Interior paint typically gets dirty in many situations: hand prints around switches and knobs; splashes in kitchens and bathrooms; marks on hallways and corridors; “soot” accumulating above electric lamps and other heat sources. Removing dirt before it accumulates not only improves appearance, it reduces chances of it getting permanently embedded in the paint film.

Check for dirt periodically and assume it will be present in and near cooking areas (airborne cooking oil) and at all places at hand height. Always initially clean the surface with a mild detergent using a sponge or a soft cloth. Resort to harsher cleaners only when necessary, recognizing that alkaline cleaners can dull the sheen or gloss of oil based paint. Abrasive cleaner will burnish nearly any paint and will dull the gloss of satin, semi-gloss and gloss products. Washed surfaces should be rinsed thoroughly because residual cleaner can interfere with adhesion of paint applied later.

Generally an exterior painting job will need to be redone every 5-10 years. Stucco tends to last longer, wood on the other hand expands and contracts more with changing temperatures which loosens the paint sooner.

It is best not to put off your exterior painting until the house is badly peeling. When it gets to that condition, it will end up costing you more in preparation time and possibly dry rot repair work.

If however the property is in a bad condition when you get to it, do yourself a favor – go the extra length and ensure that thorough surface preparation is done. The idea is to create a sound surface for the new coats to adhere to. This requires more time but is necessary for the paint job to last.

Elastomeric Waterproofing System is normally used on exterior stucco and often when the surface has a lot of hairline cracks. Elastomerics are formulated to be applied in very thick coats. When applied correctly, due to their high elasticity, they have a special capacity to span hairline cracks permanently. Instead of these cracks reopening on your stucco, the Elastomeric would stretch and keep them sealed up. This then keeps water out and protects your home from damage. Elastomeric looks much like any other paint and it can be tinted to most colours.

It is generally understood that colour combinations that appear pleasing are made up of colours that are in harmony or in balance with each other. Colours that do not appear to agree with each other or that clash are not in harmony.

Whether it is the interior or exterior painting, we normally start a client out with a chart of stock colours. Stock color paints tend to perform better due to the process of their manufacture.

On the exterior paints chart, there is also a nice variety of harmonious colour combinations to choose from.

Another very good way to get started on exterior colour selection is to take a drive around the neighborhood and find similar houses to yours to see what others have done with colours. This way you get a very good idea of what the final look of your home might be.

We can provide you with cardboard brush outs, or roll out samples directly on the areas to be painted. Many clients find this process helps them to better visualize the final result. More about house painting colour.