'Walls & Ceilings' Category

After you finish the painting job, remove wet paint spatters from painted woodwork by wiping them away with a damp sponge or rag. Dried splatters can be cleaned up with a light rubbing of very fine steel wool. [...] Read More

Save trim painting for last but do the preparation work before you do the wall and ceiling, since the preparation is bound to create dust. Chances are the previously painted woodwork has a semi or high-gloss finish. Give it a light sanding so to ensure that the next coat will adhere properly to the old. [...] Read More

It is really good to be systematic when painting. So it is best to start with the ceiling. Any paint that splatters on walls or drips onto woodwork can be washed off later. Then move to the walls, starting with the wall that has the most open space and the least trim. Paint the wall from top to bottom, beginning at one end. Start by 'cutting in' along the juncture of the wall and ceiling. [...] Read More

Once you start painting, it's most efficient to keep going as the job progresses. So be sure to clear the work area of furniture, cover what you can't take out and mask any hardware that you haven't removed. Here are some tips on getting started. [...] Read More

In painting, buy the best brushes you can afford as a rule. They will do a better job and can be reused many times with care. Quality paintbrushes have hardwood handles and flagged or split-bristle tips that hold more paint. Their bristles are anchored at the top with metal or plastic spacers inside a metal ferule. They are tapered at the bottom to deliver a sharp paint edge. Less expensive brushes may have plastic handles, unflagged bristles and blunt ends. Their bristles may be anchored or spaced less securely and be coarser and stiffer-textured, producing more noticeable brush strokes. [...] Read More

Primer is a specialty paint designed to make the topcoat look better, adhere better and go further. New, unpainted drywall must always be primed. Dark colors, heavily patched walls and walls that have previously been painted in an oil-based paint also need a primer for the topcoat to cover successfully. Primer is manufactured in white only but can be tinted to approximate the color of the finish coat that will follow. If you don't know whether you need a primer, try the topcoat in a well-lighted area. Allow the paint to dry and observe how well the finish covers and whether any streaks show through. Apply a primer coat if it doesn't cover well. [...] Read More

Almost all professional painters favor flat latex paints these days for most walls and ceiling jobs. They usually choose latex semi-gloss or gloss paints to paint woodwork. Latex has a number of advantages over the older, natural oil-based and synthetic alkyd paints which contains solvents that cause pollution. Because latex is water-based it means that it rarely has to be thinned. Brushes and any paint drips clean up easily with soap and water. It also emits no fumes or vapors when applied and most important of all - it dries fast. [...] Read More

A wall itself may sometimes be in fine shape but a section of drywall joint tape used to cover joint seams is peeling away. Repairs to this are actually easy and here they are. [...] Read More

Plaster walls can take a beating a from repeated contact with chairs, doorknobs and the general mishaps of daily life. Plaster ceilings are prone to small cracks, the result of vibrations from the floor above or from the house settling. If you are planning to paint or to hang wallpaper, now is the time to examine your walls and ceilings, determine what they are made of and undertake the appropriate repairs. [...] Read More

Most paneling, both real wood and simulated wood grain, come from the manufacturer with a pre-applied finish. They can usually be cleaned with nothing more than a damp cloth to remove normal household stains and finger marks. Brighten surfaces with any liquid wax cleaner as an alternative, applied lightly. Wipe away the wax until you no longer see smudge marks when you rub the panel with a clean, dry finger. [...] Read More