271c570d

How Long Does Spray Paint Take To Dry?

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:13:46 GMT

Spray paint generally takes about 30 minutes to 2 hours to dry to the touch — but to fully cure, it usually takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, depending on various factors like the type of paint, the thickness of your coating, how well ventilated your space is, and so on.

Knowing these factors can help you better estimate drying time, and you can even reduce it by controlling certain variables.

Spray Paint Drying Time Factors

Some of these factors may be out of your control, but many variables can be controlled to help your paint dry faster and prevent issues like runs, drips, or dust sticking to the painted surface.

Paint Type

First up is the formula of your spray paint. This is actually the biggest determining factor of your paint’s drying speed.

However, it's also not something that you have much control over. You can't simply choose the fastest-drying paint. Instead, the paint type you end up using is largely decided by the surface you're painting, as different surfaces — such as wood and metal — have different paint formulation requirements.

That said, knowing the approximate drying time for each type helps you set more accurate expectations:

Enamel spray paints: Enamel spray paints typically take 30-60 minutes to dry, but 24-48 hours to cure. Enamel paint is worth the long wait, as the result is a very robust and hard finish.
Acrylic spray paints: Acrylic spray paints usually dry within 10-30 minutes, and cure within 24 hours, making them ideal for lightweight indoor projects or craft work. They're less durable than enamel unless sealed, but they’re great for decor and light-use items.
Lacquer spray paints: Lacquer is the fastest-drying spray paint type, typically drying within 5-10 minutes and curing within 24 hours. In many cases, they can even reach functional hardness within hours. This makes them ideal for applications that require fast drying, such as furniture and certain automotive finishes.

Climate & Temperature

Environmental conditions can heavily influence drying time, but that doesn't always mean hotter is better, as excessive heat can cause paint to dry too quickly, leading to cracking or a chalky finish.

As such, always aim to paint during mild, stable weather, regardless of whether you're painting indoors or outdoors.

It's also worth noting that spray paint performs best around 21–27°C with relative humidity below 65%.

Thickness/Number Of Coats

It goes without saying that the thicker your coats and the more layers you apply, the longer your spray paint will take to dry.

In general, it's best practice to start with a single, very thin tack coat, then layer on 2-3 more thin coats. Space each coat out about 10 minutes apart, and only spray the next coat when the current layer feels slightly tacky to the touch.

Surface Material

The material of your surface also plays a role. For example, wood absorbs some of the paint’s solvents and can help it dry faster, while metal and plastic, which are non-porous, tend to result in longer drying times. We’ll cover the drying times for each material in more detail below.

While the surface you’re painting on is out of your control, proper surface prep, like sanding or priming, can help paint adhere better and cure more evenly.

Airflow & Ventilation

Lastly, airflow and ventilation are, needless to say, huge deciding factors. Even with perfect temperature and humidity, stagnant air can slow evaporation significantly. Good airflow is essential for fast drying, so make sure the windows are open and that there is ideally a fan circulating air around the area. Importantly, note that the fan should not point directly at the paint, or it can blow dust onto it.

Spray Paint Drying Time On Different Surfaces

Here’s how long spray paint typically takes to dry on each surface.

Wood

Since wood fibres absorb some of the paint, it’s one of the fastest-drying surfaces for spray paint. Spray paint dries to the touch in just 15-30 minutes on wood, although full curing can still take up to 24 hours.

Metal

Since metal is non-porous, drying takes longer, usually within 30-60 minutes, while curing takes anywhere from 24-48 hours. In addition, if the metal is cool, it can slow down drying by quite a bit, so warming the surface to room temperature before you start painting can make a world of difference and improve adhesion.

Plastic

Plastic is also non-porous, so same as with metal, drying takes 30-60 minutes and curing takes 24-48 hours. The key difference is that plastic doesn’t bond well with paint, so it’s important to prime the surface with a plastic-safe primer before painting to ensure proper adhesion.

How To Make Spray Paint Dry Faster

Once again, while some variables are out of your control, there are steps you can take to help your spray paint dry more quickly.

Apply Thin Coats

Instead of applying a single thick coat, which can cause issues like drips, runs, and an uneven finish, like we detailed earlier, start with a thin tack coat, then spray 2-3 more thin layers, spacing each coat 10 minutes apart.

Improve Air Ventilation

Besides having a fan on and your windows open, if possible, painting outdoors can further improve ventilation and reduce drying time.

Spray Paint Outdoors

Again, spray paint outdoors where possible. This is not only for the improved airflow and ventilation, but also for the natural warmth.

Choose A Fast-Drying Paint

While the surface you’re painting largely decides whether you’ll be using an enamel, acrylic, or lacquer paint, these paints are usually available in both standard and fast-drying formulations. Fast-drying formulations tend to cost a bit more, but they can reduce drying time by 30-50% or even more in some cases, helping your project progress much quicker.

Control The Temperature

Besides maintaining the optimal temperature, maintaining a consistent temperature is actually just as important, as sudden changes in temperature can disrupt solvent evaporation and result in uneven drying, trapped moisture, or surface defects.

This generally isn’t an issue when painting indoors. However, if you’re painting outdoors, try to paint in a sheltered area where there’s still airflow and natural warmth, but temperatures don’t fluctuate as much.

Final Thoughts

To reiterate, spray paint usually feels dry to the touch in 30 minutes to 2 hours, but full curing can take between 24 hours and 48 hours. In between, it’s important to maintain optimal conditions to ensure even drying.

Once you’ve finished spray painting , the bulk of the work is done. The final steps are drying and curing. Ensuring the right conditions isn’t hard, but it’s important to get them right so that your hard work delivers long-lasting results.

When To Use Oil-Based Paint? Oil-Based Paint vs Latex Paint

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 18:33:06 GMT

Despite modern advancements that have made latex paints more durable, ultimately, oil-based paints still triumph when you need maximum durability and a smooth, hard finish.

This doesn’t mean you should use oil-based paints for everything though, as they release more toxic fumes and are harder to clean up.

For projects where added toughness isn’t needed, such as for interior walls, latex paints are the better choice, as they release less odor and dry quicker too.

Both types of paint have their place, and it’s important to know when to use each one, so that you get the right level of durability needed for your surface without exposing yourself to unnecessary levels of toxic fumes.

Here’s when to use oil-based paints and latex paints.

When To Use Oil-Based Paint?

Oil-based paints are made with oil as the binder instead of water. This allows oil-based paints to level out more smoothly and cure into a harder, more durable surface that’s able to resist scuffs, scratches, and heavier traffic.

However, oil-based paints also dry more slowly, and they come with a major downside — strong odor and fumes. These fumes can potentially be harmful to your health if you inhale too much of them, which is why proper ventilation is crucial when using oil-based paints.

Having said that, the toughness that oil-based paints bring is worth these tradeoffs, and oil-based paints are still the best option for high-traffic areas.

These include windows and doors , which frequently come into contact with hands from opening and closing. Oil-based paint helps windows and doors stand up to constant handling without scuffing or wearing out quickly.

Cabinetry and furniture are also classic use cases for oil-based paint. Cabinets, like windows and doors, get opened and closed frequently, and items are constantly being taken from and added to the shelves, all actions which accelerate wear and tear. Furniture, needless to say, are sat on, moved around, and have items placed on them all the time. That’s why oil-based paints are used for furniture and cabinet painting .

Metal surfaces are another common use case for oil-based paints, not because of the added durability, but because oil-based paints are able to bond and adhere to metal better than latex paints can. Oil-based paints also seal the surface tightly and keep moisture out, which helps prevent rusting.

When To Use Latex Paint?

Latex paints, or water-based paints, dry quicker, are easier to clean up, and most importantly, release much less odor.

Most latex paints nowadays are low-VOC , with some brands even offering zero-VOC options. This makes them the go-to choice for interior walls, as you can safely use them indoors without having to worry about fumes, and interior walls don’t require the toughness of oil-based paints.

Latex paint has come a long way, and modern latex paints are formulated to be relatively durable, so in some cases, for doors and windows that don’t see as much traffic, you can even use latex paint.

DIYers will also find latex paint easier to work with since it dries faster and can be cleaned up with just soap and water.

Ending Thoughts

Choosing between oil-based and latex paint isn’t always straightforward, as you have to consider whether the added durability is worth the extra effort required for application and the fumes.

In general though, if you’re DIYing or painting indoors, where possible, opt for latex paint. You’ll have a much easier time painting with the paint drying faster and without having to deal with fumes. Plus, you’ll also find cleaning up much easier.

You should really only use oil-based paint when you need maximum durability, i.e. for high-traffic areas such as cabinets, handrails, and so on.

If you’re engaging a professional, then simply leave it up to them to decide. They’ll know which to use, and in the event that they’re using oil-based paint indoors, they should know how to ensure proper ventilation and protect other parts of your home from the paint.

If you’d rather leave the paint selection and painting work to the experts, Renewed Walls Painting is here to help. We provide professional house painting services in Raleigh, NC , and we get the job done on time, within budget, every time. Contact us today for a free quote.

How To Paint A Garage Door: Complete Homeowner’s Guide

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 15:11:16 GMT

Painting your garage door is a slightly different process from painting your regular walls.

Your garage door has panels and grooves that regular walls don't have, and if it's steel, you'll also have to factor in rust and oxidation.

Plus, your garage door needs to be able to open and close, so you’ll also need to make sure not to gum the panel seams and the hinges of the door.

And then there's choosing the right paint and primer, safety prep, and a few other things to take note of.

This might sound slightly scary, but don't worry — it's less complicated than it sounds, and we're here to guide you through the entire process, from start to finish.

Let's begin.

Tools & Equipment

As with any project, the first step is to gather your tools and equipment.

Painting garage doors is slightly different from painting normal walls, but you'll still need many of the same tools and equipment.

Here's the list of shared tools and equipment that you need to get ready:

Angled paint brush
Roller
Primer
Paint
Paint tray
Painter's tape
Drop cloth
Sandpaper
Ladder
Filler (for repairs)
Cleaning supplies: Mild detergent, sponge or scrub brush, water, and trisodium phosphate (TSP)

And here are the additional tools that you'll need specifically for painting garage doors:

Wire brush
Utility knife (to score along seams and hinges)

Step 1: Clean Your Garage Door

As with any painting project, cleaning is always the first step to get rid of dust, dirt, and debris that will prevent your paint from adhering properly.

The cleaning process for garage doors is the same as with regular walls.

Scrub with your mild detergent solution (1/4 cup of mild detergent with a gallon of warm water) first

Then, for oxidation, you’ll need a second round of scrubbing with your TSP solution. And if it’s mold or mildew, treat it with a bleach solution by pouring the solution over the affected areas, letting it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then rinsing it off.

Next, scrape off loose or flaking paint, and if there’s any rust, scrape it off with your wire brush.

Finally, sand your garage door to smooth it out and help your paint cling better to the surface.

Step 2: Repairing Your Garage Door

You can’t paint over holes, cracks, or dents. Or rather, you can, but it’ll either be very ugly or likely lead to premature paint failure.

So after cleaning, the next step is to repair any damage.

Fixing cracks and holes is relatively straightforward — just fill them up with the appropriate filler and sand smooth once dry.

For dents, try to push the dent from the other side first to try to straighten it out. If that doesn’t work, then you’ll simply have to apply an auto body filler.

Step 3: Priming

Priming isn't always necessary, but it often is.

The only time when you won't need to prime is when your current paint is in good condition and the new color you're painting over isn't too different from the current paint.

Otherwise, if your new color is dramatically different from the current paint or you're painting over a glossy finish, you'll need to apply primer.

In addition, here are other surface-specific priming guidelines:

Metal: If you're making a big color change or there's rust, you'll need to apply a rust-inhibiting primer.
Wood: Bare and sanded-down woods need to be primed with an exterior wood primer to prevent moisture damage. If it's not bare or sanded down, but there are stains, the stains need to be sealed with a stain-blocking primer.
Vinyl and Fiberglass: If it's unpainted, use a bonding primer.

Priming is a key step to ensure proper adhesion and that your paint's color turns out as it should, so if you want a long-lasting paint job, make sure to prime your garage door if the conditions call for it.

Step 4: Painting

For garage doors, the material won't affect your paint choice. Whatever the material of your garage door is, you should be using high-quality outdoor acrylic latex paint.

The only additional thing to note when choosing paint is to make sure it's vinyl-safe if your garage door is made of vinyl.

Now, for the painting, the main concern with garage doors is jamming up moving parts, which is usually caused by too much paint over key areas. The important areas to watch out for are:

Panel seams/joints
Hinges
Weatherstripping edges

To prevent gumming up those parts, the key is to ensure you're not painting too thick and that minimal paint gets into them.

This can be done by dipping just the tip of your brush into the paint, tapping off excess paint, and painting parallel to the seams so that minimal paint gets inside.

And if you notice any drips, wipe them with the corner of your brush so that they don't dry and end up obstructing those parts’ movements.

Other than that, the rest of garage door painting is more or less the same as with regular wall painting.

You start by putting your painter’s tape around the areas that you want to keep paint away from, i.e. the surrounding walls that meet the garage door and the weatherstripping.

Then, cut in around the edges and panels, keeping the above points in mind to prevent the paint from being too thick.

Once that’s done, all that’s left to do is roll paint over each garage door panel the same way you would with normal walls. That means:

Maintaining a wet edge
Maintaining even pressure
Painting in a “W” pattern

You’ll want two coats for best results, so let your first coat dry completely, then paint the second coat.

Conclusion

Painting a garage door is a bit more tedious than painting normal walls, but the payoffs are well worth it.

Not only will you give your home a huge aesthetic boost, but you’ll also be protecting your garage door from the elements and extending its lifespan.

If you’re located in Raleigh and you’re looking for Raleigh painters to handle your garage painting project, give Renewed Walls Painting a call today at 919-759-6676 ! We deliver the highest quality work, completed on time and within budget, every time..

Should You Remove Or Paint Over Wallpaper?

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:56:09 GMT

Wallpaper removal can be a costly and tedious process, especially for older wallpaper, not to mention the drywall repair that comes after.

That's why many homeowners would rather just paint over it.

However, in most cases, it's best to remove the wallpaper before painting.

All wallpaper eventually comes off, and when it does, your paint comes off with it too.

Only under very select conditions does it make sense to paint over your wallpaper.

In this article, we'll be walking you through exactly when you should remove your wallpaper and when you can paint over it.

When You Should Remove Wallpaper

The fact is, in the majority of cases, you should remove your wallpaper, and the reason for that is simple — unless it's in near-perfect condition, it's either going to peel off soon, or the final product will be unsightly.

First off, when you paint over wallpaper, the moisture from the paint can soften the wallpaper adhesive, and the wallpaper could peel off even sooner, taking your paint right off with it.

Even putting that aside, wallpaper usually has small bumps or bubbles that become much more obvious when you paint over them, resulting in ugly bumps in your paint job.

Furthermore, moisture from the paint and primer can also make these bubbles form underneath, creating even more of these bumps.

In a nutshell, painting over wallpaper will usually either result in an unsightly paint job or cause your wallpaper to peel off sooner and take your paint with it. That’s why most of the time, it just

Despite this, under very specific conditions, it can actually make sense to paint over the wallpaper. And we say very specific, we mean it. Your wallpaper literally has to be in a near-perfect state.

When You Can Paint Over Wallpaper

The only time when you can actually paint over your wallpaper is when ALL of these conditions are fulfilled:

The wallpaper is securely attached to the wall, so there’s minimal chance of it coming off from the weight of the paint.
The seams are tight and flat against the wall. If there are loose parts, you could technically glue them back, but that’s usually a sign that the adhesive is weakening and the rest of the wallpaper will start peeling soon, so you’re better off removing the wallpaper before painting.
The wallpaper is smooth and flat with no bumps or bubbling underneath.
There’s no water damage, mold, or staining. If there are, these will likely escalate to bubbling and eventual peeling, especially when the moisture is trapped under paint.

As you can see, there are a lot of conditions to be fulfilled, and anything less than near-perfect won’t cut it.

And the truth is, even if your wallpaper is in top-notch condition, removing the wallpaper before painting is still the best option.

This is because even the best wallpapers usually won’t last as long as a good, high-quality paint will, which means even for wallpapers in tip-top condition, when you paint over them, you’re taking years off your paint’s lifespan, as it’ll come off with the wallpaper.

Plus, don’t forget that even wallpaper in great condition can develop bubbles from the paint and primer’s moisture.

So when does it make sense to paint over wallpaper?

There are generally only two situations when you should paint over wallpaper, assuming all the conditions above were met.

The first is if you’re on a tight timeline or budget. Wallpaper removal can be very tricky and tedious, even for wallpapers in good condition, and there’s likely going to be some repairs that need to be carried out for the drywall underneath.

Both wallpaper removal and drywall repair are complex tasks that should be left to professionals, which will inevitably drive up the project’s cost.

With that in mind, if you’re fine with a shorter lifespan for your paint, then painting over existing wallpaper can be a great way to save time and money.

The other situation in which it makes sense to paint over wallpaper is for spaces that you don’t plan to keep long-term.

These could be rooms you’re planning to remodel in a few years, rental units, or if you’re planning to move out soon.

Ending Tips

If you do decide to paint over your wallpaper, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Always prime with a shellac or oil-based primer first to keep moisture out as much as possible.

The room you’re painting matters too. For kitchens and bathrooms, the humidity will add to the risk of bubbling and peeling, so even if your wallpaper is in perfect condition, it’s best to remove it before painting.

At Renewed Walls Painting, your one-stop local Raleigh painting company , we take care of the wallpaper removal, drywall repair, and painting, so that you don’t need to hire multiple contractors for a single job.

Whether you’re in need of painting or wallpaper removal, we’ve got you covered.

Is It Safe To Paint Inside Your Home In Cold Weather?

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 13:31:21 GMT

Yes, even during cold weather or winter, it’s safe to paint inside your home as long as the conditions are right.

Even though you’re painting the interior of your home, which should be much warmer than the exterior during cold weather, if it’s too cold or humid, the paint still won’t cure or adhere properly.

During cold weather, your windows will also likely be closed, so you also need to make sure there’s enough ventilation. This is essential to ensure that the air doesn’t become too humid, as well as to ensure your safety, because even low-VOC paints can be quite toxic if trapped in an enclosed space.

As such, it’s important to take the necessary precautions and ensure the conditions are right before you start painting.

As long as you control the temperature and humidity and ensure there’s adequate ventilation, indoor painting is 100 percent safe, even during cold weather or winter.

When Is Indoor Temperature Too Cold For Painting?

Anything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit is too cold for painting. Below that, the paint may take much longer to dry and cure, and even after drying and curing, may still not adhere properly, leading to peeling later on.

It may also develop streaks, blotches, or an uneven finish.

While 50 degrees Fahrenheit is the absolute lowest that you should go, ideally, keep it to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and above. This will help your paint dry and cure faster and better.

Indoor Painting Tips

If you’re painting your home interior during cold weather, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

Ventilate carefully: Open a window just an inch or two. This tiny gap will allow air exchange without compromising your insulation.
Keep the heat on throughout: It isn’t just during the painting that you need to keep the space warm — it needs to remain above 60 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the drying and curing. It’s also important to maintain a similar temperature throughout so that the paint cures evenly.
Allow enough drying time: Even with the heater on, the inside of your home is very likely still going to be cooler than during warmer seasons like summer. This means the paint will inevitably take longer to dry and cure, so make sure to give it enough time before you expose it to heavier traffic or apply additional coats.
Use a fan for quicker drying: A fan helps constantly move humid air away from the paint, helping it to dry faster. Just be careful not to blow it directly at the paint, especially if the wind is strong, or it could cause streaking or ripples.

Need Your Interior Painted?

Looking for a reliable Raleigh house painting company to handle your cold-weather interior painting project? We’ve got you covered.

Our team has painted countless Raleigh homes year-round across every season, and we know how to manage temperature, humidity, and ventilation so that your paint dries and cures perfectly.

When you choose Renewed Walls Painting, you can relax knowing that your walls are in expert hands.

How To Paint Stair Railings (Step-By-Step Guide)

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:32:41 GMT

Your stair railings don't take up as much surface area as your walls or even your cabinets, but just like how adding a vase can elevate a dining table's aesthetics, painting your staircase railings can improve the overall look of your home.

For example, painting your railings a sleek black can instantly change your home’s vibes from farmhouse to modern and contemporary.

Painting stair railings is generally less tiring than painting walls and more straightforward. You do need to be a bit more careful, as you'll have to manoeuvre around various tight spots and corners, but overall, it’s a lot less painting to do, and it’s relatively simple, with fewer things to take note of.

Here’s how to go about it.

Gather Your Supplies

These are the supplies that you’ll be needing:

Mild detergent and degreaser
Sandpaper (Medium and fine grit)
Painter’s tape and drop cloths
Wood filler
Paintable caulk
Angled brush
Primer
Enamel trim paint in satin or semi-gloss finish

Step 1: Carry Out Repairs

Whatever you’re painting, you should never be painting over damages. Otherwise, when those damages worsen, they’ll compromise your paint and lead to issues like peeling and bubbling.

Here are the various damages and how to fix them:

Loose spindles: Secure any wiggling spindles with wood glue at the top and bottom if the gap isn’t too big. If it’s too big of a gap, use wood filler instead, let it dry, and then sand it smooth.
Cracks, dents, and holes: Fill them up with wood filler slightly higher than the surface level, as it’ll shrink as it dries. Then, once the filler has dried, sand them smooth.
Rust (for metal railings): Scrub the rust off with a wire brush or sandpaper, then continue scrubbing until the surface is smooth, and then apply a rust-inhibiting primer before painting.

Step 2: Cleaning And Sanding

Same as painting any other surface, paint won’t stick well to dirt, debris, dust, and so on. Not only will it result in uneven spots, but when those external elements come off, your paint could come off with them too.

So give it a round of cleaning with mild detergent and water, and if there are any oily spots, use a degreaser to remove them. You can also use dish soap if the oil stain isn’t too heavy.

Then, lightly sand down your railings to smooth them and help improve adhesion.

In many cases, railings will have been painted with a glossy finish to repel stains and dirt, but that same glossy finish would prevent your primer and paint from adhering securely.

As such, you’ll need to use medium grit sandpaper to lightly sand the glossy surface, and then follow up with fine grit sandpaper for a smoother surface.

If the surface doesn’t look glossy, you don’t need to sand as aggressively. Use just fine grit sandpaper and just give your railings a light scuff.

If your spindles are curved, you can also consider using a sanding sponge to make your job easier. Note that they also come in different coarseness levels, so make sure to choose the right one for your job.

Step 3: Protect The Surroundings

When you’re painting railings, you’re likely going to be working with awkward angles and tight spots, and when you’re navigating awkward positions, the chances of accidental drips and slips increase.

Even without these awkward angles, your spindles are vertical, so there’s still a chance of paint dripping down to your flooring or carpet.

To ensure paint doesn’t get onto unintended surfaces, you need to cover them up.

Lay drop cloths over your stairs and floor, and apply painter’s tape along the edges where your railings or spindles meet the wall, trim, and stairs.

If you have staircase carpets, mask off those edges too, so that wet paint doesn’t touch them.

Step 4: Priming Your Railings

Priming is a key step in most painting projects, and staircase railings are no exception.

Under certain conditions, specifically when there is existing non-glossy paint in good condition, and the color isn’t too different from your new paint, then it’s fine to skip the primer, because the existing paint will act as the primer.

Otherwise, if you’re painting bare wood, covering a darker color with a lighter color, or the existing finish is glossy, then you’ll need to apply a coat of stain-blocking primer.

Let the primer dry, lightly sand any rough spots, and then you’re ready to start painting.

Applying primer is almost akin to another round of painting, and there’s no denying that it’s going to be tedious.

But if you skip this step, chances are, your paint will peel off much sooner, and you’ll end up having to repaint again pretty soon. So think of it as doing a bit more work now to stave off the work of having to do an entire repaint.

Step 5: Painting Your Railings

Whether to paint the spindles or handrails first depends on whether you’re painting them different colors.

If they’re both the same color, then it doesn’t matter which you start with. But if you’re using different colors for the spindles and handrails, start with the lighter color one first, then the darker color one. This way, the darker color can cover up any stray brush marks from the lighter color.

Painting Spindles

For painting spindles, always paint from bottom to top. This may sound counterintuitive, as painting from top to bottom would allow paint to drip to the bottom and essentially give you this paint to use for the bottom.

However, the issue is that if your paintbrush was too wet, or you just applied too much pressure, there could be too much paint on the surface, so it pools up into drips within a few seconds. When these drips dry up, they form very unsightly drops.

If you’re painting from top to bottom, you might not notice when drips from above form, because you’re painting the section below already, and drips tend to form from the top

Now, if you instead painted from bottom to top, as you work on the next section, when drips form at the top of the section you just painted, you’re much more likely to spot them and catch them with your next stroke, and avoid unsightly dried-up drips.

Painting Handrails And Posts

For handrails and posts, simply work with long, smooth strokes following the grain, and maintain even pressure.

Note that you should be using an angled brush for all your staircase railing painting tasks, which includes the spindles as well.

The difference is that for handrails and posts, which are larger surfaces, you should be using a 2” angled brush to cover more ground, and for spindles, which require more careful maneuvering, a smaller, 1-1.5” angled brush allows for more dexterity.

Ending Tips

Follow these steps, and you’ll have robust, eye-catching stair railings. Small budget, big impact.

For maximum durability, it’s important that you give it enough time to cure and fully harden. Light foot traffic is fine, but try to minimize contact with the railings, just for the first week.

You can still hold them if you really need the support when going up and down, but where possible, avoid actions like running your hand through the railings, scrubbing them to clean them, knocking laundry baskets against them, and so on.

Also, painting your staircase railings can be somewhat tedious, but don’t rush through it, or you’ll likely end up with unsightly drips and perhaps even uneven coats.

If you lack the patience to handle awkward angles and carefully maneuver around them, then it’s best that you engage professional house painters to carry out the paint job. You might pay more, but at least you’ll have properly painted, long-lasting stair railings.

For those residing in Raleigh, if you’re looking for house painters in Raleigh , give Renewed Walls Painting a call today at 919-759-6676 ! We deliver the highest quality work, completed on time and within budget, every time.

How To Paint Stairs: A Complete Homeowner’s Guide

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:26:41 GMT

Is your staircase scuffed, worn-out, or just plain outdated?

A repaint might just be the answer.

Repainting your staircase can make it look good as new without the cost of a full replacement, while at the same time enhancing its durability.

You'd also be able to customize it however you like. You could have an elegant, timeless dark brown, a modern monochrome, or a warm neutral staircase — it's entirely up to you.

Sure, it might be a bit more tedious than regular wall painting, but you won't have to worry about a thing, because you’ll have this handy guide by your side!

We'll be bringing you through the entire painting process, from gathering your supplies to picking the right primer and paint, and of course, painting your stairs the right way.

Stairs Painting Tools & Equipment

The stairs aren't just part of your flooring — they're one of the most high-traffic and heavily used sections of your flooring.

Other parts of your flooring may only be traversed a few times per day. Some, even not at all.

But with stairs, anyone with a multi-story home knows that you'll be going up and down many, many times per day.

That's why staircase painting calls for exceptionally tough paint.

Slip resistance is also a huge deal. Slipping on normal floors is dangerous enough, but slipping on staircases could lead to unimaginable consequences.

To satisfy all these conditions, you need to use interior floor-grade paint.

Choose a high-quality floor-grade paint, and then gather the rest of these other tools and equipment for staircase painting:

Drop cloths
Painter’s tape
Sandpaper possible
Wood filler
Flexible paintable caulk
Caulking tool
Bonding primer
Angled brush
Small foam roller

With your tools and materials ready, it's time to start the painting.

Step 1: Protecting Nearby Surfaces

First things first, as with most interior painting projects, you don't want paint getting onto other surfaces besides your staircase, so you'll need to cover them up.

Lay your drop cloths over the following areas:

Top and bottom of your stairs: Even if you're extra careful, paint can still drip from your paint brush onto the top and bottom of your stairs. It's also easier than you think to accidentally step off a painted step onto your flooring and end up staining it.
Alongside the stairs: If your staircase has open sides, you don't want paint to drip onto the flooring below, so lay drop cloths over the parts of your floor that are beneath the open sides of your staircase.

Then, apply painter’s tape along the walls where the stairs meet drywall, as well as at the edges of the top and bottom of your stairs.

Step 2: Repairs, Sanding, And Cleaning

Repairs, sanding, and cleaning are all standard procedure in almost all home painting projects.

Before you begin, remove any staples or nails from your stairs. These need to be removed and then filled in. Otherwise, you’ll have bulging spots when you paint over them, and this could affect the longevity of your paint job.

So remove them, and then perform the necessary repairs.

Assuming it's a traditional wooden staircase, most of the repairs will simply be about filling up the indentations with wood filler.

For the following damages, simply fill them with wood filler and sand smooth once dry:

Holes
Hairline cracks
Dents
Deep scratches
Chips/Gouges
Nails/Staples

Make sure to fill the damaged spots slightly above the floor level, as filler shrinks as it dries.

For larger cracks and gaps from structural movement, you can't use wood filler, as figure movement could open up the crack or gap.

Instead, use a flexible paintable caulk. Apply a bead of caulk along the gap and then smooth it with a caulking tool.

Finally, for small cracks and uneven spots, simply sand them till they're smooth.

After you've performed the necessary repairs, sand all surfaces that you're painting to smooth them out and help the paint adhere more securely.

Generally, unless you have stairs that are in poor condition, i.e. flaking paint, bulging, uneven spots, etc, medium grit sandpaper will suffice.

If you do have more heavy-duty sanding to do, then sand once with rough grit sandpaper first, and finish off with medium grit sandpaper.

Don’t be lazy and use only rough sandpaper, or the surface won’t be smooth enough for strong adhesion.

Once you’re done with the sanding, you’re almost ready to begin the painting. All that’s left to do now is to vacuum away dust and wipe your stairs down with mild soap and water, just to get rid of any remaining dirt and dust.

Step 3: Prime Your Stairs

Priming is an important step to ensure your paint can adhere well.

As with any painting project, if you already have an existing layer of paint in good condition, and your new paint color isn’t vastly different, then that layer of paint can essentially act as the primer. The paint also needs to be not glossy, or else you’ll need to sand it before painting over.

Otherwise, if it’s anything less than good, or if you’re painting a significantly different color over, it’s highly recommended that you apply primer for optimal adhesion.

Choose a bonding wood primer that matches your paint type. So if you’re using latex paint, use a latex primer, and vice versa if it’s oil-based paint that you’re using.

In addition, if you’re painting over bare wood, it’s also best to use a paint that also has wood sealing properties.

After priming, give the primer time to dry, and then lightly sand with fine sandpaper.

Then, if you want a professional finish, run a thin bead of paintable caulk along the seams where risers meet trim/walls/stringers, smooth with your finger or a caulk tool, wipe away the excess, and then let it dry.

Without paintable caulk, the seams can look somewhat uneven or shadowed after painting, so this will help give your paint job a cleaner and more professional look. It’s a purely cosmetic step though, so it’s perfectly fine to skip it. You’d still have a relatively well-done paint job, albeit a little less “polished” looking.

Step 4: Painting Your Stairs

The most commonly asked question when it comes to painting stairs is how to paint stairs without stepping onto painted parts.

You can’t just work your way down or up the stairs, or else you’d be stuck either at the top or the bottom waiting for your stairs to dry. And even after drying, you still need to give it time to cure.

Even if you tiptoe down, you’ll still end up marking or denting the finish.

And if you try to walk on painted steps prematurely without allowing enough time for proper drying and curing, there’s a good chance that you’ll leave behind footprints or scuffs.

Unless you have a second staircase or you’re painting your basement stairs, you’re going to want to alternate the steps that you paint, so that you’ll always be able to go up and down freely by using the unpainted steps.

Order-wise, start with the risers, then the treads.

For painting the risers, use your angled brush to cut in around the edges where they meet the treads and walls. Then, paint the rest of the risers with your mini foam roller.

For painting the treads, follow the same process. Cut in around the edges where the treads meet the risers and walls, and paint the rest with your mini roller.

When painting, always paint with the grain of the wood, and as always, follow painting best practices. Maintain even pressure, maintain a wet edge, and apply two coats.

The sequence for painting would be:

Paint every other step
Wait till the first round is dry enough to be walkable. No need to wait till it’s fully cured, just enough to be walkable (usually 8-24 hours, will be stated on the paint can “Light foot traffic: after X hours”). Then, walk on the first round’s painted steps to paint the unpainted ones.
Wait for the second round of steps to be dry, then repeat steps 1 and 2 again for the second coat.

Ending Tips

And just like that, you now have a beautifully painted, durable, and non-slip staircase!

After you’re done painting, remember to give it adequate time to cure. Drying is one thing, curing is another thing entirely.

Most floor paints will fully dry within 24-48 hours, but can take up to 2 weeks to cure for latex paints, and 4 weeks for oil-based paints.

During this time, the paint isn’t fully hardened yet, so avoid heavy traffic, or you risk compromising the paint’s integrity with scuffs, scratches, permanent impressions, and even peeling or lifting.

To learn how to paint just your staircase railings, check out our stair railings painting guide .

Lastly, if you have leftover paint (which you will have in most cases), keep it for future use, like for touching up nicks and scratches.

For those residing in Raleigh, if you’re looking for Raleigh house painters to handle your staircase painting, Renewed Walls Painting is here to help. We pride ourselves on delivering the highest quality work, completed on time and within budget, every time.

How To Paint Your Driveway

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:12:55 GMT

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

Start by removing dirt, debris, and leaves with a stiff broom or blower.

Then, you'll want to use a pressure washer to get rid of the remaining tougher dirt and stains.

For asphalt, make sure to use only moderate pressure so that you don't damage the asphalt.

If there are any oil stains, you'll also need to degrease them with a driveway cleaner or degreaser, because paint won't stick to oily parts.

Once the cleaning is done, it's time to move on to the repairs.

Repairs

Damaged areas need to be fixed before painting. Otherwise, you'd essentially just be sealing them in, and they're likely to worsen under the coating.

These are the various driveway damages and how to repair them.

Cracks:

For cracks, use a concrete crack filler or patching compound for concrete, and a rubberised asphalt crack filler for asphalt.

Use a caulk filler to apply them, and then smooth them out with a trowel or putty knife.

Holes:

For holes, use vinyl concrete patcher or resurfacer for concrete. For asphalt, use cold patch asphalt, tamp it down firmly, and level it.

Make sure to press the patches down firmly so that they're level with the surface.

Spalling Concrete:

Use a resurfacer to create a new top layer.

Asphalt Alligator Cracking:

Cut out the damaged section and patch it with cold patch asphalt.

Step 3: Choosing The Right Time

When it comes to driveway painting, choosing the right time to carry out the painting is extremely important.

This is because you need to factor in drying time for the repairs and curing time for the coating, which will each add an extra day to the overall timeline.

If it rains before your repairs have had time to dry or before your coating has fully cured, it'll compromise the integrity of the coating, shortening the coating’s lifespan.

Water could also be trapped under the coating, and over time, due to expanding and freezing, cause damage to your driveway.

That's why it's of the utmost importance that you check the weather forecast and paint only when there's a good chance of dry weather for at least three days.

Or if you only get a day or two of dry weather, carry out the repairs first, then hold off until the painting until you've got two days of dry weather.

Ideally, to be doubly safe and minimize the risk of rain, try to perform your driveway painting during dry seasons.

Step 4: Applying The Coating

The actual coating application isn’t too complicated or complex, but there are a few important things to take note of.

Unlike walls, doors, and most other surfaces that are usually painted, you won’t need much painter’s tape, if any at all, for your driveway, because its surroundings will usually be gravel or garden beds.

If there are edges where the driveway meets painted surfaces, then you’ll need some painter’s tape to protect them, but you won’t have to worry about the other edges that are surrounded by grass and gravel.

After you’ve taped up the necessary edges, cut in like you would for normal walls painting with a paint brush.

The coating process from here will differ slightly for concrete and asphalt.

For concrete, you’d use a roller with an extension pole and work in small sections, rolling in a “W” or “M” shape and ensuring each section overlaps the previous section slightly. Remember to maintain a wet edge too.

For asphalt, you’d pour the sealer, then spread it evenly with a squeegee.

Either way, take care not to walk over coated areas, so you’ll want to work backwards towards your exit point to ensure that you’ll never be walking over coated ground.

Note that for asphalt sealers, just a single coat is usually enough, but when it comes to concrete, it’s best to have a second coat for even coverage.

After you’ve finished the coating application, remember to let it cure for at least 24 hours before walking on it. And give it another 3-7 days after that to let it fully cure before driving over the coating.

How Often Do You Need To Recoat?

For concrete, a good ballpark figure is every 5 years or so, and sooner if you notice:

Color unevenness: Patchy, faded, or chalky areas. These are signs of a worn-out coating and surface damage.
Peeling or flaking: The coating lifts up in spots.
Coating wear: You can visibly see the coating wear off and the concrete showing through.
Water penetration: You notice dark spots and you see water clearly soaking in instead of staying on the surface like it should.
Surface dusting: If you notice fine concrete dust when you sweep, that’s a clear sign that the coating has worn off and it’s just the bare concrete now.

For asphalt, aim to reseal every 2-3 years, or whenever you see these:

Faded spots: Spots that are grey or dull instead of black.
Water no longer beading: This applies to concrete too, but it’s easier to look out for dark spots with concrete, as it’s not as dark as asphalt, so the dark spots are more visible.
Surface drying or brittleness: This is when the asphalt looks chalky or rough rather than being smooth like it should be.
Oil and chemical stains: Both your concrete coating and asphalt sealer should repel oil and chemicals, so if they don’t come off even when you wash them, or it takes quite a bit of effort, that’s a sign that your sealer is losing its effectiveness.
Cracks or raveling: Cracks or raveling signal that the sealer is gone, which is why these UV and moisture damages are appearing.

Ending Tips

Driveway painting is a high-ROI project that staves off a costly replacement, but it’s not all-powerful.

When there are oil and chemical spills, you still need to clean them off promptly.

In addition, you should avoid using sharp metal tools that could damage the coating and even the driveway itself.

Take care of your coating, and your coating will take care of your driveway.

If you reside in Raleigh and prefer to have painters in Raleigh, NC , perform your driveway coating for you, Renewed Walls Painting is here to help. Give us a call today at 919-759-6676 for your free quote!

Smart Paints And Coatings For Your Home

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:57:41 GMT

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

Kicking things off are the paints that’ll significantly reduce the amount of cleaning and maintenance that you need to do — self-cleaning paints.

There are a few types of self-cleaning paints, but the only truly “smart” one is photocatalytic self-cleaning paint.

Photocatalytic coatings and paints use a chemical called titanium dioxide (TiO₂) that becomes chemically active in the presence of UV rays.

Once activated, it breaks down organic matter like mold, mildew, bird droppings, pollen, and so on. In other words, it literally uses the sun to clean itself.

As you can imagine, this is extremely helpful to ensure that organic matter like pollen and bird droppings don’t stain or degrade your paint.

This does come at a price though. Photocatalytic self-cleaning paints are about 3-5 times as expensive as normal ones.

Whether this is worth it is really up to you. For some, this additional cost is worth the peace of mind knowing that their paint is protected, as well as the reduction in maintenance effort. For others, these benefits might not be enough to warrant the price.

Either way, remember that they only work when they have access to sunlight, so don’t expect them to work in a shaded area.

Also, while they break down organic matter, they won’t do anything about non-organic matter like regular dirt, dust, debris, etc.

For that, you’ll need non-smart coatings. We won’t go too much into detail about them since this article is about smart paints and coatings, but here’s a quick look at the non-smart self-cleaning options on the market:

Superhydrophobic Coatings: Hydrophobic means water-repellant. Superhydrophobic means super water-repellant. What these coatings do is they create a waterproof layer that repels water, so that when there’s rain or water, the rain or water rolls off easily. At the same time, superhydrophobic coatings also make it such that dirt, dust, and debris don’t adhere well, so when water rolls off, it takes these unwanted elements along with it. Essentially, each time it rains, it cleans your paint for you.
Oleophobic Paints and Coatings: Oleophobic coatings repel oils and grease instead of water, making them perfect for kitchens or even other high-traffic and high-touch areas.

These technologies can be combined or layered, so if you want your paint to be able to clean both organic and non-organic matter, you can. You just have to combine or layer the smart photocatalytic coating with either the superhydrophobic or oleophobic coating, or you could even have all three.

2. Self-Healing Paints

Next up, self-healing paints are, as the name suggests, quite literally paints that heal themselves.

This remarkable innovation works by incorporating tiny microcapsules filled with a repair agent into the coating. When the paint film is scratched or damaged, these microcapsules rupture and release the repair agent, and the repair agent flows into the damaged areas and hardens, closing up the scratches and scuffs.

Another version of this technology uses special polymers that, when heated by sunlight, warm water, or even a heat gun, soften and flow to close up damaged spots.

Just a disclaimer though. This technology isn’t available for house paints just yet. It’s already on the market for other industries like automotives (which is what it was originally designed for), aircraft, and ships, but it hasn’t reached the property painting scene yet.

The good news is, there is already ongoing research to adapt this technology for hardwood floor coatings, and in time to come, it’s not unreasonable to expect that we’ll see self-healing wall paints available for commercial purchase.

These paints would be able to fix their own scratches and scuffs, which means that you’d no longer have to worry about your kid bumping their backpack against the walls, your pet scratching the walls, chairs scraping against dining room walls, and the many other accidental scratches and bumps that are inevitable in everyday life.

This would come in very handy in high-traffic areas that get a lot of wear and tear, like your living room, kitchen, doors, and trim.

Self-healing coatings do have their limits — they can’t fix deep gouges or drywall dents — but for surface-level damage, they’ll heal just fine. Deeper damages are generally quite rare, so touch-ups and manual repairs would become infrequent occurrences with a self-healing coating.

3. Energy-Saving Paints

Now, let’s talk about the paints that'll save you the most money — energy-saving paints.

Current non-smart paints and coatings like “cool roof” and reflective paints can reduce energy use by up to 20%, which adds up to roughly $300+ per year.

That’s not too shabby, especially considering that they only cost $10-40 more per gallon.

But with upcoming smart paints and coatings, those savings could go up to 60% .

Pretty impressive, right?

Here are the energy-saving smart paints and coatings in the works that could potentially save you more than a thousand bucks per year in cooling costs.

Solar-Activated Cooling Coatings

This coating is going to blow your mind.

When the sun shines on this coating, instead of heating up, it cools down .

What!

Yes, the more sunlight it gets, the cooler it becomes!

This may sound like magic or something that could only happen in a sci-fi movie, but advances in modern technology have made it a reality.

The science behind this innovation is called the anti-Stokes fluorescence phenomenon. We won't bore you with the details, but basically, the particles inside absorb photons from sun rays, absorb some heat energy from the surface, and then emit a higher-energy photon than the original photon.

This higher-energy photon then escapes into the atmosphere, taking not only the sun’s heat, but also some heat from the surface.

As a result, the more sunlight the coating gets, the more heat it can absorb and release from the surface, and the more it cools the surface down.

In tests, a metal roof coated in this paint stayed at least 50°F cooler than one with traditional white reflective paint. Not normal paint, mind you — reflective paint.

Incredible , isn't it?

Unfortunately, as of this moment, it's extremely expensive, about $200 per square meter.

It also comes in only pale blue.

With these drawbacks, trying to market it widely just doesn't make sense — for now.

These are common hurdles for advanced coatings, and the patent holder and researchers are actively working to bring down production costs and expand the color range.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that costs often drop once manufacturing scales up, so there's a good chance that this incredible coating will eventually reach retail stores.

Color-Changing Thermochromic Paints

Next on the list is another revolutionary innovation.

Color-changing thermochromic paints don't just keep your paint cool on hot days, but they also adapt to keep your space warm when it gets cold!

When the temperature is above 77°F, these paints turn a lighter color to reflect more light and heat and keep your home cooler.

When temperatures dip below 77°F and your home needs heating, these paints turn a darker color to absorb more light and heat to warm your space.

To better help you visualize it, just imagine a paint that turns white in the summer or on hotter days, and then turns black during winter or when it gets cold.

Tests showed that these paints keep surfaces 12°F cooler in summer as compared to a dark exterior, and 7°F warmer during winter as compared to a light exterior.

This innovation would cut energy use by about twice as much as current technologies because they don’t just help with cooling, but heating too.

Estimates place these paints at about 3-5 times the price of normal paints, and 1.5-3 times the price of reflective paints, at least for the first launch.

Afterwards, as we explained earlier, as manufacturing scales up, the price is likely to go down.

If all goes well, you can expect to see these paints at paint stores in the next 5-10 years.

Ultra-White Cooling Paints

Lastly, here's another impressive energy-saving paint in the works.

Researchers at Purdue University developed an ultra-white paint that reflects 98.1% of sunlight, and radiates heat away on top of that.

As a matter of fact, this ultra-white paint holds the Guinness World Record for whiteness.

In trial tests, this ultra-white paint kept surfaces 8°F cooler than the ambient temperature under direct sun, and 19°F cooler at night than regular paints.

When applied to a 1,000 sqft roof, it could provide a cooling power of 10 kilowatts — more powerful than even some air conditioners! And that’s without using a single watt of electricity.

The team behind this paint is actively collaborating with Purdue’s Office of Technology Commercialization and exploring partnerships to bring the paint to market, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see it in stores within the next few years if everything goes smoothly.

Ending Off

As technology continues to advance, there’s no doubt that we’re going to see more groundbreaking developments emerge.

These innovations aren’t always practical, and many don’t ever make it to production.

Nonetheless, those that do will no doubt change our lives for the better in a big way, so it’s worth keeping an eye on these advances and staying updated on any developments in smart paint technology.

And just one final word before we wrap up — historically, advanced paints and coatings like zero-VOC paints, cool roof coatings, and antimicrobial paints have seen significant price reductions once manufacturing scales and material sourcing stabilizes.

So while many of these smart paints and coatings may sound expensive, don’t give up on them just because of the price, because it’s highly probable that they’ll become much more affordable upon mass production.

How To Paint Your Mobile Home Exterior: Step-By-Step Guide

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:35:29 GMT

Looking to revamp your mobile home?

Or maybe you're just tired of driving around a relic on wheels.

Either way, repainting your mobile home can make it look like new again, and turn it from a tired, weathered ride to something that you proudly show off to others.

It also helps protect your mobile home’s exterior from the elements, and can even help maintain interior energy efficiency.

Before you start painting your mobile home though, you should know that painting mobile homes requires different preparation techniques and steps, as well as different paint types from normal wall painting.

The painting application method is the same as for normal walls, but given that you'll be painting either metal siding, vinyl siding, or fiberglass panels, you'll need to prepare them differently for the paint to be able to adhere to them.

Since your mobile home will also be exposed to road debris, you'll also need to choose your paint carefully for toughness.

And that's not all.

There are a few other things that need to be done differently throughout the entire painting process, and it’s important to get them right for a successful mobile home painting project.

You’ve got nothing to worry about though, because we’re here to walk you through the entire process.

Let’s get started.

Tools & Equipment

Before you start painting, you need to have the tools and equipment. Here’s what you’ll need.

Cleaning Supplies

To clean your exterior, ideally, use a pressure washer. Mobile homes tend to accumulate road grime, mileage, and oxidation, especially if they’ve been stationary for years, and a pressure washer will get these off efficiently. If not, at least use a garden hose.

You’ll also need mild detergent and a TSP (trisodium phosphate) solution to clean off oxidation, mildew, and stubborn stains.

Repair Tools

If there are any holes, cracks, or gaps in your mobile home exterior, you need to fix them before painting. You can’t just paint over them, or your paint won’t stick on well, and it’s highly likely that you’ll eventually face issues like peeling, bubbling, and flaking.

Plus, these damages are very unsightly, so if you just paint over them, you’re kind of defeating the purpose of painting, which is to make your mobile home look great.

For repairs, you’ll need scrapers, wire brushes, sandpaper, and exterior spackle or caulk for filling cracks and holes.

Painting

For the actual painting, here’s the list of tools and equipment you’ll need:

Primer
Paint
Paint roller/Paint sprayer
Paint brush
Painter’s tape
Ladder

How To Choose The Right Paint For Your Mobile Home

Your mobile home’s exterior isn’t like normal houses, so you need to select the right paint for the surface type and mobile home conditions.

Choosing The Primer

The primer needs to match the material too, but for the primer, it’s quite straightforward — use a metal primer for aluminum or steel siding, wood primer for wood, vinyl/plastic primer for vinyl siding and skirting, and bonding primer for fiberglass panels.

Make sure the primer is suitable for exterior use and is flexible, so that it can expand and contract with your exterior.

If your exterior is metal and has rust on it, remove the rust first, then choose a rust-inhibitive primer.

And finally, make sure your primer is compatible with your paint type, whether it’s latex or oil-based.

Choosing The Paint

Now, for the paint, first off, remember that as you drive your home on wheels around, there’ll be all sorts of debris that your wheels will go over and kick up — dust, dirt, road salt, glass shards, and whatever else is on the road.

That’s why your paint needs to be extremely robust and able to stand up to these attacks. This means it needs to be high-quality exterior paint that not only matches the material, but is extra durable and hardy.

To choose the right paint type for your surface, follow this guide:

Aluminum siding: 100% acrylic latex paint
Steel siding: 100% acrylic latex paint
Vinyl siding: Vinyl-safe acrylic latex paint
Wood siding: 100% acrylic latex paint
Plastic skirting: Vinyl-safe acrylic latex paint
Fiberglass panels: Acrylic urethane or acrylic latex paint

For the color of the paint, it’s best to opt for brighter colors that will reflect light and help keep your interior cool, and it’ll go a long way towards energy efficiency and cutting down on electricity use.

And for the paint finish, even though glossier finishes are tougher, for the sake of aesthetics, you still want to stick with the usual recommendations as for normal walls.

If you paint your entire exterior in gloss or semi-gloss, sure you’ll have a tougher protective layer, but that layer will also highlight every little imperfection.

Plus, the sheen gets more obvious the glossier your finish is, so you’ll end up with a shiny exterior that, most of the time, just doesn’t look right on a mobile home (or any home for that matter).

Here’s a guide to the finish to use for each surface. Note that these are the same recommendations as for regular homes too:

Main walls: Satin for added toughness, or eggshell for a surface that’s better at hiding flaws
Trim, doors, and window frames: These are high-touch areas, so you’ll need the added durability of semi-gloss or gloss.
Skirting: Skirting sits close to the ground, so a little extra toughness will be useful for your skirting’s longevity. That said, it’s still a fairly large and noticeable part of your home on wheels, so you don’t want to go full gloss. Instead, the best finishes to use are satin or semi-gloss.

Step-By-Step Mobile Home Painting Guide

With that, you should now have everything you need to begin the actual painting. Here’s how to paint your mobile home, step-by-step.

Step 1: Thorough Cleaning

Paint isn’t going to stick to a surface full of dirt, dust, and debris, no matter how strong its adhesion is, so you need to start by ensuring your exterior surface is clean.

Make the cleaning solution by mixing 1/4 cup of mild detergent with 1 gallon of warm water.

Then, if you’re using a pressure washer, pour the cleaning solution into the detergent tank and attach the soap applicator nozzle before using the pressure washer to spray off dirt, mildew, debris, and even flaking old paint.

If you’re using a garden hose instead of a pressure washer, you won’t be able to spray water with cleaning solution, so you’d just be rinsing down your mobile home with water to get rid of any loose dirt and debris.

Afterwards, you’ll need to do quite a bit of manual brushing with the cleaning solution to get rid of the more stubborn stains and dirt.

You’ll still have to do manual brushing even with pressure washing, but the difference is that with a pressure washer, you’ll be able to remove mildew, flaking paint, and slightly tougher grime, so most of the heavy lifting is done. This will drastically reduce the amount of manual brushing you need to do afterwards.

You'll need to clean off dirt, stains, debris, and any other external substances. Once that's done, there's one last thing to clean — oxidation.

Light oxidation can be washed off, but heavier oxidation will require a separate round of scrubbing with TSP cleaning solution.

After this final round of scrubbing is done and your exterior is free of external substances, rinse off any leftover cleaning solution and let your home on wheels dry.

Give it about a day to make sure it's completely dry so that there won't be trapped moisture under your paint, which can cause bubbling and peeling.

Step 2: Scraping, Sanding, & Repairs

Before you begin painting, there are just a few more housekeeping tasks.

The first is to scrape off remaining loose paint and rust with a paint scraper or wire brush. Otherwise, when new paint goes over, there's a good chance that this loose paint eventually comes off, taking the new paint with it.

The same goes for rust. You need to scrape it off with a scraper or wire brush so that it doesn’t keep spreading underneath the paint.

After removing rust and loose paint, the next step is to sand rough patches to smooth them out. Sanding rough surfaces is important to prevent uneven finishes.

Finally, patch up holes, cracks, and gaps, if there are any. Fill them with exterior spackle or a paintable caulk and follow the packaging instructions to apply them properly, and make sure to let them dry before you start painting.

Step 3: Masking Off

The last thing to do before you can begin the actual painting is to protect areas that you don’t want paint getting on with painter’s tape.

Even the best painters have a hard time painting exactly at the edges, so you’ll usually want to tape the edges around your painting area, and the edges of the doors and windows too if you’re not painting them.

Step 4: Priming

Primer helps your paint adhere better and more securely, but it’s not always needed.

You’ll usually want to apply primer if you’re painting metal or vinyl surfaces, because those are smoother, so the primer will give your paint something to grip on and help it adhere more strongly.

You should also prime your surface if you’re making a drastic color change.

Primer also has other benefits, like enhancing the toughness of your paint, preventing peeling, and even inhibiting rust, depending on what primer you choose.

Note that existing paint in good condition can serve a similar purpose as primer, so if your existing paint is still healthy and going strong, you can skip the primer.

Step 5: Painting

Ah, the moment you’ve been waiting for — painting!

After all that preparation, you’re finally ready to begin painting.

There’s just one more thing to consider though — will you be rolling or spraying?

Both have their pros and cons, and in this case, both are perfectly fine. You’d save more time by spraying paint, but you’ll spend more money too, and you’ll have to spend more time picking up the technique as well as on the preparation.

On the other hand, rolling is slower, but also cheaper and easier to control, with less preparation needed.

Here’s a guide on choosing between spray painting and rolling . If you’re not sure which to choose, you’ll know by the end of that guide.

Once you’ve made your choice, whichever you choose, like we mentioned earlier, the painting for mobile homes is the same as you would for normal homes. The main differences lie in the paint choice and preparation, so whether you’re spraying or rolling, you’d follow the same technique as you would for regular house painting.

For rolling, that means painting in a “W” pattern, maintaining steady pressure throughout, and painting in controlled squares, with each square overlapping the previous one slightly. Here’s a detailed guide on house painting techniques if you need more in-depth advice.

For spraying, the main points to take note of are to wear protective gear, mask off all areas where your overspray could get onto, and to spray at a steady pace. Not too quick, not too slow, so that the paint doesn’t end up pooling up or being sprayed too thin.

And whichever paint application technique you decide on, don’t forget to apply two coats or even more if needed.

Ending Tips

At this point, we’ve covered everything you need — from the tools and equipment you need to choosing the paint, cleaning and preparation, and then the actual painting of your mobile home.

So by now, you should know exactly how to go about painting your mobile home from start to finish, and assuming you follow the steps carefully, you’ll have no issues completing a successful and long-lasting paint job on your home on wheels.

The job doesn’t end with the painting though. Regular maintenance is still key to preserving the longevity of your paint job.

Clean regularly, inspect often, and remedy issues asap whenever you spot any, such as peeling, cracks, etc.

As long as you do your maintenance diligently, your paint job will last for years to come.

And just one last thing before we end off. If you find these steps overwhelming, you can always engage a professional house painting company to take charge of the whole project and return you a professionally painted mobile home.

Best Home Office Paint Colors To Boost Your Productivity

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 01:37:27 GMT

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

Think back to the various workplaces depicted in movies, TV shows, and even the ones you’ve seen in real life.

Besides neutrals like white and grey, for most people, the next most common color is going to be blue.

As a matter of fact, according to Sherwin-Williams , a national survey of 1,000 office workers found blue to be the most preferred color for workplaces.

This is no surprise since blue has been scientifically proven to:

Reduce stress and anxiety
Enhance focus and concentration
Clear your mind and help you think better

Different shades of blue have slightly different effects too, with different moods. Here's when to use each shade of blue:

Sky Blue: Best for reducing stress and inducing calm. Use for when you need a relaxed mental state, eg you're a writer, book reviewer, therapist, etc.
Teal/Aqua: Still great for relaxation, but is slightly better at simulating creative thinking. Use for when you need ideas in a relaxed environment, such as if you're a creative designer, artist, content creator, etc.
Steel Blue: Steel blue brings a more serious and formal vibe, albeit still keeping you calm, perfect for roles where you need to be fully concentrated and a bit more locked in, such as analytical or technical tasks. This makes it great for roles like information security analysts, programmers, and other similar roles.

Different shades of blue may bring slightly different results, but across the board, the calming effect remains the same.

Take care not to overdo it though. Painting your entire room blue isn’t going to enhance the effects.

Increasing the amount of blue in your visual environment does increase its positive benefits, but past a certain point, the benefits don’t increase anymore, and it can even feel overwhelming.

One way to ensure you don’t overdo it is to just paint one wall, so that it functions as an accent or feature wall. Or if you just want to test out that shade of blue first, you can add it to your work area in various ways, such as with a rug, curtains, or even storage bins.

Green

It’s common knowledge that looking at greenery is a great way to rest your eyes in between screen breaks and reduce eye fatigue, because it’s the least straining color on your eyes.

Painting your walls green will help give you the feeling of having nature in your space. It may not actually purify or cool down your air, but it’s going to provide a nice area to look at when you need to rest your eyes, and it can also make your space feel more refreshing by making you feel as if you’re actually in nature.

While green is less commonly seen than blue for work areas, it’s still a pretty popular color, especially for people who love nature.

Green, like blue, helps invoke a sense of calm and reduces stress and anxiety. It’s less effective at helping clear your mind than blue, but still does a good job of keeping your mind steady and relaxed.

The main advantage that green has over all other colors is that it’s very easy on the eyes, so it’s very well-suited for people who spend all day staring at their computer screen.

Like with blue (and any color, actually), different shades bring different things to the table.

Softer greens like sage or mint green are the easiest on the eyes. Richer greens like emerald or forest green will have a greater impact on your aesthetics and give you a stunning workspace, and will bring out the nature vibe more strongly.

So if you're someone who works long hours on your computer screen, it's a good idea to opt for more muted greens to reduce eye strain as much as possible.

And if you want to bring the outdoors inside, go for richer greens. Those are still great for reducing eye fatigue.

Either way, whichever shade you choose, green will ease the pressure on your eyes and give your eyes a break.

Once again, remember that too much will only overwhelm you. It may not strain your eyes since it’s green, but mentally, it can have the opposite effect and end up distracting you or making it hard to work.

This is particularly so for darker or richer shades, so use those a bit more sparingly.

If you're worried about overusing a certain shade of green, start with a bit and increase the amount gradually. For example, you could start with a green lamp, a green cushion, or even some actual plants.

Then, you can slowly add more green to your space, and eventually even paint one of your walls entirely green if you feel comfortable.

Neutrals — The Best Colors For Mental Clarity

Ever noticed how hot desks are often white-themed?

It's not just a coincidence.

When you're not sure which color to get, neutrals are always a safe choice. You can pretty much never go wrong with neutrals, and it's even more so in the context of working environments.

Neutrals like whites, off-whites, grays, and beige tones provide a clean, quiet space that minimizes distractions and facilitates focus and thinking.

Bright neutrals in particular not only help you work better, but also reflect more light and make your space feel brighter, larger, and more open.

Another advantage of neutrals is that they don't evoke particularly strong feelings, so most people are fine with them, or at least won't dislike them. So if you're sharing your workspace and you're not sure what color everyone will like, you can stick with neutrals.

One thing to be careful of though, is not to go all-white.

For other neutral colors, it’s generally fine to use them to fill up your entire room, because they won’t overwhelm your senses, which is something that can’t be said for most other colors.

However, white is an exception.

Just think — what are some rooms we see that are predominantly white?

Clinics, hospitals, psychiatric facilities… the list goes on. Not quite what you want for a workspace, now is it?

It’s not just the atmosphere that white creates, but since white reflects almost all light, it can make your space too bright and open, which ends up straining and tiring your eyes out.

It’s not that you can’t use white, but make sure to mix in other colors with it. White by itself can be cold, so one great way to alleviate the feeling of coldness is to incorporate warm, natural colors, like yellow, green, or wood textures.

Alternatively, you can add in even non-natural colors like red or blue. White goes with just about any color, because it's, well, white.

Or to make it simpler, if you don’t want to rack your brains thinking about what to pair your white with, you can simply opt for non-white neutrals to paint your room.

Best Colors For Energy And Warmth

Thus far, we’ve had relatively calm and relaxing colors. Now, let’s bring on the fun with these colors that will wake up your home office.

Yellow

It should come as no surprise that yellow can inject warmth, energy, and lift the mood of your workspace.

A dose of yellow can encourage creative thinking and give you a little mood boost on days when you’re just not feeling it.

The color yellow can get your energy levels up and your creative juices flowing, making it ideal for jobs like virtual sales roles, graphic designers, content creators, and so on.

That said, using too much of a strong yellow can drain you out fast. It’s kind of like being around someone who’s constantly bubbly. It’s fun at first, but it can tire you out fast if the effect is too strong.

It’s not for everybody either. Some people love the warmth and life that yellow brings, while others prefer a more muted, calm environment to work in. It’s one of those things that you either love or hate.

If you want an uplifting color, there’s no better one than yellow, but use it in moderation. Even if you’re someone with naturally higher energy levels than others, and you like yellow, too much will tire you out eventually from oversimulation, and could even start to get annoying.

When using yellow, it’s best to either use more muted or pale yellows or larger areas, or if you’re using bolder yellows, use them for accents.

You can also introduce yellow in such a way that you don’t see it all the time, so you only get that little mood lift whenever you come into contact with it. This could be a pinboard, a rug, or perhaps even your dining ware!

Red

Red is a very powerful color that is associated with many exciting elements, such as love, passion, wine, fire, heat, urgency, etc. It gets your heart beating and motivates you to take action.

This is a different kind of boost from yellow. It’s more emotional, and it’s motivation from excitement rather than a mood lift.

As such, red is very beneficial for breaking up monotony and providing motivation and energy, especially for boring tasks.

If you just need a mood lift or some creativity, yellow would get the job done, but when you need to pump some fire into your veins, red is the color you want.

You should consider bringing red into your workspace if you’re an editor, accountant, transcriber, or any other role where you just need to light a fire under yourself and get yourself through your work.

Given its strong effects, you’ll want to use red very carefully. Use it strategically in places where you need a pick-me-up. This could be in the hallway leading to your office to get you locked in, a red office chair, or an office corner for intensive work.

Ending Tips To Create The Perfect Home Office

Ultimately, the best home office is the one that you feel comfortable in.

This means your personal preference should heavily influence your choice of colors. If you love red, don’t choose green or blue just to create a more conducive space where you can focus better.

If you don’t feel comfortable or don’t like the space you’re working in, you’re going to find it tough to bring yourself to work, which would negate the positive effects of whichever colors you chose.

In addition, different people react differently to each color. For example, red may spur one person to get things accomplished, but cause anxiety or undue tension for another.

So you don’t need to base your color choices on what studies say or what’s typically recommended.

Only you will know how you react and feel about a certain color, so always trust your feelings.

If you’re still not sure which color to choose, fret not. Take your time to experiment and rotate the colors in your workspace, then see which one you like or feel best about.

Good luck finding your colors!

How To Dispose Of And Recycle Leftover Paint Safely

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:45:42 GMT

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

First off, before we get into disposal and recycling, let’s go over ways to not waste paint, so that you could potentially not have to dispose of anything and not waste any money at all.

Minimizing waste starts from the beginning. When purchasing paint, many homeowners will overbuy by a gallon or more to be safe, and that’s not wrong.

The last thing you want is to run out of paint halfway, so it’s totally fair to buffer some extra.

However, keep it to a gallon. A gallon of paint is more than enough buffer, even if you’re painting a large room. Anything more than that will very likely never be used, and will only end up as paint wastage.

After the painting is finished, as we mentioned at the start, the majority of the time, you’re going to have at least a little paint left.

At this point, it’s a good idea to set aside a little leftover paint for future touch-ups and repairs, but there’s no point in putting aside too much, because realistically, you’re probably not going to need to do many touch-ups and repairs. Just 8-16 oz should more than suffice.

If you only had a little left, then you can set all that aside for future needs. But for most people, even after putting this little bit aside, they’ll usually still have some more paint left.

So what happens to the rest?

Here are your two main options.

Option 1: Use It For Other Projects

Assuming the color fits, here are some other projects you can consider using your leftover paint for:

Accent Walls or Feature Panels: Use your leftover paint to add a pop of color to a small wall, niche, or alcove
Doors, Trim, Baseboards, & Window Frames: If you have enough leftover, you can use it to repaint your doors, trim, window frames, or baseboards to give them a brand new look.
Furniture Makeovers: You can also give your furniture new life by repainting them. This could be your old dressers, bookshelves, side tables, etc.
Existing Touch-Ups & Repairs: Look around your home and check if any areas need touching up or repairing.

We’ve listed some more common use cases, but this list could go on and on. You can use your leftover paint anywhere, as long as the color fits and the surface is suitable for latex paint or whatever paint type you’re using.

You could even use it for canvas painting or your child’s school project.

Option 2: Donate It

If you’re not using your paint and don’t want to just dispose of it or recycle it, why not donate it somewhere where it could be put to better use?

We’re not asking you to go knocking on your neighbors’ doors and start asking every one of them whether they want it. Chances are, your neighbor probably won’t need that exact shade of paint you have at that exact point in time.

But if you’re offering it for free, most people would be more than happy to take it — and then leave it untouched for the next few years.

Instead of that, here are some places where your paint would likely be needed and well-appreciated:

Community centers
Schools (for their art programs)
Theater groups
Youth clubs
Habitat for Humanity ReStores and similar non-profits

Just make sure that you’re donating usable paint in good condition.

How To Recycle Paint

There are many reasons why people recycle paint instead of donating. This could be because:

You couldn’t find anywhere suitable to donate
You don’t have enough left to donate (certain donation outlets have minimum paint amounts for donation)
Your paint isn’t in the best condition
Your paint isn’t latex paint (most schools and donation programs won’t accept oil-based or solvent-based paints due to health concerns)
You just don’t want to go through the trouble of going to various donation outlets

Whatever the reason, if you’re looking to recycle paint, here’s what you need to know.

Recycling paint is the same as recycling anything else. You make sure it’s in a state to be recycled, meaning it’s still liquid (doesn’t need to be in tip-top condition, but has to at least be liquid) and in the original container, and you drop it off at the recycling site.

The thing is, you can’t just drop off your paint at a normal recycling bin. Paint recycling is a very different process from normal recycling materials, so it needs to be a dedicated paint recycling outlet.

To recycle paint, it needs to go through the following process:

Collection & Inspection: Paint is collected at drop-off sites, then inspected to check if they’re still usable and not contaminated.
Sorting: Next, they’re sorted by their type (water or oil-based) and color.
Processing: Then, they go through a round of processing, where they’re blended together, filtered to remove contaminants, and finally tested for quality and performance.
Re-Tinting (Optional): Before they’re ready for use again, they may or may not be re-tinted to standardize the color.
Packaging & Redistribution: The final step is to package the now ready-for-use recycled paint into new containers, where they’ll be labeled “Recycled Paint”. They’re then either sold at discounted prices or may be donated to community groups, non-profits, and public agencies.

As you can see, the paint recycling process is a highly specialized one, and normal recycling centers just lack the equipment and expertise to properly recycle paint.

Now, depending on the state you’re in, it may or may not be easy to find a recycling program.

Currently, the largest paint recycling program in the US is PaintCare, which is a stewardship program.

PaintCare

A product stewardship program is a system in which manufacturers take responsibility for ensuring the proper end-of-life management of their product, which in this case is paint.

So wherever PaintCare operates, all paint manufacturers in that area must help fund it by paying a small fee for every container of paint sold

That fee is built into the price of the paint, and you’l sometimes see it on your receipt labeled as the PaintCare fee. This amount typically ranges from $0.65 to $0.95 for 1-2 gallons, but goes up to $1.35 if you’re residing in Vermont.

Here are the areas that PaintCare operates in:

California
Colorado
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Maine
Minnesota
New York
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont
Washington

PaintCare is also going to be launched in Maryland and Illinois, but they’re not active as of this moment.

If you reside in the listed areas, you’re in luck. All you need to do is bring your recyclable leftover paint to any PaintCare drop-off location. Drop-off is free of charge since it was already factored into your purchase price.

To find a drop-off site, use PaintCare’s drop-off site locator tool . This will usually be a participating paint or hardware store.

Do note that some locations may have quantity limits, so if you’re bringing more than a few gallons, you should call in to check if they’ll accept that.

If your region doesn’t have PaintCare though, here are some other options.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Programs

Almost every state has a HHW program, BUT not all paints are hazardous.

The main purpose of HHW programs is to ensure safe hazardous waste handling, which does include oil-based paint and spray paint, but not latex paint.

That said, some HHW programs do accept latex paint.

If your latex paint is recyclable, they’ll then either send it to paint reprocessors to turn it into new recycled-content paint, or give it to reuse programs, non-profits, and public agencies.

And if your paint isn’t recyclable, they’ll help you safely dispose of it.

Non-Profits & Community Reuse Centers

You can also donate them to non-profits and community reuse centers.

This ties in with our point earlier on donating to not reduce wastage, but the difference here is that if your paint is recyclable, but not in good enough condition to be usable, these outlets can help you send it to paint reprocessors.

It’s not a guarantee though. These outlets often reject unusable paint, but there are some that do help you recycle them, so always call in advance to check.

Hardware Stores

Like with non-profits and community reuse centers, certain individual hardware stores may help you recycle paint as a local service, but it’s not guaranteed, and you might need to pay a small fee.

How To Dispose Of Paint

If you’ve already gone through the options above and still have leftover paint, or maybe your paint is already unusable and needs to be disposed of, here’s how.

Disposing Of Latex Paint

Latex paint is generally much less dangerous and toxic than oil-based paint, but it can still clog pipes and affect wastewater systems.

As such, you need to dry it up before throwing it away.

For smaller amounts, all you have to do is leave it in a warm, ventilated area and ensure the lid is off so that it’s exposed to the open air. Small amounts will dry in a few days or weeks, depending on the thickness.

For larger amounts, you’ll need to mix in kitty litter, sawdust, shredded newspaper, or sand, and then stir until the material is evenly blended. These will absorb moisture and help your paint dry more quickly.

Then, just let your paint sit until it’s fully hardened.

If you want an even faster solution, you can also use paint hardener packets, which, as the name suggests, are designed to harden paint quickly.

Just get them at your local hardware or paint store, and follow the label instructions. Paint hardener packets can solidify a full can of latex paint in under an hour!

Once your paint is dry and hardened, you can safely dispose of it. But even then, there may be local regulations to adhere to.

Your state may require that you label it “Dried Paint”, or you may even need to bring the dried paint to a designated drop-off point. Make sure to read up on your local regulations.

Either way, you should always leave the lid off so that waste collectors can verify that it’s dried and hardened.

Disposing Of Oil-Based Paint

Oil-based paint is classified as hazardous waste in all US states, so your only disposal options are your local HHW program, or PaintCare sites if they’re operating in your region.

Take note that PaintCare won’t recycle oil-based paint; they’ll usually just help you dispose of it safely.

When you’re going to drop off your oil-based paint, keep it in its original container with the labels intact, and when you’re transporting it to the drop-off point, ideally, put it in a leak-proof box. If not, make doubly sure that it doesn’t leak on the way there.

Oil-based paints are a fire hazard and they’re toxic, not to mention the clean-up hassle, so you don’t want them to leak either way.

Ending Tips

With that, you now know how to safely and properly dispose of and recycle paint.

Before we end off, here are some final tips.

When you’re storing your paint, you don’t want it to quickly dry up or become unusable, so you need to store it properly to ensure it stays in good condition for as long as it can.

When you’re storing your paint, wipe the rim clean first before you cover it up, as residual paint can create tiny air gaps.

Then, place plastic wrap over the opening before covering the lid over. The plastic wrap will fill microscopic gaps caused by rim imperfections, and it also makes the lid easier to remove, because the paint might glue it tight otherwise.

Lastly, store your paint in a cool, dry, temperature-controlled room, ideally somewhere indoors in your home, away from direct sunlight. Avoid garages and sheds, even if they’re the most convenient.

Make sure to also label the container clearly with the paint color, date used, and which room or area you used it for. This will help you track whether the paint is over its shelf life, and if you ever need to perform touch-ups and repairs, find the right paint easily.

Remember, your painting project isn’t over once you’re done with the painting. Proper storage and waste management are essential to protect the environment and ensure everyone’s safety.

Spray Painting vs Rolling: Which One Should You Choose?

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:46:40 GMT

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?

This shouldn’t require much explanation — rolling is the most commonly used method for painting interior home walls.

It’s faster than using a brush, and with the right technique, you’ll have a smooth, uniform finish.

The preparation for rolling isn’t as extensive as for spray painting, and rolling is much more forgiving of mistakes.

Furthermore, it’s more budget-friendly, both for the equipment and for when you need to remedy any mistakes.

Rolling is definitely going to be slower than spraying, but most of the time, for smaller enclosed spaces, it’s much more practical and wallet-friendly. You also won’t be spending too much additional time as compared to spraying.

With that said, let’s dive into detailed comparisons of spraying vs rolling across key areas, so that you get the full picture and you’ll know exactly when to use each one for your particular use case.

Spraying Paint vs Rolling: Key Differences

Here’s how spraying and rolling match up in key aspects.

1. Cost

Money is often the first and most important consideration, so let’s start with cost.

Between spraying and rolling, the cost savings are actually pretty substantial.

To spray paint, you’ll need to either purchase the sprayer or rent one. The cost of a sprayer is between $200-400 for a decent model, so if you’re only using it for a single project, you’re probably going to want to rent instead, which can be anywhere from $50-100 per day.

Then, you have your respirator mask, your eye goggles, and either coveralls or a spray suit. These are going to cost you an additional $75-100 at the very least.

In comparison, for rolling, a good roller kit is usually just $20-50, and other add-ons, like painter’s tape and the drop cloth, are minimal expenses.

So between the two, spraying is going to be much more expensive. For the equipment alone, you’re looking at roughly an additional $100, and that’s if you’re renting the sprayer instead of purchasing your own set.

You’ll also have to factor in that spraying uses 20-50% more paint on average than rolling, mainly because of overspray loss and the fact that it’s harder to get just the right thickness, so people usually end up applying a thicker layer than with rolling.

For a typical 12 x 12 ft room, the cost of primer and paint for rolling is between $50 and $200. 20-50% more of that is approximately $20-100 more.

So overall, spraying is going to cost an additional $100 to $200 than rolling for a standard 12 x 12 ft room. And if you’re painting a larger room, that figure only gets bigger.

2. Speed

There’s no question that spraying is much quicker than rolling, but that doesn’t always mean you’ll finish your painting project quicker with spraying than with rolling, or that the time savings will be worth it.

Depending on the size of your space and the amount of masking you need to do, when you’re spraying paint, the masking alone can take you anywhere from 45 minutes to more than 2 hours.

Setting up the sprayer will also take you another 15-30 minutes.

In comparison, for rolling, the amount of time it takes to tape the edges is usually just 10-20 minutes, and set-up is minimal.

Adding all these up, in total, before you even start painting, spraying takes an additional 45 minutes to 2 hours of preparation.

Then, for the actual painting, rolling usually takes 2-4 hours for two coats, while spraying takes half an hour to an hour.

So time-wise, when you add up the preparation and painting time, you’re really only saving an hour or two with spraying for an average-sized room. And if it’s a small area, say, just one side of your room’s walls, then you may be able to finish the project even faster with rolling than spraying.

Also, like we mentioned above, you’re going to have to spend roughly $100-200 extra for a standard room if you choose to spray instead of roll. That means you’re paying $100-200 to save 1-2 hours of your time.

For most homeowners, that little bit of time saved just isn’t going to be worth an additional 100-200 bucks, not to mention the steep learning curve to pick up the spraying technique.

This is why both homeowners and pros will often rather stick with rolling if it’s a small area.

Of course, the time savings do grow as you paint larger areas, so the larger the area you’re painting, the more it makes sense to spray paint instead of rolling.

3. Paint Type

You won’t need special paint for spraying, but regular paint in its normal form won’t do, as it’s too thick for the sprayer to spray properly.

As such, you’ll need to thin it down a bit with a paint conditioner. You can also use water, but water dilutes paint and won’t help with flow and leveling like paint conditioner does.

Paint conditioner is an additional cost, but it’s a small one, usually just $10-20. Just remember to add it to your paint if you’re spraying.

4. Safety Concerns

With rolling, the only safety concern you’ll have is the fumes and VOCs from the paint, which won’t be an issue as long as you choose high-quality interior paints.

With spraying though, you’ll actually need to wear respirators, googles, and ideally a full-body suit. The reason for this is that spraying paint atomizes the paint into microscopic droplets, which will be everywhere in the environment.

When you breathe them in, you’re basically putting paint droplets into your lungs, and they can get into your eyes too.

When this happens, you could experience headaches, dizziness, throat or lung irritation, and in more severe cases, long-term respiratory issues.

That’s why it’s crucial that you protect yourself from the paint droplets in the air when you spray paint.

5. Quality Of Finish

Rolling, even with perfect technique, is after all still a manual process, so it usually results in a slightly less smooth texture, with tiny dots on the surface.

This may not necessarily be a bad thing, as it can cover up minor imperfections, but if you’re after an ultra-smooth, flawless finish, consider spraying instead.

Spraying gives you a very smooth and even coat if done right, so if that matters to you, spraying might be the better option.

6. Interior vs Exterior Projects

Both rolling and spraying have their place in indoor and outdoor projects.

But when you’re spraying paint, to ensure it only goes onto the intended areas, the only way to do so is to cover up the rest of the unintended areas, a process known as masking.

That’s why if you’re only painting a small area, the hassle of having to mask off your surfaces and also wear protective gear just isn’t worth it, and you might even end up spending more time than if you had just rolled paint over instead of spraying.

So when you’re painting the interior of your home, you’ll generally want to roll instead of spraying.

Otherwise, you’d have to cover everything up except the area you’re painting. For instance, if you were spraying your interior walls, you’d have to mask off your flooring, your ceiling, and your furniture.

The only time when you’ll want to spray paint indoors is if the space is relatively empty with very minimal furniture, or when you’re painting most of the room, so you won’t have to cover much up.

This could be if your house has just been built and everything needs to be painted — the walls, ceilings, trim, doors, etc, or if you just don’t have much furniture.

Moving on to exterior surfaces, in many cases, it’s going to make more sense to spray than to roll. This includes your siding, fences, brick walls, garage doors, sheds, and so on.

It’s not always the case, but most outdoor surfaces tend to be larger, and there’s not much that needs to be masked off, unlike indoors where you have your furniture.

As such, it’s usually best to spray instead of rolling for exterior surfaces, unless it’s a small area or if windy conditions make it risky to spray paint, as strong winds can blow paint everywhere and cause a mess.

Having said that, you’ll still notice that many homeowners and even professional painters opt for rolling over spraying, and oftentimes, it’s simply because it’s cheaper or the technique is easier to master.

When To Spray Paint?

You should spray paint if:

You’re painting large, open areas, eg exterior surfaces, basements, or empty interiors
You want an ultra-smooth finish, such as for cabinets, doors, trim, or even regular walls
You feel that the extra cost and setup needed are worth the time saved
You’re confident of getting the spraying technique right

If you’re trying to finish the painting ASAP and you’re willing to pay more and spend more time on preparation, then spraying paint makes sense for you, especially since spray paint also dries much faster than regular paint.

When To Roll?

You should roll if:

The area you’re painting isn’t too large
You have too much to mask off
You’re on a budget
You’re not confident of the spraying technique

Rolling may be slower, but depending on the size of the area you’re painting, it may not be slower by much. In addition, it may not always be practical to spray.

If you’re not confident of the spraying technique, on a budget, or there’s too much to mask off, you’re better off going with rolling.

When To Spray + Roll?

Professional painters sometimes combine both spraying and rolling for rough, porous surfaces, such as stucco or rough siding.

Just spraying alone may not ensure paint penetrates deep enough into porous surfaces, and just rolling alone might be too slow.

So professional house painters combine both, spraying first to quickly cover the area, and then rolling while the paint is still wet to push the paint in and help it adhere better, as well as cover the area more evenly.

Ending Tips

There isn’t a straightforward answer to when to spray or roll, because it really depends on how quickly you want the work done, what texture you want, and how much preparation and money you’re willing to spend.

Whichever paint application method you decide on, remember that it will take time and practice to get the technique right.

If you feel that it’s too much trouble to spend the time and effort to pick up the technique, you may want to engage professional painters to carry out your painting project for you.

Pros may cost more, but you’re paying for their expertise, and in return, you save time, get quality results, and you can skip the hassle of trying to master the paint application technique yourself.

Homeowner’s Guide To Eco-Friendly Low-VOC Paints

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:15:41 GMT

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

Modern low-VOC paints can adhere to walls as well as high-VOC paints, dry as quickly as them, and be rolled on as smoothly as them.

You won’t have to worry about longer drying times or poor adhesion.

Durability & Cleanability

One of the biggest concerns with low-VOC paints is that they’re not as robust as high-VOC paints.

However, modern low-VOC paints can retain their color and resist stains every bit as well as high-VOC paints. They also come in various finishes, including the same easier-to-clean finishes like gloss, that high-VOC paints come in.

So in terms of durability and cleanability, lower-VOC paints aren’t inferior in any way.

Color & Finish Range

In the early days of low-VOC paints, deeper and darker colors were often a challenge, as the pigments used for rich tones often contained VOCs. Finishes were also largely limited to flat or eggshell.

Nowadays though, lower-VOC paints come in the full spectrum of colors and finishes that high-VOC paints do.

All in all, whether it’s application, durability, cleanability, or aesthetic range, lower-VOC paints don’t lose out in any way to high-VOC paints.

So why doesn’t everyone use them? After all, they don’t perform any worse and they’re healthier, right?

Well, one of the main reasons is cost, but it’s not the only one.

Here’s why lower-VOC paints aren’t more widely used.

Why Don’t More People Use Lower-VOC Paints?

It boils down to a few things. Cost is definitely one of the main reasons, but it’s not the only one.

Another large contributing factor to people not using lower-VOC paints is simply a lack of awareness. They either don’t know that VOCs are even an issue, or they don’t know that there are better, lower-VOC alternatives.

Certain homeowners also find it hard to believe that lower-VOC paints can perform as well as their unhealthier counterparts, even though they’ve been proven to perform as well as or even better.

And finally, some contractors just choose to stick with whatever they’re using, whether it’s for convenience or because they cost less.

Since you’re here, you’re already aware that lower-VOC options exist. And hopefully, you trust science-backed claims that they perform as well as their higher-VOC counterparts.

So the only obstacle left should be cost.

If lower-VOC paints cost a bomb more than higher-VOC ones, then it’s valid to settle for the latter.

But they don’t, and that’s great news. You’ll be able to keep you and your loved ones safe from negative health effects without adding too much additional cost to the project.

Here’s how much lower-VOC paints cost as compared to normal paints.

How Much Do Lower-VOC Paints Cost?

Lower-VOC paints are undoubtedly more expensive, because they're more expensive to produce and to be certified for.

VOC paints replace the chemical solvents that contain VOCs with non-toxic alternatives like water-based carriers or plant-based solvents, which are more expensive to source and manufacture, adding to the cost of production.

Then, to be certified, they need to fork out testing, compliance, and auditing fees. Manufacturers need to pay to get certified, and then continue to pay to stay certified. These further push up the cost of production.

Having said that, low-VOC paints aren't going to cost you an arm and a leg.

They usually only cost about $10-20 more per gallon . For a typical 12 x 12 ft room that would require 2-3 gallons of paint for two coats, that adds up to just $20-60 more.

Here's a comparison of the costs of standard paint, low-VOC paints, and zero-VOC paint.

Children and babies generally have weaker immune systems than adults, as their lungs and immune systems are still developing.

And pets like dogs and cats have smaller, more sensitive respiratory systems, which make toxins more impactful.

When children and babies are exposed to VOCs, it increases their risk of asthma or allergy development and exacerbates any existing breathing problems.

Needless to say, this is extremely harmful for children, and even more so for babies.

Pets, with their smaller and more sensitive respiratory systems, can be easily affected by VOCs, leading to problems like coughing, labored breathing, vomiting, or lethargy.

As such, if you’re painting nurseries, playrooms, pediatric bedrooms, or if you have pets at home, it’s highly recommended that you opt for low or even zero-VOC paints if possible.

How To Find Truly Safe Low-VOC Paints

It isn’t just as simple as looking for the low-VOC label. Even if a paint has low VOC levels, it can still have other harmful additives like ammonia.

To ensure it’s really safe and healthy, not just low in VOC, you need to look for certifications with high safety standards and strict testing requirements for approval.

Here are the certifications to keep an eye out for.

Green Seal

Green Seal certification looks at not just VOC levels, but also the presence of other toxic additives, the paint’s performance, and sustainability.

To be Green Seal-certified, paints need to have low VOC content, no toxic ingredients, be environmentally friendly, and meet high standards for coverage, durability, and application.

In other words, it means your paint is safe, healthy, sustainable, and will get the job done — it’s not just low in VOCs.

To know if a paint is Green Seal-certified, look for a circular seal with a green checkmark and the words “Green Seal” around it.

GREENGUARD & GREENGUARD Gold

GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold focus on air quality. They take into account VOC emissions, but do not factor in paint performance and may still allow for toxic ingredients, as long as those ingredients don’t get released into the air but stay in the paint.

The GREENGUARD label means the paint has been tested for chemical emissions and was found to meet indoor air safety standards. GREENGUARD Gold takes it one step further — GREENGUARD Gold-certified paints are safe enough for schools, daycares, and healthcare settings.

GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold are essentially safety certifications. They don’t tell you anything about the performance of the paint, but they guarantee that it’ll be safe enough to use indoors.

The GREENGUARD or GREENGUARD Gold label won’t always be shown on the paint can. Sometimes, you’ll have to check the manufacturer’s website or the product specs.

Generally speaking, either a GREENGUARD or Green Seal certification is enough. Brands don’t usually get both, because any one of them is already enough to prove their product’s safety.

How To Find Eco-Friendly Low-VOC Paints

Low-VOC doesn’t automatically make a paint eco-friendly. It can still contain toxic additives that harm you and the environment.

Truly eco-friendly paints should have these qualities:

Low or zero VOC content (5–50 g/L or lower)
Water-based formulation
Non-toxic ingredients, avoiding things like ammonia or formaldehyde
Sustainable practices such as recycled packaging or reprocessed paint options

To identify eco-friendly paints, again, it comes down to certifications. Green Seal is one such certification, but there are a few other notable ones for eco-friendliness. These include:

Cradle to Cradle
Declare
EU Ecolabel
MPI Extreme Green (for extreme environmental friendliness)

Remember that for a paint to be eco-friendly, it needs to have low VOC levels, not contain toxic ingredients, which means any of these eco certifications would automatically also render the paint healthy and safe for use.

Just make sure that the eco label is either one of those from our list, or from another legitimate third-party certification body. If not, they may not be strict in their assessments and checks, and the certification wouldn’t be very reliable.

Ending Off

With that, you now know what low-VOC paints are, why you should use them, how much they cost, and how to find them.

The next step is finding a painting contractor who offers these paints. If you’re engaging a house painter who doesn’t offer these paints, you can also purchase it yourself and request that they use that paint.

Just note that contractors usually have access to better prices as they tend to buy in larger quantities, which is why it’s better to go with a contractor who actually stocks these paints rather than buy it yourself and have them use it.

Either way, make sure to use safer, healthier paint!

If you're opting for the more premium zero-VOC option, it'll be slightly pricier, but even then, it's not a huge sum.

Also, consider that lower-VOC paints, like we explained, can perform even better than regular paints. They can offer better coverage, which means fewer coats or less paint needed.

Instead of 3 coats, just 2 or even 1 might suffice. This helps offset some of the added cost, making the price difference even smaller.

So really, lower-VOC paints are just a little bit higher in cost.

When you consider how much healthier and safer they are, it's a small price to pay, especially for more vulnerable groups of people.

Which Groups Of People Need Lower-VOC Paints?

Everybody should be using low or zero-VOC paints, but there are certain groups who particularly need them, because VOCs are more dangerous to them.

People With Sensitivities

For those with allergies, asthma, or chemical sensitivities, even low levels of VOCs can easily trigger their conditions.

For people with allergies, VOCs can irritate the respiratory tract, causing sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes. For people with asthma, VOCs can worsen their symptoms or trigger attacks. And for those with chemical sensitivities, they can experience headaches, fatigue, brain fog, and nausea or dizziness.

VOCs affect everyone, but people with sensitivities are affected even more severely, and it takes much lower levels of VOCs to trigger those negative effects.

As such, for people with sensitivities, lower-VOC paints are a non-negotiable.

Children, Babies, And Pets

What To Look Out For When Hiring A Professional House Painter In Raleigh

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:11:27 GMT

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

Larger companies will usually offer warranties, but smaller, independent companies may not unless you ask.

Either way, you need to check and ensure that a warranty is included, and that it's written down in the contract.

If it's not in writing, but they only verbally mention that they do offer a warranty, it's essentially worthless, because with nothing written down, they don't have to honor it.

The two types of warranty you need are a manufacturer’s warranty and a workmanship warranty.

The manufacturer’s warranty covers the quality of the paint, which means if it peels, fades, or cracks prematurely even with proper application, the manufacturer should compensate you for it.

Note that it's only valid if the paint was properly applied according to the specifications though.

Manufacturer’s warranties should be between 10 and 25 years, depending on the price point and the brand.

While you would expect manufacturer warranties to be a given, they're actually not. Larger brands offer them in most cases, but smaller paint brands tend to either not offer warranties or have very narrow coverages, with strict conditions that make it difficult to claim the warranty.

As such, it's important to check and make sure that your contractor's paint is backed up by a solid manufacturer’s warranty.

Once you've made sure of that, the next warranty to check for is the workmanship warranty.

A reasonable workmanship warranty is 2-3 years. If nothing went wrong during this time, it likely means the painter did a good job. And if there are issues like peeling paint or bubbling after 2-3 years, that’s usually not a sign of poor workmanship, but other issues.

There are exceptions, but in general, if the issues were due to poor workmanship, they would have surfaced within the first 1-2 years.

So in most cases, a workmanship warranty of 2-3 years should suffice.

3. Reputation And Reviews

This probably goes without saying, but you’ll want to hire contractors who have a good reputation.

Registration, insurance, and warranties still come first, because without those, even the most reputable companies become risky gambles.

But after those, the next most important thing to look at is the company’s reputation and reviews.

You don’t need to only go for companies with hundreds of 5-star reviews. Sure that would be nice to have, but it’s definitely not a must. As long as there’s a decent number of good reviews on a business’s Google Business Profile, you can safely assume they will do a pretty good job.

Engaging the services of a company with only a few dozen 5-star reviews will also likely be more affordable than engaging the services of an established one with hundreds.

Just don’t opt for shady companies with zero or only a single 5-star review, even if they offer very attractive prices. You could possibly be getting an excellent paint job at a steal, but you could also be getting a shoddy paint job that leaves your property even uglier than before the paint job.

Don’t play Russian Roulette with your home. Opt for at least slightly established contractors.

If a business doesn’t have a lot of Google Business Profile reviews, you can also look at their Facebook page, Yelp listing, or even in your local forums to gather more reviews and form a better idea of their track record and trustworthiness.

4. Local Expertise In Raleigh, NC

It’s always better to have someone who knows the local climate and knows how to adapt their paint and preparation to the local conditions, but in Raleigh, NC, this is especially important.

Raleigh’s hot, humid summers and unpredictable storms exert more stress on your painted surfaces, so it’s essential that your painter knows how to ensure the paint job can withstand this stress.

Someone with local expertise will also know the local regulations and trends, which means they can make recommendations that are attractive and appropriate for your area. This can be very helpful if you intend to eventually sell your home.

To determine whether a painter is local, the first step is to check for their business location. They should either be based in Raleigh or the areas in close proximity to Raleigh, such as Cary, Apex, and Durham.

Next, you’ll want to verify that they actually have experience painting properties in Raleigh, and that their customers were satisfied. You can check this by either asking for references or looking through their business reviews.

Finally, just for that extra bit of assurance, when you actually speak with them, ask questions that only a truly local painter would know, and see how they reply.

For example, you could ask them what limitations your HOA has on paint finishes or colors, or what specific styles are preferred in your neighborhood.

You can skip this step if you’ve already seen tons of good reviews about their completed works in Raleigh, but if you just want that little bit more assurance for your own peace of mind, these questions offer one last layer of reassurance before you sign the contract.

5. Get A Thorough Written Estimate

The more things are officially written down, the better. This gives you more protection and will serve as proof to back up your claims if things go south and you need to take legal action, or even just verbally negotiate with the painter.

As such, you need to make sure that the estimate is detailed and breaks down exactly what you’re paying for. A lot of times, homeowners only look at the price before signing the contract, because once they’re happy with the price, everything else is secondary.

But this opens the door to issues like not enough coatings, poor preparation, and even unpainted surfaces.

The estimate should clearly break down:

Surfaces to be painted: This should detail which walls, doors, and trim need to be painted, and whether the ceiling or floor is included. This protects you from the painter later leaving out certain surfaces that were supposed to be painted.
Number of coats and type of paint used: This is a critical detail to have, because if it’s not specified, the contractor could simply paint a single coat and say the job was completed, or use low-quality paint.
Prep work involved: It’s also important to spell out what the prep involves, because certain types of surfaces or older surfaces may require more preparation. This could even entail drywall repair, which is no small sum, so it’s crucial that you know what’s included in the surface preparation.
Projected timeline and payment schedule: Lastly, you don’t want a contractor who takes weeks to finish a simple job, or even worse, drags on with no end in sight. Neither do you want to be surprised with a huge upfront payment before the job even begins, as payments should be made progressively throughout key stages of the project. That’s why the projected timeline and payment schedule need to be clearly defined in the estimate.

These are important details to have in writing. If they aren’t included, request that they be included for both yours and the painter’s protection.

Documenting these also means you can refer back to them if you or the contractor forgets any details, so there won’t be any areas of confusion later on.

6. Consider Additional Services

Painting isn’t always as simple as just painting. In many cases, the surfaces are cracked, warped, or have mold or some other kind of issue on them.

This is when minor services are needed, such as drywall repair, trim replacement, and so on.

You may or may not know beforehand that you need these services, but when they’re discovered during site inspection, a good painter will inform you of them and let you decide how to proceed. Less ethical painters may simply paint over them to quickly get the job over with though, which is why it’s of the utmost importance to perform strict quality checks.

From here, you can decide whether you want to engage a separate contractor or simply enlist the help of the painter to remedy them.

Enlisting the painter tends to be cheaper, because engaging another contractor means that contractor now needs to come down for a small job, which they’ll likely charge more for to make it worth their time and efforts.

However, you also need to check if your painting contractor actually offers those services. You can’t simply assume that they do.

Some common additional services that may be needed for a painting project include:

Drywall repair
Minor carpentry or trim replacement
Mold or mildew treatment
Wallpaper removal
Pressure or power washing
Deck staining or sealing

Remember, don’t just assume that the contractor can take care of these. Check beforehand, and find out how much additional it’s going to cost so that you don’t get surprised with hefty unexpected expenses. Make sure that expense gets added to the estimate too.

Ending Tips

These checks should help you to vet a potential contractor or company quite thoroughly. But if you’ve gone through all these checks and something still feels off, trust your instincts.

It could be that the painter seems a little too perfect, or maybe they offer a workmanship warranty of 10 years, or their prices just seem too good to be true.

Even if you can’t quite put your finger on it, if something feels off, chances are, your subconscious picked up on something that your conscious didn’t, and you should trust it.

And just one last time before we end off, for your own sake, don’t be lazy when doing your research and due diligence. It may be somewhat tedious, but dropping the ball here even a little can mean huge trouble and big losses later on.

Spending more time upfront will go a long way toward ensuring a smooth, stress-free, and high-quality paint job, so don’t rush the process — be as thorough as possible.

How To Paint Your Home For Selling In Raleigh

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:12:51 GMT

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

When buyers check out a potential home, they’re not just looking at how beautiful it looks or whether they’re getting good value. Oftentimes, the most important factor is whether they can see themselves living in it.

Even if you've maintained your painted surfaces well and there are no damages on them, surfaces still wear out over time.

Repainting helps cover up flaws, which goes a long way towards making the space more likeable, liveable, and comfortable for prospective buyers. This in turn makes them much more willing to part with their money.

On top of that, repainting helps buyers feel more like they’re getting a new home rather than a used, second-hand space.

It also sends a message that you care about your home, and when buyers see your newly-painted home in such good condition, it reassures them that you’ll also likely have kept the rest of the house in similarly good condition.

These are all non-tangible psychological benefits, but their effects are very much tangible. Buyers feel much more confident spending their hard-earned money, knowing that your property is in good condition and is a place they’ll love living in.

And all these came from a simple coat of new paint.

Having said that, even though painting is a relatively inexpensive project, it still costs money, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get it all back.

On average, sellers recuperate 80-100% of their investment, which isn’t too bad, but it does beg the question — if you don’t actually earn money from house painting, and you might even lose a little, why bother?

Well, the main reasons are that you’ll sell your home faster, and you’ll have more bargaining power.

Peeling walls or dated colors are easy excuses for buyers to negotiate for lower prices. Conversely, a house in good condition gives you much more bargaining power, and could help push buyers over the edge.

And as we went through above, repainting makes interested parties more willing to part with their money, resulting in quicker and smoother sales. This means fewer headaches, less stress, less time wasted showing prospective buyers around, and lower holding costs.

All in all, even though you might not earn much, if anything at all, from a new paint job, it makes your home sale quicker and smoother, reducing your stress and holding costs.

Exterior Painting For Home Resale In Raleigh, NC

First impressions matter. Even though prospective buyers tend to care more about what's inside than outside, your exterior heavily influences how proud someone will be to own your home, as well as how much they like it.

And don't forget that a poorly maintained exterior reflects badly on you. It sends a message that you don't care enough about your home to ensure it's in healthy condition. This erodes buyer confidence, because if the outside is neglected, who's to say the inside won't be too?

A sleek, freshly painted exterior not only builds buyer confidence, but can even impress them enough that they may overlook smaller flaws, such as older windows or nail pops.

Either way, the outside of your home sets the tone for the buyer. It may not reflect what's inside, but to an interested buyer, it's the first contact they have with your home, and it's going to stick.

Here's how to paint it.

Best Exterior Colors

Starting with the colors, like we mentioned earlier, you'll want to go with neutral colors.

For Raleigh specifically, realtors often highlight that colors that blend into the natural surroundings usually perform better on the market, as they match the general aesthetics of Raleigh’s suburban, craftsman, and historic homes.

These include:

Warm grays and “greige” (gray-beige hybrids)
Soft whites with creamy undertones
Nature-toned greens, olives, or muted blues
Classic taupe with crisp white trim

These colors are also supported by Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore, who recommend colors like soft whites, greige tones, and muted blue and green blends, based on data gathered from sales and professional painters.

You can also verify it yourself with a simple drive around Raleigh. You'll see plenty of greige in North Hills and soft whites in Historic Oakwood, and wherever you go in Raleigh, you’ll see those colors we listed above on most houses.

Front Door Colors

Your front door is a great chance to enhance your aesthetics.

Your outer walls should be painted in a neutral color, so you’ll want to contrast that with something bold, like black or deep navy.

These elegant colors contrast with your walls and turn your door into a focal point that boosts aesthetics and makes a stronger first impression.

As a matter of fact, Zillow studies have found that homes with black front doors sold for thousands more on average.

So opt for bolder and darker door colors to add depth and visual appeal to your home’s exterior.

Additional Things To Note

The colors we recommended will work well whichever part of Raleigh you’re in, or even anywhere in the US.

But for optimal results, choose the one that matches your neighborhood’s general trend and aesthetics.

The logic is quite simple. If it’s everywhere in your neighborhood, that means that people in your neighborhood like it.

Another thing to note is to use more durable, climate-resistant paint, because Raleigh has humid summers and heavier pollen seasons, both of which test your paint’s moisture resistance.

Of course, your prospective buyer won’t know the paint is of higher quality without you telling him or her, but it can be a great selling point for you to use in negotiations to bargain for a better price.

Interior Painting For Home Resale In Raleigh, NC

The reasons for repainting the inside of your home are largely similar to those for repainting your exterior.

Repainting covers up imperfections and makes your home look newer. As a result, buyers like it more.

Covering up flaws also sets your potential buyers’ minds at ease by showing them that you’ve maintained your property well.

This consequently leads to them being more confident that you’ve also taken good care of the other parts of your home, and that there won’t be damages or issues in other areas.

These all combine to increase the perceived value of your home and result in better offers.

Here’s how to go about repainting the inside of your house to encourage better offers from buyers.

Living Room Colors

For the living room, like with your outer walls, you should be going with neutrals that are safe and hard to not like, or at least are unlikely to turn off any buyers.

In Raleigh, where you’ll find mainly suburban, craftsman, and historic homes, classic and elegant interiors fit the best. As such, your living room colors should be calm and timeless. Here are a few:

Light greige
Warm taupe
Charcoal accent

Kitchen Colors

If you’re repainting your kitchen, your first instinct may be to paint it white, like many homeowners do.

However, white, while once the gold standard, has been overdone and can feel slightly outdated.

Instead, opt for neutrals that fit Raleigh’s traditional aesthetics, such as olive green and earthy tones. They’ll add a layer of nature to your classy aesthetics.

Bedroom Colors

For bedrooms, you can always fall back on your neutrals, but if you want to add some variety and character without spoiling the overall vibe, navy blue, blue-gray, or soft dusty blues are great choices.

While blue may seem a bit less safe than neutrals, it’s a safe bet, as it invokes feelings of calm and relaxation, which most buyers will appreciate in a bedroom.

Bathroom Colors

Spa-like bathrooms are increasingly in trend, but once again, white can feel a bit boring.

You still want to evoke that luxurious, spa-like vibe though, and these shades of brown are the perfect non-white colors for the job:

Warm taupe
Light clay
Terra-cotta-inspired tones

Paint Finishes

Paint finishes are the final piece of the puzzle. Choosing the wrong paint finish can diminish your efforts, so make sure you pick carefully.

These are the paint finishes to use for each room:

Living Rooms: Eggshell. Covers up flaws well enough and is easy to clean.
Bedrooms: Matte or eggshell. Matte hides imperfections the best, but can be harder to clean.
Kitchens: Satin, semi-gloss, or gloss. The glossier a paint, the more durable it is, but imperfections are also highlighted.
Bathrooms: Semi-gloss or gloss. These are the most hardy finishes, which you’ll need to stand up to the moisture in bathrooms.

How To Prioritize On A Budget

Not everyone has the budget or is willing to splurge on a full house repaint. Here are the areas to prioritize, from most important to least important:

Front door (Small area, huge impact)
Exterior walls (First impressions matter a lot)
Living room (Sets the tone for your interior aesthetics)
Kitchen
Bedrooms

Even painting just one or two key areas can do enough to refresh the entire feel of your home.

If you’re not sure how much these will cost you, check out our guide on house painting costs , broken down by room type.

Conclusion: Should You Engage A Professional Painter?

A fresh coat of paint may not make you any money, but it can make your home sale much smoother and quicker.

Hiring a pro to paint your home for you will definitely drive up costs, so if you’re looking to maximize ROI, you’re probably thinking it’s better to paint your home yourself.

And you’re not wrong.

But professionals will also do a better, higher-quality job, which better helps achieve your end goal of fetching a higher price for your property.

Furthermore, house painting may not require a degree, but it’s still tedious work that takes practice to get right.

As such, if you can afford it, engaging a house painter is a smart decision to save yourself a ton of time and energy, and get better painted walls.

So if you need someone you can count on to prepare your home for a sale, you can count on Renewed Walls Painting to deliver the highest quality work, completed on time and within budget, every time.

Give us a call today at 919-759-6676 for your free estimate!

Guide To Painting Maintenance In Raleigh

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 09:44:03 GMT

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

Before we get into the steps, you need to first know when to perform the cleaning.

When To Clean

Environmental conditions generally don't affect interior surfaces too much, so the frequency of cleaning interior surfaces for Raleigh is the same as that of in other cities.

Low-traffic rooms: Dust 2-3 times/year. Wash only if you see stains or smudges.
High-traffic areas: Dust monthly and wash every 3-4 months.

Adjust the frequency of dusting and washing accordingly. If a previously low-traffic room starts to see more action, eg more guests have been using your guest bedroom, you'll need to dust and wash more often.

Now, for your exterior surfaces, as we explained at the start, Raleigh’s humid summers and abundance of mature oak trees exert more stress on your paint.

To deal with this added stress, one of the key strategies is regular cleaning. You can't clean off the moisture from humid summers, but you can clean off sap and pollen that would otherwise have stained and possibly even damaged your paint.

Aim to clean exterior surfaces at least once a year, ideally twice. This may not sound like a lot, but don't forget that exterior paint is designed to weather the elements.

So even though the elements aren't friendly, your paint should be able to stand up to them well enough that you don't have to perform frequent maintenance.

Also, in other less demanding areas, people often only clean once every 1-3 years, so once or twice a year is considered more frequent, and will suffice for Raleigh's conditions.

As for exactly when, the best time is after heavy pollen season, which will be late spring or early summer.

For the second cleaning, assuming you are being diligent and will do a second round of cleaning, it can be about 6 months after this first round of cleaning.

How To Clean Thoroughly

Step 1: Dusting

Begin by dusting away the easier and less stubborn dirt, dust, cobwebs, and debris with a microfiber cloth or dry mop.

You'll want to use a microfiber cloth or mop as they're better at trapping dust, and they're also gentler, so there's less risk of scratching your paint finish.

Step 2: Light Washing

The next step is the actual washing.

This step is quite straightforward. Just mix warm water with a few drops of dish soap, and then wipe your surface with a soft sponge.

Then, rinse off the remaining solution with water.

Again, make sure you use a soft sponge so as not to damage your paint finish.

Most of the time, this round of soft cleaning will suffice to wash off any remaining stains, dirt, and debris.

The only time when you’ll need more thorough cleaning is if there are more stubborn stains like grease, pollen residue, or mold or mildew.

Step 3: Spot Cleaning (If Necessary)

For more stubborn stains, greasy spots, or pollen residue, here’s how to clean them off.

For greasy spots, dish soap works pretty well. After all, it cleans grease off your dinnerware.

For stubborn stains, apply baking soda paste onto the stubborn stain and gently rub it in with a soft cloth or sponge in circular motions.

Give it 5-10 minutes, then wipe away the paste with a damp cloth or sponge, and finish by rinsing the spot with water to clean away the remaining baking soda residue

To make baking soda paste, simply mix a 1/4 cup of baking soda with a few teaspoons of water, and stir till you get a very thick paste. The paste should feel as thick as toothpaste, and should be thick enough to stick to surfaces without dripping.

Before applying the baking soda, make sure to do a spot test. A spot test basically means applying the substance to a small area where discoloration won’t be noticeable, eg the corners, then letting it sit for a few minutes to see if it causes discoloration, peeling, or any other kind of distress to the paint.

Lastly, for pollen residue, in most cases, light washing should be enough to clean most of it off.

But for slightly stronger residue, all you need is to use a soft brush to brush it off, or use a garden hose to gently rinse it.

Step 4: Mold And Mildew Cleaning (If Necessary)

Raleigh’s humid climate makes it easier for mold and mildew to grow.

The good news is, all it takes is a simple clean with the right solution to get rid of them.

To create this solution, simply mix 1 part bleach with 3 parts water.

Then, once again, use a soft brush or sponge to scrub the surface.

2. Inspecting Painted Surfaces

Moving on to inspections, inspections are pretty straightforward.

It’s standard practice to inspect both interior and exterior painted surfaces twice a year.

This is best done during late spring and fall. Late spring is just after heavy pollen season, so you'll want to look out for any damage caused by pollen. Fall is just before winter, so you'll want to inspect and fix any damages before the harsh winter arrives.

During your inspections, look out for:

Peeling or flaking paint
Cracks (including hairline cracks)
Fading, discoloration, or chalking
Moisture stains
Mold and mildew

Make sure to be thorough, and be especially meticulous around the joints and edges, as those are common spots for moisture and cracks.

For wooden surfaces, a moisture meter can help you detect hidden moisture underneath. Other than that, your eyes will be all you need.

And for higher areas like the second level of your exterior walls, you may need a pair of binoculars if you don't want to have to climb up a ladder.

That's all for inspections. It really is a relatively straightforward task. Just make sure to be diligent and meticulous when you're conducting your inspections.

Hopefully, your inspections don't yield any fruitful results. But if you do discover any issues, read on to the next section to learn how to remedy them.

3. Fixing Issues

We won't be covering how to deal with mold and mildew since we already went over how to clean them. But for the rest of the issues, here's how to deal with them.

Peeling

For light peeling, all you need to do is sand the edges around the peeling to smooth them out, primer the bare spots, and then touch up with matching paint.

For severe peeling, you're pretty much going to have to repaint the whole area. So scrape off the loose paint, sand the area, apply primer, then repaint.

Cracks

First off, note that for any sort of larger damage to your drywall, whether it's a hole or a larger crack, you're going to need to enlist the help of a trained professional.

Drywall repair is a deceptively tricky undertaking that, when attempted by untrained homeowners, often results in an even uglier sight than the original damage.

Unless it's a very small crack or hole, don't bother trying to fix it on your own. Leave it to the professionals.

If it's not drywall though, you can fix small cracks quite easily. Fill the cracks with lightweight spackle or joint compound, sand, apply primer, and then touch up with paint.

For larger cracks, put joint tape over the crack first, then spread the joint compound over the tape with a putty knife.

Joint tape will allow joint compound to pass through, so the joint compound will fill up the crack underneath.

Let this first layer of joint compound dry, then apply 2-3 more thin layers, feathering each layer wider so that the end result seamlessly blends with the rest of the wall.

If it's wood, instead of spackle or joint compound, use caulk or wood filler instead. The rest of the steps are the same.

Fading, Discoloration, Or Chalking

For fading or discoloration, for small areas, touch up. For larger areas, repaint.

For chalking, repainting is also necessary, but with one additional step before that. You'll need to wash the surface with a mild detergent or trisodium phosphate (TSP) solution first to clean away the chalk, or your new paint won't adhere properly.

Moisture Stains

Moisture stains are usually caused by some kind of water source, eg a roof leak or plumbing issue, so identify that and fix it first before you begin to remove the moisture stains, or they'll simply keep coming back.

Once that’s resolved, give the surface a light wash to clean off surface contaminants before repainting.

From here, simply prime the surface using a stain-blocking primer so that the stain doesn’t bleed through to fresh paint, and then repaint.

Conclusion: Keeping Painted Surfaces In Good Shape Year-Round In Raleigh, NC

Raleigh’s conditions may be more taxing on your painted surfaces, but all it takes is slightly more frequent and thorough maintenance to keep them in tip-top condition.

The fact is, paint maintenance won’t take up too much time or effort in most cases, because it’s mostly going to consist of cleaning and inspections.

It’s when you start falling behind or slacking off on your maintenance that small issues snowball into larger ones, which take more effort and cost more to deal with. So don’t make life harder for yourself.

Do your cleaning and inspections regularly, and you’ll almost always be able to identify small issues and fix them early on.

If even that feels like too much of a chore, you can also engage a house painter to do your maintenance for you. Some even offer maintenance packages, so you purchase a few cleanings and inspections at once for a lower average cost for each round of maintenance. Repairs and fixing issues are then separately paid for as needed.

Homeowner's Guide To House Paint Types

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:52:22 GMT

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 paint.

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

Whether you’re painting the interior or exterior of your house, you should be using water-based paints most of the time.

So the difference between interior and exterior paints lies in how they’re formulated, not their base.

Here's a breakdown of their differences.

Interior Paint

Interior paints are designed specifically for indoor spaces, where there's less ventilation and less harsh elements like UV rays.

As such, interior paints are:

Formulated to release less odor, to factor in the poorer ventilation. There are even lower-VOC paints and zero-VOC paints for additional safety.
Easier to clean so that any spills on furniture, the floor, and whatnot can be cleaned off without too much trouble
Not designed to handle UV rays or temperature swings

Basically, since they're meant for indoor use, indoor paints release less odor and are easier to clean, and they aren't designed to be able to handle harsh outdoor elements like the sun and rain.

In addition, some indoor paints even contain anti-microbial or mildew-resistant additives, which come in very handy for bathrooms and kitchens.

Exterior Paint

Exterior paints, which are made for the harsh outdoors, are of course more robust.

They feature:

UV protection to combat fading
Mold and mildew resistance
Tougher binders to prevent peeling and cracking
Flexibility to handle expansion and contraction with weather changes

To achieve these, unfortunately, exterior paints also need to use more additives and protective agents, which means stronger odors, slightly more toxic fumes, and a bit more effort needed to clean off.

This is necessary for them to survive years of rain, wind, and sun, so there's just no way around it.

You may have noticed that this is somewhat similar to water vs oil-based paints, where water-based paints have less odor and are easier to clean.

But fret not. Exterior paints are harder to clean off and have a stronger odor, but they're still nowhere close to the level of oil-based paints.

Just don't use them indoors, even if you need added toughness, as the stronger chemicals and fumes can pose health risks. If you need tougher paints, there are more durable indoor paints available.

Surface-Specific Paint

Now that we’ve gone over the broadest categories of paint, let’s get even more specific and zoom in on surface-specific paints.

For your walls, it’s just going to be normal paint, i.e. interior or exterior water-based paint.

But for other surfaces, they each have paints specially formulated to suit their conditions.

Here are the various surface-specific paints.

1. Ceiling Paint

Ceiling paint is made to be thicker than wall paints to minimize splattering and dripping, which is a key feature for ceiling paint, seeing as gravity will be constantly pulling it downwards.

For that same reason, they’re also designed to apply evenly without running.

Additionally, since it’s the ceiling, you don’t want it to reflect too much light, which is why ceiling paint usually comes in a matte finish (we’ll cover finishes later on) to reduce light reflection.

Certain ceiling paints even come with a subtle tint, usually pink or blue, that fades to white as it dries. This is particularly helpful for you to see where you’ve already painted, which sounds easy, but can actually be a challenge when you’re looking upwards at an awkward angle.

Overall, ceiling paint isn’t too different from wall paint. They’re just thicker and able to stay put without dripping. Still, these small differences make a world of difference, and gravity can make a ceiling paint job very challenging if you’re not using the right paint.

2. Floor Paint

No other surface in your home gets as much traffic as your flooring, which is why floor painting calls for exceptionally robust paint.

It's not just human traffic that your floor paint has to deal with. Indoors, there's also heavy furniture that will be moved or dragged around. And outdoors, there's the weight of cars, as well as the friction from car tires.

That's why floor paints are formulated to be ultra-tough, and are usually a type of epoxy or urethane-based paint.

Epoxy and urethane-based paints are two of the toughest paint types on the market. When it comes to flooring, both types are often used in conjunction to achieve ultimate durability. This combination of both paint types is considered the “gold standard” in floor painting .

Some floor-specific paints even include anti-slip additives, and some commercial floor paints offer chemical resistance for workshop use.

In a nutshell, floor paints are engineered to be super durable, and are usually either urethane or epoxy-based for maximum durability.

3. Masonry Paint

Masonry paint is meant for surfaces like brick, stucco, and concrete.

These surfaces are very porous, so using normal paints will trap moisture inside them, eventually resulting in bubbling or peeling.

As such, masonry paint is made to be more breathable. They let moisture out, but not in.

Concrete, stucco, and cement also have naturally high pH levels, so regular paints won't be able to adhere to them properly.

That’s why on top of being breathable, masonry paints are made to be alkaline-resistant to be able to adhere strongly to these masonry surfaces.

Furthermore, these surfaces are usually used outdoors, whether it's concrete pillars, brick exteriors, or stucco siding. Because of this, masonry paints are exterior paints and will be able to stand up to the rain, sun, freezing, and thawing.

To sum it up, masonry paint is breathable, alkaline-resistant, and able to withstand harsh outdoor elements.

Just note that if you’re painting concrete floors, you need to use concrete-specific floor paint instead of masonry paint. Regular masonry paint just isn't robust enough for floors.

4. Metal Paint

Lastly, metals face a unique challenge that no other surfaces do — rust and corrosion.

Metal is also much smoother than the other surfaces, so normal paint won't be able to adhere securely.

As such, metal paint is specially designed to stick onto metal, as well as to inhibit rust and corrosion.

Other than that, metal paint is largely the same as regular paint. If you're painting metal surfaces outdoors, choose exterior metal paint, and if you need added durability for handrails, opt for epoxy metal paint.

Other Paint Types

At this point, we've covered the various main paint types, as well as surface-specific paints.

Now, we'll be going over the remaining types of paint. Most of these are seldom used, but it's good to know they exist just so that you know your options.

Epoxy-based paint: Extremely durable, chemical-resistant. Meant for garage floors and industrial environments.
Enamel paint: A type of water or oil-based paint, but with a harder and more robust finish. This is what you'll want to be using for your trim, doors, and cabinets.
Lacquer paint: Fast-drying solvent-based paint. Mainly used for furniture as it gives a hard, mirror-like finish that's perfect for furniture, but not walls, ceilings, doors, etc. Pros usually don't use this for homes as it needs to be sprayed on, which residential homes usually aren't suited for.
Elastomeric paint: More of a coating than a paint, but sold as a paint. It's meant for masonry surfaces and is thicker and tougher than masonry paint, but it's usually only used when there are small hairline cracks that need to be sealed. There's a limit to elastomeric paint’s aesthetic capabilities, so in normal cases with no cracks, normal masonry paint is preferred.
Milk paint: A natural, eco-friendly paint that comes in powder form to mix with water. Features a soft, chalky finish that's perfect for a vintage vibe on furniture. Not the most durable, even with a sealant, so it's only suitable for use on low-traffic surfaces like furniture.
Chalk paint: Gives the same soft, chalky finish as milk paint, except with much stronger adhesion, though also less eco-friendly. Chalk paint has such strong adhesion that it's able to stay on surfaces like metal, glass, and laminate, so if you're looking for a vintage finish on smooth surfaces, you'll want to use chalk paint.

C onclusion

With that, we've covered all the important paint types that you need to know. Great job making it this far!

We've covered a lot of paint types in this article, so here's a quick summary of which paint to use for each surface.

Also, note that you need to also match the right primer to the right paint. Basically, if you’re using a surface-specific paint, match it with the respective surface-specific primer, and if you’re using a specific paint type, like epoxy paint, you also need to match it with the right primer, i.e. epoxy primer.

These primers will share similar qualities to their paint type. For example, both metal primer and paint are rust-inhibiting, and both floor primer and paint are incredibly tough. So always match the primer to the paint.

By now, you should be well-equipped to choose the best paint for whatever surface you’re painting.

The next step is to actually start painting. If you need guidance in that aspect, check out our guide on painting different surfaces .

Or if you prefer to have the experts handle the painting, give Renewed Walls Painting a call today at 919-759-6676 !

How To Paint Different Surfaces

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 11:57:20 GMT

When it comes to painting, the first image that comes to most people's minds is painting their walls with a roller.

But did you know there are actually many different surfaces that each require different painting techniques, tools, and even paint types ?

If you've got a bit more DIY experience, you may already know that trim calls for glossier paint and an angled brush.

For most people, the walls and trim are the main areas that they ever paint, so even experienced DIYers may stop there.

But there are actually a few other surfaces, such as your pipes or fireplace, that, while much less commonly painted, are still good to know.

You might not need to paint them now, but one day you might.

So put on your reading glasses, and let's begin.

1. Walls And Ceilings

First up are your walls and ceilings. These are the most commonly painted surfaces, so you might already know how to paint them.

If that's the case, feel free to skip this section and any others that you already know how to paint.

With that said, let's get back to painting walls and ceilings.

For your walls and ceiling, before you start painting, you need to prepare the surface. This involves repairing damages, cleaning, and applying primer if needed.

Before we go any further, a word on repairing damages. You could try to DIY the repairs, but if it's anything larger than a tiny dent or hole, we highly recommend that you leave it to the professionals.

Repairing wall and ceiling damages is a deceptively tricky task that most homeowners just don't have the expertise and skill to tackle.

Any DIY attempts usually result in an even uglier sight than the original damage.

So trust the pros, and leave it to the pros.

After repairing the damages and cleaning your walls and ceiling, you’ll need to apply primer (2-3 coats) if:

You're painting relatively new drywall or plaster
You're painting a light color over a dark color
You've removed wallpaper
You've patched the area. Note that you can apply primer over only the patched areas if you didn't have to patch too large an area. But if you've had to patch a large area or many areas, it's best to just prime the entire painting surface.

Once the prep is complete, paint with a roller using the “W” technique.

For a complete in-depth guide on how to choose paint, prepare your walls, and the tools and equipment you’ll need for house painting, check out our DIY house painting guide .

2. Wooden Surfaces (Trim, Doors, Cabinets)

After your walls and ceilings, your trim, doors, and cabinets are the next most frequently painted surfaces.

If you're looking for professional cabinet painting in Raleigh, NC , contact Renewed Walls Painting today at 919-759-6676 today. We'll get your cabinets painted on time and within budget, every time.

For those painting your own cabinets, note that this section is on painting wooden surfaces, which is the most common material for trim, doors, and cabinets, but if your trim, doors, or cabinets aren’t made of wood, please don’t apply the advice from this section. Instead, check out the next few sections to find the right section for your surface.

For painting wood, the process is similar to painting walls and ceilings. Before you start the painting, prepare the surface by filling up holes and dents with wood filler, then clean the surface.

An additional step that you have to take when painting wooden surfaces is to sand them before applying the primer. This is to remove gloss and imperfections so that your new layer of paint adheres better.

Then, once you’ve prepped the surface, you can begin the painting.

For your trim, doors, and cabinets, they’re high-touch surfaces, so the paint you use needs to be tougher than the regular paint you use for your walls and ceilings.

Make sure to use glossier paint, and paint with an angled brush so that you can reach awkward angles easily.

When painting, paint one way and follow the grain, and aim for longer strokes. If you’re still unsure of the technique, check out our guide on house painting techniques and tips, where we break down various painting techniques in detail.

3. Metal Surfaces (Pipes, Frames, Radiators)

Metal surfaces don't absorb paint like drywall and wood do, so you can't use regular paint, as it won't adhere to smooth metal surfaces properly.

When painting metal surfaces, your paint and primer need to be specially formulated for metal so that they're rust-inhibiting and have stronger adhesion.

You’re also going to be dealing with rust, as well as expansion and contraction since metal is a good conductor of heat.

As such, your surface preparation will also need to be slightly more tedious.

For the surface preparation, start by scrubbing away rust with a wire brush.

Then, sand the surface to create tiny scratches. Metal itself is smooth and hard for paint to adhere to, so by creating a rougher surface with paint scratches, paint is able to “grab” onto these scratches and adhere better.

Note that this is the opposite of trim, where the purpose of sanding is actually to remove imperfections like small bumps.

After sanding, you'll need to clean off any remaining dust or dirt. It's important that you use a dry or slightly damp cloth for this. Don't use water directly, as that can cause rusting.

The final step after cleaning is to apply rust-inhibiting primer formulated specifically for metal. This not only helps paint adhere better, but also helps prevent corrosion.

Moving on to the actual painting, like we mentioned above, you should be using paint made specifically for metal that will help inhibit rust and can adhere to metal surfaces properly.

If you're painting radiators, the paint also needs to be heat-resistant.

Then, for the painting technique itself, paint in thin coats. Since metal is smooth and paint won't adhere easily, thick coats may not be able to adhere properly.

In summary, when painting metal, prepare the surface by sanding, clean with a cloth instead of water, and use rust-inhibiting paint that's specifically formulated for metal.

4. Brick And Concrete Surfaces

While they may not look it, brick and concrete surfaces are highly porous, so when you paint over them, there's likely moisture inside.

If you use non-breathable paint, you'll end up trapping this moisture, which will over time evaporate and turn into water vapor. Since water vapor is a gas, it takes up more space than liquids, so the water vapor will exert pressure on the paint as it has nowhere else to go.

Eventually, this pressure will lead to blistering and peeling.

To prevent this from happening, you need to use breathable paint specifically designed for masonry.

These types of paints only let water out and not in, so you won't have to worry about water damage underneath the paint.

For the surface preparation, as usual, you'll need to clean the surface, though a little differently.

Brick and concrete are rougher and have tiny holes and crevices, so to get rid of the dirt thoroughly, you need to use a wire brush or vacuum.

If you're cleaning bricks that have soot on them, you'll also need to use a degreaser to remove the soot.

Once you've thoroughly cleaned the surface, apply masonry primer before you start painting.

Then, from here, all that's left to do is to paint with masonry paint.

5. Wallpaper

In general, it's usually best to remove wallpaper before painting, because all wallpaper eventually peels off.

When your wallpaper starts peeling off, your paint comes off with it too, wasting your effort and all the money you spent.

What's more, wallpaper that's been painted over is messier to remove, as you'll also have to deal with chipping paint.

A lot of times, wallpaper usually also has small bumps that become much more noticeable after they're painted over.

As such, most of the time, it's best to just remove the wallpaper before painting.

Having said that, wallpaper removal can be a tedious and costly process, especially for older wallpaper or more stubborn wallpaper.

As such, in very specific cases, it can make sense to paint over wallpaper. Specifically, if it fulfils all these conditions:

The wallpaper is firmly attached, so it's unlikely to come off anytime soon
There are no bumps and the wallpaper is smooth
The seams are tight and flat against the wall
There isn't any kind of water damage, mold, or staining

Even if it does fulfill all these conditions, it's still better to remove the wallpaper before painting, but if you're trying to keep costs down and don't mind a shorter lifespan for your paint job, here's how to paint over wallpaper.

First off, there shouldn't be any loose seams, but if you're moving ahead with painting your wallpaper even with loose seams, glue them back tightly first.

Next, sand the edges slightly so that they're flatter and less raised.

Then, apply a shellac or oil-based primer. This will keep moisture out and help prevent bubbling or peeling in the future.

Make sure to avoid water-based primers, as the moisture can soften the wallpaper glue, causing it to loosen and peel off.

From here on, you can paint as usual for normal walls.

Ending Tips

Before we end off, one last thing to note is that if your home was built before 1980, make sure to test for lead paint first.

Lead was added to paint up until the late 1970s, so it could be on any of your surfaces. If it is, and you disturb it by scraping, sanding, or cutting, it can release lead dust, which is extremely dangerous.

Lead dust is highly toxic, particularly to children and pregnant women, and can cause brain damage, kidney damage, nervous system issues, etc.

In short, lead dust is extremely dangerous, so don't take the risk. Make sure to test for lead paint if you're staying in an older house.

And if you're still unsure of how to paint any of these surfaces or you're not sure what surface you're even painting, don't hesitate to give us a call.

Whatever surface it is, you can trust Renewed Walls Painting to give you a flawless finish, on time and within budget, every time.

How To Budget For House Painting: Costs Breakdown

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 04:07:14 GMT

House painting is generally not an expensive home project since all you need is really paint, a roller, a brush, and a few other relatively cheap tools and equipment .

Even if you factor in the cost of labor, a professional paint job is still on the lower end of home projects.

Nevertheless, you still need to have a proper, accurate budget for it. If you budget too little, you won't be able to finish the job or may have to compromise on paint quality, and if you budget too much, that leaves less for your other home projects.

To budget accurately, you obviously need to know the costs involved, which is why this article will break down the costs of house painting, as well as give you two ways to calculate how much to set aside based on the size of your house and the room you're painting.

We’ll also be going over the cost of professional vs DIY house painting so that you can make a decision as to whether to engage professionals or not.

Let's get started.

House Painting Cost Per Square Foot

The easiest way to get an accurate idea of how much you'll need to spend is to calculate the surface area that you'll be painting and multiply that by the cost per square foot taken from national averages.

According to Angi , here are the cost averages nationwide in the US for professional painting the interior of your home:

For just walls: $2.75/sqft
Including ceilings and trim: $4.70/sqft

These costs are inclusive of both materials and labor, so they're all-inclusive.

In Raleigh, NC, you can expect to pay between $1.50 and $3.10 per square foot for just the walls, and between $2.40 and $5.40 if it’s including ceilings and trim.

So to get an idea of how much your home painting project will cost to have a professional do it, measure the length and width of all the walls and combine them to get the total surface area. Then, simply multiply this number by the averages provided above.

On average, the cost of interior painting an entire home is $2,021, although costs can go up as high as $5,800 or as low as just $350.

Keep in mind that many factors affect this price, mainly the size of your home, but also other factors like the paint used, the complexity of the job, and the amount of prep work needed.

If you don't want to go through the hassle of measuring all the walls in your home, you can simply take the average cost of interior painting for a house, which is $2,021, and increase or decrease it accordingly based on whether your home is larger or smaller than average.

Or if you're only painting certain rooms and not your entire home, read on to our next section, where we break down painting costs by room type.

House Painting Costs By Room

So one easy way to calculate the cost of your house painting project is by multiplying your surface area by the per square foot cost averages.

Here's another easy way, which is to simply take the average cost based on the type of room that you're painting.

According to Angi, these are the prices you can expect to pay for each room:

The cost of paint for an average bedroom of 12 x 12 ft is usually around just $100-150, including primer and accounting for two coats. Surface damage repair, which is part of surface prep, adds about another $50.

So why then, you must be wondering, does the cost to paint a bedroom go up to $750?

Well, the fact is, the majority of the cost of professional painting actually goes to labor, a good 65-85% in fact.

This may at first glance seem somewhat unreasonable, but it’s actually not.

For a simple 12 x 12 ft room, the whole process can take up to 7-10 hours, even for professionals. It includes repairing the surface if there are any damages, surface prep, cutting, painting, then drying, then another round of painting, and then cleanup.

If you add in trim, that’s going to almost double the amount of time needed, because trim usually requires at least 2-3 coats, with several hours of drying in between coats. The glossier paint used for trim is also more expensive.

So when you consider how much time painters need to spend, even for simple paint jobs, it’s no wonder that a large portion of the budget will go towards labor. It’s not that they’re charging a lot per hour, but rather that they have to spend a lot of time on the job

And don’t forget that you’re not just buying their time, but also the expertise that they’ve built up over the years, that’s going to give you a flawless finish. In most cases, the job will also include a warranty that protects against any quality issues, which almost guarantees that you’ll get a job well done since the painting company will have to redo the job if otherwise.

You’ll also be saving on the cost of the tools, which, to be fair, won’t add up to hundreds, but will still cost you some money, around $70-100.

All things considered, professional painting prices are pretty reasonable once you understand how much time painters need to spend on even simple jobs.

So to recap, here’s a cost breakdown of professional painting for a 12 x 12 ft room:

Prep work and repairs can add quite a bit to the final cost, but they’re necessary, because without a properly prepped surface, you just can’t paint well over it, and your paint job may not last long.

To properly prep your surface, the hardest part is actually repairing damages. A simple crack or dent requires multiple steps and tools to patch up and adds more time to the preparation.

The bigger the damage, the harder it is to repair, and the more costly your prep work and repair are going to be.

2. Paint Quality And Coats

Paint doesn’t cost a lot, but if you’re opting for more premium or higher-quality paints, they can actually add quite a bit to the project. The cost of higher-quality paints can be double or even triple that of normal paint.

Also, the number of coats will obviously directly decide how much paint is needed, which adds to your final cost, both in materials and labor. More coats of paint may be needed in certain situations, such as when painting over dark colors with lighter colors, using lower-quality paint, and so on.

3. Complexity

There are many things that can make a paint job more complex.

It could be:

High ceilings
Detailed trim
More windows or doors
Tight spaces
Textured walls or ceilings
Oil-based paint
Textured paint

Look out for the things in the list and factor them into the complexity of your space, and then adjust your budget accordingly,

4. Room Size

Finally, there’s no explanation needed for this one. Larger rooms means more to paint.

Ending Tips

Now that you understand the various costs of house painting, what affects the final cost, and how much you should be budgeting, here are some final tips before we end off:

Do some of the prep yourself. You can have the quality and expertise of professional painters without paying the full price, by taking on some of the less complicated work yourself. Move the furniture aside, patch small damages (ONLY small damages, leave the larger ones to the pros), clean the walls, and so on.
Let the painter buy the paint. It can be tempting to try and source the paint yourself, thinking that this prevents the painter from overcharging you. However, contractors and companies purchase in bulk, which gives them access to better prices, even up to 50% off, and they know the right paint to buy. Yes, there’s a possibility that they might overcharge you, but most reputable pros won’t risk their reputation over such a small amount.
Paint during the off-season. During late fall and winter, many people cut back their home improvement spendings and focus on travelling and year-end expenses. As such, companies tend to offer better prices to attract more customers during this time. If it’s interior painting, it won’t be affected by late fall or winter like exterior painting will, so you can schedule it in the off-season and possibly get better prices.

That’s all for this article, happy painting!

These costs are all-inclusive and take into account the complexity and type of walls being painted, and the final price will vary depending on the size of the room. So if you have a larger living room, expect to pay on the higher end of the range, and vice versa if your living room is smaller.

The cost of professional painting in Raleigh, NC, is in line with national averages, so you can use the estimates above for your Raleigh or North Carolina home.

Remember, if you have an average-sized home, you can simply take the nationwide average of $2,021. Just make sure to budget an additional buffer of 10-20% to cater for unexpected costs like extensive drywall repairs.

Cost Breakdown: What Are You Paying For?

In comparison, here’s how much you’d spend if you DIYed the project instead:

If you DIY, you can expect to spend about half as much as if you hired professionals instead.

But you’ll probably spend more time, do a poorer job, and you won’t be able to fix any moderate or larger damages on your wall.

Wall damage is a complicated and tricky task that’s best left to professionals. When homeowners attempt to carry it out on their own, most of the time, they either fail or do a very unsightly job.

So if you’re going to paint your own walls, first check if there are any moderate damages. If there are, get a pro to patch it up first before beginning your painting.

Even assuming your walls are in perfect condition though, the end result of your painting is still likely to be of a lower standard than if you had engaged a pro, and if you screw up anything, that’s on you. You don’t have a warranty you can fall back on.

In short, hiring a professional painting company may cost you more, but it’s worth every penny and will pay off in quality, peace of mind, and time and energy saved.

What Affects The Price Of Professional Painting?

Two walls that look almost the same to the untrained eye can fetch largely different quotes from the same house painter .

A trained eye can immediately spot issues that are going to drive up the complexity or amount of work that needs to be done.

Here’s what decides how much it’s going to cost to get your space painted.

1. Prep Work & Repairs

Essential House Painting Tools And Equipment

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 10:44:08 GMT

Painting your home is an exciting venture that can transform your home and give it new life — but only with the right tools.

Without the necessary tools and equipment, even the best professional painters would find it difficult, nigh Impossible, to properly paint a home and achieve a smooth, flawless finish.

You can't just use a single brush or a single roller for every part of your home. Different areas and different techniques require different tools and equipment, and it's crucial to know what you need for each part of the job to ensure a successful project.

Here are the tools and equipment you'll need to paint your home.

Painting Tools & Equipment

First up, here are the must-have tools you'll need for the actual painting itself.

1. Paint Brushes

Paint brushes are a must to start off and finish your painting project.

You can't just use a roller for everything. Rollers are great for covering large areas quickly, but for precision work like edges, corners, and trims, you're going to need a brush.

There are mainly two types of brushes — angled and flat.

Honestly, the flat brush doesn't really have much of a use, because for corners and edges of your walls, doors, and so on, as well as trim work, it's best to use an angled brush that allows you to get to awkward angles more easily.

A single angled brush is going to be enough to serve you for all your precision work, especially if you're painting walls.

And if you're painting the main areas of your walls, doors, cabinets, etc, you're going to either be using a standard or a mini roller.

There's just no situation in which a flat brush is the best option.

When buying your angled brush, you'll also need to choose the right thistles.

If you're using latex (water-based) paint, use synthetic bristles, and if you're using oil-based paint, use natural bristles.

2. Paint Rollers

Next up is your paint roller.

Note that the paint roller actually comes in two parts — the roller frame and the roller cover.

When it comes to rollers, there are really only two types — standard and mini ones.

Standard 9-inch rollers are the ones you use to paint your walls, and mini 4-inch rollers are the ones you use for your doors, cabinets, and any other smaller surfaces, excluding precision work like edges and corners of course.

The thickness of the roller cover is important too. For smoother walls, you want thinner ones, while for rougher walls, you want thicker roller covers.

The reason for this is that thicker covers hold more paint, so when used for smooth walls, there's nowhere for the additional paint to go, which means it pools, runs, or results in a fuzzy or pebbled texture.

Thicker covers are used for rough surfaces with dips, bumps, or crevices. They can push paint into these dips and crevices since they hold more paint.

Here's how to decide:

Smooth surfaces (drywall, wood): 1/4 to 3/8-inch
Semi-smooth surfaces (old doors, old cabinets): 3/8 to 1/2-inch
Textured surfaces (brick, stucco): 3/4-inch or more

3. Paint Trays And Liners

Paint trays are necessary to hold paint for your roller. You can't just dip your roller into the can directly, or it'll be coated too thickly and drip all over.

Look for a paint tray that:

Is sturdy and won't bend easily
Is deep enough to hold a good amount of paint to prevent frequent refills
Has a non-slip base or rubber feet to prevent any kind of sliding
Can be used with liners

For liners, there isn't much to be aware of. Just make sure to choose one that is compatible with your paint tray.

You can also use cling wrap, though it’s much less robust than liners, so it's only suitable for light jobs, and you might need a double layer.

For heavier jobs where you'll be repeatedly rolling your roller around, cling wrap may tear, so it's best to use liners for bigger jobs.

Note that neither liners nor cling wrap are a must, they just make clean-up a lot easier since you can just dispose of them once you're finished with the painting.

4. Painter’s Tape

Painter's tape is basically used to cover areas that you don't want paint to get onto, and is usually used for edges.

For example, if you're painting the edges where your walls meet the ceiling, you'd put painter's tape around the edges of the ceiling.

Skilled painters can actually paint perfectly around the edges without getting paint onto unwanted areas, but for the average homeowner, it's highly recommended that you use painter’s tape.

There are different kinds of painter’s tape too. Painter's tape varies by color, with each color having a specific level of adhesion.

Here's how to choose:

Blue: Medium adhesion. Best for general purpose painting, i.e. regular walls, trim, and ceilings.
Green: Low adhesion. Best for delicate surfaces like textured walls.
Purple: Very low adhesion. Best for ultra-delicate surfaces like fresh paint, wallpaper, or drywall.
Yellow: Stronger adhesion. Best for rough or exterior surfaces, eg brick, concrete, stucco.
Orange: Strongest adhesion. Best for heavy-duty surfaces, eg heavy metal or during harsh conditions outdoors.

In most cases, blue tape is going to be your best choice.

5. Drop Cloths

Drop cloths are cloths designed to protect your items from paint. These include your furniture, your floor, your landscaping, and so on.

The two main types are canvas and plastic.

Canvas drop cloths are more expensive, but also tougher and reusable.

Plastic drop cloths are flimsier and meant for one-time use, but also cheaper.

In general, you should be using canvas drop cloths for your floors and plastic drop cloths for everything else. This is because plastic is slippery, so if used for your floors, it'll shift as you walk around, and you might even slip.

Canvas drop cloths aren't typically used for anything else besides the floor because they're bulky, and you don’t need the toughness since you won’t be walking on the other elements.

You just need a drop cloth that can keep light splashes or drops of paint off your furnishings, your landscaping, and so on, so canvas drop cloths are overkill.

6. Stool/Ladder And Roller Extension Pole

If you’re painting taller walls, you’re going to need a stool or ladder and ideally a roller extension pole.

You definitely need a stool or a ladder to reach the edges of the top of your walls and paint the edges with your brush.

However, for the rest of your regular painting, even though you can also climb up and down the stool or ladder and make do with a normal roller, it’s much more tedious that way.

Instead, we’d highly recommend getting a roller extension pole that allows your roller to easily reach higher areas.

Surface Preparation Tools & Equipment

Surface preparation is just as instrumental to success as the actual painting itself. Surface preparation actually includes repairing any wall damage like holes, cracks, or dents, but we won’t be listing the tools for those.

The first reason is that there’s a long list of tools, and they vary depending on the type of damage too, which means there’s going to be a pretty long list if we actually list everything.

But more importantly, wall damage isn’t something that you should be tackling on your own. Anything larger than a tiny hole or dent is going to be complicated to repair and require skills and techniques that only professionals would be able to execute successfully.

If you try to remedy larger wall damages on your own, the end result is probably going to be very unsightly, even more so than if you had just left the damage alone in the first place.

So while wall damage repair is part of surface prep, it’s not something you should be DIYing, so we won’t be including the tools for it.

With that said, here are the tools you’ll need for the rest of the surface preparation.

1. Scrapers And Putty Knives

Scrapers are used to easily scrape off flaking paint and old finishes. Then, putty knives are used to fill small nail holes, cracks, or dents with filler or spackle.

Again, for anything larger than a tiny hole or dent, call up a professional. Don’t ruin your walls by trying to DIY something you don’t have the expertise to accomplish.

2. Sandpaper & Sanding Blocks

Sandpaper is used to sand areas where you’ve patched up holes or dents to smooth out the area.

It’s also useful if there are slight bumps or rough spots anywhere to smooth them out and ensure your paint adheres properly.

It’s also a good idea to sand your walls if glossy paint was used previously, as glossy paint is meant to resist dirt and stains, which means paint won’t adhere very well onto it.

Sanding blocks can be quite handy for holding your sandpaper and making sanding large areas easier and less tiring. They’re not essential, but nice to have.

3. Caulk & Caulking Gun

Next, there may be gaps and cracks, not on your walls, but around windows, doors, trim, etc. These gaps need to be filled for both aesthetic purposes and to prevent moisture intrusion.

If you only have a small area, you won’t need a caulking gun. You can squeeze the caulk out by hand.

But for larger areas, it’s best to get a caulking gun to reduce fatigue and for more control.

4. Cleaning Supplies

Lastly, you need to clean your surface to remove dirt, dust, oil, and other elements that will prevent your paint from adhering properly.

For this, you’ll usually need to use either soap and water or a degreaser if you’re cleaning kitchen or bathroom walls.

Professional-Grade Tools & Equipment

If you’re considering starting your own painting business, you’ll want professional-grade tools that allow you to work faster and on a larger scale. Professional tools will also be more heavy-duty and can handle repeated daily use.

1. Airless Paint Sprayers

Airless paint sprayers are the most powerful type of paint sprayer. Professionals use these to paint large areas like the exteriors of buildings quickly.

2. Power Washers

Professional-grade power washers are used by professionals to deep clean large surfaces quickly for surface prep.

3. Scaffolding And Mechanical Lifts

A ladder might be enough for the tallest areas of your home’s walls, but it’s nowhere near enough for a building or even the exterior of a multi-story home.

Scaffolding and mechanical lifts are indispensable equipment for professional painters to safely paint higher surfaces.

Conclusion

With that, you should have all the essential tools and equipment you’ll need for a house painting job.

You don’t have to limit yourself to just these though. There’s a lot of other optional equipment you can get to make your job easier. These include paint sprayers, painting multi-tools, magnetic brush holders, and so on.

This article went over the essential ones you’ll need, but don’t hesitate to get anything else that you feel is necessary to make your job more manageable.

And if you need help with painting your home, Renewed Walls Painting is always here to help. When you work with us, you save money on buying all these tools yourself, and the job will be completed efficiently to professional standards, so give us a call today at 919-759-6676 !

House Painting Techniques And Tips

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 15:11:34 GMT

Thinking of painting your own home ?

Painting can actually be pretty therapeutic, especially if you love DIY projects or creating art.

Even if it’s not enjoyable, for the sake of cost-efficiency, many people still opt to paint their own homes, especially if it’s a small area or just a single room.

However, it’s not worth it to save on the cost of a professional if you’re going to end up ruining your home’s aesthetics with a poor paint job, which is why it’s important that if you’re planning on painting your house, you know the proper techniques.

While painting walls may look simple on the surface, there’s a lot that goes into it — surface prep, pressure, angle, and consistency.

These techniques require practice to get the hang of, so be prepared that even if you know the theory of how to perform the technique, smooth and successful execution is still going to take some hard work and practice.

The fact is, even with practice, painting is still a tedious and messy task that involves many steps. And when fatigue sets in, DIYers often subconsciously start applying more or less pressure, resulting in thicker or thinner patches.

So even if you know the right techniques, success is far from guaranteed.

Nonetheless, knowing the techniques is definitely one of the keys to success, and that’s what we’ll be covering in this article.

Technique 1: Cutting In

The first step in painting walls is always cutting in. Cutting in refers to painting corners, edges, and any other areas that a roller can’t get to.

Technically, you could also leave this for last, but by cutting in right at the start, you create clear borders for yourself to follow.

This makes it much easier when painting, as you won’t have to mentally decide each time how close your roller should go to the edges. It also reduces the chances of you accidentally painting outside of your intended painting area.

Here’s how to get the technique right:

Hold the brush nearer to the bristles so that you have more control
Pull gently. Don’t jab the brush hard into your wall or apply so much pressure that the bristles bend too much. Instead, there should be just a slight bend. Then, pull gently to paint your walls.
Paint in one single, continuous motion. Don’t keep bringing the brush up. Short choppy movements will result in uneven texture.
For each of your strokes, overlap them slightly. It’s impossible to align each stroke edge-to-edge. Trying to do so will only leave gaps.

And here are the steps to cutting in:

Painter’s tape (Optional): This first step is optional, but if you’re worried about your brush going outside of the intended area, i.e. if you’re trying to paint the edges of your walls and you’re worried about it going onto the ceiling, simply stick painter’s tape along the edges and peel them off once you’re done painting.
Dip your brush 1/3 of the way into the paint: There are a number of reasons why you shouldn’t dip your brush all the way into the paint, but the main reasons are that you don’t want uncontrollable dripping and you don’t want your brush to stiffen over time.
Wipe the sides of your brush against the can or tray: This should be quite intuitive, but in case it isn’t, after dipping your brush into the paint, before you take it out, gently wipe both sides of the brush against the can or tray to remove excess paint and prevent dripping.
Paint with the right technique described above

Technique 2: Rolling

Once your cutting in is done and you have your borders clearly in place, it’s time to start the serious painting.

Note that you want to do the actual painting as soon as you can after you’re done with cutting in. This is so that you’ll be painting on wet paint and not dry paint, which can result in visible lines or lap marks.

For the rolling technique:

Paint a “W” or “M” in a small, 3-foot by 3-foot section. Your roller should be quite thick, so as you can imagine, with only a 3-foot by 3-foot area to paint in, your W or M will be thin in width, not stretched out like handwriting, and that's the point. The gaps between the lines shouldn't be too big, not like a normal W or M would be. Think of it as painting W or M in super chunky block letters.
Without lifting your roller, continue rolling it in vertical motions to fill up the gaps between your W and M. Yes, you will be going over the W or M multiple times, and the end result should be a square.
Make sure to maintain even pressure as you paint. Don't press harder to get more paint out. Instead, go over the area as many times as needed.
If you're tired, take a break. When you're tired, the fatigue often leads to homeowners either trying to rush the project and apply more pressure, or apply less, which results in uneven patches.

And here are the steps to ensure your painting goes smoothly:

Paint ASAP after cutting in. As we explained earlier, this ensures no visible lines that shouldn't be there.
Load the roller on a tray. Pour your paint onto a tray and roll your roller over it back and forth to cover it fully and thickly before you start painting. Don't dip the roller into your paint can directly or it will be covered too heavily and will drip.
Paint in squares using the right technique described above until your walls are fully painted
Make sure each square overlaps the previous one slightly . This is for the same reason as painting ASAP after cutting in — you want wet edges to overlap so that there are no visible lines, and you'll have a smooth finish.

Most of the time, you're going to need at least two coatings to ensure even coverage, so just follow the same techniques.

Note that for each layer, you'll also need to cut in again so that there won't be visible lines between the cutting in areas and your main painting area.

Technique 3: Finish Painting

Finally, once your walls are painted, all that's left are your trim, doors, and detail work.

These don't need to be painted if they're in good condition, but if they're starting to yellow or have scratches or chips, they'll make your fresh, new paint job look out of place.

It's kind of like leaving your old, yellowing bathtub in your sleek, remodeled bathroom. It hurts the overall aesthetics, no matter how well the painting was done.

Since you'll be working on your doors, windows, and other elements that are going to have more edges and will require more dexterity, you'll want to use a brush instead of a roller.

It's also best to use an angled brush so that you can reach tight and awkward corners more easily.

For the paint, you'll want a glossy or semi-glossy finish. This is to help set them apart from your walls, and also because these finishes are more durable.

It's important to use more durable finishes for your doors, windows, and other detail work as these are high-traffic areas. They'll be exposed to because they’re going to be subjected to more stress and traffic. They’re going to be frequently exposed to friction from people touching them, may be exposed to harsh cleaning chemicals, and may even be exposed to more moisture, depending on their position.

So make sure to use paints with glossy or semi-glossy finishes.

As for the painting itself, here's how to get the right technique:

Paint one-way and follow the grain, especially for wood. Don't go back and forth too much to ensure a smooth, even finish.
Aim for fewer longer strokes rather than more smaller strokes, because those run the risk of more uneven painting and more edges and ridges.
Of course, follow the basic rules mentioned earlier. Paint with consistent pressure and overlap your strokes.

Now for the steps:

Dip your brush 1/3 of the way
Wipe the sides of your brush against the can or tray
Paint with the technique we just detailed
Light sand between coats. Glossy or semi-glossy finishes reflect light better, so any imperfections like tiny bumps or ridges are more visible than with normal paint. As such, it’s a good idea to sand between your coats for glossy and semi-glossy finishes to remove these imperfections and ensure a smooth finish.

House Painting Tips

Now that you know all the necessary techniques for painting your home, here are some tips to help ensure the success of your project.

1. Always Test A Small Sample First

When you find a color that you really like, it can be tempting to start painting with it immediately.

However, a lot of times, what you see on a screen or a brochure will differ slightly from what it looks like in real life. It’s not that companies are trying to scam you, but rather, the lighting in real life is hard to capture perfectly in pictures, which results in pictures being a slight bit different.

The last thing you want is to buy multiple gallons of paint only to find out after a few strokes that it’s not quite what you wanted, or worse, only find out after you’re done with all the painting.

So while it’s going to be more hassle and will slow down your project a little, always purchase sample-size paint jars first and paint a small section of your walls to see if it’s really what you want.

These sample-size jars are usually 8 oz and won’t cost more than a few dollars. Think of it as insurance to guarantee you’re choosing the right color and saving yourself from wasting money on a larger can of paint that turns out to be different from your vision.

And don’t worry about having to clean off the small area you painted. You’ll be priming or painting over it.

2. Never Skip The Prep

Again, it can be very tempting to skip the prep and get right into your painting. After all, once you paint over your walls, who’s going to care what it looks like underneath right?

Well, that’s true, but the problem is that without the proper prep, your paint won’t adhere to your walls, and it’ll start peeling off pretty soon.

Particles like dust and gloss will make it hard for your paint to stay on your walls, so always clean your walls to remove the dust and sand to remove gloss if there’s any.

And obviously, you need to patch up any holes, dents, or cracks before you start painting.

Lastly, don’t forget your primer. It’s the final touch to ensure your surface is smooth and that your paint will adhere strongly.

3. Work From Top To Bottom

Lastly, don’t just start painting from anywhere you like. While you could technically do that and still be successful as long as you finished painting all the areas that needed painting, it’s best to start painting from top to bottom.

This means starting with the ceiling, then your walls, then the trim and other detail work. This is a simple strategy that ensures paint doesn’t fall onto any finished areas.

If you start from the top, then even if any paint does get onto the bottom areas, all you have to do is paint over it. But if you started from the bottom and paint got onto finished parts, you’d have to paint over it, which can create uneven patches or visible lines.

Conclusion

Painting is inevitably going to be a slow and tedious process that requires patience, and it definitely isn’t for everyone.

Still, knowing the right techniques is a great start, and with the tips we’ve provided, you’ll be much better equipped for success.

If you’re already dreading the idea of painting and all the work and mess that comes with it, you’re not alone. With the amount of effort, time, and patience required, many homeowners don’t just dread painting — they outright hate it.

That’s why we’re here.

At Renewed Walls Painting , we take this burden off your shoulders, giving you peace of mind and allowing you to spend more time on things that you enjoy.

If you want expert help or don’t have time to do it yourself, Renewed Walls Painting is just a call away. We bring precision, care, and clean results to every house we touch.

DIY House Painting Comprehensive Guide

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 13:43:33 GMT

Painting a house is no mean feat. It's definitely not as simple as buying the paint, covering your roller in it, and rolling over your walls.

Before you even begin the painting, you need to prepare your walls. And before you start prepping your walls, you need to have the paint ready, which means you need to know how to choose the right paint and finish.

And then there's the painting. You'll be painting your walls, your doors, your windows, and so on. These require various painting techniques and tools for different phases of the painting.

So if you're DIYing your house’s painting, you're going to need to know how to choose the right paint and finish, how to prepare your walls, the techniques to paint for different areas and phases, and the right tools to use, as well as the pitfalls to look out for.

Not sure how to do any of that?

Then you’re in the right place.

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to go about each step of your house painting and you’ll have a clear idea of what it takes to successfully paint a home.

1. Choosing Paint

The color will be entirely up to your personal preference, so we won’t go into that. Instead, here, we’ll explain how to choose your type of paint and the finish, as well as how to know how much to buy.

Paint Type

There are two types of paint — oil-based and latex (water-based) paint.

The main differences between the two are durability, ease of cleaning, and drying time.

Oil-based paint is more durable and tougher than latex paint, but the problem is that it’s also harder to clean up your tools afterwards, and any drips or spills. There will also be a stronger odor, and it takes much longer to dry.

So while latex paint is less hardy, it’s a lot easier to clean up, dries a lot quicker, and has very low odor.

With latex paint, all you need is soap and water for clean-up, whereas for oil-based paint, to clean it off your tools or to clean up any spills, you’re going to need to use mineral spirits.

And if you’re using oil-based paint, you’ll need to wait anywhere from 8-24 hours for it to dry before you can apply subsequent coats, whereas with water-based paint, it’s just 1-2 hours.

So in short, oil-based paints are more durable, but have a stronger odor, are harder to clean, and you need to wait much longer for them to dry. You also need to maintain optimal conditions during the drying time.

Given how much more trouble you’ll have to go through with oil-based paints, and the fact that the added durability isn’t really necessary for most areas, for most people, latex paint is going to be the best choice.

In many regions, oil-based paints are also heavily restricted or banned for indoor use due to VOC emissions, so you might not even have a choice.

Oil-based paint can still be used sparingly for high-traffic areas that warrant tougher paint, but for your walls, water-based paint is going to be your best option.

Finish

The finish is a concept that many people often get confused by. The paint finish refers to the texture of the paint, or more specifically, how shiny it is.

Basically, think of it as the mood or personality of your paint. The color doesn’t change, but you can make the color more muted and softer, or shinier and louder.

In addition, the glossier the finish, the more durable it is, as glossier finishes have more resins, which makes them harder and better able to resist elements like dust, dirt, and moisture.

There are five main finishes, from least glossy to most glossy:

Matte
Eggshell
Satin
Semi-gloss
Gloss

Here’s where to use each type of finish:

Living room: Eggshell
Bedroom: Matte/eggshell
Kitchen: Satin/semi-gloss/gloss
Bathroom: Semi-gloss/gloss
Hallways: Satin/semi-gloss

How Much To Get

Whether you’re going to Home Depot, Sherwin-Williams, or Lowe’s, the staff will usually be there to help you figure out how much to get. You just need to give them your room dimensions, surface types, and the number of coats you’ll be doing.

In fact, some stores even have paint calculators.

If you’re still worried and would rather decide for yourself, a good rule of thumb is to get one gallon of paint for every 400 square feet of coverage. That’s for a single coat, so multiply that by however many coats you’re doing.

2. Tools & Materials

Next, here are the tools and materials you’ll need for each step of the painting.

Prepping Your Walls

First off, you need to clean the surfaces so that dust and dirt won’t prevent your paint from adhering properly. For this, you’ll need:

Water
Mild detergent/Degreaser (for kitchen walls)

Next, if there are any holes, cracks, or dents in your walls, you need to repair them first before painting over them. Otherwise, if you wait till after painting to patch them, you’ll then need to repaint the patched area, which is not only troublesome, but can leave visible lines between the newly painted area and the previously painted area.

For this step in particular, it’s actually highly recommended that you leave it to the professionals like us. Drywall repair is quite tricky, and when homeowners DIY it, 90% of the time, it turns out to be a very poorly done unsightly patch job.

But just to give you an idea of what’s needed:

Drywall saw
Utility knife
Tape measure
Power drill
Drywall screws
Drywall tape
Taping knife
Mud pan
Sanding sponge

Finally, the last step of your wall prep is priming it for painting. You’ll need:

Primer
Separate brush and roller from the ones you use for painting
Paint tray with liner

Painting

Moving on to the actual painting work, for painting, there won’t be too many additional tools and materials needed besides the paint and the brush or roller.

For the first step, cutting in, you’ll need:

Paint
Angled brush (ideally, but a normal brush can work too)

Then, for the regular painting:

Paint
Paint roller frame
Paint roller covers (these are to put on the roller frame to form the complete roller and are usually sold separately, so you need to assemble the roller yourself)
Paint try with liner
Roller extension pole (if needed for ceilings or taller walls)

For trim and other detail work, same as with cutting in, it's going to require more manoeuvring, so use an angled brush and a mini roller for wider sections.

Clean-Up

For the clean-up, it's entirely up to you what tools you want to use. You'd be cleaning it the same as you would any other mess of your home, save for one small thing to take note of.

Like we mentioned earlier, if it's oil-based paint, you're going to need mineral spirits, even if it’s just drops on the ground and you’re cleaning it off immediate;y.

Other than that though, how you clean up the rest is up to you. There aren’t any special tools for cleaning up after painting.

3. Prepping Your Space

Now that you have your tools and paint, all that’s left to do is prepare your space before you start painting.

Here are the steps:

Start by moving items to another room or to the center of the space. These include your furniture, shoes, appliances, and so on.
Then, lay down drop cloth to protect your flooring from potential spills
Cover or remove your light fixtures, ceiling fans, and other wall-mounted items like curtain rods, shelves, nails, hooks, etc, so that paint doesn’t get onto them
Remove outlet and switch covers so that you can paint up till the edges of the outlet, and then cover the outlet or switch with painter’s tape, so that you’ll only paint around the outlet or switch, not onto it
Clean your walls with soap and water or degreaser if needed for kitchen walls. Otherwise, with dust, dirt, or oil on the walls, paint won’t adhere tightly and will peel off very soon.
Patch up any holes, cracks, and dents. Again, to reiterate, this part is best left to professionals like Renewed Walls Painting , because it’s just too tricky for homeowners to handle.
Sand your surface lightly if glossy paint was previously used. Glossy paints are meant to resist dust and dirt, so if you try to paint on them directly, it won’t adhere well.
Apply primer if you’re painting over dark colors or if the previous layer of paint was oil-based and you’re using latex instead this time round
Lastly, use painter’s tape to protect areas that you don’t want paint to get on, eg window and door trim.

4. Painting

With your space all prepared and ready for a new layer of paint, it’s time to begin the painting.

Start from the top to bottom so that paint won’t drip onto completed areas. So begin with the ceiling, then your walls, and then your trim.

From here, since you already have the tools, you can start painting. Just make sure to paint with the right techniques and follow best practices.

As we mentioned at the beginning, there are various techniques and best practices that you need to follow to get a smooth finish. These techniques need to be explained in detail, and there are various things to take note of when painting different parts of your home and using different tools.

For example, you need to ideally paint in a “W” or “M” pattern, hold the brush the right way, maintain a wet edge, and so on.

There are quite a few things to be aware of to get the right technique and ensure your painting goes smoothly, way too much to cover in a single section.

As such, we wrote an entire article dedicated to painting techniques. Check out our guide on painting techniques and tips .

5. Drying & Curing

After you’re done painting your walls, you need to let them dry and cure. Drying should be relatively quick, within a couple of hours for water-based paint.

Afterwards comes the more challenging part — curing. Curing isn’t complicated, but you need to ensure nothing gets into contact with it during this time.

Curing refers to the process where your paint fully hardens and becomes as durable as it can be, which usually takes 2-4 weeks.

During this time, it’s not fully hardened, so it’s vulnerable to scratches, smudges, and sticking to other surfaces.

That’s why you need to minimize any contact with your walls during the curing phase, so that you’ll have a perfect, blemish-free finish.

Conclusion

With that, you now know the full process to paint your home yourself.

That doesn’t guarantee a smooth, flawless finish though, far from it.

The part that most people mess up at is the painting. Lots of things can go wrong. You could apply uneven pressure, your strokes may not be smooth, or you wait too long between strokes, resulting in visible lines between the strokes.

Just knowing the theory isn’t enough. Practice is what ensures that you can actually apply the techniques correctly and consistently.

So don’t rush to begin painting your house until you’ve gotten the hang of the techniques.

If you're painting other surfaces besides just your walls, ceiling, and trim, check out our guide on painting different surfaces .

And if you're painting for home resale, you should be approaching the way you paint your home quite differently. Here's how to paint your home for selling in Raleigh .

Finally, if you have leftover paint (which you likely will), here's how to dispose of and recyle your paint .