Twitter: Reliable Painters

Professional Tips and Tricks

In 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:

Masking tape tip #6: The faster the paint dries, the less likely it will be to creep under the masking tape. Avoid high humidity, which will also increase leakage under the tape. Keep a flow of fresh air in the room where you're painting.

Many people assume that heat is the main curing factor for paint, but paints cure from a combination of factors which can include:
* heat
* dry humidity
* oxidization
* catalytic action
* evaporation

Therefore, the best painting environment will provide a comfortable temperature, low humidity and plenty of fresh air. If your paint is drying too quickly, lower the room temperature and close the windows. If your paint is drying too slowly use a fan to increase the flow of air.

Anecdote:

A contractor returned one very cold winter morning to a room he had painted the previous afternoon. The homeowner had mistakenly closed the door tightly on a small closet that had been painted, and the door had remained closed all night. When the door was opened by the contractor, the paint was still wet. Some of it had run down the closet walls and pooled on the carpet. Due to the closed door—and the winter weather—there was high humidity (from the wet paint), cold temperature (from poor insulation) and no fresh air (from door being closed), so the paint did not dry.