Description: Planning to makeover a room by painting? Follow these easy painting tips to save yourself time and money.

(NC)-Before you buy your paint, experts recommend you should identify the type of product that was used previously on the walls. Was it a water-based (latex) or solvent-based (alkyd) paint? Here some quick tips to find out:

• Lightly rub the surface to be painted with a cloth dipped in alcohol. If the colour comes off on the cloth, it's latex paint.
• Look at the wall behind a picture frame. If the area is slightly yellowed, it's alkyd paint.

According to Dominique Pépin, member of the Colour Marketing Group and Senior Brand Manager at Sico, you can paint over a latex paint with the same type of product or with an alkyd paint. "However, if the previous paint was alkyd, beware," she warns. "You can safely opt for the same type of paint but if you prefer to use a latex paint, it is crucial that you apply a primer in order to guarantee good adherence. If not, problems such as 'crazing', peeling or flaking may develop."

That's why to start your painting project off right, most experts strongly recommended that you apply a base coat to mask the previous colour, to make the surface uniform and to improve the adherence of your new colour. This method is better known as "priming" your surface.

According to Pépin, it's important to choose the product that is best suited to the characteristics of the area you're about to paint.

Here are a few things to look for:

• A primer is recommended for unpainted wood or metal surfaces.
• Sealers work wonders on porous materials such as new gypsum because it reduces the number of paint coats required.
• An undercoat on already painted areas will do the trick.
• A stain killer is a useful product to seal stains and hide smoking odours.

For more helpful tips, check out the Sico Virtual Advisor at http://www.sico.ca.

- News Canada

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