Some people love living in a community with and HOA (Home Owner’s Association) board and others hate it. If you live in an HOA community, you are likely well aware of the guidelines that you are expected to follow. Some, but not all, HOA boards require homeowners to get approval before making big changes to their property. This includes painting the exterior of your home. A&E Painting & Renovations is here to talk about the importance of HOA approval before painting your home if it is required.

Find Out if Your HOA Requires Approval Before You Paint Your House

For most people, their HOA board means that someone will keep the streets swept and clean, the landscaping around the community well kempt and so on. Many people love living in a place that has standards that keep their community a desirable place to live. Sometimes though, the HOA board must make approvals for any big changes like your home’s exterior paint color. It is important that you find out if this is required of you before you paint your home. If you don’t have the approval you needed from the HOA board, you could have a big hassle on your hands that may result in you changing the color of your home or face hefty fines each month.

Getting Exterior Paint Color Approval from Your HOA Board

The process of getting approval from your HOA board to change the exterior color of your home doesn’t usually happen overnight. For this reason, if you are getting ready to make plans and hire a professional to help you, get the ball rolling with the HOA board and give them several weeks to get back to you. You will need to contact the HOA property manager and fill out the proper paperwork to get the process started. The board will want to see an exact sample of the paint color you have chosen along with the filled-out forms.

Keep All Documentation of Paint Color Approval

There are sometimes instances where a homeowner will get the approval needed for a new paint color on their home and then they receive a letter in the mail months down the road saying they will be fined for painting their home. Sometimes paperwork and can get lost and miscommunications between board members take place. Once you receive approval from the board it is important that you keep all documentation in the case that you need proof of approval down the road.

Appealing a Denial

If you are denied approval for your paint color choice, you can always appeal it. You may find that you need to compromise in order to appease everyone.

Exterior Painting, Color Consulting & More in in Katy, Stafford, Tomball & Houston Texas

It can be helpful to have a professional color consultant like the consultants at A&E Painting & Renovations to assist you in choosing the right color for your home. We understand and are experienced in working with a number of HOA boards and can assist you in the right paint color for your home. We offer exterior painting services that will leave your home breathtaking when we finish painting it with your desired color. Call us today!

Whether you live in a brand new home that was just finished being built or your home was built years and years ago, at some point or another you will require the services of a handyman. Having a handyman in your contacts is a great way to ensure that any minimal issue with your home can easily be taken care of through the services of this convenient asset. Some homeowners make the mistake of taking on a task by themselves, without having any idea of what they are really doing. A handyman is skilled and experienced in a variety of areas that will benefit the wellness of your home.

Handyman Plumbing, Appliance Installation

There are a handful of tasks that are not generally connected to the services of a handyman. Becoming familiar with exactly what your handyman is capable of can end up saving you a great deal of time, energy and money as well. Handymen typically are less expensive than hiring a specific trade repairman to come in to do the job. If you are experiencing issues with your kitchen or bathroom plumbing, a handyman is a great person to call to come and fix the problem. Not only can they repair, but they can also assist in the installation of major appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher or oven.

Exterior Home Repairs; Fencing, Deck Building & More

A handyman is also a great contact to have when you are working on the exterior of your home. Whether you have decided to put up a new fence, install a deck out back or put up new railing on your patio, a handyman is a great way to save money. Rather than hiring a construction crew to come and do the job, a handyman can handle your exterior jobs just as well. Not only will you save time, but also save on expense too. Handymen are generally less expensive when compared to other services.

Pressure Washing & Gutter Cleaning

Another service that a handyman can provide is cleaning out your gutters and repairing any leaks that you may have on your roof. Take a thorough inspection of your home and decide what is in need of some TLC. When you hire the service of A&E Painting & Renovations, you can be sure that any job you need done will be done right.

Whether you need the exterior of your home painted or a door that needs repairing, A&E Painting & Renovations is your number one source for efficient and skilled handyman work in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas

There are many DIY projects you can do to improve your home. Many of these tasks are best accomplished in warmer temperatures, but some projects such as tending to the broken tile found in your shower could be easy enough to do in these cooler months.

A&E Painting & Renovations would like to offer a few tips on repairing and replacing your broken and damaged tiles

1. Remove damaged & broken tiles. You will want to take special care in accomplishing this job. Removing a broken tile could cause damage to the adjoining tiles in the process. Be very careful when removing the broken tiles.
– Removing the tiles and tile adhesive or cement under the tiles should be done together. A grout saw is a great choice, but something similar could work as well. Begin by extracting the grout surrounding the blemished tile. There is a waterproof counterpart behind the tile. Use caution so as to not disrupt that part of your shower.
– For smaller tiles, drill 1-3 holes using a masonry bit in the middle of the broken tile. Larger tiles may require more drilled holes. Again, don’t puncture the waterproof sheetrock or membrane behind the tile.
– With a hammer and chisel, break away the damaged tile.
– If there is any tile adhesive left behind, you will need to remove it with a putty knife or something similar. To adhere a new tile onto the surface, the space needs to be smooth.
2. Water damage control. Before moving on, inspect the waterproof sheeting for any damage. It is crucial no cuts, holes, or any other damage has affected it. If there has been accidents, make sure they are sealed with either a vinyl or rubber sealant to ensure water doesn’t escape behind it.
3. Tile adhesive or thinset mortar. Depending on the area in need of work, ceramic tile adhesive or thinset tile cement will be called for when setting the replacement tile in place. Larger areas are better repaired with the thinset tile cement.
– Apply your choice of adhesive thoroughly in the designated area. Make sure it is spread evenly.
4. Ceramic Tile Application. By pressing the tile firmly into place, ensure you are applying enough pressure that the tile itself is embedded in the adhesive. Ensure the tile is in place straight and even with the surrounding tile.
5. Tile Set Time Before Applying Grout. Once the adhesive is dried, and tile is secure, apply the grout to the surrounding edges. Have a bucket of water and sponge handy to wipe away the excess and give it a clean appearance. If the grout dries in unwanted places, it is very difficult to remove.
6. Caulk Around Shower Faucets & Hardware. Grout is generally not used around the edges of hardware and faucets. Seal the newly replaced tile around the edges with a waterproof caulk or sealant.

When to hire a professional tile flooring contractor

– If you don’t possess the necessary equipment for replacing tile, especially if the tile needs to be cut.
– If you don’t have enough time. There are plenty of folks out there that have a lot on their plates. Hire a pro to make sure it gets done efficiently.
– If you don’t have much experience. Where replacing tile is simple enough, it could also be difficult for someone with little to no experience. A professional tile contractor might be better suited to ensure nothing receives further damage.
– If you lack the motivation. Not everyone has the desire to do tiling. Allow a professional to do it for you.

Professional Tile Installation, Repair & Replacement, Interior & Exterior Painting, Handyman & Home Remodeling in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas

A&E Painting and Renovations has skilled, trained, and experienced experts equipped to handle replacing some broken tiles, or even remodeling your bathroom. Call us today to get started!

Did you know that painting the exterior of your home can add value to the resale of your property? When the paint is chipping and faded, it will rightly seem like the owner has not taken good care of the house. The potential buyer may also assume that any repairs needed to be done on the inside have been neglected as well. A fresh coat of paint also increases curb appeal and makes the whole neighborhood a better place to live. There are a lot of things to consider when you decide to paint the exterior of your home; like what color scheme to use and what prep work needs to be done. Another big thing to consider is the what the weather will be like during the painting process and how it will affect the end result.

A&E Painting & Renovations has prepared what type of weather to watch for and how it can affect the exterior paint job on your home.

How Sun & Heat Affects Exterior Painting

When the sun is resting on the surface of the house, it can actually raise the temperature in that area by more than 20 degrees. The heat will cause the paint to dry too fast and can that can cause damage to the new paint. The best way to stop the paint from damaging is to work around the home and paint in the shade as much as possible. The paint will start to crack and bubble up if it gets too hot too fast. The paint needs to cure at the same speed around the entire home and if there is an area that has too much sun it will dry faster than the rest and that is where the damage comes from.

How Wind Affects Exterior Painting

The wind can cause trouble when you are trying to paint your home just the way that you would expect. When you have an area prepped, it is cleaned up and the dust and dirt is eliminated before you start … that is until the wind starts blowing and adds a new layer that you definitely don’t want to paint over. The other problem is that after the paint has been added to the house and the wind starts up, it can bring on the dust and dirt that will then stick to the fresh coat of paint.

How Rain Affects Exterior Painting

The rain not only can cause damage to the fresh coat of paint by hitting it and causing dents but it also brings with it humidity. The rain can make it impossible to start painting and if it comes soon after the job is done it can ruin it. The humidity can make the drying process take a lot more time.

Make sure that when you are ready to paint the exterior of your home in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas by calling A&E Painting and Renovation to do it for you.

This time of year many home owners host family and friends during the holiday season. Having house guests can be fun and exciting this time of year as gifts are exchanged, festive meals are prepared and fun parties are enjoyed. Making sure your home is comfortable and inviting to each guest is important and essential to being a gracious host. One issue that many home owners run into when hosting family and friends over the holiday season is simply not having enough room for everyone to stay. Having only so many rooms to sleep in can be frustrating when you are hosting a larger family or group of friends.

Expanding a Room & Addiing Square Footage

One way to make your home a better place to host family and friends is to build an addition onto your home. Not only will you have more space for people to stay, but you will also be making more room to store your belongings. Items like bicycles, work out equipment, old photos and other belongings can easily be stored away in your newly constructed home addition. Adding onto your home doesn’t always have to include putting on an additional room, but it can also include expanding your kitchen, creating more space in a bathroom or adding more square footage to your living room space. While large additions make a significant difference, small additions that are only three or four feet of a difference can also make quite an impact in a smaller area.

Building an Extra Room on your House

Another benefit of building an addition onto your home is the option of making a little extra money by renting out the space. If you build on an additional bedroom and bathroom, you could house a tenant and make extra money each month. It is a great way to keep up with the building costs and have a little extra cash in your pocket each month. Another popular option is having a family member live with you long term. Many adult children are moving back home to stay with their parents until they can get a place of their own or until they finish school. Building on extra space provides privacy and comfort for both you and your permanent house guest.

Professional Painting, Remodeling & Home Additions in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas

Building an addition onto your home is a great way to add value to your home. The more square footage your home has, the more appealing it will be to potential home buyers that are in the market for a spacious home. If you are ready to build an addition onto your home to provide more space for guests, make your kitchen larger or make your living room more spacious, contact A&E Painting & Renovations today.

No matter where your home is located, most of us feel the burden of living with a small bathroom. While we could always use more space, expanding and adding additions to our bathrooms may not be feasible either due to cost or building limitations preventing an expansion. If you are looking for a cost effective way to make your bathroom appear more spacious, the experienced painting professionals at A&E Painting & Renovations can provide an expert painting service using optical illusions to make your bathroom appear larger than it really is.

A&E Painting & Renovations has prepared a list of painting tips to make your small bathroom appear bigger.

1. Use bright paint colors – You may be under the impression that white makes a room look larger but the professionals at A&E Painting & Renovations disagree. The best way to enhance your space is basically by using paint as an optical illusion. Brighter shades in the lighter end of the color spectrum will enhance the effect of natural light and make the space feel bright, open and airy.
2. Use Different Tones in the Same Color Palette – Bright shades in lighter palettes make a bathroom feel larger but you don’t have to limit yourself to just one color. Use different tones in the same color palette to give your small space the luxurious feel of a master bathroom.
3. Blend your Tile and Paint Color of your Walls – Blend your shower tile and the paint color of your wall to create one continuous space. Using a darker wall color and a warmer color tile in the same tones will allow the room to blend as opposed to a dark paint color with white tile which makes the room look like two separate mismatched areas.
4. Paint Your Ceiling & Wall the Same Color – One of the biggest problems with most bathrooms is low ceilings. Using dark paint colors just makes the ceiling appear lower while using white will just make your line of sight stop at the celling line enhancing the fact that you have low ceilings. A good rule of thumb is to consider your ceilings to be your fifth wall. The solution to adding a spacious feel is to use the same color for the wall and your ceiling. This will allow your eyes to travel across the space giving the appearance of a larger bathroom with higher walls.
5. Use Stripes to Create Space – Some bathrooms are tall, and some are wide, unfortunately we don’t often experience the best of both worlds which leaves us with either a tall bathroom that makes it appear muddled or a wide bathroom that feels confined. The solution is to paint vertical stripes in a wide bathroom to make it appear taller and horizontal stripes in a tall bathroom to give it the illusion of appearing wider. Your A&E Painting & Renovations professionals are the experts when it comes to painting stripes to ensure you receive a concise and consistent result.

Professional Residential Painters, Commercial Painting Contractors & Remodelers in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas

Other painting solutions that add to a larger space include painting shorter end walls a shade lighter than the longer walls, painting your ceiling and extending the color down the walls roughly 14 inches and using a mural as your accent wall. Contact the knowledgeable painting professionals at A&E Painting & Renovations to schedule an appointment for your customized design plan and estimate today!

If you run your own business, and have been doing so awhile, you know that people do judge a book by its cover or in this case if they want to go in your business by the exterior esthetic. Your business’s appearance is everything. From the outside in, it truly matters. When people see a decrepit building with cracks as well as faded and blistering paint, they keep walking. The judgment call is it’s a failing business and the owner must not care about the product or service that they are offering. It is an unfair assumption, but alas, it happens. A filthy dingy storefront along with faded old paint makes the business less inviting and projects an uncaring demeanor.

A&E Painting and Renovations Would Like to Volunteer the Benefits of Getting Your Commercial Space Repainted Using an Inviting Color Scheme.

Exterior Appearance is Important In Driving Customers To Your Business – Having a clean, crisp and charming exterior often peeks interest in customer traffic. Current customers are more willing to send referrals when the business screams a classy, well established and crisp appearance. They also are willing to give the business a second look if it seems to be well cared for.

Employee Attitude & Performance Can Be Effected With Fresh Exterior Paint – It has been proven in countless studies, that an upbeat, well kept place where employees spend a good portion of their day, improves enthusiasm, customer service, a positive attitude and employee performance. A drab building can actually dampen spirits.

New Exterior Commercial Paint can Increase Customers and Retention – Depending on your products, the rejuvenated paint job can heighten cash flow and members. For those in the hotel/motel business, home rental units and other such jobs, customers are drawn to the fresh, clean aesthetics. This a superb benefit for those who pan on an extended period of time in their commercial places. Doing proper maintenance to the exterior is just as crucial as regular maintenance on the interior to extend the lifespan of all the elements that makes your business your own.

New Exterior Paint can Catch Damage & Repairs Early – When taking the time to accomplish periodic maintenance, you are taking preventive measures to avert potential catastrophe. A routine exterior paint job can catch any mold or mildew issues before they get out of hand, along with structure damage that could be repaired easily.

Not only will an exterior paint job enhance your building, but the other advantages are well worth the investment. At A&E Painting and Renovations, we have trained experts that can sufficiently paint your commercial space in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas among our many service. Call us today!

One of the best parts about enjoying the holidays is to decorate with all your fun and festive decor. Most people take out their stockings, lights and arts and crafts projects. It is a great way to enjoy the season and bring in the excitement to everyone in the house. The one downfall is that most of the decorations have to be hung up on a wall. This is where your interior paint can be damaged and will need to be repaired after you are done with the decorations.

A&E Painting and Renovations has several ways that you can hang your decorations and not cause any damage to your wall paint or drywall.

1. Adhesive Removable Hook Avoids Damage to your Walls & Paint. The hooks can be purchased for a great price in almost any store. There are several styles of hooks that you can get depending on the size of the item that you need to hang. You can also choose several kinds of colors that might match the color of wall paint or item that you are hanging. The great thing is that the adhesive used is like a sticker that has been made specifically to use on walls and remove without damage. The adhesive strip is sturdy enough to keep the item up but made so that you can simply pull on the tab and remove the adhesive and hook in one movement. You can usually save the hooks and buy new adhesive strips to use the next year.
2. Decorating Tape Protect Your Walls & Paint. This tape is made to use to hang decorations in your home. People will use it to attach posters to walls and during the holiday it is a great way to hang art projects or Christmas Cards that you want to display. The tape when removed does not leave behind residue or remove the paint with it.
3. Clothesline Decorations. You can also go with a fun way to hang some of your holiday treasures. Use a clothesline to hang from one side of the room to another. You can utilize a space to hang cards or decorations. The clothesline will only need to be attached at two spots and makes it so that you can hang several items.
4. Over the Door Hook Protects Doors. Another great way to get some decorating hung up is to add an over the door hook to the doors. You can hang a wreath to the door without having to use any nails or screws that can cause damage to the paint on your walls or doors.

Professional Painting Contractors, Drywall Repair & Home Remodeling in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas

A&E Painting and Renovations wants you to use these great ways to hang holiday decorations without damaging your walls. In the event that you don’t and you see damage after you remove your decorations, you can give us a call to have the damage repaired and re-painted.

If you go into almost any bathroom in any standard home in the United States you are going to find the same thing again and again. When a home builder builds their homes they go with a layout and color scheme that is cost effective and would be most appealing to the majority of people. They are not making their choices out of style and creativity but out of mass production. The options that are chosen are fine and agreeable to most people but once you live there you may decide that you would love some other options instead. The paint color for one is a huge way to make a change and add some of your own flavor to the bathroom. You can also replace the bathtub and shower to something that suits you better. You might decide that you just don’t need a tub at all and you would be happy with a larger shower. You can also add beautiful granite, slate or other stone counter tops which will add a level of elegance to the room. Then there is the tile. Tile comes in lots of sizes and shapes and you can add it to your floors, shower enclosure and backsplash.

A&E Painting & Renovations has some added benefits of upgrading your bathroom.

New Bathroom Style: This is the best part of the bathroom upgrade. You are able to get ideas and options that are better suited to what you like and what looks good to you. You get to choose the color for the paint as well as the type, color and shape of the tiles that will be laid down. You can also choose from lots of bathtub, shower and sink and fixture options. You may decide that you want a larger bathtub that has some Jacuzzi options to it. You can also take time to decide on what cabinets and countertops you want. All these options, when made with some thought and care, can start to show off your personal style. It will make the room much more enjoyable to be in every day – your own private oasis!

More Bathroom Space: Some bathrooms may seem cramped. You may look at the space and think that the bathtub should be over a bit or the sink needs to be on the other wall. The builder makes the bathrooms all uniform and that may mean that they are using the space different than you would. When you remodel you can move things around to add space to the area. You can also choose to remove the bathtub to add some even more space and just go with a larger shower enclosure instead.

Added Home Value: You may not know but one of the rooms that adds the most value when it has been upgraded and remodeled is the bathroom. Just like the standard bathroom does not give you that sense of wow it does not for most people either. Although the standard option, is nice a custom bathroom is a much better option in terms of home value. A bathroom remodel will add value to the resell of your home when it comes time for you to move on.

Professional Bathroom, Kitchen & Home Painting, Upgrades, Remodels, Renovations & Improvements in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas

If you are thinking about making changes to your bathroom then call us at A&E Painting and Renovations today!

Are you thinking about installing or replacing the tile in your home and not sure if you want to DIY or hire a professional tile installation specialist? The experts at A & E Painting & Renovations are your #1 resource in flooring installation in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas.

Types of Tile Flooring

There are many different types of tiles available on the market such as stone, ceramic and porcelain. Floor tiles are resilient and you never have to worry about moisture caused by stains or spills. Tiles have a hard surface covering and are the number one flooring choice for areas such as kitchens, entryways and bathrooms in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas

Reasons to Hire a Professional to Install your Tile Flooring

Poor installation can ruin the appearance of tile flooring, walls or backsplashes. If you are going to spend you hard earned dollars on tile such as stone, ceramic or porcelain, it’s definitely worth your while to invest your money in the expertise and craftsmanship of an A & E Painting & Renovations specialist.
• Protect the product warranty – many tile manufacturers will not cover tile or grout that develops damage due to improper installation.
• Fast tile installation – professional tile installation means you can save your valuable time and money and should any unexpected issues arise, your professional tile installation specialist has the training, knowledge and experience to take care of them immediately.
• Specialized tile and grout installation equipment – Cutting, setting, and grouting tile requires special tools and a precise eye. A professional tile installation specialist has all the tools needed to spread mortar & grout, get smooth tile edges, and make precise cuts guaranteed to fit irregular shaped spaces.
• Reduce tile waste – professional tile installation will include taking precise measurements and calculating the materials needed to keep your product costs down. Plus there will be fewer tiles wasted due to incorrect cuts and broken tile.
• Prevent future water damage – if your tile isn’t installed or grouted correctly, water can enter cracks which can lead to mold and mildew forming in your walls and flooring.

If you are planning to install ceramic floors as a DIY project, the knowledgeable tile installation specialists at A & E Painting & Renovations have provided 5 tips to help make your tiling project a success.

• Don’t forget to remove the baseboard – leaving the baseboard on when installing tile can add additional hours of cutting and measuring. If you remove the baseboard, your measurements and cuts don’t have to be perfect or precise but you still run the risk of wasting tiles with accidental breaks due to inexperienced handling of equipment.
• Position the first row of tiles with guide boards – Chalk is the most affordable practice for positioning the first row but can be problematic if your tiles move when you try to position the second row. Arrange the first tile with the aid of guide boards which although time consuming will it will stop the tiles from moving out of place.
• Use a diamond blade grinder for tougher cuts – although a grinder is not exactly ideal for cutting tiles since it has a tendency to leave tile edges jagged or chipped and will also leave a dust cloud, it is the best tool to shape curves or make cuts that other domestic tools can’t cope with.
• Hold back from too much tile cutting – cutting is definitely a necessary part of tiling but you should minimize your tile cutting as much as you can. Tile cutting is tedious and back breaking work and cut tiles never look as appealing on the floor as a full size tile. Even placing cut tiles out of site can diminish visual appearance of your floors
• Slow drying works best – To avoid potential problems with your tiled floors drying too quickly, mix latex additives with the thin-set rather than water.

For skilled installation of all types of tile contact the experienced and professional tile installation specialists at A & E Painting & Renovations today in Katy, Houston, Tomball & Stafford Texas!