PAINTING TIPS

Paint is a very inexpensive and easy way to spruce up the interior of any room, very quickly but you must know the condition of the wall, how to paint and the amount of paint needed.

The choice of the paints: Paint is available in thousands of colors and a variety of different textures, sheens and coats. There are so many changing choices in the trend but one must be clear what the paint will look like.

* The shine determines the brightness the paint will exhibit on your walls or ceiling.
* The less the shine of the paint, the minimum is the glare or the reflection.
* The shine of the coat hides the small imperfection but are difficult to clean and maintain.
* Paints also come in mat finish which is easier to clean and reflection is not there.
* Semi gloss paint is the perfect paint for children's rooms, kitchens and bathrooms because of their durability.
* The enamels are used for painting wooden surfaces.

Making the walls ready for the paint: The condition of the walls determine the amount of colour needed and the finish. Here are some points to take care of:

* If the walls are never painted before, they will soak a large amount of paint if applied directly, thus a coat of primer should always be used as the base coat.
* It also gives you a smoother finish.
* If your walls have already been painted, use a paint scraper to remove any loose or chipped old paint.
* Fill any drywall holes with spackling compound too. Clean dirt off your painting surface.
* Hardware and paint stores carry stain blocking products you can spray or brush on.

How to determine the quantity of the paint needed: The right amount of paint needed requires a skill and should be purchased carefully.

* 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.