Get Flawless Painting Results With Simple Prep

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From Sapphire Sparkle to Frosty Pomegranate, Honey Bear to Misty Gray — transforming the look of a room with a beautiful color is as simple as a fresh coat of paint.

A new coat of paint may be the easiest — and least expensive — way to transform a room, it's the prep work that is the key to outstanding results. A few basic tips will ensure gorgeous results you'll be proud to show.

Organize your tools: A quick inventory will ensure you have the right stuff — brushes, sponges, rollers, plastic bags, rags, paint can opener and drop cloths. Keeping your tools together in one place will make the process go more smoothly.

Take the time you need to prep: Don't try to get the whole painting project done in one day. Take a day to complete prep work such as, washing walls, putting painter's tape around doors and windows, filling holes and cracks, and covering your wall and ceiling fixtures with large plastic bags.

Clear the room: If you can, clear out all the furniture and accessories. What you can't take out, put in the middle of the room and cover with a drop cloth. Be sure that you tape the cloth around the furniture and cover with a second sheet of plastic or old sheet.

Remove all hardware: To avoid the "paint around" that can lead to odd circles, streaks, or drips, remove switch plates, outlets, knobs and hinges and bag each with its screws. You will be glad you did when you're ready to put them back on.

Find your paint pants: Don't forget to wear old clothes and protect your hair with a hat or headband. Slip on shoes will let you leave the room and not accidentally track paint into other rooms. Even with the best of intentions, it's hard not to get a few drips and drops on yourself. Now you are ready to prepare the walls.

Don't paint over problems: Paint doesn't cover cracks and holes in the wall. Take the time to fill and you'll end up with a smoother surface. Spackling holes and cracks is the simplest way to go.

But spackling the old fashioned way can be, well… old fashioned. Liberate yourself from dried out cans of spackle, hunting for the putty knife, and ending up with wall "craters" from shrinking putty. With Painter's® Nail Hole Filler from Eclectic Products, repairing holes is a one-step process because the unique sponge applicator and texturizer is right on the end of the tube. This general-purpose spackling requires no mixing and goes on with just a squeeze of the tube — without a putty knife! The sponge tip evens out and finishes the surface to match the wall surface, textured or smooth, with no scraping or sanding required. Painters® Nail Hole Filler works on any wall texture or composition (wood, stucco, wallboard or plaster).

The product dries to a smooth finish. Your wall will be ready to paint in 15 minutes. And cleanup is a breeze. Just wash the sponge tip with warm water and replace the cap for the next use. Painter's Nail Hole Filler will not dry out, like other brands, and will remain pliable when clear cap is replaced. Just store it at room temperature and knead spackling within tube prior to use.

Whether your color passion is Pickle, Coconut Husk or Verve Violet, your color choices will glide on and look flawless.

Most home improvement and hardware stores carry a large variety of spackling products, including Painter's Nail Hole Filler. For more information about Painter's Nail Hole Filler and Eclectic's other fine products, contact Eclectic Products at 1-800-767-4667 or visit the company's Web site at www.eclecticproducts.com.