Handyman, Home Repair & Improvement Services provided by Tradesmen Plus in Toronto Area

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Interior Painting Tips

You've decided to paint a room. What do you do first? Pick a color!

Identify colors in the room such as furniture, drapes, flooring. Color choice can dramatically change the look of a room. It can accent features or create harmony or drama. Think about the mood or feeling you want to create in the room. Go to paint stores (like Benjamin Moore) or home improvement stores (Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Rona, Home Depot, or Lowes); they have vast interior paint selections with various color scheme options to choose from. For assistance, ask the store's sales staff to assist you.

Once you've chosen the perfect color, select a sheen or gloss. Consider the look you want, the condition of the existing surface and the desired durability. For instance, buy flat finish paint for most walls and ceilings in living spaces such as living rooms or dining rooms. Consider a semi-gloss for bathrooms, kitchens, mudrooms, doors, windows or trim; it's easier to clean and provides a tougher finish. Buy latex (water-based) paint for any room in the house; it dries faster and is very durable. Get alkyd (oil-based) paint if you want an extra tough finish for trim or bathrooms; it dries more slowly, resists moisture and is highly scrubbable.

Buy the best-quality paint you can afford; paint is the least expensive part of the job.

Once you've purchased your paint, call us. We'll give you an estimate based on the scope of work. For instance, are there imperfections (cracks, holes, or peeling paint) that need repair? Are there gaps or seams that need filling? Is there mold or mildew that needs to be cleaned? Are there areas that need priming (uncoated surfaces, patched and repaired areas, or a dramatic color change)? How many coats will be required (lighter colors over dark will alway require more coats than the other way around)? How much trim is there (doors, windows, frames, baseboards, quarter-round, etc.)?

Painting is the fastest, most economical way to improve the appearance of your home. You can add style and personality to a room faster with paint than with most any other kind of decorating. In addition to beautifying your living space, paint can add valuable protection to a surface for prolonged life and easy cleaning.

And now you can take advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit on your 2009 taxes, so remember to save your receipts and invoices!

May is Electrical Safety Month!

Every day, counterfeit electrical products are finding their way into our homes, businesses, and public institutions. These fraudulent products pose a serious financial and legal liability to the electrical industry, and they have become a grave safety crisis for our communities. Counterfeit electrical products pose significant hazards, and if left undetected can cause deaths, injuries, and substantial property loss in the home and the workplace.

Continue reading "May is Electrical Safety Month!"

Moisture problems in your bathroom?

You probably need to install a bathroom vent fan. Like a fireplace without a chimney, in a bathroom without a vent fan, moisture will seep into the walls and grow mold and mildew, or blister paint and peel wallpaper.

Bathroom vent fans are rated by how many cubic feet of air they can move in one minute, know as the CFM rating. To determine which size fan to buy for your bathroom, multiply the room's square footage by 1.1. For example, a 100-square-foot bath would require a 110 CFM rated fan. Fans also have a sound rating, measured in sones. Vent fans range from as low as .05 sone up to about 6.0 sones. The CFM and sone ratings are printed on the vent fan box.

We install bathroom vent fans through an outside wall rather than the roof.

First, roof vents are always a potentail leak waiting to happen; anytime you cut through the roof, there's a chance of a leak later on from not maintaining the seal or condensed steam dripping back into the fan and rusting it. The seal should be inspected every spring and fall to prevent leaks. Secondly, a heavy snowfall or ice might block the vent flap making the fan nonfunctional. Thirdly, installing a vent through a side wall, requires less materials and less labour, which means its more economical.

By investing the money required to have a bathroom vent installed, you will actually be saving yourself time and money in the long run. The damage that may be caused by mold and mildew can be quite costly to repair. So your exhaust fan will help protect the already large investment that your have made in your home.

Give us a call today!