To reduce your child’s exposure to lead, get your child checked, have your home tested (especially if your home has paint in poor condition and was built before 1978), and fix any hazards you may have. Children’s blood lead levels tend to increase rapidly from 6 to 12 months of age, and tend to peak at 18 to 24 months of age.
Always store paint in its original container, with the label intact. This will help you properly identify rise color and type of paint when you go to use it again. If key information is concealed by paint drippings, write down the brand, manufacturer’s code, color, gloss level and type of paint on a strip of masking tape and affix it to the side of the can before you put it away.
When painting, keep a damp rag handy to clean up as you go. It’s much easier to clean paint that is still wet.
In painting, holidays are areas which were not covered by paint. These missed areas will haunt most people for years to come. So don’t rush. Watch it dry Latex paint takes between one to six hours to dry. Oil requires eight to 24 hours to cure. The time depends on the climate and moisture in the area you are painting.
Use the right solvent to clean up paint equipment. Check the paint can label. Generally use a mild detergent solution for water-based paints, mineral spirits for alkyd enamels, mineral spirits or turpentine for oil paints, alcohol for shellac, and mineral spirits for varnish. When you are reusing solvent for cleaning equipment, occasionally rub some between your fingers. When it begins to feel sticky, dispose of properly.
Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is dry scraped, dry sanded, or heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can get on surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air when people vacuum, sweep, or walk through it.
When using a paint pad, apply the paint with long, straight strokes, all in the same direction. Do not pull the pad back over the painted area. Also, be aware that paint pads have a tendency to leave lap marks if you do not feather the paint carefully where one stroke meets another.
When painting from a paint can, give it a half turn periodically throughout the job. Dipping the brush into the can alternately on one side of the can and then the other automatically keeps the contents stirred at the surface and prevents a surface film from forming. Also occasionally sweep the tip of the brush back and forth through the paint, especially with a fast-drying latex.
It is always a temptation to take short cuts. You may choose to paint over wallpaper either because you don’t want to take the time to remove it, or perhaps the paper hides cracks and defects in the walls of your older home. Most professionals will suggest that you remove the paper because it may peel or the wall covering texture will be difficult to paint over.
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.
