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Feature Article from The Whitewater Press - Holiday / Winter 2010 www.thewhitewaterpress.com
Painting: 10 Tops to Saving Money
Recent surveys reveal that consumers will be doing a lot of remodeling this year. With the sluggish economy, many are opting for do-it-yourself projects to squeeze the most out of their budgets. One of the most common undertakings: interior painting. “Nearly everyone agrees that some jobs – like re-roofing or electrical work – are best left to the pros, but most people think they can do their own painting,”
According to Steve Johnson at Winchester True Value, many people regard painting as a weekend project. As such, they want to see the fruits of their labor by Sunday night. “That’s a realistic goal, but to achieve it, you have to plan out the job and be well organized,” he says.
If your organizational skills leave something to be desired, Johnson offers some suggestions:
1: Move it! Get all of your furniture out of the way by moving it to the center of the room, using plastic sliders on heavy items so you don’t have to lift them. Cover everything with plastic, blankets or old sheets. Then, put down drop cloths to protect your floors from stray droplets of paint.
2: Clean it! Scrub the surfaces you’ll be painting with a sponge and mild house hold detergent before going to the paint store. That will give them time to dry while you’re out shopping.
3: Plan it! Making multiple trips to the paint store can consume gobs of time, so try to do all of your shopping in just one visit. Before leaving your home, see what painting tools and accessories you have on hand, then create a shopping list –
or, save even more time by downloading a helpful check list at:
www.paintquality.com
4: Choose it! Buy technologically advanced top quality 100-percent acrylic latex interior paint. These durable paints often hide the color that’s underneath quickly and effectively, saving you not only time and effort, but money as well.
5: Tape it! Tape the edges of the surfaces you’ll be painting to enable you to apply the paint faster. You’ll quickly recover the time spent doing this. And taping will make your finished job look a lot neater.
6: Work it! Work “top down”: paint the ceiling; then the walls; next, the windows and trim; and, lastly, the baseboards. Following this sequence will help keep just-painted surfaces free of paint spatter or drip marks and cut down on time spent on touch-up work.
7: Make the cut! When painting a ceiling or wall, start by “cutting in” a corner section with a paint brush, applying 3-inch band of paint around the edge. This will enable you to quickly fill in the area with a paint roller. Repeat this process in 3-foot increments.
8: Paint it! Apply the paint liberally. Trying to “stretch” your paint by applying a thin coat is false economy: You might end up needing a second coat to completely hide the original color.
9: Clean up! Assuming that you purchased top quality 100-percent acrylic latex paint, your cleanup will be a snap. Being water-based, these paints can be quickly and easily cleaned off of brushes and rollers with plain soap and water.
10: Enjoy it! The last time-saver when using top quality latex paint? Not having to wait for the “paint smell” to go away. Eco-friendly latex paints have very little odor, so you can put a freshly painted room back into service right away.
True Value’s Idea House is filled with a wide variety of inspiring home improvement project ideas and advice for both beginner and experienced do-it-yourselfers. Stop by for a visit @ www.startrightstarthere.com
Get ideas, plans, tips, hands on directions, and even a shopping list! Print, Plan & then Visit your hometown Winchester True Value. Steve, Whitewater’s own ‘Master of All Things Hardwarian
Winchester True Value
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