Colorad Springs Interior Painting

A room looks wonderful with a fresh coat of paint. But if you have a "Love-Hate" relationship with painting, you'll want to read our tips on getting a great finished product. You might even enjoy the project as much as the finished product! Don't try to get everything done in one day. Use the day before painting day to gather furniture in the center of the room, patch cracks and holes, put blue painter's tape around doors and windows, and cover wall and ceiling light fixtures (light bulbs removed, of course!) with large plastic bags. Now on to paint choices.

Latex paints

Latex Paints can be thinned with water and are easily applied. Compared to oil-based paints, the advantages of Latex paints are:

• Less odor
• Water cleanup
• Nonflammable
• Rapid drying
• Easy touchup
• Easy application, even on damp surfaces
• Better gloss and color retention (less fading) on exterior surfaces
• No yellowing on interior surfaces
• Remains more flexible and less brittle, which makes them less likely to crack and peel.

The disadvantage, especially of some lower-quality or promotional products, are poorer adhesion to blistered, peeling or chalking surfaces, and, in some cases, less-effective hiding qualities.
Latex paint films on wood allow moisture to evaporate through the film, reducing blistering.

Oil-Based Paints

Oil-based paints consist of a pigment in a vehicle made up of resins and thinners. When thinners evaporate, the resins form a hard coating while the pigment forms the color.
Major advantages of oil-based paint are:

• Better penetration of the surface
• Better adhesion
• Wearability
• Better flow and leveling
• Dry to a smoother finish with fewer brush or roller marks.

The disadvantages of oil-based paints are the odor, cleanup with solvents or thinners and longer drying time. Also, oil-based paints cannot be applied to moist surfaces.

Interior Paints And Enamels

Interior paints are available in flat (no shine), satin, semigloss and gloss (high shine).
Enamels provide a high-gloss washable finish for hard-wear areas or for rooms such as the bath and kitchen that require a high resistance to moisture, dirt and grease. Today, companies not only sell high-gloss, but eggshell or even flat enamels. Interior paints are sold in various formulations-oil based, alkyd based or synthetic based, latex, etc.
Flat paints usually have an alkyd- base that thins with turpentine or mineral spirits, or a latex base that thins with water. Latex paints are usually vinyl or acrylic based or a combination of the two.
Alkyd Flat paints may hide better with one coat than will comparable latex flats, but brushes and other tools must be washed with turpentine or a similar solvent. Latex flats spread easily, especially on porous surfaces, and seldom require a primer. Tools clean with water.
Flat wall paints are usually applied to ceilings and walls, except in kitchens and baths. Semigloss or gloss paints withstand the frequent washings required in these two rooms.
For windows, doors, wood trim and other woodwork, satin, semigloss or gloss enamels are recommended. These surfaces get more wear than walls, more fingerprints and soil. Because glossier enamels wash more readily, they are more desirable.
Semigloss Latex paints serve well as finishes for wood-trim areas. They have the advantage of water cleanup.
Because enamels and gloss paints dry rapidly, more care must be exercised in application because they tend to brushmark, especially on hot, dry days. Preparation of interior surfaces is vital to good end results. Surfaces must be free from grease, dirt, mildew, chalking, etc., washed well, thoroughly rinsed with clear water and allowed to dry before repainting. Cracks and holes must be repaired and patched areas spot primed.
If surfaces are badly soiled, a trisodium-phosphate (TSP) cleaner may be necessary. However, phosphates are a recognized pollutant and TSP is more prone to deposit crystals that impair adhesion than do some other products.
When repainting glossy surfaces, sufficient cleaning materials must be used to dull surfaces, or they should be lightly sanded. An alternative to sanding is the use of a liquid cleaning/dulling solvent. High-gloss surfaces typically do not provide good adhesion for new coats of paint.
Painting over wallpaper is not recommended; the old covering should be removed. Once painted, wallpaper is extremely difficult to remove.

Do's of Interior Painting

• Wash all grease and dirt off walls and woodwork.
• Patch cracks in walls and ceilings before painting.
• Seal all new surfaces with a primer.
• Scrape off all loose paint and sand the surface to a smooth finish.
• Stir paint thoroughly before any applications.
• Allow new plaster to dry before painting.
• Properly ventilate area to be painted.

Don'ts of Interior Painting

• Don't expect good results on dirty surfaces.
• Don't paint over a damp surface with oil-base paints.
• Don't apply the second coat of paint until the first coat has dried properly.
• Don't sand woodwork across the grain.
• Don't change cans of paint in the middle of a wall area.
• Don't add thinner to the product unless directions call for it.

Lead Warning

About two thirds of the homes built before 1940 and one-half of the homes built from 1940 to 1960 contain heavily leaded paint. Some homes built after 1960 also contain heavily leaded paint. The sale of lead-based paint for residential use was banned in 1978. Lead can be on the walls, the woodwork and on the outside of houses.
Lead paint in good condition is not usually a problem except in places where painted surfaces rub against one another and create dust. For example, when you open a window, the painted surfaces rub against one another. In older buildings where the paint is not in good condition, lead paint can chip off or wear off. Lead dust and chips can also be created during preparation of surfaces for painting and during renovating or remodeling. The dust and chips are especially hazardous to small children.
Lead can be harmful even at Iow levels. Even children who appear healthy may have high levels of lead in their blood. You can't tell if a child has lead poisoning unless you have him or her tested. In many cases, the harm lead causes cannot be reversed.
Being exposed to lead can affect a child's mental growth. Lead interferes with nervous system development, which can cause learning disabilities and impaired hearing. Children with lead poisoning may complain of headaches or stomach aches or become very grouchy, but they often show no symptoms of lead poisoning.
Adults can get lead poisoning through occupational exposure as well as through home renovation and remodeling activities. In adults, lead's health effects include high blood pressure. In extreme cases, lead poisoning can cause comas, kidney or brain damage, or death.
If you are remodeling, test for lead paint first. Some local health departments offer a lead testing service. If this service is not available, you should hire a qualified inspector.
If high levels of lead are detected, you should not attempt to remove the lead paint yourself. Instead, you should hire a person who is specially trained to correct lead paint problems, who knows how to do the work safely and has the proper equipment to clean up thoroughly. Improper removal of heavily leaded paint can endanger the health and lives of the entire family.
Contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-LEAD-FYI for information. The purpose of this federally funded service is to provide information to the public on lead.

If all this sounds to difficult or complex, that's because, it is. Your best, and safest plan is to hire a proffesional local, Colorado Springs painting contractor. Call Bart Rafferty of Rafferty Painting and Construction for a free estimate @ (719) 492-3176.