The 17 Biggest Time Wasting Mistakes People make During Painting Part 1

Our goal for you is simple, provide you the best possible information on painting while saving you time. Some of the information in this report is basic while other tips are more advanced. A good paint or stain job not only protects the surface like a raincoat but it gives the area being protected a wonderful appearance. When you’re doing it yourself, prepare the surface well and don’t make the dreaded mistake of only using conventional paint to see your efforts peel right in front of your eyes 4 to 5 years later.

* Some Simple Handy Painting & Staining Tips

Before we start talking about the common mistakes made when painting, lets give you some timesaving handy painting tips:

Paint Can Holder for Extension Ladder:

All painters know extension ladders have no place to set their paint can. A simple solution is to use a single piece of 3/4-inch plastic pipe or a broom handle and slide them into one of the rungs. Just notch the end of the pole to keep the can’s handle from sliding off.

Shoe Guard:

Pull an old pair of throw-away socks over your shoes to protect them from being spattered with paint. Or save old tennis or running shoes to wear when doing messy jobs like painting. Or you can tie a plastic bag over your shoes to keep them free of paint drips.

Removing Crayon from Walls:

Here’s a neat tip on how to take care of the crayon on the wall problem. Spray some WD- 40 on a clean cloth and begin wiping on the marks. It generally comes off pretty easily. If you don’t have any WD-40 around the house, try some household bleach. It will take a little bit more elbow grease, but it does work. It is very important to get the marks off before you add another coat of paint, as the marks will mostly show through.

Make Your Paint Hold Longer:

ToughFinish is an easy-to-use commercial grade additive that makes all water based latex paint bond stronger to wood, metal and even previous painted surfaces better than any regular paint. You mix this clear liquid right with your paint and paint will last nearly two times longer. This saves you plenty of money and time.

Ladders with Feet:

A simple to way to completely protect your siding or interior walls when you lean an extension ladder is to slip some old sneakers over the upper ladder ends and tape the shoes in place. The rubber soles generally prevent dents and scratches while giving you better grip against the wall.

Tight Place Touch-up Sponges:

If you are having a hard time getting paint in that tight corner then disposable cosmetic sponges are an inexpensive tools for paint touch-ups, staining and other tasks where you need a small applicator.

Spray Can Nozzle Cleaner:

Remove the dried up clogged nozzle from your spray paint can and stick it on your can of WD-40. Most are the same size and shape. Then just give the nozzle a quick squirt to clear it out, then return the nozzle to it’s spray can.

Sanding Sponges:

Sanding sponges work great for sanding trim with contours and tight corners.

Coat Hanger Stirrer:

A plastic coat hanger makes a neat long power mixing attachment. Cut the bottom the coat hanger so that you have a long, J-shaped stirrer. Straighten the hanger and insert the straight end into the drill and start mixing!

Stain Spray Applicator:

When you save your empty pump-type sprayers that have an adjustable spray tip you can use them to apply wiping stain. It is best to spray a small section at a time. After you spray that area then wipe it. You will use much less compared to brushing it on.

Oil for oil cleaning:

Like attracts like. Use vegetable oil to clean oil-based (alkyd) paint from your hands. It doesn’t dry the skin like paint thinner does, and is especially good for children’s skin.

Keep your hands clean:

Wearing the thin latex, tight-fitting gloves like surgeons and EMT’s use will keep your hands clean.

Cleaning Dirty Paint

Lumps in your paint? Then filter it. Refresh your paint by straining them out. This can be done by stretching and securing pantyhose or cheesecloth across the top of an another empty can. Slowly, pour the dirty paint from its original can through the makeshift strainer to catch all the lumps. You can usually get a new empty can from a local paint store for a few bucks.

Next week, we’ll start with the mistakes.

If you would like Burk’s Custom Painting to help you with your project, call us or fill in the form below.