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"Listen to the professional painter's tips to get the best results!" |
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Ask professional painters how they get consistently beautiful results every time and you'll get one consistent answer: First prime, then paint!
In fact, research shows that one coat of tinted primer and one coat of paint will give you a better-looking, longer-lasting 
paint job than two coats of paint. Here's why:
Primers provide a foundation for paint. Ordinary paint is formulated to provide rich, beautiful color in your home-but don't expect paint to do a primer's job. High-quality primers like Zinsser's Bulls Eye 1-2-3 are much richer in resin than ordinary paint and stick to the surface to provide a firm base for paint. Plus, Bulls Eye 1-2-3 sticks to glossy, hard-to-paint surfaces-paneling, cabinets, glossy paints and vinyl siding-without sanding.
Primers make your colors look better. Because they create a sealed, stain-free surface for paint, primers make your colors look vibrant and beautiful. They hide previous colors-even dark blues and reds-and prevent them from showing through your new paint job.
Primers prevent common problems. Because primers are formulated to prevent problems such as cracking, peeling and blistering, they'll make any painted surface more durable, washable-and last much longer!
Primers save you money. One gallon of high-quality paint costs more than one gallon of high-quality primer. By tinting your primer towards your paint color, you'll use less paint and get all the benefits of priming, without adding an extra step. And tinting a primer is easy! Bulls Eye 1-2-3 (for light and pastel colors) and Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Deep Tint (for medium and dark colors) are specially formulated for tinting. Just ask your paint store or home center clerk to add the same colorant they use to mix your paint to your primer.
What's the best way to paint a room?
Brushing up on the best way to paint a room might be easier with a full palette of ideas from the experts:
- Color. The first step is paint color selection. It's a good idea to try a small sample on the wall or hang up a paint color swatch to see how light affects the color at different points in the day. Some paint manufacturers make it even easier for you. For example, Behr's Preview Samples let you create your own custom-tint 8-oz. paint sample, enough to paint a 4' x 6' area of your home. You can order the inexpensive samples through the company's Web site and they will be shipped directly to your home.
- Sheen. After deciding on color, you may want to select a sheen. For example, a flat/matte sheen helps hide surface imperfections. Low-lustre flat enamel sheen is very washable and perfect for high-traffic areas, while eggshell enamel offers superior scrubability. Satin enamel has a silky warm, pearllike finish, while semigloss is sleek, radiant and scrubbable.
- Calculate. Determine the amount of paint you'll need by measuring the height, depth and breadth of the room. Be sure to subtract the measurements of the doors and windows.
- Prepare the room. Remove or cover the furniture. Make sure it's away from the walls so you have room to work. Remove switch plates and outlet covers, and tape hinges, doorknobs and other small items you don't want painted. Cover your floors with a drop cloth or plastic sheeting. Items that should not be painted (such as securely attached window valances and ceiling fans) should be completely covered with plastic sheeting or masking paper. Repair any holes or dents in the walls. Remove any loose debris from the damaged area using 100-grit sandpaper or a lightly water-dampened rag. Using a putty knife, apply a thin layer of patching material to any cracked or dented area, feathering the patching material one to two inches away from the repaired area to blend the surface evenly. Allow to dry. Sand finished area with 220-grit sandpaper, blending the patched area evenly with the surface. Scuff sand glossy surfaces.
- Application. Once you get the paint home, stir it thoroughly. Use a high-quality, nylon/polyester brush. Dip a third of the bristle length into the paint. Remove the excess paint from the brush by tapping the bristles against the inside of the paint can. Apply paint to the perimeter edges of the project area with a brush prior to rolling. Start at the top and brush the paint from the nonpainted area to the previously applied areas. Reload the brush as necessary to maintain a wet edge, approximately every five inches. Once the perimeter of the wall is done, pour the paint into a paint tray or a five-gallon bucket. Dip the roller cover completely into the paint, covering the entire roller cover area. Remove excess paint by rolling onto the ribbed section of the paint tray or bucket grid. Starting in an upper corner of the wall, place the loaded roller cover approximately three to four inches away from the painted perimeter. Working in a three-by-three-foot area, roll a "W" onto the wall. Roll back into the previously applied paint to maintain a uniform finish. Continue the "W" technique three to four inches away from the last section applied. Work from the top down, until the wall is completely covered.
- Cleanup. Remove all tape and coverings. Take drop cloths out of the finished room and shake off dust and debris. Reattach switch plates and outlet covers and any hardware that was removed. Vacuum the floor, re-hang pictures and mirrors and put furniture and decorative accessories back where they belong. Wash brushes, rollers and pans in warm, soapy water. Work the cleaning solution throughout the brush bristles or roller cover, rinse twice in clean water. Allow to dry.
Sit back and enjoy your beautifully painted room.
Here are some minor tips
to make the job easier
- Bothered by the brush always being in the wrong place when you are painting? Why not use a small magnet, on the side of your paint can to keep the brush within easy reach at all times.
The small magnet will attach to the metal can easily. In this position it provides an anchor for the metal flange on the paint brush. The brush can be stuck to the magnet, (Fig. 1), or pulled away easily at any time as you desire.
You will probably find a magnet holder much more convenient than laying the brush across the top of the can. When the brush is laid across the can fresh paint often gets on the handle and then onto your hands.
A piece of wax paper should be kept under the can to catch any drippings from the brush held in place by a magnet.
- Paint always seems to build up in the lid groove on the can during every painting job. This buildup causes paint to run down the side of the can. This creates a dripping hazard and it also wastes a lot of paint.
This problem can be totally eliminated by punching several holes in the lid groove, with a 4 or 6 penny nail. These holes permit the paint to drain back into the can each time it accumulates in the lid groove.
The holes in no way affect the resealing of the can since the lid seals by pressure on the sides of the groove rather than on the bottom.
- There is no need to waste small amounts of paint left over from a job. Put the remaining paint in a quart can and seal it tightly — using the regular lid for the can if it is available.
- Sometimes the regular lid from a paint can gets bent or lost. When this happens you can use the plastic lid, from a coffee can which fits smoothly onto the top of many quart cans of paint.
The plastic lid, makes an airtight seal that will keep the paint in good condition until it is used at a later date. It also lets you see the color of the paint.
- Ever need to do a small touch-up job with paint but hate to mess up a clean brush?
Why not use a pipe stem cleaner, for such small touch-up jobs. A pipe stem cleaner is ideal for applying small quantities of paint on flat or uneven surfaces.