Many interior and exterior house painting tips have been embellished over the years by interior decorators and DIY home improvements websites.
In this article, we look at seven popular painting misconceptions and bust those myths with the truth.
Professional House Painting Tips
Myth 1:
Dark colors always make a room look small.
The Truth:
Before you decide against a dark paint color, consider the perception you want to achieve with the space. On the interior, a darker accent color adds variety for the eye and makes a small room appear larger. Darker colors can also draw a large room in and make it feel cozy.
On the exterior, a dark color base appears to push your home back from the street, giving it a sense of privacy and space.
Myth 2:
You don’t need to paint your home before selling.
The Truth:
This is a 'money' house painting tip. It is almost never a waste of time and money to paint your home prior to selling. In fact, numerous studies reveal that a home sells faster and for a higher sales price with fresh paint.
The key is to choose interior paint color schemes that buyers love and give your home curb appeal on the exterior.
Myth 3:
High gloss paint is the most durable.
The Truth:
High gloss paint used to be the go-to choice moisture-heavy rooms like bathrooms and kitchens. It was also great for high-traffic areas and kids' rooms.
There are pros and cons to a high gloss. For instance, it actually spotlights surface imperfections and it's tough to paint over. But it reflects a lot of light and cleans up easier than other sheens. So you'll want to choose surfaces for high gloss carefully.
The truth is, thanks to advances in paint technology, today's paint products have features like mildew, stain, and scratch resistance. Most sheens are durable enough to cope with the demands of humidity, cleaning, and busy families.
Related: Paint Sheen - The Ultimate Guide
Myth 4:
You must always use two coats of paint.
The Truth:
This is probably one of the biggest painting myths around. In fact, I wrote an entire article about whether one coat of paint is enough on the exterior. Both DIYers and professional painters tend to follow this rule, regardless of the circumstances.
Save yourself some money when you can. The number of coats depends on how well the area is prepped for painting and the quality of the paint products used. Taking those into account, your interior or exterior may only need one coat. We will include our recommendation in your written proposal.
Myth 5:
Primer is optional.
The Truth:
It's essential to use a primer in most cases. Not only does a primer help give your walls a professional look, but it also helps paint adhere to the surface.
The origins of this myth may come from professional painters who knew of very specific, and rare, circumstances when a primer isn't needed. There are some variables. For instance, on bare wood, you always need a primer. When repainting the same color on clean well-prepared walls, spot priming can sometimes be enough.
Myth 6:
Using a primer means you don’t have to clean the walls before painting.
The Truth:
One myth we hear often is that a good quality primer eliminates the need to clean your walls. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Primer is the foundation undercoat that seals the surface material, increases the paint's durability, and locks one or more layers of paint color to the surface.
If the surface area has even a light layer of dust or is stained with spots of grease, dirt, or handprints, clean your walls so the primer will adhere properly.
Myth 7:
You should always paint your trim white.
The Truth:
White trim is the trend right now, or a matter of personal preference, but that certainly doesn't mean you have to follow the crowd. White trim stands out against a colored wall. If you paint the trim the same color as the wall, the trim blends in and makes the wall appear taller.
Alternately, accenting trim in a color you like, that matches the base coat, is a great way to express your style or create the desired atmosphere for the room.
House Painting by Professionals
One last painting myth we feel obligated to mention - "do-it-yourself painting saves money".
In truth, professional painting with quality paint products increases the time between painting up to four times or more. We own the best equipment, we only purchase the paint you need at volume discounts from recognized manufacturers, and leave the leftover paint with you for touch-ups.
Don't worry about purchasing brushes, rollers, scrapers, drop cloths, and other supplies. No need to make repairs and prep the areas to be painted. You don't even need to move heavy furniture or climb on ladders.
Save yourself time, money, and take the pain out of painting by hiring the pros. Experience a higher standard of house painting. Visit our blog for more helpful house painting tips. Contact ProTEK Painters for a free consultation estimate.