Room Painting

Someone sent me this email from the the Paint Quality Institute. I read through it, checked out their website and found that they had tons of great information on painting your house. The article below is strictly about painting a bathroom. I thought it contained some very useful information.

The article covers:

expense, color scheme, colors that make your room look larger, preparation, clean-up, warmth or coolness of colors, types of paint, durability and the "order" in which to paint.

INTERIOR PAINTING AN ECONOMICAL WAY TO REFRESH A TIRED-LOOKING BATHROOM

Waking up and walking into a tired-looking bathroom is

a tough way to start the day. . .which may explain why the bathroom is the most

frequently remodeled room in the home, according to recent research by the Paint

Quality Institute.

But in these trying economic times, many families either can’t afford –

or refuse to spend – the thousands of dollars it can cost for a new shower,

vanity, and tile.

What can you do if your bathroom is in need of a makeover, but your

budget won’t allow it? “Think about repainting the room,” suggests Debbie

Zimmer, spokesperson for the Institute. “For less than $100, almost any

bathroom can be refreshed and given an exciting new look.”

The fun part of painting is selecting a color scheme. Most paint retailers

have an abundance of color cards from which to choose. Your job is to pare down

the palette to the ideal color for your bathroom.

Consider whether you want your bathroom to feel warm and cozy or look cool

and sleek. Reds, oranges, and yellows tend to warm up a room, while blues and

greens make it seem cooler.

“Your preference may depend upon where you live,” says Zimmer. “Up

North, where the winters are longer, you might welcome the warm feeling created

by a golden tone, for example; but if you live where the summers are long and

hot, you might prefer a ‘cooler’ color.”

Color can also be used to enhance the perceived size of your bathroom, says

Zimmer: “Many of us wish that our bathrooms were bigger, but aren’t willing to

incur the expense of enlarging the room. Interior painting offers an

inexpensive alternative: Painting the room in a light color will make it seem

bigger.”

While there really is no right or wrong choice when it comes to color, that

cannot be said of the quality of paint you use in your bathroom.

“If you’re on a tight budget, you might be tempted to buy a cheap paint, but

even the best paints are still very affordable,” says Zimmer, “and there really

is no comparison when it comes to performance.”

The Paint Quality Institute recommends that consumers purchase only top

quality 100% acrylic latex interior paint for indoor projects. This type of

paint is more durable and long lasting than ordinary paint. It also is ideal

for use in bathrooms and other damp, humid areas, since it typically contains

special additives to fight off mildew.

Zimmer recommends that consumers use a glossy top quality paint in the

bathroom. “Top quality paint made with 100% acrylic in a high gloss or

semi-gloss finish has especially high mildew resistance. Plus, paints with

higher levels of gloss resist staining and are easier to clean,” she says.

If you’re still hesitant to pay a little more per gallon for a top

quality 100% acrylic latex interior paint, consider: Many of these paints

function as both primer and paint, and they have improved “hiding” capability.

So, you’ll likely need to apply just a single coat of top quality paint, while

you might need two or more with a lesser-quality coating.

Only a small amount of prep work is required before painting a bathroom.

First, clean the walls, ceiling, and woodwork by scrubbing them with a sponge

and mild detergent solution. If mildew is present, it should be removed with a

bleach solution of one part bleach to three parts water. (Note: When using a

bleach solution, or working overhead to clean the ceiling, it’s wise to wear

rubber gloves and safety glasses.)

After cleaning all the surfaces, rinse them off with clean water and

allow them to dry before applying your paint.

If you’re doing a complete makeover of your bathroom by painting every

surface, you should follow some time-honored procedures.

Start by painting your ceiling to help prevent any paint spatter from

marring a just-painted wall. Next, paint the walls. Then, follow up by

painting the windows, door, and trim. Complete the job by painting the

baseboards.

While working, you may want to keep the room ventilated by opening a window

or two. But if you’re applying one of the new top quality latex paints, you

will probably notice little paint odor. That’s because today’s advanced latex

paints emit only a small amount of the “volatile organic compounds” that cause

the typical “paint smell” associated with oil-based paints.

Take comfort in the fact that low-VOC latex paints are good for the

environment. . .and for the health of you and your family. And enjoy your

freshly-painted bathroom!

For more tips on interior painting, visit www.paintquality.com.

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