35
votes
Accepted
How do I get crisp, clean edges in the corners where two paint colors meet?
Use painters tape (blue tape, Frog tape, lots of different names and brands) to mask off the areas you don't want to paint green.
First, paint your ceiling and 3 walls white (2 or 3 coats, however ...
- 8,523
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 ...
- 25.6k
28
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 ...
18
votes
How do I get crisp, clean edges in the corners where two paint colors meet?
In my experience, tape just doesn't do that well. Even if you get a clean line, you're at the mercy of the tape's shape, and it's following the texture. It often ends up looking artificially sharp and ...
- 109k
9
votes
Accepted
How can I fix this very noticeable brush mark?
Don't use a brush.
There is a 99.9999% chance that the original ceiling paint was done with a roller, and you should do the same.
The roller leaves those little stipple marks you see elsewhere on the ...
- 32.4k
9
votes
What is best way to make a natural brown or red mailbox post if post is already spray painted Blue?
The same thing you would do if it was a wall in a house:
Paint it white, or possibly gray, with primer to hide the old color, and then paint it whatever color you want.
8
votes
Accepted
How to clean a paint brush?
First I "paint out" the brush (try to paint scrap material, cardboard etc.) until the brush is too dry to paint. Then:
Latex paints
Assuming I have flowing tap water on site, I rinse the brush with ...
7
votes
Accepted
How to salvage this ruined wall so it can hold paint?
Assuming you have fixed the water problem (if not, give up), why not simply attach drywall directly to the entire surface. You may be able to adhere it with construction adhesive. If not, use screws, ...
- 33.2k
7
votes
How can I clean this older paint roller to make it usable again for painting my walls?
I think you're going to be much less frustrated if you just buy a new roller brush. Those are meant to be disposable and not to be stored for long periods.
You can get away with short term re-use by ...
- 25.6k
7
votes
Accepted
Is it necessary to strip all of the previous paint before repainting my indoor metal spiral staircase?
If the paint on it is well-bonded and not flaking off or rusty (but it's inside, so rusty is less of a problem, presumably) then simply scuffing to the point where the new paint can bond should be ...
- 145k
7
votes
Accepted
Paint chips: to fill or not to fill?
Paint will not fill the depression or smooth out the transition. I recommend filling the depression with joint compound, no tape needed. It may take a few passes to fill it nicely, but with thin ...
- 306
7
votes
What is best way to make a natural brown or red mailbox post if post is already spray painted Blue?
Paint it with enough coats to change the color.
All paint "prints through" when it only has 1 coat. So the blue will print through and affect the brown. That is normal.
If you want to ...
6
votes
Accepted
Why is sanding required between layers of lacquer paint?
As @Nick2253 commented, sanding between coats promotes better adhesion of the next coat. This occurs because a rougher surface has more area and "features" for the next coat to grab onto. That's why ...
- 15.5k
6
votes
Re-painting drywall after patching leaves tones
The paint likely does not match perfectly, either in color or in amount of gloss. Those color matching machines can be hit or miss...
If it bothers you - paint the entire wall with the new paint and ...
- 1,099
6
votes
What's special about ceiling paint that makes it particularly suitable for ceilings?
Ceilings are typically painted with a flat sheen paint, as it's good at hiding (or at least not highlighting) imperfections, nor does it need to be particularly durable. Those two qualities tend to ...
- 8,523
6
votes
Covering Up Some Old Wall Art
I would put a wood frame around/over it then cover the frame with a hardboard then decorate that.
Many times that an internal framed wall has been removed to find things behind.
- 22.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Does an old photo frame need to be sanded before painting?
You should give the old paint a light sand to provide a “key” so the new paint will cover well. a fine grade sandpaper is all that is needed.
A light sand is just enough to see gentle scratch marks in ...
- 22.3k
6
votes
What is the best paint roller for a wall and for a Formica cabinet?
If you're set on using rollers, the one for the cabinet, short hair one, will be fine. Have you considered spraying?
I would use a short hair one for the walls too unless you have heavy texturing. ...
- 60.4k
6
votes
What is the best paint roller for a wall and for a Formica cabinet?
There's no hair on a paint roller. It's called nap, and it's described by depth. 1/4" nap is commonly used for smooth walls. 3/8" or 1/2" nap is for more heavily textured surfaces. In ...
- 109k
6
votes
How to repair damage from vehicle swipe/scrape?
Looks like rough cut lumber to me. Scrape off the loose, hairy stuff, get a quart of color matched exterior paint, and paint the damaged areas.
- 4,845
5
votes
How can I paint walls properly without sanding due to possiblity of lead based paint?
If the walls are in good condition then why would you even have to anticipate sanding?
Prepare the surfaces by cleaning them well using a bucket of hot water and TSP (trisodium phosphate) cleaner. ...
- 62k
5
votes
Accepted
Do I need to remove all the old paint prior to repainting!
Answer: yes, if scraping and thorough sanding (coarse, then medium, then fine grit) until smooth does not remove the old paint than feel free to prime and paint right over it.
Do not pay attention ...
- 33.6k
5
votes
Accepted
How can I make these semi-gloss paint patches blend with the wall?
Since you have the original paint and it appears to be good, I would get a roller and work the entire area with a 2nd coat, I would work from the patches out so the roller is not putting as much paint ...
- 100k
4
votes
Accepted
How can I repair and repaint a deck whose planks were caulked?
Eight months probably wouldn't be enough time for standing water to have caused much significant damage to the decking, and from the pictures it looks like it is fairly sound. Also, in that the ...
- 6,835
4
votes
How to repaint a metal door and keep the paint from scratching off?
Priming and Painting Galvanized Metal, condensed from KILZ.com, other manufacturers also make specific paints and primers for galvanized metal.
The galvanizing process, which is designed to prevent ...
- 12.9k
4
votes
How can I repaint a bad paint job?
The basic process I would use is
Find out what type of paint was used (both primer and top-coat) so that I can obtain and apply a compatible paint. If I couldn't find out, I'd try overpainting a ...
- 23.8k
4
votes
Accepted
What should I do before re-painting my skirting boards?
If you want the boards to look brand spanking new again, you will want to go with method one. I'd use a heat gun to do it, and not the harsh chemical strippers. Either method takes about as long as ...
- 1,099
4
votes
How to cover old stair risers?
If those refinished stair treads are a common type type of hardwood such as oak, maple or beech you can get 1/4 inch thick plywood with an hardwood veneer on one or both sides. Looks like one sheet of ...
- 62k
4
votes
What type of paint can I use for exterior flagstone?
Painting brick makes a beautiful, durable, maintenance-free surface into something that's none of those. Instead, you could stain the brick. There are masonry stains that will color the brick and keep ...
4
votes
how to take the sheen off baked high gloss surface
One thing I use to prep surfaces is scotch bright pads. The green ones are what I use most often they conform to shapes and really take the sheen or gloss out with very little effort. They have red ...
- 100k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible