Have you ever gone to a friend or family member’s house and every time you get there you notice that something looks different? A room has been painted or furniture moved maybe? Well, I HAVENT and am always surprised that everything looks the same as it did the last time I was there. I am one of those people who like’s things feeling fresh and new. I will move a piece of furniture around until I feel like it is in the right spot, and then in a few months, move it again. I love duvet covers and command strips and wall decals. AND I love paint!!! I will paint and then paint again if I don’t like the color. Painting is the best way to freshen up the look of you house.
Before I start a painting project I research myself into a tizzy and always feel that I am well prepared to make a good decision regarding the products that I choose. Unfortunately, a lot of the product descriptions or “claims” that I read and the advice I’ve gotten from store salespeople were wrong or disappointing. I’m a perfectionist so when something doesn’t deliver as promised, I get mad. Hoping that you all can learn from my mistakes is why I will bore you with the details of my painting woes.
Painting is a seemingly boring topic, right. One that involves going to the store, putting the color swatch under the right light, bringing home and painting. Ha, if only it were that simple. I’ve spent many an afternoon cursing and frustrated. I’ve used many popular paint brands in the 6 years I’ve lived in my current NC house. I’ve been particularly interested in the “one coat to cover” and low VOC paints. I can tell you in no uncertain terms ALL of them were still really stinky; ALL of them needed two good thick coats of paint and ALL of them needed days of good room ventilation. One actually involved the need to stuff a towel under the door to keep the smell from permeating the other rooms of the house. Ridiculous when you spend $55 on a gallon of paint BECAUSE it’s low VOC.
I had gone to the Benjamin Moore store having researched the Aura paint in Eggshell and left there with Regal Select costing $55 a gallon. Not only did the salesperson tell me that it was better and less smelly but also talked me into the Matte finish. To make matters worse, two women in the store added their two cents. I must have been sniffing paint to change my mind. The matte paint touts the ability to “touch up” the paint unlike other paints so there is no need for a choosing a shiny finish for durability. In my experience, it is not that easy. Unless you want to paint the entire wall again, stick with the eggshell finish.
I’ve painted with Lowes Valspar and Olympic (low VOC / High Definition) lines as well as using Home Depot’s Behr paints. Bottom line, don’t do what I did and buy expensive paint because it is supposed to be thicker or be “high definition” (whatever that is) or to be less smelly. The truth is, these low or no VOC paints are that way UNTIL they mix with it the color. Apparently the color is the “smelly” additive. So since you can get away with adding color to base product you are better off just buying regular paint and opening the windows.
Two new tips that I’ve recently learned that have made my life so much easier: One, to get nice clean lines when using painters tape, your first layer of paint when cutting in should be very light. Using a light coat will prevent the paint from bleeding and will seal the tape. Once it is dry, you can go back and paint a heavier coat. Two, after removing the paint can cover but BEFORE pouring the paint, take a flat head screw driver and a hammer and puncture a few holes in the ridge that collects all the paint when you pour it out. These holes allow the paint to fall back into the can rather than dripping down the side of the can and on to your drop cloth.
I hope that these help you in your endeavor to freshen up your home.
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