Archive for January, 2009

Tools of the trade in the Home Painting Contractor Industry

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

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Tools of the trade in the Home Painting Contractor Industry

Westborough Painting Contractor | Westborough PainterThe brush and the roller are the tools most readily associated with the painter. Recent advances in paint manufacture have led to a standardization of brushes, with many older brushes falling from fashion.

The airless spray gun is the latest tool in the painter’s closet. It’s powered by an electric, pneumatic or fuel powered motor which pumps paint through a hose into a gun which atomizes the paint to a fine spray. Graco is the leading manufacturer of this type of spray gun and equipment for painting contractors.
With the airless spray gun it’s possible to paint extremely large areas of surface in a short time.

The ground brush, also known as a pound brush, was a round or elliptical brush bound by wire, cord or metal. They were generally heavy to use, and required considerable usage to break them in. These brushes were predominantly used in the days before modern paintmanufacture techniques; hand mixed paints requiring more working to create the finish. These brushes still have use in applying primer; the brushes are useful in working the primer into the grain of the wood. Pound brushes required an even breaking in to create even bevel on both sides of the brush minimising the formation of a point which would render the brush useless.

Sash tools were smaller brushes, similar to a ground brush, and used mainly for cutting in sash or glazing bars found on windows.

Sash tools and ground brushes generally required bridling before use, and a painter’s efficiency in this skill was generally used as a guide to their overall ability. Both these brushes have largely been superseded by the modern varnish brush.

Varnishbrushes are the common flat brushes available today, used for painting as well as varnishing. Brushes intended for varnishing typically have a bevelled edge.

Distemper brushes, used for applying distemper, were best made of pure bristle and bound by copper bands to prevent rust damage. Styles differed across the world, with flat nailed brushes popular in the North of England, a two knot brush (a brush with two ovular heads) popular in the South of England, and three knot brushes or flat head brushes preferred elsewhere. In the United States distemper brushes were known as calcimine, kalsomine or calsomine brushes, each term being the U.S. variant of distemper.

Fitches are smaller brushes, either ovular or flat and 1 inch wide, used in fine work such as to pick out the detail on a painted moulding.

Stipplers come in various shapes and sizes and are used to apply paint with a stippled effect.

A duster or jamb brush was used to dust the area to be painted before work commenced.

Limewash paint brushes were large brushes with a triangular head used to apply limewash.

Stencil brushes, similar in style to a shaving brush and used for the purpose of stencilling walls or in the creation of hand-made wallpapers.

Brushes are best stored in a purpose made brush keeper, a box on which a wire could be suspended: the wire would be threaded through the hole in a brushes handle so as to suspend the brush in a cleaning solution without allowing the brush to sit on the bottom of the container and thus cause spreading of the bristles. The solution would also prevent hardening of the brushes and oxidization. These were generally rectangular and stored several brushes. A lid would enclose the brushes and keep them free from dust.

Surface Protection Dustsheets or self-adhesive protection film (Packexe Ltd the leading manufactures) are required to protect surface areas where decorating is being done.

Sponsored by Painting Project – Marlborough Painting Contractor.
Interior and Exterior Professional Painters

Need Painting Contractor in Westborough, Sudbury, Northborough,
Shrewsbury and other Metrowest Cities and Greater Boston?

Painting Contractor Concord Ma

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

Painting Contractor Concord Ma

Westborough Painting Contractor | Westborough Painter

Sponsored by Painting Project – Marlborough Painting Contractor.
Need Painting Contractor in Westborough, Sudbury, Northborough,
Shrewsbury and other Metrowest Cities and Greater Boston?

Westborough Residential Painter

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

Westborough Residential Painter

The key to working with bright hues, according to licensed interior designer and Benjamin Moore’s senior manager of color and design, Sonu Mathew, is to pair them with a deeper, grounded, sophisticated color. She suggests pairing an optimistic yellow with a steely gray, or a fuchsia pink with stone brown.

“It’s about color in context. You live in an environment. The pairing of colors is very different than one color alone,”

So is it possible to paint oneself into a better mood? Perhaps. “There are physiological and cultural attributes to colors. To paint yourself into a mood, you have to have the willingness to go there. Colors with more life, that are more vibrant, will elevate your mood,”

Westborough Painting Contractor

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Westborough Painting Contractor

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Why Hiring a Painting Contractor Makes Good Sense

When deciding on whether or not to hire a painting contractor, there are several things to keep in mind. At the top of the list is the fact that a licensed house painting contractor has two things many homeowners do not; experience and expertise.

Painting and decorating projects require specialized skills. One good reason why persons pay for the services of a professional painting contractor when it comes to painting the interior or exterior of their home. Time restraints, convenience, safety, and health are among other considerations.

Safety and Health Comes First

Climbing on ladders and painting can be hazardous work; so is working with solvents and dust inhalation. Professional contractors are “safety conscious,” and experienced to handle these situations. Home owners who opt to do the painting themselves risk unnecessary injury.

Houses built before 1978 may have been painted with lead-based paint, proven to pose serious health risks when scraped and sanded in preparation for repainting. Dust and paint chips from lead-based paint are a health threat to exposed individuals; working around lead-based paint, therefore, represents another safety hazard.

A licensed, professional contractor painting commercial or residential buildings that have lead-based paint have been trained to take precautions to protect you and your family from these health risks. They are also trained to protect themselves and their employees.

Quality Work Guaranteed

Finally, a house painting contractor will prepare surfaces properly for painting. Poorly prepared surfaces affect the appearance and quality of the new paint. To properly prepare surfaces for repainting is time consuming, but yields great end results, and increases durability of newly painted surfaces.

A qualified painting contractor is also familiar with the different types of paints, when to use what product, and how to apply each.

For other tips on selecting the right contractor, read the article, “Home Improvement; Guidelines for Selecting a Contractor” at Handy Canadian.com.

Max Sheppard is Co-Owner of HandyCanadian.com: where homeowners locate professional contractors, and qualifying contractors acquire new leads.