Caring for your painted walls is a topic every homeowner should know about. Painting decorates and adds color to your home, but it also leaves your walls open to being damaged by the elements in the environment around them. If you have just painted your living room walls and would like to protect them from direct sunlight or dust, here are some tips to keep them in prime condition.
Wallpaper paste is made of powdered limestone coated with wax, so when it is heated it becomes sticky and will stick to paint. If you have wallpapered any walls in your house, you must remove all traces of the paste before repainting. Failure to do so could result in damage to your paint. Use a metal scraper or wire brush to remove all traces of wallpaper paste from the surface of the wall, and wipe over with a damp cloth to remove any residue once it is completely dry.
Following this step, you can use a good primer on unpapered walls before painting them. Paint manufacturers have developed technological advances in primers specifically for unpapered walls. These primers contain tiny particles that allow the paint to seep into the wall, improving its adherence to it and increasing durability.
Pigments in white paints are often mixed with wax to keep them stable. When you apply heat by opening windows or using heating appliances in the home, particularly in humid areas like bathrooms and kitchens, the wax can melt and rise to the surface of the paint. Once it has cooled again it will harden into crystals that are clearly visible. The simplest way to remove these crystals is by applying a thin coat of paint stripper over them before repainting.
Another common problem with painted walls is peeling. If your paint is only peeling away in small areas, you can easily fix it with a razor blade. Simply remove the loose paint from the wall and wipe it over with a damp cloth to remove any dust particles from the area. When painting, use an undercoat before applying paint as this will help protect against moisture from seeping into the wall. If you have a large area of paint peeling from your walls, it is likely due to moisture damage, and in this case replastering or drywalling may be required.
For more information, contact Ethereal Painters at 604-788-3382 or fill out our estimate form on our website.