Contact us at (866) 626-3483 in Indianapolis, IN, to learn more about our real estate investment opportunities. DAS Properties 1111 E 54th Street, Suite 110 Indianapolis, IN 46220 Phone: 3176453100 Contact Email: david@dasproperties.com Keywords: real estate investment, investment opportunities, indianapolis, in ...read more

When it comes to selecting paint, usually your first thought is "what color?" While color is an important element to creating a visually pleasing room, paint quality is what will make your project look amazing for years to come. Sherwin Williams provided Five Star Painting with two important elements to keep in mind when choosing paint for your home: ingredients and finishes. Ingredients Painting is an investment in product, time, and labor. It pays to spend a little extra to get an exceptional-quality, long-lasting finish. Remember that better ingredients typically mean better performance, and great quality paint starts with these four ingredients: Pigment— Higher-quality paints contain more of the all-important, yet more expensive "prime" pigment. With prime pigment you can expect an easier application, better color retention and stronger durability. Binders— Higher-quality binders, found in higher-quality paints, stick to surfaces better and are more resistant to cracking, blistering and peeling. Liquids— Liquid does not provide performance benefits to paint. Top quality paints have a greater ratio of solids (pigment and binders) to liquids, while cheaper paints are more "watered down" with liquid. Additives— Additives are ingredients that give paint a specific benefit that it might not otherwise have. They provide everything from better durability to keeping mildew at bay. "Duration Home Interior Latex paint from Sherwin-Williams is a great example of exceptional quality paint made from only the best ingredients," says Steve Revnew, director of marketing, product development for Sherwin-Williams. "It applies smoothly, resists stains better and can be cleaned easily with mild soap and water – perfect for high-traffic areas such as kitchens and hallways." Finishes Another element you will need to take into consideration during paint selection is the paint's sheen, or finish. Based on the type of surface you're painting, what area of the home and final appearance you want to achieve, the following are available sheen options: Flat / Matte— Softens the look of an exterior and helps hide surface blemishes. Flat finishes are ideal for body siding. Satin— With its slight gloss, satin sheens offer the benefits of a flat finish with added cleanability. It works best for trim, window frames, shutters and routinely cleaned surfaces Gloss— This lustrous, durable finish is perfect for areas that require frequent cleaning. Gloss finishes, however, may accentuate surface imperfections. This finish is ideal for doors, garage doors, metals and accent trim. High Gloss— This extremely hard and shiny finish provides a rich, smooth luster. Gloss finishes, however, may accentuate surface imperfections. This finish is excellent for front doors, decorative fixtures and accent trim. Keep in mind that the cheapest paint isn't necessarily the least expensive. Repainting not only means more money spent on additional paint, but also more time and labor to get the job done right. For more information about paint quality, visit the Sherwin-Williamswebsiteor your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams paint store. ...read more

Inspired to start a new trend? Well, here is your chance to experiment and flaunt your own personal taste. The 2010 color schemes for home decorating have taken quite a turn in the last year. When it comes to true color trends, it's all about palettes and not single colors. Here are some trends to watch for: Green will blend with yellow to finally move away from the sage greens that have dominated home décor for years. Lavender will be the winner in the bedroom. It portrays luxury and elegance and evokes warmth and comfort. Slate and charcoal gray will be the hot new neutrals, taking over from the browns and beiges that had been so popular. Cool gray can be paired with almost any color for a winning combination. Aqua has been a recommended color by cutting-edge decorators for a couple of years and will continue to be strong next year. Blue will make a comeback after falling out of favor for a few years. Shades of red will be darkened with purple and blue tones. Red and white pairings will also be popular. We recommend that you pick colors that you like and never be afraid to experiment. While it's tempting to be trendy, always rely on personal taste when choosing a paint color. Pick a color you like rather than a trendy color and you'll be happier in the long run. Individuality is a strong trend on the horizon. Why not leave your mark with color? After all, it's only paint! Here are a few tips for choosing a paint color you'll love: Create the room's overall decorating scheme first. When you already have the fabric, flooring, and furniture you like in the room, it's easier to choose the right color of paint. Narrow your options by using an online color-selection tool,Manage My Home Paint Center. When you go to buy the paint, bring swatches of fabric or wallpaper you'd like to match. Buy a sample jar of the paint you're considering and apply it in the room to see how it looks in both daylight and artificial light. Some colors, like many shades of yellow, can change drastically depending on the light reflecting in the room. Hope and Inspiration Yellow is the color for this year's decorating palettes. It exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun. Yellow is bright, it's bold, and it makes people happy. While neon yellow isn't the way to go, choosing yellows with a darker tint to them will help brighten up any room. Deep yellows go great with other natural colors such as greens, blues, browns and oranges. You'll be able to create a unique, one of a kind color palette using natural, deep color shades paired with dark tinted yellows. Going Green Green is also a color trend for the year. Moss green has been making an appearance in many of the upscale home magazines. Try not to use sage green of the 90's, it was so last decade. If you watch theHome and Garden Channel, you've probably noticed that a lot of people are getting deep, earthy greens in favor of last year's bold red. The great thing about shades of green is that they look fabulous and they've got a nice calming effect – making them perfect for bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms and even kitchens. Deep green walls with white trim can be eye-popping. Rustic or Burnt Orange There has been a lot of rustic orange shades popping up as well. This color especially brings a great touch of color into rooms such as the dining room. Be careful not to go too orange, because you may end up with a scary, Halloween styled room. The Luxury of Lavender Lavender is the newcomer on the scene for this year. Bright purple just doesn't cut it – it made a brief appearance in the color forecasts and fizzled. People just chickened out when they saw eggplant and amethyst colors hitting the walls. Lavender is the must-have color for the bedroom, signifying elegance and luxury in a toned down fashion. Going Gray Slate and charcoal grays are the new neutrals. Browns and beige are slip sliding away and going gray. From pewter to ash – place a cool gray with almost any color for a hot pairing. Aqua Cool Aqua slipped into the scene in 2008 and has shown some staying power. Aqua will be great for the summer, but may fade into the sunset come fall – try it as an accent to make the transition. Of course, these are only a few of the colors that are coming to the design world in 2010. This article is simply a guideline as to what to expect in the coming year for interior design, particularly in paint colors and accent colors. Five Star Painting is happy to help you with any questions that you might have. Check out ourwebsiteand call us to schedule a FREE estimate. ...read more

Preparation is the key to beautiful, long-lasting results for any painting task. Why spend all that time choosing astounding paint colors for your living room remodel or baby's first nursery if you aren't going to take the first step to ensure your new colors will withstand the test of time? Five Star Painting is proud to be partnered up with Sherwin Williams who has supplied us with great insight regarding the prep-work to any paint job. Often forgotten, primers are made to help your finish coat be smooth and uniform. They can save several hours of time and several dollars. Some are formulated specifically to cover stains and discoloration, block out odors, hide surface marks and there are even primers that are made especially for use with dark vivid colors. All primers help to anchor the finish coat so it "sticks" better, ensure a rich shine for enamels, fill uneven surfaces and seal porous surfaces. Prime for the Pickin' When deciding which primer best suits your paint project, there are a couple of important elements you should take into consideration. One is the surface to be painted. Whether the surface you are painting is drywall in your brand new home, older wood in your basement or concrete in your stylish loft, there are ideal primers for each surface to ensure that the finish coat offers optimal beauty and protection. Another important element to consider when choosing a primer is the paint color. Testing by the experts has found that often deep paint colors are best primed with gray-tint shades, and for this reason special primers have been designed to maximize deep hues. For example, the Sherwin-Williams Color Prime System has gray-tint shades for primers to achieve a true color in fewer coats. Another way to make those bold accent colors pop is to refer to the back of the color chip for primer recommendations. For example, deep, saturated colors are extremely popular for the home right now. To get the best possible results for these bold colors, a gray-tint primer is an ideal choice. An interior latex primer is the perfect selection for most home painting projects. It goes on easy, dries fast and provides the best coverage on a variety of new or previously painted surfaces, such as wood, plaster and drywall. And clean-up can be a snap, with just soap and water. Remember that primer can often make or break your paint project. In the long run, using primer will save you time and money by reducing the number of times you need to paint or repaint a surface. Choosing the perfect primer for the job can be simplified by seeking expert advice at an area paint store. For more information on primers, please check out ourwebsiteor visit your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams. ...read more

Service Temperatures Here is the scale for the maximum service temperature for paints: Latex and oil: 200˚F or 90˚C Epoxies: 300˚F or 150˚C Aluminum: 400˚F or 200˚C Inorganic Zinc: 750˚F or 400˚C *These products will fail if they are exposed to temperatures higher than listed above. Thermal Tack Thermal tack is caused when the humidity and temperature rise enough to make the coating soften on latex gloss and semi-gloss paints. Even if the paint was applied a long time ago, this problem may still occur. The surface will become tacky to the touch initially, but will go away once the temperature and humidity drop. In areas where this might happen on a frequent basis, it would be wise to paint front doors and jams in an oil based paint instead. If the doors become tacky, they tend to stick to the weatherproofing and cause a mess. Paint Viscosity The thickness or viscosity of the paint depends greatly on the temperature of the paint. When a paint is colder, the molecules huddle together as if they were cold, which makes the paint thick. When you try and apply that paint to the wall, it will tend to sag and will not flow very well because of its viscosity level. On the flip side, warmer molecules want to spread out, which almost thin the paint. Because of this, the paint will go on too lightly and you will have problems with coverage. For the best results, try and regulate the temperature of your paint by having it be between 70˚F or 21˚C and 77˚F or 25˚C before you start to paint. Sheens and Touch Ups Touching something up can sometimes be a difficult thing to do. It is quite dependant on the sheen, the type (latex or oil), and the age of the paint. First, let's talk about oil paints. Oil eggshell and semi-glosses will lose a quarter to a third of their sheen after about three months. Trying to touch up a surface that has been painted with that type of paint after the three months could be very obvious. It is better to repaint the entire area instead of just touching it up. Latex paints also tend to lose their gloss, but at a much slower rate and quantity as oil paints. Latex paints are easier to touch up, but remember that you might have some flashing depending on the amount of time since the original paint was applied. With oil and latex paint, you also might run into the problem of fading paint due to sun or other environmental issues. Fortunately, both oil and latex flats are the easiest to touch up, even after a period of time. A quick tip: using an HVLP to touch up the surfaces seems to blend the sheen differences the best. Temperature Ranges Be sure to do any touch ups to a surface at the same temperature in which the original paint was applied. There is a rule of thumb in the painting world, that you should not paint any surface below 50˚F or 10˚C, or if that surface will dip down below that temperature at night, until the paint has sufficiently dried. There are, however, some paints out there that have been developed to extend the exterior painting season that will allow the paint to be applied in 35˚F or 2˚C, (ICI's Fortis and This Old House). If you do touch up something under the recommended temperature, it might dry a little lighter than the original paint. Therefore be sure to apply the touch up paint at the same temperature in which the original coat was applied. Touch Up Applicators (This is especially true for smooth walls.) If you are going to touch up a surface, make sure that you use the same applicator as was used originally. Different applicators leave different finishes on the surface. It would be very obvious if there were a brush mark in the middle of a rolled wall. Try and be consistent with the applicators you use and you will find that you will have better results. The more the wall is textured, the easier it is to touch up using any tool, even using a brush over a rolled surface. ...read more

Decorative ceilings are back, you can call it "the fifth wall". Eileen Smith Dallabrida with Painting and Wallcovering Contractor (PWC) has accommodated Five Star Painting with great insight on decorative ceilings. Many people living in contemporary homes are now wanting to get a bit of personality, so ceiling decorations, along with complementary wall trims, are on their way back. A decorated ceiling can beat out any painting project, making it an eye-popping room. Art filled ceilings are becoming more popular whether they are finished as a stand-alone project or part of a larger job. The market in this field is increasing for all manner of dramatic and subtle finishes high above the traditional wall space. The talented painters behind these projects are busier than ever. Options for ceilings cover the spectrum of decorative techniques. These include faux painting, wood graining, stenciling, plaster work, gold leafing, murals on canvas, and any other technique that springs from an artist's inspiration. Mixing a variety of textures and sheens boosts the sophistication level of a room. When considering a ceiling project, photos are worth a thousand words. Viewing before-and-after shots are very effective in showing the difference a well-appointed ceiling can make. Also, seeing past projects in person can be especially helpful. Preparing overhead surfaces can be a lot heftier compared to prepping and painting walls. Most likely, the primary cost will be labor. Decorating your ceilings can be more than just a paint job, with classic decorative pieces adding character and charm to your home's interior. Please feel free to visit the PWCwebsite. ...read more

Freshening up the exterior of your dwelling can add immediate value to your home and increase itscurb appeal. However, doing so can also be a big commitment – in both time and money – so make sure you get the job done right the first time by consulting experts at a specialty paint store. From planning to application to clean up, a specialty paint store can help make the project a smooth one with professional tips and expert advice. This type of store can also help with color selection, choosing products that will last for years to come and determining the right tools needed for the job. When preparing to paint your home's exterior, one of the first tasks at hand is toselect color, and there are a variety of tools available to help you choose just the right hue. For example, Sherwin-Williams offers an onlinecolor visualizerthat allows you to experiment with hundreds of shades before you even leave your house. Once at the store, to inspire your creativity, the company has idea cards available to help you visualize how to use a particular color, be it on the front door, shutters or main facade. You can also refer to generously sized 3 X 5-inch take-home samples, available with suggestions for complementary colors noted on the back of each paint chip. Once you've chosen your colors, it is important to buy exceptional quality paint products. When it comes to paint, you definitely get what you pay for, and when you put a lot of energy into an exterior painting project, you want it to look fabulous for decades. A specialty paint store can offer advice on choosing the right product needed for the job. For example, Sherwin-Williams innovative paint,Resilience, allows you to get the job done even if rain is in the forecast. And with just two coats, it's guaranteed to last for as long as you own your home. Resilience is made with MoistureGuard technology to provide superior moisture resistance—and it cures in about half the time of most conventional exterior paints. Resilience ensures you will not have to forfeit a weekend paint job due to impending bad weather. After you've made your color and product choices, a specialty paint store is your one-stop shop for purchasing tools to help you complete the project. Ask about quality exterior brushes and rollers, which are sturdier than their interior counterparts and will give you better results. After the colors and products have been chosen, the tools have been prepped and you have your game-face on, the fun begins! For more tips, tools and techniques for exterior painting, visit the Sherwin-Williamswebsiteor your neighborhood Sherwin-Williams paint store. To receive a FREE estimate for any paint job, please callFive Star Paintingat 1-866-965-STAR or visit ourwebsite. ...read more

Are you looking to relocate to the Indianapolis Area? English Village Apartments of Indianapolis is the right place for you! Nestled in a peaceful setting on the eastside of Indianapolis, English Village Apartments offers just the right combination of affordability, convenience, and value. English Village Apartments offers affordable 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartment Homes. Our friendly management team is dedicated to giving you a comfortable apartment home and exceptional service. Welcome Home to English Village Apartments of Indianapolis! May your stay with us be long and pleasant. ...read more