Choosing a Brush- Paint and stain brushes come with either natural or acrylic bristles. For best results, start with a good quality brush designed for the type of project you are working on. Wide brushes work well for covering large areas but will not allow for a high level of control that a smaller brush provides. Natural bristle brushes work better for oil stains, while acrylic bristles work well with latex paint. Ask your Curtis Lumber paint expert for more details on choosing a brush.
Picking the Right Roller Cover- Most rollers are 3″, 4″, 9″, or 18″ and will require an identical cover. Specialty rollers are available for driveway sealer, narrow spaces, or even textures. The most important attribute of a roller cover is its nap, or thickness. 1/2″ or 3/8″ are common naps and will work for most all purpose applications. For extremely smooth surfaces, a thinner nap, 3/16″ or 1/4″, should be used. If your surface is rough, a thicker nap is useful, such as 3/4″. A good thing to remember is, larger nap rollers pick up more paint that can then fill in rough spots, but may also leave too much paint on the surface.
Should I Spray?- While painting isn’t difficult, it can be time consuming. Because of this, there are many time-saving spray application options available. Before you decide to spray, you should determine if your project is a good candidate.
Canned spray paint can be good for irregular shaped items or when you just want to put a finish on something quickly and looks are not a big concern. Power Sprayers allow you to control the width of your spray and pour in stains or standard interior or exterior paints. A good situation for spraying indoors is for a new construction project with no flooring installed. All areas you do not want covered with paint should be masked. Be careful because the spray will travel, so make sure everything around you is covered. Outdoors, be aware of wind and your neighbors’ property. As always, follow the paint sprayer and paint manufacturer’s instructions and wear the proper safety equipment.
Protecting Areas from Unwanted Painting or Staining
- Use a Drop cloth to cover all floors, furniture or anywhere paint or stain may splatter
- Place blue painter’s tape around trim, ceilings and other areas not to be finished
- Use a smaller, angled trim brush around edges.
- Remove Switch plate and outlet covers prior to painting or staining.
Clean Up Tips
- Thoroughly rinse brushes or roller covers with soapy, warm water if it is an Acrylic or Latex and use Mineral Spirits if it is an Alkyd or Oil Based.
- It is a good idea to have plenty of clean rags and either warm soapy water or mineral spirits handy in case of a spill or splatter.
- If you will be applying a second coat of the same paint or stain, you can store your brush or roller in a sealed plastic bag to save from cleaning them each time.
Come to Curtis Lumber for friendly advice and to start your painting project off right!