Interior vs. Exterior Paints

What's the difference between interior and exterior paints?

One important difference is that paints intended for the exterior of a building are formulated to stand up to weather and sun. They often have compounds that give them flexibility to adjust to the way a building expands and contracts with temperature changes. Interior paints won't hold up to outdoor conditions.

But a paint designed to be used outdoors shouldn't be used indoors, either. The chemicals used to keep exterior paint looking good on the outside of a building may not be wholesome when they're concentrated inside a room. Mildewcides and compounds that help protect paint from UV rays can be unhealthy if used indoors.

Choose the type of paint designed for the use you plan to make of it. Your results will make you glad you did.

Tech Tools for House Painting

Start with the Dulux My Colour visualizer. This tool is easy to use, but powerful: it allows you to upload photos of your own home or workplace, and then to choose paint colours to add to the photo. You get to see your room in the colours of your choice.

Of course, colours look different on different monitors, and your photo can't show the effects of changing light in your room. But this tool makes a terrific starting point for your decisions about paint colours.

You can then use a paint calculator to estimate the amount of paint you'll need. Measure the surfaces you plan to paint and check the coverage of the paint you plan to use, input the numbers into the calculator, and you'll get an estimate of the number of litres you'll need.

Paint calculators help you out by doing the maths for you, but they can't take into account all the issues involved. For example, the preparation and previous condition of the walls can affect how many coats you'll need, and factors like humidity and how porous the surface is will affect the amount of paint required for each coat. Make sure you have enough paint for your job, especially if you're having a custom colour mixed.

You can also use online tools to find a professional painting contractor. For example, the Dulux site will help you find a Dulux accredited painter.  You simply give your postcode and you'll see your options. In Sydney, you'll find Courtney & Wise, and we'll be delighted to discuss your next painting job with you. Phone us at 9958 1099.

Painting an Investment Property

It may be a property you've had in the family, or you might have purchased it specifically in order to fix it up and sell or rent it. Either way, the way you approach the fixing up of that fixer-upper will affect the profit you make.

Painting is always a wise move. Upgrading fixtures is costly and usually won't give you a good return on your investment, but fresh paint makes any building more appealing. Professional painters will make your property look more desirable to tenants or purchasers, at a fraction of the cost of major renovations.

Staining Wood: Staining and Sealing

Once you've identified your wood and its special characteristics chosen the right stain and tools, and prepared your surfaces, it's time to apply the stain. choose a day when the temperatures are between 10 and 35 degrees, and make sure the surface to be stained has dried from any dew or any water.

It's important to make sure that your sealer works with the stain you've used, and with any varnish or other treatments you plan to use. Get professional advice for the best result.

In applying the sealer, it's important to get a smooth flow for even results. You may choose to sand as a last step; if so, be sure not to sand through the sealer, or your wood will not be sealed. Porous woods, especially, need sealer to maintain the look you've achieved by staining them.

Staining Wood: Getting Ready

At first glance, it might seem simpler to stain than to paint. There are fewer colour choices, the look of the wood isn't changed as drastically, and coverage doesn't seem to be an issue.

In fact, staining wood involves many factors.

The first, most essential thing to consider is the wood itself. Hardwoods like ironbark or cypress don't accept stain as readily as softwoods like pine. Their cell structure is different, so the same colour of stain will have a different appearance on the different types of wood.

The grade or quality of the wood also affects the finished look of stained wood. Higher grades of wood are likely to absorb less stain, since they are denser, and once again the colour will not match if different grades of wood have been used in a structure.

The grain of the wood is another factor that affects its acceptance of stain. Then there is the question of treatment. Natural, untreated wood responds differently to stain than wood that has been treated. Evaluating the surface thoroughly is an essential step before you choose your stain or plan the work.

Stain is available in different formulations. The pigment, or colour, is usually mixed with an oil-based vehicle, though there are also some water-based stains. Some stains are not intended for interior use, while others won't last in sun, so be sure to discuss your plans with your painting and decorating professionals before settling on a stain.

You can use brushes or cloths to apply stain, but bear in mind that some synthetic brushes can actually be dissolved by certain stains, so choose brushes designed to be used with stains for the best results.

Once you've got all your gear, prepare your wood by sanding and cleaning it. Staining wood highlights any flaws in it, so this step is very important. If you have repaired gouges or used fillers of any kind on the wood, you can expect that these materials will accept stain differently from the original wood and will therefore end up a different colour.

Because of the complexity of the job, you are likely to find that hiring a professional to stain your deck or floor is a better choice than doing it yourself. If you decide to bring in professionals for the job, knowing about the factors involved will help you interview your workmen and keep an eye on the work.

Contrast in Decorating

One word to remember in your decorating this season? Contrast.

Colour forecasts for 2011 are all about strong contrasts: yellow or grey greens with spicy pink and orange shades are one of the strongest trends. Decorators are talking about using vintage and retro pieces with ultra-modern, and mixing smooth lines with squashy comfy furniture.

But you can bring the excitement of high contrast to any room. In the photo, a commercial building mixes stained wood with fresh white paint, boxy retro chairs with traditional club styles, and native stone with flat screen TV.

Update your space by mixing it up. Add bamboo to a traditional cottage look, soft cushions to a clean-lined modern room, or a punch of bright paint to your most soft and feminine room. It's the look for now.

Putting Off Painting?

You know you ought to paint your house or office. The corners look shabby, the colour doesn't suit your new flooring, and you know that visitors aren't getting the positive impression you'd like to give.

But painting is such a bother! The smell, the mess, the intrusive workmen -- you just can't face all that.

Right?

Wrong. That idea of painting is completely outdated.

• Low odour paints are better for the environment, and make working or living in your beautiful, freshly painted space a pleasure from the beginning. Ask your painting and decorating professionals about choosing a low odour, low emission paint.
• Well trained workmen leave the space better than they found it. Ask for references, and check to see how long the company you're considering has been in business. Clean up should always be part of the price you're quoted.
• Scheduling your painting job properly is half the battle. A professional firm can take into account the weather, the working conditions, and your schedule, and give you an accurate estimate of the times they'll need to be working. The idea of having workmen in and underfoot for months is strictly for the telly, not for real life!

New Ideas in Wallpaper for Kids Bedrooms

Wallpaper is a great choice for kids' rooms. No need to keep it to stodgy styles, though. Here are some fun ideas:

• Mix it up Stripes with florals, geometric with fun prints, and even multiple patterns in varying sizes can make a kid's room exciting. Check collections of related patterns from one manufacturer to make it easier to choose patterns that work together.
• Use borders and friezes. Instead of papering the whole room, combine fresh paint with border designs, paper murals, and other accents. This can be an economical option for a room you want to change frequently. You never know when that obsession with ponies will gave way to robot madness! Check out a kids' jungle theme room we worked on for inspiration.
• Be practical Wallpaper varies considerably in its care requirements. Make sure the paper you choose for your childrens' rooms is washable.

Trends in Decorating for 2010/2011

You don't have to be a slave to trends, but you can certainly use them to inform your decisions about your home. Here's what's big for the coming season:

• Vintage Whether it's antiques or tag sale finds repurposed for a modern home, or brand new gear designed with a nod to an earlier century, vintage is the coming thing for home interior fashion. From the Edwardian era to the swinging '60s, retro looks are showing up at every major design show this season. Check our series of articles on colour palettes for historic homes to get ideas (start with Bungalow Style  and work your way back).
• Entertaining in The economy, the new movement toward simplicity, or just the hectic pace of life may be the impetus, but we're all more likely to stay in and entertain nowadays than to go out. As a result, many of us are dressing up our homes more than before. When dinner at home means a quick cottage pie with the kids, plain white walls are fine. Elegant little suppers for friends call for more drama. Wallpaper is making a comeback for dining areas, and sophisticated colour combinations are popular.
• Green living We're going green, and natural colours and textures, as well as environmentally friendly approaches to decorating, are gaining in popularity. Green is a literal favourite, too, with eucalyptus and yellow greens popping up everywhere.

Whether it's time for a complete redecoration  or just a fresh coat of paint, look for these trends to keep your home looking up to date.

Wash Walls or Paint Them?

There's a saying that it's cheaper to paint than to wash your walls. Is it true?

Like so many other questions, this one can only be answered with a solid, "It depends!"

If your walls have simply gotten a bit grubby with time, animals, and perhaps a bit of smoke from the fireplace, then you can wash them down with Sugar Soap or trisodium phosphate -- if they were painted correctly with a good quality paint to begin with.

A bit of the paint may end up in the washing up water, but your walls will be clean.

If your paint wasn't of the best quality, if it has been a long time since you painted, or if your regular routine includes washing down the walls, you may find that you wash off enough of the paint to make a difference in the look.

This is particularly true when you're scrubbing an area with a bit of extra staining: the bit the children wrote on with the crayons, the spot where the dog likes to snuggle up and sleep, the corner your teens swing around on whenever they run through the house. you can easily end up with spots of worn paint that show as much as the spots of dirt did before.

You can also sometimes have areas that you'd rather paint than wash, such as the cupboard where the wastebin lives. And a certain level of damage, staining, and wear can leave you with surfaces that will never look anything but shabby if you merely clean them.

However, if you decide to paint the walls, you'll still need to wash them thoroughly before you paint. If you don't, the paint will stick well to the dirt, not to the wall underneath the dirt. This means paint that flakes off the wall long before you should be having to paint again.

So the answer to the old question of wash or paint?

Probably both!

Painting Your House in Winter

You're ready for a change at home. You want to freshen up the look of your place, and you're waiting eagerly for spring to settle in so you can paint.

No need. Painting is not reserved just for the warmer months of the year.  Like any other trade, painting can be undertaken twelve months of the year. There are differences, though, between painting in warm weather and in cold.

For one thing, drying time increases in colder months. Paint takes longer to dry at lower temperatures, and it can't be rushed, so plan for that additional drying time. Moisture trapped behind paint can always create bubbling and blistering, but in winter, that moisture can freeze and expand, creating even more trouble.

The effects of moisture and dew on exterior areas means that preparation of surfaces should be done later in the day, after the surfaces have dried out. Finish coats shouldn't be applied in the latter part of the afternoon, though. Paint, and particularly oil based paints, can be affected by moisture or a temperature drop, causing “blooming” (a reduced level of gloss and sheen) or  a milky appearance to paint films. This is particularly important with clear coatings. 

Not all paints are the same. In the past, most paints couldn't be used reliably in temperatures lower than 10 degrees. Now, manufacturers can make paints that can be used in temperatures as low as 1 degree. It is important to read the paint manufacturer’s instructions to ascertain the minimum temperature for success with the particular paint you're using.


Consider the surface you're painting, as well. The air may have warmed up, but the surface may still be colder from the previous night. Add this concern to the matter of the dewpoint -- the point at which air temperature and humidity meet to create dew -- and you can see that winter painting takes a bit more care and experience.


In general, you should plan to start a bit later and finish a bit earlier when you paint in colder weather. Take this into account when you plan your job. When you work with a professional painting contractor , you'll have the benefit of their knowledge and experience, but you'll also need to accept occasional weather related delays.

With these points in mind, you can certainly paint now. It can, in fact, be easier to get a booking now than if you wait for warm weather to return. When your friends are struggling with their spring cleaning, you'll have a fresh coat of paint to enjoy.