P R O T I P
and other apparel related to lead safety.
pressed directly onto coated surfaces. Peel Away’s
Basically, stripping exterior paint becomes a
although power washing is
active agent is lye, which is extremely caustic, so
choice between mechanical scrapers and chemi-
widely used to clean stucco,
after stripping surfaces, you’ll need to apply a
cals. Sandblasting is too dirty, damaging, and
brick, aluminum, and vinyl sid-
special neutralizing solution before priming or
dangerous to be done by anyone but an expert.
ing, it’s not appropriate for wood
painting.
Sanding and hand scraping a whole house is
siding. it can gouge and even
impossibly slow. And whereas heat guns are OK
shred wood, force water into
aPPlYing exterior Paint
for small areas, the snail’s pace of stripping a
gaps around doors and windows,
house and the real risk of starting a fire make it a Prep work done, it’s almost time to paint. Even if
soak insulation inside walls, and
distant third option. So, in the end, some combi-
inject water into wood that will
you’ve read this entire chapter, you might want to
take weeks to dry. Certainly,
nation of mechanical scraping, chemicals, and
scan it one last time for tips about paint quality,
never use power washers to
limited hand scraping will probably serve best.
tools, basic techniques, spray painting, and so on.
strip paint: they’ll scar wood and
Mechanical scrapers such as AIT’s Paint
Here’s a quick review of factors mentioned in
scatter paint flecks to the ends
Shaver® are serious, two-handed tools.
greater detail earlier in this chapter: Regarding
of the earth.
Mechanical scrapers look somewhat like angle
exterior coatings, the more opaque the finish, the
grinders but have carbide-tipped rotary cutter-
better it will protect wood siding. Clear, oil-based
heads that shave paint from the clapboard faces
sealers help siding shed water without obscuring
and edges. The better models have vacuum
the wood grain, but they must be reapplied every
attachments that collect most of the debris.
two to four years because they offer relatively lit-
Nonetheless, have tarps in place before starting,
tle protection from UV rays. A second option,
and to prevent cutter damage, set siding nails
semitransparent stains resemble thinned-down
well below the surface. Thus, as you strip, you’ll
paints and represent a compromise that adds UV
need a hammer and a nail set to set the nails you
protection but reduces siding visibility. That is,
missed. Also, be sure to use scaffolding so you
you can see wood texture but not its grain. Third,
can focus on the tool and not your footing.
there’s paint that completely hides and thus pro-
To minimize damage to the siding, first set the tects wood the best, if correctly applied. Which
tool’s depth adjustment so you need several passes brings us to acrylic latex.
to strip a surface. Finding the right cutting depth acrylic latex is king. What’s not to like? Simply
is largely a matter of trial and error, so first test
called latex, it’s durable, flexible, virtually odor-
the tool on an inconspicuous section. Beyond
less, and cleans up with soap and water. Use
that, the real trick to mechanical scraping is
good-quality latex primer-sealer and paint on all
keeping the steel shoe/guard flat to the surface so exteriors, whether covering existing paint or
the tool strips evenly. Where a Paint Shaver won’t
Painting
533
a spray OF TiPs
Spray exterior trim first. mask the siding, spray the trim, and let
it dry before removing the first masking. then mask over (cover) the
trim so you can paint the siding.
to mask off windows, apply double-sided masking tape around
the perimeter of the window. Press sheet plastic to the tape and trim
off the excess plastic.
to keep paint off building elements you don’t want painted, use
a cardboard shield to block the spray, as shown at left.
don’t spray when it’s windy. even if the air is calm, move cars
and lawn furniture away from the house or cover them. if your house
is close to a neighbor’s, ask the neighbors to do the same or, better,
do it for them.
After you spray a section, immediately brush the paint into the
surface. Back brushing helps sprayed paint adhere better, look great,
and last longer. But because latex dries so quickly, back brush before
spraying the next section.
Use a cardboard shield to prevent
overspray onto adjacent areas.
After spraying a section of siding,
immediately brush the paint into the
wood—and into the building seams—
using a 4-in. brush.
534 Chapter 18
unfinished siding. Oil-based primers are justified a brush to cut in the edges—or spray it. Exterior
only if your siding is raw redwood or cedar, or if
rolling is much the same as interior rolling: Roll
you’ve had problems with tannin bleed-through
on fat paint in a zigzag pattern, before rolling it
and so need to block stains before repainting.
out evenly. To minimize spatter, roll the first
Latex is also best for masonry, stucco, aluminum, stroke up. In general, the smoother the exterior
P R O T I P
and vinyl siding because it’s the only coating flex-
surface, the shorter the roller cover nap.
ible enough to expand and contract as siding
apply primers and topcoats full strength,
it’s impossible
heats and cools.
to tell from a
except when the paint seems to be drying too
manufacturer’s small sample
Optimal conditions. Check the weather before
quickly. Latex dries quickly and adheres well, so
swatch how a paint color will
you start painting. Ideally, wait until several con-
you don’t need to sand between coats unless you
look on a house. instead, prime
secutive dry days are forecast. If possible, wait a
wait several days or more. Consult the label on
and paint a sheet of plywood—
week after a rain. Also allow morning mists to
the paint container for drying times and maxi-
and repaint it until you find a
evaporate before painting. Humidity near 90% is
mum intervals between coats. For a lasting paint
color you love. by the way, paint
risky because it doesn’t allow the paint to cure.
job, apply one coat of primer and at least two
stores often are willing to tint
The best temperatures for curing range from
topcoats. (It’s generally not necessary to prime
primer to match your eventual
60ºF to 85ºF. Don’t paint when temperat
ures are
existing paint that’s in good shape and well
topcoat, which helps topcoats
cover better and look truer.
90ºF or above because surfaces that are too hot
prepped.) However, prime all siding that has been
can cause paint to blister. Finally, stop painting
sanded or begun weathering down to bare wood.
two hours before sundown if nighttime tempera-
Oil-based stains and semitransparent stains
tures could drop below 40ºF.
do not need thinning. Apply them full strength
If possible, don’t paint in strong sun. Paint the to bare wood. If you’ve stripped the house of its
west and south faces of the house early in the
original paint and want to switch to stain, test a
morning; the north face at noon; and the east
small section first. Because a clear stain will
face and any part of the south face still remain-
probably look uneven, a semitransparent stain is
ing in the afternoon.
likely the better bet. To apply stain, a paint pad
Latex paint should flow on easily and dry
will hold more stain than a brush but requires a
slowly enough that brushmarks level (disappear). little practice to avoid runs.
To slow the rate of drying, add a dash of Flood
As with paint, apply stain to the undersides of
Floetrol to latex, as indicated on the container.
the shingle or clapboard courses first. To avoid
To slow the rate of drying of oil-based paint, add
getting stain on your skin, wear a long-sleeved
Flood Penetrol.
shirt, rubber gloves, a hat, and safety glasses.
a painting sequence. Paint the house from top
to bottom. To minimize overlap marks on clap-
boards, paint horizontal sections all the way
across, until they end at window or door trim or
at the end of a wall. After painting large sections,
zzzzzz avoiding direct sun
go back and paint the trim, windows, and doors,
top to bottom. Last, paint gutters, porches, and
Sun
N
rises here.
decks. If you can remove shutters, doors, screens,
and the like, do so; they are much easier to paint
if placed across sawhorses. Don’t bother to mask
trim or windows unless you’re spray painting.
Again, you can scrape stray paint from window
glass with a razor tool later.
Using a brush, paint the bottom edges of hori-
zontal siding before applying paint to the flat
face of each board. To distribute paint evenly
along siding, load the brush with fresh paint,
then partially unload it by dabbing every foot or
Start
so. Spread out the dabs, brushing the paint in
painting here.
and smoothing it with the grain. For exteriors,
a 4-in. brush is the workhorse for the big spaces.
A 3-in. angled sash brush is handy for cutting in
trim edges and corners. For a sequence of paint-
Avoid the sun around the house as you paint
ing double-hung window parts, see p. 522.
so that you apply paint in the shade if possible.
If the house has a stucco exterior or some
Paint applied in full sunlight is more likely to
other flat expanse, roll the paint on—after using
blister later.
Painting
535
19 Wallpapering
Wal paper has been popular for centuries,
particularly in formal rooms, where there’s less
danger from little ones’ grimy fingers and rowdy
ways. Paint has long been favored for rooms that
get the most use and abuse because it’s durable
and easy to clean and apply.
Today, wallpaper is available in so many
materials—including grasses, bamboo, rice
paper, foil, and cork—that they are collectively
called wallcoverings, and some of them are stron-
ger, more durable, and easier to maintain than
some paints. Many are backed with paper or
cloth, with cloth being stronger. But by far the
most popular are vinyl-coated wallcoverings,
which are washable and grease-resistant.
Most wallcoverings come prepasted. This
makes them easier to apply and—years later—
easier to strip from the wall. Because the manu-
facturer has already pasted the covering, all you
need to do is unroll it and soak it briefly in a
water tray. As you’ll see in this chapter, many
pros avoid the drips and mess of a water tray by
rolling a prepaste activator onto the backing.
Selecting Materials
Choose a wallcovering whose pattern and color
are appropriate for the room. There are no hard
and fast rules on what works. But in general,
lighter colors make rooms look larger, and darker
colors make rooms look smaller. Smaller, sub-
dued patterns are better for quiet rooms. Splashy
floral prints tend to serve better in places such as
front halls that bustle with activity. Delicate tex-
tiles or grasses are best reserved for rooms with
To hang wallcovering, start by unfolding the top half of a
pasted strip and carefully align it to a plumbed line or to
the plumbed edge of the preceding strip.
536
Stringcloth
Cork
English fabric
Grass
Vinyl-coated with
Foil
Lincrusta
decorative border
little traffic and little risk of bruising. Also, con-
papers will accentuate flaws and won’t conceal
sider the age and energy level of the people in the underlying bold paints or vivid patterns. If walls
room. For example, vinyl-coated murals of rock
or trim are badly out of square, avoid coverings
stars or sports themes will appeal to kids and
with large, bold patterns because slight mis-
endure abuse.
matches along their edges will be more obvious
Washable wallcoverings can be sponged clean than if patterns are subdued.
occasionally with a mild soap or cleaning solu-
tion. Scrubbable coverings can take a vigorous
Wallcoverings
scouring with a nylon-bristled brush or a pad, as
Wallpaper, actual paper, is most appropriate for
well as stronger cleaning agents. There are also
historically accurate restoration and wherever
strippable and peelable wallcoverings, discussed
you want fine detail. Although vinyl coverings are
at greater length in “Stripping Wallpaper”
increasingly hard to distinguish from paper,
on p. 543.
vinyls tend to look glossier. Although paper may
For do-it-yourselfers, it’s smart to choose a
have an aesthetically pleasing flat finish, it is
covering that’s easy to hang. That is, textured
more vulnerable to grime and abuse.
coverings can be fragile and difficult to handle.
The condition of existing walls also should affect
Vinyl is today’s workhorse, available in a dizzy-
your decision. For example, heavy coverings can
conceal minor wall flaws, whereas lightweight
Wallpapering
537
paper-backed, acrylic-backed, or unbacked (raw).
And the backing largely determines the method
Papering oVer DiFFereNCes of installation. Avoid slopping adhesive or water
Almost everybody still refers to wallcovering as “wallpaper.” But in this chapter, wall-
onto the fabric facing because some fabrics stain
covering, the noun, will be the general term for both paper and nonpaper coverings.
easily; delicate fabrics are usually dry hung, in
which paste is applied to the wall and the dry
However, when used as a verb, wallpaper refers to the act of hanging either type of
wallcovering is smoothed onto it.
covering. Last, you can assume that advice on papering or prepping walls also holds
true for ceilings.
Natural textures, such as rice paper, grasses,
and bamboo, tend to be expensive, temperamen-
tal, and delicate. And because the thinner cover-
ings reveal even minor flaws in wall surfaces, you
first need to cover the walls with a lining paper.
from flat to glossy. Vinyl is especially suitable for
Still, natural textures are evolving, with vinyl-
areas with traffic and moisture. Most vinyls are
coated versions that are relatively durable and
washable, and cloth-backed vinyls are usually
easy to install. Besides their beauty, most natural
strippable—that is, they are easily removable
textures have no pattern that needs matching.
when you want to change them. Although no
Foils and Mylar® also vary greatly in appear-
wallcovering is intended to conceal major cracks
ance and ease of handling. For example, heavier,
and irregularities, heavier vinyls can conceal
vinyl-laminated foils are durable and easy to
minor flaws.
install. However, some uncoated metallic cover-
Fabric coverings include cotton, linen, silk,
ings retain fingerprints, so you should wear
stringcloth, and wool. They’re often chosen to
disposable nitrile gloves when hanging them, or
match or coordinate with colors and textures in
perhaps avoid them altogether. That said, foils
drapes and fabric-covered furniture. They come
are well suited to small rooms because they
reflect light, thus making the space appear larger.
Lincrusta, an embossed wallpaper similar to
a fine cardboard, is making a comeback. The
Renovation 4th Edition Page 124