Proper Order For Painting Interiors, Doors, and Windows

Of course, the question is what do you paint first, after all other work is done and everything is cleaned up and dust removed. The obvious answer is that you begin by painting that which is higher and which can drip down, such as the ceiling. The trouble is that obvious answers aren't always right.

exterior doors for home

It all depends on your plans for the trim. If you're going to be painting your trim (with latex or oil-base paint), then the proper order is as follows:

EXTERIOR DOORS

When Painting Trim

1. Paint ceiling
2. Paint walls
3. Paint doors and windows
4. Paint trims around doors, windows, and baseboards.

If, however, you're going to be staining your trim, then a different plan of action is in order. It looks like this:

When Staining Trim

1. Stain all trim, preferably before installing it. Use sanding sealer to raise the grain; then sand and varnish the trim.
2. If trim is already in place, stain as above, allow the stain to dry, and mask the trim.
3. Paint ceiling
4. Paint walls
5. Paint doors and windows
6. When all the paint is dry, either put in trim or remove masking from existing trim and touch up as necessary.
Remember that, if you get paint on the trim, you will have to sand it carefully-a tedious job-before you can restain it. Therefore, you want to do the painting and the staining separately.

What's the Proper Procedure for Painting Doors and Windows?

For doors, start at a top corner and work your way across and down. Use a brush and be sure that you work quickly to avoid having the paint dry. It's much harder to paint a glossy acrylic latex on a door than a glossy oil paint.

Beware of backpainting a door with acrylic latex. This common practice involves painting the entire door with a roller, then using a brush to smooth out the paint and give it "brush marks." The problem is that acrylic latex dries quickly and unless you work fast, the bottom of the door (the last place you'll be working) will be dry before you get to it, leaving brush or roller marks.

For windows, particularly French windows (with lots of small panes of glass), painting can be a real hassle. You'll need to use a small (1-inch) trim brush for the dividers. You can try masking the glass, but that will take longer than the actual painting. Instead, use a plastic putty knife, found in paint stores, as a shield. Hold it against the surface you are painting to keep the paint away from the glass.

If you use a shield, you'll have to clean it off with a rag after each use, else some paint will get behind it and onto subsequent panes. Usually a little paint won't hurt. You can clean it off quickly with a rag, or come back later on and remove it with a razor blade. Beware of window glass that has a rough surface. It will be almost impossible to remove any dried paint from the glass.

Wear eye protection when painting. Getting a drop of paint in the eye, particularly oil-base paint, can be very painful and could damage the eye.

Proper Order For Painting Interiors, Doors, and Windows

Paint rollers play an important role while painting. If you chose a wrong paint roller, you might end up with a mess. You should really learn how to choose a good paint roller and also how to paint windows and pipes which is not an easy job but doable.

EXTERIOR DOORS

Windows, Doors, and Skylights - Energy-Saving Exteriors For a More Efficient Home

Saving home energy does not begin and end with improving the heating and cooling system inside your house, nor does it all depend on the energy consumption of the appliances you most likely use all the time. There are many ways to be cleaner and greener at home. That includes what you do to the outside of your house, which is what all the unwanted heat and cold comes in contact with first.

wood exterior doors

Energy-saving exteriors, therefore, are essential if you want to save home energy. They are the first line of defense meant to fight off unwanted temperatures from leaking inside and increasing the load on your heating and cooling system. Installing energy-efficient doors, windows, and skylights greatly reduce the energy costs in any house. Here is what you need to learn about these types of energy-saving exteriors.

EXTERIOR DOORS

Doors

It is not surprising to know that newer exterior door models were designed to be more energy-efficient. The most common of these energy-savers are those made with a fiberglass or steel skin with a core made of polyurethane foam insulation. These doors are highly efficient in trapping out the heat during the summer and absorbing it in the winter, as evidenced by their high R-values. The R-values are the rates to which the doors can resist the flow of thermal energy. Glass doors are less effective, though, because glass is not a very good insulator. There are, however, models that have a thermal break installed on their metal frames. The more expensive (and usually more energy-efficient) glass doors are made with multiple panes or spectral selectivity features.

These newer doors are good investments if you want to replace your existing door, but if the old one is still in good condition and it pains you to take it down, you can install a storm door to increase insulation. Storm doors are often made of fiberglass, steel, or wood and, just like other new models, have foam insulation inside.

Windows

These energy-saving exteriors can also become hidden atrocities on your electricity bill if you do not know how to choose the right window materials, install them, and properly maintain them. If your goal is ultimately to save home energy, with little to zero consideration on the immediate effects on your bank account, then your best move is to replace all your old single-pane windows with new ones that have double or triple the number of panes and have low-emissivity coatings. Such a big word there, but it only means that the newer windows were designed to reflect more heat away from the house and absorb less. If you live in the Sun Belt areas, the mere act of replacing your old windows can save you up to 15 percent of your home's cooling requirements during the scorching hot summers in your state.

However, if your budget cannot live up to the costs of new, high-performance windows, an alternative that is almost as effective is to install storm windows. They are cheaper, yet they can cut down heat loss through windows by up to 50%. A good storm window must have strong weatherstripping properly installed at all its joints.

Skylights

Skylights are one of the most attractive energy-saving exteriors. Not only do they illuminate natural lighting from above, they also affect the temperature levels in the space below. As a rule, the size of the skylight should not be more than 15% of the total size of the room if it has few windows, and not more than 5% if the room has a lot of them. South-facing skylights are the best option if you want to save home energy for passive heating during the winter, but it can also pose a problem when it gains unwanted heat in the summer. If you place the skylight under a shady tree, however, or add a movable cover, this problem can quickly be resolved.

Windows, Doors, and Skylights - Energy-Saving Exteriors For a More Efficient Home

Brian Carver is a house energy expert. He has focused on finding ways to preserve the earth's natural resources and helping people conserve energy and use it efficiently. For more ways to save home energy [http://www.houseenergysavingtips.com/energy-saving-exteriors], visit [http://www.houseenergysavingtips.com]

EXTERIOR DOORS

Door Replacement Windows

There a number of repairs and parts replacements that homeowners can do themselves to avoid paying very high prices for professional work done on their house. One of these is replacing the sliding glass doors found in most houses. Replacing sliding glass doors involves a number of steps that a homeowner who wishes to replace them must follow. If you find yourself as one of those "do it yourself" home owners, then here are a few useful tips you can use.

exterior doors with glass

The process

EXTERIOR DOORS

The first you have to do is to measure the dimensions of your sliding door and to make sure that the door that you want to replace it with is has the same dimensions. Measuring will involve that you measure across the bottom, the center and the top of your doorframe. After getting accurate measurements of your sliding door based on the measurements of your doorframe, you can now determine which side the sliding panel should be placed. You can do this by looking at some of the labeling placed on your sliding door, for the fixed door panel, the marking that you will find is the letter "O," while for the sliding panel, you will find the letter "X."

Frames

The next thing that you need to determine is to decide on the type of frame that you will want for your sliding door. You have a choice between retrofit frames, which are most appropriate if you find that the old frame is flush with the exterior material and replacement frames, which are usually used if you have brick or siding at the opening of the door. However, in using replacement frames, you may have to do some trimming work to be able to install your new sliding doors, which are usually made of vinyl.

Putting in the new door

Being able to decided on the things mentioned above will enable you to look for a replacement sliding door that is appropriate to your needs. If in case you find yourself doing some trimming work on the door, it would be a good idea to do this even before the replacement door arrives. It is also a good idea to have all the tools that you will need, which includes caulk, insulation, liquid nails, screws, dust masks and safety glasses so that when the new door arrives you can finish the job in no time.

Door Replacement Windows

Replacement Windows provides detailed information on Car Replacement Windows, Door Replacement Windows, Glass Replacement Windows, Home Window Replacements and more. Replacement Windows is affiliated with Recessed Lighting Fixtures [http://www.e-RecessedLighting.com].

EXTERIOR DOORS