H Mag - The Handy Mag for Home, Hardware and Home DIY Jun. 2014 | Page 27
What Every
Amateur Should
Know About
Painting
27
By Joseph Truini
The goal of every painter is to paint neatly and quickly. Fortunately, there are
dozens of tricks, shortcuts and trade secrets devoted to painting, many more
than for any other home-improvement activity.
The goal of every painter is to paint neatly and quickly. This can be challenging. My neighbour recently spent an entire week painting his
bedroom, and ended up with nearly as much paint on himself as on the walls and ceiling. And in the end, believe or not, his wife decided
she didn’t like the color. He’s now spending most of his time outside working
on the lawn. Fortunately, there are dozens of tricks, shortcuts and trade secrets
devoted to painting, many more than for any other home-improvement
activity. Listed below are my five favorite painting tips, gleaned from years of
personal painting experience and by watching pros on many job sites. Try one
or all of the following techniques and I’m sure you’ll end up with a paint job
nice enough to show off to the neighbours.
1. Tint the Primer
Whether you’re painting interior walls or exterior siding, a coat of primer
is key to obtaining professional-looking results. This goes for previously
painted surfaces as well as raw wood and new drywall. Unfortunately, most
homeowners never bother with primer, which explains why they end up with
blah-looking paint jobs. Primer serves three main functions: First, it blocks
stains and resinous knots from bleeding through; second, it provides one-coat
coverage for the paint topcoat; most importantly, it improves adhesion, which
greatly reduces blisters and extends the life of the topcoat.
To further enhance the coverage of the topcoat, try this pro tip: Tint the primer
toward the finished color by mixing a small amount of topcoat paint into the
primer. (Be sure the primer and topcoat are both latex-based or both oil-based;
never mix coatings with dissimilar solutions.) This will greatly enhance the
ability of the topcoat to hide the prepped surface completely, especially when
painting a lighter topcoat over an existing darker color.