Home Improvement Tips

• Selecting Your Color
• Improving Your Painting Surface/Environment
• When To Paint
• When To Use A Second Coat
• Covering Water Stains
• Preventing Roller Cover Lint

SELECTING YOUR COLOR

Once you've narrowed down the paint colors you'd like to use, take home Color To Go samples of various shades. Paint and view them under all lighting conditions. Look at them during different times of the day and under the lighting that will be used in that room. You'll find that different conditions yield slight variations in the appearance of a particular color or shade. When you take the extra time to investigate all conditions you'll be able to choose the color that's just right for you. To learn more about Color To Go paint sampling, click here.

Are you considering using a bold color for your next painting project? If so, take the size of the job into account when you're selecting your color. Color tends to be intensified when used on large areas and you may end up with an appearance that's not quite what you had in mind. If you've got a large surface to cover, test a color that's a shade or two lighter with Color To Go paint samples to avoid a common pitfall and end up with the look you envisioned. Color To Go paint samples come in quart-size containers that cover approximately 75 square feet. Be confident in your color choice - To learn more about Color To Go paint sampling, click here.

IMPROVING YOUR PAINTING SURFACE/ENVIRONMENT

There's an easy, but often neglected, step that can give your interior painting projects near professional results with only a small investment of your time. Before you apply a single stroke, wash down your surface and inspect it for imperfections such as bumps or dimples. This can be done best by dimming the lighting in the room and placing a bright light source next to the surface to expose the imperfections. Once you've discovered the flaws, sand them or fill them as necessary, and wash again to give yourself the optimum painting surface.

Before painting over a glossy surface, use fine sandpaper on the surface and wash down the area with water and a light detergent to achieve optimum paint adhesion.

When you've got cracks or holes to fill, apply spackle into the imperfection with a putty knife and smooth the area so that it's flush with the surface. After the spackle has dried, lightly sand the area to further ensure a smooth and even surface. You may find that the spackle shrank a bit while drying. If so, repeat the process a second time and remember to wash down the area with water to remove any dust before you paint.

Before you begin your interior projects, take time to create the best working environment you can. Often times, space is limited, so if you can't remove all your furniture from the room, cover the items with plastic to prevent a painting disaster. To obtain the best possible results, remove electrical faceplates and hardware, pictures and window treatments. Finally, pick up a quality dropcloth from Duron Paints & Wallcoverings.

WHEN TO PAINT

Does your spring-cleaning routine include painting projects? Well consider this: spring days usually cool down dramatically after sunset. This sudden change in temperature can result in a sticky, almost gummy finish to your paint. When you can, try to tackle those paint projects on warm summer days. This will allow your paint to dry faster and achieve a more desirable finish.

WHEN TO USE A SECOND COAT

Trying to determine if your project needs a second coat? Well, here are some instances that usually call for that additional coat:

• You're painting masonry or other porous surfaces.
• The existing shade is darker than the new paint that you're applying.
• You've got an exterior project that's exposed to the elements.
• You're painting in a high-traffic area.

If you're still unsure about what to do, ask your Duron Paints & Wallcoverings professional.

COVERING WATER STAINS

To ensure that water stains do not return there are a few necessary steps to take before you paint. First, it's important to locate the source of the leak and repair it before you paint. A leaking roof, a busted pipe or clogged gutters are frequently behind those rust-colored, yellow or gray stains that signal water problems. After you've made that fix it's important to apply a stain remover with a clean, dry cloth to minimize the affects of the stain. Finally, use a stain blocker to prevent the stain from bleeding through the new paint.

Duron offers a complete line of stain blockers/primers called Terminator.

PREVENTING ROLLER COVER LINT

Before using a new roller cover, wrap it using 2-inch wide masking tape. Start at one end and wrap the masking tape around the cover overlapping the tape by one inch. Continue wrapping until the entire length of the roller cover is wrapped. Then remove the masking tape by unwrapping it in the opposite direction. Now you're ready to paint-lint-free.