The Power of Color

 COLOR CAN CHANGE YOUR WORLD!

A POORLY EXECUTED PAINT JOB DOES NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN!

Color changes everything. Everyone knows you can give your drab, washed-out walls a burst of brilliant depth (or wash away your decorating sins with white) just by picking up a paint can and having at them. That's the power of a coat of paint: It can give your house a new lease on life.. Which is why painting is the most popular DIY home-improvement project.

While you don't have to be a pro to learn how to paint like one, there is more to a good paint job than just putting some color on the walls. This is where I come in. I will show you how to coat your walls expertly in one weekend, from the first scratch of the pole sander to the final feather of the brush. And you won't be wasting time taping off every corner or backtracking with the touch-up brush like an amateur. As long as you stay organized and take your time, you'll be able to get on with the satisfying business of transforming your room—and with it your whole outlook.

A Poorly executed paint job is easy to spot, with its drips and blobs and bad cut in lines More often than not, haste is the culprit. But with some thorough preparation up front, many of the possible pitfalls will be eliminated—and the actual painting will be much easier, as well. So before you open up your first paint can, schedule in a full day for preparation.  In the painting profession it is just called “Prep”.

Start by masking off with tape or masking paper all trim around the floor and doors and windows.  Do this before you do anything else. 

The next step of prep starts with sanding and sometimes requires scraping. Sanding scuffs up the existing surface so the paint grabs hold; scraping will take off any old bumps or drips. (Be aware of how many layers down there may be lead paint, last sold in the early 1980s; sanding isn’t likely to reveal it, but scraping might.) You should also take your time patching holes, caulking gaps, and cleaning dust or grease with soap and water so you start with a pristine surface.  Once you are done with the scraping and sanding, use a brush and dust off any sanding and scraping dust off of the masking.

If you’re working with new walls, or if you’ve patched any holes before you start, you’ll also need to prime. Primer fills in sponge-like pores and creates an even, solid base that takes paint well. You should also prime if you’re going from a dark to a light color or vice versa. (In the latter case, have the paint store tint the primer to go with your wall color. It will save you at least one coat of paint later on.) Primer should also be sanded before the paint goes on the wall; for a top-notch job, sand between paint coats, too.  There are combination Paint and Primer and a new product of a combination Paint, Primer and filler.  This is offered by Glidden.  It is a fantastic product and it eliminates separate priming and nail hole filling.  Pretty cool.

First-time painters tend to tape every edge to guard against misstrokes. But that can bring on its own problems if paint bleeds under the tape or if you peel paint off when removing it. It’s more efficient to use angled brushes, which draw a straight line when turned on edge. Proper use of an angled brush can save you hours of setup and touch-up.  There is on the market now some special tapes that will not let paint bleed under it.  It is well worth the extra cost because it really works. Whether you tape or not you will still enjoy using a angled brush.  It is the proper tool for the job.

Angled brushes also come in handy for cutting in along corners and ceilings and around trim, where rollers can mark. Fill in a few inches at these spots, then marry the line with the field by rolling over them. Keep a wet edge to avoid dark spots or paint pulls. Most premium paints will perform very well and even a novice can blend the brush marks and the roller nap with ease.

As you paint, be sure to keep moving: Put the paint on the wall, level it out where it’s heavy, and get on with it. Don’t use too many back-and-forth brushstrokes, and don’t spend time making the first coat look perfect (it won’t be). Finally, take a tip from the pros and always keep a damp rag in your pocket to quickly wipe up your mistakes. Even the best painters color outside the lines once in a while.

I seem to have gotten ahead of myself. So we will regress a bit.

After removing any wall art and moving furniture away from the walls, lay canvas tarps (more absorbent and less slippery than plastic) over the furniture and on the floor. Using painter's tape, fasten down the edges. Unscrew all switch plates and electrical outlet covers, and tape over the remaining switches and holes with painter's tape. Tape around any other items of hardware that can't be removed and you do not want paint on.

Always sand and paint the ceiling completely (following these same steps) before addressing the walls.  If you were not planning on painting the ceiling you might want to re-think your plan and paint the ceiling.  You will not get a better opportunity to paint the ceiling until you paint the room again.

Using a pole sander fitted with 120-grit paper, sand the walls (make sure to wear a dust mask). Sweep the sander side to side as you work your way from the top down. Apply medium pressure, and take care that the head doesn’t flop and gouge the wall. Change the paper whenever the grit gets clogged with dust.  Most walls require minimal sanding, if any.  Let the sander do the work not you.

Remove bumps or drips on painted molding with a scraper. Then, using a dampened coarse-grit sanding sponge, rough up the surface. Keep a bucket of warm water nearby, and continually rinse the sponge. Finish with a dampened fine-grit sponge.  This is a step that very few people have to do.  Especially with the paint and primer combination, it will stick to the wall without having to rough them up.  This is also a very messy step and should be taken only if necessary.

Now clear all the dust from the walls and trim. There is very little on the walls.  Most will be on top of the masking you put down and it can be swept away.

Run a thin bead of caulk over any gaps where molding meets wall. Wet your finger and smooth the caulk with even pressure to push it into the crack and leave a crisp edge.

Using a putty knife, fill any small divots or holes in the walls. Use patching compound for plaster and joint compound for drywall. Sand the filler smooth with 120-grit sandpaper.  However, most divots and holes can be filled with the “Paint, Primer and Filler combination that I mentioned earlier.

Prime the patched spots (or the whole wall if necessary). Sand primed areas with 120-grit sand paper, and wipe clean of dust with a damp sponge.

Dip a 2½-inch angled brush into a bucket of paint, loading the paint only a third of the way up the bristles. Tap off—don't wipe—the excess on the side of the bucket. Use the brush to cut in a 2 to 3-inch band of paint at all corners, against the ceiling, and next to molding; this will give the roller some breathing room so it doesn't bump against adjacent areas.

To cut in, run a line of paint along the wall about an inch away from the edge. Then turn the brush onto the bristle tips, and press down slightly so the longest bristles gather into a point. Use this point to draw a careful line of paint right up to the edge where wall meets trim. Once you have a clean line in place, level out any heavy areas or drips, then move on. In order to keep a wet edge, don't work in too large an area at one time.

Once you've cut in around an entire wall area, use a roller to fill in the field. Dampen the roller before using it (with water for latex paint or paint thinner for oils). Dip the roller in a tray filled with just enough paint to reach the grate. Roll it back against the grate to distribute the paint and squeeze out the excess. Make sure the roller is covered completely before painting with it

Roll a W or M shape on the wall to distribute the bulk of the paint. Then use overlapping vertical strokes to spread paint evenly between the lines. Continue painting the wall in this manner until it is covered. Overlap a bit of the cut-in edges to blend away any visible brush marks.

           
If a second coat is necessary, wait until the paint is dry to the touch, then repeat Steps 5 and 6.

With broad moldings, such as baseboards and wainscoting, use a wide, straight-edged brush to paint the bulk of the trim.

Then, using a small, angled sash brush (1- to 2-inch), finish by carefully painting a straight line along the edge. Hold the brush on edge as you did in Step 5, and let a hairline of paint carry over onto the wall to make up for any imperfections on the molding itself.

           

AS ALWAYS,”HAPPY PAINTING AND DECORATING”

Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C. --  Painting Northwest Arkansas Beautiful, “ One house at a time”.

Serving Northwest Arkansas and the greater Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bella Vista area.

 Professional Painters since 1987.

Check us out at www.kenraderinteriors.com

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Ken Rader