House painting in San Ramon allows the homeowners to change the surface’s current color to a newer one according to their desires. However, do you know what to do if the color change is radical? Keep reading to learn the proper way to get the results you want.
Whether you want to change your paint colors from dark to light or light to dark, the keys to achieving the perfect new topcoat are the right preparation, priming, and, of course, the highest quality paints you can afford.
In choosing paints, quality is as important as color. Choose high-quality paint over a cheap, inferior paint; the former is easier and quicker to apply, provides better coverage, and is more durable and longer-lasting. High quality paints may be more expensive but their superior performance will be worth the money you spend.
Be careful which paint you get. Some paints are formulated specifically for either interior or exterior. For interior house painting, you may try some samples such as swatches or custom color samples to help you decide which paint color suits your room best. You may consider your own desires (like your favorite flower or favorite shirt), or the color of your room’s furniture or fixtures in making decisions for a new color, whether you want to paint a dark color over light or vice versa. Or try an online “color visualizer” which provides you a preview how your room will look like when painted in your desired color. Check out the official websites of the paint manufacturers to see if they offer such features or color preview apps.
When re-painting exterior surfaces like wood siding, masonry, or stucco, it is best to buy high-quality latex paints. These will adhere to the surface much better than oil-based paints.
Once you’ve decided on the color, you’ll need to know how much paint you will need to buy. A good rule of thumb is to multiply each surface of the room in length and add an extra 30%. Usually, a gallon of paint can cover 400 square feet. If your space is bigger than that, then you may need more than one gallon. You may also need the extra quantity of paint for touchups.
Prepare the surface. For painting the interiors, move out the furniture and remove anything attached to the walls like frames, curtains, switch plates, and outlet covers. For heavy furniture, cover anything you can’t move out of the room with drop cloths. Tape the areas (such as baseboards) that you don’t want to paint. Clean the surface or wash it if it has stubborn stains. If the walls have cracks or holes, apply a joint compound using a putty knife; let it dry. Once completely dried, it is best to sand off the excess compound with fine-grit sandpaper to ensure the surface is smooth.
As you prepare the exterior surface, clean it first with a sponge and water. Or use a garden hose or a power washer to spray off more stubborn dirt. If some areas are spotted with mildew, wash it off with a solution of household bleach and water. For surfaces with flaws, apply a spackling paste using a putty knife; let it dry. Again, when this is completely dried, you will sand off the excess compound with fine-grit sandpaper. For peeling and flaking old paint, scrape it off with a putty knife or scraper, then smoothen the surface by sanding.
A primer is not generally needed but in this case of drastic color-changing, you MUST have one to help you achieve the desired results. A topcoat will have a better chance of adhering to the surface if you buy only the high-quality latex primers. You need a primer especially when painting previously dark colors with lighter hues, which is definitely more difficult than painting dark-colored paints over light colors.
For painting lighter-colored paints over darker ones, use a primer, preferably a stain-blocking primer, rather than a regular drywall primer. It has pigments formulated with binders which provide an excellent barrier between the old dark paint and the lighter-colored new paint you’re going to coat. When coated with a primer, the dark paint will never be able to bleed through the light-colored paint. The binder will also save you from applying another layer of topcoat.
Apply the stain-blocking primer on the surface, and let it dry. Once dried, now will you be able to apply any light-colored paints that you’ve chosen.
House painting in San Ramon gives you the opportunity to change the colors of your room or exterior surfaces according to your tastes or some other factors. Applying a lighter paint over previously darker one is difficult to achieve but not entirely impossible, as long as you follow the proper prepping techniques and purchase high-quality paints and primers.
