Below we have listed some common assumptions that people generally make regarding paint. Paint is to seal and protect, not to just a simple color that makes the item your painting look good. Unfortunately, this is the worst and most common mistakes painters make. The following points give a prime example of why we use paint:

• If there were no paint on your car, it would rust out very quickly.

• If there wasn't an acrylic sealer in the stucco, it would simply fall apart.

• If BC Ferries didn’t paint the fast cat it would corrode more of our tax dollars away.

• If your house didn’t have paint or a sealer coat it would rot, check, crack and warp to the point of replacement every seven years.

• To fill small voids and cracks to keep water and moisture from entering substrate.

To make this simple : If water can get in it will simply destroy the adhesion of the paint thus peeling and blistering will inevitably occur.

Types of paint:

Paint seals the surface. The more solids in the paint, the better the sealing properties eg: less evaporation of the base. A lone exception to this rule may be chemical reaction sealers.

Latex:

Latex is water based and the most widely used paint today for drywall, wood, properly primed metal, concrete walls and most properly primed int/ext wood. Brushes & rollers can be cleaned with soap & water. Because it is water based, it is the most environmentally friendly of these three paints.

Alkyd:

Alkyd is solvent based, used mostly for metals and must be cleaned with paint thinners.

Emulsion:

Emulsion is a combination of latex with an alkyd suspension.

Paint additives:

To create smooth even flow on your trim and slow down the drying process add 1.5 –2 oz to each 6oz of paint.

Latex:

For smoother, fine finish work like trim, add a few oz of floetrol to your semi gloss or gloss paint for better levelling and to rid yourself of the brush marks.

Alkyd:

Add penetrol same as above for desired finish.

Preparing the surface

Before you start your paint project, it is important to note that you cannot paint Latex paint over an previously painted alkyd product without the use of a bridgecoat primer, eg; Kilz, undercoat enamel etc… Ask your paint retailer if/when you are unsure.

Always test or prime the surface you wish to paint. Failure to do so, will result in very poor adhesion and your paint may peel off entirely. We also recommend that you always sand the surface you are painting before and between coats.

Water or smoke stains in your ceiling or walls?

If you wish to paint latex over cigarette smoke stains, water damage stains, or felt pen marker on walls forget it! You will only be wasting your time.

Prime first! use Kilz or other comparable stain blocking primer first. If you fail to do so, the stain will bleed through the latex paint no matter how many coats you apply.

Painting Plywood with latex.

The same as above applies unless your using an alkyd base paint.

Sheen types and terminology

The location and the degree of cleaning you need will dictate the type of gloss that would be suited for the particular application of different sheens of paint.

As a general rule we use the following sheens for these common applications:

• Flat – ceilings and sometimes walls if desired

• Eggshell - bedrooms, living areas and other common walls

• Semi Gloss – all areas which require constant surface cleaning and a more durable finish. Good examples are the bathroom, kitchen and laundry area walls, as well as trim, baseboards, and doors very institutional when to common area walls.

Note: If you would like a more durable finish but do not like the hard look of glossy surfaces on the walls try a low sheen waterborne enamel this is a very good alternative and will cost you 20-40% more per gallon.

Roller covers and sheens

Semi Gloss drywall/doors……use a 5 MM roller cover
Flat and Eggshell drywall, cement ceilings use a 10mm roller cover
Exterior cement (smooth) 10mm Cover
Exterior Block 10-15 mm Cover
Exterior Stucco (smooth) 10 -15mm Cover
Exterior Stucco (Rough) 20 mm cover
Split face Block 25 mm Cover
Plywood 5-10mm cover
Exterior cedar siding/ cement board 10mm cover

Important Tip

If you are planning to use the brush or roller again shortly or in the next few days keep a liberal amount of paint on the brush/roller wrap it in plastic and place it in your freezer or a cold spot, you will save time cleaning it out everytime you break.

Brushes

Always buy a good quality tapered brush $15.00 (cad) they clean easier and are worth the extra $7 over a cheap one if you wish to have a quality finished product.

Important tip: After cleaning your brush out using an alkyd / solvent base, store your used thinner in a sealed container, let it sit for 30 days or so. The paint solids will eventually settle leaving you with reusable clean thinner again.

Pressure treated Lumber

Pressure treated lumber is kiln dried wood. After a drying process, the lumber is placed in a tank of preservatives and water. It is recommended to wait a full year after installation before painting. The surface can then be painted or stained like any other wood surface. Left unpainted, pressure treated wood will still weather, crack, and warp much like untreated wood.

Caulking

Before performing any caulking, read the label carefully. Please be cautious when purchasing a caulking for painted areas, as not all caulking is paintable.

All caulking must be allowed to dry thoroughly before it is painted or it may crack the cut in paint and show through the color of the caulking.

Silicone is not generally a paintable caulking. There are some types silicone that are paintable but be sure to read the label carefully.

Latex caulking is the most popular for interior and exterior surfaces although there are many types for both applications. Some commercial caulking is more recommended for exterior use.

Elastomeric caulking
Used for Cement block, stucco and some brick applications.

Urethane, polyurethane, one and two parts
These are good quality long lasting commercial sealers and are highly recommended over latex caulking.

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