House Painting 101

There has been much written on the affects of color on the moods of individuals. Behavioral psychology books may be a good source on this subject.

Here are some general concepts:

- Warm Colors (Red, Yellow, and Orange) attract attention, create excitement, promote cheerfulness, and stimulates action.

- Cool Colors (Blue, Turquoise, Green, and Purple) relax and refresh, promote peacefulness, encourage and concentration.

- Light Colors (Off Whites, Light tones) make areas seem more spacious and tend to give people a psychological lift.

- Dark Colors (Deep tones) Make areas appear smaller and long exposure can create a feeling of monotony and depression.

- Bold Colors: Attracts the eye and creates excitement.

- Whites: Reflect more light and denote cleanliness. They can unite spaces.

Touching up an existing painted surface can be challenging - professional painters wrestle with this constantly. Ideally, use paint from the same can that was used originally, but reduce it about 10% to 15% with the reducer recommended on the can. If you are touching up walls on which the paint was applied with a roller, use a small trim roller. If the paint was brushed on, use a brush.

Apply a small amount of the touch-up paint and "feather" the edges, starting at the outside edge of the touch-up area into the center of the area. "Feathering" entails drawing the brush across the area outside of the touch-up onto the new paint to create a transition that diminishes the appearance of the touch-up. If the surface had to be patched, use a primer sealer. Try to prime and paint to a natural break. Please note, though, that sometimes repaired areas may be noticeable. In this event, painting the entire wall may be the best option.

Enamel is a broad classification for finishing materials that dry to a smooth finish. In the past this term referred exclusively to oil based products, however, new generation latex products are also at times referred to as enamels. Because of these factors, enamel as a paint term has become somewhat ambiguous.

Oil based products are those products that typically are composed of pigments dissolved in a mineral spirit such as paint thinner, while latex products are an emulsion suspended in water. The obvious differences are that oil based products require mineral spirits for clean up, have a longer dry time, and have a stronger odor while drying to a harder finish. Latex products typically will dry faster and clean up with water.

Oil based products are used primarily where a harder finish is required, however, today's improved latex products have allowed for the substitution of latex in nearly all scenarios that had traditionally called for an oil based material.

Yes, Our Bath Paint as well as Duration Home have been specially formulated to provide a mildew resistant finish in humid environments such as bathrooms. These tough durable finishes are suitable for use on interior walls, ceilings, and trim. Common household stains may be removed with nonabrasive cleaners. When applied according to label directions, these products will resist mildew growth and will remain washable.