Archive for the ‘Painting’ Category

In cities across the United States green living and healthy building strategies are becoming increasingly popular. From San Francisco, CA to Asheville, North Carolina, the green real estate market is hot and using Earth friendly products for home renovations is becoming standard practice. According to educational web sites and industry publications indoor air is often two or three times more polluted than outdoor air because of toxins found in paints, stains and finishes.

In his article entitled “Avoiding Paint Toxicity”, published on http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com, writer Rick Braunshausen says, “Poor indoor air quality is one of the most serious problems that architects and engineers work to rectify in both new and existing buildings.” “The effect of toxic agents from paints is especially dangerous when the building remains occupied during remodeling or repainting,” he continues. So what can you do to protect yourself and your loved ones from harsh chemicals when painting inside your home? The first and most important step is to get educated.

The Air is Always Greener in a Home Safe From VOC’s

Many homeowners and homebuyers are familiar with the dangers of lead paint. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, http://www.cpsc.gov/, has a public safety alert posted online that explains what you need to know about lead based paint in your home. Homes built prior to 1980 are most at risk for lead contamination from paint. Real estate agents are required to provide a lead base paint disclosure form to any homebuyer investing in a home built prior to 1978. This is especially important for families because children have a higher sensitivity to lead. Lead paint must be ingested or inhaled for poisoning to occur and tests can be done on paint in your home if lead is a potential concern. Lead is not the only toxic substance found in paint, finishes and stains, however, there are other chemicals that are dangerous for both people and animals.

Volatile organic compounds, also called VOC’s, are found in solvent-based paints and when used in enclosed areas can cause a variety of health conditions. According to writer Christi Graham, featured on http://www.HealthyHomePlans.com/, “The American Lung Association reports that VOC’s can produce a number of physical problems such as: eye and skin irritation, lung and breathing problems, headaches, nausea, muscle weakness and liver and kidney damage.” “VOC’s are consistently ten times higher indoors than outdoors, with numbers rising to 1,000 times higher after a new coat of paint,” Graham continues.

In the past VOC chemicals were considered necessary for paint to be high performance, but new environmental initiatives have promoted the development and sale of low-VOC and zero-VOC paints, stains and finishes. Low-VOC and zero-VOC paints are less harmful to humans and the Earth but are still durable and affordable. As green products become more readily available on the market these alternative paints will become more cost effective, especially for homeowners with children.

Green Living Tips for Painting the Interior of Your Home

Living a green lifestyle means many things to many people. Using non-toxic paints is a great first step to creating a healthier home environment. Here are some tips for getting started on your next painting project.

Tip 1. Use low-VOC, zero-VOC or natural paints. Currently there are a wide variety of paint companies on the market offering lines of non-toxic paint for indoor use. Alternative paint companies specializing in green products and even mainstream paint producers like Sherwin Williams have created low and zero-VOC products for indoor home use.

Tip 2. Always be certain you have enough air ventilation when painting your home and buy paints with sealing properties that help decrease outgassing. Keep in mind that outgassing is at its worst for the first four days. Large fans placed in open windows and doorways are essential for avoiding harmful fumes and even small amounts of VOC’s.

Tip 3. Compare prices on various nontoxic paints. As the trend of green paint products gains attention alternative paints will continue to become more competitive in price. Many paints and other green products can be researched and purchased online.

Tip 4. Choose the right paint for the right job. Different types of paint serve different purposes in the home. For instance, if you plan to paint a kitchen or bathroom make sure the paint can withstand scrubbing and cleaning.

Tip 5. Buy the right amount of paint for the job. Find out the square footage of the room or rooms you want to paint and purchase the amount of paint necessary for that square footage. This will reduce waste and save money.

Environmental concerns will become more prevalent in the future and green real estate practices can help preserve the Earth and keep you and our family healthy.

For more information on green real estate and healthy built homes visit [http://www.JaneSellsAsheville.com]

Jane Kayton is a real estate agent with Century 21 All Seasons based in Asheville, NC. She specializes in helping her clients find the perfect mountain homes and land near Asheville. Jane is also an avid whitewater rafter and hiker. To learn more about real estate in Western North Carolina visit her web site [http://www.JaneSellsAsheville.com]

Author: Jane Kayton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Paint Preparation
This is the most time-consuming part of painting. That blue tape or masking tape in the hardware store is a necessity in keeping clean lines and paint off the windows or doors. Tape the part that is not to be painted. The tape will stop the paint from leaking through if the line is not exactly perfect. Unfortunately, taping everything will take some time.

Move heavy furniture to the middle of the room. Move smaller furniture completely out of the room. Cover the furniture to protect against the occasional paint splatter. Accidents do happen. But hopefully, not on the furniture.

Cover the floor with plastic or a canvas. Plastic is better to prevent paint seepage into the floor when the paint can gets knocked over. Canvas will absorb the paint but it might seep through for large amounts.

Prepare the wall for paint by ensuring all the holes are patched up and the walls are clean. Painting over holes will not make them disappear. The end result will look weird if the holes merely have paint covering them. Follow the directions of the patch kit. Allow time for the patching to dry.

Equipment

1. Patch kit
2. Blue tape or masking tape
3. Plastic or canvas tarp
4. Furniture coverings
5. Ladder or extensions for high places
6. Wet towels for easy clean-up
7. Old clothes
8. Wall Paint
9. Pry bar, usually comes with the paint can
10. Paint brushes
11. Paint rollers
12. Roller pans
13. Straight Edge that can be painted

Types of Paint
Primer paint is good to use if the wall color is particularly dark or a lot of patching was needed on the walls. It hides the flaws and less coats of paint are needed when using a primer. The primer can be tinted if necessary for darker color choices.

There are two bases for paint. Latex and oil based paints. Latex paints have a few advantages over oil-based paint. They are more durable, have less fumes and clean-up easily with water. Interior house paint is best for indoor use.

There are three classifications for paint, flat, semi-gloss, and high gloss. This just explains the type of shine the walls will have when the painting is done. Flat will have no shine. Semi-gloss is not as shiny as high gloss. Semi-gloss is a happy medium.

Painting
Painting can begin either with the cutting in or the wall itself. Cutting in means painting all the edges that a roller can not reach. A straight edge can come in handy when dealing with ceilings, floors, or window edges. This will keep the unwanted surface from being painted and will help with keeping lines straight. Too much paint on the paint brush can cause drips, so wipe off some of the excess before painting.

When painting the main wall, use the roller and paint in a w shape. Overlap the paint until all surfaces are covered. Refill the roller as needed and do not allow it to get to dry. Painting with a roller will proceed quickly. Immediate progress will be seen. This will take the shortest amount of time to complete.

Textured paint and wall paint designs can add a different look to the regularly painted wall. Texture paint can hid flaws and have a variety of rollers that create a wide variety of looks. Wall paint designs are usually stencils but can be homemade. Painting a large sequence of stencils is very tedious and time-consuming so keep that in mind before making a decision.

Painting is a good project for a do-it-yourself beginner. Painting makes a visual impact and brings a sense of accomplishment. It can inspire bigger and better projects for the homeowner.

Painting Using Texture Roller

Author: Parth Mudgal
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you are going to paint your home and have decided to do it yourself take a little extra time and spend a bit more money to do it right. Colors are subjective, but the quality of materials and painting tools are not. For this example we are going to go through the process of painting the interior of a typical home. In just about every paint job I did I insisted that customers used an oil based paint on woodwork and doors. Not only does oil paint make wood look and feel better it gives you a superior durable and washable finish that water based latex paint can’t. There is nothing worse than seeing a newly painted door or frame ruined by fingerprints and other marks.

First, and foremost don’t buy cheap paint. I prefer using Sherwin Williams Duration or Superpaint brands. They will run around $40 a gallon and $35 a gallon respectively. Expect to get coverage of about 350 square feet per gallon and two coats are always necessary. Another advantage of using higher grade paint is that touch-up down the road will blend perfectly.

Don’t buy an expensive brush for painting the walls. Look to spend around $8 to $10 dollars on a 2 and a half inch ANGLED sash brush. I stress buying an angled sash brush because that is how professionals paint straight lines and properly cut in a room. When cutting in ceilings do not use tape. People are afraid that they cannot paint a straight line. Painting is not like throwing a 30 yard post pattern in the NFL. You do not have to be an elite athlete to be a good painter have you seen the physiques of most professional painters? Painting is all about patience don’t try to rush through the cutting in phase since a good paint job is all about straight lines period. A little trick is when you are cutting in focus your eyes just slightly ahead of the brush. Your hand will magically follow your sight line. Try it it works.

If you have large holes or cracks in a wall purchase a small can of vinyl repair paste. The reason I prefer it over regular wall Spackle is that after it dries it is much harder and sands easily. You can even use it for minor wood repair in a pinch.

When it comes to rolling out the walls never ever use a cheap foam roller. Foam rollers never evenly absorb the paint out of the pan and will actually add time to you project and cause more mess. Buy yourself a synthetic professional 3/8 nap roller head for about $6 to $8. Not only will the paint be applied in a smoother fashion you will experience less work and mess.

Now here comes the fun part doors and wood work. This is where most people opt to use latex which is a huge mistake. Your home is your biggest investment don’t cut corners on it’s aesthetics. You want the finish on your woodwork to stand out from the walls especially if you have crown moulding or waynes coating. Don’t be fooled by water based products that claim to give the look and finish of oil. It’s just good marketing preying on people’s fears of painting with oil. Don’t believe the hype as those samples they show you have 3 or 4 coats that have been professionally sprayed in a dust free environment. You will not get the same results I can promise you that. You have a choice of semi-gloss or gloss finish. I prefer gloss because to me it gives you a bit more durability and shine. Either one will be fine for your project. Now let’s get started.

The first thing you need to do is clean your baseboards, doors, and wood work with a damp rag. Yes, your baseboards are that dirty. Now comes the time consuming process of taping off. This is a step that is skipped by most do it your self people and let me tell you it shows. Like I mentioned before a paint job is only as good as the straightness off it’s lines don’t cheat yourself here. Buy low stick professional painters tape and allow the walls to properly dry before you apply. Take your time as this process cannot be rushed through, but will give professional looking results. If you have carpet use 2 inch regular painters tape and tuck it in real good where the carpet meets the baseboard. Remove door hardware it takes two seconds and failure to do so will only slow you down in the long run. Open the windows and break out any fans as painting with oil based paint comes with paint fumes.

Our next step is mixing the oil paint. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Obviously you will need to buy some paint thinner, but the most important product you will need is Penetrol $12. Take a plastic quart cup that you will be painting out of and fill it up about three quarters with paint. Now mix in a couple of tablespoons of Penetrol and the slightest amount of thinner. Mix it up with a stick real good and you are ready to go. Why Penetrol? This product is the key to a fantastic looking job. Penetrol will not only smooth out the finish it will extend the time (usually about 20 minutes) before the paint starts to get sticky. This will allow you to apply a glass like finish and eliminate brush marks. We are going to apply two coats here as well so don’t glob on the paint. When you are painting the door frames get used to the paint and watch your drips. After about ten minutes or so you will get used to how the paint flows and how damn good your finish looks. Allow to dry overnight before apply second coat. Tip: after you apply the second coat remove the tape and don’t allow to dry first. You will get a little paint on your hands from the tape, but deal with it. By removing the tape now you will ensure crisp lines. In some case when you allow the second coat to dry you will pull a bit of the oil paint off. It is not common, but in my opinion why take the chance.

When it comes to painting your doors your first step will depend on whether they are flat or raised panel. If you have raised panel have both you brush and roller at the ready. Again you must buy the proper roller. I prefer a synthetic high grade 4 inch head. Ask you sales professional to recommend the best one. Foam rollers are only good for stain and a cheap roller heads can leave little hairs in the finish. For the raised panel your first step is to paint the indentations around the panels and then roll it out. I can’t stress enough for you to paint light coats. When you are done give it a good visual once over. Drips can take a couple of minutes to develop. Before you begin your second coat give the door a quick sanding with a very light sandpaper. I usually use a fine sanding sponge.

RANDOM PAINTING TIPS

Take the time to paint your closets. Yes, it’s a pain to remove everything and paint, but not only will you get a chance to throw out some junk potential buyers down the road will appreciate that the closets are painted.

Consider purchasing a hand held paint caddy and use it instead of a regular plastic quart. They are easier to maneuver with and usually come with a strap to attach to your hand.

Purchase a mini scaffold for about $45. Going up and down a ladder is tiresome and limits your reach. A mini scaffold allows you to walk down the wall a bit and they easily fold up for quick storage. You will be amazed how many times you will break it out for various home projects.

Purchase paint pan liners 5 for about $5. Once your done simply throw the liner out saving your paint pan and also giving you the opportunity to change paint colors without having to clean and dry the pan.

Have plenty of newspaper around.

After you clean your brushes wrap them in a plastic bag

Treat yourself to a good lunch and forget the diet. It is amazing what some pizza or a good burger will do for the afternoon painting push.

Store your leftover paint in plastic Rubbermaid beverage jugs or other plastic seal-able containers. Paint left in the can always gets funny after time. Either the can isn’t properly sealed of it gets exposed to extreme heat or cold. I like to store my paint inside where the temperature is controlled.

Take your time there is no rush. There is nothing wrong with having your project take a couple of weeks.

Don’t ask friends to help you paint. Basically, you are asking them to give up their day off to save you money. You don’t want to be first on the list when your painting buddy hits you up to help him move do you?

Use the painting project as an excuse to give your home a thorough spring cleaning and get rid of any clutter.

Painting ceiling does not require premium paint. You can use flat $15 to $20 ceiling paint. I use Sherwin Williams PRO-MAR 200. Painting ceiling requires a lot of physical work and plenty of drop cloths. If you are not up for the challenge or have very high ceilings contacted a professional will prove to be a smart move.

Sit back and admire your handiwork. Not only did you save yourself a bunch of money you have learned a new skill that can be used for a lifetime.

Jason Bourque, Editor and and Past Painting Contractor

I was a painting contractor for eight years in Naples Florida. The purpose of my article is to give home owners a straight up game plan for painting their home. I stress the use of oil paint for wood work and doors since it make for a better paint job. The link to my website which is a website dedicated to the local community is http://www.naplesindependent.com

Author: Jason Bourque
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Paint Guide 101:

Go Green? What Paint is right for You? What is a good quality Paint? Here is a quick guide to choosing the right paint like a pro!

Before you can choose a paint, you need to ask yourself what do I expect out of this paint? If you are painting your house for the purpose of selling it your paint will not be the same as someone who has three children a messy pet and no intention of moving. There are many questions a paint retailer may ask you when you are buying paint. They may use words you are not familiar with so let’s give you a quick education on some terms and definitions.

Oil and Waterbourne paints: Well without getting to technical, oil based paints dry harder and need mineral spirits to clean up with for the average homeowner it is a real nightmare. Waterbourne paints do not dry as hard (which in many cases is a plus), they clean up with water and are much easier to work with. Oil paints should be regulated for covering unwanted stains.

Let’s talk about Sheen: The easiest way for me to explain sheen is to simply substitute the word sheen with shine or gloss. In most cases the more sheen the more durability/washability the paint has. The scale of sheen usually goes as follows Flat, Matte, Low Sheen/Luster, Eggshell, Satin/Pearl, Semi-gloss, Gloss. Paints with very low sheen tend to hide imperfections in walls; whereas glossier paints tend to reveal imperfections. That is why mostly ceilings are painted flat. Since the ceiling surface rarely gets touched, washability is not a concern and flat paint can help to hide drywall seams. Conversely doors and trim and baseboards get handled regularly so semi-gloss and gloss paints are the norm. What about your walls? Well look at your walls now are they subject to a lot of wear and tear? If you live alone or just don’t have any children or pets, you may enjoy the softness of flat or matte paint. However if you or your kids are “hands on” when it comes to your walls low sheen or eggshell will probably make the most sense. Satins are usually relegated to kitchens and bathrooms. That too is a judgment call.

Green Paints: What is the big deal with “green paints”? Well as a painter for over 15 years I couldn’t wait to switch to “green paints”! Here is the quick rundown. Non eco-friendly paints contain volatile organic compounds or VOC’s these are emitted from the paint as it dries. According to the EPA’s website, some health concerns are as follows “Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.” Now you know why I couldn’t wait to make the switch! So even if your not into saving the planet think of yourself and others who may be in the house your painting. The best thing about these “green paints ” is there are lots to choose from, some have No VOCs and some are Low VOCs. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have products at many different price points I commonly use their contractor grade products Pro Green by Sherwin Williams, and Eco Spec by Benjamin Moore and the performance of these paint surpassed their non eco-friendly predecessors.

Should I shell out for the best? In my years of experience for interior painting a mid-level paint works just fine. I always plan on doing two coats. Even the best paints despite their claims do not cover in one coat, unless the color is the same or very close. I’ve heard of claims of one coat coverage and I always ask the person selling me the paint, “Do you guarantee one coat coverage?” The answer is always, “No.” So my advice to you is if money is no object go ahead and by the top of the line, however if your on a budget you can achieve great results with a mid-level paint and keep that extra money in your pocket.

What about primers? For me primers are used in limited situations if you are painting over new drywall use a drywall primer (or if you are spot priming over spackle or patches). If you are covering an unwanted stain use an oil primer. Surfaces that may have been stained before, like paneling, use an oil primer. In some cases certain colors will require a gray primer to help reduce the number of coats. The reason for that is because the tints/colorants used give paints their color actually thin the paint hence the more colorants needed the more transparent and thinner the paint becomes. If you a just painting to change the color of your room and none of these circumstances pertain to you, you do not need a primer! Two coats of regular paint is all you need. Trust me.

Simple advice for Exterior Paints: if you are painting the exterior of your house ALWAYS buy the top of the line paint! The walls of your bedroom in 20 years will never be exposed to the conditions the exterior painted surfaces of your house will in three weeks. I recommend using a satin for added durability. When it comes to exterior paint you get what you pay for.

Ask Questions Don’t be afraid to ask questions. What do pros do when they aren’t sure what paint to use. They ask paint retailers and other painters. if you have a special problem area or a specialized look you want and don’t know how to get it, ask a paint retailer. Be as specific as you can and give them as much info as possible. Also you may want to do a specific search on the web.

You can now walk into any paint retailer with a sense of confidence! You may need to ask questions about their particular products, but you won’t be wearing that “deer in the headlights” look and nodding your head to anything the salesperson says.

If you like this article and would like more helpful information or you would like to watch my step by step videos about painting click here

Ray Akers is a Painting Contractor in the Chicago area and has over 15 years experience. If you would like to see photo’s and videos of his work, visit him @ gogreenapple.com

Author: Ray Akers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The paint roller is our best friend when it comes to painting walls. Able to apply paint very quickly and uniformly, we owe a lot of gratitude to our friend the paint roller. Available in a multitude of sizes and in a variety of different materials generally if something needs to be painted there is a roller that can do the job. This article will discuss some basic tips that I don’t read about very often.

First a brief explanation of the terminology. ‘Paint cage’ this is the tool that you put the actual roller sleeve on. The tube bit that applies the paint is called a ‘sleeve’ or ‘roller sleeve’ etc. Sometimes I’ve used ‘roller’ or ‘paint roller’ to describe the cage and the sleeve together.

Loading your roller properly is an important step, the amount of paint you’ll want on your roller depends on the surface that you are painting and what sort of roller sleeve you’ve got but generally the motion is the same. You want to roll the roller down the pan until the just the roller sleeve touches the paint, let it get saturated for a moment before lifting your paint roller up, moving it towards the top of the pan and rolling it back down into the paint. Doing this a few times will load up the paint tray as well and super saturate your roller, you generally want your paint roller to be on the verge of over-saturation as this allows a consistent thickness of paint as well as full paint coverage on the wall. It’s also important to try not to smother the entire roller in paint, you only need it on the sleeve so try to keep it there.

Once you’ve got some paint on the roller and on the tray loading your roller, it’s extremely easy and doesn’t require a lot of time in the pan. A quick dab of paint on the roller from the pan, lift it back to the top, roll it down twice and you’re usually ready to keep on painting.

When applying the paint to the wall the best method is to use long motions going from the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall working in areas 2 to 4 feet wide depending on how tall your wall is and your roller sleeves paint holding capacity. This spreads the paint consistently and gives the best finish.

Once you’ve got your paint roller loaded with paint, it’s time to start painting. When using the paint roller you want to apply just enough pressure to get the paint onto the wall, in most cases and unless you’re painting a very rough surface like old brick there shouldn’t be any need to overly press or force the roller into the wall this is probably more work than necessary and can leave unsightly roller marks. Start near the middle of the wall, roll the roller up the wall to the top and then come back down to the bottom of the wall re-rolling through the area where you started. Now you should have something like a big straight patch on the wall, on your roll up you want to move in either direction left or right and don’t make it too far off, you want part of your roller to still reside in the previous area of paint you applied. On your way back down you continue to move in the direction and now your rolling motion is beginning to take on the shape of a very large V or W. Make sure you go back through your original area of paint to spread the paint out on the wall and give it a consistent thickness. For optimal results, after you’ve spread the paint onto the wall, finish your patch up by gently rolling downwards over the entire area you’ve painted, this will give a consistent finish.

Typical problems when rolling walls are over applying the paint, not spreading the paint evenly, under applying the paint, inconsistent finishes and roller lines or marks. Most of these problems are easy to fix if caught before the paint has had a time to dry or set, though with some modern day paints it can be only 5-10 minutes before fixing it is a problem so it’s best to check your work as soon as you are finished. If the paint is either over applied and/or not spread evenly the build up of paint can begin to drip or sag, this is usually pretty obvious and easy to fix if caught quickly by just re-rolling the area. If the paint has been under applied/not spread evenly you can see what is referred to as ‘holidays’, this is typically where an area was rolled only once or twice and you can see that the paint did not fully cover. When roller marks are present this is usually a sign that too much pressure was used when applying the paint, causing it to squeeze out of the roller unnaturally at the edges of the roller sleeve. Most of these problems are easy to detect my looking at the wall from an acute angle. Overall these problems are usually caused by one of the following: poor quality roller sleeves, poor quality roller cage, poor quality/old paint tray that loads the roller poorly or sloppily and simply an in-experienced painter.

I hope you find this piece informative and have learnt a thing or two you didn’t know about using a roller, good luck to all of your painting endeavours!

A H Young is an owner & operator of Painter for Hire, a Toronto area painting contractor specializing in residential and commercial painting.

Toronto Painters

Author: A H Young
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The paint roller is our best friend when it comes to painting walls. Able to apply paint very quickly and uniformly, we owe a lot of gratitude to our friend the paint roller. Available in a multitude of sizes and in a variety of different materials generally if something needs to be painted there is a roller that can do the job. This article will discuss some basic tips that I don’t read about very often.

First a brief explanation of the terminology. ‘Paint cage’ this is the tool that you put the actual roller sleeve on. The tube bit that applies the paint is called a ‘sleeve’ or ‘roller sleeve’ etc. Sometimes I’ve used ‘roller’ or ‘paint roller’ to describe the cage and the sleeve together.

Loading your roller properly is an important step, the amount of paint you’ll want on your roller depends on the surface that you are painting and what sort of roller sleeve you’ve got but generally the motion is the same. You want to roll the roller down the pan until the just the roller sleeve touches the paint, let it get saturated for a moment before lifting your paint roller up, moving it towards the top of the pan and rolling it back down into the paint. Doing this a few times will load up the paint tray as well and super saturate your roller, you generally want your paint roller to be on the verge of over-saturation as this allows a consistent thickness of paint as well as full paint coverage on the wall. It’s also important to try not to smother the entire roller in paint, you only need it on the sleeve so try to keep it there.

Once you’ve got some paint on the roller and on the tray loading your roller, it’s extremely easy and doesn’t require a lot of time in the pan. A quick dab of paint on the roller from the pan, lift it back to the top, roll it down twice and you’re usually ready to keep on painting.

When applying the paint to the wall the best method is to use long motions going from the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall working in areas 2 to 4 feet wide depending on how tall your wall is and your roller sleeves paint holding capacity. This spreads the paint consistently and gives the best finish.

Once you’ve got your paint roller loaded with paint, it’s time to start painting. When using the paint roller you want to apply just enough pressure to get the paint onto the wall, in most cases and unless you’re painting a very rough surface like old brick there shouldn’t be any need to overly press or force the roller into the wall this is probably more work than necessary and can leave unsightly roller marks. Start near the middle of the wall, roll the roller up the wall to the top and then come back down to the bottom of the wall re-rolling through the area where you started. Now you should have something like a big straight patch on the wall, on your roll up you want to move in either direction left or right and don’t make it too far off, you want part of your roller to still reside in the previous area of paint you applied. On your way back down you continue to move in the direction and now your rolling motion is beginning to take on the shape of a very large V or W. Make sure you go back through your original area of paint to spread the paint out on the wall and give it a consistent thickness. For optimal results, after you’ve spread the paint onto the wall, finish your patch up by gently rolling downwards over the entire area you’ve painted, this will give a consistent finish.

Typical problems when rolling walls are over applying the paint, not spreading the paint evenly, under applying the paint, inconsistent finishes and roller lines or marks. Most of these problems are easy to fix if caught before the paint has had a time to dry or set, though with some modern day paints it can be only 5-10 minutes before fixing it is a problem so it’s best to check your work as soon as you are finished. If the paint is either over applied and/or not spread evenly the build up of paint can begin to drip or sag, this is usually pretty obvious and easy to fix if caught quickly by just re-rolling the area. If the paint has been under applied/not spread evenly you can see what is referred to as ‘holidays’, this is typically where an area was rolled only once or twice and you can see that the paint did not fully cover. When roller marks are present this is usually a sign that too much pressure was used when applying the paint, causing it to squeeze out of the roller unnaturally at the edges of the roller sleeve. Most of these problems are easy to detect my looking at the wall from an acute angle. Overall these problems are usually caused by one of the following: poor quality roller sleeves, poor quality roller cage, poor quality/old paint tray that loads the roller poorly or sloppily and simply an in-experienced painter.

I hope you find this piece informative and have learnt a thing or two you didn’t know about using a roller, good luck to all of your painting endeavours!

A H Young is an owner & operator of Painter for Hire, a Toronto area painting contractor specializing in residential and commercial painting.

Toronto Painters

Author: A H Young
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The paint roller is our best friend when it comes to painting walls. Able to apply paint very quickly and uniformly, we owe a lot of gratitude to our friend the paint roller. Available in a multitude of sizes and in a variety of different materials generally if something needs to be painted there is a roller that can do the job. This article will discuss some basic tips that I don’t read about very often.

First a brief explanation of the terminology. ‘Paint cage’ this is the tool that you put the actual roller sleeve on. The tube bit that applies the paint is called a ‘sleeve’ or ‘roller sleeve’ etc. Sometimes I’ve used ‘roller’ or ‘paint roller’ to describe the cage and the sleeve together.

Loading your roller properly is an important step, the amount of paint you’ll want on your roller depends on the surface that you are painting and what sort of roller sleeve you’ve got but generally the motion is the same. You want to roll the roller down the pan until the just the roller sleeve touches the paint, let it get saturated for a moment before lifting your paint roller up, moving it towards the top of the pan and rolling it back down into the paint. Doing this a few times will load up the paint tray as well and super saturate your roller, you generally want your paint roller to be on the verge of over-saturation as this allows a consistent thickness of paint as well as full paint coverage on the wall. It’s also important to try not to smother the entire roller in paint, you only need it on the sleeve so try to keep it there.

Once you’ve got some paint on the roller and on the tray loading your roller, it’s extremely easy and doesn’t require a lot of time in the pan. A quick dab of paint on the roller from the pan, lift it back to the top, roll it down twice and you’re usually ready to keep on painting.

When applying the paint to the wall the best method is to use long motions going from the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall working in areas 2 to 4 feet wide depending on how tall your wall is and your roller sleeves paint holding capacity. This spreads the paint consistently and gives the best finish.

Once you’ve got your paint roller loaded with paint, it’s time to start painting. When using the paint roller you want to apply just enough pressure to get the paint onto the wall, in most cases and unless you’re painting a very rough surface like old brick there shouldn’t be any need to overly press or force the roller into the wall this is probably more work than necessary and can leave unsightly roller marks. Start near the middle of the wall, roll the roller up the wall to the top and then come back down to the bottom of the wall re-rolling through the area where you started. Now you should have something like a big straight patch on the wall, on your roll up you want to move in either direction left or right and don’t make it too far off, you want part of your roller to still reside in the previous area of paint you applied. On your way back down you continue to move in the direction and now your rolling motion is beginning to take on the shape of a very large V or W. Make sure you go back through your original area of paint to spread the paint out on the wall and give it a consistent thickness. For optimal results, after you’ve spread the paint onto the wall, finish your patch up by gently rolling downwards over the entire area you’ve painted, this will give a consistent finish.

Typical problems when rolling walls are over applying the paint, not spreading the paint evenly, under applying the paint, inconsistent finishes and roller lines or marks. Most of these problems are easy to fix if caught before the paint has had a time to dry or set, though with some modern day paints it can be only 5-10 minutes before fixing it is a problem so it’s best to check your work as soon as you are finished. If the paint is either over applied and/or not spread evenly the build up of paint can begin to drip or sag, this is usually pretty obvious and easy to fix if caught quickly by just re-rolling the area. If the paint has been under applied/not spread evenly you can see what is referred to as ‘holidays’, this is typically where an area was rolled only once or twice and you can see that the paint did not fully cover. When roller marks are present this is usually a sign that too much pressure was used when applying the paint, causing it to squeeze out of the roller unnaturally at the edges of the roller sleeve. Most of these problems are easy to detect my looking at the wall from an acute angle. Overall these problems are usually caused by one of the following: poor quality roller sleeves, poor quality roller cage, poor quality/old paint tray that loads the roller poorly or sloppily and simply an in-experienced painter.

I hope you find this piece informative and have learnt a thing or two you didn’t know about using a roller, good luck to all of your painting endeavours!

A H Young is an owner & operator of Painter for Hire, a Toronto area painting contractor specializing in residential and commercial painting.

Toronto Painters

Author: A H Young
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The paint roller is our best friend when it comes to painting walls. Able to apply paint very quickly and uniformly, we owe a lot of gratitude to our friend the paint roller. Available in a multitude of sizes and in a variety of different materials generally if something needs to be painted there is a roller that can do the job. This article will discuss some basic tips that I don’t read about very often.

First a brief explanation of the terminology. ‘Paint cage’ this is the tool that you put the actual roller sleeve on. The tube bit that applies the paint is called a ‘sleeve’ or ‘roller sleeve’ etc. Sometimes I’ve used ‘roller’ or ‘paint roller’ to describe the cage and the sleeve together.

Loading your roller properly is an important step, the amount of paint you’ll want on your roller depends on the surface that you are painting and what sort of roller sleeve you’ve got but generally the motion is the same. You want to roll the roller down the pan until the just the roller sleeve touches the paint, let it get saturated for a moment before lifting your paint roller up, moving it towards the top of the pan and rolling it back down into the paint. Doing this a few times will load up the paint tray as well and super saturate your roller, you generally want your paint roller to be on the verge of over-saturation as this allows a consistent thickness of paint as well as full paint coverage on the wall. It’s also important to try not to smother the entire roller in paint, you only need it on the sleeve so try to keep it there.

Once you’ve got some paint on the roller and on the tray loading your roller, it’s extremely easy and doesn’t require a lot of time in the pan. A quick dab of paint on the roller from the pan, lift it back to the top, roll it down twice and you’re usually ready to keep on painting.

When applying the paint to the wall the best method is to use long motions going from the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall working in areas 2 to 4 feet wide depending on how tall your wall is and your roller sleeves paint holding capacity. This spreads the paint consistently and gives the best finish.

Once you’ve got your paint roller loaded with paint, it’s time to start painting. When using the paint roller you want to apply just enough pressure to get the paint onto the wall, in most cases and unless you’re painting a very rough surface like old brick there shouldn’t be any need to overly press or force the roller into the wall this is probably more work than necessary and can leave unsightly roller marks. Start near the middle of the wall, roll the roller up the wall to the top and then come back down to the bottom of the wall re-rolling through the area where you started. Now you should have something like a big straight patch on the wall, on your roll up you want to move in either direction left or right and don’t make it too far off, you want part of your roller to still reside in the previous area of paint you applied. On your way back down you continue to move in the direction and now your rolling motion is beginning to take on the shape of a very large V or W. Make sure you go back through your original area of paint to spread the paint out on the wall and give it a consistent thickness. For optimal results, after you’ve spread the paint onto the wall, finish your patch up by gently rolling downwards over the entire area you’ve painted, this will give a consistent finish.

Typical problems when rolling walls are over applying the paint, not spreading the paint evenly, under applying the paint, inconsistent finishes and roller lines or marks. Most of these problems are easy to fix if caught before the paint has had a time to dry or set, though with some modern day paints it can be only 5-10 minutes before fixing it is a problem so it’s best to check your work as soon as you are finished. If the paint is either over applied and/or not spread evenly the build up of paint can begin to drip or sag, this is usually pretty obvious and easy to fix if caught quickly by just re-rolling the area. If the paint has been under applied/not spread evenly you can see what is referred to as ‘holidays’, this is typically where an area was rolled only once or twice and you can see that the paint did not fully cover. When roller marks are present this is usually a sign that too much pressure was used when applying the paint, causing it to squeeze out of the roller unnaturally at the edges of the roller sleeve. Most of these problems are easy to detect my looking at the wall from an acute angle. Overall these problems are usually caused by one of the following: poor quality roller sleeves, poor quality roller cage, poor quality/old paint tray that loads the roller poorly or sloppily and simply an in-experienced painter.

I hope you find this piece informative and have learnt a thing or two you didn’t know about using a roller, good luck to all of your painting endeavours!

A H Young is an owner & operator of Painter for Hire, a Toronto area painting contractor specializing in residential and commercial painting.

Toronto Painters

Author: A H Young
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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