SteveLa

Questions regarding interior paint

Coming in the next two weeks, the job I hate most...painting the house. Well, it's not the painting i really hate, but the prep work (taping, draping, moving furniture, etc) and the cleanup. A couple questions. First, has anyone used those trim pads that they sell for window/baseboard trim and cutting in? Do they really speed things up or does the finished work look like shit? Is the best way to cut into corners or finish trim still with a good old-fasioned sash brush? Also, I haven't painted these walls in about eight years and some areas could be dusty. Should I scrub them down first? If so, what's the best way to do it without having dirty water everywhere...just a big sponge and a bucket of TSP?

Evan M.

Yep....the best way is still with a brush and cut in. The pads leave too much of a gap between paint and molding for my liking. If you don't like to cut in then just tape everything VERY well. Use the blue painters tape....I use 3M products....a bit more money but worth it. After all the clean up and drip that those sponge things require you will probably really wind up spending not much more time with cutting in yourself. Use a good quality paint too. Contrary to popular belief (and the Consumer Reports) Bher is not very good paint. I would spend an extra 5$ a gallon and pick up either Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. They make some great paint and it is sooooooo easy to use. Also buying a nice brush is a huge help too. In this case the more you pay for the brush the better it is. I use a brush that I bought for almost $30 to do all of the cutting in. I bought it 3 years ago and I use it for EVERY interior job I have done and it still works great and if I take care of it can last me for close to 15 years (believe it or not).
As for the dust....clean it off the best you can. What would work well is to actually vacume (I know it sounds strange) the walls first....then go over the whole area with a bunch of tack cloths. You won't have to use water and the walls will be nice and clean.

Mort Corey

Agree on the good brush theory...makes a world of difference. The only time you might want to use a TSP cleaning system is if you are covering a semi or gloss surface. You'll need to knock the sheen down for the new coat to adhere properly.

Mort

DonnyD

Some trim pads work very well but require a little patience and some practice to use them to their potential. If you've never used them, I'd stick to brushes for now. Sash and cut brushes are a little more "automatic" but also take some technique to get good results....

Brian Perry

I agree that Behr is poor paint. I bought a gallon at Home Depot for a closet and I thought I was painting with water -- it was like there was no pigment in it. I ended up using four coats.

Most of the painters I know use one of three brands:

Benjamin Moore
Pratt & Lambert
ICI/Dulux

Benjamin Moore has a newer finish called "Matte" which is great. It hides wall imperfections like flat but is as durable as eggshell.

imported_Buzz Vinard

Foam brushes.

Foam brushes.

These work so amazingly well for working around trim...you won't believe.

If you are doing the whole house and can swing the prep work, renting one of those airless sprayers from Home Depot is great. I covered all manner of sins of bold colors when I was getting the house ready to sell. Keep in mind that you must use water-based paints with these. Cover everything you don't want paint on. Experience has taught me that you will be better off painting walls and trim together, and then repainting trim in the accent color.

Clinton McClure

I have always had great results with Kilz paints and primers.

Don't Panic

My Collection My Equipment

Mike Wladyka

What a coincidence. Answering a paint question when I just happen to be wearing a sherwin williams t-shirt today, used to work there.

I actually like the edge trimming pad type things. They work good once you get the hang of it and don't leave brush marks like brushes. Some of them are bad though, I will try to find a link to a "good one."

sherwin williams paint is good stuff, especially the super paint but that is also the most expensive.

A little tip when using a roller. Wrap the roller in masking tape then peel the tape off. This will remove all the little fuzzies and stuff so they won't get on your wall.

Now they show you how detergents take out bloodstains, a pretty violent image there. I think if you\'ve got a T-shirt with a bloodstain all over it, maybe laundry isn\'t your biggest problem. Maybe you should get rid of the body before you do the wash.