The fastest way to give a home a face lift is to add a coat of paint. Whether you apply a new neutral tone or completely change the colour, fresh paint adds vitality to any residence. Over time, house paint may lose its lustre, but other factors affect its lifespan too. Before repainting begins, you must identify if any of these four paint issues are a factor in your home.
1. Faded Paint
Faded paint is caused by prolonged exposure to the sun, and natural sunlight is something Australia has plenty of. To prevent a new paint job from becoming faded, there are two things you must do:
- Take a close look at the window coverings in the room where faded paint occurs and add net curtains to filter the sunlight if you do not already have them.
- Choose a light colour paint for high sunlight rooms as dark colours break down and fade faster.
The ideal way to choose a room’s paint colour is to consider the location, climate, environment, and practicality needs of each room. For example, a busy kitchen needs a paint colour which is light to repel sunlight and washable to remove food splatters.
2. Peeling Paint
Peeling paint is annoying because it is not aesthetically pleasing and is difficult to hide. There is more than one reason why the paint is peeling from the wall, and the list includes:
- Original paint applied to damp walls
- The wall not cleaned before being painted
- Too much moisture in the room pushing the paint off the wall
- Inferior quality paint used
- An inferior primer used under paint
If the issue is caused by uncontrollable moisture in the room, then it is important to use latex paint as this allows excess water to pass through the paint. After all peeling paint has been scraped off from the wall, wash the surface to remove all dust, grime and oil. To finish it off, apply a good-quality primer and paint.
3. Bubbling Paint
Bubbling paint is caused by moisture in the wall trying to escape by pushing through the paint. An oilbased paint does not allow the moisture to escape, so a bubble forms beneath the paint skin. Just like peeling paint, bubbling paint must be removed before repair can begin. After the paint is cut away, the area must be sealed, primed and painted to match the rest of the wall.
4. Mildew Growth on Paint
Mould and mildew growth on paint is a common issue in homes, particularly in Queensland due to the high humidity in this state. The extra moisture in the air settles on walls and other surfaces. In areas where no air circulates to dry this moisture, such as corners where the walls and ceiling meet, mould and mildew grows. Left unchecked, mould and mildew permanently damages the paint.
Before repainting, mould and mildew must be removed because it will continue to spread under the new paint, and eventually pushes through to the surface. Mould and mildew are removed by spraying it with a fungus killer. Spray the product onto the mould and allow it to saturate the surface for the length of time specified in the instructions. Wipe the area clean and reapply if necessary.
After the mould and mildew are eradicated, then the area can be repainted with confidence that the fungus will not regrow beneath the paint.
Luxury Design Painting has over 30 years of experience in correcting paint problems with a minimum fuss and interruption to your life. Contact our team to discuss what paint improvements we can make to the interior of your home.
