Interior Exterior Residential Painting Company in John's Creek GA

House Painters Johns Creek GA | Interior Exterior Painting

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GreenWave Solutions announces that we are covering Johns Creek, GA.  Residents are now able to hire Alpharetta’s #1 green painting company with over 8 years of superior service.  Johns Creek is a city in Fulton County that became incorporated in 2006.  By census estimates Johns Creek is the 10th largest city in the state of Georgia.

Most homes in the Johns Creek were built within the last 20 years and are made of brick, stucco, stone, and siding.  GreenWave Solutions offers many options to help beautify, update, and repair all of these exterior surfaces.  We currently offer  residential and commercial interior and exterior painting, pressure washing, exterior wood replacement, siding repair and replacement, and deck sealing and staining.

GreenWave Solutions also provides sensational services for residential and commercial interiors in Johns Creek.  We specialize in:

  • painting
  • drywall installation and repair
  • wallpaper removal
  • faux painting and finishing
  • kitchen cabinet staining and painting
  • popcorn ceiling removal and texture smoothing
  • wood staining, carpentry work
  • color consultations

To start our introduction the right way we are offering a 15% discount on Johns Creek house painting services both interior and exterior. Call GreenWave Solutions today to get your free estimate 404-549-7776.

GreenWave Solutions is a premium painting company in Johns Creek.  We also have the best painters in Atlanta, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody, Decatur, Grant Park, Inman Park, Marietta, Milton, Roswell, Sandy Springs, and more.

Professional painting company painters use high quality interior paint.

Paint Product Review: Sherwin Williams Cashmere

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The review of Sherwin Williams’ Cashmere interior enamel.

Cashmere is a premium, low-VOC interior coating.  It comes in three sheens; flat, low-lustre, and medium-lustre.  Cashmere has excellent hide, coverage, and durability.  It is available in a white and deep base.  Cashmere is not available in the darkest colors.

We have been using Cashmere for over 5 years and have had only great experiences.  The paint has a thinner body, like Duration Home, which makes its load and release buttery smooth.  It also has very low odor and impressive hide.  Hide, often confused with coverage, refers to a paint’s ability to cover existing colors.  Cashmere has excellent application properties.

Cashmere dries to a very smooth, very durable finish.  It levels extremely well and roller and brush marks virtually disappear once the film dries.  All three finishes are washable and will not burnish with ‘normal’ wiping.

Overall, Cashmere Interior Enamel is a great paint.  Its low-VOC formulation combined with exceptional application properties and a beautiful durable finished product makes it a good choice for most interior painting projects.  It retails for $40-$50 per gallon, which is about average for premium interior products.

By 

President of GreenWave Solutions, the best Atlanta painter and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

GreenWave Solutions – Simply the best painters in Atlanta.

Professional Painters do exterior and interior house painting in Dunwoody Ga

Interior Exterior House Painters in Dunwoody GA

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GreenWave Solutions announces that we are offering our professional painting services in Dunwoody and the surrounding neighborhoods.  This includes interior painting, exterior painting, carpentry, deck staining and sealing, cabinet staining, and more.

Dunwoody is one of Atlanta’s first suburbs.  It’s age makes the homes in this affluent neighborhood distinct and beautiful. It’s age also requires these homes to be maintained to preserve their beauty.

Preserving older homes is different from working on newer ones.  Oftentimes, older homes are better constructed than newer ones, but this doesn’t mean that they are easier to work on.  When dealing with older homes, you rarely know materials were used.  When it comes to paints and coatings, the products that were used are no longer being manufactured or may even be illegal now.  Some examples are lead paint and asbestos insulation.

Even when older homes don’t have toxic chemicals or carcinogens in their building materials, an experienced professional is required to do work correctly.  Trained painting professionals know how to bridge the gap between the technology of the 1970’s and the 21st century.

30 years ago, using oil based paint on home’s exteriors was a standard practice.  Now, that is a big no-no.  Science has learned that alkyd resins chalk, crack, and fade in UV light much faster than new acrylic resins do.  The problem was that the advanced acrylic resins were not invented 30 years ago.  So as science advances, technology advances.

GreenWave Solutions’ painters are able to restore and preserve the beauty of Dunwoody’s homes.

We are offering 15% off all house painting in Dunwoody until April 2013.  Contact us for a free estimate.

 

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

We are the best painters in Atlanta!

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Review: Sherwin Williams Duration Home

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The topic of today’s review, Sherwin Williams Duration Home, is not a new product.  This product is several years old.  It is so good, however, I thought it deserved some attention.

Duration Home is the interior line of Sherwin Williams’ Duration brand.  It was the flagship paint for high end, interior durability until Emerald was released.  Duration Home comes in matte, satin, and semi-gloss finishes and has all color bases available.  This product is low-VOC and has a great finish.

Product Overview:

Duration Home:  Low-VOC

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – Granite Peak

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a flat finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 experienced

Initial Look/Feel:

Upon opening the can, you will notice that the Duration Home is not very thick.  It also has that ammonia like smell that high end, low-VOC coatings have.  Everything is pretty normal inside the can.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

As soon as you start painting with the Duration Home you know that you are using a great paint.  The thin body of the paint makes its application a breeze.  It easily loads onto brushes and rollers and transfers smoothly onto walls.  The most impressive things is that despite the thin body of the paint, its hide is as good as any paint I’ve used.  Because the matte finish has a bit of sheen, make sure that you paint into a wet edge to avoid hat-banding or picture framing.

Durability of finish:

I used Duration Home to paint a bathroom in my condo and after 6 years it looks brand new.  I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination.  The Duration Home has stood up to water, neglect, and even some abuse.  I have intentionally been rough on it to see what it can take.  This product lives up to its durable finish claims.

Pros:

  • Very durable finish
  • Excellent hide
  • Low-VOC
  • Easy to apply

Cons:

  • Expensive ($60/gallon)

Conclusion:

I am impressed with the Duration Home product.  I have liked it since Sherwin Williams released it about 10 years ago.  While it was one of the first “premium low-VOC” interior paints, it still competes with the newer products.  Duration Home prices have gone down with the release of Emerald which makes Duration an even better choice.  I like everything about Duration Home matte.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Interior Painting product reviews, professional painters, exterior, painting companies, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Decatur, Alpharetta, Roswell

Review: Sherwin Williams Emerald Interior Paint

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Because GreenWave Solutions is has good relationships with the paint companies, we get a lot demos and samples of products.  The most recent was a gallon of Sherwin Williams’ Emerald interior matte.  I have wanted to try this product out since they released at the beginning of 2012.  SW says that Emerald is the interior paint of champions!

 

Product Overview:

Emerald Interior 0-voc

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – French Red

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a satin finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 expert, 1 diy

Initial Look/Feel:

The first thing I noticed about Emerald was its thickness.  It is a heavy-bodied coating; thicker than SuperPaint.  Emerald has that familiar ammonia smell that is synonymous with high performance 0-voc coatings.  It has a strong smell, but they say it isn’t bad to breathe.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

We pushed this product to its limit.  We painted off white satin walls in a bathroom.  The Emerald did a good job.  Its self-priming feature did a decent job adhering to the shiny satin paint.  It did streak and smear some.  The dark red covered pretty well with one coat; however, we a second coat was needed for complete color change.  Again, I want to reiterate that I was asking this paint to do something “impossible.”  Overall, Emerald lived up to its hype.

Durability of finish:

I checked the finish after it had 24 hours to dry.  It was exceptionally hard and still very smooth.  Emerald has the most durable and smooth finish of any interior architectural coating I have ever seen.

Pros:

  • Most durable interior paint available
  • Excellent hide
  • 0-VOC

Cons:

  • Expensive ($70-$80/gallon)

Conclusion:

Sherwin Williams’ Emerald Interior product is excellent.  It delivers all of the performance that they say it will.  This performance does come at a price.  This product costs nearly twice as much as the next best interior paint, Duration Home.  If you want the best paint money can buy, then Emerald is for you.  If you want the best value, I recommend the Sherwin Williams Duration Home Matte.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

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How to Choose a Roller

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I was helping my cousin do some interior painting this weekend and realized how little the average person knows about proper painting techniques.  Oftentimes I struggle to think of topics about which to write because I can’t think of anything that people don’t know.  I guess I have been over thinking it.  I’m going back to the basics for my readers.

How to choose a roller

When choosing a roller, there are three factors that you must define:  nap composition, roller quality, and nap length.

Nap Composition

Nap refers to the fur on the roller.  Composition refers to what the nap is made of.  When choosing what type of roller to use, you need to know what kind of coating you are using.  Alkyds, acrylics, polyurethanes, and lacquers all require a different roller nap.  You use specific rollers for some coatings because the stronger chemicals can cause the nap to melt.  Also, using a roller designed for the coating causes the paint to load and release better, which yields a better finished product.

Manufacturers label the packaging to specify for which coatings are compatible with the roller.  A sure fire way to choose the correct roller composition is to choose your paint first and then choose a roller that works with it.

Roller Quality

Not all rollers are created equal.  Like with most things, the adage “you get what you pay for” applies to rollers.  The difference between cheap and expensive rollers boils down to two characteristics.  Cheap rollers tend to lose more hair while painting.  These hairs end up on whatever you are painting and dry in film.  This is ugly and unprofessional.  In addition to this, the nap on cheap rollers typically doesn’t offer good release which renders a less smooth finish.  The only time I recommend using the cheapest roller available is when you are painting something where quality is not a factor – like a dog house.

Professional painters Trick of the Trade:  Before using any roller, put the roller on the frame and wrap it with painter tape.  Remove the tape before you start painting.  This pulls out the loose hairs and prevents them from ending up on your substrate.

Nap Length

Nap length is the last factor you must determine when choosing a roller.  Nap length is measured in inches and range from foam, mohair, 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″ and more more.  What determines the length of the roller nap is how rough of a substrate you are painting.  If you are painting something super smooth like glass, then you should use a foam roller.  If you are painting something very rough like stucco, use the longer 1″ nap.  By using the right size nap, you ensure that you apply an adequate film of paint and get the smoothest possible finish.

I hope that this answers any questions about how to choose a roller.

By

President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

GreenWave Solutions is the best painting contractor in Atlanta.

CMU wall with Efflorescence.

What is Efflorescence

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Efflorescence.  What a weird word.

Efflorescence – ef-flo-res-cence (ef∋ le res∋ens), 1. a change on the surface to a powdery substance upon exposure to air, as a crystalline substance through loss of water. 2. to become encrusted or covered with crystals of salt or the like through evaporation or chemical change.

In English, efflorescence is that white, powdery stuff that you see on masonry walls.  Because this isn’t a chemistry class, we are going to focus on prevention and remediation, instead of causation.

Although efflorescence is ugly and sounds scary, prevention and removal are simple and inexpensive.

How to prevent efflorescence

This is very easy.  Make sure that the masonry substrate is  at least 14 days old.  If it seems uncured or “hot”, wait another week.  Then, prime it using a masonry primers.  Sherwin Williams makes a great product called Loxon Primer.

Once you have primed, simply apply an appropriate top coat and you are done.  If you followed all of the manufacturer’s instruction, you should not have any problems with efflorescence.

How to remove efflorescence.

This is more difficult than prevention, but it isn’t a huge problem.  First off, efflorescence is a cosmetic problem.  It does not degrade the monolithic strength of the substrate.  The efflorescence on the wall pictured above is ugly, but it won’t hurt the wall.  So if you have efflorescence and it doesn’t bother you, leave it alone.  If its unsightliness does bother you, here is how you fix it.

  1. Clean the efflorescence with muriatic acid.  Be careful; hydrochloric acid is nasty stuff.  You may need to dilute depending on the molar strength.
  2. Scrape the efflorescence.
  3. Make sure you have rinsed all of the muriatic acid and allow everything to dry thoroughly.
  4. Prime and repaint using the system described above in the “prevention” section.

I hope that you were entertained while reading this riveting expose` on efflorescence.

GreenWave is also the best interior house painters, exterior house painters, and house painting company and serves Atlanta, Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody, Grant Park, Inman Park, Johns Creek, Duluth, Milton, Roswell, and most major suburbs.

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Primers are important to professional painting companies, interior painters, exterior painting.

What is the Purpose of Primers?

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If you have ever been into a paint store you probably heard something about primers.  Whether you were asking about how to paint something or reading informational pamphlets, you learned that primers are important.  When talking to clients, I realize that “normal” people don’t know the exact definition of primers.  This article will help correct that.

What does a primer do?

Prepares a substrate to accept a top coat.

This is a short but vague answer.  A better answer is extrapolated when another question is asked.

What do you need the primer to do?

Answering this question will better define for what primers are used.  There are many different types of primers, each having a different purpose.  Here are some common applications for primers.

  • Promoting adhesion – This is important when painting hard, glossy surfaces like glass, plastic, metal, or porcelain.  If you painted directly on these surfaces, the paint would scrape off.  Bonding primers make these surfaces paintable.
  • Sealing stains – Painting over water, smoke or oil stains requires priming to prevent the stains from bleeding through the paint.
  • Sealing wood – In order to prevent tannin and knots to bleed through paint, you must prime raw wood.
  • Changing colors – When making drastic color changes, priming can save a coat or two of paint.
  • Smoothing substrates – Extremely rough and porous surfaces, like cinder blocks, are primed with a very thick coating so that the paint has an even surface.
  • Equalizing porosity – Primers are used to create a uniform porosity so that paints will have a uniform finish.  An example of this new drywall.  The drywall, tape, and finishing compound all have different porosity and require  priming if using a non-flat paint.
  • Preventing/Re-mediating rust  – There are primers that prevent rust on ferrous metals and others that reform rust into an inert metal.
  • Industrial applications – There are numerous specialty primers used for industrial painting applications.  These uses are too specific and technical for the purposes of this article.  If you have questions using these primers, you need to read the manufacturer specifications.

This concludes primers 101.  If you have more questions, email us using our contact form.

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta’s painting company and house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead, Midtown, and many more!  We offer house painting in Johns Creek.

We are the best painters in Atlanta.

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What are VOCs in Paints?

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Intelligent people agree that global warming is real.  While its exact causes are unknown, scientists say that greenhouse gases are contributing to it.  Whether or not greenhouse gases are causing global warming, we can all agree that they are bad for us to breathe.  The chief cause of greenhouse gases are volatile organic compounds (VOC).

These compounds are organic chemicals with low boiling points.  Because of the low boiling temperatures, these chemicals convert into a gaseous state in normal conditions.  They typically are toxic and flammable.

Here is an everyday example of what this means.  Water has 3 states; solid, liquid, and gas (please don’t comment about plasma).  Water is solid at 0 C and below, liquid between 0-100 C, and gas at 100 C and above.

Instead of water, let’s look at toluene.

Instead of the vapor pressure of 100 C, toluene’s is 25 C.  This is cooler than room temperature.  Because of this a bucket of toluene will emit vapors in cool temperatures.  Unlike water, these vapors are toxic to humans, animals, plants, and the ozone layer.  Toluene is a solvent common to many industrial coatings and epoxies.

Why are the VOCs in paint?

Paints contain VOCs because of the chemicals that act as the paints solvent.  Solvents keep paint in liquid form until you use it.  That is why paint smells while it is drying and then stops smelling.  The fumes come from the solvents leaving the paint.

The reason that so many paints use toxic solvents is because that is all that technology had allowed for a long time.  Paints that used water as a solvent, like acrylics and latex, were not so durable as paints that used MEK, lacquer, and stronger chemicals as solvents.  This is just one of those “life isn’t fair” things like “why is the most delicious food the least healthy?”  God has a twisted sense of humor, I guess.

The good news is that scientific advances have made acrylic resins compete as good as their more toxic counterparts’.  By replacing the resin package, scientists are able to make awesome paints that use water as the solvent.  That is how paint manufacturers develop “0-VOC” paints that perform better than VOC heavy coatings.

Thanks science!

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President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta’s first and best green painting company.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead, Midtown, and many more!

Interior and exterior Brookhaven painters and professional painting company.

How to Paint a Bathroom

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This “How To” article is easier than wallpaper removal or popcorn removal.  We are going to learn how to paint a bathroom.  When painting a bathroom, the most important decision is what type of paint to use.

Bathrooms are unique rooms because they are high traffic and wet conditions.  The paint in bathrooms must be durable enough to withstand the traffic, but also water-resistant to stand up against steam from showers.  The simplest measure of determining durability of interior paints is sheen.  The higher the sheen, the more durable the coating.

In the old days, satin was the “go to” finish for baths.  Satin has lower sheen than semi-gloss but is more durable than flats.  With the advance in coating technologies, manufacturers have developed “washable flats” and matte finishes.  Washable flats and matte finishes have an angular sheen closer to a flat with durability that surpasses semi-gloss.  These finishes are typically reserved for premium quality lines of paint.  All major manufacturers have this finish as part of their product line.

Matte finish paints apply the same way as other those with other sheens.  Due to the high quality nature of these paints, they usually apply better than other paints.  Many have exceptional hide and are self priming.  GreenWave Solutions uses Sherwin Williams’ premium lines Duration Home and Emerald.

After you have chosen which paint you are going to use, it’s time to start painting.

To see how professional contractors do interior painting, see our “How to paint a room” article.

The easiest way to paint a bathroom or any other room is to hire a house painting contractor.  GreenWave Solutions has been Metro Atlanta’s premier painting company for over 8 years.  We specialize in interior painting, exterior painting, and all other residential and commercial painting.  Our goal for 2012 is to be the best painters in Alpharetta.  Our service area isn’t limited to Alpharetta.  We service Roswell, John’s Creek, Milton, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Brookhaven, and most major Atlanta suburbs.

Call today to schedule your free estimate.

By: GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Alpharetta.

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House Painters in Sandy Springs, GA

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Autumn in the South is one of the most beautiful times of the year.  The leaves change color, the weather cools down, and the football tailgates and cook outs fill the weekends.  The weather is perfect for spending time outside.  Since you are outside more often, you may notice that it is time for home maintenance.

Whether its pressure washing, rotten wood replacement or exterior painting, GreenWave Solutions is the best at restoring your home’s beauty.  Our professional painting crews take the utmost care when painting your home.

GreenWave Painters are not only experts at exterior painting, but also interior painting specialists.  We take every precaution when painting inside your home.  We cover floors and furniture to protect your property.  All of our painters are trusted GreenWave employees – no random day laborers.

We know that the upcoming holiday season brings expenses so we are having our annual Fall Special.  For the rest of the year, Sandy Springs residents will get 15% off all house painting services (some restrictions apply).

Call or email us to schedule your free estimate.  GreenWave Solutions also offers custom gutter installation services.

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Sandy Springs.

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Interior and exterior house painting professionals. Painters in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Brookhaven, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Marietta, Duluth, Chamblee, Norcross, Milton, Cumming

Now Hiring Painting Estimator

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October 2012

[Atlanta, GA] GreenWave Solutions is hiring an estimator for residential painting services in Atlanta.  Make your own schedule!  Earn $800-$1500/week working  20-40 hours/week.

Job Description:

This part/full time position is an outside estimating position.  You will be given warm, call in leads for interior and exterior painting services.  Upon receiving your leads, you are responsible for scheduling appointments, estimating the project, and closing the sale.  We provide the leads, training, insurance, and the professional crews to complete the project.  This is a commission based outside sales position.

Requirements:

– Clean cut, professional appearance and attitude

– Reliable transportation

– Mobile phone

– Self-motivated individual

– Positive attitude

– Applicants may require background checks and drug screenings

Preferred Qualifications:

– Experience in construction industry

– Knowledge of paints and coatings

If you are interested in applying for this position, call or email GreenWave Solutions using the contact form on our website.  Please attach a resume/CV and a brief description why you would be a good fit at GreenWave Solutions.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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House Painting Specials in Buckhead, GA

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Everyone in Atlanta knows that the best holiday parties are in Buckhead.  Whether in a pristine mansion or a historic ranch, Buckhead has a wide array of homes.  Whatever type of home you own, GreenWave Solutions is here to make sure your house looks its best for all of your holiday festivities.

Our professional color consultants will help you choose a color scheme that will have your guest saying, “This is beautiful.  How did you pick these colors?”  Combining this with our experienced house painters produces high quality results that our clients have grown to expect.

If you interior looks good, but your home’s exterior needs freshening up, GreenWave’s painters specialize in applying all the new acrylic-based paints.  These paints have the same low VOC characteristics as latex paints with unsurpassed durability and cold weather application.  These paints have been designed for cold and damp weather application so that residential and commercial painters can work during the entire year.

Because we know that the holidays can get expensive, we are offering 15% off all house painting in Buckhead during Fall.  Call and schedule your free estimate with professional painters in Buckhead today.

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Buckhead.

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John’s Creek Residential Painting Specials

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Autumn is officially here and with it comes the fun of holiday parties and family gatherings.  And with parties and gatherings comes house guests.

Don’t you want your house to looks its best when decorated for the holidays?

GreenWave Solutions is here to help.

Our painters in John’s Creek specialize using the next generation of paints and coatings.  These coatings are designed for superior application, even during the Winter months.  Since Atlanta winters are so mild, GreenWave’s painters are able to deliver the highest quality house painting in John’s Creek all year long.

Because we understand that the holidays can be expensive, we are offering 15% off all house painting services, including interior painting and exterior painting.  So don’t wait.  Call and schedule your free estimate today!

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in John’s Creek.

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Roswell House Painting Specials

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Fall is coming and with it comes holiday parties, family gatherings, and house guests.   While seeing your family and friends is a fun and joyous occasion, nothing is more irritating than you in-laws’ opinions of ability to maintain a house hold.  We all know what I’m talking about; the murmurs and “looks.”

The most cited reason for not painting during Fall and Winter is the weather.  This is a logical objection because traditional paints don’t perform as well as during cold and wet conditions.  Technology has changed this.

The new generation of paints and coatings are developed specifically for harsher climates.  Paint manufacturers design new products with the weather in mind because an all-weather paint allows them to sell product all year long.  During R&D, they test these products to stand up to the harsher winters of the northeast and midwest.

This works out beautifully for us in the south.  Our winters are like spring compared to New York’s.  Consequently, GreenWave’s Roswell house painters are able to paint the entire year still delivering the uncompromising quality that our clients expect.

We understand that the holiday season can be expensive, and to help, GreenWave Solutions is offering Fall painting specials.

Throughout Fall, we are giving 15% off of all Roswell house painting services.  Call to schedule your free estimate today!

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Roswell.

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Alpharetta House Painting Specials

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As summer makes way for fall, the days get shorter and the weather gets colder and wetter. This doesn’t mean that painting season is over. It means that painting conditions change.

Many of the new coatings have been developed specifically for cold and damp weather application. When manufacturers design new products, they create products that can withstand the harsh winters of the northeast and midwest. Compared to those climates, Metro Atlanta seems like a tropical paradise. This is only good news for Alpharetta house painters.

Because these revolutionary coatings are designed for such harsh climates, GreenWave Solutions’ house painting crews are able to work throughout the entire year and still do the professional jobs that our clients expect.

So whether you are getting your house ready for holiday visitors or have just been putting off the paint job, now is the time to get this off of your “To Do” list.

We understand that the holidays can be expensive, so we are offering a 15% off special on all Alpharetta painting services.  Call today to schedule your free estimate!

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Alpharetta.

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Ceiling texture removal, Atlanta Painting Company, House Painters, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Roswell, Marietta, Milton, Decatur

How to Smooth a Popcorn Ceiling

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Today’s Article is going to tackle one of the more tedious projects with which homeowners face:  Removing popcorn or stipple texture from a ceiling.

This is not a difficult process. It is, however, extremely messy, labor intensive, and tedious. It also requires good finishing skills for professional results. I am going to make this a step by step explanation.Gather all of your materials and supplies:

1. Gather your materials and supplies.

  • spray bottle with water
  • scrapers
  • plastic and construction paper
  • sand paper and poles
  • trash bags
  • dust masks
  • eye protection
  • paint brushes
  • drywall compound
  • finishing knives
  • paint

2.  Prepare the area.

This is going to be a dusty, messy process so proper preparation is imperative.  Move all the furniture out of the room or into the center of the room.  If the furniture stays in the room, cover it with plastic and tape the plastic.  Cover all floors with plastic or construction paper.  Also, cover A/C intakes or turn of the HVAC altogether.  The drywall dust is so fine it will go into the ventilation and get spread throughout the building.

3. Start removing the texture.

Both stipple and popcorn texture are water based products.  The easiest way to remove them from your ceiling is by spraying them with warm water and letting the water seep into the texture.  After a few minutes, the texture should be soft enough to be scraped off.  How easily the texture comes off depends on many variable and can’t be accurately determined until you start scraping.  Continue removing the texture as described about until it is all gone.  You are done for the day.  Let the ceiling dry and get some rest because your neck and shoulders are probably sore.

4.  Refinish the ceiling.

This takes some skill.  There is no doubt that the ceiling looks like it needs help.  Get your drywall compound and finishing knives ready.  I recommend buying a 5 gallon pail of joint compound or the bag mix so that you can make as much as you need.  Now that you have your finishing tools ready start refinishing the ceiling.  Remember that the less compound you use, the less sanding and dust you will have to deal with in step 5.  After you have finished applying drywall compound on the ceiling, take lunch and give the compound time to dry.  Dry time depends on temperature, humidity, and the type of compound you used.  I recommend 45 minute compound.

5.  Sanding and touch up.

Now comes the really messy part.  Put on your dust mask and eye protection.  Sand the entire ceiling until it is smooth.  If there are areas that don’t look right, touch them up with more compound and re-sand it after it dries.  Once you have the ceiling smooth, dust it with a damp rag or paint brush to get the loose dust off of it before step 6.

6.  Prime and paint.

You’re almost done!  I know that step 6 says, “Prime and paint”, but you may not have to prime.  If you are using flat paint, which I recommend on ceilings, then you can paint directly on the finished ceiling.  If there are water stains, then they do need to be primed using an alkyd or shellac primer/sealer.  After the paint dries, do a walk through and address any areas that need to be touched up.  If everything looks good, then proceed to the last step.

7.  Clean up.

This should be a welcome step by now.  Clean up all of the plastic and paper, put the furniture back and enjoy your nice smooth ceiling.  Hooray!

If you just got through smoothing a textured ceiling you are probably thinking, “I am never going to do that again.  Next time I am going to hire a professional.”

That’s when you call GreenWave Solutions.  We are Metro Atlanta’s best painting company.  We serve Atlanta, Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Cumming, Duluth, Dunwoody, Doraville, Grant Park, Inman Park, Milton, John’s Creek, Sandy Springs and more.  Call us for the best interior painters in Alpharetta!

Simply put, GreenWave Solutions has the best painters in Atlanta.

By: Daniel Macris, President of GreenWave Solutions, the best house painters in Atlanta.

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Professional interior and exterior house painters in Milton, Roswell, Alpharetta, John's Creek, Dunwoody, and Atlanta

Professional Painters in Milton

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GreenWave Solutions is excited to announce that we are offering our painting services to the residents and businesses of Milton, GA!  Our painters in Milton are the same professionals that have been providing Atlanta with the highest quality painting services for over 8 years.

GreenWave Solutions specializes in high end residential painting projects and expects Milton’s residents to appreciate our professional painting services.  Some specialties we want to inform the Milton community of are our color consultations with a professionally certified designer.  Our designer graduated from the highly acclaimed Art Institute of Atlanta with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design.  She has 7 years of interior design experience including designing homes for some of the southeast’s top builders.  She is passionate about design and loves designing kitchens and baths and color consulting for all painting projects.

In addition to our color consultation services, GreenWave Solutions will be offering Milton residents the following services:

  • Interior Painting
  • Exterior Painting
  • Residential Painting
  • Cabinet Painting
  • Cabinet Staining
  • Cabinet Refinishing
  • Kitchen Remodels
  • Bath Remodels
  • Deck Staining
  • Pressure Washing
  • Wood Repair
  • And more!

Call GreenWave Solutions for your free estimate today!

GreenWave Solutions will be one the premier painters in Milton.  Our Milton painting services division is going to best in the city!

Mention this article and receive 15% off any painting service over $1200 (good through 2012).

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GreenWave Solutions has the most professional painters in Atlanta.

Interior and exterior Brookhaven painters and professional painting company.

Painters in Alpharetta and House Painting Services

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GreenWave Solutions would like to tell the residents of Alpharetta that we are serving the Alpharetta area.  This means that Alpharetta now has access to the best painting company in Georgia.  Our Alpharetta house painters are the same skilled and experienced professionals that has made GreenWave Solutions one of the most trusted names in painting during the last 6 years.

GreenWave Solutions specializes in residential painting, commercial painting, interior painting, exterior painting, cabinet staining and painting, and more.  Call our Alpharetta painting division today for a free estimate.

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Mention this article and receive 15% off any painting service over $1200 (good through 2012).

Tannin Stain, Painting Company, House Painters, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Roswell, Marietta, Milton, Decatur

How to Avoid Wood Tannin Bleed from Knots

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We completed a project last week that gave us some trouble.  Because this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this problem, I felt that it warranted an article so others can avoid this problem.  The problem is tannin and resin bleeding through knots and “self-priming” stains and paints.

Many of the new paints and stains boast “self-priming” properties.  The selling point is that “it requires fewer coats and products to finish the job so you save time and money.”  While this sounds awesome, it is misleading.

No current product that says “paint and primer in one” or “self-priming” is going to perform as well as separate primers and paints.  For simple applications such as interior painting on previously painted substrates, these products perform fine; but when getting into applications in a more demanding environment, they fall short.

I specifically speaking about wood stains that say “self-priming to prevent tannin bleed.”  My instinct is to ignore these statements and use a stand alone alkyd wood primer or shellac primer on wood, but this time I went just with the stain.  We used package white.  The painters sprayed and back rolled the product per manufacturers’ specifications.  It looked beautiful at first and everyone went home.  When we went back the next morning, every knot on one side of the fence had bled through the stain.

To be fair, this was the side of the fence that had the sun hitting it from first thing in the morning until about 2pm.  This heat causes the tannin and resin to be more active.  However, the data sheet should have said something about this.

I told the home owner I was unhappy with the product’s performance and I wanted to prime and put another coat.  Our client obliged so it time to research.  I have heard horror stories of people applying 3, 4, and 5 coats to still have the knots bleeding through.  I didn’t want to have a story of my own so I got on the phone with technical support.  They told the “self-priming” properties are weak and that it is still advised to prime.

I went with what worked with even the most “knottiest” wood (get the pun? knotty vs. naughty).

Shellac-based primers are the best primers for sealing in stains.  Shellac comes from the lac beetle.  I don’t remember how they beetle makes it, but I am positive that all shellac comes from this little bug.

We see shellac in our everyday lives.  The easiest example is on pills.  The shiny coating on pills or the plastic parts of capsules are examples of “food-grade” shellac.  Now that I provided a visual of what shellac is, it should be simple to see why it is such an effective sealer.

When shellac primers dry, they effectively seal the stain beneath a layer of plastic.

What makes these primers such great sealers is the same thing that makes them ineffective primers for exterior house painting.  Because shellac based coatings create a solid, rigid coating, they are only specified for “spot exterior” application.  This is because of the movement that exterior substrates exhibits due to expansion and contraction from temperature fluctuations.

For this reason, we spot primed the problem knots with an aerosol primer and repainted.  If the bleeding was throughout the wood, we would have opted for an exterior alkyd primer designed for bare wood.

After everything was completed, the fence looked beautiful, our client was happy, and GreenWave Solutions did another good job.  This is why we are consistently rated the best painters in Atlanta.

 

Daniel Macris is the president of GreenWave Solutions for 8 years.  GreenWave Solutions is Atlanta’s First “Green” painting contractor.  We specialized in commercial and residential painting.  We are launching our Atlanta kitchen and bath remodeling division soon!

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