MISTAKE #13: Painting with too much Paint.
Useful steps to use the correct amount of paint.
- It is good to stir paint before and during the job. Also, when using ToughFinish, stir the treatment thoroughly before painting.
- Load your brush with a good amount of paint by dipping the first 1/3 of the bristles into the paint. Then lightly tap the brush side-to-side against the inside of the can. Make sure you don’t drag the bristles across the lip of the can as this can rob your brush half of its paint carrying capacity.
- When applying the paint with a brush, use nice long smooth strokes. Oil-based house paint should be brushed back and forth several times for an even coat. One way to determine if the paint is being applied too heavily or is not being correctly brushed out is if paint gathers along the edges. One of the benefits of using latex paints is you don’t require much brushing. These paints dry quickly and excessive brushing will only cut deep brush marks permanently into the paint film. Apply latex paint generously by giving it one or two backstrokes and let dry.
- Roller application works especially well for masonry, stucco and other porous surfaces. Dip roller in paint tray and roll it back and forth. This will help to remove excess paint. When you pick up the roller and if it drips, then it is overloaded. It’s fun to use a roller on flat surfaces. For corners, apply paint with a brush to ensure good coverage. Use long, even strokes. It is good to roll in different directions to coat the entire surface evenly. Finish the job off with strokes in one direction.
Natural napped roller covers are easier to clean, give a smoother, lint-free finish and last three times longer than synthetic ones.
- The last thing to do is paint the trim. Shutters should be removed, painted, and re-hung once a job is fully completed. Coat door paneling and window sash first. After that, paint the window frames, sills and door trim. Any paint on the putty line around the window will serve to protect the surface from water. To remove the excess paint use a razor blade to create a clean edge.
MISTAKE #14: Painting Walls before the Ceiling
The first step in painting inside is to start where the ceiling meets the walls. Starting at one of the corners, begin by using either a 2 or a 2 1/2 good trim brush and apply a 3 1/2 strip of the paint around the perimeter of the ceiling/wall line. We recommended painting a section at a time. Take turns between painting the edge and the ceiling. The benefit of doing this is that it maintains a wet edge on both the trim edge area and the rolled ceiling area. This helps to prevent a visible line from developing.
Cover a roller with paint and slowly roll it back and forth over the ridges of the tray. This helps to remove excess paint from the roller and prevents the paint from dripping in your face. Start with the roller near the corner. Blend the paint into the ceiling line painted previously. Paint across the width of the ceiling rather than the length. Make sure you cover the complete ceiling before you stop. This way you don’t get the dried paint lines showing up. An adjustable extension pole can be a great help. It will allow you to reach more of the ceiling yet keep your feet on the floor. A simple trick to avoid neck and back strain is to roll in a motion across rather than along your body.
Once the ceiling is dry to the touch, return to the spot where you began coating the ceiling. Using a trim brush, carefully paint a trim edge along the wall/ceiling line. If you do not feel comfortable trimming along the edge freehand, then allow the ceiling to thoroughly dry for 24 hours and mask off the edge with low-tack painter’s tape. Don’t forget that conditions such as humidity will increase the drying time. Your next step would be to coat along the baseboard and around the door and window trim. Paints treated with ToughFinish will generally dry a little quicker.
If you are painting with a partner, one person should trim the edges while the other follows, applying paint with a roller. We encourage you to paint one wall at a time. This will greatly help you avoid what looks like a stripe running around the border of the painted area. This occurs when the paint you trim around the edges dries before the paint you roll on.
