Create a fresh look with paint

Giving your home a fresh look is as simple as painting the walls. A new coat of color can drastically change the ambience of a room, and new paint instantly makes a room feel cleaner. Repairing holes, scratches and imperfections from normal wear and tear will also make you fall in love with your rooms again. And painting exterior walls can make a home look brand new.

There are also practical reasons to paint. Good quality paint actually protects walls (especially exterior), which are prone to damage from environmental factors, such as temperature and relative humidity variations. For exteriors, repainting regularly can help avoid damage to wall surface and prevent further structural damage.

If your style tastes have changed, painting is a quick and simple way to transform rooms without too much cost. You can also create a special room in your home–a nursery, office, playroom or bathroom–and set it apart with paint patterns and contrasting colors. There are hundreds of ways to get creative with paint.

If you are putting your home on the market soon, painting is definitely in order. Research shows that updating the paint can increase the real estate value of your house. Real estate agents and professional painters both recommend that sellers paint their houses in neutral shades throughout. Neutral colors help the house to look fresh and clean, but it also makes it easier for buyers to envision their belongings in the home. Likewise, painting the house in colors that are prominent in current design trends will draw the attention of people scrolling through home listings in their area. There are many paint colors that can help you sell your home and your interior painter can be a great resource to help you pick the right one.

To get the most enjoyment out of your new paint job, consult a professional painter. He or she can repair any wall damage, help with finish selections and bring your vision to life. So all you have to do is pick the color!

Paint like a Pro

EXTERIOR PAINT TIPS

• New siding for house comes with a shipping primer to protect it during delivery, but this is not the same as being primed for painting. All new siding must be primed before exterior paint is applied.
• To protect your paint on the outside of your house, you should power wash it every year.
• Depending on how much sun your house gets every day, you will probably need to paint your exterior every 5 to 8 years.You can get 10 to 14 years with a better quality paint.
• Paint is only as good as the product you put it on.

INTERIOR PAINT TIPS

• Same as exterior, better paint will produce better results
• As for finishes, eggshell paint is not washable, it is just shinier than a matte or flat finish. If you want a paint that can easily be wiped clean, try Sherwin-Williams Cashmere or Duration (or equal to) paint. These paints are wipeable in matte or flat.
• To save some money when painting your house look at the ceilings. Your walls and trim might need to be painted but your ceiling should be fine unless you want to change the color.

Provided by Benchmark Interiors Inc.