34
votes
Accepted
Re-painting drywall after patching leaves tones
Three things:
Yes, you were supposed to apply a primer.
Fresh joint compound and drywall soak up paint like crazy. The primer serves to seal the joint compound and drywall and create a consistent ...
- 25.9k
27
votes
Accepted
How can I clean this older paint roller to make it usable again for painting my walls?
These are consumables
You wouldn't worry about reusing a rubber glove or a paper towel. If it's pristine, sure... But generally you don't expect to.
That roller cover is $3, the hot dog is $1 ...
27
votes
Accepted
Paint inside refrigerator water shutoff valve—clean or replace?
At this point, I'd just replace it. You're missing the connecting nut and ice makers have different connecting methods than they did years ago.
You can get a compression valve, which is what you have ...
- 86.2k
26
votes
I've released a lot of lead-paint dust in our house. What to do?
This should have been detected or suspected earlier by your contractors. There are specific guidelines for dealing with lead-based paint repairs and coverings that are mandated by law, in many states (...
- 4,868
26
votes
What options do I have for latex-free interior house paint?
As far as I understand it, latex allergy is a susceptibility to natural rubber latex (NRL), which is not an ingredient in household "latex" paints. Read more at the NIH
- 8,929
24
votes
Paint Exterior Door that is in Sun
I take it for $700 you are paying people to do this work. And I gather these are garden variety handymen using random products bought at the local builder supply; when people say "polyurethane" ...
24
votes
Accepted
Painted desk is still tacky after two months
Old paint, thick layers, cold or humid work area / storage all contribute to this problem. This also extends the drying time between layer application, meaning that even 24 hrs might not have been ...
- 16.1k
20
votes
What options do I have for latex-free interior house paint?
"Latex" paint has no relationship to natural rubber
The term "latex" for modern water-based paints has nothing to do with them containing natural rubber -- they are, at heart, ...
- 86k
19
votes
Accepted
Crack in paint seems to be slowly getting longer
Unfortunately many of the homes built in the 80s and 90s have features such as vaulted ceilings and floating walls, and they usually employed engineered truss systems. Those trusses move seasonally ...
- 149k
19
votes
I've released a lot of lead-paint dust in our house. What to do?
Shut off all ventilation.
Mask up (Where will the average person find a mask? LOL)
Vacuum like a madman (a HEPA vacuum is a good choice).
Get very clean water and very clean rags/towels, and wipe down ...
17
votes
Accepted
Re-do paint over plaster in bathroom: How to feather/match?
Here's how you get paint to stick to things.
Scuff-sand.
Paint cannot bond to a shiny surface; don't take my word on it, try to paint a mirror and see what happens.
Paint wants to see a surface ...
16
votes
How can I make a surface reflective enough for a solar grill?
I'd consider Mylar film and spray adhesive. Heck, you could probably repurpose some snack bags or party balloons and help save the planet. It can be applied to any shape you like if you cut it into ...
- 149k
16
votes
Accepted
When to stop running bathroom fans?
The problem you would have from not having mildew resistant paint is poor resistance to mildew. You don't have mildew so lack of mildew resistance is not the problem. QED
The idea of a fan sucking ...
- 1,847
16
votes
Do I really have to use special primer to encapsulate lead paint?
The main risk with lead paint is disturbing it, the encapsulating primer can stick to weathered surfaces without the need to sand the surface first,
If the surface you are painitng is a fresh surface (...
- 24.6k
12
votes
Accepted
How can I repair the damage to this paint without redoing the whole wall?
That looks like a long haired roller finish,
clean the wall around the damage. remove any loose flakes, sand (120 grit) and clean the surface in and around the damage ,
Match the paint, take a sample ...
- 24.6k
11
votes
I've released a lot of lead-paint dust in our house. What to do?
There are two answers currently saying essentially, "It's only lead. It's not a big deal."
This is bad advice in my opinion. I would describe lead as more dangerous than plutonium. Not ...
- 1,075
11
votes
What options do I have for latex-free interior house paint?
While other answers have covered that "latex" does not mean actual rubber latex, let's talk for a minute about the other issue: allergies and paint.
There's really only two basic divisions ...
- 26.3k
10
votes
Paint color with same codes do not match
The codes are nice, and they're usually pretty close. But, especially at the retail level, it's not an exact science. There can be variations even between buckets in the same purchase.
Based on ...
- 2,358
10
votes
What adhesive solution should use for walls with powdery surface?
No "adhesive solution" is going to work if the paint you are adhering to is poorly attached. Since the paint is peeling off the wall with the hook, the hook is attached to the paint, but the ...
- 226k
9
votes
Paint Exterior Door that is in Sun
This is a beautiful door and it would be a huge shame to paint it. (And if/when the paint does start to crack, it will look far worse than it does now!) It should absolutely be able to withstand ...
9
votes
Re-do paint over plaster in bathroom: How to feather/match?
I have fixed paint similar to this in my current house. There were large areas where I could peel it off back to the plaster by hand or with a scraper.
Your builder's first coat has failed to adhere ...
- 593
9
votes
Accepted
I have painted posts and unpainted horizontal rails on my fence. Can I stain the rails after I install them or will the stain harm the painted posts?
It will be a pain to mask off the posts so the sealer does not affect them.
But more than that, if you pre-seal/stain, you can dip the ends of the boards, (and then brush what's on the faces and edges ...
- 226k
9
votes
Accepted
What adhesive solution should use for walls with powdery surface?
Consider spring fit (aka tension) curtain rods instead. These contain a spring somewhere inline and rubber feet on the ends. When set up correctly they use outwards force pushing against the walls, a ...
- 338
8
votes
Fixing paint situation after using untinted base paint
Yeah, I'm afraid you blew it. Right idea, wrong base.
Paint is made in several levels of base. A white base which has lots and lots of white tint, and is intended to have small amounts of color ...
8
votes
Accepted
What are the RAL colors of "de Stijl"?
Don't count on it
RAL has a very, very small color space. Further, RAL is not an "analog" system - there's no way to pick RAL 1049.33185 if you need a shade in between. So forget it; no RAL color ...
8
votes
Help! Left lid off of latex paint
The paint can be saved. Carefully remove all the skin because it will show up on the painted surfaces if you don't. Stir the paint and you're good to go.
- 86.2k
8
votes
What's the best way to fix heavily stained white Ikea furniture?
Isopropyl alcohol, "rubbing alcohol", will remove most "permanent" markers (e.g. Sharpie brand markers), but may be ineffective on ballpoint pen marks, depending on the ink formulation. For this ...
8
votes
How can I make a surface reflective enough for a solar grill?
If you are trying to use solar heat to cook , I would get polished aluminum . Such reflectors are used for light fixtures. They are light, strong , not affected by water, and will not break when you ...
- 8,351
8
votes
Accepted
Should I Mix Paint from different machines for same room?
Those paint dispensing machines have a mechanical tolerance. It's better than the old days with hand pumps (ie. better control of air bubbles in the metering), but they are by no means precise.
So ...
8
votes
Finished color of paint on two different woods
Paint is opaque, so the color, if done correctly and with sufficient coats of primer and paint, should be identical on pine, maple, or particleboard.
Stain would be expected to look different as it is ...
- 226k
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