Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 26, 1995 TAG: 9511300001
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEVE ELDER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Even Michaelangelo was not above criticism. After he finished the Sistine Chapel ceiling a bystander reportedly said, ``That's great, Mike, but what about the walls?'' In reality, painting is like a lot of things in life: it's harder to do than it looks. Anybody with brush in hand can apply paint; but it takes a pro, or at the least a very patient homeowner, to do it well.
A fair amount of substandard house painting exists because of nonprofessional work and reluctance to pay the price of a good paint job, not because there aren't good professional painters around to do the work. The question is, what do the pros know and do that you should know if you're interviewing a painter to do the job, or know and do if you're painting the house yourself.
First and foremost is the preparation work necessary for a good paint job. In many cases, prepping the surface for painting takes as much if not more time than the actual painting. Mere painting will usually hide the kids' artwork on the living room walls, but it won't do much for a rough or loose surface, so the surface needs to be properly prepared. This part of the job is a real pain because you're working hard for several days and just making the house look uglier. What you're doing is scraping all loose and flaking paint off so you're left with a tight, smooth surface. If any bare wood shows as a result of your scraping, you'll need to spot prime those areas. Then, using a good grade of flexible caulk, caulk any cracks in the siding and the joints between the siding and trim. Caulking is especially important where different materials meet. Brick and wood, for example, have different rates of expansion and may separate due to seasonal changes. Caulking helps prevent water penetration and makes the finished product look better. Your paint professional can help you with any special concerns above and beyond the three basics of scraping, caulking and priming.
You are now ready for the gratifying part of the project - the finish coat. But, better make that two finish coats: a second finish coat can extend the time between paint jobs to five years. Though it adds to the immediate time and cost, it will save money in the long run.
Before you begin, consult your weather report, Farmer's Almanac or astrologer. It is extremely important to the longevity of your paint job that the weather conditions be proper. Ideally, this means the following things. Don't paint just before, during or after rain. Wait until the morning dew has evaporated off the siding and conclude your day's labor before evening dew arrives. Don't paint when the air or surface temperature is under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, don't paint a surface that has been baking in the sun. In other words, don't paint a surface under damp or intemperate conditions. Doing so will not permit the paint to bond properly to the work surface. (Sidebar: do not be led astray by what you see going on in many new housing projects. Painting there is dictated by crew availability, draw schedules, construction schedule and deadlines, not by temperature and humidity. For this reason I usually advise my home inspection clients to repaint a new house at about the two-year mark.) If a damp, cold or hot surface is painted, the paint will usually bubble or blister.
Most paint experts now recommend a latex paint for exterior use. Whereas latex paint has always had the advantage of easy cleanup, its formulation and manufacture has become refined to the point that it is now regarded as superior in most other respects as well. The gloss holds longer, and latex paint ``breathes'' so as to reduce blistering due to trapped subsurface moisture. Oil-based formulations are recommended for exterior primers or for interior woodwork; latex paint is the coating of choice for exterior finish work and interior walls. (There are latex interior enamel paints; however, oil-based is preferred for a top-notch job on interior woodwork because its hardness stands up better to repeated cleaning.)
Finally, read a consumer publication that evaluates paint before you go out and buy your supply. Whether you're taking days of your own time to do the work yourself or spending a couple thousand or more to hire a professional, it seems a shame to lessen the quality and durability of your paint job just to save a $100 or so on the paint. A $6 gallon of Houdini's Hide-All is not going to produce the same results as a quality name-brand paint running from $18 to $25 per gallon. This is yet one more instance of the old adage, you get what you pay for.
by CNB