Spring cleaning doesn’t just involve dusting, organizing and storing heavy clothing - painting the interior or exterior of a house is the perfect way to freshen things up and prepare for the warm weather.
It also can provide a whole new aesthetic to the house, without breaking the bank.
The April issue of The Family Handyman recommends these tips for a great paint job without the cost, time commitment and headache.
FASTER, BETTER PAINTING
Look for a shed-resistant, woven roller. If you’re picky about how your walls look when you’re done rolling on the paint, then you’ll want a way to avoid leaving a trail of roller fuzzies behind.
“Shed resistant woven” rollers cost a little more than some covers, but the smooth, lint-free finish isworth it.
Patch with glazing putty. On cars, glazing putty is used to fill small scratches and imperfections before painting because it spreads easily, dries quickly and is easy to sand. These same properties also make glazing putty ideal for fillingshallow damage in trim. A 4.5-ounce tube of 3M Bondo Glazing and Spot putty costs about $3, and you can find it in auto parts stores, hardware stores and some well-stocked paint stores.
Don’t start in corners. It’s natural to load your brush with paint and stick it into the corner to start painting, but you’ll end up with too much paint in the corner, where it’s difficult to spread out. For best results, start laying on the paint 4 to 6 inches from inside corners, and then spread the paint back into the corner with the brush.
Speedy, accurate masking. The key to perfect masking is to keep the tape straight and tight to the wall. Stick about 6 inches of tape to the molding. Then, with the tape roll held tight against the wall, unroll about 6 more inches of tape. Rotate the roll down until this section of tape is stuck and repeat the process. The trick is to keep the roll of tape against the wall. It takes a little practice to master this technique, so don’t give up.
PAINTING GEAR
Sticky drop cloth
The trouble with canvasdrop cloths is that they don’t stay put. Sure, you can tape the edges, but with a 3M Floor Gripper antislip runner, you don’t have to.
The plastic-like material has a slightly tacky surface that keeps the runners in place on wood, tile, concrete or carpet. They’re available at some hardware stores (a 3.5-by-15-foot runner costs about $20), or search online for “3M floor gripper.”
What’s that color?
Have you ever seen a color you liked and wished you could remember it for a forthcoming decorating project? With the Color Capture application, you can snap a photo of whatever it is that has the color you like to find the matching Benjamin Moore paint color. The free app includes an interactive color wheel, color cards and a store locator and works on iPhones,iPads and Android devices.
Paint touch-up in a pen
Got some dings, scratches or nail holes to touch up? The Slobproof Paint Pen provides a quick and easy solution. When you’re finished painting a room, just load the pen with matching paint and snap on the cap.
Cost is $20. For more information, see slobproof.com.
HomeStyle, Pages 33 on 04/28/2012