Your driveway is one of the first things that passers-by and visitors see. It's also the first thing that greets you when you return home. Granted, most driveways aren't there for aesthetics, but a worn-out driveway can give your property an overall rundown and neglected feel. To prevent this, you don't have to splurge on an expensive driveway replacement — all it takes is some simple repairs and a new coat of paint (or technically coating). In this article, we're going to cover how to choose the right coating, how to apply it for both concrete and asphalt driveways, and other important things to note when painting a driveway. Here's how to ensure a smooth and successful driveway paint job. How Much Of An Impact Can Painting Make? It's not just about looking nice — a new layer of coating is instrumental to ensuring the longevity and durability of your driveway. UV rays, moisture, and oil are the main culprits behind cracking, fading, and staining. A good protective coating shields your driveway from these damaging elements, adding years to its lifespan and dramatically reducing the amount of maintenance and repairs that you'll need to perform. And don't forget that with the huge facelift that it gives your home, it also brings up its resale value by quite a fair bit. It's not uncommon for a driveway paint job to yield a return on investment of 50% to over 100%, especially if you’re DIYing to keep costs down. On top of all these, consider that by protecting your driveway and helping to stave off any significant damage, the protective coating delays a $5,000-15,000 driveway replacement. So the impact a coating can have, particularly on your finances, is certainly more than enough to justify the time and capital costs. Here’s how to protect your driveway with a coating. Step 1: Choosing The Right Paint For concrete driveways, since they’ll be subjected to stressors like the weight of cars and friction from car tires, you need to use an extra-tough coating. And there’s no tougher paint out there than a combination of an epoxy base coat with a urethane top coat. These are two separate coatings that you’ll have to purchase on their own, but it’s necessary for maximum toughness. Alternatively, you could also opt for acrylic concrete coatings. Those are less durable, but much easier to apply. Layering an epoxy and urethane coating will give you solid protection. You’ll have: Strong UV resistance Excellent moisture resistance to prevent moisture damage Great abrasion resistance to resist wear and tear from tires and foot traffic Chemical resistance for protection against oil, fuel, brake fluid, etc By layering those two coatings, you’ll keep your driveway well-protected against the main damage culprits — UV rays, moisture, and oil. In comparison, acrylic concrete coatings still protect against UV rays and moisture, but they don’t hold up well against friction, chemicals, and oil. Consequently, if you opt for acrylic concrete coatings, expect to have to recoat about twice as often. Moving on to asphalt, asphalt is petroleum-based, and petroleum reacts poorly with most paints. As such, regular paints won’t stay on asphalt. Instead, you’ll need specialized asphalt sealers. These specialized sealers will soak into asphalt and restore its deep black color, as well as help keep out UV rays, moisture, oil, and chemicals, while also improving the asphalt’s flexibility. Step 2: Cleaning And Repairs If there's debris and dirt all over your driveway, your coating won't adhere securely, so cleaning is an essential preparation step. Cleaning
We live in an amazing time where new discoveries are being made every day, and technology can now do things we’d never have imagined possible a decade ago. In today’s world, your paint can do way more than just make your home look pretty. There are now paints and coatings that can clean themselves, heal their own scratches and scuffs, and even regulate temperature! This means lower energy bills, cooler homes, less maintenance, and safer and healthier living spaces. And that’s not all. There are even more amazing and advanced technologies in the works, and we’ll be covering them in this article too. Ready to find out what these smart paint technologies are and what they can do for you? Let’s begin! What Are Smart Paints And Coatings? Before we get into the actual smart paints and coatings, let’s clear up a common area of confusion first — what actually are smart paints and coatings? Well, there’s actually no strict definition or a single quality that makes a paint or coating smart, and the technologies behind each smart paint and coating can vary quite a bit. In general though, paints and coatings need to be able to sense and react to the environment appropriately to be considered “smart”. So when there’s a change in the environment, whether it’s temperature, light, moisture, or even bacteria, a smart coating would sense it and react in a useful way, whether it’s changing its color, releasing a chemical, or some other reaction. However, a paint or coating can’t be considered “smart” just because it has a bit more added functionality. For instance, there are paints and coatings that reflect more sunlight and keep your space cooler, but those wouldn’t be considered smart since they don’t actually sense the environment, and they don’t react . The definition of smart is still slightly vague, but you get the idea — it needs to sense and react to be “smart”. Alright, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s jump right into the smart paints and coatings. 1. Self-Cleaning Paints
When it comes to designing their home office, many people focus on the desk, the chair, monitor placement, plants, and so on. But one crucial aspect that people often miss out is the color of their walls, usually because they don’t think it really matters. However, multiple studies have shown that colors do affect your mood and productivity. Even putting studies aside, just ask yourself, would you be able to work in a completely black room? Or how about one with rainbow colors? Those are extreme examples, but just imagine yourself working in those environments, and it should be apparent that colors can definitely affect your mood and focus. To be fair, colors won’t double your productivity or magically make you smarter, but they do have very real effects on your creativity, decision-making, stress levels, eye fatigue, and so on. These effects may not be particularly noticeable, or perhaps they might not even manifest themselves, so sometimes, it can feel like your choice of paint color doesn’t really make a difference. But no matter what, the possibility that the right colors could help you complete your work quicker and produce higher-quality work should be enough to warrant some serious consideration for the palette you surround yourself with. And the more often you work from home and the longer your working hours, the more important this becomes. Either way, whether you work from home one day a week or you’re fully remote, here’s how to choose the right paint colors for your workspace at home. Color Psychology: What Can Paint Colors Do For You? Why is the blue sky relaxing? Why are sunflowers and the sun associated with happiness and cheerfulness? Certain colors just never fail to invoke certain feelings and moods. That's the power of colors. Here are some of the amazing things that colors can do for you Blue: Improves concentration, stimulates thinking, and provides mental clarity. Green: Similar effects to greenery in nature — rescues eye strain and lowers stress, enhancing comfort when you're working. Yellow: Sparks creativity and innovation, and also energizes your mind. Neutrals: Reduce visual distractions, thus helping maintain mental focus and concentration, and facilitating thinking. Red: Boosts energy and can also increase heart rate. Once again, these likely won't be very keenly felt. You’re probably not going to walk into a yellow-painted room and suddenly start getting a ton of fantastic ideas for your novel. However, if you’re mindful enough and observe closely, over time, you’ll probably notice the subtle influences of each color on the way you feel or the way your mind works. You might even notice them from the first moment you step into the room if the shift is strong enough or if you’re very self-aware. So now that you know the impact that paint colors have on your mental and physical state, and your productivity, the next question is, how do you go about choosing the right colors for your home office? We’ll now be going into more in-depth breakdowns of each color and explain when, where, and how to use each one, so that you maximize its positive impact. Best Colors For Calm And Focus A lot of times, calm and focus are the number one priorities for workspaces, so we’ll be starting with the best colors to achieve those — blue and green. These colors keep you calm and steady while at the same time helping your mind stay sharp and concentrated, which is why they’re so popular for workspaces. Blue
Nobody ever buys just the right amount of paint to use, unless they're really really lucky. In most cases, you'll end up with some leftover (or a little short if you're unlucky). What most homeowners do when they have leftover paint is usually to just store it away, and that's a smart move, because you may need it later on for touch-ups, repairs, or color matching. The problem is, a lot of times, after a year or two, when they eventually have need of the paint again, it's separated, crusted, or unusable. This is often because they didn't store it properly, but it could also be because it's past the shelf life of the paint. Whatever the case, knowing how to dispose of paint you no longer need or can use is important, because improper disposal can not only be very harmful to the environment, but is also illegal in some regions. If you're wondering why something as seemingly harmless as disposing of paint can be illegal, that's because it's not harmless, far from it . We'll go deeper into their dangers later on, but for now, you just need to know that they can be extremely dangerous if you just casually throw them into bins. And if you still choose to go ahead with improper disposal, you risk facing fines of hundreds to thousands of dollars, being liable for cleanup costs, and even being criminally charged. So don't just chuck your unused paint into the bin. Here's what to do instead. Why Proper Paint Disposal Is So Important Starting with the environmental effects, when you pour paint down drains, it can clog up pipes and disrupt wastewater systems. They won't be filtered out by wastewater systems either, since these systems aren't designed for paint, so your paint will get past these systems and go into waterways. Through these waterways, they then flow to rivers, lakes, and oceans, harming aquatic life and contaminating drinking water. That’s not all though. As if environmental damage wasn’t bad enough, improper paint disposal can also severely wound workers who’re working around it. In the best case, workers may only inhale the VOCs and experience symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and nausea. But in the worst cases, since paints and thinners are flammable, when mixed with hazardous waste like batteries, they can easily ignite or even explode, especially under heat and pressure in compactors, landfills, and trucks. This is exactly why it’s illegal to dispose of leftover paint without taking the proper steps first. You could end up costing people their lives or causing huge fires to break out. It’s also why the punishment for unsafe paint disposal can be quite severe, ranging from fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars, to even imprisonment. These punishments may seem severe just for throwing a can of paint away, but they’re necessary to deter the unthinkable harm that could happen from that mere can of paint. How To Not Waste Paint
At first glance, using a paint sprayer seems like a much easier way to get your house painted than rolling. You just spray over the areas that need to be covered like spraying a hose, and voila , you now have an evenly covered, smoothly painted wall. No need to go through hours of rolling, and no need to make sure that you maintain consistent pressure and cover every spot on the surface evenly with your roller. However, in reality, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. Spraying is undoubtedly a much faster and more efficient way to go about painting your home. But while it sounds straightforward, spraying paint is a longer and trickier process than most homeowners realize. It comes with its fair share of additional steps and demands, which you need to be aware of before you go out and purchase a paint sprayer and start spraying your walls. Now, we’re not saying don’t spray paint your home. In fact, there are various situations in which you should definitely be spray painting instead of rolling. The key is to know when to spray paint and when to roll. Both spray painting and rolling have their pros and cons, and in this article, we’ll be breaking them down for you, as well as going over when to use each paint application method. What Is Spray Painting? Spray painting works by atomizing paint into fine droplets, so that when you spray the paint, it comes out as mist. When done right, it not only allows you to cover large areas quickly, but also uniformly, and it gives you a smooth, professional-looking finish. The downside is that it requires much more preparation, and the technique is harder to learn than rolling. Without the right technique, you could easily end up with ugly streaks or even have to redo the entire paint job. As such, while spray painting can be faster, its speed also means that it’s harder to control, and when things go wrong, they can go downhill fast. What Is Rolling?
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are chemicals that help traditional paints dry quickly and adhere well. If you can smell that fresh paint smell, it means that your paint contains VOCs. These chemicals are necessary for paint performance, at least for traditional paint, but unfortunately, they also pose health hazards and environmental risks. VOCs can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, liver and kidney damage in the long term, and various other health issues. And kids, seniors, and those with asthma or allergies are more prone to those effects. This isn't usually a problem outdoors since they dissipate quickly, but indoors, in an enclosed space, with possibly poor ventilation, VOC levels can get quite high, leading to negative health effects. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), after a paint project, indoor VOC levels can be up to 5 times higher than outdoor levels. Obviously, this is less than ideal, which is why it's worth paying more for low or even zero-VOC paints. Still, some would argue that it's only a one-off painting project, so as long as there's proper ventilation, higher VOC levels won't pose an issue. We're here to tell you that's not true. But we're also aware you won't just take our word for it — and you shouldn't. Instead, read on to learn about what VOCs are, why they're needed, how much lower-VOC paints cost, and how to actually find them. Then, decide for yourself whether they're truly worth it. Let's begin. What Are VOCs? First things first, let's go over what VOCs are, because if they're so harmful, why the heck do we put them in paints? VOCs are organic compounds that evaporate easily at room temperature. As paint dries, VOCs get released into the atmosphere, a process known as off-gassing. In other words, after the project is completed, the paint continues to release VOCs for days, weeks, or even longer. The thing is, VOCs are essential for traditional paint to adhere well and dry quickly. Without them, you could be waiting hours or even days for the paint to dry, and it wouldn’t adhere well, which means it’d start peeling in no time. Thankfully, the good news is that with the advancements in technology, today’s paints no longer require such a high amount of VOCs to function well. Some don’t even require VOCs at all. Here’s how modern low-VOC paints perform. Performance Of Low-VOC Paints Lower-VOC paints are every bit as high-performance as high-VOC paints, and can even beat high-VOC paints in certain aspects. Here’s how they match up. Application & Ease Of Use
Looking to hire a professional house painter in Raleigh, NC , but not sure how to find a good one? Whenever you're engaging a painting company or any sort of contractor, doing your due diligence is crucial to ensuring you find a solid contractor. It's not just about whether they can get the work done well. A good contractor should have the necessary credentials, be willing to back up their work with a warranty, and take care of your property while carrying out the job. Doing the necessary research may feel slightly tedious, and is definitely more effort and time spent on your part, but you need to be meticulous when vetting contractors. Otherwise, you could be stuck with peeling paint and no warranty to fall back on. Or if you end up hiring a painter who isn't registered or insured, there's nothing protecting you when things go wrong. Sounds scary? Great! Then you should be ready to do your research. Here are the things to look out for when engaging a house painting contractor in Raleigh, NC. 1. Registration And Insurance Since painting is typically only cosmetic, there isn't much risk or danger of structural damage or people getting hurt from sharp tools. As such, painting projects generally have less strict regulations than larger and more expensive projects like bathroom remodeling and roofing. Licenses are also usually not required unless the size of the job is more than $40,000, and permits aren't required either way as long as the project scope is just painting. Having said that, it's still important to ensure that your contractor is registered as a business in North Carolina. You can verify this by doing a search on the NC Secretary of State’s website . Type in the company or painter’s name, and the status should be “Active”. That means the business is legally recognized by the state of NC, is current on its filing and fees, and is authorized to operate in North Carolina. It also means that you can hold them accountable and pursue legal recourse if things go awry. Another important box to check is whether the contractor is insured . Specifically, the contractor or company should have general liability insurance, as well as workers’ compensation insurance if they have a team. General liability insurance covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and legal liability. This doesn’t mean they can act as they wish and be protected from legal damage, or can get away with intentionally damaging your property or others. General liability insurance only covers the above-mentioned areas if it was unintentional, eg someone trips over their materials, or the contractor spills paint on your hardwood floor, or if you sue them as a result of their unintentional mistake. It doesn’t cover poor workmanship or damage to their own tools, or if their own workers get injured on the job. That’s covered by the other insurance we mentioned — workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance ensures that if a crew member gets injured on your property, such as if they fall off the ladder, the responsibility doesn’t fall on you. Without either of these insurances, you could be in a lot of trouble if things go wrong. Even though those damages should rightfully fall to your contractor, if they don’t have insurance, and they refuse to cover damages, you’ll end up having to bear it all. You could take legal action, but that’s an expensive route even if you win. Or worse, they could even turn around and sue you if their workers get injured on your property, claiming unsafe conditions. So always request to see the Certificate of Insurance for general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance if they have a team, and check that they’re current and valid. 2. Warranties
A fresh coat of paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to refresh your home. Instead of having to drop a fortune on bathroom remodeling, kitchen remodeling, or landscaping, a paint job can give you similar results and breathe new life into your home. Given the relatively low cost of a paint job, you’d be hard-pressed to find a home improvement project that delivers a higher ROI than house painting. It’s even possible for you to recover your initial investment fully, or even make some profit off of it. As such, when you’re putting your home on the market, a fresh paint job is a no-brainer. On top of fetching a higher price, it also helps get your home sold faster and ensures the sale goes through more smoothly. Painting for home resale and for your own use are two very different things though. When you’re painting your house for your own use, you can express yourself however you want. You can use bolder colors and less popular finishes, such as a navy bedroom, deep green bathroom walls, or textured living room walls. On the other hand, when you’re preparing your home for potential buyers, you’ll want to strategically stick to safe, neutral, universally liked colors, as well as finishes that can hide imperfections, such as matte. And when you’re painting a home that you’re going to be living in, you can spend more time or money to achieve the exact look that you want. But when you’re selling your home, the goal is to spend as little as possible and get as much back in return as you can. The more you spend, the lower your ROI, so you won’t want to be wasting money on custom designs that buyers may not necessarily appreciate. So when you’re painting your home in Raleigh to sell it off, you need to think it through and make sure every penny is well-spent. Not sure how to do that? Then you’re in the right place. Let’s jump right into it! Why Repainting Is A Must Before Listing Your Home For Sale In Raleigh
Your home’s exterior painting is one of the first things visitors see, and it's also the most noticeable element. A good paint job can impress visitors and send a strong first impression, while a dirty and poorly maintained exterior ruins even the most well-designed homes. It's not just aesthetics either. Your paint is the first line of defence against harsh elements like UV rays and moisture, and it protects your siding and the layers underneath. That's why painting maintenance is of the utmost importance. It keeps your home looking its best, and more importantly, protects it from the sun, wind, and moisture. In Raleigh, paint maintenance is even more crucial because of the humid summers, sudden storms, and tree density. Humid summers mean higher risks of mold, mildew, moisture damage, and paint deterioration. Sudden storms mean rain, dirt, and debris can be blown into your home before you have a chance to close your windows. And lastly, Raleigh is aptly nicknamed the “City of Oaks” due to its abundance of mature oak trees that are large and provide ample shade. This shade is normally nice to have, but it also means more falling leaves, twigs, as well as sap and pollen. All of these can damage or stain your paint. The high density of trees also means more dampness, especially after storms. You'll also likely encounter more bird and squirrel droppings, which can stain and degrade your paint finish. Painting maintenance is essential either way, but Raleigh’s conditions make wear and tear an even bigger issue, necessitating more frequent and thorough upkeep. Don't let that scare you though. Painting maintenance is actually easier than it sounds. All it takes is regular cleaning and timely touch-ups to keep expensive repairs at bay and extend your paint’s lifespan. Not sure how to carry out those steps? Well, that's what this guide is for! Whether you're staying in a modern townhouse in North Hills or a historic bungalow at Oakwood, you'll find everything you need to ensure your paint and home stay healthy and look sharp all year-round. Let's dive right in! What Painting Maintenance Entails You might be wondering what there is left to maintain once the paint has been applied. Is it coating? Or some kind of protectant or sealant? The answer is neither. Most of the time, paint maintenance is really just cleaning and inspection, and on the rare occasions when you do discover any issues, remedying them. And then, once every 5-10 years, repaint the surface. Note that this can be longer or shorter depending on the type and quality of paint you use and the conditions of your region. So as you can see, maintaining your paint job really isn't a super tedious task. The important thing is to do your cleaning and inspections regularly and thoroughly. Now, let's dive deeper into how to actually carry out the cleaning, inspection, fixing issues, and repainting. 1. Cleaning Painted Surfaces In Raleigh
When it comes to house painting, most people spend the bulk of their time worrying about what color to use, making sure it complements their aesthetics, and choosing the right shade. In many cases, little thought is given to the type of paint. In fact, many people don't even know that different types of paint exist, and that choosing the wrong paint could be disastrous. Using the wrong paint will usually lead to it peeling off relatively quickly, or at the very least, unsightly bubbling. Needless to say, nobody wants these to happen, which is why we created this guide on the different house paint types and when to use each of them. By the end of this guide, you'll know all the different types of paints, and you'll know how to choose the right one for the surface you're painting. Let's jump right into it! Water-Based vs Oil-Based Paint First up, let's begin with the two main categories of house paint — water-based and oil-based. 99% of the time, you're going to be using paint that falls into either one of those two categories. Here are the main differences between the two. Water-Based Paint Water-based paints (aka latex paints) are the most commonly used type of paint for house painting because they release much less odor, dry quicker, and are much easier to clean up. Water-based paints can dry within an hour or two, which is multiple times faster than oil-based paints. And unlike oil-based paints, since water-based paints consist mostly of water instead of oil, they have less toxic fumes and much less odor. On top of that, water-based paints can be cleaned off surfaces easily, which can’t be said for oil-based paints So why would anyone choose oil-based paints? One word — durability . Oil-Based Paint The main advantage of oil-based paints is that they’re extremely tough, a good deal tougher than water-based paints, and they’re also better able to resist stains and moisture. The downsides are many though: Much longer drying times (8-24 hours) Much stronger odor and more toxic fumes, sometimes to the point where certain regions restrict their use Much harder to clean off spills, will need the use of turpentine or mineral spirits Water-based paints nowadays are far more durable and stain-resistant than in the past, which is why, in many cases, the added durability of oil-based paints just isn’t worth the drawbacks anymore. Water-based paints are still less able to take a beating and resist stains and moisture, but technology has closed this durability gap significantly. As such, people nowadays are increasingly opting for water-based paints over oil-based paints, even for surfaces that might need a bit more toughness. The only time when it makes sense to choose oil-based paints is for surfaces that have serious human traffic or will be exposed to lots of moisture or harsh elements, which is really only your handrails. Other than that, even for areas like your bathroom walls that will be exposed to moisture, or outdoor surfaces, specially formulated or high-quality water-based paints will get the job done. Oil-based paints are essentially obsolete in modern day, with the exception of very specific situations. As long as you’re not painting handrails, go with a water-based paint. Interior vs Exterior Paint
