Painting FOR DUMmIES ‰ DO-IT-YOURSELF by Katharine Kaye McMillan,PhD, and Patricia Hart McMillan 01_175330 ffirs.qxp 10/17/07 8:22 PM Page i Painting FOR DUMmIES ‰ DO-IT-YOURSELF by Katharine Kaye McMillan,PhD, and Patricia Hart McMillan 01_175330 ffirs.qxp 10/17/07 8:22 PM Page i Painting FOR DUMmIES ‰ DO-IT-YOURSELF by Katharine Kaye McMillan,PhD, and Patricia Hart McMillan 01_175330 ffirs.qxp 10/17/07 8:22 PM Page i Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. 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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007936467 ISBN: 978-0-470-17533-0 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_175330 ffirs.qxp 10/17/07 8:22 PM Page ii About the Authors Katharine Kaye McMillan, PhD, is a social cognitive psychologist who writes do-it- yourself decorating advice in her online Design Doctor column. She is the coauthor with her mother and mentor, Patricia Hart McMillan, of Home Decorating For Dummies, 2nd Edition, Glass Tile: Inspirations for Kitchens and Baths, Sun Country Style, and House Comfortable. Where the Pros Live, her weekly feature series on how trendsetters and tastemakers really design for themselves, runs weekly in the Palm Beach Post’s “Florida Home” section. She is a contributing writer to Florida Design, the leading internationally distributed decorating magazine. An expert in masculin- ity and self-concept, she teaches psychology at private and public colleges in South Florida. She appears on national and regional television shows, talk radio, and trades her do-it-yourself design secrets at home shows nationwide with Patricia Hart McMillan. Patricia Hart McMillan was Interior Design Editor of 1,001 Decorating Ideas (later Home), one of the first dedicated do-it-yourself magazines with a multimillion reader circulation in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. She became Remodeling Editor of Home Mechanix Magazine, whose do-it-yourself readers included semi-professional and professional carpenters, painters, paper-hangers, floor-installers, and plumbers. On at least one occasion, she hung wallcovering for publication! As Editor in Chief of 20/20 Magazine, she helped launch a retail shop design series entitled Blueprint for Success, which continues. Private decorating clients include some “household names” as well as newlyweds with big dreams and small budgets. She’s author and coauthor of eight books and at work on four more dealing with interior design, con- temporary architecture, architectural glass tile, and historic houses and gardens. Her trendspotting articles and profiles of nationally known designers appear in newspapers, magazines, and online. 01_175330 ffirs.qxp 10/17/07 8:22 PM Page iii Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Contributors: Judy Tremore, Traci Cumbay, Brenda Brink, Kevin Funkhouser, Jamie Funkhouser, Jenny Zahm, Luke Funkhouser Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Senior Project Editor: Alissa Schwipps Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier Copy Editor: Sarah Faulkner Editorial Program Coordinator: Erin Calligan Mooney Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich Editorial Assistants: Joe Niesen, Leeann Harney, David Lutton Cover Photos: Matt Bowen Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Senior Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees Layout and Graphics: Shelley Norris, Kathie Rickard Photography: Matt Bowen Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Proofreaders: Jessica Kramer, Linda Quigley Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC Special Help Elizabeth Rea, Tracy Barr Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Service 01_175330 ffirs.qxp 10/17/07 8:22 PM Page iv Contents at a Glance Introduction.................................................................................1 Part I: Preparing for Your Painting Project.....................................5 Chapter 1: Gathering What You Need........................................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Readying Your Room and Surface.........................................................................................27 Chapter 3: Making Necessary Wall Repairs ............................................................................................49 Chapter 4: Brushing Up on Painting Basics ............................................................................................59 Part II: Painting Walls Like a Pro................................................83 Chapter 5: Faux Finishes with Shapes and Patterns..............................................................................85 Chapter 6: Faux Finishes Using Glaze....................................................................................................111 Chapter 7: More Fun Decorative Techniques .......................................................................................151 Part III: Covering Other Areas of Your Home ..............................165 Chapter 8: Coating Ceilings and Floors .................................................................................................167 Chapter 9: Turning Your Brush to Trim, Windows, and Doors ..........................................................181 Part IV: The Part of Tens...........................................................201 Chapter 10: Ten Tips for a Practically Perfect Paint Job.....................................................................203 Chapter 11: Ten Tips for Picking the Best Color ..................................................................................205 Index .......................................................................................207 02_175330 ftoc.qxp 10/17/07 8:23 PM Page v 02_175330 ftoc.qxp 10/17/07 8:23 PM Page vi Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................1 About This Book.........................................................................................................................1 Conventions Used in This Book ...............................................................................................2 Foolish Assumptions .................................................................................................................2 How This Book Is Organized.....................................................................................................3 Part I: Preparing for Your Painting Project....................................................................3 Part II: Painting Walls Like a Pro.....................................................................................3 Part III: Covering Other Areas of Your Home................................................................3 Part IV: The Part of Tens .................................................................................................3 Icons Used in This Book............................................................................................................4 Where to Go from Here..............................................................................................................4 Part I: Preparing for Your Painting Project .....................................5 Chapter 1: Gathering What You Need.................................................................................7 Assembling a Painter’s Toolbox...............................................................................................7 Tools for safety .................................................................................................................8 Tools for prep and repairs ..............................................................................................9 Tools for basic painting.................................................................................................12 Tools for decorative painting........................................................................................17 Tools for cleanup............................................................................................................22 Extras worth considering..............................................................................................22 Narrowing Down Your Paint Options ....................................................................................23 Deciding on latex or alkyd.............................................................................................24 Selecting a paint sheen..................................................................................................24 Determining How Much Paint You Need...............................................................................25 For walls ..........................................................................................................................26 For floors and ceilings ...................................................................................................26 Chapter 2: Readying Your Room and Surface..................................................................27 Safeguarding the Area..............................................................................................................28 Removing Scrubbable Wallpaper...........................................................................................31 Repairing Peeling Paint on Woodwork and Trim .................................................................34 Stripping Paint from Wood Trim ............................................................................................36 Repairing Woodwork and Trim ..............................................................................................38 Filling Nail Holes in the Wall ...................................................................................................40 Cleaning Surfaces.....................................................................................................................42 Priming Baseboards, Molding, and Trim...............................................................................43 Applying Sealer and Primer....................................................................................................45 Chapter 3: Making Necessary Wall Repairs ...................................................................49 Repairing Cracks in Drywall ...................................................................................................50 Repairing Holes in Drywall .....................................................................................................52 Repairing Cracks and Small Holes in Plaster........................................................................54 Repairing Popped Nails...........................................................................................................57 02_175330 ftoc.qxp 10/17/07 8:23 PM Page vii viii Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies Chapter 4: Brushing Up on Painting Basics.....................................................................59 Prepping Multiple Cans of the Same Color Paint.................................................................60 Cutting In Paint with a Brush..................................................................................................63 Applying a Base Coat with a Roller........................................................................................66 Cleaning Water-Based Paint from Brushes ...........................................................................70 Cleaning Alkyd Paint from Brushes .......................................................................................72 Cleaning Latex Paint from Roller Covers and Cages ...........................................................75 Cleaning Alkyd Paint from Roller Covers and Cages...........................................................77 Storing Paint .............................................................................................................................81 Part II: Painting Walls Like a Pro ................................................83 Chapter 5: Faux Finishes with Shapes and Patterns......................................................85 Putting on Vertical Stripes ......................................................................................................86 Putting on Horizontal Stripes .................................................................................................89 Decorating with Stencils .........................................................................................................93 Creating Cloudy Skies..............................................................................................................99 Color Blocking ........................................................................................................................103 Crafting a Tone-on-Tone Checkerboard ..............................................................................105 Harlequin Pattern...................................................................................................................108 Chapter 6: Faux Finishes Using Glaze.............................................................................111 Colorwashing..........................................................................................................................113 Glazed Wall Treatment ..........................................................................................................116 Basic Dragging........................................................................................................................119 Dragging on Wavy Lines ........................................................................................................123 Faux Leather Wall Finish .......................................................................................................126 Ragging On..............................................................................................................................130 Ragging Off..............................................................................................................................133 Sponging On............................................................................................................................135 Sponging Off............................................................................................................................138 Chambray................................................................................................................................141 Bagging ....................................................................................................................................144 Frottage ...................................................................................................................................147 Chapter 7: More Fun Decorative Techniques ................................................................151 Texturing on Suede ................................................................................................................152 Venetian Plaster......................................................................................................................154 Painted Tissue Wallpaper......................................................................................................157 Painting a Gradient ................................................................................................................159 Stippling ..................................................................................................................................162 02_175330 ftoc.qxp 10/17/07 8:23 PM Page viii