FAQ for Home Improvement Projects in South Oklahoma City

Do you have a list of house projects you want to get done? Do you also have a list of home improvement questions about those projects? Exterior and interior projects alike can feel daunting. You may know what you want to tackle but aren’t sure how to tackle it. Well, hopefully this article can get you started. We’ve compiled a list of answers to some of the most common questions we see related to home improvement projects. Use this list to understand what needs to be done around your house now, what can wait another year, and what you should call an expert about.

Let’s start with the exterior projects.

FAQs About Exterior Home Improvement Projects

Exterior home improvement projects can feel like a crunch. When you live in a region like ours, you only have a few fleeting months to complete these projects. Fear not. We can help you identify the best times to start certain projects.

Do I Need to Re-stain My Deck?

Did you know that deck stain does not last for the life of your deck? It doesn’t last half that long. It’s a common misconception that staining your deck will protect it forever. Instead, the majority of stains last less than five years, and sometimes less than three if you face particularly extreme weather.

You therefore need to perfor

m regular maintenance to keep it looking its best. Take some time to do touch ups and apply a new coat of stain at the beginning of each year. But note that you should also remove and re-stain your deck every five years to protect the wood and maintain a beautiful surface.

If you intend to remove old stain and apply new stain to the deck, you may want to call a professional. It can be difficult to properly remove stain without damaging the wood. This may seem like an unnecessary addition to your budget, but regular stain maintenance and re-staining your deck is much more cost friendly that building a new one.

When is the Best Time to Re-stain My Deck?

Re-staining your deck may sound like a simple summertime activity, but it’s actually best to do this in the early fall. Extreme summer temperatures and direct sunlight can result in a premature stain failure, which can cause the stain to wear prematurely. Spring is a better choice than summer, but since staining also requires a completely dry surface,spring typically has too much rain and prolonged moisture to allow a good application for a stain.

Think of it this way: If the kids are back to school, you should get back to staining and maintaining your deck.

How Often Should I Powerwash My House?

You should powerwash your house once a year, assuming that you do not have trees or bushes that create excess dirt or mold on the house throughout the year. If you like to burn fires or live in an area where air quality is a concern, you may want to consider powerwashing your home more than once a year to keep it looking clean and new.

When is the Best Time to Powerwash My House?

Powerwashing is a great way to keep your home looking like new for little effort and budget. It also doesn’t have the same seasonal limitations as painting and staining, and can be done on most surfaces included brick, vinyl siding, and stucco. In general, we recommend powerwashing your home in the spring or summer.

Tip: If you are unsure about powerwashing, fear you may damage your home, or simply don’t want to deal with the hassle on your own — consult an expert for help.

Do I Need to Repaint the Exterior of My Home?

Repainting the exterior of your house is a great way to bring new life to an older home or to put your personal touch on your house. In general, it’s best to repaint your home every 5-10 years, depending on the material. You should consider repainting your home if you are beginning to see excessive wear that cannot be powerwashed off, or if you have recently replaced a portion of your exterior. It’s also worth considering repainting your home if the siding is beginning to fade or chip in spots.

If you aren’t sure, it’s best to contact a professional to talk about the current state of the exterior of your home and how often it should be repainted.

When is the Best Time to Repaint the Exterior of My Home?

The best time to paint your home is the spring, summer, or early fall. The majority of paints adhere best when they are applied between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

FAQs About Interior Home Improvement Projects

If you are lucky, you can spend March through October working on the exterior of your home. What do you do late October through February? Or on rainy weekends? Or if your allergies are bothering you? Or if you consider yourself more of an ‘indoors’ person? Try tackling interior home improvement projects instead!

How Do I Know If It’s Time to Refinish My Kitchen Cabinets?

Refinishing your kitchen cabinets is more than just slapping a new coat of paint on them and calling it a day. It involved removing the doors, sanding them down, stripping off any old finish, and applying the desired new paint or stain. This sounds like a laborious project, but it is well worth the work. It can turn an outdated, dingy kitchen into your favorite room in the house.

Now the main question:– Do you need to refinish your kitchen cabinets? If you are asking the question, the answer is likely yes. If you need more reasons than you to revitalize the look of your kitchen, here are a few identifiers to consider to justify being bitten by the redesign bug.

• Your kitchen cabinets are outdated
• Your cabinets no longer match the rest of the house
• Your cabinets have permanent food, grease, and/or fingerprint stains from years of use
• Your cabinets are chipping and starting to show significant wear.
• DYI or call an expert, the choice is yours. Either way, you will love the way your refinished cabinets make your kitchen feel brand new.
  

  How Do I Know If It’s Time to Repaint the Interior of My Home?

  The interior of your home is where you spend the majority of your time. Between moving furniture, family gatherings, and daily life, there’s bound to be some wear. Unlike the exterior, which likely experiences the same wear all over, the interior of your home has high traffic areas and low traffic areas. High traffic areas need paint more often, likely every 3-5 years. These areas include the kitchen, bathroom, stairs, hallways, and entryways. Low traffic areas may be able to get away with new paint every 7-10 years. These areas include the living room, dining room, bedrooms, office, and any spare rooms or spaces.

  Tip: Assess your home like you would assess your car. If you drive frequently, then you will likely need maintenance more often. If you drive infrequently, then you can put off annual or scheduled maintenance. Look around your home. Does it look like you just moved in, or does it look like it could use a few improvements? If you think some loving improvements could be made, then it’s time to start looking at paint colors.

  Does Wallpaper Go Bad?

  Yes, wallpaper can go bad – but it’s more likely your tastes will change before your wallpaper goes bad. It’s a little known fact that wallpaper lasts much longer than paint, sometimes up to 15 years or more.

  If you want to remove old wallpaper and install a new print, contact a professional. Trust us, it’s better than spending the weekend or longer picking at the wall. An expert will know the tricks to removing and installing wallpaper flawlessly. Nothing is worse than an extended projects that ends with bumpy walls.

  How Do I Know If It’s Time to Replace the Wallpaper in My Home?

  Thinking about replacing your wallpaper? Use the same rule as with paint – high traffic areas are replaced more often than low traffic areas.

  Here are some other reasons to replace your wallpaper:

• Your wallpaper is peeling.
• Your wallpaper is splitting at the seams.
• Your wallpaper has bubbles under the surface.
• Your wallpaper is fading or showing wear.
• Your wallpaper looks dated.
• You just want a new look.
• Replacing wallpaper? Have fun with it: There are a variety of styles, patterns, and textures to choose from.
  

  Contacting a Professional

  You can contact a home improvement expert to discuss all your ideas, questions, and concerns – with no obligation. CertaPro Painters^® of South Oklahoma City offers free remote and in-person estimates to all customers. Exterior projects can be quoted by experts who evaluate the home from the street. This does not require any personal interaction. Interior projects can be quoted via pictures or a Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime call. We do not require any personal interaction or contact and are working to enforce social distancing for all customers and employees. And if for whatever reason you don’t feel comfortable, just let us know you’d like to go in a different direction. There won’t be any hard feelings, and you’d have a new sense of how much your project will cost.

  Contact us today to discuss your project and schedule your free remote estimate.