Painting My Favorite Home Improvement!
Home improvement jobs are something that is near and dear to me. I love doing things to fix up my house. More importantly, I love the satisfaction I get when I am able to make the improvement by myself. One of the easiest home improvements that you can do yourself is to paint!
Almost anyone can be successful painting a room. You just need the right tools for the job. If you don't have the right tools, painting a room can be much more difficult. Carefully select your paintbrushes, your brand of paint, and your paint finish. Make sure the brushes and paints that you have chosen are the right ones for the job at hand.
For example, if you are painting with a very inexpensive latex paint, you may discover that you have to put four coats of paint on the wall instead of two. If you are using a cheap brush and roller, you will probably find little chunks of roller, and individual bristles that have fallen out of your brush stuck to your wall as well.
How do I know this? Well, when I first started painting, I didn't know that better tools made for an easier job. I picked quite a few bristles out of drying paint, as well as little chunks of fuzz that continually shed off the roller. I don't know about you, but I don't particularly like fuzzy, chunky walls.
Paints have several finishes such as flat, eggshell, satin, semi gloss, or gloss. Each of these types of paint has its own purpose. If you are painting a kitchen or a bathroom, you should probably select a semi gloss or gloss style paint. Each of these styles of paint can withstand a higher moisture content in the air.
When I take a shower, the mirrors tend to fog up in the bathroom. The condensation that you see on the mirror is not only on the mirror - it is also on all of the walls in the bathroom as well. Considering that, a semi gloss or a gloss style paint is a must-have in my bathroom and probably in yours too. Water does not easily penetrate a semi gloss or gloss finish. If you have a flat finish paint in a room that has high humidity, you may find yourself painting again before too long.
Another place that you should consider using a semi gloss or gloss is in a room that is used by children. Children tend to touch the walls much more often than adults do. Semi gloss and gloss painted surfaces are very easy to clean. You can usually remove marks from this type of wall with a simple cloth and your average household cleaner. This can be a real time-saver if you have small children.
Flat paint finishes are often used in living rooms, and formal dining rooms. Flat paint does not have any reflection or shine, hence the name "flat", and are usually reserved for the more formal areas of your home. Flat paint is not easy to clean and tends to show the slightest mark, touch, or rub. A better, or higher quality brand of paint will clean more easily than a cheaper brand of paint.
Painting is an easy way to really freshen up your home. As I said in the beginning, I love to paint and I get a lot of pleasure from the big change that paint can bring to a room. I also love all of the complements that I seem to get after I make a room over with paint. Try it for yourself - I think painting is the easiest home improvement that anyone can do by themselves!
