How to Choose an Interior Paint Type

woman looking at purple paint samplesAs the weather cools down, you decide it’s time to tackle the interior painting project you’ve been putting. You go to the store and bring home a ton of different paint samples. When you finally decide on one, you find there are not only different paint colors, but paint types as well. You like the shade, but did you choose the best paint type for that particular room in your home? We break down the basics for you.

Paint Primer

Primer is the base coat applied to walls at the beginning of every painting project. Primer is used to protect the fresh surface below and keep it strong. For instance, if there is an accident that sends something heavy into the wall, the plaster is less likely to crack from the pressure between the primer and coats of paint.

Interior Wall Paints

Once base coats have been applied and the surface is stabilized for better paint adhesion, it’s time to pick your main event: The decorative finish! What are the differences between reflective, low-sheen and glossy paint?

Eggshell Paint

For homeowners who want a subtle shine, but are looking for a sturdier paint, eggshell is the way to go. This type of paint has a soft appearance, helps smooth bumps and cracks, and is easy to clean. We recommend its use in a dining room, where there is low foot traffic.

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4 Reasons to Choose Neutral Colors for Interior Rooms

neutral wall colors and bright accents Is bold always better? Not when it comes to the walls in your home. As painters, we love the freedom to express feelings through color, but also recognize that vibrant shades can have a negative effect on a room’s ambiance. For instance, painting the bedroom bright red when that space is meant to be serene and relaxing for sleep.

If you’re in the market to repaint your interior rooms, why should you consider more neutral tones?

More Appealing to Homebuyers

Everyone has their own sense of style. Some people prefer patterns, while others like a solid color palette. When looking for a new home, many potential buyers would prefer a blank canvas rather than dramatic colors that can limit decor and accents. Neutral colors allow buyers to better imagine how they can transform a space to reflect their own personalities.

The Rooms Will Be Brighter

Oftentimes, homes have to compete for natural light. Whether it’s the inconvenient placement of trees in the yard or a home’s layout facing away from the sun, rooms can be dim during the day. Neutral colors tend to reflect light better than darker tones, especially in smaller rooms, so homeowners can rely on electricity less often.

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5 Signs It’s Time to Repaint an Interior Room

woman looking at purple paint samplesAs homeowners, we’re so concerned about the outward appearance of our house that we can sometimes neglect the interior. When you spend hours mowing the lawn, weeding the garden and manicuring the shrubbery, there’s less time to keep the inside tidy. One day, you notice that the walls of your interior rooms are looking lackluster. Is it time to repaint? Consider these 5 signs before making a decision.

You’re Ready for Change

Have the walls been the same color since you moved into your home? Maybe it looked new at first, but years later, you no longer like the color scheme. As furniture and home accents evolve, so should your paint colors. If it’s time for a facelift, start browsing paint samples!

The Paint Is Peeling

When moisture seeps below the protective layer of interior paint, it can lead to premature peeling. This often happens in rooms like the bathroom and kitchen. Although it may not bother you at first, trapped moisture can also cause mold to form, which can be toxic.

The Colors Are Fading

Interior rooms that see plenty of sunshine during the day can start to fade after repeated exposure. Even if the paint application is holding up fine, you may feel dissatisfied that the original color you chose for your walls is a shadow of its formerly vibrant shade.

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Warning Signs of a Poor Paint Job

Wallpaper and paint samplesAs a homeowner, you should be proud of your property rather than self-conscious about its appearance. However, when a poor paint job leaves the exterior or interior rooms dilapidated, it can be frustrating. You spend a lot of time maintaining your yard and cleaning up after the kids, but can only do so much to distract from cracked, fading paint.

A contractor you can trust, M. Brett Painting has been transforming homes and businesses for over 25 years. We outline 3 warning signs to help you avoid another painting disaster.

Lack of Preparation

In many cases, the outcome of a paint job is a direct result of the painter’s preparation. Care before you start a job, as well as during and after, is often the key to painting success. For instance, if primer is not used before applying paint, the color may not shine through as well or have a smooth finish. Let’s take a look at preparing an interior surface vs. an exterior one.

Interior Rooms

Before starting an interior paint job, all furniture and light fixtures should be removed from the room. Cover outlets, windows and floors to prevent paint splatters from staining. The walls should be thoroughly cleaned of dirt, dust and other debris to promote paint adhesion.

A Building’s Exterior

At M. Brett Painting, we pressure wash the exterior of a home or business before applying new paint. Debris is removed from all surfaces, including siding, fencing and decks. Then, the surfaces should be hand scraped and sanded before the project begins.

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Tips to Touch Up Your Interior Molding

entrywayDo your interior rooms need a refresh? One of the most cost-effective ways to remodel a home’s interior is to repaint the molding. When your trim is faded, chipped or otherwise damaged, it has a negative effect on the rest of the room. If your interior paint jobs are relatively recent, but your molding faces everyday wear and tear, consider a molding touch up.

Choosing the Right Color

Wall molding is a strip of material used as decoration between surfaces – for example, the connection between the wall and the floor or ceiling. There is a whole glossary of molding terms, but let’s focus on the baseboards, room dividers and other surface transitions.

Among all choices of color, white or off-white is the best option for molding, but can be a double-edged sword. Your scratched baseboards will look crisp and good as new in a shade of white, but homeowners must keep up with the maintenance to keep the pure surface clean. A medium- to high-gloss sheen helps protect against premature depreciation and is easy to wipe clean.

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Paint vs. Wallpaper for Interior Rooms

paint roller and wallpaper samples You’ve decided to update the interior rooms of your home or office, but face an important question: paint or wallpaper? There are pros and cons to each, depending on how the space is used and the atmosphere you want to create. We offer four tips to help make your decision easier.

1. Don’t Worry About the Current Design

If your walls are currently covered with wallpaper, don’t feel like you have to replace the old with new vinyl, fabric, embossed or cloth wallpaper. The same goes for paint! If you want a patterned, textured wall instead of paint, don’t hesitate to make the switch to wallpaper.

2. Do You Need a Quick Solution?

If you’re in a bind and have little time to redesign a room, your options become more limited. Paint typically requires much less prep time than wallpaper and an interior project can be completed within a couple days. Wall blemishes are spackled and dried within 24 hours, then the surface can be primed and painted.

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Choosing Interior Paint Colors for Your Home

green and yellow paint samples What’s your favorite color? This is a common “get to know you” question that we’ve been asking one another since we were little. Colors hold a lot of significance in our lives; we choose clothes, cars and phone cases based on our favorite ones. Colors also have a profound impact on our mood – does yellow make you feel calm or uneasy?

When it comes to the rooms of your home, you likely don’t want to feel anxious. If you’re considering repainting your rooms, we offer five quick tips to help you choose the right colors for you.

1. What’s the Layout of the Room?

The color you choose for a room will partially depend on how the space is set up. When a room get a lot of sunlight during the day, your color options can become limited. Natural light can make an already bright color, like red, overstimulating to the eye. For rooms with several windows, softer hues of blue or white might be more appealing.

2. What Is the Purpose of the Room?

Each room in your home serves its own purpose. Whether a space is used for work, relaxation or entertainment will play a big role in your color decisions. Colors can be matched to most moods; blues and greens are known to be more calming, whereas shades of orange can spark creativity. The general rule of thumb is that brighter colors work best in more social environments and neutral colors create a calmer, more formal atmosphere.

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Why Does Interior Paint Crack and Peel?

Mother and daughter testing paint colorsFor the average homeowner, the impression that guests have of your home is important. The typical business owner works just as hard to make their office space a welcoming environment for clients. When your interior rooms have cracked or peeling paint, it defeats that goal.

What are the most common reasons for cracking and peeling paint?

1. Poor Adhesion to the Surface

Before painting, it is necessary to prepare the surface. Commercial buildings can experience wear and tear over the years that result in scratches or holes in the walls. It is important to scrape and sand these surfaces before applying primer. In a residential setting, it is equally as crucial to prime before painting for a long-lasting job.

2. Moisture or Dryness

When condensation seeps inside your home or office around windows, the paint begins to lose adhesion with the wall. Such high levels of moisture can also be found in bathrooms from excess steam. On the other hand, extreme dryness in rooms that see little moisture can cause paint to split and crack.

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Preserving Home Interior Paint Jobs

Children looking at newly painted wallNothing lasts forever, but with the right care, you can extend the life and luster of the paint in your home. Time will certainly take a toll on the appearance of paint in certain rooms, but there are steps you can take as a homeowner to ensure your paint jobs last.

Clean Up Messes

Depending on the size of your family, you may have your hands full keeping the house neat and tidy. Young children have a habit of making a mess and the walls of your home are often the target of markers, food and other objects. It’s important to stay on top of blemishes by cleaning the walls, ceilings and floors as soon as something happens.

The kind of paint used also matters, since some need to be treated with specific cleaners so not to fade the color. You can’t watch your children every minute of the day, but the sooner you act on spills the better!

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Best Paint Colors for Commercial Interiors

Wallpaper and paint samplesChoosing paint colors for your home is pretty easy when you only have yourself to satisfy. However, when you are planning on painting the interior of an office, retail store or restaurant, you also need to take staff and client opinions into account.

To make your commercial building more attractive, consider these tried and true colors versus the hues you probably want to avoid.

The Best Paint Colors

Blues: Unlike the genre of music, blues are a popular color for commercial buildings. Great for doctors’ offices and other places where people may come in feeling nervous, a deep navy or soft sea hue has a more relaxing effect than other colors.

Greens: Like blue, green can also achieve a calming presence while still being active and upbeat. Greens work well in boutique retail stores, where the intent is to keep the client positive and engaged while browsing your merchandise. Green has also been proven as an ideal color for office conference rooms, since it puts employees and clients at ease during meetings.

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