order a lead-testing kit from an accredited
heavy cardboard, and cover that with sheet plas-
testing lab, take additional samples, and have
tic taped to baseboards to keep it in place. When
the lab validate the results you got from the
cleanup is complete, you will roll up and discard
inexpensive kit. To locate a qualified lab or ask
the plastic.
Painting
515
Containing lead-contaminated materials outdoors is
challenging. A containment area extending 10 ft. from
contaminated surfaces should be covered with 6-mil
black plastic. All debris must be bagged or wrapped in
plastic before leaving the area. The black plastic also must
be thoroughly cleaned with a HEPA-filtered vacuum
system before it is folded in on itself and safely discarded.
steP Four: MiniMize dust
An essential part of confining lead contamination
is minimizing dust. Consequently, any sanding,
grinding, or scraping tools must be attached to a
HEPA-filtered vacuum system. Noxious fumes
are equally taboo, so avoid using heat guns,
which generate temperatures exceeding 1,100°F.
Before beginning lead abatement
Setting dry, old wood ablaze is another hazard to
indoors, use painter’s tape and sheet
exterior containment. It’s impossible to predict avoid. So if strip you must, chemical strippers
plastic to seal off heating registers
the movement of air or neighbors, so containing
are safer, especially environmentally friendly
and doors. Also cover interior walls
the mess of an exterior renovation is complicated.
and floors out from work areas
ones (see p. 526).
Start by taping sheet plastic over doors and win-
approximately 6 ft. to capture dust
Before scraping, stripping, or removing any
dows to keep dust out of the house. Next, use
and debris. Vacuum and wipe
lead-painted materials, mist the surfaces to sup-
everything when you’re finished.
6-mil black plastic to cover the ground to a radius press dust. During cleanup phases, mist plastic
of 10 ft. from any lead-bearing surfaces that will
wall and floor coverings too to keep down dust.
be disturbed. To keep dust, paint chips, and
A gardener’s pump sprayer is a good tool for
debris inside this 10-ft. containment area, con-
this operation.
struct a box around it—rather like the sides of a
sandbox—using lumber set on edge. Staple the
steP Five: deConstruCt,
plastic to the box. Lastly, create a cordon of rope
don’t deMolish
or plastic warning tape in a 20-ft. radius from
lead-bearing surfaces to keep people out of the
Carefully dismantling materials will release less
work area. If strong winds are an issue, a plastic
dust than demolishing them. Scoring along the
envelope supported by scaffolding may be
edges of painted trim, siding, and other building
required, as noted in the sidebar on p. 514.
materials will reduce debris when removing
516 Chapter 18
them. When you pry such materials, do so gradu-
ally along their length to minimize breakage. If
it’s necessary to cut tainted materials to a more
manageable size, use a power saw attached to a
HEPA-filtered vacuum system. Remember, every
piece of contaminated building material must be
bagged in extrastrength plastic disposal bags—or
wrapped in plastic and vacuumed—before
removing it from the containment area.
steP six: Clean thoroughlY
Outside. After bagging or wrapping everything
sizable, use a HEPA-filtered vacuum to capture
dust and small debris. Mist the plastic to keep
dust down, detach the plastic anywhere you
stapled or nailed it to the house exterior or the
containment frame, then fold the plastic in on
itself to capture any remaining residue and bag
the plastic. While still in the containment area,
vacuum your coveralls and booties, then remove
and discard them.
Highlight all blemishes for filling later by circling them with a pencil or attaching scraps of
inside. Once you’ve bagged, wrapped, or
painter’s tape near them, as shown.
removed any interior debris, wipe down the plas-
tic covering the walls. (Wet- and dry-cleaning
Remove drapes, wall hangings, and mounting
cloths can be purchased at most home centers.)
hardware, and fill holes. Turn off electric power
Then wipe plastic floor tarps. Roll each plastic
to the room—use a voltage tester to be sure it’s
sheet in on itself to trap remaining debris, then
off—and remove the cover plates of electrical
bag it. Vacuum coveralls and booties and discard outlets and switches. Light fixtures or hardware
them. Finish up by wiping down all surfaces with left in place should be masked off or wrapped in
a wet-cleaning cloth; each cloth is good for clean-
plastic. Finally, cover the floor with canvas drop
ing about 40 sq. ft.
cloths—plastic is too slippery to work on.
Previously painted surfaces don’t need much
Painting the Interior
preparation if the surface is intact: Sand lightly
If you see water stains, widespread peeling, mold, with 150-grit sandpaper or a sanding block. If
or large cracks that suggest structural movement, paint is flaking or loose, remove it with a paint
attend to the underlying causes first.
scraper or spackling knife. Then sand rough paint
edges with 120-grit to 150-grit sandpaper. Use
getting readY to Paint
spackling compound to fill holes, and sand it
when dry. Apply a bead of paintable caulk (acrylic
When painting interiors, it’s best to move the
latex) to fill gaps where the trim meets walls,
furniture out. If that’s not possible, group it in the
Use a sanding block or fine sandpaper
smoothing it with a moist finger. Caulking makes
center of the room and cover it with a plastic tarp.
to lightly sand all fills and patches
the finished paint look much better.
before priming.
After sanding, dry-mop or vacuum surfaces to
remove dust. Then sponge-wash them with a
mild detergent solution and rinse with clear water.
skin Care If the walls are especially greasy (kitchen walls,
to minimize paint contact with your skin,
for example), use a more aggressive cleaner like
(1) wear goggles, especially when using chemi-
trisodium phosphate (TSP). After rinsing, allow
cal strippers; (2) use an extension pole so you
walls to dry thoroughly before painting. A good
don’t need to stand immediately beneath a
test of dryness is to check whether a piece of
transparent tape will stick or not.
roller; (3) don’t overload brushes and rollers; (4)
brush or roll away from your face, especially on
unpainted drywall a
nd plaster must always be
the first few strokes after loading up with paint.
primed. You can prime drywall as soon as the
Painting
517
Painting Ceilings and Walls
on Priming Painted surfaces
Before painting, read the earlier sections of this
chapter on equipment (especially respirator
Primers bond to substrates and provide a stable base for finish coats. it’s wise to
and masks), safety concerns, and painting basics.
prime previously painted surfaces in the following situations:
All offer tips that can save you hours and keep
You’re switching paint types—say, applying latex over oil based.
you safe.
the old paint is flaking, chalking, stained, or otherwise in poor condition.
As you paint, be methodical so you won’t need
the old paint is glossy and thus would prevent the new paint from
to touch up missed areas. Paint top to bottom:
adhering well.
Do ceilings, walls, trim, and baseboards before
before applying primer, scrape, fill, sand, wash, and rinse the surface, and allow
doing doors and windows. Paint back to front.
it to dry thoroughly.
Many painters go to the deepest recess of a
in general, like bonds best to like. that is, latex paint bonds best to latex primer,
room—often, a closet—and work methodically
oil based to oil based. but a quality acrylic latex primer is a good all-purpose choice
toward a door. Paint inside to out. If you start
painting in the backs of built-ins and cabinets,
because it bonds well and suppresses water stains, crayon marks, smoke, rust, and
your final brushstrokes on the outermost edges
creosote. however, if you get severe bleed-through, switch to an oil-based sealer-
will be clean and crisp.
primer instead.
Once you’ve prepped the surfaces, masked
off baseboards, and spread drop cloths, it’s time
stickability test
to paint.
here’s how to test old paint before selecting a new paint to ensure that the new
paint will stick:
Painting the ceiling begins by using a brush to
bend a paint chip that’s coming off. if it cracks, it’s oil based; if it flexes,
cut in a 2-in. to 3-in. border where the ceiling
meets the walls and near all moldings. This cut-
it’s latex.
in border reaches where a roller can’t and thus
duct-tape a wet sponge to the wall and wait 15 minutes. if there’s paint on
allows you to roll out the rest of the ceiling with-
the sponge or you can rub any off the wall, it’s latex.
out getting paint on the walls. Later, as you roll
Put a few drops of latex solvent such as goof off® on a painted windowsill; if
within 1⁄2 in. to 1 in. of the ceiling–wall intersec-
the paint bubbles, it’s latex.
tion, you’ll cover the brushmarks, so the paint
texture will look uniform. This operation goes
much faster if one painter on a step bench cuts
in, while the second painter rolls on paint, using
an extension pole to reach the ceiling.
final topcoat of joint compound has dried and has
P R O T I P
To avoid obvious lap marks, paint the ceiling
been sanded. Some pros still prefer an oil-based
in one session, working across the narrowest
primer for drywall, but today’s acrylic latexes seal dimension of the room. Roll out paint in 3-ft. by
amateurs mistakenly paint
as well and are far easier to clean up.
from a 1-gal. paint can instead of
3-ft. sections—about one roller-load of paint.
Plaster surfaces must be cured thoroughly
a painter’s pail. Consequently,
before painting. Although latex primers can be
they dip into too much paint,
which they then scrape off on the
applied as soon as the plaster is dry to the touch,
can lip. it’s better to dip into less
it’s better to wait three to four weeks. Latex paint
Lingering PainT smel s
paint and with two flicks of the
allows some migration of moisture, so plaster
wrist, dip-tap-tap the brush on
can continue to “breathe off” water vapor.
As paint dries, it outgases (gives off gases),
both sides of a pail. this removes
Restorers familiar with plaster recommend dilut-
releasing water vapor or mineral spirits and
excess paint that might drip but
ing latex primer 15% with water so the coating is
additives into the air. the warmer the room and
leaves most of the paint on the
thinner and even more permeable.
brush, letting you paint farther.
the better the ventilation, the sooner the smells
Oil-based paints are another story. Because
will dissipate. labels on paint cans indicate
the alkali in plaster can remain “hot’ for up to
drying times. typically, in a room that is 60ºF
three months, wait that long before using oil-
or warmer, acrylic latexes will be dry enough to
based paints. Otherwise, free alkali in the plaster
will attack the paint. Alkaline-resistant primers
recoat in two to four hours. Oil-based paints
formulated for new plaster may shorten your
can be recoated in 24 hours. however, odors may
wait somewhat, but they must be special-
linger because the paints need longer to cure:
ordered. Before ordering, make sure that the
8 to 10 days for latex, 28 to 30 days for oil-
primer will be compatible with the paint.
based paints.
518 Chapter 18
First, roll the paint in a zigzag pattern, which dis-
Use a brush to cut in a 2-in. to 3-in.
tributes most of the paint in three or four strokes,
border, then follow up with a roller.
then go back and roll the paint evenly. When the
You can quickly paint the vast
roller is almost unloaded, slightly overlap adja-
expanse of wall—and cover
brushmarks—without getting wall
cent areas already painted. Keep roller passes
paint on the crown molding.
light, and don’t overwork an area. Once the paint
is spread evenly and starting to dry, leave it alone
so its nap marks can level out.
For a smooth finish, use a standard 9-in. roller
cover with 3⁄8-in. to 1⁄2-in. nap. Thanks to the
extension pole, you can reach the ceiling easily,
without needing to stand directly under the roller
and its fine paint rain. To minimize mist and
Primers and Paints*
SUrFACe
Primer And PAint
COmmentS
drywall
Unpainted
acrylic latex primer and paint
don’t sand between coats.
Painted with oil-based oil-based (alkyd) or latex
to switch to latex: sand oil-based paint,
semigloss or gloss
vacuum, prime with acrylic latex primer.
P R O T I P
Painted with latex
acryl
ic latex
sand lightly before first new coat;
if there are two painters, divide
not needed thereafter.
the job: the first painter leads
Plaster
the way with a brush to “edge”
the corners, trim, and other
Unpainted
acrylic latex primer and paint
Plaster must be cured before painting;
hard-to-roll areas. the second
dilute primer coat.
painter follows, rolling over the
Painted with oil-based oil-based or latex
to switch to latex: sand oil-based paint,
edging to hide brushmarks,
semigloss or gloss
vacuum, prime with acrylic latex primer.
thereby giving the wall a uniform
texture. the first painter should
Painted with latex
acrylic latex
lightly sand before painting.
edge out 2 in. to 3 in. from the
interior trim
trim and corners, and the second
painter rolls to within 1⁄2 in.
doors, unpainted
oil-based primer and paint;
oil-based paint soaks into wood, dries
semigloss finish
harder, resists abrasion; sand between coats.
Unpainted
Clear finishes, such as
always seal bare wood or it will become
polyurethane and varnish
grimy and dull.
Painted with oil-based oil-based paint
sand between coats.
semigloss or gloss
Painted with latex
acrylic latex
not as durable as oil-based paint.
exterior
Siding and trim,
acrylic latex primer and paint
latex stays flexible, allows some
unpainted
moisture migration.
Painted with oil-based oil-based paint
unless you strip siding, stick with
semigloss or gloss
oil-based paint.
Painted with latex
acrylic latex
* oil-based here is synonymous with alkyd, now mentioned on most containers of paint and stain.
Alkyds are synthetic resins that have largely replaced the traditional petroleum-oil base.
Painting
519
Use a hot-dog roller to fill those tight spaces over doors, around windows,
inside cabinets, and the like.
drips, run the roller up and down the bucket
ramp several times when loading. But don’t fret
about small, stray spots on walls because you’ll
cover them later when you roll the walls.
Renovation 4th Edition Page 120