6 ~ Greshom Outlook. Today Magazine, Sandy Post April 20-21, 1983
A little planning helps
make painting easier
Painting
On the surface, it sounds like a cinch All
you do is dress up like da Vinci, grab a brush
or roller and slap on the color
What you end up with might be satisfac
tory, albeit not “ The Last Supper “
But then again, it might not because pain
ting's just like anything else
The more tim e you spend planning and
finding out what the job's all about, the hap
pier you're going to be with the results
Some experts have honed the subleties of
painting into a science Following are some
tips they offer to help you when you've
decided the interior or exterior of your home
isn’t making it anymore and needs a fresh
coat of paint.
For walls and ceilings you'll probably
wan t a good latex (water-based) paint,
Latex is easy to apply, dries quickly and
splatters are easy to wipe up with a wet
cloth or sponge The surface is as durable as
oil based paint and can be cleaned easily
with soap and water
To determine hov. much paint you’re go
ing to need, measure the width of each wall
you're going to paint, add the figures
together and multiply by the ceiling height
This gives you the total area in square feet
Deduct areas not being painted such as
doors and windows The average spreading
rate for a quality paint is 400 square feet per
gallon
For exteriors, m ultiply the width by the
height of each surface to be painted, again
subtracting areas not to be painted such as
doors and windows Exterior coverage per
gallon varies significantly depending on the
type of surface and application technque
Check with your dealer on how much paint
you'll need for those measurements and the
surface you re dealing with
If you're repainting and not drastically
changing colors, one coat of good quality
paint Is often enough, you'!! need a prim er,
though, if the surface in unpainted wood,
metal or masonry
Previously painted surfaces often need a
primer if the bare wood or metal is exposed
after deteriorating paint or rust has been
removed Prim ers can be tinted very cloae
to the color of your final coat
If you're going to use a brush, get a quail
ty one It w ill hold paint better, spread bet
ter. won t drop its bristles into your work,
will clean easier, last longer and save you
money
For latex paint, use a brush with synthetic
bristles -
nylon or polyeater Natural
bristles are for oil paint
When you dip the brush into the bucket of
nalnt rover the bristles one-third of the way
and don’t drag the bristles against the edge
of the can as you pull the brush out This
takes away half the paint the brush should
be hold Instead pat off any excess paint on
the can's lip
Rollers can cut painting tim e by two-
thirds, but be sure to get a good roller That
means a roller sleeve with a core that won't
bend with pressure For latex paint, use a
nylon or mohair roller La mbs woo I is for oil-
based paints only. Check with your dealer
for the proper length of pile
When using a roller, start by pouring a
small amount of well stirred paint from the
can into the paint tra y Roll the roller in the
tray so it is completely covered with paint
Then remove the excess paint from the
roller by rolling it over the ribbed party of
the tray.
If you try to paint with a too-full roller,
drips, runs and splatters will leave you with
a big cleanup job Roll the paint on with
even strokes while applying light pressure,
oiling in one direction, then over-rolling in
the other Finish off with strokes in one
direction for a neater look
Most professional painters prefer to
scrape windowpanes rather than spend the
mony and tim e to use maksing tape If you
use masking tape, rem em ber to take it off
before the paint fully dries
Professionals say that when you’re pain
ting exteriors, you should follow the sun and
paint with the wind. This means you should
allow the sun to dry the surface thoroughly
and paint as the shade reaches* the area
This w ill prevent too-fast drying on top If
you paint with the wind rather than into it. it
won't make ripples on your work and it
won't blow any drips back onto the wrok
you've finished
Don't paint the exterior in temperatures
lower than So degrees Fahrenheit and don't
paint if there's a chance of rain before the
paint dries
If you take a break while painting , put
your brush or roller in a plastic bag and put
a damp cloth over the top of the can or roller
pan of latx paint If the paint is oil-based,
use a rag with solvent thinner on it.
Don't go all the way to the bottom of a
gallon can before start another one While
there is still a quarter of a can left, stir up a
new gallon Pour the new paint into the old
can and mix them back and forht a few
times This w ill minim ise the chance of any
visible color variations
Apply cold cream or m ineral oil to your
face, hands and arms before you start pain
ting, then any sputters will wipe right off
when you finish
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LANDSCAPING
A io la a
Rhodies
lo rg a Selection of Fruit Trees
PLANTS
Asporogus Roots
Blueberries - 5 yr
Strawberries
Raspberries . . .
Gooseberries
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~ ....,.? f,N STONE NURSERY
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