Painting Tips Vol. 1

Instead of searching for different tips throughout our blog, we've condensed all previous submissions into one handy document for all the useful knowledge Letts Paint has learned over the years. Take a look below to improve your DIY painting skills!

Ceiling Painting Tips

As most painters will tell you, painting ceilings are a pain. Your shoulders quickly get tired, and paint seems to get in your eyes no matter what. But they need to get done! So how do we do them?

Tip 1: Make sure you know the type of ceiling you're applying paint to. If you're working with a flat ceiling, make sure to test whether the last applied top coat was oil or latex-based paint (acetone test kits can be found at your local paint store). If it's oil, you'll have to apply a primer coat beforehand to make sure your latex top coat adheres, or you can simply use an oil top coat and avoid the prime coat altogether.

Tip 2: If your ceiling is a popcorn-style ceiling, DO NOT APPLY LATEX PAINT. The risk here is that this type of ceiling can actually be quite fragile. If latex paint is applied here, there is real risk that the paint will be too heavy and quite literally cause your ceiling to "sag." To avoid this, use an oil-based ceiling paint.

Tip 3: Make sure to paint PERPENDICULAR to the window that lets in the most light. If the ceiling is rolled parallel to the window, it will create lap marks (i.e. the double layer where two rolling patterns overlap) even once the paint dries and cures. If there are multiple windows presenting this issue, choose the one where light will be the strongest or longest during the day.

Preparing Porous Surfaces

Our most recent job site reminded us of something important: new builds, whether residential or condominium, have a very thin base layer of paint on their walls. What does this mean?

It means that paint will be quickly absorbed into the substrate (i.e. surface) you're working on. If you've ever worked with new drywall before, the first prime coat will massively absorb the paint you've just put, often requiring more paint than you planned for. That's ok!

If you know that you'll be encountering either new drywall, or a relatively new build contractor paint as a base layer (this scenario would normally apply if you've, in the last 4-5 years, moved into a new build and are looking to apply a new coat of paint), the solution is to plan for it. This means a few things:

Tip 1: Look to purchase a roller with a slightly thicker sleeve. In these situations, we suggest 15mm instead of the standard 10mm. The former holds more paint and you'll be able to apply more without having to go back for more paint as frequently. We use this trick with taller walls (i.e. 10+ ft. high ceiling homes), so that you're able to roll a complete column first and not drying out halfway. The 15mm solution provides for a less patchy finish.

Tip 2: And the other solution is to plan for both more paint and more time to spend painting. This doesn't mean going overboard and doubling up, but expect more than on a painted wall with several layers.

Removing Paint from Grout

Say you've got an older home and the previous tenants decided to paint some of the rooms themselves. And let's say they weren't too prudent, and paint has gotten everywhere, including in between ceramic tiles, or other places where grout is present.

Given that it's probably been a while, the paint has likely set and it will be hard to pick off. Scraping may damage the grout and make it discoloured. The good news is that there are a few options.

1) If the existing paint is water-soluble, look to apply methyl hydrate to a rag and wipe the paint with a bit of force to dislodge it. Methyl hydrate, while poisonous and flammable, will not corrode the skin, nor should it damage the surrounding ceramic substrate.

2) If you're looking to apply more of a teethwhitening effect to the grout, look to products like grout pens (https://www.amazon.ca/Grout-Pen-White-Revives-Restores/dp/B006LMFJS4). They colour and cover existing paint and grout to appear newer and less faded.

Painting Where Two Corners Meet

When a corner comes together like in the photo below - and the two wall faces that meet have different colour sides - how do you make sure one doesn't bleed on to the other when you roll it? This was a question recently asked by friends of Letts Paint, as they were preparing to renovate parts of their home.

The answer is relatively straightforward and can broken down into two steps. First, assuming the two colours are different, you'll want to paint with the lighter of the two colours first. This way, if you make a mistake and go over the corner on the other side, it will be easier to cover with the second colour (than the other way around).

Second, it's recommended to have less paint on the roller when painting on, or closer to, the corner's edge. In other words, either dip less of the roller's surface in the paint tray, or offload the first few rolls on a different surface. This way, there will be less paint that will bleed over onto the other wall once you begin.

When to Use Plastic and Why

Let's start with an obvious statement: coverage while painting is essential. Paint that covers well tends to hide spots, imperfections, and streaks. Therefore, paint coverage is key.

Coverage of the items in your home that you don't want covered in paint is also crucial. Laying dropsheets are standard practice before beginning any project in order to cover the floors. This is obvious to many!

What is less obvious is that you need to cover more than just the ground (depending on the surface you want painted)! In the photo above, our team only needed to paint the ceiling in this cozy red kitchen. The overlooked aspect here is that when you're painting ceilings, the roller sleeve can spray tiny droplets on the walls next to it! It's not only gravity at work here; it's also the velocity when shooting the roller cage back and forth across the ceiling. So for the next time you only need to paint ceilings - cover everything!

Painting Fireplaces

This is a tough one. Painting masonry generally is possible, but not necessarily recommended. When considering painting, for example, the outside of a brick house, consider when and how often it will have to be applied! Weather, including heat and moisture, will force you to reapply roughly every 5 years, given the context and individual circumstances.

Now when addressing interior masonry painting, similar thinking applies. Fireplaces like the ones in the image above can be painted. But again, consider the circumstances. If prepping for a sale, painting the entire surface is an option. This can provide a clean look. In the scenario above, the client was preparing for a sale. We recommended to paint only the small inside compartment of the fireplace, and to prime it first and cover with black, while leaving the rest of the masonry alone.

But if it's for your own home, fire, soot, smoke will all affect the finished surface. Consider this before applying paint to it.