Materials:
painter's tape
drop cloth
rubber window squeegee
paint roller/cover
paper towels
paintbrush
step ladder
cardboard
scissors
paint tray
water
latex semi-gloss paint
latex satin paint
Steps :
1. Move all of the furniture away from the walls, and cover the floor with an old sheet or dropcloth. Tape-off the baseboards--this step is important. Cut-in and roll on the semi-gloss paint as the base coat. While waiting for the paint to dry, tackle the toughest job of all--finding a buddy to help you! It makes the project so much easier if one person rolls on the top coat, and the other person combs through it.
2. Cut the rubber end of the squeegee with a sharp pair of scissors. The wider the rubber "teeth" left on the squeegee, the more paint will be dragged off the walls, giving a definite stripe effect. If the ends are pointed like a saw, the effect will look more like small strings, and that allows you to pull the comb through the wet paint more than once.
3. Pour the top coat color (the satin finish paint), in a paint tray. Dilute it with a little bit of water to allow a little extra working time before the paint dries on the walls. Have the helper quickly cut-in at the ceiling and corner, and then roll about two roller widths of paint out from top to bottom. Quickly begin pulling the comb down through the wet paint, starting at the top and pulling completely down to the bottom. Make sure to comb through all the wet paint that has been put up. Keep repeating this step until one wall is finished. Don't stop in the middle of a wall because you must keep a wet edge of paint for this technique to work best.
4. While a friend is busy painting the next stripe, clean the comb with a damp paper towel. It eliminates paint build up and keeps the technique looking crisp. Tip: If there are any switch plates that are too close to wood trim for the squeegee comb to get between, use a piece of cardboard to cut a comb just the right size. Be prepared for this before starting to paint.
Color advice:
- Before choosing a color for the combing technique, decide whether you are creating definite stripes with the comb, or using a sawtooth edge for a string-like look. For the latter, the top coat color is always more dominant so the base coat color needs to be a little bit brighter for it to show up. In general, choose a stronger, medium darkness color for the bottom coat and a lighter, more neutral shade for the top .
- When creating definite stripes with the comb, although both colors seem to show up equally, the top coat usually hides a little or leaves a somewhat translucent film over some of the areas of the bottom coat. Use the same rule as with the string look--bolder color for the base coat, softer color on top.
- Stay in the same color family for the two choices. Four walls done in a red base coat with a green top coat can make you queasy. However, it can be quite regal if it appears only below a chair rail. In other words, quantity is a factor also.
- Start with a couple quarts of paint and practice the combination on a piece of cardboard or drywall before you go to the walls. This is one technique that doesn 't erase easily!
- Be sure to have refreshments available when a wall is complete, as it's the only time available for a break.
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