Paint & Wallpaper

If you’re going to paint again tomorrow, just wrap your brushes or rollers in plastic and set them aside in a cool place. If your painting chores are done, clean your tools thoroughly. Latex washes off tools and trays with warm water. Oil-based paint requires a thinner or mineral spirit. Wear plastic gloves and work the solvent into bristles or nap and rinse until the solvent is clear. Once dry, store brushes hanging bristles down in their original wrap or paper. Rollers should dry and store standing on end.

Even if your paint was mixed at the store, stir it thoroughly before each use. If it sits for a while during painting, it is best to give it a quick stir periodically.

To be certain you’ll have touch up paint you will want to buy a gallon or so extra and be sure to have the salesperson write down the exact ingredients of the paint you choose. Luckily, there are machines available which can analyze a chip of paint but, there’s that old saying about an ounce of prevention…it could save you from buying gallons later.

As part of your pre-painting preparation, check the weather forecast. The perfect conditions for painting are a mild day with temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees, little or no wind, and low humidity. Avoid painting if rain or very high humidity is predicted within 24 hours. Stop painting early enough for the surface to dry before evening dew sets it.

If you find lumps in a can of paint that you need, you can “push” them out. Cut out a circle from a piece of wire screen slightly smaller than the can’s inside circumference. Put the screen circle on the surface of the paint. With a little help it will sink to the bottom of the can, taking the lumps with it. Another way to salvage lumpy paint is to strain it through an old nylon stocking.

One of the most important things to be aware of is that paint is formulated for either interior use or exterior use, and they have different properties: Interior paint is formulated for: Scrubbability and stain resistance; Good hiding ability; Splatter resistance; Easy touch-up. Exterior paint is formulated for: Color retention; Resistance to fading; Flexibility to withstand expansion and contraction due to weather; To provide a mildew resistant coating; Resistance to tannin bleed. Don’t think that you should use exterior paints indoors on the assumption that it is “tougher”. In fact, some of the highest-grade exterior paints can be worse to use indoors than a lower-quality interior paint.