{friday finds: savings on exterior stains}

 

This is the weekend to buy. No, seriously, let me explain.

Memorial Weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer in the midwest. ‘Tis the season to be outdoors as much as possible, on either your deck or patio. I’m sure you’ve already determined if your deck needs refinishing. This is the weekend to buy your deck care products during the Hirshfield’s Memorial Day Sale:

• Cabot Stain –  Save $10/gallon with Mail-in Rebate thru June 4
• Sikkens SRD Transparent -Save $10/gallon with Mail-in Rebate thru July 8
• Storm – Save $5/gallon with Mail-in Rebate thru June 4
• Ready Seal – Save $11/gallon thru May 31

Hirshfield’s is making your job easier with sales associates who are experts in deck care. At Hirshfield’s, our experts are always willing to share their product knowledge and help guide you through the important steps to success. You’ll also find a great online video library on decks at this link.

Get all the details for the Memorial Day Paint Sale right here. Have a safe and fun weekend.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

 

 

{deck cleaning and staining for spring}

Spring is here, which means it’s time to clean the decks in Minnesota – literally. “We have a lot of people wanting to freshen them up,” says Nate Sockness, manager of Hirshfield’s Woodbury location, “and also a lot of people wanting to get them done before high school graduation season.”

That deck work is happening right now. It’s prime time for deck cleaning and staining, he says, because you need two or three days of warm, dry weather to do it right. Keep your eye on the weather and use Nate’s tips for cleaning and staining your deck.

{deckcorrect™ by cabot®}

Hoping to get a couple more years out of an old deck?

This product is for you. Cabot® DeckCorrect™ brings new life to old wood and concrete.  DeckCorrect™ is a thick paint great for rescuing decks, railings, patios, composite deck, pool decks and walkways. It conceals cracks as wide as 1/4″ while creating a smooth, slip-resistant finish that resists cracking and peeling.

Beth, Hirshfield’s Woodbury, used DeckCorrect™ on a couple of steps off her deck and loved the product.  Listening to her rave about her steps got me thinking about the wooden steps out to our patio. They have never been treated and when they get wet are dangerously slippery to all who dare use them.

Sounds like a great product, right? It also sounds like a great facial product. Yes, my face is worn and tired and I do have some cracks that need filling! We can’t help you with your face, but our stores know everything about graying and splintering decks. Stop by one of our many locations. Additional product information can be found here.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

{friday finds: 4 simple steps for staining your deck}

Staining your deck is quite a process. However, it does not need to be an ordeal. In fact, it can be a simple process as long as you’re able and willing to do a little work. Trust me, I just went through the process. Perhaps you’ve heard the stories of power washing, sanding, staining, applications of lacquer followed by more sanding, staining, and more lacquer. While you can approach your project with this level of elbow grease, here are four simple steps for staining your deck.

Ready To Go

Evaluate the condition of your deck

What was previously on your deck? Had it been stained or was it painted? Typically, a deck that’s been painted will show signs of peeling, flaking and chipping. A deck that has been stained may need to be power washed or sanded. If there are loose boards, try to secure them or if necessary, replace them.

{spring cleaning: the power washing edition}

Tips for Power Washing Dirty Decks, Siding and More

We are at the end of a long dark winter, and it’s a relief to be walking through my neighborhood and seeing windows thrown wide open and flowers planted in pots by front doors up and down my street. But I also see lots of dirt and grime – remnants of salt, sand, wind and dirt – left behind by six months of old man winter (and a reminder that we survived yet another harsh one).

Give Your Dirty Deck a Nice Spring Cleaning

I remember using a scrub brush as my main tool for outside spring cleaning in the early years. That is, until we decided to rent a power washer to clean the siding. My husband, a guy’s guy, rented a high-power commercial cleaner, and when he was done, half the paint on my siding was stripped away. An unnecessary and expensive learning experience!

{friday finds: horizontal plank walls}

 

My love affair with horizontal plank walls began in 2010 when I saw this House Beautiful Magazine cover. The width of the planks and soft whitewashed finish on the pine planks looked crazy good to me. The three blue paintings replicating the horizontal lines of the planks made this corner the pièce de résistance in this gorgeous home.

Four years later I’m still crushing on plank walls, but know (and accept) this DIY project will not be happening in my house. My walls are plaster and I won’t go there.

The DIY bloggers who’ve put up their own plank walls make it seem like a manageable project. Painted, stained, or whitewashed, plank walls add anther layer of texture and interest to a room. Enjoy the photos – they may even inspire you to try your own DIY project.

Bruce Knutson – Edina remodel

Pretty Handy Girl

{wallcovering wednesday: when to go retro with wallpaper}

Retro is Relative

Your children might think of the 1990s as retro, while your grandmother is nostalgic for the 1930s. For you? Maybe the 1980s are more your style. So whether it’s the bold colors and psychedelic patterns of the 1970s, the delicate florals of the 1930s or tiny geometric designs of the 1950s you’re looking for, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

{painting or staining: best options for interior millwork}

You can paint the walls, hang the curtains, arrange the furniture, but a room just isn’t complete until you’ve addressed that one final touch, the component that will tie the whole look of the room (and house) together  – the millwork.

Millwork refers to your home’s interior doors, window casings, baseboards, mantels and crown molding. Choosing the right look for your home’s millwork is an important decision, as it not only impacts the look and feel of each individual room, but in many cases it impacts the look and feel of your entire home. And even though you only have two options when it comes to finishing millwork – paint or stain – there is a lot of careful consideration that should go into your final decision. So to get some professional insight on the matter, I spoke with Brandi Hagen, Principal Designer of Eminent Interior Design in Minneapolis.

In about 85% of remodeled or new construction homes Brandi visits, homeowners are opting for painted millwork.

“Most homeowners are going with some variation of white for their millwork to contrast with the dark floors and bold wall colors that are so popular right now. It’s all about contrast, so if you’re using dark, bold colors on your walls and floors you need that clean white line to offset it.”
– Brandi Hagen

House Beautiful

Some of Brandi’s favorite paint colors for millwork include Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee (OC-45) for a nice, crisp white and Benjamin Moore Calming Cream (OC-105) for a warm creme color. Benjamin Moore’s Mayonnaise (OC-85) is another of Brandi’s favorites.

You can pick up color swatches of these Benjamin Moore paint colors at your local Hirshfield’s. Hirshfield’s offers “sample size” 16 ounce cans of most paints so you can test the color in your home under various lighting conditions before committing to a large paint purchase.

Although white is a popular color choice for millwork, Brandi says she also likes to use black. She says black isn’t something she usually recommends for an entire house, but for one room that is separated from the rest (such as a bedroom or office), black can really make a statement. Paint the walls a lighter color to pop against the black.

Photo courtesy of Brandi Hagen

Staining is another option for millwork. When looking for a stain color, Brandi recommends going either really light or really dark – medium tones are out. Just like with paint, it’s all about high contrast. So think about the colors you want to use in your house and then pick out your stain.

Examiner Home & Living

If you are staining your millwork, Hirshfield’s recommends trying the stain color on a scrap piece of the actual wood used for the project.  Bring along a piece when you’re shopping for stain colors and Hirshfield’s will be happy to provide a brush-out for you to take home.

But if you just can’t decide whether you want to go with paint or stain, there is no rule against mixing and matching!

“There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to mixing paint and stain for millwork finishing. Just think about the flow and transition of your rooms. If you have an open-concept floor plan, it might be hard to make a sensible transition between the paint and the stain. But if you have a closed off room you can make it work.”
– Brandi Hagen

So whether you choose paint, stain or both, the most important thing is to pick a color that will work well with your entire home for many years to come.

“Painting and staining millwork is not an easy task. You don’t want to be refinishing all the millwork in your home every couple of years. Pick a color that you like, but that will also work well as your style changes throughout the years.”
– Brandi Hagen

{how to stain : tips for staining furniture}

Staining wood furniture is a great way to bring out the wood’s natural beauty. But just like with painting, there are some rules and guidelines that should be followed to make sure that your staining project turns out perfect. To get some professional advice on the matter, I turned to Greg, a paint and stain expert with Hirshfield’s in Coon Rapids.

Greg first points out that when starting a staining project it is important to keep in mind that all woods take stain differently. For example, hard, dense woods like maple and hickory don’t absorb stain well so it’s harder to stain them to a darker tone.

{exterior paints from Hirshfield’s}

Diane from Hirshfield’s in Eden Prairie is here to talk about some of Hirshfield’s exterior paint options. Hirshfield’s has exterior stain and paint products for just about every price range – not to mention the knowledge and know-how – to help you get the job done!