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: Never leave a paint brush sitting across the top of a paint can. It can fall into the paint and make a big splash, and it can also allow the bristles to dry out. If you're taking a break from your work, there are two things you can do with your paint brush. First, you can set it, bristles down, into your cutting bucket. (Be sure to have about a centimeter—half inch—of paint in the bucket.) If you'll be a while, you can also "tent" some plastic over the top of the bucket. Second, you can wet thoroughly the tips of the brush bristles with paint and wrap the bristles in a scrap of plastic. A brush wrapped tightly like this will easily keep fresh and ready for use until the following day. * I always have a roll of cheap plastic on the job, so that I can cut off small pieces to use for this purpose. Copyright ©2011 by Nathan Harms |
