Spring has really teased us with a few 70 degree days here in Alabama this week.  But the cold weather back will be back for the weekend. I did take advantage of the beautiful weather over the last week.  Here are 10 things I did just this week to get my yard ready for spring

I am joining 12 friends in a pre-mature celebration of Spring! We are sending you warm and nurturing vibes to get through the month of March as we make our way to Easter.

Thanks to Carol from Blue Sky At Home for organizing this fun little hop and serving, once again, as our hostess! If you are joining me from Laura’s blog at Everyday Edits, welcome! I love a good tiered feature with some vibrant color in the kitchen, or anywhere! I am so glad you are here!

At the end of this post, you will find all 12 links to some beautiful spring happiness! Be sure to visit each of my talented friends for some inspo! Perhaps we can hurry Spring along!

Let’s get on with my tips for prepping your garden for spring!

If we are talking spring prep, I am starting in the yard!

1-Trim Low Hanging Branches

 We have some mature trees on our property that we failed to trim over the years.  The limbs began to block the sun from reaching the grass in certain areas.  Consequently, the grass had died off in these areas.  Our back yard has a slight slope so when it rained, the water just ran over the dirt and washed away some of the top soil.  We hired someone last year to trim upper branches. But I can maintain the lower branches that i hat I can reach from the ground. Keeping those tree shaped ensures that you have beautiful grass below the canopy.

My Ryobi Pole Saw extends to 9.5 feet so I am able to get many of these lower branches. 

I have a full size chain saw but I like to make sure Mr. Blu or V ( child #5) is around when I am using that tool. But his pole saw, I am comfortable using any time, I’ve become a wiz with this handy Ryobi tool.

Smaller limbs that are under 2″ in diameter are easy to trim.  It is just a matter of placing the blade on the limb and pushing the trigger.  Larger limbs require a few more safety precautions in addition to the obvious of:

1. Keep your personal limbs, digits, and body parts away from the blade.
2. Only trim branches of the recommended size for your tool.
3. Follow manufacturer’s recommended instructions.
4. Position your self correctly to stay clear of falling limbs.

Limb Trimming Methods:

1. Make a small undercut of about 1/4″-1″, depending on the limb size, about 1-2 feet from where the limb meets the tree base.
2. Place your blade on the top side of the limb about 12″ from the undercut going toward the end of the branch and away from the trunk.  This prevents damage to the bark.
3. Make your 3rd cut closer to the trunk where the branch transitions from bumpy to smooth.

The best tutorial I found is from my friend Chelsea at Today’s Homeowner.  She does a great job of explaining how proper pruning techniques are critical to the longevity of your tree by ensuring optimal healing of the cut area.  Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and follow strict safety guidelines when using any type of tool.

While the weather is not ready for me to work in the yard every day, I can trim a few trees here and  there to help get the yard ready for spring.

2-Plan Window Box Planters

I love a good window box.  All of these planters from my store, The Blue Building Antiques, which closed in 2019. 

I plan to hang these around my newly built deck.  But there are quite a few so I want to make sure they are placed tastefully.  

In preparing to plant, I researched coconut liners.  Whew!  They can be quite expensive.  I finally found some alternatives on Amazon.

I did find these reasonably priced round coconut liners in store at Walmart for $4.97!  And online for $3.97

I also found a 60″ liner at Walmart.com for $3.97.  Great buy!

How about buying a sheet of coconut liner and form fitting each planter?  This comes in 15″ x 40″ or 80″ roll.  I ordered the 80″ to start.  40″ roll basically costs the price of one basket liner at Home Depot.  I should get 2 liners out of the one roll.

I’ve used coco liners to upcycle these thrift store hanging planters in the past.

I will get the boxes ready with liners and soil and then the fun begins in selecting the right sun tolerant plants.

3-Trim Stray Limbs from Bushes, Shrubs, and Small Trees

We have quite a few bushes in our front garden beds and in the pool area.  By spring, they all need some attention to trim stray growth and tidy up their appearance.  During spring and summer, active growth season, we tend to trim these every 2 months or so.  But at the beginning of spring, we do an more aggressive trimming.  This seems to promote new growth.

This includes reshaping boxwoods.  I bought these great topiary sheers last year. 

I use them to shape my boxwoods which I bought quite small but they are growing nicely.  Every few months, I devote about 30 minutes to shaping the bushes.

4-Plan a Garden Around the Mailbox

Our yard gets full direct Alabama sun all day long.  In years past I would buy colorful and lovely annuals only to watch them be scorched to death.  This year I’m not going to fool myself into thinking that I will drag the hose or tote a watering can every day to the mailbox garden when June arrives.  So I am planning a more thoughtful and water tolerant garden for this area.  Thus far, I have purchased a few snap dragons.  Not only are the snaps heat tolerant, but in Alabama, they usually come back the next year.  Double win!  Here is the mailbox area:

Last year I spread the ever heat tolerant and impossible to kill Spiderwort around the yard.  They have a vibrant purple flower and are super easy to grow.  Aren’t the purple blooms pretty?

But they are extremely invasive and I am ready to thin them out dramatically.  They will be coming out of the front garden this year.  I might keep a few but they literally take over and I am completely over them!  I consider them more of a weed.

The circled areas below are all spiderwort. Every spring I remove two thirds of the spider wort in the yard.

5-Apply Pre-Emergent Weed Control to Lawn

I am lucky to have a weed control service who does this for me but this is critical to keeping weeds at bay.  It’s almost too late here in Alabama but grass is just starting to green up so there is still some time.  You can apply a good pre-emergent weed killer with a larger rolling broadcast spreader or a hand held spreader. 

I used a hand held unit for spreading ant bait and pest killer.  It’s great for smaller areas.  It’s perfect for inside our fenced pool area, to which I did dispense the pre-emergent this week.  And in researching for this post, I found that Ryobi now makes a hand spreader!  

In the past, I have used this pre-emergent weed killer from Home Depot.

My understanding is that the pre-emergent does not contain any fertilizer.  It simply stops the formation of new root cells in baby weed plants without affecting roots of established grass and plants. 

6-Use Topsoil to Even the Lawn

Our home is about 30 years old but the soil seems to settle a little more each year.  I like to have some topsoil on hand to fill ruts and sinking areas in the yard.  I simply fill the holes and the grass normally grows over the top soil within 2-4 weeks.  Can you see the dips in the lawn?

For larger sinking spots, I have used a razor knife to score the grass into a sheet and pull back the layer of grass with a shovel. I spread some topsoil to level the ground and replace the grass.  It’s much easier just to spread some top soil as long as you don’t mind the bare spots on the lawn until the grass grows through. But adding soil beneath the grass eliminates the soil patches.  Either way works. The digging is a little more time consuming than simply spreading top soil over the sunken areas.

Here are the spots with top soil added.  

7-Freshen the Flower Beds 

I started to weed the front garden against our house.  This will take another session or two.  I have to do it in stages.  I simply block out sections of 5 and do one section at a time.  Many of the plants need to be thinned out.  Like these daffodils who are way overcrowded!  I thin them out each spring and scatter them to new places around our property.

While I can still tell the daffodils from the spiderwort and lilies, I will split those spiderwort from the bulbs and discard those pesty invaders. 

It’s also nice to refresh your mulch each spring too!  There is nothing like the smell and look of a freshly mulched garden.  I usually add a few bags each spring.  But this year, I will do the entire front garden areas.  Home Depot usually has their much on sale for 4 bags for $10 for several weeks in the spring.  I just saw that sale begin so I will grab some this weekend.

As you can see, our garden beds needs mulch!!!  And weeding and refreshing!  I will be very busy out there soon.

While it may be a little too cool to actually do your planting, it’s a great idea to have the beds ready for that first glorious perfect spring day. This ensures that when I drive by Home Depot or Lowes and see those beautiful colors of the array of spring plants I can grab a few and get them right into the ground.

8-Perform Maintenance on Tools and Equipment

A pre-spring check up of all lawn and garden equipment and tools is a great idea.  Here is a small list of items to check:

1. Put that riding mower in for maintenance before everyone gets theirs out for the first cut and realize they have issues.  Sharpen your blade. Change oil and fuel.  Buy additive.
2. Sharpen blades and edges on trimmers, pruners, lobbers, etc.  
3. Replace any filters on equipment.
4. Check tire pressure and condition.
5. Ensure your motorized equipment starts smoothly. 
6. Check the pool filter and condition of liners, steps, etc.

These items are a good place to start!  While these are just a few suggestions, I’m sure you could add 50 other tasks to this list.  Here are some more projects that are on my list for spring:

9-Stock Up on Supplies for My Next Spring Projects

Once the weather is consistently above 60 degrees I have a few larger outdoor projects to tackle.  When I saw the associated products on sale this week, I grabbed them. 

10-Pressure Wash the Walkway

My Ryobi pressure washer is the perfect size for small projects and beginners.   Every 3 years or so, the walkway from the driveway to our entry need a refresh. It’s that third year so this is on my project list. Once the weather is consistently warmer, I will use it to pressure wash the house.  I purchase a $10 jug of Zep pressure washing solution to make the driveway process go more quickly.  

11-Pressure Wash Driveway

We have been in our home for 20 years!  And you can tell from the driveway.  This will be a big project with my current Ryobi pressure washer.  I will most likely invest in a larger unit that works a bit more quickly and has more power.  But, it is a great unit for small projects. 

12-Clean the House Siding

Two years ago is the last time I pressure washed the exterior vinyl siding on our house.  One side of our home is shaded by trees so the sun does not hit that wall and there tends to be algae and mildew on the siding.  This product was phenomenal.  It simply attaches to your hose. I made one spray application and let it sit for about 15 minutes before a final rinse.  I would say 95% of the green mildew was removed in this fashion.  There were a few more stubborn spots.  For these, I simply made a second application and that did the trick.

So I bought some 30 Seconds for this season and I’m ready for the perfect day to get the hose out and de-moss the siding!

13-Sprinkle Spring Indoors

With all of the gorgeous spring flowers beginning to thrive, I decided to take advantage of their beauty. n It’s still too early to plant in the outside gardens as we will still have a few frosty mornings. But these glorious colors are hard to resist. So I appeased that urge and grabbed some for indoors.

 I have a nice collection of vintage items so I used some to decorate my home.  This post, 5 Simple Ways to Add Spring to Your Decor, jump started my spring decorating and I just can’t seem to stop!

These upcoming outdoor projects will keep my busy for the next few weeks.  Let me know…what have you done so far to get ready for spring! Any special projects on the planner?

Below are all of the links to my creative friends’ spring posts. If you are visiting in order, your next stop is Make Everyday an Event where Annmarie is sharing her sweet Easter bunny wreath that she made from boxwood wreaths. LOVE THIS!

Be sure to leave a comment on each blog letting the creator know what you liked! We love your comments and suggestions. And we appreciate your support. So, if you like what you see, please pin!

Happy ALMOST Spring!

NOTE: There were some link issues with the links below. I am working on this!

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The post 10 Things I Did this Week to Get Yard Ready for Spring! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

The challenge runs through the month of January.  I will post the weekly challenge every Monday.  Choose what you like and proceed at your own pace.  Don’t be shy!  I want to hear all of your declutter tips!

Guide for Week One

Inspired by Every Day Savvy’s Blog

My inspiration for this challenge comes from Every Day Savvy.  We are following their graphic so I encourage you to visit their blog for great ideas.

How to Participate

This challenge is live on my Facebook page: The Blue Building Antiques.  I will be sharing my daily progress photos on that page.  Each week I will share my favorite tips and advice from readers as well as my favorite bloggers.  

Move at Your Own Pace

I am headed to the kitchen to tackle those cupboards.  What is your first target area?

The post Declutter Tips: A January Challenge to Declutter appeared first on Shop at Blu.

This year I pulled out my cushions and they were so sad!  The Alabama sun has bleached the fabric and since I “splurged” last year, I refuse to splurge again this year.  

Here is one outdoor cushion at the end of last year’s season.  Prepare yourself…they are dirty even after spritzing with bleach and water.  There is not even a sign of the cute pink and white buffalo check pattern that once rested on the surface.  Dirt and debris settled into the tufts and permanently stained the fabric.

I even scrubbed the cushions gentlywith a mixture of bleach and water.  It was after I took the time to scrub them that I decided I was still going to use them.

I get so tired of dirty cushions! So I decided to grab some paint and get to work. This seemed like a cost effect and quick solution to renew my cushions. 

I have painted other fabric pieces, most notably a sofa.  You can read about the sofa upstyle HERE.  Painting fabric can be tricky.  The best advise I can offer is to practice first.  Read up on various techniques and then actually try them yourself BEFORE you jump into your main project.  

Since these cushions will remain outside, I was not worried if they did not have a soft texture.  Actually, if you use straight paint, without diluting it with water, the final texture on the fabric will usually feel stiffer than fabric and more like vinyl.  For my outdoor cushions, this would be perfect.  A stiffer texture would allow them to be easily wiped off or hosed down…depending on how vicious our rains should be here in Alabama this season.

I had some of my sweet friend Kellie Smith’s paint left over from a previous project.  Kellie is the creative genius behind Velvet Finishes.  I grabbed some VIVID and a brush and got busy.

And here they are now, completely refreshed with VIVID, a vibrant red from the Velvet Finishes paint line.

I still have a little touching up to do and I will be painting the chairs with a fresh coat of white.  But in the meantime, these beauties are brightening up the deck!

A fabulous group of my blogger friends are linking up their projects in The Inspired Makers Challenge:  The Outdoor Edition.  Check out the projects below and enjoy the inspiration!

Lisa @ The Purple Hydrangea | Kim @ Farmhouse Made | Sarah @ 1915 House
| Denise @ My Thrifty House | Anika @ Anika’s DIY Life
Kellie @ Gratefully Vintage | Sam @ Raggedy Bits |
Leanna @ Faeries and Fauna |
Victoria @ Dazzle While Frazzled

The post Quick outdoor cushion upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Anyway, certain things doooo bother me…like icky toilets, pet hair on the carpet, stinky house ( yes the pets again), and cloudy shower glass ( when it’s supposed to be crystal clear, not the cloudy by design kind)!  Poor Mr. Blu scrubs that toilet like there is no tomorrow.  Just the other day I asked him, “Hey Hon, did you clean the toilet in the boy’s bathroom?  It looks great!”  He said, “Yeah, one more good scrubbing and it should be good!”  He uses some serious elbow grease and a toilet brush or an old scrubber from the kitchen.  I simply couldn’t do it…it takes tooooooo much effort and the stuff just doesn’t come off for me!  I am a wiz with a paint brush or sprayer that can transform an object in seconds but for me there is no glory in scrubbing the porcelain god for more than one minute.   Sorry!

I was reading up on toilet cleaning (haha I know that sounds like I have no life) and came across a post from…well I have searched and cannot find the original post right now!  I promise to update this once I find it!   Her recommendation is to use Pumice Stones on nasty toilets.  Well, hell yeah, that makes sense!  I am always amazed at the little tips and tricks that make total sense when I read about them…head smacker…DUH!  Why didn’t I figure that out???  It’s common sense!

So, please excuse the before picture.  I didn’t wipe the rim so there yuck on there but the hard water stains are what we are concentrating on here, not the fact that I could have at least swiped so my toilet doesn’t look even more gross.  Let me just say that we do have a new puppy who likes to jump, yes JUMP, in the toilet.  Whatever she’s been playing with usually goes with her, and then into the trash.  With 6 people living in our house, the bathroom doors are bound to be left open.  But, we are being honest here, so… Anyway, here’s what I was dealing with:

Wowzer, I usually have my pictures scaled a little larger but I couldn’t handle that pic in that scale!  And please note that this is NOT the toilet my hubs scrubbed!

I had a pumice stone at The Blue Building.  So I put it aside to bring home.  And after 4 days of forgetting to put it in my purse, and staring at it all day long by the computer at the front desk…today was the day.  Let me just stay…toilet in the boy’s bathroom was literally sparkly clean in 5, yes FIVE, yup FIVER minutes!  Ran, yes literally, to my bathroom and used it there too!  Ten minutes there cause…you know how it is with parents, they do for the kids and not themselves so that potty was bad!

Now that pic I can view in a larger scale!!!!  Y’all how easy it will be to keep my toilets sparkling!

So I was admiring my handiwork and you know how it is when you find THE ANSWER…you then try to extend it throughout your ENTIRE life!  WOW!  That freakin’ pumice stone is the bomb!  Where else can I use it…as I was standing in the bathroom!

The absolutely worst thing in my master bathroom is the clouded SHOWER GLASS!  It’s not supposed to be clouded…it is covered with soap scum and hard water deposits and God knows whatever else sticks to the glass when you are showering.

Y’all I was like a possessed demon!  I ran to the shower and I put that pumice stone on the shower glass and I swirled it and I ran it up and down and I moved it diagonally and …OMG it worked!  The scum was gone!!!!  I’ve been down this road before and experienced the same exuberance when the CLR made the glass look clear.  I have scraped the shower glass with a razor blade and was dancing in the shower as the glass was clear.  But, my friends, the other shoe always dropped when the glass dried and the ick was still there, slightly better and somewhat dissolved but STILL THERE!  Until NOW!

You can still see some scum at the bottom of the picture above.  I hadn’t scrubbed there before the picture was taken.  I was so excited that I had to see it through the camera lens immediately and before I completed the entire door.

I have found the fountain of youth-fullness for my clean toilets and shower glass!  It is clear!  Yes!  God Save the Pumice Stone!  I scrubbed with firm pressure because I was afraid to scratch the glass.  I scrubbed firmly but not with all of my might and it worked!  I tell you it worked!  ****IMPORTANT NOTE:  PUMICE STONES CAN SCRATCH THE GLASS,  so be delicate with your scrubbing.  For me, I’d rather have the clear glass and deal with some minor scratches.  So my advice is to carefully test with slight pressure first.

You are welcome!  Again…God save the pumice stone!

The post Secret Super Power in the Bathroom for CLEAN Toilets and Shower Glass! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

So far I have sprayed dressers, chests, bookshelves, picture frames, lamps, signs, chairs…it would probably save time if I listed items that I haven’t sprayed with my Finish Max!  This product saves sooooo much time on pieces with great detail like chairs, and wicker, and porch swings.  I decided to use my sprayer on something totally unconventional:

A sofa!  Why not??!!

Have you ever tried to paint fabric?  It takes a while and many many coats of paint!  So I figured why not save some time and energy and give the ol’ Finish Max a whirl!!!

I have painted several fabric items in the past.  Not every project was a success.  There is definitely a learning curve involved with painting fabric.  I have used plain latex paint…don’t try that!  And I have used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint…which worked well but the paint is a little more expensive.  So this time, I tried my own home made version of chalkish-like paint.  And I am pleased to say that it went rather well!

I used a recipe that I found online several years ago using unsanded grout, water, and latex paint.  I don’t have an exact recipe, rather I approximate and it usually turns out fine.  I use about 1 cup of water mixed with 2 heaping teaspoons of unsanded group.  I mixed this in a small beverage blender until smooth.  Then I added about 3 cups of latex paint in whatever color I desired.  I blended this very well in the blender.  Then I strained the mixture right into my Finish Max paint container.  The mixture was more watery than regular paint.  All of the reviews I have read about painting fabric stress that you must keep the fabric moist and the paint watery.

First step, before I filled my paint container, I used my Finish Max to spray the sofa with water to dampen the fabric.  I simply filled the Finish Max paint container with water and liberally sprayed the entire sofa.  I made sure the entire sofa was wet and then I dumped out the water and filled the paint container with my home made paint.

I started on the back of the sofa to test the process.  I figured I needed to practice to I should start on the back.  Once coat was barely noticeable.

I feared my home made paint would not be suitable so rather than continue with the entire sofa, I let that part dry and then did a second coat.

The second coat covered better and by the third coat I was more confident that the project would be a success so I completed the first coat on the remainder of the sofa.  I let that dry thoroughly and continued with a second and then a third coat.  By the end of the third coat, the sofa was covered nicely and I simply had to add more paint to several area to even out the coat.

 I was amazed at how well the paint covered the burgundy fabric!  The finish seems durable.  I did not sand between coats.  The final texture is not super soft fabric but rather a firm giving texture, if that makes sense.  A final coat of furniture wax made this baby ready for use!  This is a great technique for someone with a small budget who owns a sofa with great bones but a hideous fabric print!

Here are some close ups of the final product:

Thanks to this month’s hosts from The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest, Evey of Evey’s Creations and Lynn of Fern Avenue.  Check out their posts for the Spray it Pretty contest HERE and Here.  If you are super creative and would like to participate in future FFFC projects, get more info HERE.

And thank you again to Homeright for providing me with this wonderful time-saving tool!  I hope to be carrying these beauties soon at my store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment!

The post Spray It Pretty! Paint Fabric-a sofa! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Usually my displays consist of grouping items that are for sale somewhere in the store.  I group certain colors together and always make sure to have some varying height in the display.  For Valentines Day, I group pinks and purples with beige and white in varying mediums like vases, porcelain, framed prints, jewelry and candlesticks.  For Fall, I do the same with brown, orange, green and beige.  So I started by walking around my store and selecting items that I thought would look great together!

One way to spruce up any display is to use foliage or greenery, either in vases or pots.  Sometimes I use fresh plants and sometimes it stick with artificial.  But in almost every display you will find some type of plant.

I also try to throw in an unexpected item, something that would not normally go with the other items.  For this Fall display, that crazy item is my old Ford pick up that I bought from Miss Mustardseed at The Chapel Market 2104.  This year, I added the horse trailer that I purchased from Coastal Charm Interiors again at The Market on Chapel Hill 2015.  I always try to add a little piece of the unexpected…anything to make the customers stop and linger and look a little more closely.

I couldn’t resist this old chalkboard that came in on consignment.  My daughter Carly went to work and added this little fall saying that just seemed perfect!  I grabbed small easel to make this the center point of our display.  

Next I added this little concrete pedestal.  It was too darling to ignore.  I pictured it holding some pumpkins but we didn’t have any at the time so I used the gourds instead.  I topped it off with this cheese dish cover that was missing its base…perfect for a wanna be cloche!

The tall basket with the tin insert was found in one of our vendor’s spaces.  The fruit branches came in on consignment.  In the spring I will switch them out for some hydrangeas if the basket is still here!

The little glass bottle was found in another dealer’s space at The Blue Building.  I grabbed the fillers from the weeds out front!  Haha…nothing is sacred!

Finally, I came across two little pumpkins mixed in a floral display.  They belonged in the pickup to complete the display!

And Voila!  Our fall display completed from items that were just sitting around the store!

Happy Fall Y’all!

I am so happy to be participating in Hometalk’s Home for Fall Blog Hop!  Check out some incredible Fall tips and projects on this great Blog Hop!

LINK / http://www.hometalk.com/hashtags?filter=%23HomeForFall

The post Welcome Fall! Quick Decorating Tips! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I can never get the nail into the wall in just the right place.  Consequently, my pictures are cock eyed, crooked, and falling off of the wall.  I have taken many pics on consignment at The Blue Building and inevitably a good number show up without picture wire or saw tooth hooks.  Many times I simply prop these pics around the store.  But this new technique will save lots of time, frustration, and multiple holes in the wall!

All you need is a hammer, a roll of painters tape (or masking tape), a pen, 2 nails, and a small level!

Here is the back of the picture.

Note the annoying dual hooks, one on each side of the picture.  I realize that heavier wall items like this beautifully ornately framed picture need to be securely placed on the wall for safety’s sake.  BUT…it is so difficult to get the nails into the wall at the exactly correct location to ensure that the picture is perfectly horizontal.  Way too much work!

Take the painter’s tape and place a piece from frame end to frame end covering the hooks in the process.  Cut off the excess at each end so that the tape is exactly the width of the frame.  Trace the outline of the hooks onto the tape.

Remove the tape carefully from the picture and place it in the desired location on the wall. Use a level to ensure the tape is horizontally level.  Tap the nails into the wall at the highest point in the tracing of your hooks.  Remove the tape from the wall.  The paper tape will come off without removing your nails.

Hang your picture.  It’s that simple!

This technique is effective for items of all shapes and sizes as demonstrated below.

This little trick essentially takes the margin for error to 0%!  Give it a try!

The post How to hang a picture evenly on the wall! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I must admit that I was a little intimidated by this simple gadget.  But the instructions were very simple and very accurate.

It was already assembled (always a bonus) and super stupid simple to attach, load, and start using.  It did, however, take me a few tries to get the paint stick loaded.  The first time I pulled back on the stick to load the paint, I didn’t see any paint load.  It took several times before the paint started loading in the stick.  I assume this was the “vacuum” getting primed and ready for me.

Here is a picture of the first couple of strokes on the wall.  You will notice that it is a bit blotchy.  The roller has holes throughout that enables the paint to seep through.  It takes a few practice swipes for the roller to load completely.

Once the roller is full of paint the application is smooth and super fast.  I was able to quickly and beautifully roll an 8 x 10 square foot section in about 10 minutes.  You simple twist the handle to fill the roller.  No stopping is required until the paint stick is empty.  You can refill the stick in less than 2 minutes and be rolling again effortlessly.

I found that if you keep the roller moving as you twist the handle to refill the roller, the roller loads more evenly.  If you twist the handle to load the roller but have the roller resting against the wall, paint can accumulate in the corners and result in the excess paint dripping out of the roller ends.  The paint stick stores wonderfully during breaks.  I found that if I completely used all of the paint in the paint stick, turned the unit upside down to rest with the roller side down, and wrapped the roller/shield with a plastic bag,  the paint stick was still fresh and ready to go after a short break (I even wrapped it and left it overnight and was able to resume quickly in the morning).  Just be sure to wrap the plastic snugly around the roller…try to eliminate any air pockets to avoid drying of the roller.

After the room was finished, I disassembled the paint stick for cleaning.  Cleanup was easy with warm water and the kitchen sink.  It was a bit difficult to get water flowing through the long parts so I would recommend cleanup in the bathtub next…simply more room.

The next time I used the paint stick, it was a little more difficult to get the paint loaded.  I had to disassemble again and found some paint was dried from the last time.  So, make sure you remove ALL of the parts and clean the unit thoroughly.

I will say, however, that this great tool is only about $27 at Lowes…in my opinion…it is cost effective to go buy another if the pre-used stick is hard to load.  It is definitely work $27!

I love this product!   It saved me more time and aggravation over the Christmas holidays as we completely painted three bedrooms!  Hats off to HOMERIGHT!  I can paint a room in less than an hour!

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