What paint problems to look for and how to treat?
Mould
If you have a certain area mould is prone to grow, it’s important to get onto this straight away. If the cause of the mould is simply due to high humidity or dampness in the property, then clean the surface using one-part bleach: 4-parts water. If the severity of the mould is beyond just cleaning, ask your professional painter to touch up with mould resistant paint.
Fading paint
Usually common on brighter, boulder colours but can happen when using cheaper paint as well. Ideally having a paint touch up using quality paint would be more beneficial in the long run, if the quality was in question. Otherwise, this can be avoided by using shade or curtains on windows.
Cracked Paint
If your property is new it is common to require a repaint after 12 months as the property settles.
If it’s an existing property and its cracking simply because of its age or wear and tear, you may require to sand this back and do a paint touch up in that section, the longer you leave it the more damage that can happen to it which could mean a bigger paint job then just a small section.
Spots and stains
Get onto any spots and stains immediately, either by cleaning or touching up. The more it accumulates and hardens the harder it will be to remove later on.
The best thing you can do from there is learn how to clean them safely without damaging or removing the paint. This generally is determined by the type of paint used in your interior and exterior of your property.
Typically, you will find a flat finish on the walls and ceilings and a gloss or semi-gloss on the trims and around windows.
For interiors:
- Never use abrasive or solvent cleaners or harsh preparations, use a soft cloth
- For matt finishes use warm water and a small amount of mild detergent, after cleaning with solution, rinse off with warm fresh water wipe down and allow to dry.
- For Semi-gloss and gloss finishes – simply wipe with warm water and small detergent. Generally, a cleaner like Ajax spray and wipe or Sugar soap wall wipes are safe for this type of paint. Rinse off with fresh warm water once you have finished
Exterior Paint work:
High pressure cleaning is never enough to remove the build up of grime over time but is a great solution for in-between cleans. According to Dulux, generally a wash is recommended at least every 2 years to prolong the life of the paint.
For matt, low sheen, semi-gloss, and gloss finishes:
Use warm water and a moderate amount of household detergent, a soft bristle brush (ideally on a long pole) and wipe down the exterior walls in grids. Make sure to hose down before it has a chance to dry by using fresh water.
