Your home is filled with memories, moment of love and tenderness; it’s the space where life takes place. It’s also likely to be the most valuable asset in your portfolio. Taking both those things into account, it’s easy to see why home upgrades are so appealing; you can reshape the space you spend most of your time, increasing your day-to-day happiness while also increasing your home’s resale value. There are a few simple things you can do to increase your home’s value, both to yourself and to prospective buyers.
Paint is ubiquitous in our culture; from the cool colours you may find in your office to the bright and contrasting homes in the maritimes, a wide variety of colours and types of paints can be used for everything from painting your home to painting a picture. Paint, in some form or another, has been around since before recorded history. The history of paint is full of interesting twists and turns; here’s how we got from cave paintings to painting the man-cave.
Some time around 100, 000 BC, we were already making paints. Red and yellow pigments were found on-site, along with tools that may have been used to make a paste. The fact that paints were available at this time may mean that it’s creators were capable of complex though. A couple of signs point to sophisticated cognition; to make paint, you need to be able to plan and experiment, and the use of paint seems to imply symbolic thought, meaning it’s creators must have been imaginative. The year is close to 20, 000 BC, and we have cave paintings. Paints before this time may have been used on the body, but at this point we have complex representation of animals in our cave paintings. There were paintings of the outline of hands up to 40000 years ago, but these paintings are a bit less sophisticated than the depictions we see later, which also use more complex pigments. By the Classical Era, humans had learned to mix pigments together to make more vivid paint. One particularly dangerous method of making paint was by mixing hot mercury with sulphur; at this time, medical knowledge was limited, and the dangers of mercury were little known. A deep blue was unobtainable by Europeans until the Middle Ages, when they began to use lapis lazuli from trading partners in Afghanistan. The “ultra” in ultramarine doesn’t mean “extreme”, it means “beyond” as in “beyond the sea”, because of its foreign origin. Prior to the 15th century, eggs were often used as binders for pigment; when oils came in, they were difficult to use. Jack van Eyck, a Flemish painter, did not invent oil paint, but popularized many techniques that allowed oil paints to be used more easily. The 18th century saw synthetic pigments being created, the first of them being Prussian Blue. The 19th century saw an explosion of variety in the types of colours that could be used, as industrialization boosted the supply, and thus lowered the cost, of paint. During the 20th century, paints gained a lot of the qualities we see used today. They became less toxic as our understanding of medical science increased, and pigments like arsenic and lead were replaced. Acrylic paint was invented during World War II, and remains the standard for high quality interior painting today. There are many different types of paint; varieties in colour, water-resistance, thickness and surface-protection exist. The pigments and vehicle of paint are the primary two elements you can change, though additives can be changed as well. Oil and acrylic are two types of paint with substantially different properties. Today, we’ll take a look at the difference between these two substances, and how they can make a difference in your paint job.
Oil acts as the binder and the solvent in oil based paints; linseed oil is used in many cases. Acrylic based paints use acrylic polymers as the binder, but water as the solvent, and this is why the two paints have different properties. Oil-based paints dry slowly, which is a handy property for a handful of tasks. Oil paints allow artists to blend colours more easily, and to layer paints on underpaintings. The disadvantage of a slow drying time is obvious; oil-based paints must be left to dry for much longer. Water, conversely, evaporates easily, which makes acrylic paint much more practical for a job you want done quickly. The use of water as a solvent in acrylic paints means they can be thinned by simply adding more water. Oil cannot be thinned with water, as it just floats on top; this means chemical paint thinners of various types must be used in order to reduce the viscosity of oil paints. There are colours of paint available in acrylic that you can’t find in oil-based paints, and vice versa. This is because different pigments dissolve in different substances; adding an water insoluble pigment to an acrylic vehicle doesn’t make paint, it just makes a mess. Acrylic paint is more flexible than oil paint, and the surface that is painted is thus less prone to cracking. This means oil-based paints aren’t suitable for painting an exterior; stick with 100% acrylic paints to avoid having to repaint an area. The other advantage of acrylic for your home’s exterior is that you don’t need to layer it; because oil-based paints crack so easily, it’s essential to use many layers in order to achieve the desired effect. Acrylic paints are much easier to apply, and two coats should usually do it. Cleaning acrylic paints is also much easier, since they’re water-soluble. Oil paints are not; again, special solvents are needed to clean brushes that have been dipped in oil paint. Oil-paints are useful for fine art paintings, but for painting your home acrylic wins hands down. It’s easier to apply, more durable, it dries more quickly and you only need a couple of coats. The best interior painting services all use 100% acrylic paint, so make sure you know what you’re getting when your house is being painted. We live in a colourful world. From the walls of our offices, to the exteriors of our homes; from hand-crafted toys to works of fine art, we are surrounded by paint. It’s easy to think of paint as a kind of “colour liquid” - but if it’s a liquid, why doesn’t it run off of your house? It “dries”, but when it does so, the colour is left behind. How exactly, then, does paint work?
Paints are made up of three different components: pigments, binders and solvents. Here’s what they do: Pigments are what gives a paint it’s colour. Metal compounds are typically used as pigments, with different compounds generating different colours. Iron oxide might be used to make a paint yellow or red, and chromium oxide could be used for a green paint. Different compounds can also be added together to change the colour of your paint. Oxide pigments are particularly useful for painting stucco. Metal compounds and most other pigments are solid, which doesn’t make them very useful for painting with. This is why paints include a binder. Binders are agents which, as the name suggests, bind the pigment particles together, though this is not their only function. They also serve as an adhesive which allows the paint to stick to the surface it’s applied on. The last function of binders is as a protective agent for the surface the paint is applied to; whether your paint is oil or acrylic, it will help protect your surface from abrasion and wear. Mixtures that consist of solid pigments and thick, plastic-y binders are incredibly thick; it would be almost impossible to create an even coat of paint with only these two components. Solvents, the final essential component of paint, thin the mixture out. Water is known as the universal solvent, and acrylic-paints are easily thinned by adding water. Oil is not water soluble - we’ve all seen oil float on top of water - so chemical paint thinners are available as oil-paint solvents. Additives are the final component of paint, and as the name implies, they are added to a mostly finished product. They can be used to impart particular qualities on paint; different additives may improve the stability of pigment in paint, impart it with antifreeze properties; there are even antibacterial additives. Once the product is mixed and finished, it can be applied to the surface. Different “vehicles”, the combination of binder and solvent in a paint, are useful for different types and styles of painting. The Madani Group is your vehicle to a great new coat of paint for your house, inside and out; contact us to learn about the best paints we can use for your home. Welcome back to the second and final part of our series on colour psychology and your home. Last time, we looked at how bright and cool colours can affect everything from your appetite to your stress levels, and how we can use nostalgia to make your living spaces more welcoming. Today, we’ll dive into how individual colours might affect your mood, and how to employ them in your home.
Green is a great colour to use in a home office; this is because green is shown to improve concentration. The reason for this seems to be the link between the colour green and nature, which provides a calming, but not tiring, effect on the brain. Your workout room should be a combination of warm and cool colours; the warm colours are there for stimulation and motivation, but an all-red room will actually leave you feeling too hot, and may lead to your workout ending early. A combination of blues and yellows, with green to increase concentration, can really help extend your workout. Yellow is a great colour to use for an entryway; yellow increases optimism, and it can be reassuring to leave or enter your home with a bright burst of sunshine. It can be used to equally good effect on your door or porch; when the first or last thing you see is yellow, you’re sure to be inspired. Purple is my favorite colour, but it should be used sparingly in interior painting; purple is rarely found in nature, and when it is, it’s usually poisonous. When using purple, have more natural colours like subtle yellows and greens in the room; this makes the purple pop while still maintaining a found-in-nature colour palette. Brown can be a wonderful colour in a living room or den, especially one adorned with a lot of wood or leather. This colour can be incorporated in a sophisticated looking colour palette, but beware of overuse, which can look drab. Pink is a great colour for relaxation; if there’s a room you would like to use for meditation, yoga, or other mindfulness cultivating activities, pink can bring you to a state of serenity. This colour is important not to overuse in your home, though, as too much can leave you feeling sleepy. Bathroom fixtures should remain white; white is associated with purity and cleanliness, which is perfect for the purposes of the room. More importantly, the psychological and physiological detriment of having a dirty space means it’s important to be able to clean your fixtures easily, and mess shows up less clearly on any non-white colours. Nature has the best colour palette; if you’re feeling uninspired, going out into nature can give you a great idea of how to use different colours in your home. Painting contractors are experts in choosing a great colour palette. There are a few painting companies in Winnipeg; reach out to Madani Group for an expert consultation on how to choose great colours for your home. There are a lot of considerations that come into play when repainting your home. You want to choose colours that appeal to you and to your guests, while maintaining a cohesive flow and palette. Inspiration for your palette can be taken from a variety of places, but one interesting way of approaching the task is by using the way colours affect our subconscious. Let’s go over a few ways that colour can affect our perception, and how to use psychology to great advantage in making an appealing home.
Bright colours create the illusion of space; when painting your exterior, if you want your home to look larger, yellows and tinted colours like eggshell can be incredibly useful. Mealtime happiness can increase if you use red in your dining space. This is because red increases your appetite; that’s why it’s used so frequently in restaurant logos! Cool colours like blue have the opposite effect, so it’s best to avoid using them as the primary colour of a dining space. In your foyer, use a palette that blends your exterior palette with your interior palette. This allows your guests to appreciate a smooth transition, which can be easier on the mind than a stark transition. Plan your exterior colours based on the temperatures you expect to see. Cold regions benefit enormously from warm exterior colours; it makes your home seem like a retreat from the chill. Conversely, using cool tones and colours like blue makes your home seem refreshing in the summer heat. Nostalgia is a great tool for choosing colour. Think back to warm memories from your childhood; using a palette that incorporates colour from fond moments is a wonderful way to make your house a home. Inspiration from a favorite room, article of clothing or toy can be put to use in your kitchen, living room, or other communal space where warm feeling are welcome. Cool colours are great in spaces where you want to relax. For bedrooms, bathrooms and other relaxing spaces, blues, lavenders and greens are a great way of soothing the mind. Brighter shades lessen the effect, so opt for deep shades to get the most benefit out of this technique. Bright colours might increase your appetite, but that’s because they are generally stimulating. They can also increase your blood pressure; red especially can increase irritability, as the colour can make it hard to sit still and be calm. Individuals who know they are prone to stress or heart problems should avoid using too many bright colours in their home. Consulting with a professional paint contractor is a wonderful way of incorporating all of these tips into a cohesive repaint of your home. Madani Group has trained painters in Winnipeg who are ready and willing to answer all of your paint-related questions. Stay tuned for part two, where we’ll learn even more about how colour psychology can help you paint your home! Selecting exterior paint colours is quite exciting; it can make a bold statement about who you are, and give your guests a great first impression about your home. There’s a lot to keep in mind when selecting a palette, and with so many different options available, it can be tricky to narrow down your choices. Here are a few tips for choosing exterior paint colours.
Choose High Quality Paints No matter which colour palette you elect to go with, you’ll want high quality paints so that the palette stays cohesive. Low quality paints fade quickly; when your paint fades, it may lose the colour qualities that made it mesh with your palette. High quality paints fade very slowly, and apply more evenly, creating a consistency that’s absent in the cheap stuff. Coordinate With the Neighborhood Look around your neighborhood and see if you can divine a particular colour palette; when painting your own home, choose colours that coordinate well with the homes in your surrounding area. This doesn’t mean you have to paint your home the exact same way as everyone else, but you do want to avoid sticking out like a sore thumb. When the homes around you are primarily grey-blue in colour, it’s not a good idea to pick bright red with yellow trim as your colours. Take Inspiration From Your Surroundings Your home may incorporate some permanent material like brick that you want to avoid painting. When this is the case, you can use contrasting colours to make the material stand out a bit more; use cooler tones in order to make red brick pop. Nature can be incorporated as well; you can choose shades of paint that match with a tree or bush in your yard, and sky blues are always appealing. Try Before You Buy Buy sample sizes of paint and paint brush-outs on the areas that you want to renovate. Be sure to evaluate how the colours look on each side of the house that gets different sunlight, and evaluate how the paint looks at different times of day to find a palette that appeals to you day and night. There’s the Door The door is in some ways the most important part of your exterior. Your door might say a lot about your personality, and a highly visible door that contrasts with the rest of your home’s colours can be warm and inviting to guests. The door is the most important part of the exterior to find, so it’s important to have it stand out. Consult the Professionals Go online, find images from home design experts, and create a folder full of inspiring pictures. The more you look, the more you’ll find certain palettes appeal to you. Experienced painters are experts in colour palette, so if you hire a painting contractor you can consult with them to select a colour palette that suits your personality and your neighborhood. Your home is your sanctuary; it’s where most of us spend the majority of our time, and it says something about who we are; it is, after all, the space we are ultimately responsible for. The paint on both the exterior and interior of your house can say something about the location, or about your personality; having to look at it a lot means it’s worth having a quality paint job. There are many reasons why you should hire professional, qualified and insured painters to take care of your home.
1.You Save Time Time is money, and painting is a time-consuming task. The prepwork before painting can involve sanding, washing, filling and other manual labour. This work needs to be done meticulously to ensure the best paint job possible. Then there’s the painting itself, which takes even longer than the prep, especially when you’re getting your house painted inside and out. People sometimes enjoy this type of activity, but if you feel your time would be better spent doing something else, a professional paint service is a great idea. 2. You Get Better Quality Painting might not seem that complicated - until you try it. Getting an even coat, reaching hard to reach areas, doing the trim without paints bleeding into each other; these things can be hard to do unless you’re an experienced painter. Professionals make their living with high-quality house painting, and with a good contractor you can be confident in the work you’ll receive. 3. It’s More Efficient This ties into time, but it’s worth remembering; your professional team of painters will work all day to finish your home. These teams are also experienced, so they won’t make rookie mistakes that can take up more time; a good team will evaluate the project in detail before getting started, so you should have a good idea of how long it will take them. They’ll create a detailed plan to make sure they can paint your home as efficiently as possible. 4. It’s Less Risky Professional painters are insured, so if they make a mistake, you won’t have to pay out of pocket. The risk of not hiring professionals and doing it yourself is that when you make a mistake, you’ll have to pay for repairs yourself; this can be incredibly costly. The chances of your paint team making a mistake are also much slimmer, due to their years of experience. There are many important reasons to hire a painting contractor. The main reason, in the end, is peace of mind; you know that quality work will be done quickly, efficiently, and with less risk of property damage. Hiring a painting contractor is well worth it. Redoing the exterior paint of your home is one of the most exciting and drastic ways you can renovate your space. The exterior of your home sets the tone for the interior, and is a good opportunity to display some creative flair. Your home decor may be modeled on a certain time period or theme, and the exterior gives a hint as to what’s to come. Function is just as important as form when repainting, and today we’re going to look at how long you can expect your new paint job to last, by seeing how a myriad of factors affect longevity.
The construction material you are painting on can make a substantial difference in how long the paint job will last. Paint adheres extremely well to stucco, and it’s common to see the colours remain vibrant for a long time. Wood surfaces are more prone to wear from the elements; paint on wood tends to last about half as long as paint on stucco. Colours can affect how long your exterior paint will endure. Darker colours absorb more sunlight; this in turn means they absorb more heat, and paint fades more quickly. The use of lighter colours in areas made of wood or exposed to direct sunlight can mitigate the sun’s harmful effects. The elements can make a significant difference in the longevity of your paint job. Paint may wear down faster in areas exposed to lots of rain, where mildew can become problematic; areas in the desert will be battered by sand, which will cause the paint to fade. Areas exposed to the sun may degrade significantly more quickly than areas in the shade; as a general rule, areas with no sun exposure keep their vibrancy about twice as long as areas in direct sunlight. Surfaces that are going to be painted should be stripped of all paint before the new job is applied; additionally, wood and other materials which need priming should be reprimed. There are times when a pressure washer can help, but it may not strip off the paint as thoroughly as other, more labour-intensive methods. Paint that has not been removed before a new coat is applied can delaminate, causing the paint job to peel. Special caution should be made when stripping a house of paint, as lead-based paints were used for a long period of time. In Canada, your paint job is likely to be lead-based if it was applied before 1960, may contain lead if applied between 1960-1990, and is unlikely to contain lead if it was applied after 1990. lead-based paint is hazardous to your health, and should only be removed by professionals. The quality of the paint you use makes an enormous difference in it’s lifespan. A high quality, 100% acrylic paint is a great way to ensure a lasting finish. In areas with extreme shifts in climate, like Winnipeg, it can be helpful to use elastomeric paints. These are 100% acrylic paints which are three to four times thicker than regular acrylic paint; this is because elastomeric paints are much more flexible, and will stretch with temperature changes without cracking. This paint is more expensive than traditional acrylic, but if the climate is bad will save you money in the long run. Hiring the best exterior painting service you can, with licensed professionals who ask a lot of questions and give you concise estimates is the best way to get a beautiful exterior paint job. Expert contractors will do the prepwork for you, apply the appropriate paints to the appropriate surfaces, and alert you of potential problem areas before the problems happen. In conclusion, how long your exterior paint lasts depends on a lot of factors. A badly-applied, low-quality paint, layered over a previous paint job on sun-blasted wood might last you less than a year, while a well-applied paint job on a properly prepped stucco surface using elastomeric paint can last twenty years or more. That’s why it’s important to consult a professional painting contractor to get the best, longest lasting results possible. |