The city designed neighbourhood, planned for the former Kelowna Secondary School site at Harvey Avenue and Richter Street, was initially targeting a LEED-Gold environmental standard for each building in the plan, as per requests from the public.

The criteria meant the buildings would all have the second-highest rating a developer can achieve under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)guidelines.

But Monday afternoon, city staff told council the goal was not economically viable if the city wants the neighbourhood to remain affordable for local families.

“We have to remember the market that we work in,” said Derek Edstrom, strategic land development manager for the City of Kelowna.

LEED, as it is commonly referred to, is a global rating system aimed at encouraging more sustainable development.

It has quickly become the base-model for rating sustainable building in B.C.

The provincial government is using LEED standards to assess everything from schools to hospital sites in order to minimize environmental degradation on its building projects. But Kelowna has yet to have any buildings officially secure the LEED rating, let alone reach the gold level.

The official certification takes place once a building is complete.

Several new institutional buildings within the city are trying to achieve LEED-Gold status, and a few new commercial buildings are also on their way to achieving various levels within the LEED-rating system.

But council was told the system really is not well-suited to residential commercial projects at this point.

In addition, the Okanagan’s development industry was described as behind the curve in when it comes to sustainable building practice.

Demanding a building meets any LEED standard adds a minimum two to five per cent premium to the cost of construction, city council was told. And the expertise to hone those additional costs down simply does not exist locally.

The end result is that there would not be a large enough profit margin on the Central Green project for developers to secure the bank financing they would need to build.

The development is considered mixed use but the bulk of the buildings fall into the largely residential category.

City council was told if the site contains both a LEED-Gold rating and a 20 per cent affordable housing, it’s no longer economically viable for developers to bid on.

Long before Central Green was designed— a process which included extensive public consultation—Kelowna city council committed to ensuring 20 per cent of the site, which is owned by the city, be set aside for affordable housing.

On Monday afternoon, council curbed that goal as well. Councillors opted to drop the affordable housing component to 15 per cent from 20 per cent, with the proviso they pursue aiming for affordable rental housing over homes which would be purchased below market rates.

It was also decided consideration should be given to developers who ask to provide cash in lieu of building those affordable housing units.

As such, developers may have the option to pay for affordable housing units in the cheaper, wood-frame construction buildings on the site rather than build affordable housing into the pricier concrete buildings included in the plans.

One promise however remained intact.

Even without LEED-Gold buildings, the site has proven a measure of sustainability for the city planning concepts used to draft the plan in the first place.

The latest sustainability measure to come out of the LEED system is a rating system for neighbourhood planning.

That certification has yet to be officially developed, although Central Green stacks up at a gold level on the hypothetical ratings laid out thus far.

The city does plan on applying for that certification as soon as the option is available, said Doug Gilchrist, who is with the city’s real estate department.

Qualities like the five-acre park, the development’s proximity to transit and the in-fill nature of the new neighbourhood, whose very existence would limit urban sprawl, would earn the city top points.

As a city, Kelowna, like Olympians are ‘Going for Gold,’ Shepherd told the capacity crowd.

“We share the vision and idealism of the Olympics but there is at least one significant difference,” says Shepherd.

“The Olympics begin February 12 and end on February 28, but the City of Kelowna never stops striving for gold.”

During her 40 minute speech, Shepherd trumpeted the city’s successes in 2009 as well as objectives and challenges in 2010 and beyond.

The mayor pointed to the need for Kelowna to attract and keep more young people in the city, along with finding those people more affordable places to live and places to play.

“All of us here today face the challenge of managing expectations in a highly desirable city that attracts citizens from across the country and around the world.”

“Included in that challenge is the demographic shift, it’s affect on the labour force, real estate issues and the associated pressures that result from the clash between the desire to preserve what we have and the need to include and accommodate new residents.”

To do that, Shepherd says everyone must work together.

“The answers to these and other questions are best answered by working together, to formulate plans for the future and no one group has all the answers. Through consultation with our citizens and the business community, we can and are working through these challenges.”

Shepherd says 2010 will be a year of growth, partly due to the city’s past fiscal policy.

She says the city’s desire to build up strong reserves put it in a position to respond when both the provincial and federal government made stimulus money available for ’shovel ready’ projects in 2009.

The mayor says Kelowna received an ‘unprecedented’ $23M in senior government funding because it had strong reserve funds available to use.

The city’s contribution was $14.6M

“That nearly $38M in total funding laid the groundwork for us to continue building a vibrant, active and sustainable city. We got these projects going because we were ready.”

Projects going ahead include those at King and Elk Stadiums, the Apple Bowl, Rutland Arena and the Kelowna Family Y.

Shepherd says she also looks forward to the completion of projects such as Stuart Park, numerous pedestrian and cycle pathways, a new bridge on Gordon Drive over Mission Creek, Highway 33 widening, the Laurel Building restoration, sport facility upgrades, expansion of solar power installations, assisted living projects and completion of the Official Community Plan in 2010.

The mayor also indicated two controversial projects, Central Green and the Downtown Comprehensive Development Zone (CD21) are set to come back to council very soon.

Shepherd says The CD21 Zone will be back for a fourth reading February 22.

The on-line search engine launched ‘Street View’ in May of 2007.

Since that time, Google has added more cities and more streets within those cities.

To access ‘Street View,’ users type in an address in Google Maps and below the address, click the ‘More’ drop down menu, then click ‘Street View.’

Castanet Content Manager, David Fowler, says larger Canadian cities, such as Toronto and Vancouver, were added about six months ago.

Fowler says Tuesday’s launch includes several ’second tier’ cities, including centres around the Okanagan.

He says ‘Street View’ provides users a 360° horizontal view from a row of positions along the street.

“Google Maps allow us to see a general map of an area. It also allows us to see a satellite shot of the area. Now with ‘Street View,’ it’s literally a view of the area,” says Fowler.

“It’s like you are standing in the middle of a street and being able to look around 360 degrees.”

He says it allows you to do a virtual walk through of any street in Kelowna at any time.

“The photos are dated. I noticed on my street we had our street re-paved and a traffic calming measure put in. That wasn’t in when I went to see my house when I logged in.”

Street View vehicles were spotted in the Okanagan in the spring of 2009.

The Chevrolet Cobalt’s were equipped with pole mounted cameras on the roof of the vehicles.

Fowler expects we will see the vehicles around again in a year or so as the site gets updated on a periodic basis.

Aside from the obvious curiosity factor, Fowler says he believes the biggest benefit is to those people looking to buy a house in a new town or city.

He says in that regard, it’s revolutionary.

“I really think it is. If you are looking to buy a house in Kelowna and you’re from out of town, to be able to walk down a potential street that you may want to live on and get a feel for the area, I think it is an invaluable tool.”

Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, among others, have spoken out against ‘Street View’ due to privacy concerns.

Fowler doesn’t think that is as big an issue as people think it is since all of the images are at least a year old.

All Okanagan communities from the border all the way north are all available for viewing on ‘Street View.’

Some extra money has been found to off-set tax increases in the District of West Kelowna this year, keeping a little extra money in the pockets of property owners.

Just over $243,000 was remaining in West Kelowna’s budget last year because some one-time projects were not undertaken. The municipality was also able to find “efficiencies” in some of its departments, said chief financial officer Jim Zaffino.

Council had three options for spending the extra cash, Zaffino stated.

One would be to increase a contingency fund from $330,000 to $574,00. Another option would be to add the funds to build reserve accounts. The third would be to reduce the municipality’s 2010 property tax increase, which was forecast to be five per cent going into Monday afternoon’s budget deliberations.

By applying the $243,000 toward the 2010 budget, the tax hike would then go from the projected five per cent to an increase of 3.8 per cent, said Zaffino.

Based on an average home in West Kelowna, assessed at $492,000, taxes would then go up $51 this year, instead of the $67 increase expected under the five per cent scenario, a difference of $16.

Council voted unanimously to use the $243,000 to offset taxes.

Coun. Duane Ophus said council had gone through the budget with a “fine tooth comb,” and could afford to reduce the tax burden for residents this year.

“When we find that we’ve got $234,000 at the end of the day that has not been allocated to a necessary expenditure (then) we should be, in the current economic climate, doing our very best to minimize the tax increases that have to be passed on to the residents in the district,” Ophus commented.

Mayor Doug Findlater noted that he was never keen on the five per cent tax increase to begin with. However, during a preliminary budget meeting back in December, the remainder of council defeated the mayor’s motion, which asked staff to come back with a budget scenario using a three per cent tax increase.

“Being someone who advocated three per cent at one point, I’m very happy to see it move in that direction,” said Findlater.

Meanwhile, after the meeting media asked Zaffino why council would need a $330,000 contingency fund again in 2010, noting that council had only used $1,500 from the discretionary account in 2009.

Media questioned why council couldn’t take additional money from the seemingly large contingency fund to reduce tax increases even further in 2010.

“Just because it was not needed last year doesn’t mean it won’t be needed in 2010. It’s an insurance policy,” Zaffino responded.

In a new municipality a $330,000 contingency is not unusually high because a newly incorporated community would tend to have more “unknowns” to deal with, said Zaffino.

Mayor Sharon Shepherd and International Children’s Games President Torsten Rasch signed an agreement Tuesday morning officially naming Kelowna the site of the 2011 ICG Winter Games.

The games will be held from January 25 to 31 in Kelowna and Big White.

The event will attract about 1,000 athletes, age 12 to 15 in seven sports including skiing, skating, curling, and for the first time, hockey and speed skating.

Rasch has been in town since Friday meeting with city officials and touring facilities.

“We have seen wonderful sites for the International Children’s Games, opening and closing ceremonies. You have great facilities here,” says Rasch.

“The surroundings here is beautiful. We don’t have something like this in Europe and the quality of the snow is just unique. The combination of sport and children is something that you will all enjoy next year when they come from probably more than 50 countries.”

The 2011 games in Kelowna marks the first time these winter games have been held outside of Europe.

Rasch says it was an easy decision to bring the games to the city.

Mayor Shepherd says the games are a natural fit for the city.

“We are ready, willing and wanting to be recognized for the sports commitment this city has. We are really a sports community, we’ve put on major events and this gives us a unique opportunity to recognize the sporting community with the young people,” says Shepherd.

“I know we are going to do a superb job and we are assuming there will be great interest in other countries wanting to come to our community.”

Shepherd says the total budget for the games themselves is about $300,000, with the city and its taxpayers committed to just $20,000 of that. The hope is the city can recoup the costs and than some in order to leave a lasting legacy.

“It is not intended to (cost the taxpayers a lot of money), and in fact the economic benefit will far surpass the cost we anticipate it to be.”

The opening ceremonies will be held at Prospera Place Tuesday, January 25, 2011.

It is a one time only credit available to tax payers that own property.

It will only be available for the 2009 taxation year.

The time period to participate in this tax credit is between Jan.27, 2009, and Feb. 1, 2010, which will soon be upon us.

If you entered into a contract to have work performed before Jan. 27, 2009, you will not be able to take advantage of this credit.

Similarly, if you enter into a contract before Feb. 1, 2010, and the work is performed after that date, you will not be able to use this credit, but you will be able to deduct the cost of the item purchased.

If a portion of the contract was completed prior to Feb. 1, 2010, you will only be allowed a credit for the portion that has been completed regardless of the actual payment that you may have made.

This credit is considered a non-refundable tax credit which means that if your income is not high enough to take advantage of this credit, it is lost and will not be refunded to you.

This credit is family based, so you can split the credit over your other family members that may have a higher income, or you can transfer it to another family member.

Family as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency is you, your spouse or common-law partner and your children or your spouse’s or common law partner’s children.

If you own the property with another family, both families can take advantage of the entire credit—it does not get split.

The tax credit is calculated based on eligible expenses of between $1,000 and $10,000 which will provide a tax credit of 15% of the amount spent to a maximum of $1,350.

The first condition is that the property being renovated is considered an ‘eligible dwelling’ which means that you own the home/property and that you or a family member lived in that property during the period.

So if you own a five-acre farm and do some landscaping, the CRA will consider 1.24 acres as part of your eligible dwelling. Anything over will not be considered.

So if you landscaped the entire five-acre parcel, you will need to prorate your expense down to the 1.24 acre.

The next condition is that it must be an eligible expenditure.

To explain this condition, CRA has indicated what would not be eligible.

Such as work performed by the owner of the house, furniture, household appliances, home entertainment systems, tools, carpet or house cleaning, financing costs, expenses for a rental or income producing unit or any continuous contracts such as for landscaping.

What does your accountant need from you?

We will need to see your receipts, agreements and invoices.

These documents must have the following information on them at a minimum in order to be considered for the credit:

• name of the vendor or contractor, business address and GST number, if they have one

• date

• description of the goods purchased, delivered or services performed and the address of where the work was performed

• amount

• proof of payment which should be a credit card slip or cancelled cheque

You will be required to hang onto these documents for six years in case the Canada Revenue Agency needs to see them.

It’s creation, which coincided with the incorporation of the city, marked the beginnings of formalized health care here and served as the springboard for a facility that has grown over the years to become the largest hospital in the B.C. Interior

As the region has grown, so has KGH, which now serves the entire southern Interior, offering a diverse range of procedures and services that its founders would likely marvel at in wonder.

Some 105 years after opening, KGH is going through another transformation, this time not only adding to its physical space but by introducing new services such as full cardiac care and a medical school, that up to now were only available either in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

KGH is growing with a huge expansion that will see the addition of a new six-storey tower, 33,500-square-metres of additional space, a clinical campus building for UBC’s provincial medical school, a four-storey parkade, new operating rooms, a new, larger emergency department and a host of other services associated with a modern urban hospital.

The expansion, being done in conjunction with the addition of a new tower at Vernon’s Jubilee Hospital, is costing a total of $433 million.

The entire project is the largest public works project currently underway in the B.C. Interior and it is setting the course for the hospital for the next 15 years.

“It is a very exciting time,” says Mary Jane Cullen, Interior Health’s communities administrator for the Central Okanagan. “And it’s a great opportunity for Kelowna and the entire Interior Health region.”

The work underway here is expected to provide room for the hospital to grow through to 2024 and handle the growing demand for acute health care services throughout the region.

From her office at KGH, Cullen has, arguably, the best view of the construction. When she looks out her office window, all she sees is the hive of activity that is the KGH building site right in front of her.

Literally before her eyes, she is witnessing the new tower taking shape, as the hundreds of workers toil each day to prepare what will be known as KGH’s Centennial Building. It is scheduled to open in 2012.

It’s a massive construction project, complicated by the fact it’s a hospital—a facility that requires specialized work and different requirements depending on the department that will be housed in any particular part of the building.

But one word comes up time and time again when you talk to officials about the project—capacity.

It is something that is in desperately short supply at KGH these days and something all agree is needed. It’s also something the new building will provide.

As the population of the Central Okanagan has grown and aged, the demands on the hospital have also grown.

It’s not uncommon to hear about overcrowding at KGH and to hear of situations where surgeries have had to be postponed or “bumped” because of other, more immediate concerns. Often, there are just too many patients requiring medical attention.

Last year, the emergency department alone saw an estimated 55,000 people, up from 48,000 just five years ago.

Each year more than 12,000 surgical procedures are done at KGH and surgical waiting lists now number in the thousands. KGH is bursting at the seams.

It’s last major expansion was in 1992 when the existing Royal tower was built.

So it was with relief that locals learned three years ago that the province had approved plans to build another tower at KGH.

Then health minister George Abbott described the plan to expand both KGH and VJH as the largest single investment in the health system in the Interior.

Calling it a “tremendous milestone,” he said the plan showed the government’s commitment to health care in B.C.

While the initial plan called for a 12,000-square-metre addition to KGH, the decision to also plan for the future—the top two floors of the new six-storey tower will be set aside for future growth—was made after the regional hospital district said it would contribute millions of dollars to the project.

The original plan for the KGH tower grew by 93 per cent by the time the contract was awarded to Infusion Health, the company overseeing the design, construction and future maintenance of the project.

Infusion, in turn, contracted the design and construction of both the KGH and Vernon work to Graham Design Building, part of the large Graham Construction Group out of Calgary. Following completion, another company, Black and McDonald, will look after maintaining the building for the next 30 years.

Unlike many large construction projects, the work at KGH and Vernon Jubilee is being done as a design-build endeavour, meaning designs are being finalized as work continues.

According to Dave Corcoran, the project director for Graham Design Building, because the project is being fast-tracked, designing it as it is being built is shaving as much as two years off the work schedule.

In addition, the Centennial building, as the new tower will be known, and the accompanying clinical campus building for the medical school will both be certified LEED gold buildings, meaning they have achieved the highest level of energy efficiency in both construction and operation.

Corcoran said typically a project as large and complicated as a hospital would require at least two years in the design stage before site work would start. While there have been challenges, such as compensating for the high water table in the area, the design-build approach has reduced the time and construction crews are currently a few months ahead of schedule.

“It sounds funny but we are now in the final stages of design,” said Corcoran.

•••

The Kelowna work, which accounts for about $270 million of the $433 million total, is actually three projects in one.

In addition to the new tower, the separate clinical campus building for UBC’s school of medicine and an adjoining parkade have been built.

Those two structures were handed over to Interior Health last month and the medical school building is slated to open for students in the next year. Prior to that it will be used by both UBC and Interior Health.

It’s creation will turn KGH into a full teaching hospital.

“And that is a win-win for both clinicians and the community,” says Allan Jones, UBC’s regional associate dean of medicine for what is now known as the southern medical program.

The medical school’s reach will far exceed Kelowna, says Jones.

While teaching will take place here, technology will also allow teaching to take place at several other Interior centres, such as Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, Trail and Cranbrook.

The addition of the clinical campus building—a shared resource with Interior Health and KGH—means more doctors will be trained here and, it is hoped, decide to stay in the region after they graduate.

The local program will take its first class of 32 students in 2011 and will eventually have 128 students in the four-year program once it is fully up and running.

Jones said reaction to establishment of a medical school here has been welcomed by both local doctors as its partners, Interior Health and KGH.

The clinical campus building will contain features such as a lecture theatre, medical library, classrooms, offices and other facilities that will be used in conjunction with the new medical building under construction at the UBCO campus in Kelowna.

As part of UBC’s provincial medical school, the program here will also let students avail themselves of the resources and facilities in Vancouver, said Jones.

From the hospital’s perspective, the addition of a medical school is good news.

Dr. Jan McIntosh, chief of staff at KGH, said technology will allow direct interaction between teachers and students here and in other areas of the Interior and Vancouver, thus expanding the reach of the medical school.

The 3,158-square-metre building is located on Pandosy Street, at the south-east corner of the hospital site. The new 350-space, four-storey parkade is located beside it.

•••

One of the busiest departments in any hospital is the emergency department.

The expansion at KGH will see the emergency area move into the new Centennial Building, in a space nearly four times larger than it now occupies.

And that makes Dr. Mike Ertel a happy man.

Ertel, the head of KGH emergency, said his new department will allow for a much more effective use of the streaming strategy introduced 18 months ago here to help move people through the emergency not only faster but in a more comfortable way.

Instead of sitting for hours waiting to see a doctor, then moved to a bed and waiting several hours more for tests and test results, patients are now seen more quickly by a doctor for an initial assessment, so medical work such as tests can start sooner.

But with limited space, the existing facilities for patients who have been seen and who are waiting for the next stage of treatment at KGH are less than desirable.

The new space will be much more comfortable and larger. The days of 12 chairs in a cramped hallway opposite a toilet will be over, said Ertel.

The new streaming area will have 50 chairs in a large, airy, comfortable room complete with large-screen televisions and other amenities.

KGH was the first hospital in B.C. to introduce the concept of streaming and it appears to have caught on. Other hospitals in B.C. are now introducing it, following KGH’s lead.

Ertel said with a department that has seen increases of eight to 10 per cent per year in recent years, expanding the size of the emergency department was a priority for the hospital.

In addition to more space, the department will also have newer more conveniently located equipment to allow doctors on shift to help their patients in a much more timely manner.

Ertel said helping design and plan the new department has been an education for him and his colleagues.

“None of use have ever designed an emergency department before,” he said, but the opportunity to create a space for both patients and medical staff to comfortably and practically work in was an opportunity he said was not to be passed up.

Like many other aspects of the project, however, it was not without its own challenges.

While the physical building is being put in place, it requires both equipment and staffing. While some money has been provided by government for equipment, not everyone got all that they wanted.

Cullen said the new Centennial building will open with basically the same staff who work at the hospital new.

As the work levels grow, Interior Health will make its case for more staff to handle the growing demand, she said.

“Staffing is always an issue,” said Cullen.

One area where the hospital will add staff is to its new cardiac care centre.

With angioplasties already being done at KGH and full cardiac care—including heart surgeries—to start in 2012, Interior Health is currently interviewing cardiac surgeons. The construction of the new tower will mean additional operating rooms and that gives the hospital the ability to convert some existing operating rooms into cardiac care-specific operating rooms.

While long-term plans are being drawn up for a stand-alone cardiac care centre at KGH, it will initially operate within the existing hospital building.

KGH is just the fifth cardiac care centre in B.C., a move hailed as a major breakthrough after many years of lobbying and planning.

It’s hard to miss all the construction at KGH. The huge building shell, cloaked in a green material covering, stands out to anyone passing by. The signs are everywhere around the site.

And the project is filled with superlatives.

The concrete base it sits on—the raft—was the largest concrete pour ever in the Interior.

It took 40 trucks running continuously for two days. The size of the building is larger than the four largest retail stores in the city put together. The medical school is a first for the southern Interior. So is the introduction of cardiac care.

Kelowna General, it would seem, reflects the growing community around it.

But it is a facility that is changing as the needs of society change.

With one eye on the future and another on the present, KGH is proving, once again, to be a vital component of life in the Central Okanagan.

If the people are the heartbeat, it is the hospital that keeps the heartbeat going.

Keep Your Brush Ready

• You won’t want to clean your paint brush or roller every time you need to take a break. Wrap them in plastic wrap and seal them in a plastic bag. They’ll be ready and flexible when you return from your break. For longer storage (as much as a week), put the plastic bag with brushes in the freezer– yes, the freezer! Thaw out the brushes for an hour before you use them again.

Have Plenty of Rags for Wipe Ups

• No painter would be without a supply of rags. You’ll undoubtedly need to wipe off excess paint, catch drips, clean up spills, or wipe off your hands.

Razor Blades

• Scrape excess paint or drips from windows, tile, or glass with straight razor blades. The drips won’t smear, and the surface will be perfectly clean.

Simple Clean Up for Latex Paint

• When you’re done painting, take time to soak your brushes or rollers with latex paint in a solution of water and laundry fabric softener for about 10 minutes. Swish them around in the water, remove them, and rinse well with clear water. Wipe or roll off excess moisture, then air dry the brushes and rollers before putting away.

Extra Paint

• No need to save a big can of paint to store just the little that’s left over. Use a glass jar or pint size paint can to store excess paint. Remove the paint can label or mark the new, smaller container with important information. Include the date the paint was used, the color name and number, where it was purchased, the room where it was used, and where (wall, trim, etc.) If you have it, attach the paint swatch from the paint store.

Be Ready for Touch Ups

• Use small baby food jars or food storage containers to store small amounts of paint for touching up scratches or dents. Fill them with leftover paint, label where the paint was used (kitchen cabinets, master bedroom ceiling, etc.) and what type of paint it is (latex flat, oil eggshell, etc.), and place the containers in sealing plastic bags. When you need to make a small repair, shake the container well and dab on a spot of paint with a small foam brush or Q-tip.

Natural or Synthetic Brushes

• Paint brushes with natural bristles are meant for oil-based paints. Natural bristles will soak up the water and go limp in water-based paints. The newer synthetic bristles were designed for water-based or latex paints, but can be used for anything. Densely packed bristles that taper to a chisel edge help with painting a straight edge, cutting in or tipping. Split ends or “flags” hold more paint and spread it more evenly and smoothly. Choose the right brush for your job.

Foam Brushes and Rollers

• Foam brushes come in many widths, are inexpensive, and are great for small jobs or touch-ups. Foam paint rollers work well, don’t spatter the paint, and are easy to use when you want a really smooth wall. Don’t try them on rough surfaces, though, as they will not hold up.

Pad Painters

• Smooth pad painters offer simple and neat paint application and easy clean ups. Don’t apply too much paint to the pad, as it will drip. You’ll have to take it apart, clean it, dry it thoroughly, and start over.

Paint Rollers

• A paint roller with a plastic core will last longer than one with a cardboard core. Select a roller “nap” (fullness of the covering) according to the texture on your walls. Use a flat, smooth roller for flat, smooth walls and a thicker, more plush roller for rough textured walls.

Water-Based or Latex Paint

• New latex paints are formulated to be environmentally-friendly. Drying time is short (usually about 1 hour) and clean ups are easy with water. Apply water-based paints with rollers, pads, or synthetic bristle brushes. Latex paints tend to get a “skin” of paint in the can when they begin to dry out, so keep the can covered as much as possible. Pour paint into another container to work from and close the can.

Oil-Based Paint

• Most professional painters prefer oil-based paints, especially for cabinets, furniture, and trim. New formulations do not harm the environment and are not toxic. Because they dry more slowly, oil-based paints allow for better coverage and work well in warm, dry climates where water-based paints would dry too fast. Apply oil-based paints with pads, rollers, or natural bristle brushes. Clean up with paint thinner or other solvent.

Drop Cloths

• The best material for a drop cloth is a heavy canvas cloth. It’s not as slippery as plastic and covers better than newspaper. Fold the cloth to fit any size room and tape down the corners to prevent paint from oozing over the edge. To prevent scratching, be sure to vacuum hardwood floors before you put the drop cloth down.

Tinted Primer

• Most paint jobs work better when you use a primer or base coat. Have the primer or base paint tinted to match your surface paint color. You may be able to avoid a second coat of finish paint. For ceilings, try paint that is specially formulated for ceilings. Some brands go on light blue and change to white when dry. This makes it easier to see where you’ve already painted.

Painter’s Blue Tape

• If you’ve never used painter’s blue tape, why not? It has a waxy coating to keep paint from seeping through, is available in several widths, and provides a perfect straight edge for painting. It will not pull up the paint on the surface it’s stuck to, and the seal is activated when you put it down onto a smooth surface. Its special properties don’t last forever, so don’t leave it on the wall more than a couple of days.

Start Out Right

• You’ll enjoy the job more if you get everything together at the start. Organize a tool station in the middle of the area you’ll be working in. Gather together your paint, brushes, rollers, hammers, screwdrivers, plastic bags, plastic wrap, rags, paint can opener, and drop cloths.

Plan a Day for Prep

• Don’t try to get everything done in one day. Use the day before painting day to gather furniture in the center of the room, patch cracks and holes, put blue painter’s tape around doors and windows, and cover wall and ceiling light fixtures (light bulbs removed, of course!) with large plastic bags.

Clear the Decks

• If you can, clear out all the furniture and accessories. Take everything off the walls. If you can’t move everything out, place the furniture and lamps in the middle of the room and cover them with a good drop cloth. Be sure that you tape the cloth around the furniture. Then put a second cover of plastic or old sheet over everything.

Remove All Hardware

• It may seem easier to paint around door knobs or cabinet hinges, but unless you’re a professional, very experienced painter, you’re bound to get drips around. So carry around some zip top bags and remove all cabinet knobs and hinges, door knobs, light switch plates and outlet covers, and light fixtures. Place the pieces together in separate bags and clearly mark the contents and location (top left cabinet, bathroom door, etc) you took them from. This is a great time to clean the hardware! Put them back when you’re done painting.

Get Yourself Ready

• No matter how hard you try, you’re bound to get drips (or more) of paint on whatever you’re wearing. So take off all jewelry. Reserve some old, but comfortable, clothes for your painting jobs. Slip-on shoes are easy to take off if you need to leave the room. You won’t have to worry about tracking drops of paint into other rooms. When you paint the ceiling, put a scarf, shower cap, or old baseball hat over your hair and some plastic over your eyeglasses.

Don’t Paint Over Problem Walls

• If your walls have holes or cracks, fix them before you start with the paint. Any home center or paint store has knowledgeable personnel to guide you to the best products for the job. Wide cracks and large holes can be “bridged” with fiberglass tape, spackle will fill small holes and cracks, and texturizing products are available to match your existing wall finish.