Fix your simple paint problems yourself

While painting the walls without the help of a professional painter, you may face a lot of paint problems like drips, brush marks, and stains here and there but it should not discourage you from doing it yourself. Here are the ways to fix the most common painting mistakes in Nepal.

                                                                                                                  

1. Paint drips

First of all, if possible, prevent drips by not overloading your paintbrush and if you end up with it anyway:

• Scrape it with a scraper
• Sand the area until smooth
• Repaint the surface

2. Brush marks

Brush marks are mostly caused by either overloaded paintbrush or lack of right painting skill on wooden finishes. To get rid of them,

• Sand the surface
• Repaint it.

3. Stained wall

If there are stains on the walls mostly caused by improper priming job, take an immediate action.

• Clean the area properly first with trisodium phosphate (TSP) and leave it to dry.
• Apply an oil-based undercoat over the affected areas
• Let it dry before you repaint.

4. Flaking paint

When the walls come in contact with moisture and start seeping in it, flaking paint happens. It is also possible when you paint on the damp surface. To fix it,

• Scrape away the flaking paint using a paint scraper or wire brush
• Sand the area with coarse sandpaper first and fine sandpaper later
• Focus especially on smoothening the edges between painted and sanding areas as the new paint layer can highlight that area.
• Finally, prime and repaint.

5. Mold and mildews

Mold and mildews often appear in the room with high moisture levels such as bathroom and kitchen. Before you start working on it, make sure to take safety precautions such as wearing eye-wear, proper clothing and gloves as both the mildew and the chemicals you are using can cause an adverse effect on human body. Now,

• Wash the surface with TSP, bleach, water and firm brush from bottom to top to avoid staining the surface. Read the label of chemicals for safety precautions and do not use it on finished wood and metal as it can damage it.
• Let it dry for two days, then apply primer with mildew protection.
• Repaint with double coats of best paints as top quality paints found in Nepal prevent the mildew from regrowing.

When to start thinking about painting?

We take care of the house we own and live in but despite all the care, we cannot stop the wear and tear from happening. That is why time to time maintenance of its exterior and interior is essential as it not only helps to keep it beautiful but keeps its value up as well. As we all love to keep our home well maintained, we can work on keeping bathroom and kitchen updated and freshen up the paints time to time. Freshening up the wall paints not only is a cheap way to make a home look new but is also a smart investment. But, how do you know it is the time to give your painter a call in Nepal?

Here are 6 signs that appear to notify you that it is the right time to do it. Look out for them.

1. Wear and tear of paint

If the paint starts peeling, cracking, and shows bubbles, it shows that paint was not applied properly or the quality of it was not good. This may also mean that mold and mildew are taking over and weakening the hold of paint. Do not ignore it. Reach to the root of the problems as it can lead to a bigger one.

2. Fading Paint

When the color of walls starts losing the vibrancy it had earlier, you know it is time to repaint. Darker paints are likely to fade out faster than lighter ones in Nepal.

3. Gaps or shrinking boards

If the boards on the exterior of your home look shrunk or if there are gaps between them, have a look at it. It must be the sign of dry rot due to the moisture. Get a professional’s help and solve it.

4. Cracking caulk

If the caulk on your wall is getting brittle or cracking, it means it has lost its elasticity and is time to repaint.

5. It is time to paint

It is not always necessary to wait for signs of paint failures to show up to plan to refurbish a house. You can do it before huge problems start showing up and save yourself from the headache of big issues keeping your house in a perfect shape. If you haven’t painted in a long while, maybe now is the time to do it.

If you are seeing any of the above signs at your home, start taking actions.

Happy painting!

Choose the best one from the varieties of shades for your walls

The room automatically looks better when we match it with the walls colors. For that reason, people are getting more inclined to interior designing and are spending more money in beautifying their walls. They want to stand out from the crowd and make people drop their jaw when they see their home. Interior designing, in Nepal, is also about adding new zing to the home environment making home a beautiful place for ourselves where we spend most of our time.

These days, with a lot of options on designing our home, we are getting attracted by the way how simple tweaks can make our space comfortable and beautiful. Along with the interior color, exterior wall painting is also gaining popularity and with wide varieties of product and color available at the paint dealer, it makes it easier to paint different patterns which have become a trend nowadays in Nepal. People are painting their home’s nooks and corners in different shades giving it a different style and a new shine.

Also, some people think that only new home can be painted and modified. But, with changing time, growing technology and skills, remodeling and painting has become much easier and getting popular. People can just remodel and color their old place or rooms as per need and can stun the people with the whole new magnificent look. All you need is to do consult professional advisors who can give you a proper professional advice and help you in to calculate the cost to keep the budget in check.

Even if you are concerned about the budget, try not to buy cheap paints available in the market that looks budget friendly but may not be durable and worth the saving. You can find various ranges of products from expensive to cheap, simple to shiny, as people have a wide range of preferences. Manage your painting budget and dive right in to start painting your walls make sure to not compromise with the quality. And for those who can afford to spend more, obviously get the perks of getting to use high quality paints and designs.

Go grab your painting tools and start working on it and fall in love with the end result making the right choices. Happy painting!

 

Super Important Tips To Protect Yourself While Painting

Be it while painting or doing any job, taking safety precaution is the most crucial thing as it is always better to be safe than sorry.  Luckily, those protecting equipment are inexpensive and is readily available in Nepal.

Usually, the safety precautions are taken for hands and eyes of the painter and good thing is the needed safety equipment may already be in your storeroom or garage in Nepal.

The most essential item for surface preparation before applying wall colors is a pair of cloth gloves you normally use for gardening in Nepal. Wear it while scraping, sanding, wire brushing and other tasks of surface preparation to protect yourself from splinters, cuts, and blisters and to avoid it from ruining your day.

You would need cloth gloves for surface preparation as well, as rubber gloves come handy while dealing with just bleach solution to remove mold and mildews or when working with any type of paint remover or acidic material. After completing your paint job, wear it again if you are using mineral spirits or paint to clean up the tools and equipment.

After securing hands for the paint job, make sure to protect your eyes as well. Wear safety goggles especially while working with bleach, acid, or any harsh chemicals on the walls to prevent any contact with eyes. Similarly, wear goggles while scraping, wire brushing, sanding and while painting overhead as well as the wall paints can fall in the eyes. Coming to sanding process, while doing it, wear a dust mask to prevent from inhaling any type of small dust particles. Last but not the least, if you are spray painting, do not forget to wear a vapor respirator in order to prevent from inhaling paint particles and fumes in Nepal.

Even though these tips may look minor, however if ignored, this can not only cause an adverse effect on your health in long term, but it can cause serious injuries as well. You have taken painting project in your own hands, it is wise to take care of your own safety as well.

 

6 tips for storing and using leftover water-based paints

Most of the homes have at least few cans of leftover paints lying in the corner of the storeroom or garage from the previous painting project in Nepal. Whether they have been used or unopened, it is essential to store the paint cans properly to keep it ready to use whenever needed. Here are some tips on how to store it properly:

1. Do not expose the paint to extreme heat or cold

Store it at a neutral temperature. Most of the wall colors can handle the freeze-thaw cycle but at times, extreme conditions can damage the paint and solidify it or change the colour of it. So, if you live in a place with cold climate, do not leave the paint outdoors or in the garage. If you live in places of Nepal with a hot climate, make sure that the paint is not exposed to temperature more than 35 degree Celsius for a long time.

2. Open another container of paint after you finish the last one

Finish one can before moving on to another one so you do not have to reseal it if it does not come into use.

3. Use clean paint stirrers

Like a professional painter, always use clean stirrers to stir the paint in order to avoid bacterial contamination as excess bacteria can make the paint thin, runny, and unusable. Stirring paint only with clean wood or plastic stirrer than a stick or dirty screwdriver avoids the problem. Also, close the paint can when you are not using it. The benefit of using water-based paint in Nepal is it contains extra preservatives to keep the bacteria away.

4. Stir the paint thoroughly

When left unused, the paint often separates into two layers that is why stirring thoroughly is essential.  Stir the paint and test the color before you start applying it on the walls to see if the paint gives same shades as before.

5. Get rid of rust on the edges

If it has been a while since you stored the paint, check if the rust has formed on the surface of the lid or inside the can. If rust is there, pour the paint into another container before you start painting to avoid it from ruining the paint.

6. Seal the paint cans tightly

Before you usher the paint cans back to the storage room, wipe the excess paint on the rim so that lid can fit better and tighter. To preserve the paint better, place a layer of wax paper in between the can and the lid before sealing the paint can.

Follow these tips to store your paint better and find it in the perfect shape when you need it for your next painting project.

12 ways to make your flawed wall look better (Part – 2)

We shared with you the six tips to improvise your flawed walls in the previous article and here are six more.

1. Play with brick options

Brick walls with a lovely texture are a far better option than plain drywall. For some, it may be a big no and can find it ugly, but there are various techniques to showcase it in an impressive way.

Over its typical red or brown, a coat of white shades can give a subtle textural effect but not necessarily complete white. The gentle whitewashing technique can do the job while still retaining the character of the brick. Use a type of wall colors specially made for brick walls or paints thinned with water to apply the paint until you get the shades you want. Or, you can go with a color representing nature or even get inspired by the outdoor surroundings in Nepal.

2. Covering wall vents

If there are vents on the walls for heating or cooling the room that does not look attractive, you can cover it up with a slotted screen that not only covers the vent but give the walls a dash of the pattern as well as textural interest.

3. Place the bookshelf

If you have a heater, air conditioner or wall vent, instead of covering it up, you can place a bookshelf of the same color just below it. It would look far less awkward and noticeable than it used to when it looks like a part of a big furniture.

4. Manage the cables

Even if the television is a device that enhances the beauty of a room, we cannot say same about the cable lines. That’s why it is better to hide the wires that connect the cable box and not letting the wire hang around the walls. Install wall molding to camouflage such wires where needed, which not only manages the wires, but beautifies the walls as well.

5. Using single paint color

If the walls of your home are uneven and have minor flaws, paint it with a single wall paints along with the ceiling and trim in Nepal. This draws the attention from flaws to the highlighted areas without any imperfections.

6. Creative positives with negatives

The equipment such as a light switch on the walls is essential, even if they do not look so good on the walls. So, rather than hiding them add a cover plate to it or replace with the fancy one so it can add beauty to the room.

With these 12 tips, you can modify and hide the flaws on the walls in several ways. Tell us your experience if you tried these tips in the comments.

12 ways to make your flawed wall look better (Part – 1)

If there are flaws on the walls, it does not mean you should get rid of the wall, right? However, you can definitely conceal it with your designing skills. Here, we have listed 12 ways you can turn the flaws and awkward position of windows, light bulbs, and other things into beauty with little work, techniques and paints and hide those pesky flaws gracefully in Nepal.

1. Art Collage

Instead of trying to hide the flaws on the walls, you can distract eyes from it by blending it with art pieces to create an artistic looking wall, like a magician. To blend, hang a collection of framed pieces next to the odd light switches and watch how it loses its awkward look.

2. Hang frames on a swing arm

You can hide the not so frequently used wall gadgets behind the art pieces, hanging it on a swing arm or a normal hanger putting it convenient enough to reach whatever you are hiding behind whenever needed.

3. Put a clothing rack on display

Be it to cover the ugly wall colors or to enhance the grandeur of a room, you can add in a shop-style clothing rack available in Nepal that also contributes to solving your storage issues. It is more convenient if you are willing to display your favorite attires while concealing the walls as well.

4. Use chalkboard paint

If you are planning to paint eggshell wall paints on the dented or damaged walls, don’t, as the gloss only highlights the flaw more. Use matte chalkboard paint to hide the blemishes instead, to give your walls a non-glossy texture that can be bought from the paint dealer near you in Nepal. You can even write fun messages on it to further camouflage the dents and blemishes.

Chalkboard paint should not necessarily be used only in the place with the kids. It can be used in several places to create unique effects.

5. Put up the long curtains

To hide something big, or an off-center window, hang a long gorgeous ceiling-to-floor drape. It also contributes to beautifying the backdrop of bed or furniture. You do not necessarily need to hide the exact position. Instead, you can divert the attention to drape hanging it in the place where you want to draw it. You can hang it to make the entire wall disappear or fix the asymmetrical window as well.

6. Fix a plain, bland ceiling

The ceiling is also called “fifth wall” as it has its own value as well as issues. To cover up the damage on the ceilings caused by water leakage or other issues and create a masterpiece, consider applying wooden ceiling panels. However, make sure to fix the damaged areas first.

These are the six ways to turn flaws of walls into beauty. Follow our next article to find six more of them. Also, if you try out these tips, share your experience with us.