Protect Your Wall Paint from Chipping or Getting Dirty

Wall paint not only makes your walls look beautiful but also protects them from dirt, dust, and water damage. It also prevents the growth of mold and mildew on your exterior walls, which might help your health as well.

However, even the freshly coated walls can erode or become dirty over time because of the use of wrong paint products and tools. It is especially true for areas with high air pollution and traffic.

Nashville which is the Capital city of the state of Tennessee is also polluted, especially with ozone gas (also called smog). Ozone gas has an eroding effect on the exterior wall paints.

Living under such circumstances, you should protect your exterior paint by either frequently washing the walls or by repainting them.

It isn’t practical to wash your walls every few months or so. It is better to use the right paint products for long-lasting results.

However, if you have a lot of stuff lying around your home, it can be a challenge to protect them from paint falling on them. It’s a dilemma: you cannot afford ignore your walls, which might be affected by the pollution, plus, you cannot let the paint to damage your belongings.

If you are in Nashville, Tennessee, you can search for storage units Nashville and move your furniture and belongings into a unit for the time you get the walls, exterior and interior, repainted.

That said, there are steps you can follow when repainting that will protect your walls from chipping and developing a coating of dust and dirt:

1. Choose a Dust-Resistant Paint

Before you start repainting your home, you have to select the paint type. There are many weather-shield paints available in the market that will help you protect your exterior walls from rain and moisture.

However, the weather-shield paint will not protect your walls from dust. To keep your wall paint clean, for years after, you would need the kind of paint specifically designed for dust resistance.

Dust-resistant paint not only protects the walls from dust and dirt but also protects them from rain and moisture. Anti-dust paint has special additives that give them its soft, glossy finish.

2. Choose a Paint with Glossy Finish

Matte paints tend to attract more stains and dust than glossy paints. It is because matte paint has pores that allow dust particles to build up. Choosing a glossy paint is ideal if you want to protect your walls from stains and splatters.

An additional benefit of using glossy paint is that it shines and makes colors appear vibrant. Glossy paints are also easier to clean and wash. You can also wash matte paints, but you have to be careful while doing it, as cleaning and scrubbing products can damage the paint.

3. Choose a Darker Shade

When choosing a paint, you should always opt for darker tones. Darker colors are resistant to most stains while lighter colors magnify even the slightest of stains.

However, the paint color should not be an extremely dark tone, instead, it should be more like a medium tone, but leaning toward the darker tone on the light-to-dark spectrum.

The medium tone will ensure that the room appears bright enough while concealing stains from becoming obvious.

4. Don’t Always Buy Cheap Paint

One of the common mistakes that most home renovators make is that they opt for the cheapest paint that they can find. Although it may be light on the pocket, the cheaper paint is not a long-term solution.

If you want to keep your wall paint looking fresh and cleaner for a longer period, you should buy quality paint. It might be more expensive but the difference in quality would be worth every penny.

5. Prepare the Walls Before Painting

Now that you have selected your paint type, color, and tone, you can now start prepping the exterior walls and begin applying the paint.

Prepping is one of the most important parts of the wall painting process. Removing dirt and dust from the walls helps the new paint to better hold its position.

Wash your walls with a soap or chemical solution, such as trisodium phosphate (TSP). Trisodium phosphate helps remove dust and dirt from the walls.

6. Apply a Coat of Primer

When you’re done removing dirt and dust from the walls, you can now start applying a primer. A primer not only helps the paint to adhere properly but it also helps in covering the areas on the walls that have been repaired or patched.

It also conceals the stains from molds and mildews, which means it is especially needed for the kitchen and bathroom walls. A single coat of primer is enough to conceal stains and also gives the paint a better hold. The primer also protects the paint from chipping over time.

If you are doing the paint yourself, please keep in mind that wall primers can be hazardous to health; so always keep the doors and windows open for better ventilation.

7. Use the Right Painting Tools

Not all paint jobs have to be done with a single brush. Different locations require a specific brush or a roller to be used for better results.

You should use a roller or brush according to the surface type. For instance, smooth surfaces require a roller that has a thin nap while rough surfaces require a roller with a thicker nap.

Using a thick roller on a rough surface would ensure that the paint evenly spreads into every place on the wall and ensures that it sticks well and does not come off easily.

If you are having difficulty in finding the right painting tool for your next painting project, you can take help from the brush guide by Nippon paint.

8. Apply a Coat of Stain Guard

After you have applied the paint, you can apply a coat of stain guard. A stain guard can protect your paint surface from marks and stains.

You can apply the stain guard directly over the paint. The stain guard will not discolor your paint and is ideal for places that are always getting dirty.

9. Conclusion

Exterior walls with vibrant paints provide a beautiful appearance to your home. Painted walls are also less prone to getting dirty or stained. However, if the paint is of poor quality, or the tools used are not the right ones, you should consider repainting your home. Consider getting dirt-resistant paint with a glossy finish and medium tones. You should also apply a coat of primer to hide the stains from a previous layer of coating and use painting tools based on the surface type. Always apply a stain guard after the paint dries. It helps in providing a newer and cleaner finish.