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Style & Decor: 9 Useful Tips for Painting Your Home
One of the best feelings you can experience in their lifetime is owning a home for yourself.
Still, you might choose to renovate your home to suit your style or even to become the brainchild of your imaginative and decorative ideas. Furniture, appliances and decor are all necessary but what’s a home without pops of colour and painted walls? Now, that is just as important!
Here are a few of our top tips to consider when painting walls in or on your home:
Rain or shine, the weather is an essential factor to consider, especially when painting the exterior of your home. A key to weathering the storm is to plan when painting. Choose a time when there is little to no rainfall or even better when the sun is out an about in its glory, especially as paint won’t dry thoroughly without heat.
The better the quality, the more money you will save. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is. Better quality paints reduce the number of times you’ll have to “refresh” the colour. So, when getting your can or bucket of paint, don’t cop out by buying cheaper brands that will fade more quickly and strip in no time.
Trust us; we’ve bought a few tonnes of paint ourselves so we can testify. 
Paints come in a variety of finishes, and all give different results, choose the right finish:
• Flat – hides flaws well but scrubbing will easily take the paint away;
• Eggshell – dries with a shine finish and is easy to wash;
• Semi-gloss/satin – very washable, more reflective;
• High-gloss – dries to a shine, easy to wash and maintain, but reveals surface imperfections and painting errors.
Just like how you would bathe before putting on new clothes, your walls need some scrubbing off before you can apply paint. Use a wet rag or sponge to wipe off excess dirt and grit. For rusty or rough surfaces or ones where the paint has begun to peel you will need to use a scraper or sandpaper to smooth out the surface for a better paint application.
Be sure to prep your area before you start painting. If you are painting outside, then cover your lawns, flowers or even patio furniture with tarpaulin, plastic covering or an old sheet. However, for interior projects, prep includes covering furniture, floors and using painter’s tape to seal areas like the crown or base mouldings. Ensure to cover your hair and clothes also, and wear something you don’t mind getting paint splattered on. Also, to prevent paint from accidentally getting into your eyes, it’s best to wear protective eye-wear, like googles or old sunglasses.
Why is priming a surface important? It prevents stains from bleeding through the paint. To get better results, be sure to get primers that match the type of paint you have chosen. For example, Latex paint goes better with a latex primer, and oil-based paints are more suited for oil-based primers.
When painting, ensure that you thoroughly mix the paint. Also, if you’re using more than one tin of the same colour and finish, you can combine the mixtures into one large container and doing this can save you time and energy.
Now that you have checked the weather, bought quality paint with the finish that suits your liking, primed the surface and prepped the space, it’s time to choose the correct brush or roller. Below is a list of options for brush choices:
Natural brush bristles – made with animal hairs are great for applying oil-based paints, and varnishes. They hold more paint and assure a smooth paint release and finish.
Blended nylon/polyester brushes – easy to clean and work well with all types of latex paints. These brushes are durable and built to handle numerous projects, so with proper care, nylon or polyester brushes should last for years.
Polyester brushes – like the blended version mentioned above, are best for latex paints. These brushes hold their shape and stiffness in any paint, and it ensures a smooth and even application.
Now it’s time to get your walls looking fun and fabulous!
