Painting Tips

Today we have listed several painting tips. These tips will save you money and time with your painting and show you how to get to a good finish.

PAINTING

Mix equal parts of bleach & water to remove mould or algae from an out side wall. Repeat next day , if really bad scrape with a knife 1st.

Even in dry weather avoid painting early morning or evening as dew or mist will moistien paint & cause blistering.

Cheap brushes shed hairs so stick with good quality ones. Soak a new brush in linseed oil for 24 hours before use, They will last longer & be easier to clean.

If a brush has gone slightly hard boil in vinegar for 10 mins. , if very hard soak in cellulose thinners in a glass jar overnight.

Add a little paint which you are going to use to the filler when filling cracks. The repairs will dry out the same colour & the 2nd coat will make the repair invisible.
When painting ceiling, to prevent drips , make a slit in a large bath sponge & push the handle through it.

Rub door handles & hinges with a little petroleum jelly. This will make it easier to remove slashes of paint. Also works for window frames.

Use news paper behind pipes & under doors to catch drips.

Cover roller tray with foil or plastic when using two colours , just remove when changing colours saves washing.

Apply a quick drying undercoat 1st when using one coat jelly paint for woodwork. This removes the colour of the old paint, fills blemishes & provides a matt surface for final coat.

If you have just a little paint left over , store it in a smaller container to stop it drying out.

Pour a little white spirit on top of paint then put a circle of foil or wax paper on top, turn closed tin upside down. This will stop skin forming.

When storing left over paint, paint a line on tin to show the level of paint left over & to see what colour it is.

Chipped small areas which need a touch up can be done with a cotton bud rather than brush. Then just throw bud away.

Typex, White nail varnish or correction fluid can be used for knocks on enamel, fridges , washing machines, or chips in white paint work.

When painting stairs paint every other one so you can stand on them without spoiling paint. When dry do the missed ones.

If using brushes for a few days, no need to clean them out. Wrap them in foil or put in polythene bag, tie tightly around handles & stand bristles downward in cold water. They will be fine to re use.

Paraffin cleans brushes.

Save expensive brush cleaning liquids by allowing sediment to settle at bottom of jar, pour off clear liquid to re use.

A little fabric conditioner used whilst rinsing brushes will keep bristles soft.
Windex or glass cleaner removes paint from hands, it doesn't smell as bad as white spirits. Furniture polish also works , rub in then rinse with washing up liquid.

Put an elastic band round wet bristles of brush, remove when dry, keeps them straight.

To remove smell of paint cut half an onion & leave in room.