Painting & Decorating
At L & L we pride ourselves with our interior and exterior painting.
We take good care of your homes and we sheet up and tape up everywhere. At the end of day we hoover and tidy up to cause you as little stress as possible. With L & L we can give you the best options for your taste and budget.
We have painted many houses, some have had not just the walls but have also included windows, conservatory, pipes, fascia, tiles and doors. We prefer to rub down, undercoat and then either gloss or satin wood any wood work. We often repair cracks or chunks that are missing with mortar. We have even repaired houses that are wooden cladded. While we are painting high up we can have a look at your guttering and repair any leaks where necessary. Your house will have a new lease of life!
Painting Interior and Exterior
Transform your home exterior and interior with the help of L & L. Homeowners don't need to have a large budget to make effective home improvements and cheaper options such as repainting can give a home a real lift. Painting areas such as woodwork can be easily done and can give a room a "fresh, optimistic feel".
Paint is not just something applied for decorative purposes. It also serves to protect the surfaces to which it is applied. A number of factors play an important part in achieving good protective and decorative work.
The most important are:
- Selecting the correct paint for the job
- Using the most suitable tools
- Preparing surfaces
- Applying the paint
Traditionally, water-based paints were used on walls and ceilings, and solvent-based paints for wood and metal. Another thing to consider is that legislation is changing the way paints are formulated, so, the paint you are about to use may have subtly changed from that of a year ago. An example of this is the reduction in VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) in solvent based paints. This has the effect of increasing the drying time, no matter which brand you use, and because of this, it is very important you read the product instructions before use. Coverage and drying times are only a guide, in real life, how the paint is applied, the porosity of the surface, ambient temperature, humidity and amount of ventilation will all have an effect. In general, the thicker the applied layer of paint is the longer you should wait to apply a second coat.
Water-based trim paints
Some years ago most paints used on wood and metal were solvent based but as the demand for low odour and less volatile paint has increased, coupled with legislative changes, water-based paint technology has rapidly improved to meet the challenge. Modern water-based trim paints are now as good, and in some cases better that the solvent based equivalent. It is low odour and suitable for use around most people who are sensitive to solvents, its quick drying – so finish the job in a day, its much whiter and stays that way for longer, colours also remain truer and its very durable. Traditional solvent bases paints dry and become brittle over time, water-based paints remain slightly softer and more flexible as time goes on.
This allows the paint to move with the substrate and reduces the likelihood of breakdown. The gloss finish is just slightly less then an equivalent solvent paint but this is only evident when used side by side. There are subtle differences when brushing out but it is just as easy to use. When wet, splashes wipe off with a damp cloth, and best of all, when you’ve finished, you can wash the brushes in water. Like all water-based paints, it must be stored where it won’t freeze as it contains water, and you should be careful not to use in direct sun, or on very hot summer days, as it dries quite quickly.
Emulsion Paints and Acrylic Paints
These paints are designed to cover large areas such as plastered or plaster boarded walls and ceilings in the most economical way. Some wall-coverings such as lining paper, embossed and relief papers, are also intended to be coated with an emulsion paint. Modern emulsion paints include a vinyl element in their formulation for improved flexibility and strength and you will find that, for interior use, you will be able to purchase Vinyl Matt or Vinyl Silk versions. As their descriptions imply, you have the choice of an emulsion with a nonglossy flat finish or one with a high sheen. Vinyl Matt and Silk emulsions are available in a wide choice of colours.
Pink to White Paint allows you to see where you’ve been. This product is pink when wet, then turns white as it dries. This product is applied in the same way as a traditional Emulsion and is great when redecorating white surfaces and working in poor lighting.
Basecoat Emulsion paint has been developed to treat surfaces that have deteriorated and are heavily affected by hairline cracks. This paint reduces the amount of filling and preparation required on difficult surfaces. It’s also great for covering patchy surfaces that have been filled and has excellent opacity (ability to cover) so covers deep and contrasting colours very well, providing the ideal base for wall and ceiling paints.
Bathroom paint. This is a mid sheen finish specifically for use in areas subject to high levels of condensation and provides a highly washable surface on walls and ceilings that are affected by steam, moisture, grease and grime.
Quick Dry Gloss and Satin finishes are also in the Acrylic family and have been developed to paint trim such as wood and metalwork in the home, making them ideal alternatives to Solvent based finishes. These products offer all the benefits of water based paints such as low odour, a quick drying time, and the ability to wash equipment in water, but also provide high levels of durability. They are applied virtually in the same way as a Solvent based paint but for best results, a synthetic brush should be used.
Quality ‘Gloss Paints’ for exterior use are formulated to withstand the weather, to expand and contract in the same way that timber does, to allow moisture trapped in the timber to evaporate, and generally last much longer. The ability to let timber ‘breathe’ is of major importance, this is achieved in many exterior paints by a system in which the paint does not form an impermeable skin over the surface.
Instead, and explained in simple terms, it dries to form a series of platelets overlapping each other. You cannot see, lift or peel them off but they do move to allow for expansion, contraction, and breathing to take place. With previous paints the reaction to any of the above would have been cracking, peeling or lifting of the paint film. Such exterior paints must be used with a primer with similar characteristics and formulated for exterior use.
Exterior water based masonry paints are acrylic based and formulated from tough acrylic resins to help cope with the extreme effects of the weather. The choice extends to smooth or textured finishes.
Metal Paint
Metal paint is very easy to use, not always needing a primer but the surface must be clean, firm, lightly abraded and grease free. Formulated for use in, and outside the home, it can be bought in a spray of for use with a brush – both leaving a beautiful finish but it is not suitable for use on cars, trucks busses and trailers. If you need a protective coating for one of these, talk to the manufacturer. Should you wish to use metal paint over a galvanised surface, a red oxide primer must first be used, otherwise the paint will flake off.
Drying and drying times
A manufacturers’ quoted drying time is just a guide. It assumes the paint is applied correctly onto a well prepared surface, in normal temperature and humidity, subject to good ventilation. Only you know how the paint has been applied and in what conditions, so times will vary. Try not to apply paint in extremes of temperature but if you do, you must except that you may not get a perfect finish, no matter how good the paint. Too cold or humid, it will take an age to dry, and if allowed to become wet or freeze, it will ruin the finish. Too hot, and you will quickly loose your wet edge, the paint surface will dry very quickly (possibly, in the time it takes to reload your roller or brush) and will look patchy.
This can be a particular problem with modern high opacity emulsion paints, especially when painting a ceiling in the middle of a summer heat wave but it will also affect solvent and water-based trim, used on wood and metal paints. In the case of a water-based paint, about 5% of water can be added to help extend the wet edge in such conditions.
