5 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Paint

Paint is one of the easiest ways to change the look and feel of a space. To give your home a make-over, choose two different colours or two shades of the same colour, paint one wall or paint all the walls. The great thing about paint is that if you’re not quite happy with the end result, you can easily repaint it to get the look you want.

Spend More For Quality
The costs of having to redo walls will cancel out the “savings” you get by buying cheaper paint. The more expensive paint is better quality and will last longer.

Look At The Gloss
Sheen refers to the degree of shine. Usually, the higher the gloss, the better the paint will stand up to stains, abrasions and cleaning.

Choose Colour Wisely
Light colours open up a room, while darker colours add depth and warmth. Use a dark colour on an accent wall if you don’t want to make the room look smaller. Also pay attention to the colours of other items in the room, because they can reflect light and change the colour. For example, a red wall on white furniture will make the furniture look pink or vice versa.

Use The Right Equipment
Use brushes with long and dense bristles – nylon for water-based paint and natural for oil-based paint. An angled brush, a trim brush and a roller should be fine to paint your walls, but ask at your local hardware store before buying.

Do The Prep Work
Paint will cover more uniformly and adhere better to clean, dry, non-glossy surfaces. Scrape off any flaking paint, fill holes and wash dirty walls. Ask at your local hardware store about applying a primer to the walls beforehand, which will help to conceal stains and ensure the colour is absorbed easily.

Tip: Stick tape along skirting boards and window frames if you want to paint a straight line or you want to avoid getting paint on a certain area. When you remove the tape, be sure to wipe off any possible smears straightaway before the paint dries.