor insurance, or by doing less preparation. The final option, less prep, is an easy one to overlook, because sometimes it might take 6 months or a year to realize the paint is failing.

If you are the type of person who wants a quality and long lasting job, we'd suggest the following before hiring a painting contractor:

1. Select 2-3 paint companies to receive bids from.
2. See if the company answers their phone or responds to an email quickly.
3. When they schedule an estimate, make sure the estimator arrives on time or calls if he or she is running late. 
4. When the estimator arrives, ask yourself, "Do I like this person?" Do I trust this person and his/her company?" If so, proceed with them.
5. When you really feel comfortable with an estimator and have done your homework (checked references, insurance, licensing and credentials) invite that estimator back to discuss their proposal and bid. In some cases, you might find two companies you really like. That's ok. Talk to them both and select a company you know will do the job you will be happy with for years to come. This is the tough part, because price may be a factor with a better company. We at Hallco call this the "Price vs. the Cost" comparison! Do you want a better price or value (better cost). Do you feel a company will do a better job and respond to your needs in a timely fashion? Do you feel that company will be around in 5 or even 10 years if it is time to repaint? Sometimes the cost of a paint job is based on how long they will guarantee the work and how thorough the preparation is during the project. Answer the preparation and how long the job will take, and you'll get a pretty good idea which company has the "better price tag." 

If you happen to live in the Frederick, Gaithersburg, Howard County and/or D.C. Metro areas, we'd be happy to discuss your next painting job with you. If not, we hope the above information is helpful. Hallco is your trusted painting contractor for planning painting related home improvement, interior painting, exterior painting, color selection, painting ideas, and power washing.

House Managing and Concierge Services in D.C. & Maryland | Hallco

In recent years, Ted Hall, our owner, has received a number of request to help manage personal properties while his customers travel or stay at a second home. Hallco has always done more than just painting, and so the suggestion of being a house, estate or property manager was a no brainer for Ted. He has since taken on a few clients who have asked him to manage the property maintenance around their homes or estates on a monthly basis. Ted and his crew will stop by once a week and check on the home. He will also provide routine check ups on the exterior surfaces to make sure there is not sign of moisture problems or wood rot. Ted then communicates via email and phone to his clients and lets them know (if anything) what needs to be repaired, touched up or repainted. He will even does simple task such as changing light bulbs. Hallco Enterprises also has a list of professional service companies in case a more extensive need surfaces. In this case, Ted will let the property owner know the cost and schedule the right service contractor to take care of the situation. 

If you own a property in Maryland, Northern Virginia or the D.C. Metro areas and are looking for a small yet reliable service company to manage your property, please talk to Ted Hall about your needs. He'd be happy to assist you. Hallco is also your trusted local painting contractor for planning painting related home improvement, single room or house interior painting, exterior painting, color selection, painting ideas, and power washing.

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