Professional Tips and TricksIn my 40 years as a house painter and contractor, I've gathered many tips and practices that are now part of my every day routine. Some of these tips simply make my work faster or more efficient. Other tips help produce higher quality results. I'm certain that homeowners painting their own dwellings will benefit from these suggestions. Less-experienced contractors may also find my suggestions helpful, so over the coming days and weeks I hope to provide this information freely via my Twitter feed. Why am I sharing this hard-earned experience? It's my belief that generosity of knowledge and practice brings benefits to the giver and the recipient. I hope you'll call on me the next time you require a professional house painter.
You can access previous tips and keep up-to-date by "following" me on Twitter. Tip: After you set up your "shop" in the house—but before you open any paint—be sure that the furniture is all moved into the correct location and covered with paint resistant covers. Try to cover everything right down to the floor surface, so that it cannot easily be dislodged. Use masking tape to secure the covers. If there are joints where covers overlap, be sure to tape them into place. Anecdotes: After a contractor had covered all the furniture in the front room of the house he was painting, the homeowner returned to the front room to retrieve a newspaper from the sofa. The homeowner did not bother to replace the covering. When the ceiling had been completely painted the contractor found paint speckles all over the arm of the sofa. While a contractor was on a lunch break, the family cat leapt onto the covered furniture stretching the tarps, upsetting a roller tray full of oil paint onto the sofa. Because the tarps were firmly taped into place where they connected, the spilled paint was safely contained and no harm was done. Copyright ©2011 by Nathan Harms |
