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Nothing can rejuvenate the exterior of a home quite like a fresh new coat of paint. A good paint job can make even the oldest home look like new, but it is important to make sure that the color you choose matches not only your sense of style but the surrounding landscape as well.

It is important to pay careful attention to the exterior landscape of your home when choosing the right color. It is also important to assess how you feel about the current color of your home. If you like the color of your home as it is, perhaps all you need to do is brighten it up a bit with a fresh coat of paint or a lighter shade.

If, however, you have always hated the exterior color of your home and wondered what the previous owners were thinking, it may be best to make a radical change. We have all seen those houses where everything is attractive except the color, and a radical departure may be in order. After all, if purple and pink is not your style it may be best to make a complete change, from the paint to the exterior landscape.

As you search for the perfect color for your home, it is a good idea to bring along a picture of your home and its current color scheme. Doing so will help you match your new exterior color to your existing landscape. For instance, if you have a dramatic landscape element like a red rosebush, you may want to accent that feature by using a contrasting color like yellow or white.

Likewise, if the exterior elements of your home are light, you may want to use a dramatic and dark color like brick red when remaking the exterior of your home. Either way, it is important to take the landscape elements of your home into account.

It is also important to shop carefully when buying your paint. It is important to buy the best quality paint you can afford. After all, no one wants to repaint their home every few years. If you skimp on the quality of the paint, you will end up repainting your home more quickly than you want. In addition, the color of poor quality paint will not hold up to sunlight, so your dramatic red house could end up looking somewhat pink in years to come.

Buying the best quality paint you can afford, and taking care to paint well, is the best way to improve both the beauty and the value of your home. Few home repairs are as effective, and as inexpensive, as a fresh new coat of paint.

For more information on home improvement and help with kitchen remodeling, take a look at our comprehensive home improvement guide at http://www.get-home-improvement.com. You can also chat with an expert contractor in our forum at http://www.home-improvement4u.com/forum/.

Brooke Sikula is a freelance writer based in Ventura, CA and maintains her own website at http://www.brookesikula.com. She is also a regular contributor to http://www.homesfix.com.

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When planning your home d

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There is a particular paneling style that works best for different types of decor. You can choose from rustic boards, frame-and-panel designs with or without moulding, and elaborate raised panels. In terms of material, paneling can be made from fine hardwoods or inexpensive pine while finishes may be either clear, painted, stained or coated with a wide variety of decorative choices.

There are two types of paneling sold in the market today: sheets and boards. Sheets are typically 4 feet by 8 feet while boards come in widths ranging from 3 and 10 inches and thickness ranging from 3/8 to 7/8 inch thick. Most boards are usually between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick.

The first step in paneling is to place your materials in the room where they will be installed for two to five days. This will help the paneling wood adjust to the room’s humidity level and eliminate any shrinkage or expansion problems once the panels are secured to the wall.

The next step is preparing the wall. If the wall has a finished wood-frame, you may be able to attach the board panel through the wallboard or plaster to the wall studs. If it does not have a finished wood frame, you will have to attach furring strips to the studs as a base for securing the panels. Make sure the furring strips are plumb and flat so that the sliding will sit evenly and be flat against the wall.

Before installing the paneling, cut each panel 1/4 inch shorter than the distance from the floor to the ceiling. Apply adhesive then start by positioning the panel on the wall, leaving a 1/4 inch space at the bottom, then driving the four nails partway into the wall. Once done, pull the bottom edge of the panel about six inches from the wall. push a block behind the sheet and wait for the adhesive to take hold. Then remove the block, press the panel firmly into place by using a rubber mallet. You can now drive the top-edge nails all the way in and nail the bottom of the panel. Cover the nail heads and the 1/4 inch gap at the bottom with moulding.

Do the same thing with the rest of the panels until all the walls are done.

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