teal
any particulates free of oil: n95, n99, nr100
based finishes. Although some synthetic bristles
work with either painting medium, once you’ve
used a brush for a particular type of paint, con-
tinue using it for that type.
The width of the brush should depend on the
area of the surface to be painted and the amount
of paint to be applied. Because rollers and spray
guns are best for large surfaces, spend your
brush money on smaller, better brushes. Many
pros praise the 21⁄2-in. angled sash brush as the
gloves and glasses
most versatile brush in their arsenal; it’s wide
Here again, even when working with relatively
enough to smooth out paint on baseboard trim
benign substances, wear gloves to protect your
yet slim enough to “cut an edge” at corners and
skin and safety glasses to protect your eyes.
along window casings. If you own only one
Safety glasses are especially important when
brush, this should be it. But if you’ll be painting
spray painting or rolling paint over your head.
many narrow window muntins, also buy a 11⁄2-in.
Disposable gloves will keep chemicals from irri-
sash brush.
tating or drying out your skin. Latex-free nitrile
brush care. Brush care begins with proper use.
plastic gloves are inexpensive, durable, and so
Don’t stab bristles into tight spots. Instead, stroke
flexible that you can pick a stray brush hair off
the paint on. When you take a coffee break, leave
a painted surface while wearing them. A box of
a moderate amount of paint on the bristles so
100 pairs costs less than $10.
they don’t dry out.
brushes
The bristles of high-quality brushes are flagged,
meaning the bristle ends are split and of varying
lengths, enabling them to hold more paint. As
P R O T I P
you shop for brushes, pull lightly on bristles to
make sure they are well attached to the metal fer-
before storing brushes, wrap
rule on the handle. Then, when you gently press
them in stiff paper to protect the
the bristles as though painting, they should
original shape of the bristles.
spread evenly and have a springy, resilient feel.
never wrap damp brushes in foil
Avoid brushes with stiff bristles.
or plastic bags: damp natural
bristles can rot, and paint thin-
bristle types. Bristles are either natural (hog
ner remaining in the bristles can
bristles, for example) or synthetic (usually nylon).
dissolve plastic bags.
Use natural bristles for oil-based paints, varnishes,
shellacs, and solvent-thinned polyurethanes. Use
synthetic bristles for latexes. Nylon bristles may
dissolve in oil-based paints, and natural bristles
Quality bristles fan out as you apply paint. Here, the
tend to swell and clog when used with water-
tapered bristles of a 21⁄2-in. angled sash brush cut a
straight edge where walls meet trim.
508 Chapter 18
Clean brushes immediately after you finish
painting for the day. Remove excess paint from
the bristles by drawing them over a straightedge,
not over the edge of the paint can. Brush the
remaining paint onto old newspapers. Clean the
brush in an appropriate solution: paint thinner
for oil-based paints, soap and water for latexes.
Wear disposable gloves during brush cleaning,
and use your fingers to work the solution into
bristles and all the way to the ferrule. After giving
each brush a thorough initial wash, rinse it in a
fresh batch of solution. When the brushes are
clean, shake and brush out the excess solution.
Rinse with warm water, shake out the excess, and
comb the bristles. (Solvent-cleaned brushes
require an intermediate cleaning with soap and
warm water.) Don’t use hot water when cleaning
Heavy paper or cardboard covers help bristles keep their shape.
brushes because it will swell and split the bristles.
rollers, Pans, Poles, and Pads
Rollers enable you to paint large areas quickly
and evenly. In addition to the familiar 9-in. cylin-
der type, there are also 6-in. “hot-dog” rollers for
tight spaces, such as inside cabinets, and beveled
corner rollers that resemble a pointed wheel.
There are also textured rollers, including stip-
pled, faux finish, and distressed.
Choosing a roller cover. The surface and paint
should determine the type of roller cover, also
called a sleeve. For example, if you’re painting
smooth walls, use a short-nap cover (1⁄4 in. to
1⁄2 in.), whereas concrete block and stucco need
a long nap (1 in. to 11⁄2 in.). Most covers are syn-
thetic and work either with oil-based or latex
paints. However, for fine finishes with glossy
Expanded metal ramps allow you to
oil-based paints, use a fine-nap natural-fiber
load paint quickly and roll excess into
cover. For an ultrasmooth finish when rolling
the bucket. Note the building paper
protecting the floor from paint
enamels, varnish, or polyurethane, use a fine-
spatters.
nap mohair cover.
Don’t buy cheap cardboard-backed roller cov-
ers unless you intend to paint a single room with
latex and then throw the cover away. (Never use
cheap roller covers with oil-based paint. The oil
will pluck the fibers from the cylinders and leave
them sticking to your wall.) Quality roller covers
have plastic sleeves that will survive repeated
cleanings. As you do with brushes, use a roller
cover for only one type of paint, whether oil
Before washing roller covers, use this
based or latex.
painter’s 5-in-1 tool to remove the
excess paint.
roller pans. Ramped metal or plastic roller pans
are routinely sold in packages that include a roller
frame and a cover or two, but pros rarely use
roller pans. Occasionally, a pro will use a pan to
hold a small amount of paint for decorative
painting. But when pros roll multiple rooms,
they prefer an expanded metal ramp inside a
Painting
509
cover, use a 5-in-1 painter’s tool (see the bottom
photo on p. 509) to remove excess paint. Then
slide the cover off the metal roller frame and
wash the cover in the paint-appropriate cleaner,
working out the paint with your gloved fingers.
Repeat the procedure with fresh cleaner, then
wash with soap and water. Blot the excess
moisture with a paper towel or a clean rag. Air-
dry the cover by sliding it onto a wire clothes
hanger; don’t let it lie on its nap while drying.
Store the dried cover or pad in a paper bag or
foil. If a cover or pad wasn’t cleaned properly and
<
br /> has become crusty, throw it away.
Painting Basics
A quality paint job takes preparation, patience,
and experience. In addition, professionals also
learn how to streamline their moves. As one pro
put it, “Any time you eliminate a move in paint-
ing, you save time.”
As you load your brush, dip it only
1
Painting saFelY
⁄2 in. to 1 in. into the paint before
tapping the tip sharply against both
Almost all paints, including latex, contain VOCs,
sides of the pail to remove the excess.
which are hazardous. The following advice is
pertinent for all kinds of paints and stains.
read the label. There’s valuable information on
Smart painters recycle brushes. This
all paint containers: drying time, coverage, thin-
one began life as a finish-coat brush.
ner data (what to use and how much), and safety
Then, as it got tired and splayed, it
instructions. Should an emergency arise—say, a
was used for primer coats. When its
bristles became too crusty and its
child swallows some paint—the guidance you
handle separated from the ferrule, it
need may later be concealed under paint drip-
became a duster.
pings. So read up before you open the can or, bet-
ter, remove and save the label.
don’t breathe paint fumes. Breathing paint or
5-gal. paint bucket about half full. This ramp
solvent fumes can make you dizzy, impair your
gives you room to load the roller and remove
judgment, and, over a sustained period, damage
excess paint quickly—so you can keep painting,
your brain, lungs, and kidneys. Set up a fan to
rather than repeatedly filling a roller pan.
blow fumes away from your work area, and
Paint pads. Pads for paint are about the size of a always wear a half-face respirator with replace-
kitchen sponge and have a short nap. Generally,
able cartridges. Rule of thumb: If you can smell
they are used to paint hard-to-reach spots such
fumes while wearing a snug mask, change
as insides of cabinets. They’re also used for
the cartridge.
applying clear finishes such as polyurethanes to
Ventilation is a particular problem when
flat surfaces.
chemically stripping paints because the chemi-
extension poles. Whether sectioned or telescop-
cals are strong and because heat guns, sanders,
ing, extension poles are indispensable for reach-
and scrapers increase airborne particles. The
ing ceilings and upper parts of walls with rollers
now banned lead-based paints are especially dan-
or pads. Because the poles tax mainly your shoul- gerous when inhaled or ingested, so if you sus-
ders and back, rather than your wrist and arm,
pect that you will be stripping lead paint, always
they enable you to work longer with less fatigue.
test it before disturbing it. See “Lead-Paint
Another advantage: By painting with an exten-
Safety” on p. 514 for more.
sion pole, you don’t need to stand immediately
Protect your eyes and skin. Although most
under the drizzle, known as “paint rain.”
water-based paints are innocuous, oil-based
roller-cover care. If you buy quality roller cov-
paints can be extremely irritating. In most cases,
ers, clean them as soon as you finish a job. For
flush your eyes with water if you get paint in
this, wear disposable gloves. Before washing a
them, and visit a doctor immediately.
510 Chapter 18
brush basiCs
The pros work steadily and methodically and
note what works and what doesn’t. The following
tips will help you keep the job moving and get
great results.
acclimate a new brush. Stand a new brush in
1 in. of oil-based paint for five minutes. After
absorbing a bit of paint, the new bristles will
release paint more readily when you start to
work, whereas thirsty new brushes may drag at
first. It’s not necessary to acclimate brushes when
using latex, which works into bristles within
20 to 30 seconds.
avoid overloading your brush. Pros have only
1⁄2 in. to 1 in. of paint in the bottom of a paint pail
when edging—and the same amount on the tip of
the brush. With this small amount, you’ll cut a
cleaner paint line and keep paint off the brush
handle and your hands. Should the bucket tip
The right protective gear can keep paint mist off your skin over, you’ll have less mess to clean up.
and out of your lungs. This includes a respirator with
replaceable vapor filters, as well as a “spray sock” over
retrieve loose bristles. If a bristle comes loose
your head, safety goggles, and disposable gloves.
and sticks to the surface, pick it out by dabbing
lightly with the tip of the brush. Quality brushes
rarely lose bristles.
There are a few things you can do to protect
Paint with gravity. This is close to an absolute
your skin. Before you start, apply lotion to your
rule. Paint, as a liquid or mist, always falls or
skin to reduce irritation and speed cleanup. Also, drips downward, so it’s better if it lands on
wear gloves, even when using latex, because any
unpainted surfaces—rather than painted ones.
paint will irritate skin over time. Gloves are a
Best sequence: ceilings, walls, trim, baseboards.
must for oil-based paints.
Paint with the grain. When painting trim, brush
When it comes to cleanup, painters have tra-
paint in the direction of the wood grain. Painting
ditionally used paint thinner or turpentine to
cross-grain doesn’t help paint adhere better and
clean their hands and then washed with hot,
will look terrible if brushstrokes dry quickly.
soapy water. However, hot water opens skin
pores, causing them to absorb more solvent.
steady hand, straight paint. Few pros use
Instead of volatile solvents and hot water, it may
masking tape to achieve straight lines when
be safer to use waterless hand cleaner and wipe it brushing paint onto trim, window casing, and
off with paper towels.
the like. Pros feel that tape takes too much time
to apply and sometimes lets the paint seep under,
store paint safely. Store paint where children
leaving a ragged line. Besides, during removal,
can’t reach it. Solvents such as paint thinner, tur-
tape can pull off paint. Patience and a steady
pentine, and all paints—including latex—should
hand work better. With a little practice, it’s easier
be considered toxic and stored out of reach of
than you might think.
children. (Some “green” brands of latex such as
Benjamin Moore® Natura® and AMF Safecoat®
roller basiCs
contain no VOCs, but you still wouldn’t want kids
&n
bsp; to drink them. So store these products safely,
acclimate roller covers to paint. Work paint
too.) Also, store paint where temperatures are
into a new roller cover before using it. Load the
moderate because freezing ruins their bonding
cover with paint. Then roll it up and down the
ability and heat increases their volatility. Close all paint ramp to work the paint down to the base of
containers completely so the paint doesn’t dry
its nap, and remove the excess.
out and contaminants can’t get in. Never store
rags or steel wool dirty with solvents because of
roll upward, after loading a roller with paint.
the danger of spontaneous combustion. Dispose
If you roll downward instead, you’ll be more likely
of such articles safely: Most paint-can labels carry spray excess paint onto walls and floors. Instead,
disposal suggestions, and many municipalities
with an initial upstroke, excess falls back onto
have annual curbside pickups of such materials.
the roller cover.
Painting
511
roll paint in a zigzag. Roller covers contain
vagaries of heat, humidity, and wind. Plus, the
the most paint during the first three to five
equipment can be balky if it’s not scrupulously
passes, so first roll a W or an N to distribute
cleaned and maintained.
“fat paint,” which you can then reroll to spread
As each section is sprayed, the paint
the paint evenly.
should be immediately worked in with a roller
or a brush—at least for the first coat. Back
Lighten up once the paint is spread on the
brushing or back rolling helps the paint
wall. Especially on outside corners (corners that
penetrate and adhere better and evens out
project into a room), don’t bear down on the roller.
P R O T I P
areas where paint has been applied unevenly.
Too much pressure can make the roller skid or
This two-step procedure is best done by
leave roller-edge marks.
Painting contractors over-
two people.
whelmingly favor airless sprayers
Because paint mist is diffuse, you must
Spray Painting
with reversible spray tips.
mask adjacent areas that you don’t want
reversible tips allow you to clear
Spray painting is a great way to get a lot of paint
painted. Done well, masking takes a lot of
clogs quickly—by turning the tip
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