Whats Next?

STEP 1  Color

Look around for inspiration with items you will be keeping in the room. Do you have a favorite picture or piece of furniture?  Pull colors from there that will help bring the room together.

Use the resources we have to view not only thousands of colors, but also take a sneak peak at some of our local favorite colors used in the Nashville area.

Check out the color in your home with our Free paper samples or even better purchase a color sample can and paint it on a wall or sample boards and move around the room.  Remember to check out how the color looks at different times of the day and light conditions.

If you need more inspiration check out Benjamin Moore's Color site.

 

STEP 2  Product

We offer a wide range of paints which can be confusing. If you are not sure which one is right, let us help you decide which one is best for your project.  With different project needs, you can match the product performance properties with the durability needs of the area's desired use. For example, if you have a piece of rental property, you want a flat paint that will help to minimize any surface imperfections and ease of touch up. However, for a child's play area, a eggshell finish paint will provide more durability. 

One of the first questions when selecting a product is what Sheen you want. This refers to how shinny the paint will be which impacts several factors. Click here to see more information about sheen.

Why are there so many different prices for the same type of paint?  There are no secrets in formulating paint, you simply choose raw ingredients and a manufacturing process to provide the balance of product performance and price.  This allows paint companies to offer different price point products to meet their customer's needs.  While every project doesn't need the most expensive paint, you do get what you pay for.  Going with the cheapest paint will ultimately cost you more in the amount of paint needed plus extra application time.  But more importantly, you will get less life out of the paint.

STEP 3  How Much Paint Is Needed

An average spread rate on a gallon of paint is about 400 square feet per gallon.  Rough surfaces and porous substrates will absorb more paint thus the spread rate will be reduced.  The next question will be how many coats will it take.  With our products we will suggest starting with enough paint to apply one coat.  Some jobs will require two coats but don't over buy as custom tinted products are non returnable.  But don't worry, if you need more we keep detail records to make sure we have you covered.

STEP 4  Surface Preparation

An often overlooked step in many projects, taking a few minutes to prepare the surface and area for painting will yield a much more professional looking job.  A simple drop cloth will help to protect against any unexpected accidents (which will happen).  Cleaning the surface will ensure the paint adheres to the surface and reduce adhesion failure.  Slick surfaces such as old enamel trim paint should be lightly sanded to provide a better surface profile for improved adhesion.

Repair surface defects such as nail holes.  Caulk cracks between molding and walls to leave a finished pro look.

STEP 5  Application

You are almost ready to start, but make sure you have all the supplies ready. A few items most interior painting projects require are: brush, roller frame, roller cover, roller tray, pole, and drop cloth.  Using quality tools will make your application easier and faster because they will hold more paint and require less "trips" back into roller tray or paint bucket.  There are also a few other common inexpensive tools painters use every day that help speed up the process.

If you will be painting the ceiling, start there first then move on to walls and trim.

Like many journeys, the hardest part is the first step. Once you are done painting, you will have years of enjoyment in your "new" room.