Your house is your lifetime asset. And it’s a matter of time when you take notice that your house needs renovation – not because it’s getting old, but because you feel the need for vibrant colors in your house.
Repainting your house is a tricky business. Some rely on painting companies to do the job for you. Hiring the house painting service may also cost you. But if you are planning to paint it yourself, you might want to consider the basics; and consider the time and effort you will put into painting your house.
PAINT
Many types of paint are available today, some giving different surface finishes; others are designed for a particular application. Choosing the correct paint type may appear confusing at first, but once you have projected which theme you would like to paint your house and sorted out which job and what finishes you want, the choice is rather easy.
There are two bases of paint for your house: solvent-based (oil or alkyd) and water-based (latex). Oil-based paints dry slow – usually taking up to 24 hours. The best clean-up for oil-based paint is turpentine or paint thinner. Latex paints’ advantage is that they dry relatively fast, but they are not desirable in hot weather or direct sunshine. The best clean-up for latex paints requires just soap and water. So if you are painting the inside of your house, it is recommended to use water-based paints, while solvent-based paints are suggested for painting the exterior of your house.
There are different types of paints that are either water-based or solvent-based that produce different finishes measured by their sheen factor. “Sheen” is a term used to describe the degree of light reflection the paint has. Lesser sheen for an interior or exterior paint means it has lesser stain resistance.
· A Gloss paint is easy to clean and resists scuffs better. This is ideal for rooms that are constantly used. Most gloss paints are best recommended on woodworks, baseboards, kitchen and bathroom walls, doorjambs, and window casings. The downside of using gloss paints, however, is the noticeable imperfections in the wall surface.
· High-gloss paint is highly reflective and works well for highlighting details, such as trim and decorative molding. They are also the best choice for doors and cabinets – or any area that sees a high volume of abuse.
Semi-gloss is also suitable for rooms with high humidity (best used for children’s rooms) and can be used for trim works and casings. · Semi-gloss paints are very similar to gloss plaints except it has a lesser sheen. These paints ensure maximum durability.
Paints that are smooth and low-sheen are ideal for your living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and dens. · Eggshell paints provide a smooth and low-sheen finish. It is washable and ideal for bedrooms, hallways, home offices, and family rooms.
· Satin paints offer a good combination of easy-clean and moderate sheen. These paints go a step above eggshell in scrubbing ability. They perform and look great in just about any room.
· Flat paints (matte paints) are non-reflective and always a good choice for large walls and ceilings. Flat paints hide imperfections on wall surfaces and spatter well during application. Flat paints are the best choice for vinyl and aluminum siding that is scratched or dented because it hides imperfections and spatters less when applied. These paints are ideal for low-traffic areas such as formal dining rooms and master bedrooms.
Special paints have been innovated from different consumer insights and brilliant paint technology that allows specific paints for specific needs.
· Ceiling flats are designed especially for ceilings. These are usually extra spatter-resistant.
· Primer paints maybe oil- or water-based and are used to seal unpainted surfaces to prevent covering coats of paint soaking in. The appropriate type of primer should be used for the surface being painted – wood, metal, plaster, or tiles. There are some ‘all-purpose primers’ available which are designed for two or more of these surfaces.
· Anti-condensation paints are used for rooms with humid conditions such as kitchen and bathrooms. This paint is usually formulated to prevent condensation and often includes fungicide.
· Fire-retardant paints do not resist fires completely, but its fire-resistance formulation prevents it from spreading fast.
