When it comes to refreshing the look and feel of your home, it’s amazing how effective a new coat of paint can be. If the time has come to add a bit of fresh colour to your home, Buildit can help. We often find that homeowners are uncertain about what paint to use on their walls. Some homeowners are not even aware that they are likely to need a primer as well, to prepare surfaces for new paint. Once you know what paint and primer you need, your task gets much easier. Here are a few tips to help you decide what to buy. 

Your Paint and Primer Options

There are different kinds of paint for different surfaces. Before you pour any paint into your trays and get your rollers and brushes wet, you need to be sure that you have chosen the right kind of paint. Moreover, the surface you are painting may need a primer before you paint it. A primer is a paint-on coating that you apply to a surface to help the paint to adhere thoroughly and last longer. 

So, before you leave the store with any paint tins in your hands, let’s first find out exactly which paint and primer you will need. As you make your decision, keep the following factors in mind: 

-       Location

-       Surface type

-       Choice of finishes

Location

Where are the walls you are planning to paint? Indoors or outdoors? In an area that is typically dry, or one where the wall is routinely exposed to heat and/or moisture? All of these factors will determine what paint and primer you will need.

Interior walls are best served by water-based primers with eggshell or satin finish paints. Oil-based primers and paints are best for exterior walls, as they will need to be more resilient to withstand various weather conditions. For bathrooms and kitchens, you will need primers and paints that are formulated to resist the growth of mould and mildew, and that will not start to peel or chip when exposed to water or steam.

Surface Type

Your choice of paint and primer will depend on whether you are painting over old paint or covering a clean, bare wall. If you are painting over a previous layer of paint, you will need a primer that can effectively cover the old coat. You need to ensure that you select an oil-based or acrylic paint to match the old paint type.

If you are painting on a bare wall, you will need a good primer to ensure that the first coat of paint adheres properly. Again, you will need to make sure that the primer type matches the type of paint you have selected. For an indoor wall in a bedroom or hallway, for example, you can easily use an acrylic paint, but then you should use an acrylic primer. If you are painting a bathroom wall, choose an oil-based paint and primer to provide adequate protection against moisture. If you are painting a wall that has some staining from smoke or water damage, you can use a stain-blocking primer that will prevent the blemish from showing through the new paint.

Choice of Finish

What kind of look and feel do you want on your walls? An eggshell finish has a flatter appearance, which creates a softer look and hides blemishes. Satin or semi-gloss finishes are more durable and washable. When choosing a primer to go with either of these, just make sure that you use acrylic primer with acrylic paint and oil-based primer with oil-based paint.

Read our blog for more home improvement tips. 

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