What to know about Interior Painting (Pt2)

Painting preserves and beautifies.  Painting your interior can liven up living spaces for very little money.  It's easy to do good interior painting by following simple but important steps in both preparing the work surface and painting it whether it is a room or a whole house.

 If you aren't planning to do the work yourself, do yourself a favour and hire a licensed painting contractor especially one accredited like Sentric Design contractors.  There are no guarantees offered, but your chances of getting a good job done by a reputable painting contractor are much better than hiring a cheap painter off the street or getting a recommendation from your buddy "Bob".   

Expert results in painting depend largely on the thoroughness of preparation work, especially pre-paint cleaning, crack filling and sealing.  All decorations, curtains, blinds, pictures, and other items nailed or screwed to the walls should be removed prior to the start of work.  Carefully remove plates from around wall switches and outlets.  Tape over them to protect them from paint.  Clean and dry the plates before replacing them.    

A professional appearing job generally (but not always) requires the removal of hardware from doors, windows and cabinets.  When moving and replacing appliances, it is best to have a trained appliance mover handle that.  If you plan to move them by yourself, check with the manufacturer and follow their safety rules.

Paint should never be applied to a dirty or greasy surface.  Dirt and grease must be washed off prior to the beginning of the painting process.  Any glossy surfaces must be dulled to insure adhesion of the primer or paint.  Here are some of the first things you should do.  Note to DIY'ers.  The best person to accurately answer your paint questions is the Paint Store Manager.  In many paint stores, the guys working behind the counter know less than you do about painting a house.  I have seen some exceptions in well run stores that have knowledgeable staff, but in general, it is best to ask the Manager your questions.   

High Quality in Paint Means better product:

Good quality paint goes on faster, easier and gives better coverage.  Good hiding and flow means the paint will go on with less brushing and give an attractive uniform appearance.  For exterior work, the cost per year is lower with top quality paint. If the surface is properly prepared and you use the right tools, you’ll need to repaint less often and there will be less maintenance. You probably won’t have mildew to remove, nor should you have to worry about chalking, cracking, etc.

For interior work, you should expect a top quality paint to last longer and give you more value. Quality paints resists dirt and staining better and stands up to repeated cleaning better than an "economy" paint.  High quality exterior paints have more durable pigments that resist chalking and fading better than lower quality paints and "bind" the pigment into a tough, continuous film and help the paint adhere to the surface.

Many top quality exterior latex paints are called "100% acrylic" and give maximum adhesion when wet for resistance to blistering and peeling and resistance to mildew and dirt.  Most manufacturers have a wide variety of paints from cheap to expensive.  Just because you are buying a "big name" paint doesn't mean you aren't buying their cheapest variety.  You have to ask what is the best paint.  Expect to pay between £25 -£60 per gallon for the good stuff.  

Painting:

The trend in paint these days is to use water/latex or acrylic based paints.  Water based paints are now longer lasting and more durable paints.  

Ladder Safety:

Here are some useful tips about ladders that apply to both interior and exterior use:

•Check your ladders before use. Make sure that the rungs are connected and free of dirt and paint build-up that could interfere with footing.

•When extending or retracting an extension ladder, pay close attention to what you are doing and hold the pulley rope firmly; if the rope is released, the upper section could drop on your fingers, arms or feet.

•Obey the "four contact" rule: When using an extension ladder, make sure that the tops of both rails make solid contact with walls, and that both legs make solid contact with the floor or ground.

•Never stand higher than the third-highest rung on a ladder. Make sure that the ladder reaches at least three feet higher than the highest level you need to stand.

•Place foam protectors or wads of cloth on the tops of extension ladders, to prevent them from scratching the walls.

•On a A-frame stepladder, make sure the spreader bar is fully extended and locked in place.

•With a straight or extension ladder, make sure that the base is one foot away from the wall for every three feet of height.

•Make sure your pockets are empty of knives, scissors or other pointed tools before climbing any ladder.

•When on the ladder, keep your hips between the rails for good balance.

•Do not push or pull too hard with a scraper or other tools while balanced on the ladder.

•Always wear rubber-soled or another type of non-slip shoe on a ladder.

Solvent Safety:

Non-professionals should not attempt to paint or spray solvent based paint.  Occasionally, solvent products have to be used on a job.  Professional painting contractors should be familiar with handling solvent based products.  Ask them to make sure they are.  Everyone should, when spraying oil-based paint or any other solvent-based coating, make sure all sources of flame are extinguished, including cigarettes and pilot lights.

Be sure to wear rubber gloves and work in a well-ventilated area when using any solvent-based product, such as oil-based paint, paint thinner, liquid sandpaper, de-glosser, or paint remover. Also, avoid mixing any of these products together; toxic fumes may result.

Rags and sandpaper used to clean up solvents should be spread out in the open to dry, and then placed in a fireproof container. If left wet in a pile, they can and will spontaneously combust and cause a fire.  Working with solvent and rags is very dangerous.  Avoid using paints with solvents if possible.  If you are unsure if paint has solvents, ask for an MSDS (material safety data sheet) sheet.  Among other things MSDS sheets provide detailed information on the paint and safety issues.  It is safest to stick with water based paints.  

Storing Leftover Paint:

1. Clean out the groove or "chime" of the container. Make sure that the rim of the lid is clean, too.

2. Cover the opening of the can with plastic wrap.

3. Close the lid tightly, tapping with hammer oil based or alkyd paints have more of a tendency to ‘skin’ during storage. Follow the procedure above.

A few tips for storing paint:

1. Paint a swatch of the paint on the label of the can so you know exactly what colour you have.

2. Write the date and which room was painted with permanent marker on the lid.

3. Don’t store your paint in sunlight or next to a heat source

4. Don’t let paints freeze.

5. My colour keeper is a new product that allows you to keep your home's colours in a handy small book.  

Disposal:

You must check local regulations for the disposal of paint.  Each local has different rules regarding the disposal of paint.  Oil-based or alkyd paints and solvents, including mineral spirits are considered hazardous waste materials.  Precautions and steps must be taken for proper disposal.  Latex paints should also be disposed of properly at a community waste round up.  Many communities have round up centres that accept used paint.  Those centres know how to best dispose of used paint. 

Never dispose of liquid oil-based paints or solvents in regular trash or pour them down the drain. Most communities have special hazardous waste collection for liquid paint. Check your local regulations to ensure proper handling.  Many communities/local councils have toxic waste system in place. Contact them for the safest way to dispose of your paints.