KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS - PAINTING 101
Painting and wall repair is
something we believe everyone should know how to do especially in this current trend
of the do-it-yourselfer. We're are
starting a series on basic painting skills.
Before you start to paint you
need to prepare the walls. Use a
solution of half bleach and half water.
This will remove dirt, oil, grease and any loose paint. It also will remove any
mold or mildew. Make sure you use rubber gloves and have plenty of ventilation.
Always wash from the bottom up to prevent streaks. Use a large sponge and change the water frequently. Let dry
thoroughly.
Repair any holes or cracks
with spackle or similar product. This is available at your local hardware store
or home improvement center.
Here are quick steps for patching holes in plaster or plasterboard.
- Remove loose plaster. Scrape out plaster from the back of the crack or
hole until the back is wider than the front. Dampen the surface with a wet
paintbrush.
- Fill the hole. Smooth the surface with a medium width putty knife. If the hole is
very large use layers of spackle letting each dry thoroughly before applying
the next. Even out the surface with a damp sponge.
- After the patch
has dried it's time to sand. Start
out with a rough grit such as 100 or 120, then go to a 240 to finish. Wrap the
sandpaper around a wooden block and staple at the top where you hold it. This
will make sanding easier and more even.
- If you are
dealing with a very large hole fill in first with wadded up newspaper. Apply in
the layered method working from all sides, again let dry thoroughly between
layers.
Next week- brushes and
rollers!
KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH
& DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
