Clear Coat Finishes for Your Exterior and Interior Surfaces

A clear coat is the best way to protect a painted surface, and ensure that it retains its look for an extended period of time. It can be applied to almost any painted surface to enhance its life and look. A painting work done without applying a clear coat is an incomplete job.

Venetian Plaster is the only case in which a clear coat is not used. This is because the product, with its waxing and burnishing, has all the gloss it needs; it requires no additional protection. Listed below, for your benefit, are the basics of clear coats.

What is a clear coat?

A clear coat is a clear varnish, applied on top of a painted surface. It dries into a hard transparent shell that is invisible, and serves to protect the paint from damage and wear. The clear coat, when used on a faux finish can make it look richer and deeper. Any imperfection in the clear coat can affect the appearance of the paint finish.

Polyurethane varnishes

Polyurethane clear coats are tough and long lasting, but they have a significant drawback. They tend to develop a yellow or amber tinge over time that can change the look of the paint applied below. This type of clear coat is typically used for exterior surfaces, which are subject to harsh conditions; it is often applied over darker shades where any yellowing will not be noticeable.

Acrylic or water-based varnishes

Acrylic clear coats are water based; they are not as strong as polyurethane varnishes. However, they do not develop any tint with passage of time; so, the look of the paint under the clear coat remains unaffected. These are most commonly used indoors, and are especially good for light colors; any tinting of the varnish will change the shade of the painted surface.

Different sheen levels

Acrylic clear coats are available in various sheen levels. In general, satin and low luster sheens are the most popular. However, there is no reason why a higher gloss varnish cannot be applied, if that is the look desired.

The amount of sheen is a matter of personal taste: it does not affect the protection that the clear coat provides. If no shine is required, dead flat clear coats would be the choice.

The antique look

The idea of not having a shine may seem strange, but it is useful when a faux finish is required for an aged or old look. For example applying a dead flat clear coat to a wooden bar can give it an antique look.

The clear coat is an integral part of the painting process: if it is not done properly, the quality of the finish will be adversely affected. At the same time, even the best of clear coats cannot cover up any painting defects: it can only protect the paint that has been applied.

It is possible for you to paint and apply clear coats yourself, but the results will not be a good as those of the works of professionals. This is simply because the professionals have the experience and expertise to identify exactly what type of paint and which clear coat should be applied to a given surface; they know for sure that is what would get the kind of finish, the client wants.

How You can Care for Painted Walls

A properly painted wall does not require any kind of formal maintenance. All that is needed to keep it look fresh and new for years is regular cleaning, done in the right way.

A common mistake that many homeowners make is to scrub a wall hard in an effort to remove a mark on it. While the mark may disappear, what is often left is a strange new shiny patch on the wall.

The hard scrubbing strips off some of the paint and smoothens the shiny patch differently to the rest of the surface; it is known as burnishing. The key to cleaning a painted wall is to react rapidly to stains, and remove them as soon as possible.

Cleaning painted walls

There are basically two kinds of stains – water- and oil-based. The water-based ones are caused by things like mustard, wine, sodas etc. These can generally be removed by wiping them off with a clean wet cloth.

Oil-based stains caused by things like shoe polish, lipstick, cooking grease and so on are more difficult to deal with. To remove oil-based marks from a wall try the following:

• Wipe away the mark or stain with a rag, paper towel or nonabrasive sponge, soaked in clean water at room temperature.
• If that does not remove the mark, repeat the process with a mild mixture of a little dishwashing liquid and water. If this too does not work, apply a few drops of detergent to a clean cloth or sponge and wipe off the mark. Do not use excessive pressure.
• If the stain is tough to remove even after all these attempts, apply some detergent directly on the stain and gently wipe it off.
• If nothing works, you may have to buy a special stain removing product designed for cleaning painted surfaces. Follow the usage instructions carefully. Note that these products have strong solvents in them that can affect the painted surface. Ensure that the spot is completely rinsed off and all the solvent is removed after the cleaning process is over.

Permanent markers

As the name says they are accepted to be permanent, and so are not easy to get rid of. You can try the detergent method outlined above, and follow it up with the addition of a stain removing product. However, it is likely that in the end there will be so much abrasion and paint damage caused that repainting becomes necessary.

Painting a home is a far more complex job than most people realize it to be. It is not just a matter of using good quality paint and the right brushes and rollers.

The type of paint, the preparation of the surface, the way the paint is applied, the number of layers and much more contribute to the quality and longevity of the results.

A badly painted surface will never look good or last no matter how clean it is kept. On the other hand, quality painting done by a professional finishing company can be expected to last for years with only minimal care.

How You can Evaluate Painting Proposals

Getting proposals for a home paint job is one thing. But being able to evaluate and choose the best of them is entirely another matter. For most homeowners the uncomfortable process begins by contacting painters, calling them over, pointing to a project and asking for quotes.

As a homeowner, you may think that the painter is a professional with expert knowledge. Perhaps you may really be unsure of what you want, and look to the painter for guidance. Going into details of quotes may make you feel inadequate. Given below are a few helpful ideas for you to consider.

Different painters, different approaches

Not to speak of the quality of the work painters do, the crucial difference you need to be aware of from the get-go is their different approaches to a project. One painter may quote more for preparation because he feels that it will ensure a better finish.

Another may decide that an extra coat is the way to get the best results. Yet another may consider important the type of paint to be used. Comparing the quotes which derive from different parameters will be a nightmare for the common customer.

Set a comparison base

The best way to get over this problem is to create a detailed project description: that would serve as the base for comparison.

• Start by spending time going through interior design and décor magazines to get some ideas.
• Decide on what kind of painting you want done and put it down on paper in detail – the preparation to be done, the colors to be used, the type and quality of the paint, the number of coats and anything else you want to specify.
• Ask the painters you contact to give you a quote based only on what you have specified, even if they have other ideas.
• They can give a second quote based on how they would like to approach the project. This quote must clearly indicate what the effect of the change will be, both in terms of cost as well as of the finish. 
• You will then have two sets of quotes –the first based only on what you have specified (Set A), and the second based on what the painters recommend (Set B).
• You can then choose the best quote from Set A. Discuss with the painters the comparative costs and benefits of going with the Set B options. If you feel that a Set B option will be better, you can go with that. Otherwise, you have the best quote based on your specifications ready to finalize.

Summing up

When asking for a painting proposal go into as many details as you can. Don’t worry about looking ignorant. It’s not your area of expertise, after all, and you know more about other things than the painter does. If the things you want are impossible, impractical or beyond your budget, a good painter will explain the problems to you and try to find alternatives that will work.

A painter who is impatient and brushes off your ideas without offering other convincing options is not the right one for you, no matter how skilled he is. It is your home and must be painted the way you want, and the money you’re going to pay is your own.

The painter’s role is to provide you with options and alternatives. Once the project details are firmly drawn, he should give you the best finish possible. So be meticulous about what you want, and don’t feel shy about asking all the questions you have. That’s the best way to understand a proposal and evaluate it.

Home Painting: What You can Look for in a Professional Finishing Company

Home painting is among the most common of ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) activities. But the fact of the matter is that the quality and durability of the finish of an amateur painter can rarely match that of a professional painting company.

And to be honest, who wants to go through the pain of post-painting cleanup? The easy way-out for you is to leave the job to such a company. Should that be your choice, you need to know what essentials to look for which would ensure that you employ the right people for the right job. And here are listed those essentials:

Color expertise

If you intend changing the color of a room, you need to be sure of what the new color scheme will look like. It will be too late and rather painful to recognize a mistake after the job is done. A professional painting service will be able to provide you with the guidance and support you need to choose the correct color palette for the room.

Skills

It’s one thing that anyone can apply a dash of paint to a wall. But applying it correctly to bring the walls back to life is entirely another matter. A professional knows for certain what needs to be done to produce the best results, and how to go about it.

Experience

Knowing what paint is to be used on what surface, and what mix will get the desired shade and judging how many coats are needed to get the right finish are all things that come from experience and specialized knowledge. These are areas where an amateur can easily make mistakes, which become apparent only when the paint is dry. By then it’s too late to do anything about it, except start all over again.

Preparing the surface

Before painting is begun, the surface has to be prepared properly. Without this essential initial step, the finish and durability of the paint will suffer. Experts know very well how to clean the surfaces, and fill holes and cracks, what amount of sanding is required, what type and amount of primer needs to be used and how to carry out all these essentials.

Lead abatement

If your home was last painted in 1978 or earlier, it is possible that the old paint might be lead-based. These old paint coats might peel, chip or crack now, releasing lead into your home environment, which is hazardous to every occupant of the home. Small kids are at the risk of greater exposure to lead-poisoning as they tend to lick, bite and chew anything unobserved.

A professional paint company, unlike an amateur, will be able to test for lead in the old paint. If found, they will deal with the problem efficiently, following all safety measures. They will ensure that nobody suffers from this hazard and your family is kept safe.

Using the right tools and paint

Cost does not always ensure matching degree of quality. Knowing what type of paint will achieve the best and the longest lasting finish means that the most expensive paint may not be required for the job. Using the right types of brushes, rollers and other tools will ensure the best results. This is something that a professional knows how to achieve.

Cleaning Up

Minimizing the mess and doing a complete post-painting cleanup is an integral part of a painting company’s job. This ensures that your newly painted home looks clean at its best.

When choosing a paining company, check its qualifications, skills, experience and its references. If you are satisfied, ask them whether they will be able to commit themselves to all of the above services and benefits; better avoid companies that are unwilling to. Otherwise, bad painting done will remind you every day of the wrong choice of a company and the mistakes that were made.