Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Step-by-Step Guide to Staining Interiors




Staining

Step-by-Step Guide to Staining Interiors

Staining interior surfaces is well within the weekend DIY warrior's skill set. Just be sure to prep your surfaces methodically, allow ample time for your finishes to dry, and wear appropriate protective gear to guard your ears against power tool noise and your lungs against dust and potent chemicals.


Essential Tools and Materials for Staining Interiors

Here's everything you'll need to get it right the first time.

  • · Belt sander or Orbital sander 
  • · Sanding block 
  • · Hammer 
  • · Pry bar 
  • · Respirator 
  • · Ear protection 
  • · Goggles 
  • · Sandpaper 
  • · Tack cloth 
  • · Lint free cloth 


Make sure your surface is thoroughly clean

It is very important that the surface to be finished is clean and free of any paint, varnish, dirt, wax or sealer. If necessary, strip the surface and thoroughly clean the surface with mineral spirits.

Sand in the direction of the grain

Be sure to sand bare wood with the grain direction to remove any blemishes or fibers that may contaminate the finish. Use progressively finer grit sandpaper to smooth the surface. Remove all sanding dust and particles with a tack cloth.


WARNING!

If you scrape, sand, or remove old paint, you may release lead dust. LEAD IS TOXIC. EXPOSURE TO LEAD DUST CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ILLNESS, SUCH AS BRAIN DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN. PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD ALSO AVOID EXPOSURE. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator to control lead exposure. Clean up carefully with a HEPA vacuum and a wet mop. Before you start, find out how to protect yourself and your family by contacting the National Lead Information Hotline at 1-800-424-LEAD or log onto www.epa.gov/lead.

Apply Cabot stain

Generally, the best method to apply Cabot oil-based products is a high quality, natural bristle brush, and either a high quality polyester or nylon brush for our acrylic products. Rollers and sprayers may be used for the majority of our products. Please follow product instructions carefully.

Apply Cabot Polyurethane

Allow the first coat of polyurethane to completely dry before preparing for additional coats. Rough the surface between coats. For oil based systems, rub the surface with # 0000 steel wool for a smooth finish. When using water-based polyurethane, sand lightly with 400-grit sandpaper. Either way, make sure to wipe the surface completely with a tack cloth between coats.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Unique Paint - Paint Store

Unique Paint performs consistently and has all the characteristics of a quality paint at a good price. Using common characteristics to evaluable paint the following article shows has Unique Paint faired when compared to other paints.


1) "Flow & Leveling" This refers to the way the paint goes on and levels out to a smooth even finish. Just as it sounds, quality paint "flows" on easily and "levels" out after it is applied. Unique paint, both interior and exterior grades, flows beautiful during application with either brush or roller and levels quickly. This makes it extremely easy for the painter to obtain a smooth, even finish with little effort.


2) "Hide" quality paint has the ability to "hide" what is beneath it, requiring fewer coats to achieve uniform, even coverage. Again, Unique paint excels in this area, in both interior and exterior paints. Unique 100% Acrilic Paint is guaranteed to cover in one coat and holds their environmentally friendly label.


3) Quality paints have good pigmentation this not only allows the paint to hide as mentioned but to resist fading and chalking (where paints gets a whitish chalky cast over time). Unique is guaranteed to last for as long as you own your home.


4) Quality interior paint washes easily, resists scrubbing without leaving marks, will not become sticky to the touch, and resists dirt. Again, Unique paint has all of these qualities. Their line of interior paint has a beautiful, smooth, rich finish and excellent self-leveling characteristics that leave a finish without brush or roll marks.


5) Quality exterior paint resists mildew and dirt. Unique Paint is maintenance free.


Throughout the years we have used almost every line of Unique Paint products with very positive results. Their paint stores are clean and well stocked and company representatives are always available and helpful to answer questions. They have an incredible color selection and plenty of literature available to help you in your color choice. They are customer friendly and will assist you with any and all of your paint needs.


Visit their website http://www.paintdepotusa.com for more information. Their website is user friendly and offers you a wide range of assistance in the selection of colors and paint type. They will also assist you in finding your nearest store.

Friday, January 28, 2011

4 Best Uses for a Trim Roller

Those who are painting homes and other properties have often struggled with the dilemma of whether to use paint brushes for most of a project, or whether to rely more on paint rollers or tools like a trim roller. Full sized paint rollers cover a wide area quickly, but where the painter runs into trouble is anywhere that they encounter smaller or more specialized surfaces. Switch plates, doorknobs, trim frames, and any other protrusions from a wall or door space can make roller painting a laborious process.


With trim rollers, smaller rollers from 3 to 4 inches in length, there’s a middle ground between the ease of using a roller to broadly apply paint and a small imprint for more complex areas of a wall or surface. Trim rollers make many kinds of painting jobs easier by allowing for more various application with a single tool. That doesn’t mean those using trim rollers will never have to pick up a brush, but these smaller roller designs can be useful in cutting down on the time it takes for an overall painting project, and giving professionals or amateurs a better tool box.

Trim rollers come in especially handy in some of the situations for which they were designed. Here are some popular uses for these handy small roller tools.

Exterior Trim Frames – Painters zipping along the exterior of a building may be using a full size roller on a flat exterior wall space, but trim frames can present a challenge. When the sizes of these frames fit the size of a trim roller, this project can become a lot easier. Both rollers can neatly share the same tray, eliminating the need for going up and down a ladder to switch tools.

Interior Trim – All kinds of wooden or synthetic trim and molding can be neatly painted with trim rollers as well.

Door spaces – It can be a little hard to go over any paneled door with a regular roller. The roller width is just too long to be able to apply paint into the small, slight bevels in the panel. These spaces, along with areas around a doorknob, etc. can be more accessible with a smaller trim roller.

Electrical Boxes and Other Wall Protrusions – A painter who is making good time with a flat wall space might come to an outlet, box or other installation that projects just a few inches from the surface. It’s not impossible to do these pieces with a traditional roller, but with a trim roller, there’s less of an issue with the paint on the unused portion pooling up and causing problems. Trim rollers can be great for these kinds of temporary obstacles to smooth sailing.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

How to Rent a Paint Sprayer

By Marcial Larrauri, Paint Depot USA Contributor

The time has come to paint the exterior of your home. You have the paint, brushes, painter's tape and ladders. The one thing you haven't located is a paint sprayer. You don't have to buy a paint sprayer; you can rent one. Paint sprayers are available for rent from a number of home improvement and equipment rental services. After you are done using the paint sprayer, clean out any remaining paint and return the sprayer to the rental service when you are done.