Which Type Of Paint Should I Use?

Each paint sheen is made for a specific purpose, and different sheens work optimally in different rooms. If you don’t know what paint sheens are read our previous blog on the five paint sheens.

Depending on the purposes of each room you are painting, use the following information to paint your home.

Flat Paint

Descriptors:

• offers a smooth finish
• conceals wall imperfections
• absorbs light
• difficult to clean

Flat paint is best for low-traffic areas such as: Sitting Room, Ceiling or an Adult Bedroom.

Eggshell

 Descriptors:

• offers a smooth, low-gloss finish
• more washable than flat paint

Eggshell paint is more versatile than flat paint and can be used for: Living Room, Dining Room, Bedroom, Foyer, Hallway, Kitchen, Family Room, Powder Room, or Home Office.

Satin

Descriptors:

• easy to clean
• softly reflects light
• versatile

Satin paint is the most versatile and can be used for almost all areas of the home: Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room, Bedroom, Foyer, Hallway, Trim, Laundry Room, Playroom, Bathroom, Powder Room, Doors, Kitchen or Home Office.

Semigloss

Descriptors:

• durable
• doesn’t absorb dirt
• reflects light
• can be used indoors and outdoors

Semi-gloss is best for high-traffic areas or for accent areas: Kitchen, Bathroom, Cabinets, Doors, Molding, Hallway or Trim.

Gloss

Descriptors:

• high-shine
• smooth finish
• good for areas that require frequent washing

Gloss paint has high glare so it’s best for small areas such as: Trim, Molding, Doors, Cabinets, Kitchen, Bathroom or Woodwork.

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10 Reasons Why High-Quality Paint Is Worth The Money

Shoppers love to save a few dollars when they have a chance. While it’s feels good to save money, you should never compromise paint quality to save a few dollars. Low-quality paint companies don’t advertise what you’re giving up while saving money. Here are 10 reasons why top-quality paint is worth the money:

1. Adhesion. The high-quality “binder” in these paints helps them grip any surface.
2. Spatter resistance. These paints have a better quality binder and are less likely to throw off flecks of paint during application.
3. Flow and leveling. Top quality paints go on evenly; brush and roller marks tend to level out and become untraceable.
4. Hiding capability. Top quality paints can often conceal the color underneath in fewer coats, saving the time and money needed to apply additional coats of paint.
5. Stain resistance. High-quality paints tend to keep dirt and grime from sinking in, making surfaces easier to clean.
6. Scrub resistance. Even if you have to scrub hard to remove a stubborn stain, top quality paint is tough enough to take the scrubbing without damaging the surface of the paint. High quality paints also tend to maintain their original sheen long-term.
7. Stick resistance. If you’ve ever noticed how it’s hard to open a window after it’s been painted, it’s from paint with low block resistance. High quality paints are less susceptible to sticking.
8. Mildew resistance. If you don’t like mildew, don’t compromise on paint quality. High-quality paints are made with much better quality mildew resistent agents.
9. Fade resistance. Color is the a huge factor of paint, so make sure your color lasts by using a fade-resistant top quality 100% acrylic latex interior paint.
10. Touch-up ability. With low quality paints, it’s hard to make a touch-up that isn’t noticeable. If you have to touch-up your paint job at a later date, it won’t be as noticeable when using a top quality paint.

What has your experience been with low-quality paints? Or high-quality paints? Comment below to give us your feedback!

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Thinking Of Repainting Cabinets

Cabinets receive a significant amount of wear and tear in a busy household. Often this wear is visible through accumulated grease, dirt, grime, and/or chipping paint. While installing new cabinets is always an option, it’s not always feasible because of money, time or the inconvenience of the process. Another option that is not always considered, is to repaint kitchen cabinets. Depending on the condition of your cabinets, sometimes replacing is the most efficient choice, but when refinishing is done right, often it is the wisest alternative.

We commonly have people ask us if it is possible to repaint cabinets just because they are bored with the color. If you are wondering what color to paint your cabinets, here is a short summary of our advice on kitchen color: Kitchens should have a good amount of white to reflect light, and should have contrasting neutrals for interest. Neutrals (shades of tan, gray, black, and white) work especially well for cabinets, because they are timeless and allow the room to be easily updated with other favorite colors. Although some kitchens look good with brightly colored cabinets, we recommend keeping the cabinets neutral and adding color in other areas of the kitchen.

If you want to repaint your cabinets but aren’t sure how, call us for a free estimate at 925-565-4383

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The Difference Between Price & Cost

Although often used interchangeably, price and cost are invariably different in the painting business. All businesses have a competitor, but depending on the product, either the business with the best price or the best value will receive the greatest number of customers. However, the business that provides the best value will have the most satisfied customers.

There are two types of painters: painters and craftsman painters. Craftsman painters know their trade well and use their knowledge to provide the best possible service to their customers. Regular painters paint as a profession, but may not conscientiously consider every detail of their job. Of course all painting companies aren’t on one extreme or the other. But generally speaking, most painting companies are one way or the other.

When choosing a service company, you must determine which is most important to you: price or cost. In other words, do you want the “best price” or a job where the cost is well worth it because of the value of the job.

Bear Mountain Painting puts value before price. Our prices are as low as they can be with the value we provide. Our goal at Bear Mountain Painting is not to charge a high price to paint your home, but rather to provide good value. In every job we do, we provide careful preparation, we use high quality products, and we produce a quality, long-lasting finish.

If you have any questions about our company, feel free to call us at 925-565-4383.

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Should I Paint Or Do Flooring First?

When doing a complete room renovation, people commonly ask if they should paint or install flooring first. Accidents can happen either way, paint can be dripped on the floor if the floor is laid first, just as conversely the wall could be nicked or scratched during the floor installation if painting is done first. While there is no perfect solution for the order of operations, we often encourage homeowners to have the flooring installed before painting.

Here is why:

1. Tearing up floors/installing new a new one is a arduous task that poses many potential incidents for harming the finish of your walls.
2. The flooring process produces ample amounts of dust which can instantly degrade the quality of a new paint job.
3. Another reason flooring should be done first is that the new floor might be a different height than the old one, which would leave an unattractive stripe of paint that your old flooring covered.

Even though there are potential risks either way, you will have more to worry about it you paint first. Oftentimes the only reason homeowners do not want to paint a room after installing new flooring is for fear of spilling, dripping or spattering paint on their new floor. This potential problem can be easily prevented by properly taping and laying drop clothes.

If you hire a trusted, professional painting company, the painters will surely take the necessary precautions to ensure that your new floor stays fresh and clean.

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How To Make A Room Feel Bigger

Paint is one of the most useful devices in interior design. Paint doesn’t just change the color of a room, but it also changes the room’s “vibe” and atmosphere. You can use paint to make a room feel bigger, smaller, cooler, warmer, brighter, et cetera.

In the summer especially, it’s nice when rooms feel large, airy and cool. Here are a couple of things you can do to make a room feel bigger:

• Paint in light or pastel colors. Dark tones absorb light, whereas light colors reflect light and create an illusion of a bigger space.
• Paint trim and moldings a lighter color than your walls. When trim is painted in a light color, it works to create a reverse shadow effect, making the wall appear farther back and the room appear larger.
• Use natural lighting to your advantage. Use sheer curtains or window coverings on the windows to let as much natural light in as possible. Arrange the room in such a way that natural light can enter and illuminate every corner of the room. If you let the light hit the walls, it will reflect the light throughout theroom, also making it feel bigger.
• Use mirrors for decoration. Using a decorative wall mirror creates depth to a room and can also help to brighten the room by reflecting light.
• Keep decorations simple and light. Having more than one or two focal points in a room can create confusion and make the room feel cluttered and small, therefore it’s better to use as few decorations as possible without making the room feel bare. Also, dark furniture can shrink a room, so using furniture that’s light or similar in color to the walls will expand the room.

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4 Great Tips To Painting Accent Walls

Accent walls are great feature to add visual interest in the home. Usually, accent walls are a great addition to homes, but like any decorative technique, it has to be executed properly to successfully achieve it’s purpose. Consider the following tips before creating an accent wall in your home.

• Paint the unbroken wall. The fewer doors and windows on the wall, the better because it creates a stronger contrast.
• Choose a color that compliments the rest of the room. Typically, the accent wall should be the first wall you see when you walk into the room, therefore it should tie together the decorative elements of a room and work to define the space as well as add visual interest.
• Use the technique sparingly. Usually the accent wall technique should be limited to one or two rooms per level of the house. If you use the technique in too many rooms, it will create a discombobulating effect throughout the house.
• Use the darkest color for the accent wall. For example if you are painting a room beige and dark gray, the dark gray should be used for the accent wall because it will create the most depth in the room.

Following these guidelines, the accent wall technique is a tasteful way to add fun and classy visual appeal to your home. If you have any questions, or if you would like a free color consultation, call Cut In Pro Painting at 925-565-4383.

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