Painting Tips and Techniques

Good Painting Practices

Painting can be easy and enjoyable if you follow a few time-proven procedures.

Before you start, buy all the paint for a room at the same time, and have it shaken at the home center. If you use it within a week, just stir it lightly. If you have to wait more than a week, take it back for shaking or mix it with a paint-mixing propeller affixed to an electric drill (run the drill at a slow speed). To reduce spattering, stick the shaft through a foam plastic picnic plate before inserting it in the drill chuck.

Always paint from a small plastic bucket, not the paint can. That way, you can keep the lid on the can so the paint stays fresh. Don't pour more than a couple inches of paint in the bucket. That means less weight to carry and you won't overfill the brush as easily. Before dipping a brush into paint, dampen it with water (for latex paints) or paint thinner or mineral spirits (for oil-base or alkyd paints). Blot excess solvent from the brush so it is just damp. Priming the brush this way keeps the paint on the surface of the bristles and makes cleanup easier.

Previous | Next

Keeping the lid clean: Step 1

Nothing creates more potential for mess than a wet paint can lid -- someone will probably step on it and track paint across the floor. When you remove the lid, slide it into a plastic freezer bag and seal the closure. That will protect the lid and give you a clean edge to lift it off with the next time you need to remove it.

Prep and pour: Step 1

Use a 5-in-1 tool, not a straight screwdriver, to pry up the can lid around its circumference. (A screwdriver will put crimps and dimples in the lid, compromising the seal and letting air in.)

Previous | Next

Keeping the lid clean: Step 2

Punch holes with a 6d or 8d nail at 1-inch intervals around the well the lid fits into. The holes will allow excess paint (from pouring it into a smaller bucket) to drain back into the can and not harden in the well. Dried paint in the well prevents the lid from sealing tightly. This will help keep the paint fresh for its next use.

Prep and pour: Step 2

If the paint was mixed and shaken at the store within the past week, stir it lightly. You can use a flat wooden stirring paddle (usually free at the paint store), but one with holes will move through the paint without causing it to spill over the edge of the can.

Previous | Next

Additives go with the flow

If brush marks on your painted projects bother you, consider a paint additive that improves flow-out without affecting the durability of the finish. One such product for oil-base finishes is Penetrol. Its companion product, Floetrol, is for water-base paint.

These products also work well when you're rolling paint onto walls or ceilings. The improved paint consistency reduces spatters and the appearance of roller marks.

The label provides general guidelines for the amount of additive needed, which varies with the type of paint and the application temperature. It takes some experimenting to get the feel of these products.

Prep and pour: Step 3

Carefully lift the paint can with one hand on either side (you get better control of the pour this way) and pour paint into your small bucket. Put about 2 or 3 inches in the bucket. That way you reduce your chances of overloading the brush. (An overloaded brush keeps paint in the ferrule of the brush instead of applying it to the wall.)

Previous | Next

What If... You're using old paint?

Paint that is more than a year old may have lumps in it that will interfere with application. First stir the paint up from the bottom until it's as free of lumps as possible. Then box the paint, straining it through a nylon paint strainer or cheesecloth. If the paint has developed a skin on top, cut around the skin with an old kitchen knife and remove it.

Loading the brush

Dip a primed brush into the paint only one-third to one-half the length of the bristles. Work the paint into the brush by pressing the bristles against the sides of the container. Tap the brush lightly against the inside of the bucket and lift it clear. Do not scrape the sides of the brush against the top edge of the bucket. That removes paint that belongs on the surface you're painting.

Previous | Next

Comments