Important Painting Dos & Don’ts From An Expert

Calgary Real Estate Podcast with Eric Mortimer

Alex from Sherwin Williams shows how to get the best paint for your home. You have sent us a lot of questions lately, so today I’ll answer one of the most commonly asked: “What should I do to prepare my home for sale?” Often, one of the answers is that you need to paint, which is why I have Alex, the assistant manager of Sherwin Williams in Avenida Village, here with me today to share some dos and don’ts of preparing to paint your home. These apply whether you’re selling or you’re painting because you simply want to enjoy your home a little more. Alex says that when customers come into her store to purchase paint, she starts by asking if you have a certain color in mind, as well as if it will be for the interior or exterior. From there, it’s all about finding out specifics such as tones and how you feel about popular trends. She tells us that grays, off-whites, and creams are currently the most popular colors. Beige is also popular because it mixes both gray and warmth together. After you pick out your colors, Alex says you need to choose your sheen level. Typically this is an eggshell or satin for walls or a semi-gloss for trim. For ceilings, most people go with a flat sheen. If you bring in a sample for them to match, both color and sheen levels will have to be matched. For kitchens and bathrooms that are prone to moisture, Alex says they can recommend paint that is more resistant to mildew and moisture, such as Emerald. This is the most washable and can even come with a flat sheen. There is also Duration paint, which is designed for bathrooms and kitchens, as well as Harmony, which has a high mildew resistance just like Duration. “For kitchens and bathrooms that are prone to moisture, Alex says they can recommend paint that is more resistant to mildew and moisture.” Harmony, she tells us, is zero VOC, or volatile organic compound. Having zero VOC is important to her clients because they are more concerned than ever about the environment and their personal health. Volatile organic compounds can make people sick, so painting companies have moved away from it using oils and instead are creating waterborne paints. For all the do-it-yourselfers, Alex says that the biggest mistake is not completing prep work properly. People tend to want to skip to the fun part of painting, so they don’t sand, wash the walls, or tape things off, and unfortunately, that’s when things go wrong. To avoid having your painting look bad, you will need to prepare accordingly. If you do this and also follow her directions, Alex tells me that you’ll be really happy with your beautiful end-product. To end, I have a surprise: Alex is more than just the assistant manager. She is also my stepdaughter, and she has arranged a special account for us and our clients and friends! You can visit any Sherwin Williams in the country and mention our phone number, [phone], to bring up our contractor discount. Alex does suggest that you include your name and address so that if you ever need more of the same color, you can easily match it through their system. If you have any more questions about this or anything else real estate-related, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.