How to Buy Interior Paint
No need to walk into a paint store and feel overwhelmed by the selection. Here's how to know what you need.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Buy flat (nonshiny) finish paint for most walls and ceilings in living spaces such as living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms.
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2
Consider that semigloss is easier to clean and provides a tougher finish; it's great for bathrooms, kitchens, mudrooms, doors, windows and trim.
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3
Buy latex (water-based) paint for virtually any room in the house. It dries fast, cleans easily (with water) and is very durable.
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4
Get alkyd (like oil-based) paint if you want an extra-tough finish for outside doors and their trim, or for bathrooms. It dries more slowly, cleans with solvents and is more durable - but may be overkill for some purposes. It also emits a strong smell as it dries.
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5
Figure out how much paint you'll need: Multiply the length of the walls all around the room by their height; add the square footage of the ceiling (length times width) if you're painting the ceiling. Exclude the doors and windows. Add 25 to 30 percent. Each paint can label will tell you how much a gallon will cover.
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Remember that any new surface will generally require three coats: one coat of primer, two of finish.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Buy the best-quality paint you can afford; paint itself is the least expensive part of the project. You'll usually get what you pay for.
Paint on a tiny chip in a store may not look the same as it will at full size in your house. If you're changing the existing color and are not absolutely sure you'll like what you've picked, buy the smallest amount of paint you can (probably a quart). Paint a section of trim, or a swath of wall at least a few feet square, and see how the paint actually looks in place.
Lighter colors over dark will always require more coats than the other way around.
Before you start painting, make sure you understand the basics. See Related eHows for more specific information for your project.
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Comments
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uncleasriel
Jul 09, 2010
I have heard from a sales rep that interior paint shouldn't be used in a room that will go below 10 degrees C, as it will crack. is this true? -
Nov 22, 2005
A professional house painter showed me that using 3 inch brushes for all areas of the room was much easier than using smaller brushes around doors and windows and for cutting in. I tried it and it works beautifully! Make sure the brush is saturated and create an edge with the bristles.
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Nov 22, 2005
A professional house painter showed me that using 3 inch brushes for all areas of the room was much easier than using smaller brushes around doors and windows and for cutting in. I tried it and it works beautifully! Make sure the brush is saturated and create an edge with the bristles.
