The secret to making your wall paints last longer

Newly painted walls are always the pride of any home dweller. The fresh and flawless finish makes you want to keep the paint intact forever and show off your home to everyone. But like all things beautiful, walls don’t remain blemish-free for long. Leaving stains on walls is unavoidable. For instance, furniture leaning against the wall can cause marks over time and eventually dull out the paint’s shine. But to make stains means to love your home! While this expression of love cannot be taken away from your home and family, we can provide you with solutions to tidy your walls from time to time and help you retain your beautiful walls for as long as possible.

PRE-PAINTING CARE

Similar to meticulously planning a vacation, you need to plan how your walls can be protected best, even before the paint goes on. Here are some important things to take care of:

1) Washable wall paints should be your go-to:

quality paint that can be cleaned easily, no matter how stubborn the stain is. Jenson and Nicholson’s Robbialac super acrylic plastic emulsion is equipped with high washability and stain-resistant technology. It is also anti-fungal and prevents the formation of mildew in those pesky corners on your walls. Acrylic paints are water-soluble but once dry, become waterproof. This means the paint doesn’t budge or fade away easily when wiped.

2) Don’t forget the exterior:

A strong exterior emulsion paint that can protect your walls in all seasons, especially monsoon, is very important. A water-resistant exterior can ensure that rain does not seep into your home, keeping the interior paint fresh as ever. Constant seepage can lead to fungus and mould formation in walls and can take away the beauty of your home. Jenson and Nicholson’s Decor exterior emulsion paint can serve your purpose and protect exterior walls against bad weather, dust, pollution and algae.

3) Choose the right colour for your home:

If you live in a dry region where dust settles on surfaces easily, choose a darker shade that does not draw attention to dust. If residing in a humid or hot region, choose lighter colours that keep your home cooler. But in case you prefer a darker shade, try and use it in the biggest room in your home, to ensure it doesn’t get hot and stuffy. Wall Paints when selected according to the environment, can last much longer. Jenson and Nicholson’s wide shade range in interior paints and exterior paints can give you a fair idea of what suits your home’s aesthetic and the environment surrounding it.

4) Give your walls a good prep:

After the old paint is scraped off, always fill the holes created and seal it in with a primer, to have a clean canvas that you can turn into anything you like! Jenson and Nicholson’s Acrylic base water thinnable cement primer has good coverage and leaves your walls looking and feeling smooth. Leave the cement primer to dry and set well on your wall and continue with the painting process.

POST-PAINTING CARE

Once your walls have paint on and it dries well, the real work begins. While keeping walls clean is easy and subjective to your preference, it is always better to keep your home looking spic and span for guests to feel comfortable in and for you to always have a happy mood at home!

1) A clean house results in clean walls:

Regularly vacuum your floors, furnishings, mats, rugs and walls to maintain the paint. While sweeping with a broom is accepted, vacuuming is best when dealing with dust. Additionally, make sure you mop the house with a wet cloth or a mopping stick at least thrice a week. Also, clean your entire house once in 4-6 months. This ensures that dust does not settle or fly around too much and your walls look happy.

2) Protect your walls from harsh/direct sunlight:

It is always better to have film on your windows or to keep them closed with light curtains to protect your wall paints from damage due to harmful UV rays. Paint tends to fade when subject to direct sunlight. So it is always better to pay attention to your windows and doors.

3) Make your furniture wall-friendly:

Installing bumpers behind your sofas and dining table chairs is always a good idea. Additionally, you can invest in slip-proof mats/rugs that prevent your sofas from hitting the wall too much. A fabric couch is always your best friend when it comes to protecting your walls. It is easy on walls when compared to wood or rot- iron sofas.

4) Clean your walls regularly:

If your paint is waterproof and washable, gently wiping stains on your wall with a dry cloth first and then a slightly damp cloth is a good idea. Most stains go away easily when wiped this way. Make sure you wipe in gentle circular motions. It is always better to test the washability of the paint before you paint an entire wall(s). Paint a big spot first, let it dry well, make a stain and then wipe it down. If the paint begins to fade or becomes uneven and blotchy, you could look for better paint to colour your walls with. But if this does not sound time-efficient for a quicker painting process, it is better to test your paint behind photographs, wall hangings or paintings that rest against your walls. This will give you a fair idea of how the paint reacts and nobody is going to see if mistakes are made. On a more stubborn stain, use bleaching powder and water to clean with a soft sponge that is not dyed in any vibrant colour.

Remember, wall cleaning must always happen immediately after the stain is made. It should also be gentle and slow.

5) Cover spots with paint:

If the stain refuses to budge or the paint moved too much, you can repaint the spot using the same colour. Make sure the brand and shade are the same and make use of tools employed earlier. This way, spot correction looks flawless. But always keep this step as a last resort and try your best to clean your walls gently with a cloth first.

If your walls are covered with spots and no amount of cleaning works, then its time to redo the paint. With the right choice of wall paints from Jenson and Nicholson Paints, proper prepping and regular cleaning of your home, dirty walls will never be something to worry about!

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