Blog

interior house panting costs in Northfield

Friday, March 04, 2011

The Fundamentals of House Painting

You can consider you house as your lifetime asset. And it's a matter of time when you take a notice that your house needs renovation - not because it's getting old, but because you feel the need of vibrant colors in your house.

Repainting your house is a tricky business. Some depend on painting companies to do the job for you. Prior to hiring a house painting service, you have to consider either exterior or interior house panting costs in Northfield. But if you are planning to paint it by yourself, you might want to look for the basics; and think about the time and effort you will put on painting your house.

THE PAINT

There are several kinds of paint available today, some giving different surface finishes, others are designed for a particular application. Picking up the appropriate paint type may appear to be 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 slowly - usually taking up to 24 hours. The best clean up for an oil-based paint is turpentine or paint thinner. Latex paints' advantage is that it dries relatively fast, but it is not desirable in hot weather or direct sunshine. The best clean up for latex paints require 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 many types of paints that is either water-based or solvent-based that produces different finishes that is measured by its 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 perfect for rooms that are frequently used. Most gloss paints are finest recommended to use 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.

· A High-gloss paint is very much reflective and works well for highlighting details, such as trim and decorative molding. They are also the top choice for doors and cabinet - or any area that sees a high volume of abuse.

· Semi-gloss paints are very similar to gloss plaints except it has lesser sheen. Semi-gloss is also suitable for rooms with high humidity (best used for children's room) and can be used for trim works and casings. These paints ensure maximum durability.

· Eggshell paints give a smooth and low-sheen finish. Paints that are smooth and low-sheen that is perfect for your living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and dens. It is washable and ideal for bedrooms, hallways, home offices and family rooms.

· Satin paints present a good combination of easy-clean and moderate sheen. These paints go a step over 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 spatters 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 may be 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 fire in spreading fast.

It is also significant that before painting your room, you use a primer. A primer will aid paint stick on to the surface by providing a uniform appearance. It is a must to use a primer if you are painting over new wood, bare wood, drywall, or repainting over existing bright or dark colors.

Before doing this, you have to know the condition of the surface you wanted to paint. Regardless of whether the base coat is oil or latex, you must dull glossy paint by sanding or de-glossing it with a chemical de-glossing product. If you don't dull glossy paint, the second coat will streak and not stick to the base coat when drying.

Posted on 03/04 at 02:01 PM
(0) Trackbacks • Permalink