What is the Best time to Paint your Home?

This is a common question asked by most individuals when they plan to paint a home. The best time to paint is when the weather is warm without bad weather in the near future since problems can occur if you paint during or shortly before bad weather. You need to be most careful about the exterior painting as all your effort will go in vain. You will observe smudges due to improper drying, dampness and humidity in the air.

The best times to paint for all types of home painting are from the spring to late fall. A general rule is that if it is comfortable for you, then it is good for the paint. Painting is a major activity requiring inputs from all family members, planning on budget, paint colors, alignment for painting schedule.

What is the ideal time to paint your home?

It is recommended to do the painting activity early in the day. Open windows during the day so that the paint will dry faster and the smell won’t be there during the evening. Select a day with no rain expected at least the expected drying time of the paint.

Autumn is a great time to paint. Paint needs time to cure, and rain is its biggest enemy. Intense humidity can get underneath the paint and cause it to bubble.

Temperature conditions to paint your home?

Most paint manufactures recommend 50 F degrees and rising but low temperature acrylic paints can be used down to 35 F degrees.

During warm weather rain is the main problem. Variations like sagging or deep depressions can be the result if it rains just a couple of hours after painting.

Another effect of rain is the lifting of the colorant from the paint or an uneven sheen. This looks like stripes of color on the surface or flat and shiny areas across a surface.

Applying paint in cold weather can have a similar effect and will drastically reduce the life of all paints. Typical effects of cold weather painting are sags, bubbling and cracks in the paint film as it freezes.

For interiors there are no such restrictions, provided the home is kept at a moderate temperature, any type of paint can be applied. However, in cooler temperatures, excessive condensation on windows and slow drying periods can become a problem.

Watch outs while painting your house:

Read the instructions on the paint container carefully prior to dispensing and actual application. Basics to be followed while painting the house-Interior and Exterior.

Sanding is probably one of the most important preparation steps because it creates adhesion. Before you sand, wash the surface. Power washing is also a very important part of the painting process. If the surface is clean of dirt and mildew, the paint will adhere properly.

Place coverings over the heavy furniture that cannot be moved / dismantled at home while you plan to paint. After painting jobs are complete, wash the paint spills with brush and water. If it is an oil paint then apply primer solution and clean the paint spots.

If the painting job is done by 3^rd party people it is ideal if the articles are removed and cardboard sheets or drop cloth is placed below the walls to minimize cleaning activity.

Start on top to prevent stripe marks. Whether indoors or outdoors, always begin painting at the top and work your way down.

If you have several paint containers of the same color and brand, it is recommended to combine them also known a boxing the paint. By taking a large bucket and mixing the paint gallons together, you’re ensuring a uniform color.

To save the left over paint, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the open can. Spray cooking oil over the plastic and tightly secure the lid. Turn the bucket upside down, and you’ll have a brand-new seal. Air won’t get in, and the paint will last longer.

Do not get worried about the thought of painting your house. Choose the best contractor and select the colors that will get along with your furniture and curtains. Get the best of all the efforts. Share your experiences / inputs in the comments.

HOW TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN AN AQUARIUM

Most of us enjoy watching fishes in an aquarium, it brings in a feeling of peace and admiration towards nature viewing the colorful fishes in unique shapes. Aquariums add an aesthetic appeal to one’s living room.  Fishes are very delicate and therefore we need to take immense care to understand the requirements and the special care to be taken as it is restricted to an environment. Therefore it is important to maintain the aquarium to ensure proper fish care , fishes have a healthy life . A well maintained aquarium will be able to preserve the habitat in unnatural environment.

If you are planning to buy an aquarium or you already possess one, here are a few tips that will help you maintain an Aquarium.

Tips For Maintaining an Aquarium

Selection of Aquarium

A little thought has to be spent on the required size for the aquarium. You need to take into account the space available at home for being the central focus point in your room. Aquarium comes in all sizes from a bowl to a huge fish tank. It is recommended to opt for a large aquarium as it contains more water and more living space for the fishes we intend to include. Large tanks means more stability in temperature, water chemistry and cleanliness. The water becomes less mucky as compared to a small aquarium.

Quality of water

Water is a key factor for an aquarium. Water should be chlorine free. It is strongly advised to leave water for conditioning at least for one week, before introducing fish and plants.  After we set the aquarium you need to change the water once a month.  We need to change only one fourth of water in the tank, in order to dilute the accumulated harmful chemicals such as nitrites, nitrates and phosphates. The replaced water condition should agree with the temperature and pH condition of the existing aquarium water, in order to avoid any untoward effects.

Selection of companions in the aquarium

We need to have a good understanding of the fishes and their behaviors. The dealers will give the information and guide us to decide the type of fishes to be selected. Most fishes vary with each other in terms of needs and maintenance and can’t be kept together. During selection of fishes check out for the healthy ones as sick ones will make healthy fishes weak. We can distinguish healthy fishes as they have erect fins, clear eyes and good skin color. Segregate a sick fish from the aquarium or the condition is contagious to healthy ones.

Note: Regular inspection of the fishes is an essential factor for a healthy environment.

 Maintaining the right Temperature

Temperature is another key factor for an aquarium We need to have a good understanding of the temperature requirements for fishes in an aquarium as sudden changes in temperature can be life threatening. The fish dealer will give the information on the types of fish and the care to be taken.

 Maintaining pH

Maintaining optimum pH is very critical in an aquarium. Fishes require neutral pH 7 , can withstand pH upto 6.6 to 7.4, beyond these levels are dangerous for fishes. They cannot handle variations in pH .Recommended to regularly inspect the pH level of water in the aquarium and remove collected algae and other wastes and provide a cleaner environment.

Maintaining appropriate illumination

Lighting is another key factor for an aquarium . Optimum light requirement would be around 12 hours per day. Appropriate lighting is required for most fishes for laying eggs. Plants need artificial light to survive in fish tanks for photosynthesis . Harmful algae and planktons are suppressed only in presence of light. The aquarium and fishes look more beautiful in well-illuminated water

 Feeding tips

Recommended feeding is twice a day – once in the morning and again in the evening. The quantity of food depends on the number and types of fishes in your aquarium, it is advisable to feed only as much as the fish can clean up in 5 minutes time. Overfeeding can have disastrous consequences. Take inputs from the fish dealer on feeding requirements.

Hope you will enjoy the experience of maintaining an aquarium!!