Should I Paint That? Painting to Cover Mold & Stains
Kids love to show off their artwork and many don’t have any qualms on turning your living room wall into a masterpiece. Spaghetti sauce splatters in the kitchen, odd looking stains in the basement? It’s likely you have seen it all. Once stains are there, they become the focal point of the room, the first thing your eyes travel to no matter how gorgeous the rest of the home looks. Are you ready to get rid of these pesky stains once and for all?
Using paint to battle stains is a great option and when done right can restore the walls and ceilings to their former glory. Before taking any steps in that direction it is important to know your enemy. Mold can be a huge nuisance and unfortunately is quite common in homes. Mold is not dirt or a stain, it is a living microorganism and needs to be taken care of a lot differently than other household stains.
Should you Paint to cover mold?
The answer to this is yes and no. Painting over mold is the most common method to hide it, but it is also the worst thing you can do. The first thing you need to do when beginning the process to paint over mold is kill and remedy the mold infestation. Mold can be dangerous, if you are not confident in taking care of the mold yourself, don’t hesitate to contact a professional. Once the root of the issue is resolved you will be able to clean the surface stains with a specialty mold remover and a mold sealant in anywhere there is a small amount of mold left. Be sure to let this dry completely and you will be able to paint. Use a mold resistant paint to help prevent a return especially in areas that are prone to excess moisture such as the kitchen, basement, and the bathroom.
Tough kitchen stains
Preparing meals can make for a colorful array of unknowns splattered in places that don’t even make sense. Before the painting can begin the first step would be to clean the surface. Most kitchen grime will easily come off when cleaned with everyday household cleaners. Once the surface is clean the next step would be to sand the area being painted. Lightly sand the area, taking care not to sand through the paint. Once the wall is sanded and prepped, it is time to apply the primer. Apply a coat of primer and when it dries you can decide if a second coat is needed depending on whether or not the stain is showing through and what is recommended on the label. Once the second coat has dried, lightly sand the surface. Finally, it's time to paint! First step is to match the paint to your current color. Once you have a color match paint a thin layer of interior latex paint and let dry, repeat this process for 2 or more coats until you are satisfied with the match.
This process of clean, sand, prime, and paint can also be used to cover up other stains throughout your home like marker artwork or everyday dirt and grime.
Smoke or Nicotine stains
Whether there is or was a smoker in the home or you are experiencing smoke stains from a fireplace, these can make for an unpleasant coloring and sometimes odor to the walls. Simply painting will not cover the stains nor terminate the odor. Before you do, the first step again will be to clean, but in this case there is a specific process to better fight against these stains. Dry cleaning will be the first thing you want to do, there are dry cleaning sponges you can use to get the job done. Use straight parallel strokes top to bottom to successfully remove residue causing the stains. After dry cleaning you will begin wet cleaning, for this the best cleaner to use is Trisodium Phosphate or TSP. Use this solution and a sponge to clean affected areas, then go over with warm water to remove any excess cleaner. Let dry completely, and then you can follow the same steps to prime and paint the area.
By doing some detective work to ensure you are treating each stain properly you can end up with a fresh updated look and a stain free home in just a few easy steps. Painting can sometimes be a daunting task, luckily there are talented professionals at Paint Positive ready to help you complete a beautiful facelift. Call us today or visit our website for a quote to get rid of the stains plaguing your home!
