Once again, Zenith Painting is diving into our professional’s bag of tips and tricks for efficient and effective home painting. If it’s good enough for qualified painting contractors like us, it’s good enough for you.
No Need to Tape Windows
Painter’s tape is great for keeping edges clean in interior painting, but you don’t need to use it when painting window sashes and trim. Use a razor to gently scrape dry paint off the glass. No mess, no scratches. Just be sure not to cut the waterproof seal the paint has created between the wood and the glass.
No More Brush Marks
The sure sign of an amateur paint job is brush marks or lap marks that leave visible lines in dry paint. There are brushing techniques that will help prevent this, but you can make the job even easier by adding a paint extender when mixing your paint. Paint extender will make the paint dry more slowly, giving you more time to smooth over imperfections. This will level out the paint as you apply it to reduce the appearance of brush strokes in the first place. Just read the directions on your extender to mix the correct ratio.
Chemical-Free Paint Removal (For Fixtures)
Paint stripping can be time consuming and a messy business. But if you’ve got metal fixtures to strip, there’s a much easier way. Just dunk items like hinges and switch plates into boiling water.
Fair warning: this can stain the pot you use, but if you have some old cookware it’s a great way to make use of it. Rusty or flaking metals will also degrade more with this treatment, but copper, brass, and aluminum are all rust-proof and will come out looking great—and free of paint.
Most paints will fall off in a single piece in a couple of hours, though some will take longer and may need some help from a stiff brush. Get rid of the peeled paint in the garbage and use a metal polish to restore your fixtures.
Together, these tips will help you produce a flawless interior paint job. If you’d like some help with achieving the perfect look, give Zenith Painting a call at 800-381-4601 for a free quote.
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