Painting you house is an
important task and you would like the job to be done
well. Here are a few tips that you should follow from
the time you begin painting till you finish the job.
While buying brushes you can choose from
natural and synthetic bristles. For latex paint use only
synthetic bristles and for oil based paints you can use both.
For painting walls buy brushes that are 3 to 4 inches wide and
are flat. For intricate work like the mullion on a window use
a sash brush that is angled and about 1-1/2 inch wide. For
doors, windows and trim use brushes that are 3 inch wide and
have a straight edge. If the brush has a narrow end then it
will retain more paint than a flat-ended brush.
While buying rollers follow the same rules as
above; for latex paint use synthetic rollers and natural
rollers for oil-based paints. When you buy a roller remember,
that when the surface is rougher, the head of the roller
should be longer. To find out how good the roller is, use your
hand to squeeze the middle of the roller. It should regain its
original shape as soon as you release your hand.
Buy enough sticking tape. It is best to
invest in some good quality masking tape or painter's tape.
Though both these are a little costlier they are easy to
remove. You will have to use tape to cover trims, windowpanes,
doorknobs etc. Some tapes come with little paper attached to
one side for greater protection. While removing the tape, to
avoid pulling off the finish, use a hair dryer and blow hot
air over the tape before lifting it off. The hot air will stop
it from sticking to the finish.
To prevent paint from dripping while
painting, using a nail and a hammer, make a hole on the rim of
the paint tin, after you have opened it. Doing this will allow
the paint from the brush to run back into the tin, as you drag
you brush across the rim of the tin to remove the extra paint
from the brush. This prevents the extra paint from collecting
on the rim of the tin and overflowing after some time.
When you begin to paint a wall, begin from
the edges and then fill in the middle section. Try not to
start a new can of paint in the middle section of the wall. If
there is the slightest variation in color it will be clearly
visible in this section of the wall.
To get an even coat of color, pour paint into
a smaller can and take a piece of coat hanger wire and bend it
across the small can. Fix the wire by twisting its ends across
the rim of the can or across the handle. Use this wire to
brush off extra paint, from your brush, every time you dip
your brush into the can. Doing this will ensure that your
brush is evenly coated with paint across the span of the
brush. This will give the wall an even and smooth finish.
Keep some old clean rags at hand to clean up
any mess by dripping and spilling paint. Buy a set of use and
throw foam brushes that you can use for touch ups.
If you are applying a number of coats of
paint, wait patiently till each coat has completely dried up
before applying the next coat.
If you are breaking for the day and will
continue painting the next day, then wrap the wet brushes in
plastic or aluminum foil and place it in the freezer. The next
morning all you will have to do is remove it and start off
from where you stopped last night.
Soaking paint brushes in water or paint
solvent for sometime makes it easier to clean. Make a hole in
the metal clam of the brush and pass a nail through it. Now
fill a small jar with water or solvent and hang the brush in
it, by laying the nail across the mouth of the jar. Soak it
for sometime and then wash thoroughly. Empty the jar and place
the clean brush in it and this way the bristles of the brush
will remain straight after they dry.
When you use a roller and a tray, ensure that
you use a tray liner so that you do not waste time cleaning
the tray once the job is done. You can either buy a tray liner
or use aluminum foil as liner and throw away once soiled.
A newly painted wall, takes 30 days to cure,
so do not wash the paint for about a month.
