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: It's vital to prime new drywall (wallboard) surfaces with appropriate primer before painting them with finish paint. Many, many painting contractors have fallen into the bad practice of using whatever "left-over" paint they have from previous projects to "prime" new wallboard. This is not acceptable. Drywall primer contains ingredients which are designed to properly penetrate and seal the wallboard surface, as well as level the holdout between areas of joint filler and drywall paper. Why does this matter? Even if you achieve a satisfactory appearance without using correct primer, you may be disappointed to find—years later—that the painted finish does not have a proper bond to the drywall. For instance, you may apply a piece of tape and discover that the removal of the tape lifts all the existing paint off the surface! Or you may find that removing wallpaper is impossible without causing catastrophic damage to the wallboard surface. Always prime new wallboard with designated new wallboard primer. Copyright ©2011 by Nathan Harms |
