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House Painting San Ramon: Choosing the Right Tools for Interior Painting


House Painting San Ramon: Choosing the Right Tools for Interior Painting

In order to attain your desired results in your house painting San Ramon project, you need to have a set of tools that are right for the job. It is important to know that these tools should be of high quality but they should also be the ones that fit within your budget.

First off, there should be paint, naturally — make sure that you buy top-of-the-line paints to ensure better coverage and long-lasting finish. But what good is having high-grade paints if you are otherwise using subpar tools? That’s why buying good quality tools is also as important as buying excellent paint.

The following are the essential tools (and some optional ones) that you will need for your painting job:

1. Paint brushes

It truly pays to buy good quality paint brushes. A lot of homeowners have wisely decided to buy top of the line paint brushes even though they cost more since they know that they don’t want to repeat painting very soon.

Unless you have a basic painting job, you may need more than just one type of paint brush. The following is the list of paint brushes by virtue of their size and bristle type.

Size:

  • 4- to 5-inch flat brush, 3/4″ to 1″ thick – for painting wide, large and non-textured surfaces.
  • 2 1/2- to 3-inch brush with tapered edges – for painting corners, trim and edges.
  • 1- to 2-inch brush – for painting smaller and narrower spaces, narrower trim areas, woodwork touchups or details.

Bristle type:

  • Natural – the bristles are derived from animal hair like camel, ox, and goat. If you are using oil or alkyd paint and enamels, you should use this type of brush.
  • Synthetic – the bristles are made of any of these materials: nylon, polyester, PVC, polypropylene, or a combination of any of them. This is ideal for latex paints and water-based primers and other related products.

2. Rollers and extension poles

If you have a wide surface to paint, rollers are an ideal option. Rollers definitely hold much more paint and cover a wider surface than paint brushes do. But to ensure that you’re getting more paint that you need, don’t settle for the polyester roller cover because they don’t hold that much paint. It is recommended that you purchase a combination of synthetic/natural roller cover, or better yet, a 100% natural roller cover (like lambskin).

Look at the various types of rollers according to size:
14″ to 18″ nap – for covering bigger and wider areas
9″ nap – standard size, ideal for most painting jobs
4″ to 7″ nap – for painting smaller areas

Extension poles for the rollers are optional. You may buy an extension pole if you are going to paint high walls and/or the ceiling. Get a durable, good quality extension pole. There are varying lengths available; for example, if the room you are going to paint is about 8 or 9 feet high, buy an extension pole that extends from 18 to 36 inches. To ensure a complete coverage, buy only an extension pole that features a rigid metal core so that you will be able to better control the rolling. Extension poles with plastic cores are flexible and thus make rolling paint harder to manipulate.

3. Drop cloths

You definitely don’t want to do extra work in scraping away dried, dripped paint on the floor or on the furniture. Plus, no matter how careful you are, dripping is something you still cannot avoid. So it’s always better to cover the work area with drop cloths. For temporary protection or for covering a certain piece of furniture, a plastic drop cloth will suffice — after using it, just crumple and throw it away. If you think you’ll be painting again soon though, or you want to avoid the possibility of accidents from slippery paint on a plastic surface, it’s ideal to invest in a canvas drop cloth — it’s highly reusable.

4. A five-gallon bucket fitted with a paint grid

If you’re planning to do mostly rolling during your next paint job, use a five-gallon bucket with a paint grid instead of the standard paint tray (also known as the roller screen). Ever wonder why professionals always end up making a smooth paint finish? This tool is one of the reasons!

The five-gallon bucket with a paint grid is used to get rid of excess paint from the roller. Simply fill half the bucket with paint and dip the roller into the bucket. Next, rake the roller against the paint grid to drain excess paint. This ensures that the roller has enough amount of paint, minimizing paint drips. With the bucket’s ample capacity, you don’t have to bother refilling it with paint all over again as you may have done with the paint tray.

A five-gallon bucket also enables faster rolling, a smoother and more even coverage, and lesser accidents. You cannot possibly step on this bucket by accident as you might have encountered with a paint tray, which can be a spill and slip hazard.

5. Painter’s tape

For a flawless paint finish, you usually cover areas — like baseboards, trim and window frames — that you don’t want to paint. Or you want to incorporate some style to your room such as painting stripes of different colors. In this case, you will need tape. However, buy only a painter’s tape — not any other kind of tape. The standard ScotchBlue painter’s tape is widely used and recommended by both professional and DIY painters alike. This tape is excellent for creating tighter seals around the edges, preventing the paint from bleeding underneath it.

Aside from the five tools mentioned above, you need to protect yourself by wearing the appropriate gear consisting of any of the following: goggles, face mask, respirator, apron and rubber gloves.

Preparation of the surface before painting should not be skipped at all costs as it is the key to a good and professional-looking finish. For cleaning the surface, you will need both a damp and a dry cloth, a sponge, a detergent (optional), and a TSP or homemade bleach solution (optional too, depending on the level of dirt on the surface). You may also need to do repairs on the walls in the event you find noticeable flaws or damage like a peeling paint or unsightly cracks. You may need any of the following for this step: a metal scraper, a putty knife, a joint compound or a caulk, and a sandpaper.

You may also need some basic tools like screwdrivers to help remove fixtures (like hooks and switch plate covers) before painting and to re-install them once the painting job has been finished.

As you can see, there are no shortcuts to good house painting in San Ramon, and you really have to work for the professional look in your home that you desire. Apart from using good quality paints and tools, there are also proper procedures to be followed not just in the painting job itself, but also in the preparation of the surface and disposal of waste after painting.

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