Interior Painting Tips
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-546 -- More Projects »
Host Mary Ellen Pinkham offers helpful advice for painting a home's interior.
- There are a few ways to protect the glass when painting window frames.
Cut newspaper into strips, dip the strips into a bowl of water and press against the glass (figure A). After the paper and paint has dried, moisten the newspaper with a damp sponge and it will peel right off.Rub a bead of petroleum jelly around the window edges to prevent paint from adhering to the glass. Remove the petroleum with a dry cloth.And of course there's painter's tape. Remove painter's tape easily by warming it with a hair dryer to loosen the adhesive.Keep paintbrushes soft and looking like new by rinsing them in a solution of water and hair conditioner or fabric softener after each use.
After cleaning and rinsing the brushes, use S-hooks to hang them around the lip of a large bucket (figure B). This is not only a convenient way to store the brushes, but it also protects them from being crushed and losing their shape.Pour a small amount of leftover paint into a clean nail-polish bottle to create a handy touchup kit, complete with brush. Make a tiny funnel out of aluminum foil to make pouring the paint into the bottle a little easier.Another idea is to keep a small amount of extra paint on hand in a baby food jar. This will make painting over small cracks, crevices, moldings and window frames easier. Try using an eye-shadow applicator to brush on the paint.When cleaning up, instead of using paint thinner to remove paint from the body, try vegetable oil. It is milder on skin.Hey, stencils cost money. Don't just throw them away after one use. Instead wash them thoroughly and store them in a heavy book or pressed between two pieces of cardboard.
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