WINTER IS A WONDERFUL TIME FOR INTERIOR PAINTING
Winter’s snow and cold may put a damper on a lot of remodeling activity, but not interior painting. In fact, “snow days” are a great time to paint.
Anyone who’s ever been housebound while snowbound knows the feeling of being trapped indoors. How to put the time to good use? What could be better than scratching an important home improvement project off your to-do list?
According to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute, good light is essential when doing interior painting. “It not only makes the project more pleasant, but it can speed the work by clearly differentiating painted from unpainted areas and minimizing ‘misses’ where the light is inadequate,” she says.
That’s part of the allure of painting in winter: The light is often prolific. A sunny, snow-covered landscape throws off wonderful reflected light that brightens all but the darkest corners. Even when there is no snow, very cold days are almost always clear and sun-filled, so they’re perfect for painting.
Of course, winter days are also short, so you need to get an early start to capitalize on these conditions. Ready your room for the next snow day by removing the curtains, switch-plates, and outlet covers beforehand; also, buy your paint, brushes and other items in advance so you can get right to work in the morning.
When purchasing your paint, Zimmer suggests that you choose a “paint and primer” product made with 100% acrylic, which will both hide the existing color and add beautiful new color to your room. “Since ‘paint and primer’ serves a dual purpose, you can usually get away with fewer coats, which will help you finish the project more quickly," she says. That’s a great benefit on short winter days.
It’s always wise to have some ventilation when doing interior painting, which presents a bit of a challenge in the colder months. You can crack the windows slightly; or run an exhaust fan, if one is handy. Either way, always work with water-based latex paint (not an oil-based or alkyd coating) and choose one low in “VOCs” (volatile organic compounds). This type of paint emits very little odor, so you won’t have a lingering “paint smell” when the project is done.
In just a few short hours of winter work, you’ll have attractive new color on your walls and woodwork. And that will make the rest of your time indoors all the more enjoyable.
So, plan ahead for your next interior painting project, buy your paint and sundries beforehand, and wait for Mother Nature to provide the next opportunity to do some snow day painting. Chances are, you won’t have to wait very long!
For more information about interior painting and interior color selection, visit blog.paintquality.com or www.paintquality.com.
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ABOUT THE PAINT QUALITY INSTITUTE (SM)
Since 1989, The Paint Quality Institute (SM) has been educating people on the advantages of using quality interior and exterior paints and coatings. The Paint Quality Institute's goal is to help educate consumers, contractors and designers by providing information on the virtues of quality paint as well as color trends and decorating with paint through a variety of instructional platforms and conferences, and traditional and new media vehicles. More information can be found at www.paintquality.com
