Painting I - Lessons Learned

Things to Consider before beginning:

1) Mask, Mask, Mask! - The time it takes you to mask everything, the baseboards/floors, ceilings, fixtures, doors, etc. will be saved many times over once you begin painting. While you are brushing or rolling you do not want to be concentrating on avoiding getting paint on surfaces, you should be concentrating on applying an even and seamless coat. Buy a lot of extra tape.

2) The width of your masking tape - Use wider stuff for ceiling masking and you can use your roller all the way to the top.

3) Masking tape "Days" - The number of days your tape is guaranteed to not get too sticky and remove some of the covered surface usually 7-8 days.

4) Paint & Primer Quality - In a museum environment it is essential to use low V.O.C acrylic paint. We chose high quality 100% acrylic Pratt & Lambert paints. High quality paints and primers may cost more initially but their ease to work with, drying characteristics, overall look, impact on the environment, and "mileage" well outweigh the extra monetary costs.

5) Plan Your Painting Strategy - You can give your walls a more polished look if you do your "cutting-in" around the ceiling, baseboards, corners, door-frames, etc, BEFORE your first coat with the rollers. This may also save you from having to do a 2nd coat of cutting-in after you're done. We used brushes for the the cut-ins, next time we will definitely use small rollers wherever possible, this will result in a more seamless finish. If you are doing multiple colours, plan to paint from the top down.

6) Buy Quality - Spending a little more on rollers, handles, tape, even plastic rolls will make your work that much easier. Your supplies will also last longer and will help ensure that you take care of them. Throwing away cheap rollers is easy, and sometimes may be the better option as washing them out is time consuming, however, good quality rollers will hold more paint and make your work easier. This will translate into a cleaner looking finish. Also consider the impact disposable items soaked in paint will have on the environment.