Painting is one way to have a very dramatic impact on the overall appeal and look of a space without having to get involved in large scale remodeling. However, many people who try to save money on paint actually end up spending more because they do not take the time to think the entire process through far enough or because of a lack of general knowledge when it comes to paint. Here are a few things that might help you pinch a few pennies when it comes time to put some paint on the walls of your space.
Mis-tinted Paints Means Savings
Many times people order paint of a certain shade or color. Standard paints do not typically come in these colors and as such the paint store will add the right shades and tints to produce the desired hue. Because people are fallible, mistakes are made when tinting paints. In most cases, there is no way to fix the mis-tinted paint and the store must begin again. Instead of simply throwing out the mistakes, they will typically offer the mis-tints for a reduced price. This can be a great boon to you if you can live with the color of the mistake. It is always a good idea to check with the paint department of your local DIY center to see what colors of mis-tints they have. If the color is close to what you are looking for, you can save as much as 50% on these mistakes.
DIY Paint Coloring
While most people do not have the expertise to mix paints to customized colors themselves. However, if you find a paint color that is close to what you are looking for you can easily make it lighter or darker by mixing black or white paint to the tinted paint. This is especially helpful for those who purchase mis-tinted paints that are almost, but not quite, what they were looking for. The one caveat in doing this is that you must mix the paints together very well. You may not get exactly the shade you desire, but it should be close.
You can purchase paint mixing paddles that attach to a standard electric or battery powered drill to help you thoroughly mix the paint. These paddles save a lot of time and energy and really do not cost very much. Considering they are reusable, the cost of the paddle is very affordable. When mixing paints, you are not limited very much at all. As long as the base type is the same, you can mix gloss, flat, satin, and semi-gloss paints together without any problems. Just make sure the base is the same, oil with oil and water with water.
Keep Watch for Sales
When you go into your local paint store or the paint department in your local home center, ask if they have any upcoming sales in the near future. This is especially helpful to do in the spring-time months. Paint tends to go on sale in these months and you would definitely regret purchasing paint at full price only to have it go on sale a few weeks later.
Cheaper is Not Always Less Expensive
Most people tend to look at only the price tag of the paint when purchasing. However, just because the cost per gallon is less does not mean that you will actually end up saving money on your paints. The quality of the paint is something that must be taken into consideration when you are buying paint. If it requires two to three coats of paint to properly cover the wall, you will be using two to three times the amount of paint. If the same paint is only 50% less in cost, you will have spent the same amount or even 50% more to cover the space. There is something to be said for the time it will take as well. Even if the cost is equal but it requires twice the time to paint the space, you have not really saved. Good paint should be able to cover in a single coat. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.
Covering Stains before Painting
Often times, the reason people want to paint an interior wall is to cover up stains, mildew, and other signs of wear. A good idea is to find a specialty type of primer paint that will cover the stain and mildew in a single coat, thus allowing you to apply a single coat of your finished paint color. These primer coats can be very expensive, but in the long run you can save money by not needing to apply multiple coats of paint to cover the old stains.