Choosing a paint color can be overwhelming, especially when you’re staring at over 100 colors in a fan deck. However, a fan deck can also be your best friend—you just have to know how to use one correctly.

This video offers tips for using a fan deck to find your best color choice. Start by narrowing down the color family you want. Then, take the fan deck to the room itself and check out colors in that room’s light. Be sure to hold the color chips vertically so you get a true idea of how each color will look in your room.

The perfect color deserves the perfect paint job, and that’s what you get from Williams Professional Painting. Learn more about our interior painting work by calling (703) 768-8143.

When it comes to improving the look of your home, the professional painting company you choose makes a huge difference. Learn more about what to expect from the painting process by visiting the below resources. To find out more about our Arlington-based professional painting company or to schedule an estimate, call (703) 768-8143.

• A clean house is the best canvas for exterior painting. Find out how to clean your home exterior in this article from The New York Times.
• Learn how to prepare your house for painting in this step-by-step guide from Family Handyman.
• If you plan to sell your home, the right color could help you seal the deal. HowStuffWorks explainswhich paint colors appeal to home buyers.
• Discover how weather impacts external painting in this Weather Channel article.

When you hire Williams Professional Painting, you can rest assured that the job will be done right the first time. To find out more about our Alexandria-based professional painting company or to schedule an estimate, call (703) 768-8143.

• This advice from Underwriters Laboratories will help you clear paint fumes and keep the air your family breathes clean and healthy during painting.
• Are you planning on painting your kitchen? This kitchen paint color photo gallery from HGTV will help you pick the perfect hue.
• The color you paint your rooms has a huge impact on the feel of the space. Find out how color impacts mood in this Freshome.com piece.
• Get tips on hiring a professional painter, including why insurance matters so much, in this article from InteriorDesignPro.org.

The main factor that determines the success of an exterior paint job isn’t usually in the paint itself. Rather, how the house is prepped for painting can make all the difference in how the finished product looks. Failing to take the time to properly prepare for exterior painting could leave you with cracked, peeling paint and the need to repaint your house much sooner than you would like. Here are just a few of the problems that can occur when you don’t prepare for painting the right way:

Chipping and Peeling
A smooth, clean surface is crucial for a good paint finish. When your home exterior is already peeling and cracking, or if it is covered in dirt, the paint won’t adhere properly to the surface. The result is paint that begins to chip and peel almost immediately. Chips and peels in your paint look bad and can leave your home more vulnerable to the elements.

Uneven Paint
If the exterior of your home has deep cracks or holes, you should fix them before painting can begin. If these flaws aren’t caulked and sanded down until they’re smooth with the rest of exterior surface, the paint will pool in certain places once applied. The excess paint will make your exterior paint look uneven, and those areas will be more prone to peeling.

Dirty Appearance
An exterior paint job should leave your home looking like new. If dirt and oils cover your home’s surface at the time of painting, your paint job could make your home look dirty and rundown instead. This is especially true if you pick a light color. The underlying dirt will mix with the paint, making it look grimy and in need of a good clean.

Williams Professional Painting never starts an exterior paint job without prepping your home completely. Call our Washington / Northern Virginia painting company at (703) 768-8143 and get answers to your questions about interior and exterior painting and to schedule your free, no-obligation estimate.

Most buildings will require a new paint job at some point, and spring is the perfect time to do it. Not only can a fresh coat of paint rejuvenate the appearance of a building and enhance its curb appeal, but it can also help preserve the building against the elements. Read on to learn just a few of the reasons why you might consider repainting your home or office building this spring.

Weather
The temperate weather that comes with spring isn’t just pleasant; it’s also the ideal time for an exterior paint project. Extreme weather is the natural enemy of newly painted buildings. Even light rain or snow can damage a fresh coat of paint, and high winds can smother wet paint under a blanket of dust. Hot summer days can cause paint to dry too fast and ruin the finish.

Temperature
Even if the sky is clear, a fluctuating thermometer can spell doom for a promising paint project. Hot weather can speed up drying times and keep the pain from correctly setting, while sudden freezes can crack pristine finishes. Even excessive humidity can lead to uneven coat textures and make a paint job appear sloppy.

Convenience
Getting a painting project out of the way early in the year, means that you are free to focus on other household projects, from gardening to landscaping. It also frees up your summer for barbecues and pool parties. By having your home or office building painted in the relatively laidback spring, you can ensure that you won’t have to make room for it in your busy schedule over the rest of the year.

At Williams Professional Painting of Alexandria, we are fully equipped to bring your home or office repainting project to completion. We are proud to provide expert interior and exterior painting services for residential and commercial buildings in the Arlington and Alexandria areas. For more information, visit us on the Web or call (703) 768-8143.

When it’s time to paint the interior or exterior of a home or commercial building, residents of Alexandria and Arlington know that Williams Professional Painting provides excellent service. Family-owned for over 30 years, our company specializes in highly professional painting for any space or structure. To get a free estimate, call us today (703) 768-8143. You can browse the websites below to learn more about your paint options.

• Visit this page from HowStuffWorks.com to learn more about low-VOC paint.
• On this page, MSN Living discusses the paint colors that designers expect to be popular this year.
• This article from Houzz.com shows you different ways to use some of the trendiest new colors for 2013.
• Find more interior color palettes when you visit MarthaStewart.com.
• This article from Consumer Reports will provide you with more information about the importance of choosing low-VOC interior paints.

To learn more about how Williams Professional Painting can help you, call (703) 768-8143. Look to the following articles for more information on our recent blog topics.

• Consult this guide from TLC to learn how interior walls must be prepared before painting.
• Let Better Homes & Gardens help you select a color scheme for your bathroom by browsing this photo gallery.
• For more information about volatile organic compounds in paint, visit this page from EPA.gov.
• To get inspiration for bedroom color schemes, check out this article from HGTV.com.
• This article from BobVila.com offers additional information about selecting the right paint finish for different rooms of your home, including the bathroom.

Proper ventilation is one key to interior painting. Without the right kind of ventilation, you risk headaches, nausea, and chest and nose infections. The good news is that you can avoid all of the symptoms caused by exposure to paint fumes with a few simple tricks to keep the fresh air flowing:

Go Low VOC
Using paint that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) won’t increase ventilation, but it will make your ventilation more effective. Low-VOC paint gives off less of the harmful compounds that irritate throats and cause headaches. Many paints come in low-VOC varieties, so you should be able to make the change without sacrificing your interior painting color options.

Install Window Box Fans
If you can install box fans in the windows of the rooms being painted, you will be able to remove a great deal of the paint fumes front the room, even while the painting is underway. Be sure the boxes are secure and that they’re not set high enough to interfere with the smooth drying of the paint. Professional painters can recommend the best places to put box fans to clear the air without compromising the paint job.

Encourage Cross-Ventilation
The trick to clearing out paint fumes is to have air cross the room instead of merely recirculating the fumes. Whenever possible, open up windows in adjacent rooms to allow fresh air to flow in from two directions and give the paint fumes a way to escape. Open the windows in the painted room when the job is complete, or ask your professional painters if it’s OK to open windows while they work.

Williams Professional Painting will work with you to make sure your interior painting job doesn’t take a toll on your home’s air quality. Ask our professional painters for tips on keeping the air in your home clean. To learn more about our interior painting services in the Alexandria, Arlington, and Washington, DC areas, call (703) 768-8143.

Timing the drying of your exterior paint job is important, because if it doesn’t dry quickly enough or properly, the overall effect will be compromised. You could end up with paint that doesn’t adhere well to the underlying surface and peels easily. There are several factors that influence how quickly exterior paint dries, including these major ones:

Type of Paint
Most exterior paints dry within a few hours, as long as the manufacturers’ guidelines are followed. However, there is some variation across paint types. For example, latex and oil paints dry at different speeds. The quality of the paint can also influence the drying time. Your professional painters will evaluate the type of paint you’ve chosen and factor the quality into the predicted dry time.

Weather
Weather has a tremendous impact on how quickly paint dries. Excess humidity can slow down drying considerably, as can cold temperatures. That’s why it’s best to paint in dry conditions when the temperature is between 50 and 85 degrees. If you predict rain on the day of the job, you should reschedule the project to a later date or make sure the paint will be dry before the rain sets in.

Starting Conditions
In coastal towns or areas prone to fog, it’s important to hold off on painting until the morning dew and fog has lifted and the home has completely dried. If exterior painting begins when the home is still damp, not only will the job itself be compromised, but the dry time will be much longer. The paint may also bubble as it dries.

At Williams Professional Painting, we consider drying time for all of our painting jobs, and will make the right adjustments so that your paint dries quickly and perfectly every time. Trust us for all of your residential and commercial painting needs. Schedule an estimate and learn about our services by calling our Alexandria office at (703) 768-8143.