Sunday, December 18, 2011

DIY - Painting Tips

By Kare Hoffman


Once the paint dries, a thorough inspection is called for. Before removing any masking, look for areas near the edges or corners that are not quite covered. Be prepared for a little touch up here and there to ensure that the new paint was applied everywhere desired. Old paint may be the same color, but new paint is always a different shade, even from the exact same can of paint used a year earlier. All paint fades.

Make sure you overspend here. That doesn't mean buying foolishly, but getting more ladder than you think you need. Inspect again, looking for streaks, blotches and uneven or irregular areas. A final, professional look is only achieved by attention to the small details.With a steady hand, touch up those areas where the lines aren't quite straight or there's unwanted overlap. Be prepared to scrape a little paint bleed off windows. No masking job is perfect. In some cases, it may be necessary to do a little sanding in small areas. If paint was applied in excessively hot weather there may be some bubbles to smooth out and re-do, for example.

Though paints obviously come in cannisters or buckets themselves, you'll often be mixing thinner, water or other compounds into the paint. But that work can be minimized if good preparation techniques were employed. Laying down drop cloths and plastic or paper covering is one method that's effective for large areas. But for tools and body parts different techniques are required.Unless you're satisfied to let paint wear off your hands and face over a period of weeks, wearing a pair of gloves and a good mask and head covering during the job are essential. At the end of the job you just throw them away or save them for next time.Most jobs will require a bucket or two.

For quick jobs, or if you've torn a glove or run out, hand and face lotion can be pretty effective at keeping paint off the hands and face. Paint adheres to the lotion, then you wash normally and most of the paint will come off.

To remove excess oil or alkyd paint at the end of the day or after the final work, a good solvent is needed. Use gloves to protect your hands from it and clean up in a well ventilated area. Throwing away rollers and brushes is an option, but a very expensive one. With a little solvent and some elbow grease they can usually be reused several times.




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