Archives: Painting and Finishing

Colored Caulking

By Todd Fratzel on Cabinetry, Painting and Finishing

When I installed the cabinets for the bar area I used a matching skin panel on the back side of the bar to match the cabinetry. Unfortunately the panel was only 8 feet long and the space was about 8 feet plus 1/4 inch. So when I installed the panel I held it tight to…

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Home Improvement Lead Paint Safety

By Todd Fratzel on Painting and Finishing, Safety

Chances are very good that if you enjoy doing home improvement projects you’ve probably been exposed to lead paint at one time or another. Most homes built before 1978 contain some amounts of lead based paints. Homes built prior to 1950 contained paints with even higher levels of lead. That is why lead paint safety…

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How To Fix A Scratch on Hardwood Floors

By Todd Fratzel on Flooring, Maintanence, Painting and Finishing

Today’s post is an answer from a reader about how to easily repair a scratch on hardwood floors. If you actually live in your home then theres no way to avoid scratching hardwood floors. My wife reminds me daily that we have to live in our house not sit back and admire it. So, kids,…

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Sherwin Williams DeckScapes Clear Deck Sealer

By Todd Fratzel on Decks & Porches, Painting and Finishing, Product Reviews

The other day I power washed the deck and farmers porch. Now I need to choose a sealer to protect the Cambara decking. When we built the house I used Penofin Penetrating Sealer to seal the cambara decking. Well I’ve been pretty unhappy with that sealer. I don’t think it has held up well at…

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National Home Remodeling Month

By Todd Fratzel on Painting and Finishing

May is National Home Remodeling Month so I thought it would be fitting to talk about easy home improvements and remodeling ideas that DIY folks can do themselves. Remodeling your home can add value, efficiency and peace of mind for years to come. One of the most popular remodeling ideas is painting a room in…

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Applying Water Based Urethane To Hardwood

By Todd Fratzel on Finish Carpentry, Painting and Finishing

I learned something new today that and I thought it was worth sharing. Because of today’s strict new VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) laws most Urethanes are now water based. Most wood fillers however are still an oil based product. So you ask what’s the big deal? If you apply a water based urethane over an…

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Painting The Chair Rail

By Todd Fratzel on Finish Carpentry, Painting and Finishing

Tonight I started painting the chair rail. I like to use Sherwin Williams Semi-Gloss paint. One tip that I learned from a painter years ago really applies to painting this chair rail. When ever you paint trim work, casing, crown molding, chair rails, etc, it’s best to paint the trim work first. When you paint…

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CABOT Decking Stains

By Todd Fratzel on Painting and Finishing

The other day I wrote about my deck staining project. Since then I’ve had several questions about which type of Cabot stain I used. I used Cabot Decking Stain, color 1480 Redwood. This stain works really good on pressure treated lumber. You can check out Cabot’s website for more information about this stain. I couldn’t…

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