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Tips and Tricks for Selecting Paint


Many, if not most, of us have painted a wall in our homes. It is a rather basic process, however there are a few tips and tricks to make the process go smoother and achieve a better result.

First, we need to select a color, sometimes called hue. The color can be red, blue, yellow, etc. A color also has a value - which is how light or dark it is, or how much white or black is added to the color. The value can turn red into a burgundy or a pink. Colors are also classified by saturation, sometimes called chroma. The saturation is determined by how much grey is added to the color. For example, is the blue you are looking at a bright electric blue that is very saturated, or is it a storm cloud blue that is rather muted?

When selecting a color, you can go to your local home improvement center and select many different samples to take home - don't feel embarassed to take twenty or more. Keep in mind that most homes have different color light than a large store. Also, the color of a home's light changes as the day progresses. During the day, there is different colors of daylight with lamp light and at night there is only light from lamps or candles. I have found that the best way to select a color is to attach all of the samples from the store to the wall to be painted and stand back at least five feet to examine the samples. Take down only the samples that you do not like. Keep the samples that you like up on the wall at least an entire day so you can see how they look in the different light. Hopefully you will be left with one sample that you like the most, else go back to the store and select more. You may want to take your color rejects with you to compare with the new samples you are selecting. Now it is time to get paint.

This may seem silly to add to this article, but it is a tip that I often forget. When going to get your paint, try not to go on Friday night, Saturday morning, or early Saturday afternoon. The wait time is usually around an hour whenever I forget and go at these times. Not only do I have to wait for an hour, but I am also rushed and unable to get the store's paint mixer's full attention if I need to ask questions. Don't purchase your paint too early before you start painting, because the paint will need alot of remixing after sitting for a long period of time.

So, what type of paint do you select? First, I would suggest using the best quality paint that you can afford. This will enable you to get the best coverage with the least effort. The store's paint mixer can offer suggestions.

When selecting a sheen, there are several options to choose from. The least shiny is called flat. I like flat aesthetically the best for walls because it gives almost a suede like finish and hides imperfections in your wall the best. The only downside to flat is that it is not as cleanable as other sheens and can scuff easily. If you have kids or a high traffic area, flat is probably NOT what you want. On the other end of the spectrum is high gloss and semi gloss. This paint is mainly used for painting door frames, cabinets, and furniture. Usually this paint is a stinky enamel that is hard to clean up, takes a long time to dry, and is not very easy to use. It is very cleanable and scuffs are easily removed. In between flat and gloss is eggshell and satin. These are very good wall paints for areas of high traffic, such as a kitchen, entry, kids rooms, and hallways. Some paint manufacturers may have other sheens available that I have not listed.

When you go to the paint counter, you can tell the paint mixer exactly what you want and the color you want. Often the paint mixer has other manufacturer's paint color recipes in their computers, or they can color match your paint. The paint mixer will select the appropriate paint base per your color. The base number refers to the amount of paint that is in your can. Darker and more saturated colors require more pigment to be added, so less paint needs to be in the can so it doesn't overflow.

Probably the most important additional item to purchase is primer which is like paint, but you apply it before you apply your paint. Primer is cheaper than paint and can often be tinted to be close to the color of the paint you are using. Primer helps eliminate many problems that can arise, such as paint not adhering to the wall properly, uneven color, eliminates undercolor bleeding, cracking, and many others. Many paints will say on the can whether they suggest a primer. It is best to use the primer that is suggested to be used with the paint that you are using. That particular primer has been tested with that particular paint to make sure it produces a quality finish.

So, how much paint do you need? It depends on the paint and whether you use a primer or not. If you are painting a light color over a dark color, or a dark color over a light color, then I would defintely use primer. You might also require 2 coats of paint - sometimes more for very dark colors. I would suggest reading the back of the paint can to see how many square feet it covers. Also, some specialty paints are so thick that their coverage is only 1/5 the coverage of a traditional paint, which can get very expensive.

Once you have your paint and primer, don't forget the brushes, rollers, roller trays and liners, drop cloths, and painters tape. Wood stir sticks and paint openers are often given complimentary. The store's paint mixer is usually qualified to answer any questions you may have, so don't hesitate to ask.



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