Inspiration for a rustic brown one-story wood gable roof remodel in Seattle

Example of a transitional home gym design in Houston

The sealer we use is NEYRA FORCE Sealer . NEYRA FORCE Sealer is a Premium Alternative to Coal Tar and Asphalt Emulsion. Neyra Force is a water-based, petroleum resin sealer that outperforms traditional pavement sealers. While providing the benefits of coal tar sealer, it is also environmentally friendly and safe for your employees to apply. Neyra Force is a high performance alternative to both coal tar and asphalt emulsion sealers providing exceptional coverage, durability and color stability. Technical Information Neyra Force Marketing Piece A PREMIUM ALTERNATIVE A high performance alternative to both coal tar and asphalt emulsion sealers providing exceptional coverage, durability and color stability. DURABLE & LONG LASTING Proprietary engineered resin is formulated to create tough and long lasting protection. PROTECT & BEAUTIFIES A tight seal forms an impenetrable barrier to protect against the destructive affects of sun, oxidation, water and chemicals, giving pavement a jet black color. GAS & OIL RESISTANT Resists damage caused by gasoline, oil jet fuel leaks and spills. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY A low VOC, non-flammable coating that contains NO coal tar. COOL WEATHER FORMULA AVAILABLE Neyra Force is also available in Neyra’s cool weather formula, providing exceptional curing in cooler temperatures down to 40°F. To learn more, contact Neyra Industries at customerservice@neyra.com or 1-800-543-7077. Or visits their website @ https://neyra.com/products/sealers/neyra-force/ Pavement Sealers Neyra AE Neyra Force GuardTop Tarconite PaveShield SunShield Jennite Jennite AE Additives Crack Fillers, Primers & Paint Supplies, Tools & Equipment Sports Surfacing Contractor Contractor Property Manager Property Manager Road Maintenance Road Maintenance Architect/Engineer Architect/Engineer Sport Surfacing Sport Surfacing Product Catalog Product Catalog Phone: 1-800-543-7077 Fax: 513-733-3989 customerservice@neyra.com Corporate Headquarters 10700 Evendale Drive Cincinnati, OH 45241 Neyra Logo © 2021 Neyra

Example of a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room design in New York with beige walls and no fireplace

Small elegant gray one-story mixed siding gable roof photo in Charleston

Step #1 Apply BM CLEAN As you can see in the 'Before' picture above, this cedar deck was extremly dirty. This required an extra step in comparison to the typical deck stripping process. My paint rep at Benjamin Moore recommended a product called CLEAN. It comes in one gallon plastic containers and can be applied out of a plastic pail or with a garden sprayer. We used a Garden sprayer and chose a flat tip for application. The three gallon garden sprayer was filled with 2 gallons of water and one gallon of the CLEAN solution. This is a strong mixture and can be reduced to up to 6 parts water and one part of the Benjamin Moore CLEAN. This approximately 22x20 deck had a board running perpindicular to the rest of the floor boards which divided it into 2 equal parts. Our method was to apply the solution to 3-4 of these 10' boards at a time. Allow it to set up for a few minutes and then scrub away with the deck brush. The agitation loosens up the dirt and grime and is then removed with a pressure washer a board a time. The flat tip on the pressure washer was almost the same width as the floor board. It is important to clean the sides of the board too because any remaining dirt or stain will be visible. Benjamin Moore Deck Restoration products named Clean,Restore,brighten Step #2 Apply BM RESTORE The second step is exactly the same as the first step but with a different solution called Benjamin Moore RESTORE. The deck was dry before we started the 2nd step becuase it was baking hot outside. You use the same 2/1 mixture of water to chemical. This chemical will remove the stain still present in the deck floor. Make sure to rinse the garden sprayer clean before adding the restore solution. Unlike the BM CLEAN, the BM RESTORE has an orange-ish color in appearance. It did a fine job of removing most of the stain, but not 100% of it. There were a few areas that required a 3rd coat of restore but the process was quicker. Step #3 Apply BM BRIGHTEN The third step is exactly the same as the first two step but the chemical solution used was Benjamin Moore 'BRIGHTEN'. Again, the garden sprayer was cleaned and filled with 2 parts water and one part Brighten. The brightener not only lightens the wood but it also neutralizes the previous stripper solution. As stated before the Restore adds a bit of color and the Brighten will remove any traces of it. you still have to agitate the brightener with a scrub brush and either pressure wash it off or use a garden hose. We used the pressure washer for faster results. After it dries the wood look a lot brighter but we still found some spots of stain that had not come off. Apply Sikkens Stain As stated above the stain we used is called "Sikkens Proluxe" which is basically just a slight re-branding of the classic Sikkens Stain. The formula is exactly the same. In fact, the secondary name is still called 'Cetol' SRD RE. The color chosen was "CEDAR". The weather was quite hot for a typical Calgary Spring day so we stained a 10' section of floor board at a time. The deck has a metal railing so the supporting feet had to be brushed in with a 2.5" natural bristle paint brush. for the rest of the job a 6" Wooster natural bristle deck brush was used. The handle was remove and a broom handle was inserted. The stain was stirred frequently and poured into a plastic Simms brand roller pan. Semi transparent Oil based stain has the consistency of water so you need to be careful not to spill any of it. When applying to a board you hit the sides first with the brush and then fillin the rest. Ten feet of floor board can be stain in a short period of time. it's important not to leave any streaks so it is adviseable to back-brush the entie length before moving on to the next board. The staining only took about 2.5 hours to complete. One coat is the manufacturers recommendation. One last thing about Sikkens Stain. To maintain this beautiful look the deck should be re- coated once a year, preferably every spring. It's like applying sunscreen yearly to protect the wood against further damage. Two gallons was enough to cover this 450 sq foot deck.

Spinach is easy to grow in shallow pots or window boxes, and you can harvest leaves as needed for sandwiches, salads, and soups. Photo by Steve Masley

Concrete can be made to look like any substance. Tile, stone, wood, brick, etc. With unlimited color options, Ky-Kan Coatings can transform any room in your home or business using lightweight, beautiful concrete.

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash. Paint colors: Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024 Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23 Robert B. Narod Photography

Example of a large arts and crafts backyard concrete patio kitchen design in Dallas with a pergola

Before, during and after polished concrete floor in Estacada. Really transforms a garage conversion to living space into an easy care beautiful flooring treatment. Photos: Chris and Kris

Example of a small classic 3/4 white tile and stone tile mosaic tile floor alcove shower design in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite countertops, a two-piece toilet and gray walls

Photo of a coastal landscaping in Portland Maine.

Carlsbad new construction; spanish courtyard and edible garden.
Design ideas for a mediterranean courtyard concrete paver landscaping in San Diego.

Exterior, brick, lime, limewash, painted brick, architectural finish

Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in Minneapolis

Ever notice how your iron fence looks more rust than paint after another brutal Chicago winter? That is usually the moment homeowners start searching for a painting contractor who actually understands metal - not just someone who will brush a coat of black paint over active corrosion and call it done. At Windy City Painters, iron fence restoration is one of our most requested services on the North Side and Near West Side, and for good reason. These fences are old, they are beautiful, and they deserve a proper finish system. PROJECT OVERVIEW This project involved a full ornamental iron fence on a North Side greystone property. The fence was original to the building - likely installed in the 1910s or 1920s - and had gone through multiple paint cycles without any rust conversion work. By the time Windy City Painters arrived, the horizontal rails showed active pitting, the vertical spindles had surface rust under lifting paint, and two corner posts had minor joint separation. The homeowner wanted the fence restored to a sharp satin black finish that would hold through multiple Chicago winters. MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS Ospho Rust Converter - phosphoric acid formula that chemically neutralizes iron oxide and converts it to iron phosphate, a stable paintable surface. Used on all pitted and actively corroded areas before primer application. Rust-Oleum DTM Rust-Inhibitive Primer - direct-to-metal primer that bonds to both converted rust zones and bare metal, blocking moisture intrusion at the substrate level. Sherwin-Williams DTM Acrylic Topcoat - flexible, moisture-resistant finish formulated to expand and contract with metal through temperature cycling. Applied in two finish coats in satin black. For cases with deeper rust penetration, Corroseal Water-Based Rust Converter and Metal Primer is an alternative that combines conversion and priming in a single product, useful on complex ornamental profiles where two-product systems are harder to apply. THE PROCESS Step 1 - Mechanical Preparation. Windy City Painters wire-wheels all loose rust, flaking paint, and scale using angle grinders fitted with wire wheel attachments. On heavily pitted sections, needle gun descaling is used to reach rust in tight ornamental grooves. This step is non-negotiable. No coating bonds reliably to iron oxide, and skipping this step is the single most common reason iron fence paint fails within a year. Step 2 - Rust Conversion. Ospho is brushed into all pitted and bare metal areas and allowed to fully react. The surface shifts from orange to a grayish-black iron phosphate layer. This stable base accepts primer without the risk of rust migrating upward through the paint film over time. Step 3 - Primer Coat. Rust-Oleum DTM rust-inhibitive primer is applied full coverage over the entire fence surface, including areas that appeared clean but showed minor surface oxidation. DTM primer acts as a moisture barrier and mechanical adhesion layer for the finish coats. Step 4 - Finish Coats. Two coats of Sherwin-Williams DTM acrylic topcoat are applied in satin black, with adequate dry time between coats. The DTM formula remains flexible after cure, allowing the iron to expand and contract through Chicago temperature swings without the topcoat cracking or peeling at joints. CHICAGO-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES Ornamental iron on Chicago greystones, two-flats, and Victorian brownstones was almost never hot-dip galvanized. It was painted from installation and has relied on continuous paint maintenance ever since. Chicago winters add specific stress: freeze-thaw cycles force water into any paint film crack, expanding it; road salt spray elevates corrosive chloride exposure; and humidity during spring thaw keeps metal surfaces wet for extended periods. This combination accelerates rust spread beneath paint films that appear intact on the surface. WHAT TO EXPECT LONG-TERM A properly prepped and primed iron fence finished with a DTM topcoat system should hold 5-8 years in Chicago conditions before any touch-up is warranted. Annual inspection of joints, welds, and areas near grade level will catch early moisture entry before it becomes a larger rust issue. Windy City Painters recommends scheduling touch-up earlier rather than waiting for full paint failure to protect the prep investment. PRO TIPS Tip 1 - Address joint separation before painting. If fence rails have separated at welds or mechanical joints, water will enter and rust will restart from inside the connection point regardless of the exterior coating. Flag any separated joints for welding before any paint system is applied. Tip 2 - Never use latex house paint on iron fences. Standard exterior latex lacks the adhesion and flexibility for bare metal. Always use a product labeled DTM or specify a rust-inhibitive primer underneath any finish coat applied to iron. Tip 3 - Paint in late spring or early fall. Iron fences exposed to full sun in peak summer heat can reach surface temperatures that cause solvent-based coatings to blister during application. Ideal application conditions are 50-85 degrees Fahrenheit with low humidity and no direct intense sun on the metal surface. Learn more about iron fence painting cost in Chicago and schedule your free estimate at windypainters.com FAQ Q: What does iron fence painting cost in Chicago? A: Windy City Painters typically prices residential iron fence painting at $8-$18 per linear foot. Variables include rust severity, spindle density, ornamental profile complexity, and whether rust conversion products like Ospho or Corroseal are required before priming. Q: Can you paint over rust without grinding it off first? A: No. Windy City Painters always performs mechanical prep before any coating. Wire wheel grinding removes loose scale and flaking paint. Rust converters handle residual oxidation chemically. Skipping this step means the new paint film will delaminate within one season. Q: How do I know if my iron fence needs a welder before painting? A: Windy City Painters inspects all joints and rail connections during the estimate. Rail separation, cracked welds, or sections that flex when pressed indicate structural issues that should be welded before any paint system is applied to avoid reopening at stress points. Q: What is the difference between Ospho and Corroseal? A: Both are rust converters. Ospho is a phosphoric acid solution applied as a separate step before priming, giving maximum control over conversion and primer selection. Corroseal combines conversion and primer in one product, which works well on complex ornamental profiles where a two-step system is harder to apply evenly. Q: How long does the paint last on an iron fence in Chicago? A: With full mechanical prep, rust conversion, DTM primer, and two DTM topcoats, Windy City Painters clients typically see 5-8 years of performance before touch-up is needed, even through Chicago freeze-thaw cycling and road salt exposure. Q: Do you paint iron fences that are still structurally sound but heavily rusted on the surface? A: Yes. Surface rust, even heavy pitting, does not necessarily indicate structural failure. Windy City Painters evaluates each fence individually. As long as the metal is sound under the rust, proper mechanical prep and a rust converter restore the surface to a paintable condition.

A beautiful design of Thassos and Mother of Pearl in a very unique shade of blue!
Minimalist bathroom photo in New York

Minimalist dark wood floor kitchen photo in San Francisco