Aging paint can become an eye sore for homeowners who want to maintain the integrity of the interior of their home. There is nothing like the clean, fresh look of immaculately painted walls. However, as the years pass and as the home becomes lived in longer and longer, the process of maintaining the look and feel of walls can be daunting. Maintaining painted walls does not have to be a challenge and the aging process can be slowed with a few tips and tricks that savvy homeowner’s can include in their home maintenance routines. Interior paint can be revived in a number of different ways. Read on to learn more about ways in which a home owner can prevent interior paint from aging.
Common Concerns
It is important to understand the types of maladies that can impact interior paint. As time goes on paint can be subjected to a number of issues to include fading, yellowing, chipping, cracking and wrinkling. Paint has a definite amount of time required before re-touching is needed (for instance, most manufacturers guarantee up to 15 years on a standard paint job), there are various ways to slow the aging process. This will vary by room and it will depend on the general age of the paint.
Paint in the Kitchen
Kitchens are very popular areas of the home that feature paint. This includes painted walls and painted kitchen cabinets. Kitchens, by their very nature, are highly trafficked areas that receive not only increased foot traffic, but they are subjected to various fluctuations in temperatures, mainly from cooking meals. These fluctuations in temperature can have a significant impact on the quality of kitchen walls. When paint is exposed to heat, over long periods of time it can peel, change colors or even flake. One way to prevent this is to ventilate the area during and after meals. The steam from cooking can be detrimental to painted walls. In addition, kitchen walls are increasingly subjected to splatters from grease and spilled food. If these are not cleaned up these blemishes will accumulate on the walls over time and will be more difficult to remove. The best remedy for this is to clean spills and splashes up immediately.
Paint in the Bathroom
Bathroom design has increased in popularity over recent years. From grand showers, to intricate tiling to elaborate fixtures, the bathroom has seen a transformation as one of the home’s main focal points. Often at the root of a bathroom’s design is the color of its walls. Bathrooms can be painted in any color imaginable. These can range from subdued colors such as light grays or blues or they can include bold burgundies or brighter colors such as green. No matter the paint color, a certain level of care must be given to the paint to preserve it. This is a key point since bathroom paint requires special attention due to the increased levels of water and humidity the walls are exposed to. Painted bathroom walls are subjected to foggy conditions that can warp the paint and result in wrinkled walls over time. Continued exposure to such conditions can eventually take its toll. Additionally, continued exposure to moisture can result in mold or mildew. The best remedy for this is frequent ventilation which will allow air to circulate and prevent moisture from creeping into the painted surface.
Overlooked Areas
There are also many other overlooked areas in the home that are impacted by an aged paint job. These include hallways, doors, window sills, trim and crown molding. Hallways are another highly trafficked area but they receive minimal attention when it comes to sprucing up an older paint job. Hallways may accumulate finger prints and dirt over time. This is also true of other areas such as doors, window sills, trim and crown molding which can also accumulate dust. All of these areas should be cleaned often to preserve the life of the paint.
Regular Cleaning
Walls should be cleaned frequently! A thorough cleaning of walls will remove finger prints and other dirt build up. Painted walls should be cleaned with a mild cleaner, but take heed to gently clean the walls so as not to damage the top coat of paint.
Retain the character of a home’s interior by paying special attention to painted areas. The aging process of the paint on these areas can be significantly slowed with proper maintenance and care. If ever in doubt, a professional painter can partner with the home owner and provide expert analysis regarding the current condition of the paint. While some areas may need light cleaning, others will need re-touching or an entirely new paint job. An interior house painter in Summit can assist with any additional questions or concerns in these areas.