Painting Tips

A while back I posted tips on painting.  (You can read that post here.)  At the end of the post I mentioned that I still have to paint the bathrooms - uh, I'm embarassed to admit, I still do.  But I'm going to get them done this week.

To get ready, I've been googling painting tips, and found some useful info, that I'm going to try out.

Tinted primer.  I've never bothered to use tinted primer.  But it does make sense, especially if you're going to use color, because the darker the color, the more transparent it is.  Weird (to me), but true.  If the primer is tinted you will use less paint.  Grey is the perfect “neutral” to correctly display a color. Even a white ceiling should be primed with a very light grey. This not only helps your white color show it’s correct tone, but, will also prevent you missing any spots because the grey is so easy to spot next to the white. (source) For a darker color paint, use a darker tinted grey primer.

Floetrol.  Paint conditioner or extender. Eliminate brush marks with a paint extender. A quick drying time seems like a good thing.  But when talking about paint, you want it to dry slowly. Floetrol slows down dry time of the paint which gives you more time to blend the brush and roller marks.  Just make sure to follow the manufacturer directions for mixing it in the paint.

Textured ceiling.  I do not have a textured ceiling, but this is a cool trick if you do.  Just run a flat edge screw driver along the perimeter of the ceiling to remove that small area texture.  This leaves a ridge so your brush bristles won't go into the texture.  Don't worry, you wont ever notice the missing texture.


source

One wall at a time.  It seemed natural to me to do all cutting in for the whole room, and then go back and roll. However I've read on more than one occasion that this is wrong with a big W. Finish one wall before starting another.  The paint blends better for a more professional look.

5 gallon bucket. If you have a lot to paint and need more than one gallon, use a 5 gal bucket and mix your paints.  Even though the paints are the "same" color, they can vary and it's best to mix!  PLUS, no need to use roller trays.  Roller trays are flimsy, and if you're anything like me, you may step in it.  Just sayin'.  A 5 gallon bucket is wide enough for your roller and a screen see here for details.



Fuzz free rollers. Wash your roller brushes before you use them.  Just put them under warm water with a drop or two of dish liquid. Run your hands up and down the roller until the soap runs out.  This eliminates all the fuzzies from the roller which will get stuck in your paint on your wall.

Common sense things I need remember:

It's going to take 2 to 4 days to paint an average sized room.
Or a room with a lot of cutting in.  It just is.

Move everything out of the room you are going to paint.  Just do it.

NEVER, ever, ever paint with kids, dog or cat in the room.

Two drops of paint can cover A LOT of floor!

Use a canvas drop cloth.  Not plastic.  Plastic does not absorb paint, and two drops of paint on the bottom of your shoe can cover A LOT of floor!

For very large walls, use an 18" roller.

Use a painters telescoping pole.
Saves time, and you shoulder and neck muscles will thank you.