Painting Tips
1. Tint the Primer
Whether you’re painting interior walls or exterior siding, a coat of primer is important to obtaining the best results you are looking for. This goes for previously painted surfaces as well as raw wood and new drywall. Unfortunately, most homeowners never bother with primer, which explains why they end up with something that doesn’t look professional. Primer serves three main functions: First, it blocks stains and resinous knots from bleeding through; second, it provides one-coat coverage for the paint topcoat; most importantly, it improves adhesion, which greatly reduces blisters and extends the life of the topcoat.
2. Invest in Canvas
Canvas drop cloths are durable, and rip- and puncture-resistant. They lay flat as you walk across them, presenting less of a tripping hazard; seldom, if ever, must you tape canvas to the floor. Canvas also absorbs paint drips, unlike plastic drop cloths that become slippery when spattered with wet paint. You’re much less likely to pick up paint on your shoe soles from canvas. Canvas drop cloths can easily be folded around corners and doorways—something that’s virtually impossible to do with plastic sheeting. Plus, canvas can be reused countless times.
3. Roll With a Pole
When painting rooms, forget the ladder and get a telescoping extension pole for your paint roller. Extension poles come in various sizes, but one that extends from about 18 in. to 30 or 36 in. offers plenty of reach for painting rooms with ceilings that are 9 ft or lower. There are also extra-long extension poles that telescope up to about 18 ft for painting cathedral ceilings and loft spaces.
To attach the extension pole to the paint roller, simply thread it into the hole in the paint-roller handle. Check to be sure your paint-roller handle has a threaded hole in its end; most of them do. The shaft of the pole telescopes out and can be locked anywhere along its length with a twist of the wrist.
When shopping for extension poles, look for one that has a soft, nonslip rubber grip and a rigid metal core. And be sure the threaded end of the pole is metal, too. All-plastic handles are too flexible, making them hard to control, and the plastic gets fatigued over time and can snap under pressure. Also check to be sure the telescoping shaft locks securely in position and doesn’t collapse when forced.
4. Paint Off a Grid
When it comes to poorly designed hardware items, it’s hard to find one that matches the futility of the paint-roller tray. Here’s a device meant to hold paint for paint rolling, but it spills easily, only holds a small amount of paint, is hard to carry from one spot to another, and is difficult to clean. Plus, you must place the tray on the floor.
5. Record the Color
After painting a room, it’s important to keep track of the brand name and color of the paint used, so you can buy more when it comes time to touch-up or repaint the room. try to put it in a notebook, and writing it on the side of the leftover paint cans or.
Before replacing the light-switch covers and electrical-outlet covers in a newly painted room, write the vital information (brand name, paint color, paint number) onto a piece of masking tape and stick it to the back of a switch plate. And there it’ll stay until it’s time to repaint, when it’ll be discovered by me, or—with any luck—the next homeowner.
