Painting the Interior and Exterior of Your Home


By Stephen Drummonsy


Interior:

Painting the interior of your residence can seem to be a scary undertaking, but with planning and preparation, it can be achieved successfully.

One of the first options you will will need to make is what colour or colours you are going to use for your scheme. When determining the colour scheme there are things to keep in mind for example if you are painting in order to sell, or if you are painting for your own decorating. If you are planning to sell your home or flat in the near future, you need to stay with a more basic palette of colours than if you are doing this for you.

The next evaluation you will want to make about the preference of paint is the finish type. Paint arrives in many different finishes or sheens including flat, eggshell, semi-gloss and gloss and depending on the room or rooms you are painting, every one has its correct place in painting. Flat paint is best at hiding any imperfections and works good on ceilings. Eggshell or possibly a semi-gloss paint should be used in rooms that may require the reflection of light and the washability afforded with these finishes. Trim around doors, windows and baseboard as well as kitchens and bathrooms are typically painted with both a semi-gloss or gloss finish paint as these areas need more frequent cleaning.

Other supplies you will need include brushes, rollers, paint pans, ladders, tarps or other covers etc. When paying for paint, paintbrushes and roller covers the thing to bear in mind is to purchase the highest quality you can manage to pay for, quality in these items will without doubt have an effect on your finished project.

When you have finally made the decisions on colour, finish and type of paint (oil or latex based) and invested in your different materials you get to everyone's least favourite part of the project, which is the preparation. Move out as much furniture etc. as you can from the area to be painted, fix holes, cracks and other defects and mask or tape off areas as needed. Cover floors and other items with protective sheeting and gather all your supplies.

Begin your painting with the ceiling, then the walls and paint the trim last. Whilst painting the same colour or close to the same colour you might get by with one coat, but if not plan on painting two coats to get the finish and resilience your project deserves.

Exterior:

The outside looks of your abode should be as pleasant as the inside, so painting the exterior is the first step that you have to do towards making it your home.

Your welcoming paint shop personnel can help you in deciding on the right paint for your home. Converse with him about the materials in your home - whether it is drywall, plaster, stucco, brick or wood, because different surfaces require different preparations and coatings. Research and choosing a quality coating are two fundamental steps in achieving a durable and long-lasting paint job.

Now that you have everything on hand, let the painting begin!

Check the temperature. It is best to work with a temperature higher than 10 degrees Centigrade. Also check for the dampness of the surfaces, it ought to not be damp, otherwise paint will develop bubbles and fragment off. Also keep away from painting during foggy conditions.

Clean the surfaces. Remove dust and dirt, old chipping paint, irregular spots and protruding nail heads before filling with putty after it is dry.

Mix the paint meticulously by stirring well before and during use to ensure colour uniformity.

Painting tips: always paint from the top down to avoid drips and spatters, brushing or rolling is the best choice in painting methods. Spraying is also a great technique, but it needs more skills and practice to achieve the desired results. The method you select will depend chiefly on the chosen paint and construction of your house. Some require a combination of both, some do not.

Take into account that in this activity, you are required to be physically healthy and capable of tough work. Another point, exterior painting is a dirty job especially if your building is in fact in a bad shape. It can also be relatively dangerous depending on its height, you may have to to use ladders or scaffolding. In this case it would be good to think about hiring expert painters, experienced in such tasks.

Exterior painting is difficult work and by doing it yourself, you may or may not pull off the results that you’ve been expecting. Planning exterior painting means arranging a lot of things, so you really have to to plan it carefully, otherwise you’ll end up wasting the paint you’ve purchased. So put a lot of effort in planning of the steps you need take as well as the effort necessary prior to starting the task.


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