Latex or Oil Base? First of all, oil base paints do not have any lead in them anymore. Even though they are the best primers, and the oil enamels flow out and give you a very smooth surface. Latex and acrylic paints are the widely used paints for the interior and exterior of your home. Here you will find typical paints and their use's. Interior Flat latex: Used primarily on ceilings and walls that do not get a lot of traffic. Such as bedrooms, closets and hallways. Eggshell or Satin: Areas that need a little sheen for wash-a-bility. Such as children’s bedrooms, bathroom ceilings and walls, and laundry room. Semi-Gloss: Areas that get a lot of abuse. Such as

all trim, bathrooms and kitchens. Gloss: Same as Semi-Gloss. Keep in mind that although gloss paints are the most scrubable and durable, they illuminate and accentuate all imperfections and irregularities. Exterior Flat acrylic: Used on stucco and concrete. Low Sheen: Used on stucco and concrete. A step above flat, it helps keep out mold and dirt. Semi-Gloss: Wood siding and trim. Gloss: Same as semi-gloss. See interior gloss. Stains There are basically two types of stains, Semi-Transparent and Solid Body (acrylic flat). Semi-Transparent: Used on new wood from furniture to exterior siding and trim, decks and any wood that you want to be transparent and be able to see the grain of the wood. This stain, when used outside is on the high maintenance list and must be re-coated Solid Stain: Often called "solid body". This stain is fully opaque and does not let any of the grain show. It is often used as a re-coat to old wood on top of semi-transparent stain. When new wood is stained with semi-transparent, then sits in the sun for a couple of seasons it darkens with age, and it becomes impossible to see the grain. Then typically you would use a solid stain over the transparent for more durability. Hand tools and brushes Duster (use 3" or 4" brush either nylon or bristle) 2" putty knife 2" to 4" scraper Pot hook: For hanging buckets of paint from ladders Sanding block Roller with either a polyester or lambs wool nap Roller grid or screen, (to hang inside bucket). Spreads the material evenly over the roller nap. Buckets: Carrying hand tools and holding paint Sandpaper: feathering edges, sanding patches Masking tape: covering fixtures etc. Caulking gun: filling cracks 8" to 12" taping knifes: smooth out irregularities on drywall and plaster Rollers: applying paint on large surfaces Extension handle: attach to roller for reaching ceilings and high walls Screwdrivers: removing switch and plug plates, fixtures, knobs, etc. Putty Knife: Scraping paint, patching small imperfections Bristle Brushes: For use with oil base paints 4" - Used for laying off doors and applying paint in corner before rolling in baths and kitchens. 3" - Same as above and for trim 2" - Small trim and window sash 1" - Window putty Nylon (polyester blend) Brushes: 4" - Used for laying off wood, possibly after application of a roller. 3" - Used for cutting in corners 2" - Used for window sash and intricate trim Rollers: 9", 7", 6" weenies 1-1/2" - 1-1/4" naps: rolling stucco 3/4": rolling wood prior to brushing out, interior flat wall 1/2": rolling interior enamel 1/4": rolling door etc., prior to brushing out Interior Equipment Dropcloths (canvas): for floor coverings. Plastic sheeting: for covering furniture, protecting paneled walls or wallcovering when painting above. Step ladders: for cutting in high walls and ceilings. Extension ladder: for reaching high walls and ceilings, such as, in stairwells. Tools: listed in hand tools. Exterior Equipment Dropcloths (canvas): for covering any hard surface Plastic sheeting ( one mil.): for covering plants Ladders: Step ladder: for surfaces on lower areas. Extension ladder: for high areas, such as, second and third floors. Can be used in conjunction with jacks and planks. Ladder Jacks: They sit on two rungs (steps) of an extension ladder, to be used with planks. See planks. Planks: These planks ranging from 8" to 24" feet, sit atop ladder jacks (2), and give you much more area that can be worked on at once before having to move any equipment. This is the most productive form of an easily moveable scaffold. This type of staging requires two persons to erect and disassemble. Powerwasher: Can be rented at either your local paint store or rental company. To be used to eradicate mold, mildew, dirt, and in some instances loose and flaking paint. Steel Staging: To be erected by a licensed professional only. This type of staging allows you to walk the complete area of your home at once, without any wasted time of rigging. Measure for Quantity Quantity, of course, changes from material to material. On the average you get about 350sq. ft. per gallon. To Measure: You would take the length and multiply by the height. Example: Bedroom is 9' wide, 12' feet long, by 8' high. Ceiling = 9' x 12'108 sq. ft. Walls = 9' x 8' = 72 sq. ft. x 2 walls 144 sq. ft. 12' x 8' = 96 sq. ft. x 2 walls 192 sq. ft. 444 sq. ft. divided by 350 = 1.3 gallons. So for this bedroom you would buy (2) gallons for the ceiling and walls (if they were the same color). Always buy more for touch-up later. For the trim (doors, windows, baseboard, crown etc...), this is tougher to estimate, due to different shapes. On the average, one door will use one half of a quart, but measuring by the same square footage is still reliable. Procedure Always clear the surrounding area to be worked on as much as possible, less obstruction equals faster production, and less chance of injury to the painter. Remove switch and cover plates, fixtures, door knobs etc... Cover the floor surface with either canvas (preferred, but expensive for the infrequent painter), plastic (very slippery), or paper drop cloths. Protect surfaces such as unpainted baseboard, light fixtures, door knobs, hinges, switches and receptacles with masking tape and/or with a masking machine which dispenses tape and rolled paper simultaneously for wider coverage when needed. Remove window screens. Patch imperfections and holes with a "Spackle" type compound. Deeper holes on interiors might receive one coat of "fixall" witch does not shrink, because normal finish coat patching compounds have a lot of shrinkage. For exterior patching of stucco the very best product would be an elastomeric compound. Caulk all cracks and seams in wood and where wood trim meet wall surfaces, again the very best is an elastomeric caulk, because if used correctly, stretches with the normal expansion and contraction of all surfaces. Prime all patches using an appropriate primer or undercoat. Starting at the top, use a three inch brush, apply two to three inches of material from the inside corners out. Do the same for any surface that a roller cannot reach. When rolling, always start one half of a roller length way from the brushed area and work away from the corner, then after your roller nap has been fully and evenly covered with paint, go back and roll into the corners and blend this fresh paint with the brushed on paint that might be dry. With deep tone colors, this is very important, because you will see a lap line between the two different textures of paint. Always clean any surface that you might spatter right away, before it dries. Your trim should be your last procedure. When applying paint on doors or windows you should always cut in the areas that take the longest to do first. Such as, on windows you would brush up against the glass (sash) first then the jam and finally the casing. On doors you would cut in the hinges and the knob (if not removed) first and then proceed with the field of the door side.

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