Helpful Home Tips
Painting Tips
GREEN BENEFITS OF WATER BASED PRODUCTS OVER OIL BASED RODUCTS
There are many benefits to using latex products over oil. The paint industry has spent a lot of time and money working toward reducing VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and refining latex products. In most cases latex will outperform oil based products in application and durability. Because of the effort to “Go Green”, there has been a focused attempt at improving latex products as they are proven to be more friendly to the environment than oil based products.
One area that has seen significant improvement is Direct to Metal (DTM) products. Traditionally, oil based products were best for metal. That is not necessarily the case these days. Many of your latex products are as good or better. They have fewer VOCs and have better rust inhibitors than oil based products. Water based stains for pressure treated wood are significantly improved as well.
One of the greatest benefits of water based products is their easy clean up compared to that of oil. Water based products are much easier on the environment and do not kill plants. Traditional oil based products that clean up with mineral spirits do a lot more harm to the environment. Any vegetation that comes into contact with mineral spirits will die.
Most venders will carry a “Green” product that will be much improved in terms of VOCs over a regular latex paint they already carry. The price of this product may be a little higher than conventional products, but to most of us it will seem a modest cost to keep our environment healthy.
Post provided by – Atlanta Painters who are interested in being Green!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU PAINT THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME?
The frequency you should paint the exterior of your home is a good question and the answer can vary from one climate to another. In general, a house should be painted every three to five years. The hot and humid climate in the Southeast is particularly harsh on a paint job.
In most cases two sides of the house will get the worst exposure and will deteriorate much more quickly than the other two sides. It might be tempting to paint just the worst sides but it is usually not cost effective. Waiting too long to paint the remaining two sides may result in damage that proves to be more costly than simply painting the whole house at once.
Some good indicators that your house is ready to be repainted are:
1. Loose peeling paint
2. Siding joints have opened up and require caulking
3. Siding and trim sheen level will have dulled down
4. Siding has faded (Noticeable from the sunny sides and shady sides)
5. Rotten wood is visible
6. Siding is chalky and comes off on your hand when you rub it
When you decide to repaint it is better to purchase high quality paint and materials because they usually hold up much longer. Keep in mind that most of the cost of a paint job is the labor. It does not cost significantly more to purchase the better paint, therefore it is prudent to apply better materials while you are already paying for the labor or doing the work yourself.
This post was supplied by – Atlanta Painters – based in Atlanta, GA.