Important Dos and Don’ts :

Nowadays, many professional painters use Latex Paints. In the event you are applying, don’t apply over old oil paint, unless you carefully sand or chemically degloss oil-based surfaces before recoating. 

Choose the right color for each of your rooms, don’t pick up the colours at random.which you can learn the details in the “Colours&Functions” section.

In addition to choosing the colour and whether you want latex or other water-based paint, you also need to choose the degree of sheen you want. The range runs from flat to gloss. Most sheen are available for both latex and other water-based formulations. It is important to choose the right type of sheen. A low-gloss finish hides minor flaws in the surfaces you paint, in an opposite situation, a high-gloss, even shining bling sheen requires fairly strict flatness stander of the surface. 

Picking a primer or a varnish properly, to read more, check the “Colours&Functions” section.

Zero-VOC and Low-VOC paints are different, carefully choose the one kind that you need mostly,price of the paints and shelf life will be both considered.

Applying The Products

The key to a good paint job lies in preparation. About 80percent of a painting job consists of prep work, moving furniture, protecting surfaces with drop cloths, patching damaged areas, and sanding-while only 20 percent f the work is applying paint.

Start With Painting Tools

Choosing Tools

It is rare to come across a paint job that can be done quickly and efficiently without brushes and rollers, the meat and potatoes of painting tools. Brushes work well because they have narrow sides for narrow edges, broad sides for broad surfaces, and bristles that are flexible enought to fit into tight spots. A good-quality 3-inch tapered brush can handle almost any painting job.

When used on large flat areas,roller nap mimics brush bristles.Brush and roller technique comes naturally. People know almost instinctively which way to turn a brush or when a brush needs to be reloaded. It is easy to feel when a roller is skipping or pulling. If you buy the right brushed and rollers and use them properly,they are all you need to apply the paint.

Choosing Brushes

The following brushes are useful for specific jobs.

Flat Brush. A3- or 4-inch-wide brush with a tapered edge is the most common and most useful type of brush. It can cover large areas and produce sharp cut lines.

Sash Brush. This brush has angled bristles that are ideal for making crisp lines on trim,molding,and window muntins.

Stain Brush. The bristle area on this brush is shorter and wider than a paint brush. This stubby design is meant to counteract the tendency stain has to drip into the brush ferrule(the metal band that holds the bristles in place).

Foam Brush. This tool consist of a foam pad on a stick. Its primary usefulness is that it is cheap and disposable. Some good foam brush jobs are applying stain or painting window trim(the tapered edge is the perfect size). Do not use foam brushes for applying paint remover because the foam will melt.

Rough-surface Painter. This is a combination brush-and-paint-pad, and it’s useful for painting rough surfaces such as exterior wood shingles. It looks like a scrub brush.

Selecting Bristles.

There are two types of bristles from which to choose.

Nylon Bristles. These are best used for latex paint.

Nature Bristles. (also called China bristle). These brushes are preferred for use with oil-based paints and varnishes. They cost 40 to 50 percent more than synthetic-bristle brushes. Do not use natural-bristle brushes for latex paint. The water in the paint ruins the brush.

Addition Notice

A good brush has tapered bristles that won’t pull free of the metal ferrule.

Do not choose:synthetic flat and sash brushes, paint pads, and natural-bristle brush for latex paint.

Keeping a brush in good condition means keeping it clean after each use. But the very action of cleaning a brush can wear it out. A low-impact cleaning technique is to spin the brush after dipping it in water or thinner. By spinning the brush in an empty 5-gallon bucket, you can control the spray.

Testing A Brush.

Before buying a brush, test it. Tug gently on the bristles. If more than a few pull out, do not buy the brush. Next, bounce and wiggle the bristles in your palm. A good brush has bristles that feel soft and springy, and that bounce back into shape quickly when you let go.

Make sure the bristles are thick and plentiful. Fold back the bristles with your hand, and look at where they connect to the handle. If you see a lot of handle between a few plugs of bristles you have an inferior brush. A good brush that is 1 or 2 inches wide has bristles that are about 3 inches or 4 inches wide has bristles about 4 inches long.

Check the metal ferrule that hold the bristles to the handle. It must be substantial (not thin and flimsy) and firmly attached to the handle. Make sure it dose not rock when the bristles are wiggled back and forth.

Choosing Rollers

The two parts to a paint roller include the handle(also called the frame or cage)and the furry cover, also known as a sleeve. Choose a good quality handle that feels comfortable in your hand and has come substance. Use the highest-quality covers.

To test a roller cover, roll the cover in your hand. The nap of good roller has an even consistency, with no bumps or flat spots. Tug gently on the nap. If any fuzz comes off, find a better cover.

Nylon Roller Covers

These covers are suitable for most paint jobs. They are available in short, medium, and long-medium nap, and they are an appropriate choice for walls and ceilings. Long nap is especially suitable for painting concrete, brick, or other rough surfaces. Short nap can provide a smooth finish for very flat surfaces. short nap covers hold relatively little paint, so more effort goes into frequent reloading of the roller and keeping a wet edge. Nylon covers can be stored wet  from day-to-day during a paint job by wrapping them snuggly in a heavy garbage bag or in a plastic kitchen bag.

Lamb’s-Wool Covers

These are expensive, high-quality rollers. If you thoroughly clean and carefully dry a lamb’s-wool cover, it can be used for many paint jobs. These covers produce a distinctive, slightly stippled effect. Some people like the finish, but others do not.

Doughnut Rollers

These small one piece foam rollers are good for moldings and corners. Some painters find them indispensable, while others do every job with only brushes and a standard 9-inch roller. Small foam rollers are inexpensive, so try one.

Trim Rollers

These are useful for painting trimwork, cabinets, and vanities because of their size. They usually have a foam cover and do not leave a stipple like the rollers do.

Power Rollers

Power rollers are devices that pump paint from a can or reservoir through a specially mode roller body. Most units will include paint pads as an accessory. The idea, which is a good one, is to eliminate the 50 percent of rolling time that a painter spends getting ready.

There are three types of power rollers commonly available. One employs a small dolly, which holds a can of paint and a pump. The dolly rides along behind you as you paint. The problem: it’s pulled along by a hose, which can get in the way.

Another model power roller holds the paint in a reservoir, which you sling over your shoulder.

A third power roller sucks paint out of the can and into a long roller handle. You push the handle, like a syringe, to force paint into the roller.

Power rollers are for latex paint only. When you finish, hook up the pump to your utility-sink faucet or an outside hose faucet, and run water through the whole apparatus.

Other Roller Tools

Roller Pans

For interior work, choose a deep, sturdy metal roller pan. Stay away from flimsy metal and plastic pans.(Most shrink-wrapped kits consist of a poor-quality brush and roller in a cheap pan, and these do not provide good results.) At the store, pick up the pan and twist it. If it pops in and out of shape, do not buy it because the metal or plastic is too thin. In general, a deeper pan is best as it allows you to get more work done between refills.

Roller Screens

Rather than use a pan, consider a metal roller screen that fits into a large bucket. These are your best option for exterior work. Paint stores sell handy 2½-gallon square buckets that can hold a roller screen and have a lip for pouring paint back into a can. Because of their shape, they do not move or spin when hanging off a hook on the side of ladder.

Extension Handles

For painting ceilings or exterior siding such as Texture 1-11(“tee one-eleven”), you need an extension handle for your roller. Many painters like to use an extension to minimize bending when rolling walls. You can keep the roller tray on the wall. Some painters claim that using an extension handle on walls is easier on the shoulders. Unlike other equipment, you need not necessarily buy the best one you can afford. Some aluminum handles have a telescoping feature that allows you to adjust the length of the handle. Check the couplings on these models for smooth operation, and buy one that feels sturdy when extended.

Addition Notice

Before using a roller cover, remove the lint(loose nap) with strips of masking tap, very much as you remove lint from a piece of clothing. This keeps the loose nap form coming  off on the freshly painted wall.

Power rollers can speed up the work because there is no need to keep loading the roller. Some models have a carry-along paint supply; others have one that you pull along the floor.

When cleaning a roller cover outdoors, use a hose with a spray nozzle. Hold the roller free in the air, and just catch the edge of one end of the roller cover with a stream of water. The roller will spin at a high rate of speed, throwing the paint off the cover.

Paint Sprayers

There are three basic types of sprayers: high volume, low pressure; propulsion; and compressed air.

High Volume, Low Pressure (HVLP)

This type of system atomizes paint. HVLP works well on small areas of interior surfaces, such as trimwork, cabinets, and louvered shutters. Models usually include different nozzles for different types of paint. Most manufacturers recommend thinning paint for ease of application.

Propulsion Sprayer(HVLP)

This type of machine is an electrically driven sprayer that flips or spits out small droplets of paint.

In inexpensive models, the unit is fed by a small areas that are difficult to paint with brush, such as louvered shutters or wicker furniture. More expensive models, generally used by professionals, have a hose that is connected to a large pail of paint and an adjustable rate of spray mist and pressure. These machines are excellent for spraying siding.

Compressed Air Sprayer

This type of sprayer is also electric. It emits a finer mist of paint that is driven by forced air shot through the paint . There units cover large surfaces with a smooth finish, buy they are too expensive to justify for a single paint job. But they are widely available for rent.

Tips for Spraying

Here are a few tips to remember if you decide to use spray equipment to paint the siding:

Always wear eye and respiratory protection when spraying. The mist is fine and can be irritating and potentially harmful.

Be aware that tiny paint droplets are apt to drift in the air. They can land on neighbors’ houses, cars foliage, and driveways-causing big problems.

Never spray on windy days. When working on corners, spray vertically to avoid over-spray. Stop spraying about two feet short of all edges, and brush paint on the rest.

Good technique involves a steady wrist making quickly and sure spray passes. Do not throw your arm out in an arc. Every sprayer concentrates the paint in the middle of the swath emitted so you must feather the edges of every pass.

Do not stop your hand or hold the trigger too long because too much paint will come out.

Most paint is too thick to pour directly from the can into the sprayer. Mix paint with an appropriate solvent(water or oil-based) to allow proper misting.

Never allow debris to get into the sprayer. The paint pot or connector tube must have a wire mesh cover to prevent objects from getting sucked in. When using previously opened paint, be sure to strain the paint though cheesecloth or panty hose to remove particles.

When spraying paint, use a flow-enhancement additive to help the paint move through the hose and nozzle. Flow enhancement additives may seem like just another extra the paint store is trying to sell you, but they really do make a difference in performance.

Nonpainting Tools

Most painting jobs require some sort of repair and prep work before you actually apply the paint.

For these jobs, you will need an assortment of putty knives, paint scrapers, sand paper, and sanding blocks, as well as spackle, drywall joint compound, and in some cases, epoxy wood fillers.

Eye Protection

Wear goggle during sanding or scraping, or any other prep work that sends debris flying.

Ladders and Scaffolds

A great deal of painting takes place while standing on a ladder of some kind. As with any job, safety should be of paramount importance, especially when choosing, placing, and working form a ladder. There are three kinds of ladders: stepladders, fold-up ladders, and extension ladders.

Ladder Accessories

A ladder stand-off is a U-shaped bracket that attaches to the top of the ladder. Rather than have the side rails of the ladder in contact with the building, the stand-off is in contact. This allows you to set the ladder in the middle of a window so that you can reach the entire area. A ladder leveler consists of two legs that you can set to different heights. It allows you to have a stable ladder on a sloped surface. Don’t use rocks, plywood, or scrap lumber to prop up a ladder’s legs. It’s unsafe.

Ladder Jacks

Often it’s more practical to work with a platform rather than a ladder when painting. You can create a sturdy work platform using various kinds of brackets, called jacks, attached to a ladder, the roof, of 4 plus 4 posts.