Know-how is one of the things that separates pros from amateurs, and sometimes the situations you face as a painter demand know-how that’s a little out of the ordinary. Here are real-world tips and products for making you look like a genius as you meet three paint-related challenges.

Repairing Wood Rot

Everyone who paints outdoor wood knows how common rot is. Many wooden buildings that need exterior paint show at least a little punky wood here and there. Some buildings show a lot, and the wetter the climate you live in, the more often you’ll find rot. The thing is, the kind of rot you’ll find as a painter is rarely structural. More often than not it’s something that can be fixed permanently by patching, but only if you use the right kind of patching procedure.

“Keep your eyes open and you could earn a few hundred easy dollars refinishing butcher-block surfaces in the houses you’re already visiting for regular repainting.”

You need to cover three essential bases because there’s more to outdoor rot repair than meets the eye. If you just hack out rotten wood, then trowel in some auto body filler, your repair won’t last. Sure, the repair itself will provide a fine substrate for paint and it will look good in the short run, but the repair will come loose as the rot continues to spread. Improper patching is a callback waiting to happen. That’s because filling an empty cavity in a post or some siding or a windowsill is only the last of the steps necessary for successfully patching wood rot. Disinfection and consolidation are the necessary prerequisites for a permanent repair. After removing rotten wood, it’s necessary to kill the rot organisms chemically. If you don’t do this, the rot process will continue, even if the area is drier than it was before paint. Wood rot is something like cancer; it needs to be killed before it’ll stop spreading.

Rhino Wood Repair is a Canadian system that’s arguably the best there is. It’s not the cheapest option, but I know from my own tests that it works great and is much cheaper than any kind of wood replacement. It’s strong, long lasting and is easy to shape. One reason Rhino works is because it covers the three essential steps: disinfection, consolidation and filling. Remove as much of the rotten wood as you can, kill the rot organisms with a pre-treatment, then firm up any remaining soft wood with Rhino liquid epoxy treatment. The filler part of the Rhino system is made of two putties you mix together until they’re a consistent colour. Force the putty into the rot cavity, smooth it over while still soft, then rasp and sand it to final shape before priming and painting with the rest of the area.

Wallpaper Removal

This is one of the most unpredictable tasks you’ll face as a painter. Sometimes paper comes off easily, many times not. Wallpapers are different one from the other, and the prep applied to the wall before the paper went on can make a big difference when it’s time to get back to bare surfaces. Different painters have different tricks, but one thing worth considering is specialty wallpaper removal products. They don’t always boost efficiency, but depending on the situation that can make a big difference, especially when little bits of paper remain. Zinsser’s DIF wallpaper stripper is one of the most widely available and effective options. Most pros prefer the liquid concentrate version. Wallpaper steamers are usually more than worth it, too. The Wagner Spraytech is readily available, inexpensive and works exceptionally well.

Butcher Block Refinishing

More and more people these days are understandably concerned about the safety of paints and finishing products in their home. This is especially true when it comes to food prep areas. Finishing a butcher- block counter is a case in point. Countertops made of maple and other hardwoods need regular care that they don’t always get. Keep your eyes open and you could earn a few hundred easy dollars refinishing butcher-block surfaces in the houses you’re already visiting for regular repainting. If butcher block has watermarks and staining (and it probably will), then you’ll need to start by sanding. The trick is to do it without making the client’s home dusty.

A little know-how can go a long way towards success. Learning new tricks of the trade is one of the ways good painters get better and stay busy.

Connecting a shop vac to a random orbit sander with a dust bag works well. Take the dust bag off, then use duct tape to connect the vac hose to the sander in some way. It needn’t be fancy because sanding won’t take long. A 100-grit disk is perfect. Vacuum off the surface in preparation for recoating after sanding. Watco Butcher Block Oil & Finish is one option that’s different and better than most in my experience. Unlike ordinary oils, this product seals the surface more thoroughly and creates a thin surface film. It provides a lot of protection and leaves a glossy, non-toxic finish behind.

If your client prefers a flatter sheen, buff down the surface by hand with a fine 3M rubbing pad used along the grain after the product dries at least over night. You can dial in more or less gloss depending on how much you buff. If one coat of the butcher-block oil doesn’t do the trick, sand the wood lightly by hand with 220-grit paper, vac the dust off, then apply another coat. You’ll find thin coats applied by brushwork best. Don’t worry about getting a little on sink edges or faucets. The oil is food-grade and non-toxic when dry and wipes off easily with a rag when wet. A little key know-how can go a long way towards success. Learning new tricks of the trade is one of the ways good painters get better and stay busy.

The post Three Tricks of the Painters’ Trade first appeared on Professional Painter Magazine.

There are good reasons some painters develop specialties that go beyond standard brushes, rollers, floors and ceilings. Variety of work, more work and greater profitability are some of the benefits, and learning to use chalked paints and milk paints to renew furniture and interior woodwork is one of the hottest specialties right now. “Renew” is a curious word in this case because many homeowners are especially interested in creating an antique look on formerly painted or stained woodwork. Old is hot right now. Before I get to the five steps for creating classic results with these paints, there are a few things you need to understand about the paints themselves.

“Furniture paint” is a generic term that includes milk paint, chalked paint and other formulations designed to create an old-time appearance. Matte sheen, pastel colours and distress-able consistency are the three hallmarks features of these paints. Milk paint and chalked paint are the most common and popular, and that’s what you’ll learn about here.

Chalked vs. Milk vs. Latex – What’s the Difference?

Here’s how the most popular choices of specialty furniture paints compare with good old latex:

Consistency – Milk paint is the thinnest of these three paints, followed by chalked paint and latex.
Hiding – Depending on how it’s mixed, milk paint usually lets the most show through. Chalked paint hides more, but not as much as latex.
Distress-ability – Milk paint and chalked paint are both easily sanded to look old.
Latex is highly resistant to wear and doesn’t distress nearly as well.
Wash-Up – All three paints wash with water, though milk paint washes the most easily because it’s thinner.
Sheen – Milk paint and chalked paint are completely flat unless coated with something glossier. Gloss-free latex is just as flat as the other two.
Durability – Latex is highly durable on its own. Both chalked paint and milk paint need the extra protection of some kind of clear top coat.
Fumes – just like VOC-free latex, chalked and milk paints have low odour that’s not bothersome nor toxic.

Step #1: Choose Your Paint

While milk paint usually comes as a powder that you mix with water, and chalked paint (also called “chalk” paint) comes premixed, the biggest difference between the two options is about how they go on and how they look. Milk paint is usually mixed fairly watery, so it’s something like a cross between a paint and a stain. Chalk paint is thicker and covers more thoroughly –almost as well as latex.

Power Mixing Milk Paint
The biggest advantage you can give yourself with milk paint is to mix it with some kind of machine. Hand mixing tends to leave frustrating lumps that also wastes material. An old egg beater attachment chucked into a cordless drill is great for mixing milk paint. So is an old 1 1/2” spade bit that’s too dull to use on wood. Mix your milk paint in a big old mason jar and you’ll be able to keep the paint fresh for subsequent coats with the lid. Put some vaseline on the threads to stop stray paint from gluing the lid shut.

Step #2: Prep the Surface

The correct approach here depends on the surface you’re starting with and the paint you’re using. Both chalked paint and milk paint can be applied directly to bare wood without primer. The first coat soaks in and the second coat forms something of a surface film. If you’re working over existing paint, urethane or lacquer, there’s no need to remove the old coating, but you will need to help the paint stick. Milk paint suppliers offer a bonding agent that you mix with the paint as you’re adding water. This bonding agent is a cousin to ordinary PVA wood glue and takes the place of some of the water in the finished mix. In my experience about 20% to 30% bonding agent and 70% to 80% water allows milk paint to stick reliably to old urethaned finishes that have been sanded lightly. I’ve never experienced flaking or bond failure with this approach.

Chalked paint is a little different. Since it comes already mixed, you can’t add a bonding agent to it. Instead, use a high-end latex primer on surfaces that have been lightly sanded or treated with a deglosser. One coat of primer followed by two coats of chalked paint does the trick.

Stain First, Paint Later
If you’re working on light-coloured, bare wood such as pine, and your client wants a distressed finish, be sure to stain the wood first. Unstained pine looks way too light when you’ve rubbed paint away to simulate areas of wear, especially if you’re using a light coloured paint. A dark colour is what you want to see through zones of distress, and a quick coat of stain can provide that. The need for a dark underlayer is one of the reasons that applying milk paint or chalked paint to previously stained and sealed wood is such a good combination. You’ve already got the stained foundation layer.

Step #3: Apply the Paint

This is where you’ll need to gain a little experience. You can use any of the usual delivery methods to apply chalked paint and milk paint – brush, roller or sprayer – but the way you apply it has an effect on how it appears. A brush is the best option for small projects or anything that includes nooks and crannies. A roller is fine for flat surfaces, but the texture of the refill will have an impact on the appearance. Use a short nap or foam roller. Spraying is an option too, but it can be troublesome with milk paint. It’s not unusual to have the odd lump or undissolved bit of powder even if you have mixed with a drill. The bottom line is simple: until you gain experience with these specialty paints, don’t dive into a project without experimenting with delivery methods and how they look on different surfaces. Make up samples to gain experience and be sure to keep the samples handy. They could save you a lot of time and grief later as you work with clients to come up with an approach for specific projects.

Depending on the surface you’re dealing with, sanding between coats may be unnecessary or essential. It all depends on how smoothly the first coat is after it dries. No matter how much a clients says they want a distressed look, that desire almost never includes a rough surface with hardened wood grain sticking up and catching dust. Antique is one thing, rough and ugly is another. Both milk paint and chalked paint are waterbased products, so they can really give wood a five o’clock fuzz. A little sanding between coats knocks off the bumps and lets you put down a second coat you’ll be proud of. 180-grit paper in a quarter-sheet finishing sander is ideal for flat surfaces. Use the sand paper by hand on edges. A medium or fine-grit 3M rubbing pad is perfect for curved areas and spindles.

Step #4: Distress the Surface

This is an optional step and it’s where artistry comes in. Distressing not only makes a surface look old, but it also makes it age more gracefully. When something already has wear and dents from the start, new wear and dents don’t look bad. The thing is, you need to proceed slowly with distressing and only after talking to your client. Do they want a distressed finish at all? Milk paint and chalked paint still look great without intentional wear and damage. Does your client want a small amount of wear on corners and edges? Lots of wear? The potential for “differences of opinion” is great here, so be careful. The best way to proceed is for your client to be on the job as you begin the wear process. Do a small area and ask for input you can apply over the whole job.

The unique thing about milk paint and chalked paint is that it’s quite sandable, and sanding is the start of the distressing process. A quarter-sheet finishing sander with a 120- or 150-grit abrasive is the best option for wearing through flat open areas. The same sand paper used by hand is good for corners. Finish up with a fine or medium 3M rubbing pad to complete the wear.

Does your client want a small amount of wear on corners and edges? Lots of wear? The potential for “differences of opinion” is great here, so be careful. The best way to proceed is for your client to be on the job as you begin the wear process.

Step #5: Seal the Surface

Both chalked paint and milk paint are fragile by modern standards, and that’s why they need the protection of top coats as a final step. Just don’t be fooled into using something you’ll regret. The online mommy blogger universe includes thousands of amateur experts with articles on using milk paint and chalked paint, and many recommend wax as one option for a final protective coat. In my experience wax is slow to apply, offers little protection and is prone to attracting dust. It’s not for professionals. And for obvious reasons once you’ve applied wax, it eliminates the possibility of safely recoating again.

The widespread recommendation to use some kind of oil finish is not great either. Hemp oil is a big one you see for milk paint and chalked paints, but in my experience it’s way to slow to dry. The best top-coat I’ve found for milk paint is one or two coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly. It’s a very thin urethane that goes on with a rag like oil, but dries quickly and hard. Be sure to choose the satin formulation to retain the low-sheen look of the paint. If you want an absolutely flat sheen after the top coat, buff the surface down with one of those 3M rubbing pads in the fine grade. Use it by hand on curved surfaces or under on a random orbit sander for flat areas. Chalked paint manufacturers offer proprietary top coat products.

Working with milk paint and chalked paint is different enough that it’s a nice change from regular work. Smaller scale and with more scope for productivity, people pay money for painting new to look old.

The post Painting New to Look Old first appeared on Professional Painter Magazine.

If you’re like most painters, drywall and plaster are the most common interior surfaces you put paint on. You might deal with other materials now and then, but wood will certainly come up, too. The thing about wood is that it’s unique. Getting good results on wood involves techniques you won’t use anywhere else, and can also allow you to create effects you can’t get in any other way. All this is why you need to be prepared when discerning clients ask about interior staining, pickling and oil finishes for wood.

Option#1: PAINTING WOOD

Primer, paint, sand, then more paint. This is the simplest way to finish interior wood, but there’s more involved if you’re aiming for excellence. One of the biggest issues when painting softwoods is the tendency for knots to bleed through the paint and show up as dark and surprisingly ugly patches in time.

No matter how many coats of paint you put over these knots, the resins will bleed through and cause an ugly, profit-sapping stain. And the more knots you’re dealing with, the uglier the results can be. Some people claim that painting over knots with shellac prevents bleed-through, but that’s not always a reliable solution. A true stain blocking primer is what you want to apply to knots before painting, and not just one coat but two. Explain all this to your client so they know the trouble you’re going to and why painting some kinds of wood costs more than painting drywall.

Surface smoothness is another potential issue when painting wood, but you need to prepare yourself to talk about technical details if you want to avoid disappointed clients. Broadly speaking, all wood can be divided into two categories: open grain and closed grain. Although it’s possible to create a perfectly smooth finish on open grain woods such as oak and ash, the usual result is that wood grain texture will show through your paint job no matter how many coats you apply. Pine, cedar, spruce and poplar are closed-grain woods so it’s easy to paint them so no wood grain texture shows through. Some clients like it when wood grain shows through, but others don’t. Explain the issue to your client ahead of time and you won’t run into disappointment that’s difficult to remedy.

The Truth About One-Step Stain-and-Seal Products

Wood finish manufacturers are always working to create simpler, faster ways to beautify wood, and this is the thinking behind one-step products that deliver colour and a sealing coat from one can. And while products like this do work, there are always trade-offs compared with the slightly more complicated stain-then-seal approach. What’s the difference? One-step products don’t offer the same crisp wood grain appearance because they’re opaque and a certain amount of product remains on the surface. Classic stain, by contrast, is always wiped off completely after it soaks in, leaving nothing behind to obscure the look of the wood before separate clear top coats are added. Also, one-step products don’t offer nearly as much protection as two or three coats of urethane applied after stain. So what’s the bottom line? Go ahead and use one-step products when absolute quality doesn’t matter. If you’ve got a client who is picky, better quote staining and sealing in separate steps. Just be sure to work up full samples for approval ahead of time.

Is the wood you’re painting currently unfinished? Be sure to sand the surface with 150-grit paper after the first coat of paint has dried. Sanding like this is a step you need to follow when applying any film-forming finish on wood because it’s a fibrous material. The surface may feel smooth when it’s bare, but there are always wood fibres lying down. When primer and paint (especially latex) hit these fibres, they swell, stand up and harden in the standing position. It’s easy to knock these fibres off with fine sandpaper, laying the ground work for smooth final results. A shop vac with a HEPA-rated filter is the best tool for pre-paint cleaning of wood after sanding. It’s better than a tack rag because a vac actually captures and contains the dust, pulling it out of nooks and crannies.

One of the hot painting trends for wood these days is pickling. It gets its name from a centuries-old process that involves treating woods with a caustic lime solution. These days pickling is easier but looks every bit as good. It’s all about the artful use of thinned paint to impart colour while also letting some wood grain features show through. Although you can buy special pickling stains, they’re expensive and unnecessary. The best approach I’ve found involves thinning ordinary white or light grey latex paint with water, brushing it on, then wiping off the excess. Start by experimenting on scrap wood with a 50/50 mix of water and paint. You’ll probably need to add more water to get the mixture to wipe off properly, but keep track of what you settle on. You’ll need to reproduce the final recipe when you’ve used up your first batch of home brewed pickling paint but need more on the same project.

OPTION 2: STAINING AND SEALING WOOD

Many people prefer shades of wood that are darker than most species naturally are. This is why stain was invented. Besides making light wood richer, stains let you choose different tones. Reds, browns, yellows and even pastel colours such as deep blue and green are options when it comes to wood stains. The thing to understand about a traditional stained finish is that it’s a two-step process. Colouring the wood with stain is the first step, then sealing that stained surface with two or three coats of clear urethane or lacquer is the second step.

Simplest Sprayer in the World

There are many complicated finishing sprayers in the world, but for occasional use with light-bodied materials such as waterbased urethane or wash-style paints, my favourite by far is something called the Critter. The finishing liquid is held in a mason jar (just like your grandma used for homemade jam), and it gets drawn up by the flow of compressed air over a siphon tube. Hook it up to any compressor (even a small one) and you’ve got a simple way to deliver a spray finish over small and medium-sized areas. It’s economical, too: $60 for the gun, $20 for a complete rebuild kit. Atomization is more than decent and you can control both air flow and liquid flow. Although the Critter generates a fair amount of overspray, this is a small drawback considering its virtues. When you’re done with a particular type of finish, unscrew it from the gun then seal the jar with an ordinary mason jar lid.

One big issue for you as a painter is getting approval from your client for the stain and sealer to use. Stain alone on wood samples never looks nearly as nice as the combination of stain and sealer that will ultimately be applied. This is why you need to go to the trouble of making complete samples with stain and sealer if you’re dealing with a discerning client.

OPTION 3: OILING WOOD

Oil finishes on wood are the fastest, simplest, most foolproof way to apply light to moderate protection to wood. And unlike almost every other wood finish out there, oils are easily repairable. If a scratch, dent or scuff appears on your client’s oil-finished woodwork, they can easily repair it themselves with results that are invisible or nearly so. Oil finishes are also fast and easy for you to apply well. There’s no chance of runs forming, and all you need to succeed is a low-quality paint brush and some rags. Getting to do more oil finishes comes down to client education because the average person doesn’t know much about them.

There are three main oil-type finishes worth considering for interior wood: polymerized tung oil; long-oil varnish; and wipe-on polyurethane. Linseed oil is another traditional finish, but since it dries slowly and has a tendency to remain sticky it’s not the best option for interior applications.

Beware the Oily Rag Fire Hazard

Some types of finishing oils can generate enough heat to ignite saturated rags and paper towels if they’re left crumpled up and wet, and that’s why oil demands respect. Not all types of finishing oils pose this hazard, but how do you know what you’ve got? This is why the best policy is to treat all oily rags as potentially self-igniting. Spread them out flat outdoors until they’re dry. Never leave them crumpled up anywhere. The danger of spontaneous combustion exists only when the rags are wet, so things are safer when the oil is cured and hardened. Invest in a proper rag can.

One of the easiest oil-type finishes to apply is low viscosity wipe-on polyurethane. Technically it’s not an oil, but rather a thin solvent-based polyurethane that behaves like an oil for application and repair. Sand wood surfaces as normal, then brush or wipe on a coat of wipe-on poly and let it sit for ten or fifteen minutes. You don’t have to be neat at this stage, you just want to wet the surface completely. If the wood you’re working on is flat and horizontal, simply pour some wipe-on poly out of the can, then spread it around until the whole surface is wet. If you’re dealing with corners and molded profiles you’ll find a brush best for getting into nooks and crannies. Complete the coat by wiping off the excess liquid with a lint-free paper towel or rag and let the surface dry. Of all the interior oil-type finishes, wipe-on poly dries the fastest by far. Overnight is more than enough time before applying a second, third and fourth coat. The only drawback with this stuff is that a couple of coats isn’t enough to provide meaningful protection. You need at least three.

Tung oil is extracted from the nut of the tropical tung tree and polymerized formulations are best because they dry more quickly and thoroughly than non-polymerized. The application process is the same as with wipe-on polyurethane but the liquid is thicker and protection builds faster. In fact, tung oil is tough enough for use on hardwood floors. You’ll need five coats for this application, but your client then has a floor finish they can repair and maintain.

Long-oil varnish is the slowest drying of my recommended oil-type finishes, but the results are worth it in specific applications. If you’ve got a wooden countertop or table to finish, the deep, rich, highly protective results of long-oil varnish can’t be beat. Despite the name, this is not a film-forming finish like other things called varnish. It’s a thick-bodied, slow drying oil that saturates wood fibers before hardening. Slosh it on, let it sit for an hour, then wipe off the excess with moderate pressure. Leave the surface for at least 24 hours, then repeat. You’ll need five coats for full protection, but the results sure are impressive. I’ve seen a hardwood table with a long-oil varnish finish used heavily every day for five years with almost no sign of wear.

Beyond having to regularly repaint wood or composite trim, you probably won’t need to deal with interior wood surfaces too often. But when you do, it’s good to be prepared. Experiment with the techniques and materials here and it’ll probably lead to the kind of specialized skills that elevate you up and above regular painters in your area. The more kinds of painting and finishing work you can do, the busier you’ll be.

Watco – The King of Coloured Oils

Combining the repairability of oil with the colour of stain is what coloured oils are all about, and Watco oil is one of the most widely available, time-tested options around. Brush or wipe some on to bare wood, let it sit and soak in, wipe more on then wipe the excess off with a lint-free rag before letting it dry. You’ll get surprisingly good protection that your client can maintain. Leave a container of oil with them and instructions for reapplication. Unlike other one-can staining and sealing options, coloured oils allow crisp wood grain details to show through because each coat is wiped off completely.

The post 3 Ways to Finish Interior Wood first appeared on Professional Painter Magazine.

From the perspective of your clients, painting is pretty simple. Wet, coloured stuff goes on buildings, spaces and rooms, making everything look better. That’s pretty simple and it’s all most non-painters want to know. But as a painting professional with a brush and roller in your hand, you need to know the tricks of the trade to make the magic happen. And this means understanding the challenges, chemistries, procedures and product choices that apply to the different kinds of surfaces you’ll encounter. Masonry is a case in point. You probably won’t need to paint these surfaces often, but when you do you need to get it right.

Painting Brick

Brick is one of the most porous surfaces you’ll paint and this affects the way you prepare brick and coat it. On the one hand the porous surface of brick is good because it gives paint something to grab onto. On the downside this same porosity is potentially dangerous because it can trap moisture or allow moisture migration that’ll lead to premature paint failure. Have you been asked to paint a newly-built brick wall? You won’t get requests like this often, but beware. It can take a year for excess moisture from the mortar to leave the brick. Your client won’t want to hear they need to wait so long, but better they be disappointed and call someone else than you have to deal with paint that’s coming off in sheets because moisture is migrating out of the brick.

Dangers of Painting Exterior Brick

Exterior brick can last for centuries, but only if freezing moisture doesn’t break it apart. If damp brick goes into winter weather with temperatures below freezing, this moisture will solidify, expand internally and break flakes off the brick. As this process continues it can completely destroy bricks. This is called spalling and these days modern brick is fired hot enough that moisture absorption isn’t normally a problem if left bare. Bricks are also constantly tested to make sure they don’t absorb damaging amounts of moisture and that they can dry out quickly.

The thing is, painting exterior brick can change all this. In most locations on a wall, a coat of ordinary paint will keep moisture out. Trouble is, if that paint film is incomplete or damaged, liquid moisture will enter the brick through the flaw and stay there. It’s virtually guaranteed. Impervious paint prevents drying and can lead to brick failure in time. This dynamic is why many brick manufacturers warn against painting exterior brick in a climate that gets winter. Explain this danger to clients to protect yourself against liability if they do decide to go ahead and paint brick anyway. If you do paint exterior brick in a cold climate, be sure to use breathable paint. Google “breathable paint” to find the options. For an even simpler and breathable choice, see Traditional Lime Paint for Brick & Stone.

The next time you get a request to paint brick, explain that it’s a once-and-for-all move. Short of sand-blasting, it’s impractical to return brick to its original, unpainted state. This sounds obvious enough to you as a pro, but don’t forget how much explaining non-painters need some times.

The good news in all this is that 100% acrylic exterior latex primer and paint works well for all interior brick. The thing is, you can’t just slap a couple of coats on brick and leave. At a minimum you’ll need to clean the brick and allow time for it to dry before painting. If you’re working outdoors, pressure washing on its own is good, but wetting, brushing, then pressure washing as a final step is even better because it removes dirt more thoroughly, plus any loose particles of mortar sand or brick. Of course you’ll need to skip the pressure washing indoors, but use TSP to make up for this as part of washing only by hand. Either way, leave the surface for three good drying days to allow it to dry completely after a thorough cleaning.

Got a request to paint exterior brick? See “Dangers of Painting Exterior Brick” for key info.

The next time you get a request to paint brick, explain that it’s a once-and-for-all move. Short of sandblasting, it’s impractical to return brick to its original, unpainted state.

Most of the brick you’ll be asked to paint will be old, and this could mean broken bricks or loose mortar joints. You can’t expect reliable painted results on a shifty surface, so remove loose bits of mortar as you clean. Is your client reluctant to spring for a full repainting job? That’s typical, but if failed mortar joint areas are less than 1” long and 3/4” deep you can fill them with paintable caulking. The best is polyurethane. It’s not as common as other types, but it’s worth it. Polyurethane caulking is more flexible than most: it sticks like crazy, and it’s completely paintable. Squeeze some into gaps, then dip your finger in a solution of 70% water and 30% dishwashing liquid to smooth out the results.

Even if the caulking is close to the same colour as the mortar, it’ll still stand out visually at this stage. Things will look much better after the paint goes on. Another nice thing about polyurethane caulking is that a little moisture actually helps it cure better than dry conditions. Do your caulking work after the initial wash water has dried superficially, but before the wall has dried out enough for painting. This way both the wall and the caulking are drying at the same time.

Staining Brick

Paint isn’t the only way to change the colour of brick. Stain is an option, too. Stain doesn’t create a sealed or semi-sealed surface like paint can, so stain doesn’t pose a risk for holding moisture within the brick. Brick stains can be used both outdoors and inside. If you’ve never used any before, practice on the brick with water. Brick stain and water are the same consistency so the experience you gain avoiding runs and loading your brush will be the same.
Neatness and an even application are necessary for even results, so practice is worthwhile.  Most brick staining jobs look best when the brick face only is coated. If you’re leaving the mortar joints unstained, use a high-quality latex brush for the precision you need. One little-known application for brick stain is when matching the new brick of an addition or repair to the existing brick.

The thing about painting brick is that it’s not an all-or-nothing venture. Results are more like points on a gradient. Undiluted primer and paint straight from the can will hide all the colour of bricks and some of the texture. And the more coats you add the more texture will be hidden. Does your client think they might like some of the original brick colour to show through, but not too much? Paint washing is what you need. Some people call this brick wash and it’s nothing more than brushing diluted latex paint onto the wall. Brush it into the mortar joints and on the face of a couple of bricks, brush out any excess, then move on to the next area. How much water should you add to the paint? That depends on the look your client wants and the porosity of the bricks. Moving from a more dilute mix to a more opaque one is the way to home in on the type of water-to-paint mix ratio. Start with a light mix, then add more paint, stir it completely, then try again if you want something more opaque. You can always go heavier, but not lighter.  Start with 30% paint and 70% water then go thicker from there. Many painters find that a 50/50 blend of paint and tap water works fine.

Painting Concrete Block

The surface of concrete block is usually smoother than brick, but block is also used differently than brick in ways that affect painting. Block is almost always a structural element, including basement foundation walls, structural exterior walls, retaining walls and as dividing walls between properties.  The same requirements for cleaning brick before painting applies to blocks, but there are differences you need to know about.

When block is used below ground as part of a basement, there’s a very good chance inward moisture migration is happening, even if things seem dry. If you see white, fluffy formations on the block surface, you can’t simply clean it off and paint. This white stuff is called efflorescence and it’s a sure sign that moisture is making its way into the walls. Not enough moisture to be visible, but more than enough moisture to cause paint failure.

As small amounts of miner-al-laden moisture make their way through masonry from the outside, the moisture dries as it comes in contact with indoor air, leaving the minerals it carries high and dry. This inward flow of moisture isn’t large, but it’s constant, resulting in the formation and growth of those white fluffy deposits you see.  It’s crucial you understand this as a painter because it means you need to waterproof the wall to stop the migration before reliable painting can happen. Efflorescence is some-thing you must never ignore.

Two waterproofing options with excellent track records are Drylok and Xypex. You can apply them to any masonry surface as long as no flowing water is moving through the wall. Clean the blocks, let them dry, then apply the waterproof coating before paint. Both Drylok and Xypex can only be applied to bare masonry. They need to soak into the pores of the masonry to form a waterproof layer below the surface. In the case of Xypex, this product has been independently tested to withstand 175 psi of hydrostatic pressure. That’s way more than anything you’ll encounter in a basement.

So what can you do for a client with a block wall where existing paint is failing? You can prep the surface and make it look good for a while, but you also need to explain that the fresh paint you’ve applied won’t last. Submit that in writing and get a sign-off before you paint over a peeling block wall surface. If the flaking of the old paint is extensive enough you could use a bushing head in a small rotary hammer to knock off the flaking paint and reveal fresh masonry. Anywhere you can get rid of the old paint can be water-proofed permanently.

Although blocks are a masonry surface, there’s no need to use a breathable paint on the inside of a basement block wall that has been waterproofed. The interior side of foundation walls aren’t subject to freezing and thawing that causes spalling, so 100% acrylic primer and latex work fine.

You probably won’t have to paint brick, block or stone very often, but when you do it’s wise to under-stand the challenges. Every time you tackle a paint job you’re creating a possible headache for your-self if your work doesn’t last like it should. Minimizing your risk is one of the biggest reasons to get good at all the different masonry situations that come your way.

Traditional Lime Paint for Stone

Have you ever seen those brilliant white old stone buildings? Or perhaps you’ve visited the inside of a traditional barn with a stone foundation that was also white? Chances are this isn’t paint, but lime whitewash. It’s the olden-days coating used to create this effect, and like many time-tested methods, there’s good sense in it. Lime whitewash is made with hydrated lime and fine salt mixed in a ratio of 5 parts lime to 1 part salt. Add enough water to create a slurry that’s like thin cake batter. Clean the wall, then brush the whitewash on. Choose a cloudy day if you can since you don’t want the whitewash to dry out quickly. It’s economical, long lasting and it allows moisture to pass through it easily. You can also add powdered pigments to lime whitewash for colour.

The post How To Paint Masonry first appeared on Professional Painter Magazine.

The most challenging and important part of painting exterior wood is almost never the painting itself. The real trick is creating a paint-ready surface beforehand. This fact applies to both brand new wood and previously painted wood attacked by the ravages of sunlight, moisture and seasonal temperature changes. These forces are why flaking, bubbling and peeling is always worse outdoors than inside. Although there are effective tools for this kind of surface prep, there’s no magic bullet. Successful, efficient surface prep involves finesse and knowledge that’s not immediately obvious. Many painters would do better at surface prep if they had more detailed insights about choosing prep tools and maintaining them. That’s what this article is all about. Put this knowledge into practice the right way and it’ll save you time and help you make more money.

Although it’s not essential to remove areas of old paint that are rock solid, you must go back to bare wood in places where peeling, bubbling and cracking is even a little visible. This is a given. You might even consider removing solid old paint in the interests of making your new paint look its best. The ridges left where old paint remains can make new paint look bad. Either way, you’ll need to experiment to deter-mine with the main surface prep tools below to see what makes sense for a given application. Each job is unique.

Scrapers for Bulk Paint Removal

While every experienced painter knows about the different designs of scrapers, too few understand how to make these tools fully effective. It all comes down to sharpening. Start using a brand new scraper of any kind and it’ll bite well. An hour later, not so well. A day later and you’ve probably lost 50 per cent of your former efficiency. Maybe more. To optimize scraper effectiveness, you need the tool to remain at or near peak sharpness. Scrapers with replaceable blades are one option, but learning to resharpen scrapers is at least as effective, and in some cases faster and more economical than replacing blades.

A sharp file, a belt sander and a bench grinder are three tools for sharpening scrapers. You’ll find a 10″ mill bastard file with a wooden handle is perfect for sharpening scrapers as they sit in a vise. Store the file wrapped in a cloth or inside a leather sheath because banging around in a tool box dulls a file faster than hard use.

An ordinary woodworking belt sander is another option for sharpening. Lock it upside down gently in a vise or a workmate and you’ve got a great way to sharpen scrapers. A 120-grit belt does the job perfectly. Remove the dust bag and do the work outdoors to eliminate any fire hazard caused by sparks.

Possibly the best way to sharpen paint scrapers is with a bench grinder, but don’t use the grinding wheel that comes from the factory. It’s too coarse and it causes too much heat build up. A cool running wheel is far better. It allows more precision and it generates far less metal-damaging heat.

Regardless of the tool you use to sharpen scrapers, look closely at a new scraper blade to show you the optimal angle to aim for. Most scrapers are ground to a fairly steep bevel, anywhere from 60o to 85o. Copy what you see.

Surface Prep and Your Bottom Line

As a painter you’re in business, and every profitable business opportunity sits behind a wall of difficulty. The higher the wall, the bigger the profits on the other side. The lower the wall of difficulty the more competition exists, driving down prices and profits. In the case of exterior painting, the wall of difficulty is mostly about the challenges of surface prep.

To win the most profits out of this challenge you need to do three things. First, you must convince your client that proper surface prep is key to a long lasting paint job.  You have to differentiate yourself from slip-shod painters out there who simply pretend to do surface prep but really don’t get it done at all. Second, you need to become efficient at surface prep operations. And third, you need to bid accurately on exterior jobs. If you take the “safe” way out and strike a deal on time and materials, the project owner gets all the gains from the hard-won surface prep efficiency you’ve learned. And if you do bid but bid short, you’ll make less money than you should have.

Heat for Softening Paint

This is one of the best ways to soften solid layers of old paint to make it easier to scrape, but heat poses risks. Traditional paint-softening with a propane torch and flame spreader is effective, but poses a fire hazard. A propane flame also vaporizes lead if it’s present in the existing paint layers because the process involves temperatures hotter than 1100oF. Any paint layer applied before 1978 could contain lead, and paint that’s older than 50 years almost certainly does contain lead.

Although softening paint with an open flame can fill your body with toxins, there are two heat-related approaches that are safe. One is an electric heat gun that operates below 1100oF. This is the vaporization point of lead. Keep paint temperatures lower than this and the lead stays in the old paint. An even more effective choice is the infrared paint stripper. It’s a handheld electric tool that uses glowing red heating elements to warm paint by “shining” on it. Soften an area, move the paint heater to the next spot, then scrape what you just heated while the new area is heating.

Abrasion for Final Prep

When it comes to paint prep, there are two kinds of abrasives: wire wheels and sanding disks. A wire cup wheel in a variable speed angle grinder is an aggressive tool for initial paint removal. You’ll find the knot-twisted version of the wire cup wheel the best for this application because the wires last longer and work better on loose paint. Straight wire wheels don’t last nearly as long and they’re not aggressive enough for most paint removal situations. You don’t necessarily need variable speed control on your angle grinder, but it’s a great feature. The ability to slow down the speed of the wheel is useful when working in close quarters or inside corners.

No matter what preliminary steps you used for strip-ping old paint, sanding the surface is the ultimate final step before repainting. That’s because nothing beats the right kind of abrasion for creating optimal absorbency on a wood surface. You can leave sanding out on some jobs if the budget won’t allow it, but sanding is always the best final step because it creates the ultimate paint-ready surface. The trick is choosing the kind of sander that’ll be effective, plus the kind of abrasive that creates the most absorbency.

For typical paint prep work, a hand-held 6” random orbit sander is ideal. Though a tool like this is just a little physically larger than the more common 5” random orbit sander, a 6” model is roughly twice as effective. Part of this is because it has a larger disk, but more than that is that 6” models have much more powerful motors. An 80-grit disk on this tool creates the best balance between a smooth surfaces that’s still rough enough to offer a good grip for paint. Too smooth actually reduces absorbency.

Exterior paint prep is like a combination lock. You’ve got to get all the details right for the lock to open. Combine the right tools and information with a commitment to detail and you’ll be better than aver-age at this essential exterior painting skill.

Mackinac Island – The Land of Painted Wood

Some places in the world don’t have much exterior wood, while others have it everywhere. Mackinac Island is definitely an exterior wood sort of place. It’s located in the Great Lakes region near the border of Canada and the USA and it’s covered in gorgeous buildings sided in wood clapboard and shingles. Many of these buildings are more than a century old, but even the new ones are required to follow architectural rules that demand exterior wood. Naturally, painting and repainting in a place like Mackinac is a way of life and the people there are good at it. Their prep trick? Just the basics of washing, heating, scraping and sanding. They also have a commitment to wood that shows up in the quality of the place. So next time you have a client who’s thinking of tearing off perfectly good wood siding just because they don’t want to invest in repainting, explain that the best wood buildings in the world aren’t covered in vinyl.[/textblock]

The Truth About Pressure Washing

A pressure washer is a useful prep tool for large exterior surfaces because it lets you cover a lot of ground quickly. But there are two reasons why a pressure washer alone is never enough. First, the spray stream doesn’t necessarily remove all loose paint. It can rip most of it off, but about 20% of flaky paint will remain because the high pressure spray stream is simply pushing it harder against the surface, not tearing it off. And second, no matter how carefully you use a pressure washer on a wood, it’ll lead to fuzzy surface fibers. This isn’t a problem as long as those fibers are removed with an abrasive before painting happens. The good news is that surface fibers raised by a pressure washer fall right off with just a quick pass of the right kind of sander if you let the washed surface dry completely first.

The post Efficient Exterior Wood Prep first appeared on Professional Painter Magazine.