. sczcasa; Yes, and no. Sounds like a car salesman answer, huh ? . . . The spectrum that the sun puts out is FAR wider than just visible light / photons. This is the part of the spectrum that we see. And, these photons do bounce around; some will hit something AND get absorbed; some will not and will be reflected back out the window. A solar collector is optimized to capture a WIDE portion of the spectrum of the sun's energy . . . visible ( that's why they're usually black/matte finish ), infrared, UV; whatever. Therefore they are good black body absorbers . . and hence collect from a wide portion of the sun's spectrum. They simply re-radiate whatever they collect across the entire spectrum; as heat for the most part. That's why the window material and type can make a big difference in their operation . . . . a high efficiency glass may indeed block some of the spectrum that could be used to generate heat. Stick black and white ( otherwise identical ) buckets full of water out in the sun some day . . . . see which one gets hotter . . . they're both subject to the same type and amount of solar insolation; but ABSORB differing amounts. So, yes; you're right . . . the very same energy that could generate heat with one of these heaters is present in a room without one . . . . but much of it randomly is reflected and therefore ununsed . . . And no; you're wrong . . . by choosing the makeup of a collector instead of relying on random things in a room; allows you to optimize the capture of a wider range of the spectrum to re-radiate as heat. I'm not saying these things are great and work wonderfully . . . I haven't used one. But the principle of their operation is indeed sound; and not a hoax. Bob

Thanks for you responses. We will be painting the interior of a 1958 house with original slightly textured plaster walls, with coved ceilings, and priming and painting panelling in rec room. I think the lines are fairly straight, but I will check with a level. Also, someone recommended getting a sprayer and spray painting. Is this easy to learn and truly a time saver for novice spray painter? We will be painting about 2000 square feet of home interior, including ceilings. We have always used rollers and brushes in the past, but looking for time savings as we would like to paint before we move in and have limited time frame. Thanks.

Well, I don't have a wand, but I will say that I think laminate is great stuff. I've never been sold on granite (ducking projectile tomatoes) and laminate gives you so many choices...so many colors! Here are some questions to think about. 1. Do you want light or dark? A light countertop is easier (on the eye) to work on and will brighten your kitchen more than any other element. More functional light is reflected off horizontal surfaces than vertical surfaces, countertops particularly since they are closer to windows and artificial light sources. Dark counters are very fashionable right now. Dark wood, dark granite, dark soapstone. It's mostly done with white cabs, but you see dark counters almost everywhere at the moment. Very elegant. Would this look suit the style of your kitchen and your home? 2. Do you want something that mimics a natural material (like granite or wood) or something that says "Hey, I'm plastic and that's okay!" Think boomerangs! As for the wood look, that's being shown in a lot of high end kitchens where I suspect nobody cooks! ;-) But a deep dark warm wood-look laminate could be fabulous and very up to the minute (without the upkeep of real walnut!) 3. Do you like to see or not see toast crumbs? IOW, do you want your counters to hide the bits and pieces of everyday life or do you want something very clean looking so not a crumb escapes? 4. To bring out the natural richness of your oak cabs, think about the opposite side of the color wheel...blues because they are directly opposite orange, and greens because they always look good with wood. 5. What is your style? MCM? You need boomerangs! Soft Contemporary? Maybe a finely speckled stone look alike. Country? Traditional? Tuscan? If you have a particular style, look at other kitchens in the same or similar style and try to mimic what they are using. If you haven't been to the Finished Kitchens Blog, you should look there for ideas and inspiration. Don't get freaked out by the big-ticket things you see over there (!) just see what appeals to you and make a note. Remember, you can get a neutral countertop material and do the color thing with paint. It's less risky and better for resale if that looms on your horizon. Or you can do a bit more color on the floor, which will also hide some dirt, and then pull that color into a lighter countertop material with a melange of color, including hints of whatever color you choose for the floor. After you have thought about these questions, you should be able to eliminate a lot of choices and start to zero in on what you want and need. Then, go to a store that has lots of samples. Maybe not a big box store...I don't know if they have a full representation or not. (You can ask.) See what draws you eye and see if it meets the criteria you set by answering the questions above. Order or borrow samples to live with for a while. When you're down to a couple of choices, get a bunch of chips and line them up so you can try to replicate a larger area. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thank you all so much!! I'm going to be doing my bathroom, and promise to post before and after pictures. AnnieDeighnaugh' Your work is an inspiration, will make sure to pick colors close to each other. Thanks for sharing your beautiful painted room. I think the walls in that bathroom were done with plastic bags, it's the only room which is same as when old owner was here....in fact when we moved in I painted the ceiling, but left the walls same. ghostlyvision thanks for the suggestions, will do as you suggested. I think they sell a smaller brush for corners. Considering I haven't painted a room in many years, this whole project will be interesting. johnnycabot' I'm so glad you used it, the suggestion about the plate, and all others I know will make it easier for me. I plan on using 2 colors, painting the room one color, and then putting the glaze on top, is that how you did it? madeyna I will practice first. I originally wanted someone to do a venetian glaze in this bathroom, but the price was to high....DH wants to move in next few years, I'm hoping this will give me a similar look that I will enjoy.