Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Q&A: Painting tips for tired renovators

Q. Painting is the worst job I have ever done. My arms ache, the cat walked through the paint tray and now everything's a mess. How can it be easier?
A. 
Here are some painting tips I've learnt over the years:
 
  • Cut down the number of coats by tinting the primer or undercoat. Make your first priming coat half the colour density of the final shade to get better coverage.

  • Cover odd-shaped bits of the room you want to keep paint- free with plastic wrap.
- Painters seem divided over whether to use masking tape to protect carpets and skirtings. Most pros have such a steady hand they don't need it but DIYers need all the help they can get. You will need good, low-tack masking tape.
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  • When painting a ceiling, wrap an old towel or cloth around the brush and secure with a rubber band. There'll be no more paint running down the handle.

  • If you don't paint the top and bottom door edges, timber doors can swell in damp weather. Instead of taking them off their hinges, use a scrap of carpet as a paintbrush instead and slip it under the door.
Go to the gym in advance and prep all those arm muscles. Buy Deep Heat. Find someone to massage you the next day. You'll be grateful that you listened.

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Pictures: Photo by Sam McAdams, Inside Out magazine

3 comments:

  1. Great advice. I hate painting more than I hate cooking! A-M x

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  2. And buy a decent paint. Some paints are thick, gloopy and yet offer poor coverage - others roll and brush on like a dream. I love British Paints for their ease of use and amazing coverage. Also, for ceilings, bite the bullet and buy an extension for the roller - the less times you have to climb up and down a ladder the better!

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  3. I'm with A-M - painting is one of the worst jobs in the world. I like to invite friends over to help - provided they have some idea of what they're doing. Paint parties can end in tears, particularly with too many beers. In our last house, we had a friend who spray paints trucks use his equipment on our ceiling. Worked a treat.

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Thanks for taking the time to chat!

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