There are basically two types of paint: oil ("oil-based") and latex ("water-based"). Then there are several kinds of stains and clear finishes; I have a separate topic on clear finishes.
How To Identify A Paint
A latex paint will mark easily with a
silver coin, but an oil paint will be harder to mark. The latex paint
will soften with a solvent like lacquer thinner or Goof Off. The latex
paint will probably not be as smooth; brush marks or roller stipple
will be more evident. A latex paint may scratch off easier
or even chip off; it will also soften in high humidity.
Lead In Paint?
Older oil paints
sometimes contained lead as a white pigment. Not wise to eat this
stuff, and sanding it will create airborne dust that is not good
to breathe. If you think the paint may contain lead, try to avoid
sanding it; if you must sand it, wear a good dust mask. It is
unlikely today that you will find lead paint that has not been
painted over. Probably the most hazardous situation with lead
paint is if it should be on something a child would chew on,
but even this is unlikely today. I'm not paranoid about lead
in paint since I come across such situations so seldom. If you
have a situation where this is a serious concern, you will have
to call in a certified lead abatement contractor and be willing
to pay the price.
How Does Paint Dry?
Modern paints (both oil and latex) dry
in two stages. First there is the solvent evaporation that results
in the paint being dry to the touch, typically in a few minutes
to a few hours. Yes, there is a solvent in latex paints! Then
the paint cures, which typically takes a couple weeks. This curing
is a chemical process and usually doesn't give off much odor. After
the paint is solvent dried, it is still soft and easily damaged. For
example, an oil enamel can be touched in, say, two hours, but you
can still feel that it is soft for another day.
Be cautious about applying another coat
of paint over the first. Be sure the first is really dry to the touch; a good
measure is that when you sand it, it will dust off. If it just gums up on the
sandpaper, it is not dry. If you apply the second coat too soon, both
may take much longer to dry.
Paint Characteristics
Oil paint today is formulated with EPA
approved solvents, and the unfortunate part is that the lighter
colors tend to yellow as they cure. They also take longer to solvent
dry than they used to, but this is getting faster as paint technology
improves. With oil enamel, touching up a patch later
will show because of the difference in color; this was always true to
some degree. As the painted patch cures, the color difference will show
less, but expect it to show nonetheless. The sheen of the oil enamel will
also dull some as it cures. Paint technology is constantly improving so that
I can now get a nearly non-yellowing fast dry enamel from Dunn-Edwards, a
paint store chain in the western states.
Latex "enamel" paint will hold its color nicely
but it isn't as durable as oil enamel, and it will soften in humid areas
such as baths or kitchens. Using it on kitchen cabinets will work if you
are very gentle with them; even so, it may show chipping around knobs.
The sheen of latex enamel will also dull some as it cures. Latex enamel
does not level out well, particularly when brushed, but there is a way
to improve on this; add a product called Fleotrol. It will improve the
leveling some, but it is no miracle product.
Latex flat wall paint works just fine for walls
and ceilings; it holds its color well and can be touched up months or
years later without the color of the patch standing out. The better
flat paints contain sufficient clay to hide well and they can be cleaned
(washed lightly) without damage. By using this paint on walls and ceilings
you will reduce the reflection of light, and that will tend to hide
imperfections.
Preparation For Painting
Think ahead and do all the prep work first;
don't try to cut corners here. Figure that the prep work will take at least as long as
the painting. Lay out drop cloths or plastic, remove
door knobs and switch plates, etc, etc. I have found that 2-mil thickness
sheet plastic works well; the 1-mil material is cheaper, but it is hard
to handle in that it won't stay in place and it tears easily.
Sand where necessary; clean where necessary.
A power palm sander works very well; you can use up to 36 grit with one
to really cut through rough stuff and remove paint. Then you can work down
through 50 or 60 grit to 100 or 120 grit to 150 or 180 grit. That is about
as far as you need to go for painting.
While sanding, wear a good dust mask. Get the
kind with the two round filter disks; these are usually OSHA rated for
dust. They are not expensive at a home center. Play it smart and wear disposable plastic
gloves; latex gloves fit better but they don't last as well. However, there are
newer heavier latex gloves you might want to try. If you will be painting
a wall or ceiling, wear a painter's cap. I wear glasses and I save an old
pair for painting.
Patch holes before painting, or after priming
if that is called for. Small holes from picture hooks can be patched
with drywall compound; rub it into the surrounding texture with your finger
tip to make it less obvious. See the drywall patching topic for larger patches.
You can use spackle for small patches, but it is unreliable in my experience;
some brands work better than others. It is hard to beat drywall compound
and it is cheaper.
Some people like to mask for painting up to
an edge, but that can be deceptive. Even the best masking tapes will
allow some bleeding under the edge and spoil the work. I seldom use masking
tape. By using a good brush (see below) you can control the painting edge
very well. You can use masking tape effectively as a guide, but just don't paint
heavily over it expecting it to give a nice edge.
Priming
You prime to assure that the paint will
adhere to the material or the existing paint. The primer is a bond coat and only
one coat is necessary normally. For example, putting latex finishes over oil-based enamel
is a waste of time; it will come right off with the least abuse. I have
seen it come off in sheets! You must use an oil primer first. Use one of the
tests to tell what the older paint is; if you still aren't sure, prime it.
If the old finish is oil enamel or a varnish,
sand it lightly and as necessary,
then wipe on a petroleum-based liquid deglosser to soften the old finish;
you can use a paper towel, and wear plastic gloves. Don't waste your
time with TSP; it doesn't do the job and is difficult to wash off. It will
make a tediously long job where using the deglosser is fast. Degloss
a limited area at a time and prime within one hour or you will have to
wipe on more of it. Yes, you are putting petroleum vapors into the atmosphere
with the deglosser and primer, but you want the paint to last. Of course,
you will only have to do this once.
There are two primers I recommend for this:
Zinsser's Cover Stain (oil) and their B-I-N (shellac-based). Since Cover
Stain is cheaper, I usually use it. If you have a mean stain to cover,
B-I-N is the better choice. Both will cover stains
and odd paints and both dry fast, but B-I-N is particularly good at covering
water stains and tobacco smoke stains. Be aware that shellac-based primers
require ammonia water or denatured alcohol for cleanup where Cover Stain
can be cleaned up with paint thinner or Naphtha; lacquer thinner will also
clean up both primers.
Prime new wood, of course, using the Cover Stain.
For new drywall or patched drywall that will get a latex top coat, you
can use Cover Stain, or Zinsser's Bulls Eye 1-2-3 (latex); 1-2-3 also
dries fast, and it cleans up easily with warm soapy water. You could use
a PVA (PolyVinyl Acetate) sealer/primer of any brand; they are cheap but
I find that they do not cover as reliably and I have stopped using them.
The Tools
For inside painting, use brush, old standard
roller, new slim roller, or power roller. Some people like foam brushes
and paint pads. I don't, but some material instructions say to use foam
brushes. My most recent experience with a foam brush is that it did not
flow the material on as smoothly as a good synthetic bristle brush, so I
just don't use them.
To get a decent finish, get a decent brush.
Expect to pay $10-15 for a brush, and it will be relatively
easy to clean and use for a long time. My favorite brush is a Nylon/Polyester
mix with tapered bristles. It is supple and easy to use, and it cleans up nicely.
It will give about the best finish of any brush, short of camel's hair.
Purdy brand brushes are common here but be aware that they sell two different
"weights"; the heavier brush holds more paint and I recommend using it. I buy
only angle cut "sash" brushes because they just seem like
a natural extension of my hand, and they are easier to get into corners
and other awkward places; the 2-1/2" width is good for most work, but you
may prefer a 2" brush at times.
For just a little touch-up or spot priming I
sometimes use a cheap disposable brush, sometimes called a chip brush. When through,
trash them. Watch out for bristles shedding on your work, and expect that the finish will
be somewhat coarse. This can be a problem even with primer since the surface
will effect the surface of the paint over it.
There are several advantages to the new slim
rollers: they get closer into corners so you don't always need to "cut
in" the corners with a brush; they get into tight places like between the
slats of a lattice; and they throw less paint back at you. The downside
is they hold less paint. By using a long handled roller frame, you may
be able to reach a normal ceiling and thereby avoid the need for a ladder.
There are several lengths of nap for standard
and slim rollers: 1/4" for smooth surfaces, 3/8" for standard wall texture,
and 1/2" or 3/4" for rough surfaces. I used to use the 3/8" nap for everything,
but find that the 1/2" nap sometimes gives more even coverage.
The 1/4" nap is really too short for latex paints, and I very seldom use them for
anything. There are also very
long nap or special foam rollers for painting acoustic ceiling texture.
Standard rollers can be cleaned of latex paint
easily by using a roller spinner in a 5-gallon bucket, but if time is
important to you, throw away the roller cover. The new slim rollers are
cheaper and are difficult to clean, so throw them away after use.
I use paint tray liners for both latex and oil.
After use, I brush the remainder back into the can and trash the liner. This saves
the paint tray and eliminates having to clean it.
To paint the whole inside of a house with the
same color, buy or rent a power roller. A trigger operated power pump
forces paint through a hose to the roller. When the roller starts getting
dry, press the trigger and load it up again. Most of these work from a l-gallon
can, but the better ones also work from a 5-gallon bucket. With a power
roller you can do the job in a fraction of the time. Note: it takes time
to clean a power roller, so you don't want to use one unless you are painting
two or more rooms. Wagner makes a good power roller that sells for about $120.
However, my experience is that the pump fails after a while. It should last for one
complete job - say two weeks - but saving it for use again in a few years may be
disappointing. I read that the new ones have a self-cleaning feature and that the
pumps last better, so if you have the need, get one. The rollers are special
(perforated) and cost a bit more, but that should not be a consideration.
Continued Tomorrow ...
If you have to stop overnight and continue painting
the next day, there are a couple ways to save time. If using a roller
and tray and brush - either latex or oil - you can cover them with aluminum
foil or plastic; foil is best. If using just a brush in either latex or
oil, you can wrap it in a market plastic bag. Do close the paint can overnight;
use a hammer, on the edge, not the middle of the lid. If you have paint
in the edge groove of the can, use the brush to lift out as much as you
can and put a paper towel over the can before you hammer on it. For a brush
in oil, you can store one a long time by wrapping it in foil and putting
it in the freezer.
Painting Cabinets and Doors
Note that the cabinet face frame is made of pieces
of wood. Use a brush and paint each piece individually, so to speak. Start
with the edges of the cabinet openings, then do the face of the innermost pieces
and overlap the end joints a small amount. Then do the pieces the first
ones join to; then get the next pieces, and so on. Do all these one right
after another in a local area so the paint doesn't start to set up before
you brush out the overlap at the joints. Painting this way will give you
brush strokes like the wood grain; that makes the brush strokes less obvious,
and saves you work.
For the large end panels of a cabinet: if you
are doing a lot painting, use a roller to lay on the paint, then brushstroke
it out right away; don't wait! Same for slab doors. The new slim paint
rollers are great for this.
For painting doors - room doors or cabinet doors - paint
the edges first and wipe off paint that flows over to the faces
with a "dry" brush or paper towel. Then do the door faces. Move cabinet doors around
with a finger tip on the out-of-sight outside corner; lower corner of a
lower door, for example. For room doors, take off the knob and latch bolt
and latch plate first. You can move the door with a finger in the knob opening.
To paint a paneled door, paint the moldings around the panels first, then the panels,
then the inside frame pieces, then finally the outside vertical frame pieces (stiles).
Here is a neat trick for painting kitchen cabinet
doors and drawers: Take them off the hinges and number each one. I use
a 1/4" chisel or straight screwdriver blade and hammer to make Roman numerals
on the unseen edge of the door or drawer front; top edge of the top doors
and bottom edge of the bottom doors. Then make a sketch of the cabinets
with the numbers on it. This saves a lot of fuss when you put the doors
back. Then lay out sheet plastic in the garage and set the doors on wood
blocks over the plastic. I keep a 5 gal bucket of 2x2x2 blocks for this
purpose. Paint the backs first so the fronts get your final attention. Set
the drawers on their backs. Now you can paint the doors/drawers with the
back or face horizontal so that paint runs just don't happen. Well, except
you can get runs over the edge, so wipe them off with a paper towel or rag.
Painting Multi-pane Windows
Painting multi-paned windows is a challenge! This
is where you must use an angle cut brush. Take your time and relax; you
can't hurry this job. You want a very fine bead of paint to flow onto the
glass to seal the joint, so forget about masking. If you mess up and smear
a blob of paint on the glass, wipe it off and try again. Use the point
of the brush in the corners, but the whole edge of the brush along the edge
of the glass. If it doesn't flow right, lift off the brush and try again, maybe
in the other direction. After a while, you will get a feel for how to load the brush and
hold it to get the paint where you want it. Keep your eye on the paint on
the brush as well as what you are painting so you can keep it from dripping.
Tip: if you lift the loaded brush over to the
work and realize you have too much paint on it, "park" a bit of it somewhere
ahead of where you are. Then as you catch up with that parked paint, just
smooth it right into where you want it.
Painting Walls and Ceilings
Before you start, remove switch and outlet cover
plates and loosen light fixtures. You can tell a cheap paint job by looking
at these plates and the outlets. If both are painted, you are going to have
trouble with the outlet much sooner than normal, and you will have trouble
getting the plates off. Latex paint on outlets will soon have black marks
from plug prongs, and switches will show finger prints easily. I have seen
outlets burned because of paint slopped over them. Do it right and remove
the plates. Then carefully paint around the outlets and switches; you can
do this even with a roller.
Some painters seal switch and outlet cover plates
to the wall with caulk and then brush up to the edge of the plate. I have
heard that some government specs require this. This looks neat, but it
makes a lot more work; to later remove a caulked plate for access to the wiring,
you have to cut the caulk, and then recaulk and touch up paint when you
are through. That's a lot of extra work just to change a switch, for example.
To paint a ceiling that has a ceiling fan, loosely
mask the whole fan with plastic and drop the canopy cover if you can. Brush
up around the fan mounting or canopy cover. Do the same thing around a
light fixture; if at all possible remove it or loosen it to get the best job.
The old standard roller works just fine for large
areas like walls and ceilings, but the new slim rollers work, too,
and they get into the corners better. In using a roller, it is absolutely essential
to roll in random directions to cover lap marks and voids; you will see roller marks
if you roll straight up and down. Roller over places you cut in with a brush.
Keep it Clean
I have seen even professional painters that end
the day with paint all over their hands and arms, but it is just not
necessary. First of all, use disposable plastic gloves. If you get a
smear of paint on you, take a moment and wipe it off. Otherwise, you
will end up transferring that to something else, and that leads to a
mess. Working over your head is basically messy, but control it, and
wear a painter's cap.
In using a brush, never dip it more than 1/4 to 1/3
way into the paint, and then wipe off the excess, and
wipe off drops of paint building up on it. Splatters from a roller are
caused by going too fast and/or pressing it too hard against the surface
to get the last bit out. If it starts to run dry, load it up again. A light
touch is best.
Professionals may use lacquer thinner to clean
latex paint from roller covers and brushes. This may be economical if they
have a bunch of tools for a large crew, but I prefer to use liquid soap
and warm water. If paint has started to set up on the upper part of the bristles,
you can use a wire brush to loosen it, brushing away from the handle, and then
continue with the warm soapy water.
Odds are you will save the remaining paint in
its original can. Don't let paint cover the instructions; you may have
to refer to them later in the day or next year. Pour paint and tip your
brush against the front label side of the can and wipe off the label enough so
you can read the name and color. Then mark the can top with a felt-tip marker
so you know where you used it and the date. This may seem like a bother
now, but three years from now, when needed for an emergency repair, you
will be glad you did.
Now you are ready to work like a pro!