By STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—As we stumble out of another winter, toward the warmth and light of spring, many homeowners will take stock of their abodes and decide whether this will be the year to repaint. And many others will take the opportunity to keep the windows open to repaint their interior walls after another long winter spent inside.
With terrific timing, Brandon Lumber (Ace Hardware) has just opened its new Paint Center at its store on Route 7 on the northern edge of Brandon Village. The Paint Center occupies the structure that used to house the laundromat. Now, the space is filled with everything you need to give your home a crisp new look, whether inside or out. It’s the only spot between Middlebury and Rutland where you can find the materials to refresh your home’s paint.
Store Manager Megan Volk and Sales Associate Dan Boyce were on hand for a “Contractors Appreciation Day” to acquaint local tradespeople with the new center. The place was buzzing. A representative from Benjamin Moore was also on site to answer any questions about their product line—Brandon Lumber is an authorized Benjamin Moore dealer and carries only Moore paints.
“The new center has been going great,” said Volk. “We’ve always owned this building and when the laundromat left, we knew we wanted to expand into the space. We can mix and match pretty much any color you bring in, down to a chip that’s only 2 millimeters wide. We’ve even matched the color of someone’s wallet!”
For all the antique houses in and around Brandon, Brandon Lumber carries Benjamin Moore’s line of historic colors as well. “We can arrange a color consultation,” Boyce added, for anyone who may feel a little daunted planning out a color scheme.
Boyce also noted that it’s possible to paint vinyl, so even if you have artificial siding you don’t have to replace it to change the color. One gallon of paint generally covers 350 to 400 square feet.
“The key is the preparation,” Boyce said. “Clean and dry. Make sure the substrate is sound. Replace any rotted wood or broken siding.”
Devon Fuller, a Brandon-based painter, echoed that sentiment: “Take the time to do a good prep job. Scrape well, sand, caulk cracks, and fill holes before priming. Always wear a mask when scraping and sanding.”
Colors for exteriors are trending toward lighter, pastel hues recently, said both Volk and Boyce. “People often save the bolder colors for inside, for accent walls and the like,” said Boyce. The great thing about paint, at least inside, is that it’s fairly easy to change if you grow tired of it.
And Brandon Lumber will create an account for your house so you don’t need to remember the names of the specific paints you used: it’s all saved on their computers, even down to the room the color was used for.
So, if you’re looking to shake things up a little bit this spring, whether it’s a full-house paint job or just a new look for a bedroom, stop by Brandon Lumber’s new Paint Center to see their vast array of colors and pick up all the equipment you’ll need.
