PDA

View Full Version : Blinds, Paint, Hardwood flooring



LIL EVO
10-03-2011, 05:39 PM
So aside from Home Depot, where is the place to buy this stuff?

What's the best source of blinds? Brand names to avoid or to look for?

Paint? Brand, type, "model"?

Hardwood floors?

Underfloor heating elements for bathroom / kitchen?

95mustang302
10-03-2011, 05:47 PM
I don't know about the others, but paint = Behr hands down

gen2guy
10-03-2011, 06:09 PM
Pittsburgh Paints You can buy them at menards.
http://www.diychatroom.com/ This place might help With some of the other stuff.

05caddyext
10-03-2011, 06:42 PM
Depends on how much you need of the flooring, but HOBO in West Allis has some great deals on stuff for the house. Only problem is you need to be pretty exact on how much you need because you might not find it again there if you need more.

As for paint, it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Are you repainting something that has been painted before or is this a new fresh drywall area. If it has been painted before what color are you painting over and what color do you want to accomplish? If its fresh drywall there is some prep work that needs to be done. Behr paint with the paint/primer in one is not the end all be all of paints. There are still plenty of situations where a real primer coat of a high quality primer needs to be done first. In fact even with a lot of dark colors with the Behr paint, they still recommend a tinted primer first. If you are trying to paint a deep/dark color over a light color you will need to do a tinted primer first, or you will see the lighter color through the paint.

All the big names in paint are offering a paint/primer in one product now, just need to be careful how you use them. Also, know what kind of sheen level you want. If you want durability don't go with a flat paint. Ace has a brand new paint line name Clark and Kensington. It is a paint/primer product. It works awesome. I have tried most of the paint/primer products and this was by far the best one I have used.

I have had great luck with buying blinds at Ikea. They have a huge selection, and all have held up well. I have 2 dogs and a cat so some of the blinds take some abuse from them, and they have been great. I would buy flooring at a local flooring store near where you live. Most of the time they have better deals than the big boxes, and the employees are much more knowledgeable about the products they sell. They also usually will give you great advice on who to hire to help with the projects if you don't want to tackle them yourself.

xxsn0blindxx
10-04-2011, 07:48 AM
I give another recomendation for Behr paint. Their Ultimate Super-McAwesome With Primer (can't remember the real name, their top line) paint worked great for covering dark red paint. Now we weren't trying to go over it with white or anything like that, we were doing a pumpkin orange color, but it was still impressive. If you're doing a light color over a dark color you will probably want ot prim first and if you're doing a light color over another light color you can go with a more economical paint.

Troutman
10-04-2011, 08:20 AM
I give another recomendation for Behr paint. Their Ultimate Super-McAwesome With Primer (can't remember the real name, their top line) paint worked great for covering dark red paint. Now we weren't trying to go over it with white or anything like that, we were doing a pumpkin orange color, but it was still impressive. If you're doing a light color over a dark color you will probably want ot prim first and if you're doing a light color over another light color you can go with a more economical paint.

another recommendation for Behr premium with primer. Painted almost my entire house with it. above and beyond better coverage than anything else i used

05caddyext
10-04-2011, 09:02 AM
Going with a light color over a dark color isn't the problem. It's going over a light color with a dark one. White paint, and lighter paint colors hide dark colors very well. It's when you try to paint a dark color over a light color you have the issue. Don't believe it? Go to Home Depot and look at their dark color swatches. Almost all dark colors, especially red, require a tinted primer first. A tinted primer for red goes on the wall super pink. When you paint with the tinted primer it is about 1/3 of the actual color you want to achieve, gives you a good base coat to start with. You could paint white over a dark red all day long and never know it was dark red. Been in the paint business a very long time, ligher colors hide better than dark.

05caddyext
10-04-2011, 09:29 AM
More evidence... all interior primer is white.

LIL EVO
10-04-2011, 09:43 AM
Well, no issues because all of the walls are white. They just are dirty, have small holes, etc.

Backstory - the house next door popped up last month as a hud home so I bought it :)

I will need new carpet for the living room and hallway.

The three bedrooms are HWF so I will maybe sand/refinish those.

All the rooms are white

I was thinking of doing nice hard wood in the kitchen and tile / heated floor in the bathroom

Haulin' Oates
10-04-2011, 10:34 AM
I switched to sherwin williams or benjamin moore paint and never looked back. I have been much happier with it than behr etc.. the downside is cost but if you wait until stuff goes "on sale" for 30+% off its a good deal. My local ace had BM paint for 50% off at one point. I bought 8 gallons of paint that day!

wrath
10-04-2011, 08:19 PM
Benjamin Moore, never been disappointed. Their Aura paint holds up remarkably well. Natura works well if you're painting a bedroom in the winter as it won't stink for weeks.

I buy my flooring from these people:
http://www.schaferhardwoodflooring.com/
http://www.plankflooring.com/

05caddyext
10-04-2011, 09:45 PM
I stock Benjamin Moore paint. The Ben line and also the Regal Select. Both are paint/primer in one products. The Aura platform was the original paint with primer product, out way before Behr had one. Very durable, and also very over-priced in my experience. The natura platform is for "green" people who are interested in a true 0 VOC paint. Depending on where you buy paint Benjamin Moore may be alot more expensive than the store brand, but not always. I have Ben priced at 32.99/gallon and the Regal Select at 38.99. To compare the new Clark and Kensington paint with primer is $29.99/gallon.

xxsn0blindxx
10-04-2011, 11:10 PM
Going with a light color over a dark color isn't the problem. It's going over a light color with a dark one. White paint, and lighter paint colors hide dark colors very well. It's when you try to paint a dark color over a light color you have the issue. Don't believe it? Go to Home Depot and look at their dark color swatches. Almost all dark colors, especially red, require a tinted primer first. A tinted primer for red goes on the wall super pink. When you paint with the tinted primer it is about 1/3 of the actual color you want to achieve, gives you a good base coat to start with. You could paint white over a dark red all day long and never know it was dark red. Been in the paint business a very long time, ligher colors hide better than dark.

Ok another vote for Behr Ulitmate Super McAwesome With Primer paint then. Wifey painted a dark red accent wall in the living room over light tan paint and it covered very well.