Get matched with top interior painters in Elliott, MS

It’s best to avoid sleeping in a freshly painted room for 24 to 72 hours, depending on ventilation and the level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the paint. If you’re using a low- to no-VOC paint in a room with good ventilation, it’s generally safe to sleep in the room once the paint is dry. For other kinds of paint, give the VOCs a few days to dissipate before sleeping in the room.

It’s best to use an exterior latex acrylic paint to promote maximum adhesion to composite decking. This flexible paint type can better cope with the natural expansion and contraction that can occur with composite deck boards. Oil-based paints won’t adhere as effectively and are more likely to crack and peel as the boards flex. Testing whether your chosen paint will stick on an inconspicuous section or a spare board is a good idea.

Matching new paint with an old, faded color can be tricky. First, you’ll need to determine whether the paint on your house is latex-based or oil-based. Lightly scrub an inconspicuous area of your home with rubbing alcohol—if the alcohol scrubs away the paint, it’s latex-based. If not, the paint is oil-based. 

Once you have that settled, bring a paint chip or photo of the color to a paint professional and have them mix you a matching paint in the same base (latex or oil). Then paint another inconspicuous part of your house to see if it’s a match.

A professional painter will typically prep the walls to ensure a longer-lasting, smoother paint job. Prepping the walls can involve scraping off debris or flaked paint, filling in grooves or nail holes, sanding, cleaning, applying a coat of primer, taping the trim, and removing outlet covers. You should ask your painter before hiring about their process to make sure it’s in line with your expectations and needs.