ConstructionDeal.com Update

Whether you paint your home's interior yourself, or hire someone to do the job, it's important to know how to pick out the right paint. It can be a daunting task while standing in the paint aisle at Home Depot and you're looking at rows and rows of paint cans...

You probably have an idea of the color you want, but you need to think about the "sheen" of your interior paint. Sheen is the amount of light reflected off the surface of your paint. You can choose from zero reflection -- flat -- to high reflection -- gloss -- paints for your home.

Flat Paint - light doesn't reflect off the surface and the paint hides imperfections in the wall. However, it's very hard to clean. A simple dirt smudge will not wipe off and may need to be painted again to cover. Great for ceilings (and large walls where there is very little traffic.)

Eggshell Paint - low sheen that is great for bedrooms, dining rooms, ceilings, and office walls. Can still hide wall imperfections, but the imperfections could still be visible under heavy light.

Satin Paint - higher sheen that eggshell. Easy to clean. Perfect for nearly every room. Great for hallways and rooms with higher traffic. Imperfections are more visible. Not great for plaster walls for that very reason.

Semi-Gloss Paint - 2nd highest sheen. Great for kitchens and bathrooms. Very easy to clean and maintain. Imperfections very visible. Great for moulding, baseboards, window and door trim and other high traffic areas.

Gloss Paint - very tough and durable. Highest sheen possible. Every problem in the wall will be visible under minimal light. Easiest to clean and very long lasting. Perfect for the kitchen and high-humidity bath areas.

Do you need a primer? A primer can make it easy to change from a dark or a bright (loud) color and you'll need fewer coats of paint. Also, if there are any stains on the surface, the primer will help hide those problem areas. And if you're painting on new materials, primer can help the paint bond to the wood, drywall, or other surface. Primer can also help if you're going from a latex to an oil-based paint, or vice versa, to make sure the paint adheres.

Here's a great painting tip that most people never do. Say you're going to paint a large living room and you'll need three, four, or even five gallons of paint. You have the home store mix up your paint in each can, but sometimes those colors can be off -- even just slightly off. But that's is enough to make the mis-match show up in streaks and patches on your walls when you're done. It's important to take ALL your cans of paint and 'mix them together' in one big bucket BEFORE you start to paint! And stir it all up! This will make sure the paint is one solid, consistent color. And, voila, no streaks!

Finally, to get the best and smoothest paint look in your new room, make sure you paint all your edges, corners, and trim FIRST. Then use your rollers on the wall around those parts. It's how the pros do it!

Good luck -- and send us some pictures of your painted walls!

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