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Interior Paint
Preparation
Several things
should be taken into consideration before painting the
interior of your home. You need to select the proper paint
for each room, decide on what interior wall surface you
want, figure out how much paint will be needed, and make
sure your home is ready for a professional painter to
perform the job.
Interior paint can be divided into two main categories;
latex paint and oil based paint. Latex paints are what
most homeowners use for interior walls. It is fade
resistant, easily cleaned with water and comes in a wide
array of colors to suit your needs. Latex paints come in
different levels of gloss. The glossier the paint, the
more wear and tear it will take. For this reason, it is
best to use glossy latex paint on rooms that will receive
more traffic. Flat paint is non-reflective and hides minor
imperfections making it a good choice for living rooms and
ceilings.
Oil based paints work well in rooms that tend to be more
humid such as bathrooms and basements. It is also
recommended to use on wood trim, cabinets, and metal
surfaces. Oil based paints are durable, moisture
resistant, and contain a high-gloss enamel finish for
extreme conditions.
Once you have selected the paint you want, you need to
figure out how much of it to buy. The easiest way to do
this is to calculate the actual square feet of space that
will be coated. Typically, a gallon of paint will cover
400 square feet, but it is best to check how many square
feet the gallon of your intended product will cover. Once
you have determined this, all you have to do is divide the
number of square feet to be painted by the number of
square feet that a given product can cover.
Selecting an interior wall surface is another important
decision. There are several different wall surfaces to
choose form. The two most common interior wall surfaces
are gypsum wallboard and plaster. Gypsum wallboard is
usually referred to as textured drywall or gyp board.
Drywall can also be smooth. Wood is also used, both as
paneling and as wainscoting.
Last but not least, before you begin your painting, or
before you expect to have a professional arrive to do the
job for you, you must take the time to prepare the work
area. This requires you to move all furniture away from
walls. Make sure to protect furniture and other items with
a cloth of some sort. Also, you may need to do some
cleaning to remove dirt and dust off baseboards and from
corners. |
