Renovation 4th Edition

by Michael Litchfield

  After unloading most of the paint on the roller in a zigzag

  pattern, spread it out evenly, top to bottom.

  Painting the walls is nearly the same as paint-

  ing ceilings—cutting in with a brush and rolling

  larger areas—except that you can load more

  latex paint, unless you’ve waited several weeks

  paint on the roller. To reduce spatter, roll up on

  between coats; until latex is 100% dry, new coats

  the first stroke; the excess will fall back to the

  adhere easily.

  roller. Continue rolling in a zigzag pattern to

  unload the roller before rolling out the paint. A

  Painting interior trim begins with preparation

  Rather than masking windowpanes or 6-in. hot-dog roller can paint the areas over doors tasks. Prepare the trim, window sashes, and attempting to cut in clean paint lines, and windows that are too narrow for a standard doors by filling nail holes with nonshrinking paint slightly (1⁄16 in.) onto the glass.

  After the paint dries, use a razor to

  9-in. roller. Rolling is always faster than brushing wood filler, priming bare wood, caulking gaps

  cut a clean line.

  because you don’t need to dip a roller in paint

  with acrylic latex caulk (letting it dry overnight),

  continually. If you’re careful around electrical

  lightly sanding all trim with 180-grit sandpaper,

  outlets, you can also use a hot-dog roller there.

  and vacuuming dust and debris. Enamel paint—

  With more paint on your roller, you can cover

  which dries to a hard, glossy finish—is best for

  P R O T I P

  slightly larger expanses of wall, say, 3 ft. by 4 ft.

  trim, window sashes, and doors because it’s the

  If you start at the top of the wall and work down, most durable. By the way, there are both oil-

  When cutting corners or trim,

  you’ll roll over any drips from above. Cover

  based and latex enamels.

  slightly overlap the paint on the

  brushmarks by rolling within 1⁄2 in. to 1 in. of the

  Painting straight edges requires a quality

  adjacent surface 1⁄8 in. to 1⁄4 in.

  ceiling; this is important when applying darker

  brush and a steady hand. If you can develop a

  overlapping prevents unpainted

  hues because rolled-on paint reflects light differ-

  steady hand, you won’t need to use masking tape,

  spots, fills minor irregularities,

  ently than paint that’s been brushed on. Slightly

  which is time-consuming. In most cases, all you

  and ultimately produces a cleaner

  overlap adjacent sections. To avoid unloading

  need is a 21⁄2-in. or 3-in. angled sash brush, unless

  line. it’s also faster. Remember:

  excess paint along outside corners, lighten up as

  your baseboards are exceptionally wide. Start

  You don’t need to paint a per-

  you roll.

  with crown (ceiling) molding, proceed to door

  fectly straight cut line until you

  Finally, sand lightly between coats when you

  and window trim, and finish with the base-

  apply the finish coat to the trim.

  apply oil-based paint, especially enamels on cabi-

  boards. Always paint with the grain, cutting trim

  nets or trim. On walls, use 220-grit sandpaper or

  edges first, then filling in the field with steady

  a dry sanding block. It’s not necessary to sand

  back-and-forth strokes. To avoid lap marks, paint

  520 Chapter 18

  Faux-Painted Walls

  Faux (pronounced foe) is French, meaning “false”

  or “imitation.” it’s used here to describe various

  advanced painting techniques that create layered

  finishes, sometimes to imitate stone or wood or

  simply to allow underlying layers of paint to show

  through. typically, two accent colors are applied to

  already painted walls and ceilings. if the surfaces

  are irregular—say, rough plaster—all the better,

  for colors will look more varied and unpredictable.

  in general, thin coats of paint allow you to see lay-

  ers underneath. the photos here show a few faux-

  painting basics; if this whets your appetite for

  more, there are lots of good books on the subject.

  Faux texturing

  in this sequence, the painter was trying to achieve

  an old look, as if an imperfectly plastered wall had

  been painted many times. there’s no single right

  way to apply a faux finish, so you can experiment

  1. After pouring a small amount of the first accent color into a shallow

  with methods and materials until you get a look

  container, load your stippling brush lightly. Then quickly jab the bristles at the

  wall to create a stippled effect. Follow with a dry rag, lightly patting the just-

  you like. then just try to re-create that look consis-

  applied paint to flatten the stipple points. Just flatten the points; don’t remove

  tently throughout the room.

  the paint itself.

  3. Pat the second accent color on. Then flip

  the sponge to its dry side and gently move the

  color around, spreading paint, not removing it;

  the wet side of this sponge would have

  streaked the paint. Stand back periodically to

  check whether the faux effect is consistent

  2. Apply the second accent color with a sponge, while the first coat is still wet.

  from wall to wall.

  Tip: Because dipping a sponge will load too much paint onto it, instead brush

  the paint onto one side of the sponge, as shown.

  Painting

  521

  about 3 ft. of trim at a time, overlapping adjacent Windows sashes vary greatly in design. But as a P R O T I P

  sections while they’re still wet. If the paint is dry-

  general rule, paint them from the inside of the

  ing too fast, add Flood’s Floetrol to latex paint or

  sash out. That is, if sashes are divided into multi-

  too often, amateurs dab paint

  its Penetrol® to oil-based paint.

  ple panes by muntins (narrow wood sections

  on, which leaves crooked lines

  If trim edges are thinner than 3⁄16 in., they’ll be between panes of glass), paint the muntins first.

  and uneven paint thickness. as

  difficult to cut in without spreading trim paint on Then paint along the insides of sash rails and

  you cut in or paint trim, use long

  brushstrokes. apply paint gener-

  the wall. In that case, overlap the wall paint onto

  stiles where they meet glass. Finally, paint the

  ously to the surface, then smooth

  the trim edge so that it covers the edge completely, faces of sashes. To develop a rhythm, paint all the

  it out. For best brush control,

  producing a clean, straight line. In other words,

  vertical muntins—one side at a time—then the

  hold the handle, not the ferrule,

  the thin edge of the trim will be covered with wall horizontal muntins. By painting similar window

  as if you were throwing a dart.

  paint, not trim paint, but your eye won’t notice.

  elements at the same time, rather than jumping

  around, you’ll be less likely to miss elements and

  the
work will go faster.

  Don’t worry about cutting in clean edges at

  the glass. Instead, paint slightly onto the glass

  (1⁄16 in.), even if unevenly, thus creating a tight

  seal. After the paint dries, use a razor to cut a

  zzzzzz Painting a double-hung Window (interior view)

  clean line on the glazing.

  1. Before painting, make

  Open windows to paint their edges. When

  sure both sashes are

  painting double-hung windows, follow the steps

  Raise inner sash.

  operable. Raise the inner

  at left. If you are repainting the exterior of the

  sash, as shown, so you can

  house at the same time, go outside and paint the

  paint it completely,

  accessible parts of the window. Slide the window

  including the tops and

  sashes back to their original position, and finish

  bottoms of its rails

  painting. To prevent binding, move the sashes as

  (horizontals).

  soon as the paint is dry.

  Lower the outer

  sash and paint its

  Painting a door is easiest if you pull the hinge

  lower half.

  pins and lay the door across a pair of sawhorses.

  (If that’s not possible, shim beneath the door so it

  can’t move.) For the best-looking results, remove

  all door hardware except hinge leaves, especially

  if you’re spray painting. Cover the hinges with

  masking tape. If you prefer not to remove the old

  2. Reverse the position of

  latch mechanism and escutcheons, carefully

  the sashes and paint the

  Raise outer sash.

  mask them, too.

  rest of the upper sash.

  If you’re brush painting a flush door (flat sur-

  face), divide it into several imaginary rectangles,

  each half the width of the door. Apply paint with

  Lower inner sash.

  the grain and overlap the edges of adjacent sec-

  tions. Work from top to bottom. Painting panel

  doors is similar, but work from the inside out:

  Paint the insides of the panels first, next the rails

  (horizontal pieces) top to bottom, and finally the

  vertical stiles.

  Painting cabinets is faster if you remove and

  spray paint drawers and doors, and brush paint

  cabinet frames. You’ll need a spray room isolated

  3. Once the paint is dry

  Jambs

  from the house (a clean garage is ideal); a drying

  enough to handle, lower

  rack for doors; and a sprayer, which you can rent.

  both sashes completely and

  Lower and later raise

  Be sure to read the earlier sections on painting

  paint the upper half of the

  both sashes to paint

  safety and spray painting, which emphasize ven-

  jambs. When that’s dry,

  jambs and trim.

  tilation and wearing a respirator.

  raise both sashes, and paint

  Start by washing doors and drawer fronts,

  the lower half, and then

  especially those near the kitchen stove. If your

  the window trim.

  cleaner isn’t cutting the grease, try TSP or dena-

  522 Chapter 18

  P R O T I P

  to paint both sides of a door

  without waiting for the first

  painted side to dry, drive a pair

  of nails into the top and bottom

  of the door, then rest those nails

  on a pair of sawhorses. You and a

  helper can grab the nails and flip

  the door over. When both sides

  are dry, pull the nails, then fill

  and paint the holes.

  P R O T I P

  Most amateurs fold sheets of

  sandpaper in half, then in quar-

  ters. but sheets will last longer if

  you fold them in thirds. Folding

  sandpaper in fourths places abra-

  sive surfaces face to face, caus-

  ing premature wear.

  To spray paint a door, first place it across sawhorses at a comfortable working height. Mask hinges to keep paint off and ensure that the doors will hang correctly when reinstalled. Then move the sprayer smoothly and continuously,

  maintaining a constant distance from the surface. Overlap preceding passes by about a third. On each pass, begin

  spraying before the spray tip is over the door, and don’t release the trigger until the paint fan is past the far edge.

  Use your free hand, as shown, to keep the hose out of the way.

  tured alcohol; make sure you wear goggles and

  gloves. That done, examine the cabinet parts and

  their hardware, and plan to replace the doors or

  drawer fronts that are warped or not repairable,

  as well as hardware that’s broken or outdated.

  Before disassembling cabinet parts for spraying,

  assign each door and drawer a number. Write

  these numbers just inside the cabinet frame,

  where they won’t be covered by paint. Number

  lower cabinet doors on bottom edges and upper

  doors on top edges (the least visible locations), or

  number them behind the hinges.

  Tape over door-hinge mortises if you’ll reuse

  the hinges. Otherwise, paint buildup in the mor-

  tise may misalign the hinges and thus the doors.

  Either cover the mortises with tape or leave the

  hinges on the doors and mask off the hinges.

  Remove hardware before prepping the doors.

  If existing paint is flaking or the doors are dented,

  start with 100-grit sandpaper in a random-orbit

  sander, wipe off dust with a damp rag, and fill

  cracks and holes with nonshrinking wood filler.

  When spray painting only the face of a drawer, mask off the rest.

  Repeat the sequence as needed, ending with a

  220-grit sanding by hand. However, if the old

  paint is in good condition, a single pass with

  220-grit paper and a damp rag is all you’ll need

  to prep before painting.

  Painting

  523

  For the most durable surface, apply a coat of

  primer-sealer to unpainted surfaces. (A painted

  homemade drying rack

  surface in good condition does not need a primer.)

  Follow this with three coats of enamel, which

  this freestanding drying rack is constructed from 8-ft. lengths of 1⁄2-in. galvanized-

  will hide well, even if you’re applying light paint

  steel electrical conduit, 2x2 frames lag-screwed together, and two pieces of 3⁄4-in. ply-

  over dark. Use acrylic-latex paint for the primer

  wood. the plywood base is roughly 30 in. by 30 in.; the plywood top can be smaller,

  and finish coats, even if the cabinets are presently

  say, 18 in. by 18 in. drilling

  covered with oil-based enamel. Top-quality latex

  the holes in the 2x2s slightly

  enamel is almost as tough as any oil-based

  larger than the conduit diame-

  enamel, it dries faster, and it’s much easier to

  ter allows quick disassembly.

  clean up. To minimize runs, keep the doors hori-

  to keep the conduit from get-

  zontal during spraying and drying. Between

  ting dinged during transport,

  coats, sand lightly with 320-grit gar
net sand-

  store it in 3-in. plastic dWv

  paper. Painting drawer faces is essentially the

  (drain, waste, and vent) pipe

  same, except that you should mask off the

  with capped ends; wrapping

  drawer sides. Paint cabinet frames from the

  blue tape around the conduit

  inside out, finishing with long, vertical strokes

  prevents the metal from mar-

  on the frame faces.

  ring newly painted cabinet

  doors. to avoid tipping, load

  Stripping and Refinishing

  the rack from the bottom,

  Interior Trim and Wood

  unload it from the top, and

  balance the weight carefully

  Paneling

  side to side.

  Natural wood can be handsome, but stripping

  layers of old paint or a dulled finish is an enor-

  mously tedious, messy job. The following ques-

  tions and tests may give you easier options.

  six questions beFore striPPing

   What kind of paint? Trim paint in houses

  built before 1978 likely contains lead, which

  becomes hazardous if you sand it or heat-strip

  P R O T I P

  it. Yet it may be perfectly safe if it’s intact and

  well maintained. Analyze a paint sample, as

  For some old-house purists,

  explained on p. 515. Also, the more paint

  spray-painted finishes are too

  layers, the bigger the mess.

  perfect. so, after spraying two

   What kind of wood? Builders often used

  finish coats, they use a 6-in.

  plain or inferior-grade softwood for trim they

  roller to apply a thinned (10% to

  intended to paint. Test-strip a small section to

  15%) final coat. they then tip off

  see if the wood is worth stripping. Common

  the surface with light strokes of a

  brush tip. use a 3⁄8-in. mohair

  pine or spruce and badly gouged wood

  roller cover, which will not shed.

  probably aren’t.

  easy does it: brushmarks should

  

  Stains and clear finishes are thinner than paint and more

  How thick is the wood? If wood paneling

  be faint—barely visible, in fact.

  inclined to run, so mask off adjacent areas before starting is a 1⁄16-in. veneer, it may be too thin to sand, let

  prep work.

  alone scrape and strip. After turning off the

  electrical power, move panel battens (vertical

  pieces) or electrical outlet covers to see the

  P R O T I P

  edge of a panel.

   Will washing do it? Clear finishes that