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Reasons To Repaint Interior Walls
Wall paint goes through a lot. Bumps, scrapes, stains, child permanent marker art, you name it. Through the years, even the finest and most expensive paints can become lackluster, faded, or timeworn. Worn-down paint poses both cosmetic and functional problems: it makes your home look run-down and leaves your walls susceptible to moisture and structural damage.
Unless you want to live in a home with broken-down and unsightly walls, repaints are unavoidable. However, aside from age and inevitable wear and tear, there are other reasons to paint walls. The following reasons could also be known as “the advantages of a fresh coat of paint.”
Why Should You Repaint Your Walls?
Repaint Walls To Breathe Easier
Did you know that a fresh coat of paint can improve your home’s air quality and help you and your family breathe easier? With proper paint preparation, a new paint job will get rid of dust and other contaminants sticking to your walls. Dust is especially prominent on textured walls (Fazio) and ceilings since there are more grooves to cling to and build up on.
Exposure to dust can cause sneezing, coughing, and itching, which can aggravate people with dust allergies or asthma (“Dust mite allergy..”). Cleaning your wall with a damp rag can remove some of these dust particles, but it won’t eliminate all of them. After cleaning the walls, painting them will trap the dust particles left behind.
Nowadays there are actually anti-dust paints (“Anti Dust Paint for Walls – Dust Resistant Exterior Emulsion Paint”), which are primarily used on exterior walls. There are also air-purifying paints (Sharma et al.) that repel and remove strong odors, bacteria, pollutants, chemicals, and other harmful toxins from the air and off the walls for clean breathing air.
You can also look for zero-VOC or low VOC paint. These paints are manufactured with natural materials and lack the harmful odors and fumes associated with traditional paint (“Why is low VOC paint the better option to use?”). All of the options above are great for keeping the interior of your home fresh.
Pro Tip: If you prefer using latex paint, try mixing in an additive such as “Dirt Repel” so it doesn’t attract dust. It’s always best to hire painting professionals who know how to handle different paints when painting your home. However, if you’d like to DIY, be sure to adhere to safety measures like using a respirator so you don’t breathe in silica; A potential lung disease and cancer causing agent (“Healthy Indoor Painting”).
Repaint Walls For A New Atmosphere
Do you ever just want to switch things up? A new color on your walls will help with that. Make your home feel extra inviting with a new paint color. It’s a quick renovation that won’t take much time at all, is relatively inexpensive, and can change the whole look of your space seemingly overnight.
Head down to your local hardware store and pick up a can of paint, a roll of painter’s tape, and some brushes. Alternatively, you can pick up the phone and get in touch with a reputable painting contractor in your area. Soon enough you’ll have walls that bring an exciting change to your home.
Repaint Walls To Increase Home Value
Whether you’re looking to sell your home, or you just want a nicer looking space, you can update the interior of your home and increase its value with a new coat of paint (Sharp). In fact, an interior paint job is known to give a 107% return on investment (ROI) (“The paint colors that can boost your home’s value”). If you want to sell your home as fast as possible and sell it for more money than your current appraisal suggests, repaint the walls.
Paint gives your walls a clean and fresh appearance. It also provides your walls with an additional layer of protection. Not to mention a new paint smell attracts prospective buyers, because who doesn’t like their potentially new house actually smelling brand new? New paint and the benefits that come with it are attractive to house hunters, so you’re more likely to get multiple offers and sell your home at or above the list price.
Repaint Walls To Hide Imperfections (And Protect Against Future Ones)
Are your walls covered in frightful-looking stains and scuff marks? Nobody’s going to judge you for having walls that are a bit beat-up, especially if you have active children or unruly pets. Sometimes, we pull out our dining chair a little too enthusiastically or stumble and drop our soup. Accidents happen.
Thankfully, you can cover up imperfections with paint. A new coat of paint will conceal existing cosmetic damage. You’ll need to use a putty to fix cracks and holes (“The Best Wall Putty To Fill Holes”) before applying paint. Fresh paint will also protect your walls from future damage by providing them with an extra buffer against moisture and wear and tear.
Repaint Walls To Boost Your Mood
No one should feel despondent from lounging in the living room. Your home is a place to relax, unwind, and feel rejuvenated. Not having these feelings could be because of the wall color, since room colors have an impact on mood (Borrelli). This connection has to do with how we associate colors with certain objects or events. For example, many people associate darker colors, like black, with heaviness. Red is often associated with fire and anger, yellow with the sun and happiness, and green with nature and tranquility.
When we see these colors, our mood subtly changes depending on our association with the color. What message is the color of your walls sending you? If you always feel under the weather in your gray-colored room, it’s time to paint your walls a brighter and happier shade.
Pro Tip: Lighter colors, like different shades of white and other neutrals will bring an uplifting and wider feeling to your space. Different shades of blue and green are typically calming and relaxing colors (Tonelli and Moore), great for bedrooms and living rooms.
How Often Should You Paint Your Walls?
Your walls will need to be repainted when:
- They look old or outdated
- They have lots of wear and tear; including cracks and holes
- Mold growth is forming or water damage has happened
- Chipping occurs
- Paint is letting off chalky residue or dust particles
- It is just not the color you want on your walls
How Long Does Paint typically Last?
Regardless of the guidelines listed, the exact length of time that paint lasts will depend on the paint being used and where it is located in your home. High-grade paints last longer than low-grade paint, and rooms or areas that see more traffic, like kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways will need repaints more often than rooms rarely used. Factors change depending on the type of attention your walls get. As a general rule, it would be best to repaint interior walls every three to five years (“How often should you repaint interior walls and your house?”).
Professional Wall Painting Services In And Around Portland
Are you searching for painting contractors to help transform your home’s interior with new wall paint? At JK Paint & Contracting, we have experienced painters serving the Portland Metro area for all your interior painting needs. We specialize in painting walls, cabinets, mantles, doors, ceilings, trims and more. Contact us if you have an interior painting vision you’d like to bring to life.
