Painting tips that can be helpful,
especially for older homeowners

IF YOU are like many of today's
middle-aged and senior citizens,
getting older hasn't slackened
your pace. Whether still working
or retired, most modern adults are
determined to stay fit and active.

In fact, many older homeown-

ers still handle most of their home
maintenance. If you ere one of
them, and if exterior painting is
on your “to do’? list, here are
some tips that will help you get
the best results.
@ Be aware that good surface
preparation is critical to the suc-
cess of any painting project, but it
is not as psychologically rewarding
as applying the paint.

For that reason, you may want
to hire a contractor to do your
surface preparation, but handle
the painting yourself. (Some
homeowners do just the opposite,
and later regret their decision.)

@ If you decide to do your own
surface preparation, you can
simplify the task by using high-

speed power washing equipment
to remove dirt, grime and mildew,

Contact your focal equipment
rental centre for help and advice
on using this equipment safely.

@ While you are at the rental
centre, investigate spray painting
equipment. Power sprayers allow
you to apply paint to large surface
areas very quickly.

o Regardless of how you apply
it, be sure to use a top quality
paint.

Top quality acrylic latex paint is
particularly easy to work with and
allows do-it-yourselfers to get
professional-looking results.

These paints go on easily, level
nicely to provide a smooth, even
appearance and resist messy splat-
tering.

@ You'll also save time and effort
on tiresome cleanup tasks by using
latex paint. Being water-based,
these paints clean up easily with
plain soap and water.

@ As with any home improve-

EWS photo Cl eodman

PAINTING -JOBS are sometimes more easily done by profes-
sionais like Les Szoke cf Les Painting, who is painting a stairweit

at a West Vancouver home.

COMPA

RE

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ment project, you should be sure
to follow good safety practices.
Wear goggles and rubber gloves
when doing surface preparation.

{f your project requires the use
of a ladder, make sure it is struc-
turally sound and free of paint
buildup on the rungs.

Place it at the correct angle (the
base should be about three feet
from the wall for every nine feet
of height), and be sure it sits firm-
ly on solid ground.

@ For best results, apply your
paint on mild days when the
temperature is in the 70° to 85°F
range with little or no wind. These
conditions permit the paint to
form a strong protective film.

e If you paint on a sunny day,
you can get better results (and
keep cool) by painting in the
shade. The north and west sides
of a home are shaded in the
morning; the south and east sides
are shaded in late afternoon.

@ Finally, think long term and
buy the highest quality of paint
you can afford. Top quality acryl-
ic latex paint costs more than or-
dinary paint, but it can last seven
to 10 years or more, compared to
three or four years for ordinary
paint.

No matter sow good your con-
ditioning, it’s a jot more fun to
play golf or tennis than repaint

your home more often than neces-

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