Tag: elgin

Do you have wood stained trim in your home? Are you painting your walls? Do you hate the way the wood trim has gaps? Well- these issues and concerns are today’s answered question. Should I be Caulking wood trim before painting?

Hello everyone, thanks for taking the time to read todays question. I am David with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper in Huntley, IL. This questions comes from a home we are painting in Elgin, IL.

Why is my trim not caulked?

If you have stained trim, 99.9% of the time, the trim is not caulked to the wall. The result is a gap between the wall and trim. I am not a fan of the gap between trim and walls either.

(if you have painted trim and it is not caulked- then someone dropped the ball and did not do their job)

You can caulk stained trim, but it is quite a tedious step by step process. We can go over how, but we just wanted to make sure you know not caulked stained trim is very normal.

If you are getting ready to paint your walls a new color or maybe just doing touch ups, then caulk wood trim before painting may be on your to-do list.

Should I caulk wood trim before painting?

The should question is always a hard question to answer. Should, could or would can be very subjective as they reflect personal choice.

I am not a fan of the gap as I have said earlier. Gaps in trim, if dark can be easily ignored or overseen- as the dark gap kind of goes away, it is not unsightly to the eye for the most part. These gaps can, however, be nasty looking if the trim was not installed correctly.

Gaps between walls and trim can result in dirt/dust/debris getting between the wall and trim. That gap in the trim can be difficult to get clean as a vacuum cannot easily reach between small spaces (think tight spaces in your car when trying to clean it.

Items needed…

So here is the quick and dirty… Items you need to caulk wood trim before painting:

• clean rags
• water
• 5 in 1 tools
• solid paintable colored caulk- the same color as your wood trim
• drop cloths or masking paper
• masking tape

You need clean rags so you can clean the trim before Painting. Damp rag works great, if there is dirt, grease grime etc, then you made need a cleaner so the tape and caulk stick to the wood surface.

We wanted to make sure you see that you need paintable caulk- do not use silicone caulk- as it typically is not paintable, it smells like vinegar and takes a long time to cure.

How to caulk your trim before painting walls

Just to make sure, we are only talking about caulking trim that is stained wood, not painted trim. There is a HUGE diffference.

So 1st thing is cleaning. You need to make sure the wood trim and the floor are clean so tape can stick to the surfaces

once everything is clean.. then you can start taping. We really like blue frog tape. It sticks, and removed easy leaving clean lines. Tape the edge of the trim so you can see the very edge of the wood and leaving the gap to get filled with caulk. We leave the slight edge so there is a place for the caulk to full stick too.

Next caulking.. cut out a small hole- too big and you have a mess to deal with. Just use enough to fill the gap, then wipe smooth with wet rag to get clean line.

Once a area is caulked, then pull the tape. You dont want the caulk to stick to the tape! Once tape is pulled, allow the caulk to dry overnight.

The next day, you will have to re-caulk the area before painting. Dark caulk will either need 3 coats of paint or primer to cover the dark color caulk before painting colors such as white.

What if I have white trim?

We will save this how to for another day, but here is a old video on this…

Got painting questions?

we have answers! let us know if you have a specific question we can help with!

If you have a house that was built in the 1980-2005, odds are you have oak cabinets. Ok, maybe you have maple or cherry.. but most homes have wood cabinets. One of the best ways to update the look and feel of your home is to paint your home. The next best improvement is updating your kitchen cabinets. There are several ways to update your kitchen and cabinets, but the best value is to paint your kitchen cabinets. If you are going to paint kitchen cabients or bathroom vanities then you should know the Top 5 Issues With Painting Oak Cabients!

Thanks for taking the time to read this article and check us out! I am David Cook, with Dranco Painting and Wallpaper, here in Huntley, IL. Today’s title is a question we are asked almost every time we provide an estimate for painting Oak kitchen cabinets. So lets take a peek at a video of a sample oak cabinet door, then look at some issues you may be facing- or asking about.

Will painted cabinets peel?

ok, so this is by far the most popular or common question we are asked hands down. Peel paint on oak cabinets, on walls, on trim is all caused by the exact same issue- Poor preparation.

When a surface is dirty it is going to be very difficult to get paint to stick to the surface. If you have a painted surface that is very slick-shiney etc, then once more you will have a very difficult time to get paint to stick to that surface.

When we prepare a surface for paint, we clean it, dust it, clean it where needed and then we prime it. Primer gives the surface a uniform appearance and readiness to accept paint. In the case for cabinets, the bonding primer sticks to the wood cabinet, which allows the cabinet paint a surface to bond too, preventing peeling.

Are my painted cabinets going to chip?

This question is a issue and a subject to much frustration. Think of this as when you buy a car- is Honda going to warranty a repair from a rock that chipped your car while driving on the freeway? The same is true for painted wood- blunt force trauma to wood causes paint to chip, there is nothing you can do about it. You cannot prevent paint from chipping either.

You an read more about chips and peeling in an article we wrote some time ago..

Using the wrong paint for cabinets

There are certain paints for certain applications. You don’t use automotive paint in a bathroom. Similar- you don’t use wall paint to paint cabinets.

Cabinets that re going to be painted should use a paint that is made for cabinets. There are several brands and several types. We use hybrid lacquer or Urathanes. Do not use Acrylic or oil-based products. If you want to know why- ask us and we can do another blog post about that!

I can see brush and roller marks on my cabinets

This really isn’t as much of an issue as much as it is a preference. I really do not brush and roll cabinets. I do not like seeing the brush or roller marks. Brush and roller marks happen for several reasons:

• using bad brushed leave marks
• cheap rollers leave laps or bubbles
• rough surfaces give un even surfaces leaving marks
• if you use a paint not meant to roll, you will leave lines
• the paint dries to fast
• leaving wet painted cabinets in a dirty area- dust/bugs

I could probably list a few more of these reasons, but the biggest reason is if you use a brush or roller you will leave brush or roller marks. Duh?-maybe but that is the reality.

I hate the color of my cabinets

this one always kills me. Before you paint- look at the color! If you say I don’t really care- then don’t complain about the color! If it didn’t happen I would not be writing about it. People see a tv show, hear about a color from friends, or someone sends a picture and think I want it!

Every phone takes pics a bit differently which does affect the look and appearance of the photos being taken. The lighting in your home makes a difference in the color of the paint you use. Surrounding accent colors, flooring, drapes, etc also make a difference in the colors in your home.

This is where we find the free interior designer makes a huge difference. They know and will help you make the right choice!

How can we help?

If you are thinking of painting cabinets, please let us know what we can do to help! We want you to enjoy the process and the results!! Although we are in Huntley, we serve all of our surrounding communities such as Pingree Grove, Algonquin, Carpentersville, and Elgin to name a few.

If you are here, you want to know how much it will cost to paint a room in your home or office.

This question (how much it will cost to paint a room) is one we receive regularly. There are some variations to geving a cost to paint a room, but we wanted to at leaset give you an idea of how much we charge for painting. 

Thanks for reading as well as checking out our website, I am David Cook, the owner of D’franco Painting & Wallpaper in Huntley, IL . So let’s dig in to this question!

The basic information needed for a paint estimate

First, we will want to know is how did you find us. Odd? Not really…we want to know what works: Facebook, YouTube, blogs like these, referrals, or paint stores. We love to give gifts to our raving fan customers!

Now that is out of the way, here is what you can expect us to ask you:

• When are you available for us to come out and look?
• Can we do it virtually? usually with the help of realtor listings
• Do you have any other work being done (floors, electrical etc.)?
• Do you have a color selected already?
• What is your time frame to have this done?
• Do you have any allergies or reactions to paint?
• What are you looking to have painted in “x” room? (walls, ceilings, base trim, windows, doors?)

We have our scope of work. Let’s break down the work needed to paint a room…

For the sake of this blog post, we will assume you are looking to have walls, ceilings, and also base trim painted. When we come and look we will have more questions. For example:

• Are you planning on new outlet covers?
• Do you need help moving furniture?
• Will you be changing light fixtures?
• Are all of the pictures going back in the same place?
• Do you want to keep the cable/phone outlets?

With this information, we can now get to the work. We will perform and that is needed to paint your room so we can determine the cost.

• We need to move and cover the floors and furniture.
• Outlet covers, light switch plates as well as vent covers will need to be removed.
• The floors will need to get taped off so we can paint the trim.
• The base boards, the window trim and door trim will where needed be re-caulked to get rid of any gaps.
• Any holes, nicks, dings, or scrapes on the wall get filled and also repaired.
• The walls will get a quick pole sand -provides a smooth finish coat, better paint adhesion.
• Ceilings will be painted with one (1) coat of paint.
• Walls are painted with two (2) coats of paint.
• A 12 month warranty. We come back in one year if you need a touch up.

So, how much is my room going to cost to get painted?

With the above information, we measure the room, and then enter it into our estimate software. The room we are using as a guide above was 12×12. With the 2 gallons of paint for the walls, one gallon for the ceilings, and either quart/gallon for trim, all caulk, plastic, tape, rollers, as well as repair materials, you can expect to pay about $705.00.

What is not included?

• Painting outlet covers
• Closets
• Moving heavy furniture such as pianos (anything that may need two people)

We use Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore products unless otherwise requested. As listed above we offer a 12-month warranty period. This means that in one year we will call to see how things are looking and come back and touch up for up to one hour for free, if needed.

Can I get a virtual estimate to paint my house or room?

yes you can! We are still learnign some of the nuances of on line listings, images or imformation, but in General the real estate web sites like Redfin, do a pretty good job of having images of the homes and well as room sizes.

Some of the issues we do get into, is wall damage, height of ceilings, issues with previous paint (runs/drips). These are not major obstacles, just things that will affect the final price.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Call, text or click the get estimate now! Let us get you to love the space your in today!

Should I Paint My Cherry Cabinets?

Maybe you should ask are you ready to paint your Cherry Cabinets?

If you are like many of our customers in the Chicagoland area, such as Elgin, Algonquin, or Crystal Lake, you have a home that has wood cabinets. Do you have solid wood cabinets such as cherry and you are not happy with the look and feel of your kitchen? Have you been looking at Pinterest, Google images, watching HGTV or YouTube videos about painting kitchen cabinets? Are you afraid of making the right decision? Then you are not alone. I too have felt this fear and faced these same questions so you are in the right place. Now we’ll answer the question- Should I paint my cherry cabinets?

How much will it cost and will it last?

These are the two questions most people are asking when facing the question or problem of kitchen remodeling, but for most people, it is the same answer.

• The cost is based on how many cabinets you have
• The process is proven to last- so we give you a lifetime warranty on our work
• We even come back in 1 year to do a check up if you need it

A common question- how much does it cost to paint cabinets compared to replacing the cabinets. Right now, you can expect about $135.00 per cabinet to have it painted. That is an average so you can do some rough math by counting your cabinets. When you look at the cost to replace your cabinets, it will be 70% more expensive than painting them and with the money you save by painting, you can now upgrade your door hardware, your countertops, your sink, and most likely your appliances to have a new kitchen you want and enjoy.

The other cost is the loss of your kitchen. If you replace your cabinets, think about the fact that you will have no kitchen to use for several weeks. You will not have appliances. You will have to remove everything from your cabinets and store all that stuff for 2-4 weeks! There are always surprises as you take things out and replace that end up costing more money and time away from the most popular part of your home. If you don’t have a 2^nd place in your home to cook, that is a lot of money to buy food ready to eat vs. cooking in your home.

The best part is YOU decide what color you want! You can go to any JC Licht Store, or Sherwin Williams store in the Chicagoland area, pick any color you want- you can even pick two colors if you wish!!  (If you select the whites from BEHR- we may not be able to match it 100%)

So, can I paint MY cherry cabinets

YES!!  You have just read the inconvenience of replacing your cabinets with new ones. When we paint them, you get to use your kitchen! There may be a few hours in the course of the day we have plastic around your appliances to protect them, but every night you use your kitchen! And since you don’t have doors you can access everything in your kitchen quicker! (That one was meant to bring a smile). Before the details of how, there are several questions you have to be able to honestly answer to know if painting your cherry cabinets is a good solution for you.

• Is there anything wrong with the cabinets you have? Is there any damage? Are there any broken doors? Do they have water damage? If you are saying no to any of these then so far you are on your way to painting your cherry cabinets!
• Do you like the look of a painted cabinet? Some people, my father being one of them, cringes at the sound of painting wood. If you are not sure then take a few hours and go to a home improvement store like Home Depot or Menards to look and touch. Ask yourself if you can see yourself with painted kitchen cabinets.
• If you are still feeling good about the idea then it is time for the next step!

Things to Consider Before Painting Your Cherry Cabinets

But! There is always a but. There are a few things you need to be aware of if you have never had a kitchen or any cabinets that are painted. Painted cabinets are not like stained wood cabinets. I know you are here because you want to know about cherry cabinets, however, if your cabinets are pine-stained cherry color, this is not for you. Pine cabinets are not good candidates for paint. But you have solid Cherry! Stained cherry cabinets have a finish that has penetrated the wood fibers themselves to bond into the wood. Paint on a cabinet is given a bonding primer to stick to the surface of the cabinet. Then the paint is put on top of the primer. This is the same in a new factory cabinet or a refinished one like you are thinking about now.

Keep in mind, at the end of the day this is paint. It is a hard shell, it will resist stains, it will be washable, it will look impressive. Paint on wood can chip upon impact and wood doors will not allow you to place wet towels or rags on them and not become damaged.  I have to give you those buts up front so you know.

I have painted my cabinets in my home, people are doing it every day, and I believe it a great way to not just improve the look of your kitchen but change how you feel about the most important room in your home.

It Worked For These People, And It Will Work For You

Here’s what it did for me… Before I met Daphne and we were married, she had her cabinets painted but didn’t like the color. There was still nothing wrong with the cabinets-just a color -the wrong color. We picked a new color, had some new hardware installed, where there were none before and now we have a kitchen that my wife loves to look at and loves the feeling she has when we are in it. So I have used the materials, process, and system in my home as well.

Here is one testimonial from a great customer in Elgin, IL about painting cherry cabinets:

What are you getting when you paint cherry cabinets?

When you hire D’franco Painting & Wallpaper, you’ll have the peace of mind of …

• Having employees of D’franco Painting & Wallpaper in your home, not subcontractors.
• All of our employees get background checked by a 3rd party vendor.
• We carry workman’s comp and liability insurance.
• We have a system and process that has is used, always evaluated to improve and refine. And for over 15 years we still attend training annually to make sure we provide the best products for your home.
• Lifetime Warranty on our work. We will come back on your anniversary every year and give you one hour to do the minor touch-ups that you may need
• We use cabinet-grade cabinet paints from ML Campbell, Chem Aqua, Shurwood, or ILVA. These are time-tested and award-winning finishes that will last and meet the demands of the most used room in your house. (the paint we use is varies on cost, color and availability)

It’s Decision Time

You have a choice to make: Keep looking at your cabinets and wonder what if…or worse, do nothing at all. You know where that will lead (to another web search on cherry cabinets, frustrated about the look and feel of your kitchen). Is that really where you want to go? Take a new action, and get a new result. Finally, get that estimate and transform your kitchen – Love the home you live in! Which do you really want for yourself? So here are your next steps: Call or text us

• We will ask you for pictures of your kitchen
• We will give you a cost to paint your cherry cabinets within $100-$200. It includes removing hardware, cleaning, painting the outside of the boxes and both sides of the doors. If the numbers look like you want more information we will make an appointment with you. We will come to your house with a door sample that you can touch and see. We will inspect everything and then give you an accurate quote of the exact cost
• Receive a detailed description of how our process works and give you videos to show you of us in action.
• You receive a list of products we use
• You may qualify for a free color consult!
• You’ll have a lifetime warranty.

So, you have asked the question “should I paint my cherry cabinets?”, and you have read the answers, now you are ready to take action and get a GET AN ESTIMATE today!

We look forward to helping you love the home you live in!

Here are some other blog articles on painting cabinets we have for you:

• How Your Cabinets Will Look Painted
• Painting Cherry Cabinets?
• Painting Your Cabinets White and Grey
• Should I Refinish My Cabinet Doors or Replace Them?

Do you have wallpaper in your bathroom? Are you considering removing bathroom wallpaper and live near Elgin, St. Charles, or Huntley, IL?

Existing wallpaper in the bathroom.

Bathroom wallpaper to be removed.

Like all good things, wallpaper styles come and go. This wallpaper install, which depicts a fox hunt, ironically in a home that is near a fox hunting area!

Due to a leaking water fixture, the room was undergoing a remodel, so the owners decided to remove this wallpaper. The call was made- we answered- “please remove the wallpaper in the bathroom.”

With our tools in hand, (steamer, piranah wallpaper scraper, sponges, bucket) we get set to start removing wallpaper!!

Wallpaper stripping tools.

It begins with getting the steamer ready with water, plugging it in, and waiting for it to start producing steam! once the steam starts coming out, we place the steamer to the wall and let the heat and moisture to reactivate the wallpaper adhesive.

Steamer in action

Scraping off the wallpaper and adhesive

The stripping tool made by Piranah works very well to gently scrape the surface between the paper and the wall and make for an excellent surface ready to reinstall wallpaper or paint.

Wallpaper scraps

Wallpaper being stripped

This job was a little more difficult than some other jobs. Sometimes the wallpaper will come off in layers, this one did not. It took quite a while to get the wallpaper wet enough to release from the wall.

The wallpaper almost all removed

Wallpaper almost all is gone

As the wallpaper is almost all removed, the walls are very clean, some minor repairs to be made, but the room already looks much brighter!

Clean Walls after Removing Bathroom Wallpaper

Once the wallpaper is all removed, the next task is to wash the walls. Before you paint, the walls will need to be cleaned of all wallpaper paste residue. If you do not, the new paint will crackle on the wall- you don’t want that! Now that they are washed, allow to dry overnight, make any repairs to the walls, if there are any, then you can start painting!

Let us know if you have any questions about wallpaper removal! Check out some of our other wallpaper blog articles…

Take a peek at using Wallpaper as an accent in your home.

Maybe wallpaper for a ceiling?

Let us help you love the home you live in!

It depends! The cost of wallpaper removal depends on the wallpaper installation.

Here are two videos I want to share. You will see the difference. You will understand why I say it depends.

We were told the walls were primed. They were not.

Here is the second reason.

A picture may be worth a thousand words but the video says it all. The walls were primed.  The primer makes things so easy to remove wallpaper.

Prime the walls before you install wallpaper. Make sure you use a wallpaper primer, not paint or drywall primer.

If you don’t know, ask.

You can find some great information on wallpaper on the WIA (wallcovering installers association) website.

Please let us know if you have questions on wallpaper installation or removal. Email david@dfrancofinishes.com or call/text (847) 349-4112

We are here to help you love the house you live in.

This is the time of year that most people are frustrated with just about everything. We get a call because the family is coming to stay for the holiday and they need “it” painted before they get here.

As much as we would love to fit everyone in the schedule and give everyone what they want for Christmas, odd is it may not happen. So save up those lists, put the decorations away then give us a call when we are typically slower (Jan-Mar) and we can really help each other out.

We look forward to your call and find out how we may be able to help you.

Have you painted part of your home lately? Did you have any drips or splats?  Well if you can believe it, so have we.

We have found that the best thing to use when cleaning up the paint is magic erasers. They will remove paint for up to 7 days after we are done. Try it you’ll like it!

If that doesn’t work, then get out the Krud Kutter. It works and it works well.

For those who have pets, kids or other messy makers, have you had a tough stain on your carpet? If it is a natural stain (not oil etc) then pure hydrogen peroxide is the only thing you will ever need.

That depends on you, your budget, what you want in, from or out of your home. Do you want it to look cheap? Do you like seeing nail pops throughout your home? Do you have cracks in the base molding where the caulk has come apart? Do you like to see every brush mark because the last time your walls were painted they used one coat of paint? Would you like you home to look just as good at the model homes you tour? Would you like feel the coziness of a warm color that just makes you feel at home? What else would you like from a coat of paint in your home?

You do get what you pay for. From certified no VOC paints, to quality washable paints we have what you want. We have the good paint. A trained crew that makes things fast, clean, no worries, and quality work. Knowing that you can give us the keys to your home it will be treated better than our own.

How can we help you? What is a no stress decorating job worth to you?