Easy House Painting Tips - Newsletter May, 2008

Question:I cut in the corners of my walls with a brush, then using the same paint (Ben Moore, pearl finish latex) and a 3/8" nap roller (pro-line glossdel) I rolled my walls two coats and still my corners look darker. Am I using the wrong nap roller?

Answer:The corners will look darker in cases where you would apply too much paint with the brush compared to the thickness of the rolling on the main walls. As you already indicated, using a 3/8" nap roller will provide a smooth surface and it will obviously have lesser paint than in the corners. It's important, as you brush the corners, to keep it thin, not just for the light to dark situation, but also to prevent hatting or banding marks.

Most paint contractors will use a 1/2" nap roller. It will hold more paint for rolling and provide a layer of thickness sufficient enough to match the corners or brushwork. Also, s ometimes even one coat for cutting in the corners will work better - and two coats rolling.

Question:How do you remove or clean the white powdery residue on our concrete basement floor? We had a leak from the humifier and it left a white powdery residue.

Answer:The white powder is actually called "efflorescence". They're caused by the salts in the masonry/concrete and come to the surface after the water evaporates. You can remove it by using an "efflorescence cleaner".

I know of a few on the market - one being from Aldon Chemicals - here's a direct link to the clearer: Aldon Chemicals.

I've heard good results from this.

Question:A few months ago, I painted some built-in shelves with a few coats of semi-gloss latex paint. Even after all this drying time, the books still lightly stick to the shelves. In a few spots, the paint came off onto some of my collectibles. I am afraid something is going to be ruined by this paint problem. Please help!

Answer:Latex paint, due to its chemical nature, can retain a certain amount of "stickiness" for a long period of time after it dries. This residual tack is known as blocking. Though all latex paints, interior and exterior, have anti-blocking agents added to them, the final results are mixed. How much blocking you will experience with a given paint job is related to various factors… the number of coats you apply, the thickness of the paint coats, the temperature and humidity in the room, how well you mixed the paint, and the manufacturer.

Blocking is not a consideration with walls and, in most circumstances, doors and trim. One problem is that exterior doors painted with latex paints are notorious for sticking to their weatherstripping. I always advise against using latex paints for surfaces that will be in regular contact with anything.

Though there are some “band-aid” solutions, such as waxing the shelves or dusting with talcum powder, the best and most permanent solution is to repaint the shelves. The paint of choice for shelves and cabinets is a high quality alkyd paint. Alkyd is the best of the oil-based paints, drying to a hard, non-tacky surface every time!

My advice is to lightly sand the shelves with a fine (220 grit) sandpaper, then give them a complete coat of a fast drying primer… I really like the latex primer from Zinnser called “Bulls-eye 1-2-3”. The primer is important… alkyd oil directly over latex FINISH PAINT is not advisable. Then apply one or two coats of a matching alkyd paint in either gloss or semi-gloss. If you are a careful painter, you can probably just paint the top surfaces of the shelves… it will save you some work! Once dry, your sticking problems will be gone forever.