What People Are Saying

When you came to help me, my life was in a great deal of stress due to the medical condition of my husband. In general, it felt like life was out of control.

By having you come to my house to help me organize my closets, it helped me feel like I had regained some control. You came in with your friendly smile and just got to work. We did the work together, and then you took my stuff away to give to charity. No room for second thoughts, which was fabulous!

Jamie Dann, m.s.w.,Century 21
B.J. Roth Realty Ltd., Brokerage*

What Business People Are Saying

Margaret has become an important part of our team. She follows the direction given to her and executes to the best of her ability. She is personable, warm, supportive and friendly. All the traits we appreciate in someone who continuously works with us throughout the year.

Aileen and James Reyes-Picknell
Conscious Management, Barrie

Painting Advice from an Expert

I would like to introduce you
to an expert painter -
Bev Morgan of
Fresh Look Painting.

Moving and selling your home
Bev will give a professional,
updated and fresh look that
will appeal to the most potential buyers.

Not moving, Bev will create beautiful spaces that you will enjoy living in and showing off to your friends and family.

Today, Bev is sharing her expert advice with you.

Check for oil based paint before repainting.

You should always check if the current finish on your walls and trim are oil based or latex before repainting.

This is because latex (waterborne) paints will not stick to oil based paint without being treated with a "conversion" primer first.

The use of oil based paint has been recently discontinued; however there are lots of surfaces out there that have oil based paint on them.

Oil paints were popular with painters because of their smooth shiny finish, particularly on trim and doors.

If you paint latex directly over oil the paint will not stick. Even after the paint cures it can easily chip or flake in spots.

How to check:

To determine if a paint is oil use a soft cloth dabbed in an acetone based nail polish remover.

Rub lightly on the paint- if it comes off onto the cloth it is latex.
If it doesn't come off easily and just becomes shinier it is oil.

When testing white paint you should chose a coloured rag so you can see the white paint on it.

If you find oil paint it can be painted; however you need to first use a "conversion" primer. Most of the manufacturers make a product for this purpose.

I use Benjamin Moore "Fresh Start". One coat of the primer will prepare the surface to be painted with your choice of latex paint.

If you have painted latex over oil you have a huge job on your hands to remove it.

(Living O recommends hiring a professional painter)

You will need to remove the latex paint and start again with the conversion primer. Depending on the surface you may be able to remove by scrubbing with detergent but you may need to sand to get off stubborn areas.