Paint is a very inexpensive way to spruce up the interior of any
wall quickly and easily if you know the right kind of paint you need
and exactly how much to buy.
Luckily with painting you get the tedious part of the job over
with first...the preparation work!
PREPARING WALLS FOR PAINT
If your walls have never been painted you will need to apply
primer. Unfinished drywall can soak up paint very quickly and
applying a coat of primer as a base coat can help protect your
drywall, give you a smoother finish and is less expensive than
washable interior housepaint. You can color tint your primer coat or
leave it white.
If your walls have already been painted, use a paint scraper to
remove any loose or chipped old paint. You may want to sand the
surface to provide a smooth painting location. Fill any drywall
holes with spackling compound too.
Clean dirt off your painting surface. If you have young children
that have colored on the walls with marker or crayon you will want
to stop the stains from bleeding through to the new paint. Hardware
and paint stores carry stain blocking products you can spray or
brush on.
PAINT CHOICES
Paint is available in thousands of colors and a variety of
different sheens. The sheen determines the brightness the paint will
exhibit on your walls or ceiling because the lower the sheen, the
minimum amount of light the paint will reflect. Minimum sheens can
help reduce glare and hide small surface imperfections but the sheen
you choose can also create more difficulty in cleaning and
maintenance.
Flat paint is the lowest sheen available. It is often used on the
ceiling because it does not draw attention to the paint and does not
require more cleaning than an occasional removal of cobwebs.
Satin paints are also known as lo-luster or eggshell paints. They
have a slight sheen and are easier to wash than flat paint. They are
a good choice for hallways.
Semigloss paint is the perfect paint for children's rooms,
kitchens and bathrooms because of their durability. You can also
purchase a specially formulated paint additive to add to paint used
in areas with high moisture content to prevent mildew growth and
formation.
Gloss and high-gloss paints, also known as enamel paint, dries
very hard with a high sheen. Doors are often finished with this
paint to withstand high traffic and dirty hands that require
constant scrubbing and cleaning. Its mirror-like sheen is also
popular for woodwork and kitchen cabinets.
HOW MUCH PAINT WILL I NEED?
purchasing the right amount of paint that you need can save you
time and money in the long run. Measure once and then again to be
absolutely sure that your figures are right.
To estimate your ceiling paint multiply the length of the ceiling
times the width. This will give you the area.
LENGTH X WIDTH = AREA
Next, divide the area by 350 to determine how many gallons of
paint you will need. Where did we come up with the number 350? Most
gallons of paint will cover 350 square feet!
To estimate the wall paint needed, add together the length of
each wall then multiply the sum by the wall height.
LENGTH + WALL HEIGHT = AREA
You can even subtract 20 square feet for each door and 15 square
feet for each window in the room.
Divide the final figure by 350 as shown above to tell you the
number of gallons to purchase.
