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Putting on a new coat of paint

Besides cleaning, painting is one of the least expensive fix-ups you can do

Besides cleaning, painting is one of the least expensive, major fix-up jobs you can do to improve the appearance of your house. If your walls haven’t been painted in the last 2 years, your house will benefit from a new paint job.

You’ve probably heard that when you’re going through the selling process, the new paint should be neutral in color. This means white ceilings, off-white walls or tinted in either browns or grays.

Before going to your local paint store, calculate how much paint you’ll need. If the existing walls are already neutral in color, you can figure on only needing 1 coat of paint. On walls with a deeper color, you’ll probably need 2 coats. Kitchens and bathrooms should be in gloss paint, heavy traffic hallways should be in a semi-gloss, and all other rooms should be in flat or satin finish.

When purchasing paint, don’t buy the cheapest paint available. It only will add to the total time required to paint. High quality paint (around $20 - $24 a gallon) looks better and goes on better and easier.

Paints are generally available in various sheens. They are also available in either latex or oil-base. Latex paints clean up with soap and water. Oil-base require solvents to clean up. For the average homeowner, latex paint is definitely the best way to go. For the professional painter, his choice is oil-base, because of the superior results and lasting finish. However, using oil-base paints requires a high degree of skill to do properly.

Painting Order

A room's surfaces should be painted in the following order (this includes priming of the surface if needed):

1 - Ceiling

2 - Walls

3 - Doors

4 - Trim, molding, windows, doors, cabinets, etc.

5 - Floors (if painting) In general: paint the room from top to bottom. This helps the project go much more quickly and smoothly, and makes cleaning up accidental drips easier as well.

Oil Based or Latex?
Which paint should you use?

Two types of paint: oil and latex

Latex Paints

Latex paints are a class of paints usually made by mixing different pigments and binders in water. Clean up with warm soapy water, shorter drying time, and low odor are the most notable features of latex paints. Latex paints are popular for many reasons:

• They quickly dry to the touch (half an hour in a typical interior application).

• They have less odor than oil/alkyd paint.

• Tools can be cleaned with soap and warm water.

• They retain their sheen/gloss longer.

• They retain their color longer.

• They are more flexible than oil based paint.

• They are low V.O.C. (V.O.C.'s are Volatile Organic Compounds), which are the amounts of unstable components let off into the atmosphere during use of a product. Regulations of V.O.C. are in effect to help reduce pollution. Latex paint is the least detrimental to the environment.

Latex paints resist blistering and peeling because they do not trap moisture. Latex paints use water to make the paint easier to spread. Microscopic pores allow water vapor to pass through the dried paint film. Because of this "breathing" ability, moisture is less likely to build up between the paint and the surface.

Oil/Alkyd Paints

Oil base paints were the first factory-made paints. The main difference between an oil/alkyd and a latex paint is the vehicle or carrier of the resin. In a latex paint, water is the vehicle. In oil paint, a solvent, such as paint thinner or mineral spirits is used.

• Advantages of oil base paints:

• Exceptionally durable and washable

• Adhere, flow, and level well - very good brushing qualities

• Performs well at lower temperatures

Tolerates poor surface preparation; have more bite onto the surface Oil base paints have some drawbacks over latex paints. The solvent vehicles have more odor than latex, they yellow with age, and require solvent for clean up, rather than soap and water.

Read: Handling problem wall areas