Selecting Paint Colors
The most common household project for people to do is painting. When moving into a new place in particular, we often don’t like the generic white or off white the property owner has used. The color is entirely a personal preference, some might prefer light pink to complement a Hello Kitty theme while others might want dark red and black to complement their love of Satan.
The paint computer at Tashman Home Center is pretty amazing as well. We have a large database with colors from all major paint companies. If you got your paint elsewhere we can match other companies’ colors. We also do color matching so if you have a sample that is flat and at least the size of a quarter, we can match that color with great accuracy.
- It is a good idea to review proper painting techniques before starting the project so everything will look nice when finished and there will be no unnecessary waste.
- The first step is proper preparation of the surface to be painted. Cleaning the walls is important so you don’t have dust and dirt under the paint. If the surface has not been painted before or if it painted a dark color, it is a good idea to use a primer. The primer will help the paint stick better and will also help with color uniformity. If the surface has already been painted with a flat paint, a regular paint will work but if the surface is a semi-gloss, you will need to lightly sand so the paint will stick.
- Picking the right tools is the next important step as quality tools will make a difference in the results. If you are moving out, however, and need to cover your nice color with white paint, cheap paint and brushes should placate your landlord.
A few general tips:
- Use quality painters tape instead of masking tape for clean edges.
- Use a thick roller for rough surfaces and a thin one for smooth surfaces.
- Use semi-gloss paint for high traffic areas like the kitchen and bathroom, semi-gloss can be cleaned much easier than flat.
- Only dip the brush in one third of the way.
- Save the color formula from the hardware store so you can get more paint if needed.
- Start at the ceiling and move down.
- Cover everything with drop cloths because paint can splatter.
- One gallon of paint will cover roughly 400 square feet with one coat, using more than one coat will darken the color.