Aug

7

Outdoor Painting Projects Bolder Than Ever!

Filed Under Fashion, Life, Shopping 

PARA Paints’ New Colour System Delivers Runway Trends to Classic Cottage Palette

PARA Paints' Lime Soda and Heat Wave from the new 2008 Colour System revive a beloved symbol of cottage comfort. (CNW Group/PARA Paints)

PARA Paints’ Lime Soda (P5042-52) and Heat Wave (P5084-63) from the new 2008 Colour System revive a beloved symbol of cottage comfort. The outdoors offer a testing ground for bolder colour choices, seen in this fashion-forward Adirondack chair. (CNW Group/PARA Paints)

BRAMPTON, ON — The demand for vivid stylish paint colours is steadily increasing as Canadians turn to their brushes for small scale projects, especially outdoors. PARA PAINTS has responded with a summer launch of their 2008 Colour System featuring over 2000 NEW vibrant colours and fresh shades to assist you in updating your backyard hues. Take your favourite outdoor piece and infuse it with a colour-forward look for a quick, easy and fun project.

Runway Colours Update Canadian Outdoors

PARA’s new “haute peinture” system celebrates the world’s fashion runways offering colours from Off The Shoulder Lavender (P5093-34D) to In Her Shoes Pink (P5137-34D) and Prêt-à-Porter Purple (P5145-52D).

“Painting is as much about lifestyle as we consider fashion to be,” explains Johanna McLellan, Assistant Brand Manager for PARA, “There’s a vicarious element to picking the right paint colour. With paint, consumers feel free to take the leap and experiment with avant-garde trends. We may try our favourite colour in a more vibrant hue or use colours that we’ve always been keen on but could never fit into our wardrobes.” The Canadian fashion industry counts PARA Paints among its supporters, a testament to the organization’s commitment to style.

Sit Back In Style

Summer staple, THE ADIRONDACK CHAIR, gets a bold new look as PARA dramatically shows how on-trend colour can re-invent a classic. Summer exterior projects are an ideal testing ground for new trends that ultimately extend into the home. PARA’s Paint Expert, Andrew Fedele explains that time plays a key role, “If you’re a seasoned fixer-upper or tackling a project for the first time, outdoor painting is easy because prep-time can be kept to a minimum when sanding and cleanup can be quick and easy”. Whether it’s wood, cement or plastics, Fedele advises, “The key to success with outdoor painting lies in surface preparation.”

Makeover How To

Prep the surface. Be it a first coat on a natural wood grain or re-vamping an already painted surface, this is simple enough for your whole family to do. Small projects like a chair require less than a quart of paint and take as little as 2 hours per coat to complete. Two coats are recommended with 24 hours in between; final drying time should be 48 hours.

A light sanding is a simple and effective prep technique for wood surfaces and a safer alternative to heavy duty machinery or chemical washes. A 15-minute physical hand-sand with a coarse-grade paper from the #60 to #80 range works best. Anything finer risks buffing the surface rendering it unable to absorb paint properly.

Vertical concrete surfaces can be prepped with a latex coating. Try a bright colour for birdbaths like Nature’s Playground Green (P5041-52) and remember to prime. Masonry and other horizontal concrete surfaces need to be washed with a muriatic acid and water combination and rinsed with water before priming.

Plastics are harder to prime due to their slick surface. When exposed to the sun’s UV rays the surface becomes coarser and paint will bond more effectively. Re-vamp an old plastic side-table with Beach Tote Yellow (P5053-52) or Catchacoma Blue (P5006-62D)!

Neutral colours like Every Girl’s Dream Beige (P5219-14) are considered self priming on porous surfaces because of the nature of the base and only require the standard two-coat system advised by PARA Paints specialists. Bolder colours such as Heat Wave Red (P5084-63) require a tinted primer which ensures a uniform application. Bolder colours also have longer dry-times - up to 24 hours is recommended. Do a thumb test before you apply a second coat for an easy way to tell if your paint is dry. If you can place your thumb on the surface and twist it without twisting the paint, then it’s ready for another coat!

About Para

Proudly Canadian since 1915, PARA Paint offers colour with style producing premium quality architectural paints, stains, varnishes and specialty products. The ‘haute peinture’ Colour System launched this year offers over 2000 new colours to choose from. As one of the fastest growing paint brands in North America, PARA paints is an industry leader with a steadfast commitment to the environment and a growing selection of eco-friendly products.

More painting tips and to Choose Your Style at: www.para.com

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