Monday, January 11, 2016

By John Voket I applaud homeowners and renters looking to save a few bucks while exercising their creativity with an occasional DIY painting project. At the same time, figuring out the right tools and equipment can be confusing and even frustrating.

In the next two reports, we'll take a look around your kitchen for some examples of helpful items that can simplify every step of your project, from surface preparation to paint application, and cleanup and storage, too.

Our guide in preparing for the next painting project is our frequent resource, Debbie Zimmer, expert on home painting with the Paint Quality Institute.

Zimmer says when painting walls or ceilings, it’s always important to clean the surface before applying the new coating. Speed up this prep work by using a Swiffer to quickly wipe things down.

Don’t have a Swiffer?  Then wrap a clean, moistened rag around a mop head to minimize your effort.

Plastic wrap is a great all-purpose painting companion. Among other uses, Zimmer says, is protecting your lighting fixtures from spatter, especially when painting the ceiling overhead.  

Just wrap your fixtures in plastic, press the plastic tight, and you won’t have to worry at all about stray paint flecks and droplets.  (Tip: Top quality 100% acrylic latex paint spatters less than ordinary paint.)

Don’t have enough drop cloths to cover heavy furniture? Zimmer says you can often purpose plastic wrap for this job, too.  Press the plastic wrap down around the edges and your furniture will be safe from paint spatter.  

To protect sofas and other oversized items, cut apart large plastic trash bags instead and tape them firmly in place.  But for safety reasons, never use slippery plastic to protect floors.

If you’re one of the adventurous souls who create their own paint color by combining two or more leftover paints, then be wise and use a measuring spoon or measuring cup when mixing the hues together.  And write down your “custom” formula on a piece of masking tape placed right on the side of your paint container.

That way, Zimmer says, you’ll be able to produce a close match if you ever need more. We'll be back with more ways to use common kitchen supplies for your DIY painting project.

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