When considering Faux Finishing and Painting, you may also want to look into: Chalkboard Paint, Door Painting, General Painting Technique, Indoor Painting Projects, Interior and Airless Paint Sprayers, Magnetic Paint, Paint Applicator Overview, Paint Contractors, Painting Kitchen Cabinets, Painting Various Surfaces, Prepping Interior Surfaces, Stenciling, Texturizing, Wall Murals and Zero VOC Paint.
Paint has always been used for two entirely different functions. On the one hand, it is a covering used to bring solid color and life to otherwise boring surfaces. Home exteriors and room interiors are the typical examples of this treatment, though you may also hear painted furniture and powder-coated vehicles included as well. On the other hand, paint has traditionally been used as the indispensable medium for art, creating the illusions of depth, representation and abstraction on flat, blank canvases. Somewhere in between the two lies the concept of faux painting, an umbrella term that refers to any number of innovative room-painting techniques.
Why “faux”? The term makes reference to the fact that painting this way often implies depth and texture where there is none. Some have even gone so far as to say faux painting is the art of “drawing” something that doesn’t exist – be it fabric, metal or a third dimension. Most experts categorize fax paint finishes under a few main flags – sponging, dragging, stamping, marbleizing and so on. Although a few require exotic materials, most simply demand household items and concentration. Thankfully you hardly need to be an artist to master techniques such as these – for the most part, they require little more than patience and repetition. The benefits can be spectacular – dazzling forms and unexpected contours that lend every room a more inviting and stylish sheen.
Of the major techniques, ragging may be the most common. In it, you apply a base coat in your color of choice, wait for it to dry, and then use a blotted rag to achieve secondary texture over the first. Most experts advise practicing with your glaze before you hit the actual locale, as details such as pressure, rotation and saturation can make all the difference. Once you are comfortable with the look, you simply need to repeat the same motion as needed, rotating when necessary, to achieve a mottled appearance akin to fabric. You may also want to experiment with cotton versus polyester, as the material you use may affect the clarity of the print. Some advanced painters have even been knows to affix chamois cloth to a traditional roller to expedite the process!
The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.
The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products.
Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.
