Painting Prep

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Painting from the Pantry

By Chris Christen

Autumn traditionally is a popular season to paint. "It's a good time in Omaha," says national painting expert and author Brian Santos. "The kids are back in school, which gives you a few uninterrupted hours a day" to tackle a room or hallway. "You can complete the project before you close up the house for the winter."

Take the next month to ponder ideas in this issue, plan your approach, collect paint chips and materials, and brush up on techniques.

The preparation you do, Santos says, will be more important than the actual application of the paint. "A good paint job lies in the details. Eighty percent of your time should be in your preparation, not the application of the paint itself."

Tools are especially important. "If you spend fifty or a hundred dollars on paint and two dollars on a brush, you get a two-dollar paint job," Santos says.

Santos, who lives in Tampa, has how-to videos and makes about 25 appearances a year at home shows across the country (he was in Omaha earlier this year). He talked with Inspired Home Omaha by phone from San Antonio, where he was presenting a workshop and touting his latest how-to book, "Painting and Wallpapering With Brian Santos, the Wall Wizard" ($21.99, Wiley).

A fourth-generation painting contractor, Santos picked up his nickname years ago from a client who noted his "wizardry" in completing a project in record time.

"I learned from the college of hard knocks," Santos quips. "My best friends are Trial and Error."

His best results have come from mistakes. And the use of simple items around the house - like lip balm, fabric softener, and nonstick cooking spray.

Painting, Santos says, is one of the most affordable ways to improve your home's appearance. But more important than aesthetics: You should be painting to maintain the value and enjoyment of your home.

Here's a sampling of the everyday items that Santos uses in painting preparation.

Nonstick cooking spray. "Original. Not the garlic version." Spritz on your arms and rub in, and water-based paint won't stick.

Lip balm: Keep paint from sticking to window glass by running lip balm along the inside of each pane. Paint can't stick to the wax in the balm. When paint dries, score around glass with butter knife and peel away the balm and excess paint.

Pre-moistened sanitary wipes: For removing lip balm from glass. Follow with paper towel and glass cleaner.

Rubber cement: Apply two coats to window and door hardware before painting. When the paint is dry, simply rub off the rubber cement. Clean the surface with rubbing alcohol or sanitary wipes.

Stick deodorant: Don't use toothpaste to fill holes in drywall. Use stick deodorant. "Toothpaste whitens and brightens from the inside out," Santos says. "Deodorant is quick-drying, self-priming and leveling."

Rubbing alcohol. Refrain from washing walls with soap and water. Soap leaves a residue that resists paint. Rubbing alcohol de-glosses, degreases and evaporates, leaving a clean surface for the paint to bond.

Fabric softener: Add a half-cup fabric softener to 1 gallon water to create a cleaning solution for brushes. Every two hours, swish your brush in the solution for 10 seconds. Paint slides right off the bristles.

Plastic cup, bowl or bucket: Never paint directly from a can. Prolonged exposure to air changes the quality of paint, causing it to thicken and dry out. Pour a half-inch of paint into a disposable plastic cup or reusable plastic container lined with a plastic bag (for easy clean up). You'll be able to hold the container easily, and if you trip and spill, you'll have less paint to clean up. Santos once put a can of red paint on top of a ladder--in a room with white carpet. You can guess the rest. "I got the paint out with fabric softener and a dry vac. It was wizardry."