Picking Paint

Picking paint can be a confusing endeavor. You must consider what part of the house or business you are painting and what finish is best for the space. Do you want something easy to clean or is that not as important? Will you be painting over brick, wood, tile, metal or other surfaces?

Choosing a Paint Finish

Let’s break down these questions. First of all, all paints are not equal. Some are easier to clean while others can be scuffed up more easily. This has to do with the finish of the paint and not the color. If you are painting walls in high traffic areas, such as hallways, kitchens and bathrooms, it is likely the paint will take a beating; while living rooms and bedrooms, not so much. For the high traffic spaces of your home you may want to think about a gloss or semi-gloss finish as these are more durable and easier to clean. A flat color may be fine for low traffic spaces. Knowing where you will be painting and how you use that space is the key.

Painting Over Various Mediums

Now let’s talk about painting over different materials. You can paint over bricks, countertops, metal, tile, walls, wood and so much more. Again, getting the right paint is key. For this you will want to talk to a pro at your local paint store. Without a paint made specifically for certain surfaces, you could face issues of peeling over time or end up with a finish that looks bad.

Final Considerations

Finally, there are a few more things to keep in mind. First, if going over a light wall color with a dark color, get your primer tinted to the color you will be painting. Primer is cheaper than paint and it will ultimately save time when painting the finish color. This is also true when repainting a dark wall to a light color.

Second, if something was painted with an oil paint be sure to paint again with oil paint. If you paint over an oil paint with a latex paint or vice versa (paint over a latex paint with an oil paint), the paint will flake off over time. This happens because latex and oil paints expand and contract at different rates.

Lastly, dark colors will fade faster than light colors. This is even more true in high sunlight spaces. You may encounter issues with matching color when you come back a year later to do touch ups.

So now that you know some things to think about before you start your next painting project, enjoy the home improvement process and if you need help with your next painting project, contact me!

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