Pain-free Painting

Paint, yes the colourful stuff we put on our walls, has changed drastically. The formulas always consisted of pigment (colour), binder (allowing the film to stick to the surface) and solvent (which ensures that it dries properly, flows and spreads). But now we have formulas that include a variety of additives such as antibacterial biocides to texturizers. So how should you choose? Is cheap paint the best way to go? A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for you and your home - liven up a room, get the most return when it comes time to sell and hide imperfections on your walls but cheap paint will result in poor results, they are not as washable, may require more coats and the consistency may be too thick or watery causing mess and spillage.

How to pick your shade

Decorating your home is a personally choice and so is your paint colour selection but when staging your home in preparation for sale - lighter hues are best as they make rooms feel, larger, brighter and cleaner. Lighter colours are also more neutral and will not reflect the homeowners personal style and therefore making it difficult for the buyer to see themselves living in the home.

But here are a few tips for selecting your shade:

1 -- Don not make your final selection in the store. Take the paint chip home and test it our in the room, see how the colour looks day and dusk. Sometimes day light can make colours looks too yellow or even pink.

2 -- Once you have narrowed down your choices, take home some test post (small samples of the colour) and paint some splotches on the wall, again to test out the colour at all times of day. Be sure to have done at least two coats to you give yourself the truest idea of how the colour will look.

3--Remember a bold colour can be very intense before the furniture, artwork and other accessories are in the room. Once the room is totally set up you'll see what an impact the walls will have. An empty room with a dramatic colour is not how one would live. Give the colour sometime to sink in (not into the walls but into your mind), change can be tough at first.

4 -- Colour is a very personal thing but I like to ask my clients about the mood they want to have in each room. If you want a calm and soothing master bedroom, I would recommend not painting it red or bright orange stick with lighter tones to reflect the mood you want to achieve.

Some tips for dealing with a painting pro:

1 -- Use the same guidelines as you would with any other professional doing work on your home. Get a quote in writing, get references, time lines etc...

2-- The price should include prep work too, such as priming, painting, cleaning, touch up work, patching and repair work, so be sure to ask what is included in the price quote.

3 -- Ask your painter to purchase the paint, he/she knows how much and what is needed for the job so they can ensure that it is done right. they are different types of paint needed for various projects.

4 -- Ask friends, family and neighbours if they can recommend anyone.

Hot trend in Hues

the hottest trend right now is green not the colour but green-friendly products and paint is not exception. They are several options in the eco-friendly paint aisle.

Natural paint

low odour formulas made of natural ingredients such as beeswax, plant based essential oils, water, clay, milk proteins and mineral dyes. These formulas are safe for the environment as well as kids and pets also with a low incidence of allergic reactions and sensitivities.

Zero VOS's (Volatile Organic Compounds)

are becoming more common. But they still contain up to 5 grams of VOC's per litre (still within government approved levels). They might also contain colourant biocides (to inhibit mould growth) and fungicides.

Low VOC

Paints, stains and varnishes that do not contain more than 50 grams of VOC's per litre.

Recycled paints

Still contains VOC's but because it is made of left over paint it is considered environmentally friendly since these cans would have been otherwise tossed into landfills.