Do’s and Don’ts of Painting

Hi, everyone.  Mom and I have been busy.  I’m sure you know the saying “While the cat is away, the mice will play.  Well, our cats are away.  Yankee is in China, and my dad is in Africa, but Mom and I haven’t been playing.  We’ve been working our fingers to the bone.  We thought their absence would be the perfect opportunity to knock out some of my house projects and not have to stop and take time to cook a meal or…..take a shower );.  She flew down to Charlotte on Thursday.  We accomplished a lot and can’t wait to show our progress to you.  Here’s a hint:  “Little Miss’s” room (the reveal is in January) is almost ready, and we converted an armoire into a fantastic bar.  Oh, and we painted interior doors, organized my office, and hung some art.  Since we have spent our time dancing with a paint brush lately (she just painted her foyer in Lexington), we came up with some do’s and don’t of painting.  We might be preaching to the choir here, but maybe there are one or two new tips for you.

 

 

1.  If you are painting in a small area, like our entry hallway, don’t keep your paint and supplies in the same place.  As you can see from the photo, this isn’t a rule we always follow, and so, that’s why we are passing it on.  It takes time and coordination to walk around everything.

 

 

2.  Use good brushes and rollers  and not the inexpensive supplies when it comes to painting.  Unfortunately, I have learned this the hard way in the past when I  was picking brush hairs out of wet paint. Now I go for quality and use Purdy brushes.  Purdy was kind enough to send us some of their brushes to make our painting projects easier, and we really appreciate that.  Their products are wonderful, and I only wished I started using them earlier in my painting career at our last house.

 

Mom has even been known to travel to my place with her favorite Purdy brush.  (She wanted me to point out that is is not wearing make-up in this photo.)

 

 

Speaking of supplies, the Purdy Power Lock Extension Pole is awesome. We have used the Power Lock Extension Pole a ton, and both Yankee and I love its sturdiness when painting things such as our coffered ceiling.

 

 

3.  Wear gloves when painting.  I buy a big box of latex gloves and just keep them stored with our other supplies.  I started wearing latex gloves recently while painting, and even though paint does come off with a good scrub, wearing gloves saves clean-up time.  I just buy a box and keep them on hand for all sorts of projects.  I offered the gloves up to mom on her last trip, and she declined.  You can see the difference they make.   I say this is a Do!

 

 

4.  Do the extra step, and tape off doors and windows. It might take a little extra time at the beginning of your project, but it will save time later.  By not taping off the doors in one room, it took me over an hour to scrape dried paint off of the windows.  Remember to remove the tape as soon as your finish painting before it has time to dry.

 

 

 

5.  Be sure to use a drop cloth.  A drop cloth doesn’t actually have to be canvas.  We have used beach towels, plastic drop cloths, and sheets, and they all work fine.  It’s just important to use something.  We have found that paint still can get on the floor, so, keep a wet rag handy for wiping up smears and drips.

 

 

6.  Use fabric softener to keep your brushes soft.  This is by far one of our favorite painting tips.  When you are finished washing your brushes, dip them in some fabric softener mixed with water, and when they are dry, they will feel new.  You can read more about it on this blog post we wrote a while back.

 

We are feeling so great about how much we have accomplished.  But, don’t worry…… we haven’t forgotten about Christmas.  Be sure to come back tomorrow to see how Mom decorated the rustic shelves in her kitchen.

 

Cheers!

 

Purdy supplied our brushes and rollers, but all of the opinions are our own.