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Robin Daly and the Daly's Staff Answers Your Questions
Do they make a paint you can use to paint over linoleum tiles? ~ Linda Hi Linda ~ The quick answer to your question: Yes... and No. The long answer: Pratt & Lambert makes a great floor paint called WithStand Latex Floor Enamel. It's available in all colors in the P&L palette, so you aren't limited in color choice. It's designed to be a bit flexible, so it will adhere to softer surfaces like linoleum tiles. Will it last as long as a new floor surface? No. But if you are looking for a solution to get you by until you can replace the existing floor, then this is a good option to consider. You'll want to make sure your floor is super clean and free of oily or waxy build-up to ensure best adhesion. Wash the floor with TSP or TSP Substitute, rinse well and dry. While the paint will dry in a few hours, it takes a few weeks for it to fully cure, so you'll want to treat is gently at first. I need to start painting my townhome (all walls are white right now). I have very light colored wood floors and the trim and window sills are the same color wood. I would like to start painting the walls and was thinking of painting all of the trim white to contrast. Does this make sense? Is it very difficult to paint over treated wood trim? Thanks for your help! ~ Kira Hi Kira ~ You can definitely paint over wood trim. The trick will be in doing the proper prep underneath before you paint. You'll want to scuff the finish with a sanding sponge (and maybe some extra sandpaper to get into tight areas), taking it from a smooth glossy look to one that's got a bit more 'tooth', you'll then wipe down the sanded areas and go over everything with a tack cloth to pick up any residual dust. Then you'll prime the trim - I usually use C2 Paint's C2 One Primer. Once the primer is dry, you can go ahead and paint! Check out C2's #C2-336 'Coconut' for a great white that's not too icy/cold and seems to go with everything (remember monitors are only digital representations of the real color and are not accurate)! 
None of this is too difficult; it just takes some time and effort. But it can be very rewarding when you are all done! As an aside: This may present an opportunity to upgrade some of your trim if you are looking for higher profile baseboards. This is a bigger hit to the budget, but you can buy new trim pre-primed, saving you that step. We are having a hard time picking paint colors for the outside of our house. ~ Steve Hi Steve ~ Tell me what's going on... have you tried colors, and are finding they aren't what you expected? Are you having a tough time landing on a color scheme? Let's start with what you've done and where you are stuck - then we can get you going in the right direction. Here are a couple tips:
We need to paint the outside of our house this summer. I'd like the paint that will last longest. What do you recommend? Also, any tips on helping my wife decide what color to choose? I know she wants something in a brownish shade, but would like to choose a current shade. ~ Larry Hi Larry ~ If there is one thing I've learned as a homeowner, it's this: always use the best quality product you can on your projects (of course, I learned this the painful way!) :) I think your question is a timely one, with summer projects coming up you want to make the right choice - both in color and quality. We carry two brands of paints, and I recommend either one for exteriors; C2 Paint and Pratt & Lambert paint. Here are their websites: www.c2paint.com and www.prattandlambert.com if you'd like to learn more about them. People really care about the quality of exterior finishes, and for good reason. The paint needs to be able to withstand a huge variety of weather conditions, expanding and contracting with the heat and cold, protecting your house from our Northwest weathering. We made a decision long ago as a company to only sell quality products; it's just not worth it otherwise. Another key ingredient to a good job is proper prep work before the paint is even applied. You must have a sound substrate to ensure a good paint job that will last. On to the fun stuff! Color. One of my favorite browns for exterior use is C2's #C2-342 'Saddle'. It's a dusty brown with rich undertones, and it's not too dark. It won't go cold. Another favorite color, though it's a bit more gray than brown is #C2- 401 'Wildwood' - this is a color that sometimes looks brown, sometimes gray and sometimes a bit greenish. I love how it flexes with the light conditions. It's always interesting. (Remember! Monitors can only represent colors digitally; color will look quite different as paint!) 
When choosing color for your home, it's important to try the color before committing. I usually suggest you paint large (36" x 36" minimum) samples of the colors you are considering on all sides of the house - this way you can see what the color will do in all light conditions and exposures. You might also try colors that are a bit deeper or darker that you think you want. Colors tend to look lighter on exteriors because the walls are facing outwards. Sampling the color REALLY helps. Also, if your wife is feeling like she would like some extra guidance, we make house calls! I have design staff available from both our stores who give great on-site color consultations. They charge $100/hr., expect it to take an hour to an hour-and-a-half. In Seattle, call 206-633-4200 to set up an appointment, and in Bellevue, call 425-454-3093. Is it possible to change the color of the stain on our house? ~ Dick Hi Dick ~ 
The quick answer is 'most likely'. You can use a solid stain to make a color change, and still be using a stain finish vs. needing to switch to paint. We see this a lot with people who live in a stained house that has an outdated color; they want to update the look, but are wondering if they are stuck with the color that is currently there. Stains come in both semi-transparent and solid finishes. The semi-transparent stain allows more wood grain and texture to show through, while the solid stain is much more opaque. Both kinds of stains have penetrating oils that 'feed' the wood, keeping siding and fencing in good shape. Paint is an opaque finish that forms a film over the wood, adding a lot of protection, but giving a much different look. Many people prefer to keep staining instead of switching to paint, because stain simply wears off over time, while paint can chip and crack. I need a suggestion for a paint color for two rooms in my home- my pantry and my laundry room. Our house is overall a Craftsman/Mission style. We have honey maple shaker style cabinets and continue the same honey maple color to the laminate floors and hand finished trim/doors. I have a California Cabinet system in my pantry in that same color and it is a standalone room that's about 6 X 5. The laundry room connects to the garage and is about 10 X 6. The great room and kitchen that connects both of these rooms is painted a golden yellow and I am tired of red accents! HELP PLEASE! ~ Alynne Hi Alynne ~ Here are some colors to consider and to get the ball rolling (without really knowing your design elements, of course!). These are C2 Paint colors; you can look the color up online (www.C2paint.com) for reference. Remember! Monitors can only represent colors digitally; color will look quite different as paint!
I love all of these colors for different reasons. Honestly, there are probably a lot of different directions you can go. The trick is to be either lighter or darker than your cabinets. This will help feature them and keep the color from competing against them. I find yellow hues to be trickiest with the maple because the wood has so much gold already, if you don't find a way to change the intensity of the color, everything will all just mush together. If you are really stuck, feel free to send me some digital photos, and we can do some 'virtual' decorating together! I am wondering if it is possible to match the color of a green silk (not too shiny) lampshade that I have. ~ Rob Hi Rob ~ It is totally possible to create a beautiful color match to your green silk lampshade! We have a full-time colorist on staff in each store and their time is dedicated to creating custom paint and stain colors. We are rather passionate about color. The trick to know about matching textiles is that the texture of the weave (even a light silk weave) creates some lighter and darker areas on the fabric, even when it's dyed a solid color - so when you come in to the store, we would discuss this with you and determine which direction you want your color to go. There is a $20 match fee for this service, plus the cost of the paint. Expect it to take a few days - we maintain scheduled time slots for color matching, so it all depends on how soon we can get you on the schedule. What colors would you paint a double car garage with a tall ceiling? Would the floor be light cement grey? The ceiling a light or medium color? Regarding your garage floors, we carry a couple products that are appropriate:
 If your ceiling is feeling too high, then a darker color on the ceiling would visually bring it down. We're rebuilding our decks. Our house is gray and we're considering letting the new decks gray out to blend with the siding. Wnot sure if this is good for the wood, and of course, as pricey as construction is, we want the longest lifespan we can get out of this investment. ~ Greg Hi Greg ~  I like the idea of letting your decks look natural, but to keep the wood in top shape (and make it last longer in the process) - check out Daly's Deckstain. You can use Clear Deckstain, if you want it to silver down over time. Applying it now will slow the graying process somewhat, but the Deckstain contains special oils that penetrate and 'feed' the wood. If you want it to have a gray appearance right now, look at Daly's 'Cape Cod Gray' Deckstain. This is tinted gray, and contains all the nice ingredients to protect your deck, with the added benefit of some color. The slight amount of pigment is actually beneficial, it gives a little more weathering protection. All Daly's Deckstains are semi-transparent, so there is not chipping or flaking off of the finish over time. It simply weathers down. Plan on applying Deckstain every 2 to 3 years for maximum benefit. We just put in a new deck last summer and part of the deck is under pine trees. With the heat we had last summer we now have lots of tree sap on our newly stained deck. Is there a way to get the tree sap off the deck without having to completely strip and restain the deck? We didn't even think about the heat and tree sap. Thanks, Shirley Hi Shirley ~ 
The question is how do you lift off the tree sap without lifting off the stain? Here's what we suggest: Try lightly scrubbing it with turpentine and a fine Scotchbrite pad - but gently, so you don't cut into the stained finish of the deck. Hopefully, the turpentine will help dissolve the tree sap. If that isn't doing the trick, Daly's Housewash Concentrate would be your next step. However, we feel it will most likely lift some of the color off with the sap. Good luck with this project! Hopefully we won't be seeing such high temperatures this summer!!! |
