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Arana’s Participation in 4 Years of CSL Tours + 1 More To Come

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For 31 years now, the Children’s Support League has raised money for East Bay agencies that serve children in need, by spearheading the annual Heart of the Home tour in Piedmont and the Oakland Hills.

In that time, the organization has raised over 4 million dollars, distributed via grants to over 100 local service organizations.

Under the motto of “Have fun and do good!,” CSL tours have been a way for homeowners to share the beauty of their spaces with crowds of appreciators, all for a great cause. The event features a curated tour and a catered lunch.

What it takes to make this all happen includes the pro-bono contributions of contractors and interior designers, as homeowners spruce up in order to participate in the big event.

This is often a great opportunity for us in the design-build trades to show off what we do while giving back to our community by donating our services to support the fundraiser. In this post are photos from CSL Tours ARANA has participated in, in four previous years.

This year, ARANA is again involved. We are staining and finishing wood for the backyard of one of the featured homes — with Buestad Construction. See our Instagram for images of beautiful fence boards!

For more information about the 2020 Heart of the Home tour, visit www.wehelpkids.org.

by Catherine Baldi and Julie Feinstein Adams

kitchen painting services

How Much Does It Cost To Repaint Your Home

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The repainting of a home can do a number of positive things for both a home and its owner. A fresh coat of exterior and/or interior paint can brighten up a home whose atmosphere has become dour and dull over the years as paint fades and becomes stained. Redesigning a home after years or decades of occupation can make an older home feel fresh and new again. A fresh coat of paint also restores the vibrancy and color of a home and can dramatically increase its curb appeal. Homeowners looking to sell their homes will find the latter to be extremely valuable. Lastly, a fresh coat of paint can help a new homeowner make a previously owned home their own.

Although many homeowners desire and even consider new paint for their homes, a great number of them balk simply because they believe such a project to be far too expensive. In reality however, professional painting services for a home aren’t as expensive as some believe.

Interior House Painting Costs

Painting the interior of a home is a complex process and is often part of an interior design overhaul. Homeowners that opt for new interior paint will want to select a professional Oakland painting service that is not only reputable but is adept at working with multiple contractors throughout the duration of a redesign project.

As far as cost is concerned, a homeowner can expect to pay anywhere from $8 – $12 per square foot. Of course variables such as architecture and the current condition of a home may affect the cost of new interior paint but as a general rule homeowners won’t pay much more or less for this type of work. In order to determine exactly how much they will need to pay for new interior paint, a homeowner will need to speak and meet with a professional painter. During this meeting and conversation a painter will visit the home in question, make assessments and measurements, and then provide the homeowner with a quote.

Exterior House Painting Costs

Exterior house painting is a much more nuanced process and will address the needs of many different surfaces. There is also the issue of multi-storied homes which will ultimately cost homeowners more to have painted. Homeowners should expect to pay $8 – $12 per square foot for various types of wood siding. Moreover and generally speaking, homeowners should be prepared to pay $5 – $10 per square foot for painting on stucco walls. Of course the condition of the stucco walls prior to painting can raise the cost of the project as can the number of stories a painter must cover.

Working With Arana Craftsman Painters

When a homeowners chooses to work with Arana they will receive not only a rejuvenated home but our artistic mindset and approach to painting will produce unique designs, colors, patterns, and an end result that makes a home the neighborhood standout. The Arana team’s artisinal and meticulous approach to house painting gives homeowners a home that they can once again take pride in, be excited about, sell, make their own, and once more be happy/comfortable in.

The Arana Guarantee

Arana Craftsman Painters has confidence in and stands behind all of its work. This credence is demonstrated through our comprehensive guarantee. Customers of Arana will see our team return to their home once a year for five years in order to inspect their work. Should they find that the integrity of their work has been compromised by bubbling, peeling, cracking, or flaking they will return immediately and fix the issue. Additionally, all this comes at no additional cost to our valued customers.

to shine or not to shine

To Shine or Not to Shine: Picking Paint Sheens

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So you’re sure that you want that semi gloss luster on the plaster walls of your 1900’s Victorian? What about that flat you want to put on your living room walls where your children play and spend most of their time?

We’d recommend a definitive “no” to both of these questions.

The semi gloss will potentially work on uniform surface, but most likely your textured plaster walls will have imperfections and nuances that will literally shine, light reflecting off the uneven surface, and drawing attention to every detail of the surface.

And while flat in the living room will hide those imperfections because there won’t be any light reflecting off the surface, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll be lamenting the flat finish every time you have to attempt to wipe anything messy off the wall such as smudges and little fingerprints.

Picking the right sheen for your wall is nowhere near as challenging as trying to pick out your actual colors, but the sheen could make or break the wall.

Just ask yourself a few questions…

1) What is the overall function of the room? Is it a high traffic area or lightly used room? A central place where everyone meets? How much moisture gets into the air?

2) How often will the walls need to be washed? A bathroom, kitchen, or utility room will need a careful washing from time to time.

3) Are the walls in a condition where you’re not worrying about imperfections “shining” through?

Take these ideas into consideration as you contemplate each room:

1) Flats work superbly for diminishing surface imperfections and textures, but don’t hold up well to repeated washing and have a tendency to burnish, especially darker colors.

2) Semi-gloss and gloss are phenomenal as far as being easy to clean, but because the way light reflects off of the painted surface every texture and imperfection will be highlighted.

There is a happy medium though. One needn’t go to extremes in picking out sheens:

Eggshell sheen will help to hide imperfections because there is not a lot of light refraction coming off the surface while still allowing for some washability.

A satin sheen offers slightly more shine and luster than an eggshell finish and thus provides superior washability.

There are excellent design options available if a low sheen look is desired. For example, there are matte finishes available that will help hide the imperfections, dings and dents accumulated over the lifetime of surfaces in older homes.

Keep these helpful suggestions in mind when choosing color and sheen for a project:

Flat – Helps diminish visibility of imperfections. Since it’s less washable, it’s best for use in areas where traffic is on the light side. Excellent for most ceiling surfaces (with the exception of kitchens and baths).

Eggshell – Has some wash-ability while hiding imperfections. Works well in an office/library, as well as bedrooms or medium traffic where the need to wipe down the surface on a regular basis doesn’t come up as often.

Satin – The noticeable sheen creates a nice washable surface. Compared with flat or an eggshell textures and imperfections will be more apparent than. Superior for higher traffic areas like an entryway or stairwell, and is an excellent finish for children’s rooms. Works nicely on trim/door surfaces.

Semigloss – Higher shine makes for a very washable surface. The higher sheen also means more light bouncing off of the surface. This is the type of finish you would find effective in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. These surfaces will wash up very nicely and be quite durable. Semigloss is regularly used on trim/door surfaces

Gloss – Gloss is bold design choice. Sometimes used on trim/doors that have been perfectly prepared, there are those situations where it works well on walls needing regular washing.

It comes down to choosing what works best for any given room from a design and durability standpoint. There’s often a happy medium between functionality and aesthetics. Design trends today are leaning towards elegant subtlety with functionality that is sustainable.

Whatever painting project and finish needs you may have, surface preparation needs to be of the highest priority. It’s critical to hire a painting contractor whose an expert and conscientious in completing these steps with attention to detail. For over 10 years, Arana Craftsman Painters has maintained a top-quality reputation in the San Francisco and East Bay areas, supplying premium care to high-end homes. Contact us to schedule a free consultation or to ask any questions you might have about a project you’re planning.

what is my home made of?

What Materials Was My Home Built With?

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In the San Francisco Bay area, there are 4 or 5 common materials used to cover the exterior frame of a home:

Stucco – A cement materials that is applied to a paper and wire mesh sub-surface. It can have smooth to heavy texture. Typical problem with stucco is a tendency to crack. It can be one of the lowest maintenance materials available.

Horizontal Wood Siding – There are different applications of wood in this manner, it can be installed in a “tongue in grove” or “shiplap” pattern. Wood siding is beautiful building material and a bit higher maintenance given that wood tends to resist paint (another way to say this is that paint never permanently bonds with wood) and failure happens far more quickly than stucco.

Wood shingles – typically made from cedar, shingles are a thin, oblong shaped pieces of wood that are applied to the sides of a home in an overlapping rows. Stain grade Cedar shingles are beautiful. They can produce a gorgeous red/blond patina, they also tend to be one of the highest maintenance home building material. They can leach a black tannin material that run in streaks down the shingle and they also turn grey if not coated properly or regularly. Paint grade shingles can also look beautiful. As a painted element they become less maintenance in terms of how often they need to be re-coated, but when paint failure starts to occur, and depending on how widespread and how much area, it can become labor intensive to remove the failure.

Asbestos Shingles – Still found on homes in the Bay Area, this is a manufactured shingle that can have a wider, oblong shape and be more resistant to weathering than wood making it low maintenance. Asbestos unfortunately is a toxic substance and not the most preferable material for environmental reasons. Painting the shingles is a good way to seal them and prevent any airborne particles.

Catherine and Family! Arana Craftsman is a family owned and operated company that services Oakland and surrounding areas

A Summer of Celebrations

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Summer 2017 marks several milestones in our Family. Ernesto and I celebrate 14 years of marriage, our eldest daughter Sofia turns 13 and our Company which has grown right along with her also turns 13!

Teenagers are now ruling our household with summer sleepovers, slime making sessions and late-night dance parties. Childhood is relived again and again with them and as they begin to find their wings, Ernesto and I have gone back to sleeping with one eye open and one ear to the ground

In June, we celebrated the last day of school and our 14th anniversary with a trip to the island of Maui. Trade winds, mild temperatures and the ocean blue gave us time to reconnect as a family. Running a successful business can take its toll on quality time together. Our kids spend long days away from us and when is there never something to do?

Thankfully we took the time because we got a very stark reminder while we were there of why it is so important to connect daily with the ones you love.

Sofia and Alexi (our youngest son) both are avid swimmers and love the Ocean. We found Koki Beach off of Hana Highway. It had some brisk waves and a few warning signs of strong undertow, but upon testing the waters I felt they could handle it so I let them swim on with their boogey boards.

They were doing fine, but sure enough as soon as we looked away they began screaming “Mamma! Mamma!”. In no time, the Ocean had swept them to the far right where the water was deeper and where they were now being pulled back and forth over rocks.

I of course jumped into Mama Bear mode and made a beeline in their direction. My family spent many summers swimming in Oceanside and Huntington Beach so I’m a strong Ocean swimmer. Fortunately, a few kind individuals also jumped to our aid and we pulled them to safety with only a few cuts and bruises. Of course, we were all shaken up and we held each other just a little tighter while we processed what happened.

The very next day we jumped right back into the Ocean and snorkeled with fish, spotted sea turtles and a few eels and toured around the island of Molokini with the Pacific Whale Foundation.

Rough times and a little rough Ocean won’t stop us from living life. Most importantly they remind us to focus on the people we love and to not get to caught up in all we’re doing.

Cheers to the best time of the year – Summer!

Tips for Summer Curb Appeal

Do you want to have the best curb appeal on the block? Follow these easy steps!

Mow to the right height. Set your mower to cut about three inches off the ground. Longer turf will retain more moisture and better shade the soil so the roots won’t get dry. The shade helps to keep out crabgrass.

Tall grass is greener and more attractive, but in unused parts of the yard, try drought resistant or California native plants. They are low maintenance and beautiful.

Upgrade your house numbers. Get some that are not only attractive but that can be easily read from a distance. Avoid frilly numbers. Refresh your painted numbers on your curb.

More expensive but very effective, replace cracked or outdated walkways while it’s still summer. Interlocking pavers make it easy to do the job yourself.

Update your flower boxes. When spring bulbs and flowers have finished, replace them with fall bloomers like mums or autumn sage.

Consult with a professional Landscape Architect for a more comprehensive plan. ARCA Design Group based in Albany is the leader in Landscape Design. Visit the Arca Design Group website.

Home Safety Tips to Kick off Summer

Happy National Home Safety month! (Exciting, right?) Well, it’s as good a time as any to just refresh your memory on some basic home safety tips.

The AARP has 30 home safety tips that are surprising and worth knowing. For example, did you know that each year 65,000 barbecue grill fires cause as much as $27 million in property damage each year? Lesson: move your grill a little farther from the home.

  • Did you know that most falls in homes happen in the bathroom, not on the stairs? Put a non-slip mat in the shower and bath mats over tile.
  • Did you know that cooking-related fires are the leading cause of injuries among people 65 years of age and older? Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing while cooking and use a timer to remind yourself to check food you have in the oven.
  • Did you know that more people are injured using hand tools than power tools? Always use high quality tools and avoid tools with frayed power cords or dull cutting surfaces.
  • Did you know that each year approximately 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in U.S. homes due to scalding from excessively hot tap water? Adjust the temperature setting of your home hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, or consider installing temperature limiting faucets on bathtubs, showers, and sinks.
  • Did you know that each year an average of 20,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with garage doors? Don’t try and outrun your door!
  • Did you know that many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that contains high lead levels and lead from paint, paint chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not take care of properly? Call an EPA Certified Painting Contractor to remove loose and failing paint.