PAINT

CAUTION: LEAD IN PAINT IS VERY DANGEROUS. PAINT MANUFACTURED BEFORE 1977 MAY CONTAIN LEAD. PAINT MANUFACTURED BEFORE 1950 ALMOST DEFINITELY CONTAINS LEAD.  KNOW WHAT YOU’RE FOOLING WITH BEFORE YOU STRIP PAINT!!!

VENTILATION- MOISTURE PROBLEMS ARE THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF PAINT FAILURE. CONDENSATION THAT WORKS ITS WAY FROM THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE THROUGH THE SIDING LIFTS PAINT AS IT EVAPORATES THROUGH TREMENDOUS HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE. TRY TO RESOLVE HUMIDITY PROBLEMS INDOORS, CLOSE TOILET LIDS, HAVE VENTILATING FANS IN BATH ROOMS, HAVE A VENTILATING FAN OVER THE STOVE, AND RUN AIR CONDITIONERS OR ROOM DEHUMIDIFIERS. RESOLVE MOISTURE PROBLEMS IN BASEMENT OR CRAWL SPACE. INSTALL SMALL SCREEN VENTS IN SIDING TO HELP MOISTURE ESCAPE IN AREAS WHERE PAINT PEALS

CAUTION:  NEVER CAULK THE LAPS ON SIDING!!!

COMMON PAINT PROBLEMS:

BLISTERING AND PEELING PAINT 

IF THIS CONDITION RESULTS IN THE EXPOSURE OF BARE WOOD, IT IS ALWAYS A RESULT OF MOISTURE PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION TO THE MEASURES OUTLINED ABOVE, A VAPOR BARRIER INSTALLED BETWEEN THE INTERIOR WALL AND THE SIDING CAN BE EFFECTIVE BUT WHO THE HECK IS GOING TO REMOVE SIDING TO DO THIS I’D LIKE TO KNOW.

CAN ALSO RESULT FROM A SURFACE THAT IS TOO HARD, SMOOTH, GLOSSY OR DIRTY. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS CONDITION AND ONE RESULTING FROM MOISTURE PROBLEMS IS THAT THIS PROBLEM CAUSES PAINT TO PEEL DOWN ONLY TO THE OFFENDING LAYER WHILE MOISTURE PROBLEMS CAUSE PAINT TO PEEL DOWN TO BARE WOOD. CURE – SAND WITH 100 GRIT PAPER TO CLEAN AND ROUGHEN.

 IS USUALLY CAUSED BY THE BUILDUP OF TOO MANY LAYERS OF PAINT. THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO STRIP OFF ALL THE OLD LAYERS OF PAINT AND START OVER WITH 100 GRIT SANDING, APPLICATION OF AN OIL BASE PRIMER THEN USE OF EMULSIBOND IN THE PAINT.

STAINING OR POPPING PAINT DUE TO RUSTY NAIL HEADS 

IF POSSIBLE, REMOVE OFFENDING NAILS AND REPLACE WITH ALUMINUM OR GALVANIZED NAILS. OTHERWISE LIGHTLY SAND NAIL HEADS, COUNTERSINK, PRIME, CAULK THEN REPRIME AND PAINT.

RESIN BLEED THROUGH 

RESIN FROM KNOTS CAN STAIN PAINT. USE TURPENTINE SOAKED RAG TO WASH OFF AS MUCH RESIN AS POSSIBLE. COAT KNOT WITH A SPECIAL SEALER MADE FOR THAT PURPOSE. THEN PRIME AND REPAINT.

AS OFTEN AS NOT, PAINT FAILURES ARE DUE TO UNSATISFACTORY CLEANING. YOUR CLEANING SOLUTION SHOULD BE 2/3 CUP TSP (TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE) ... YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE TSP WITHOUT THE PHOSPHATE, 1/3 CUP DETERGENT LIKE "TIDE", 1 QUART OF CLOROX AND 3 QUARTS OF WARM WATER.

WET THE SURFACE TO BE PAINTED WITH A HOSE AND WATER ALL SHRUBS THOROUGHLY. SPRAY THE CLEANING SOLUTION YOU’VE MIXED UP ON HOUSE WITH A GARDEN SPRAYER AND LET LIQUID SIT SO SURFACTANTS CAN LIFT OFF DIRT AND KILL MILDEW BUT DO NOT LET SOLUTION DRY!!! SCRUB LIGHTLY WITH A LONG HANDLED BRUSH THEN SPRAY CLEAN WITH A WATER HOSE. CAUTION: BE SURE CLEANED SIDING IS THOROUGHLY DRY BEFORE PRIMING / PAINTING.

INTERIOR: CLEAN INTERIOR SURFACES AS ABOVE BUT DON’T USE A GARDEN HOSE AND DON’T WATER THE SHRUBS THOROUGHLY.

CAUTION: PRESSURE WASHERS ARE A QUICK AND DIRTY WAY TO STRIP FLAKING PAINT, BUT THEY CAN CAUSE TERRIFIC DAMAGE IN THE HANDS OF THE UNSKILLED OR INATTENTIVE.  THEY CAN ALSO DISLODGE WOOD FILLER AND CAULKING AND CAN FORCE WATER INTO THE WOOD CAUSING ROT AND PAINT FAILURE.

TO PROVIDE A STABLE SURFACE THAT WILL HOLD PAINT REQUIRES A COMBINATION OF STRIPPING, SCRAPING, SANDING, REPAIRING NICKS OR GOUGES WITH SOME SORT OF SPACKLING FILLER, THE APPLICATION OF CAULK IN GAPS & GLAZING AROUND GLASS PANES, I.E., GETTING THE SURFACES TO BE PAINTED IN GOOD, SOLID CONDITION. CAUTION: USE ONLY AN EXTERIOR SPACKLING COMPOUND OR PAINTER’S PUTTY FOR OUTDOOR APPLICATIONS … INDOOR SPACKLING WON’T HOLD UP.

• CITRISTRIP FOR PAINT & VARNISH IS SAFE & EFFECTIVE. STAYS WET & EFFECTIVE UP TO 24 HOURS SO WILL STRIP MULTIPLE LAYERS. (810) 340-0400
• "PEEL-AWAY" WAS ON "THIS OLD HOUSE" AND IS SUPPOSED TO TURN LAYERS OF PAINT INTO SINGLE SHEET THAT LIFTS OFF INTACT. AVAILABLE FROM DIAMOND CHEMICALS, DEPT. PWN-01, 1501 BROADWAY, N.Y., N.Y. 10036
• CLEAN - PRIMER AND PAINT CAN’T ADHERE TO A DIRTY SURFACE. SEE ABOVE UNDER "CLEANING" FOR WHAT TO DO.
• "TOOTH" - DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT APPLYING PAINT UNTIL YOU’VE PRIMED ANY NEW WOOD, WOOD THAT WAS SCRAPED / SANDED, AND ALL AREAS FILLED WITH SURFACING COMPOUND.

DO NOT USE REGULAR PAINT FOR PRIMER, RATHER USE A PRIMER AS SPECIFIED BY THE PAINT MANUFACTURER.

NOTE: "BACK BRUSHING" APPLIES PAINT WITH A ROLLER TO BE BRUSHED OUT BEFORE IT DRIES. THE ROLLER APPLIES PAINT IN A CONSISTENTLY THICK COAT AND SAVES THE TIME OF CONSTANTLY DIPPING THE BRUSH. THE BRUSH WORKS THE PAINT INTO THE SURFACE AND ELIMINATES THE ROUGH, TEXTURED LOOK YOU GET WITH THE ROLLER.

NOTE: COFFEE CAN W’ PLASTIC LID MAKES GREAT CONTAINER FOR STORING OVERNIGHT OR SOAKING PAINT BRUSHES. CUT "X" IN CENTER OF LID, PUSH BRUSH HANDLE UP THROUGH "X" SO BRISTLES WILL BE IN WATER / SOLVENT. LID KEEPS LIQUID FROM EVAPORATING AND HOLD BRISTLES SUSPENDED ABOVE CAN BOTTOM.

LATEX PAINT SPLATTER REMOVER - GOOF OFF (800) 253-3957. ALSO REMOVES STICKER RESIDUE, GLUE RESIDUE, DISSOLVES CHEWING GUM & CANDLEWAX, REMOVES PEN / MARKERS / CRAYONS, REMOVES OIL / GREASE STAINS, REMOVES SCUFF MARKS ON TILE & LINOLEUM.

METAL PAINT: FOR THE EASE AND CONVENIENCE OF LATEX, USE KRYLON’S RUST TOUGH. THE COMPANY CLAIMS IT INHIBITS RUST AS WELL OR BETTER THAN OIL-BASED METAL PAINTS. (800) 832-2541.