Under Pressure

Washing that is. I have been painting Tom's Endako house in preparation for selling it to a friend of ours. It had one red bedroom, one orange and the living room had a hand painted( and not a straight one) transition between the dining area and living room. Two coats of slightly grey tinted primer to help hide the red and orange and a coat of high quality off white latex sprayed and then rollered on, and the place is looking a lot better. Tomorrow one last coat and I'll be finished.

In between painting I have been pressure washing the garage in preparation for spraying on water proofing on the bottom foot inside and out and then installing mouse and bird stops between the battons. And then, if weather permits, putting a couple of coats of opaque hunter green latex stain on it. And If I am extremely lucky, weather wise, a couple of coats of primer and paint on the trim.

Just a word of caution if your reading this and thinking pressure washing is the way to clean up your siding before a paint job. Note that I am using a specialized nozzle, working on an old board and batten siding job and being very careful. Inadvertently touching a pressure washing stream against wood siding or trim can damage it severely. If I just wanted to clean siding I would use the pressure washer just to spray a mixture of T.S.P., bleach, and water on it to clean any dirt and kill mildew and mold. Hand scrubbing, not using a pressure nozzle, to remove the dirt. My siding was pretty gone but some judicious, and I did mention, careful, use of the pressure washer got me back to near new wood. Wood that will readily accept stain. If it ever dries out. I will sweep the siding, once it dries, with a very stiff broom to get rid of any loose wood fibers the pressure washing raised.

I like painting. It's a great lesson for me. A story built on simple truths. Any painting job is 80% preparation and 20% actual painting. It's that way with a lot of life's little projects. Preparation is vitally important if I want the project to turn out. I don't know how many time I have seen paint slathered on walls that haven't been properly preped and the outcome is terrible. Simple things like washing a wall with TSP before painting, especially if there are smokers in the house. Filling pin holes. Paint wasn't designed to be used as body filler. Proper masking using quality( yes there is a difference) masking tape. Using a quality primer tinted slightly grey if the colour transition is great, instead of just trying to put on more coats of paint. Using fabric softener to clean water based paint off of brushes and roller. Paint over drips and sags wont make it look any better. Simple things that make the difference between a quality job and one that looks like it was done by Mr. Bean and a stick of dynamite.

Mr Bean Try To Paint His House - Funny bloopers are a click away
A buddy of mine spends every day painting professionally. We have discussed a fundamental problem with painting. It doesn't get a lot of respect.

Painting is like sex. Everyone does it at least now and then. The problem is some people think that means they can do it for money.

Comments

Unknown said…
hey art, I just happened to be at home despot today and saw an exterior latex that you can paint in weather as low as 1 degree Celsius. It is made by CIL and is called Smart3. I thought of you when I read the temperature rating. Also, it is a one coat system with a built in primer. Behr also makes one that can be applied upto 2 degrees.

Kev
Art Blomquist said…
I am going to get some of that to paint the trim with.

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