It can be exciting and overwhelming to decide to paint your interior. Whether you are inspired by your favorite home design show or have been thinking about it for some time, the decision is a big one.
You can choose the interior paint color you want for your home from a wide range of brands and colors. By doing your research at the start of the process, you will save time and avoid horror tales.
You don’t need to struggle to find the right interior paint to paint your home. If you know what you should be looking for, you will be able to make this first step quickly and easily.
A paint job that is done well can make a huge difference in the appearance and feel of an area. How do you select the right interior paint for your house? It may help to first understand the characteristics of interior painting.
Interior Vs. Exterior paint
You can’t use leftover exterior paint to paint your interior. You should know the differences between interior and external paint.
Interior paint is safer for you and your loved ones because it contains fewer chemicals. Exterior paints can be harmful for indoor use, as they contain organic chemicals that are toxic when released into the air. This is to make sure that they will survive exposure to UV rays and harsh weather conditions.
Brands like Benjamin Moore, Valspar, Behr, and Sherman-Williams are top choices for interior paints that won’t compromise your health.
Types Of Interior Paint
Semi-Gloss
Semi-gloss is popular for its shiny finish and ability to reflect light. It is especially suitable for the bathroom and kitchen. Semi-glosses are not only a great way to achieve a shiny, lustrous finish but also help to combat mildew. This is one of the best interior paint finishes available. It is also the most durable.
Semi-gloss can hide stains and even cover up minor imperfections because the shiny finish reflects light.
High-Gloss
It is the most washable and durable of all paints. The extreme shine of high-gloss finishes makes them the most reflective. This type of interior paint has a significantly lower pigment content, which allows it to have a high shine and reflect light. It is easy to clean but also difficult to apply. Choose your rollers and brushes carefully. This paint is commonly used on accent walls.
Eggshell/Satin finish
This finish, while not as durable as semi-gloss, is popular for children’s bedrooms. This paint will give you a little gloss without being too shiny. The glossier the finish of the paint is, the more easily it can be detected. This is why the eggshell finish is better at hiding flaws.
Matte/Flat Finish
Both interior paints are interchangeable because they have the lowest gloss levels. Matte interior paints are glossier (5%-10%), whereas flat paints only have a 5% gloss. These categories of paint are usually used to paint ceilings and walls in bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, etc.
Matte and flat finishes are the best for blending seamlessly and preventing paint damage.
Choose The Best Interior Paint For Your Home
It’s now time to choose your interior paint. You know which paints are available for your interior painting project and which ones work best for certain areas of your house. These tips will help you identify the interior paint that is right for your home.
1. Consider your space
It is important to know the difference between interior and exterior paint. However, it is also helpful to take into consideration the area or room you will be painting. You should choose a paint that is durable enough to withstand frequent cleaning and use, such as a family area or an area with many doors where guests and family members will come in contact.
Children are known for touching walls and inadvertently soiling them. They may even draw or paint on the wall with crayons or markers or any other creative idea that their inventively mischievous minds can think of. Any paint used for a room or area where children will be frequenting should also have stain-resistance properties as well as be able to remove stains without needing to scrub.
Ask for interior paint with the right qualities to handle these areas.
2. Take into consideration the project size
The idea of preparing for a paint project, beginning the project, and then realizing there isn’t enough paint to finish the job is a home horror story. It is better to have extra paint or leftover paint that can be stored safely and used for future touch-ups. Measure the area you plan to paint before starting. This will prevent your nightmare painting job from becoming a reality.
You can use this information to calculate how much paint to use to cover the area. Refer to documents such as your lease agreement or house schematics if you are unable to measure the area. You can then share the measurements with your painter. To get the right measurements, measure the length and the width of the flooring in the area you intend to paint, and multiply those two numbers.
The painter will calculate the amount of paint needed for one or two coats. To give you an example, a gallon of paint typically covers about 325 square feet.
3. Test it first
It’s not clear whether a paint sample should be painted on the wall or on cardboard or paper. However, you should do a test before painting an entire room. It’s important to test out a paint color on a wall to see how it absorbs. You can do this by applying two coats and letting it dry overnight.
Ask if you can get stick-and-peel samples in your desired colors. This will make the process of testing paints much easier. After your paint tester has dried, you should examine it in both daylight and in the evening. The light will affect the appearance of the paint, which can impact your decision.
4. Consider the coats
It is important to choose a paint that applies smoothly and provides the coverage you need in just one or two coats (most painting jobs require two). Ask for high-quality paint if you’re changing from a darker shade to a lighter one. Sherman-Williams Super-Paint is specially designed to do this. For additional coverage, you can also use a primer that is the same color as the wall paint.
5. Do your research
You’ll want this project to be done correctly the first time. This is because of the time and effort that goes into the preparation, execution, and cleanup phases. Not to mention the price tag for the paint, which can vary from 20 per gallon up to 100. Doing some research upfront will help you avoid having to redo the project later.
Select two or three of the best brands. You can also choose paint by deciding on the type and color of finish you want to explore. You can then visit the website of the brands you are interested in and enter the color and the finish you desire to see if they have that paint. Ask your family, friends, and neighbors about the paints they have used and how well it has held up in their homes.
It is best to visit the store in person and see the colors. If you are investing in the interior of your home, it is important to do your research before making a decision.