Let colour bring out the artist in you

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 13

Let colour bring out the artist in you

While the air is still brisk is the time to create stimulating adventure in your home — by wielding a paint brush. All artists know that colour is a psychological medium, so let the magic of colour bring out the artist in you. Look at your living, dining, and recreation areas with a creative bye and imagine how a sudden change of colour can add liveliness and warmth to any room in your home. In a room where the four walls seem to enclose you, push the wall out with a light, fresh colour like yellow or pale blue. If you have a room that seems chilly, take the ice out of the air by using vibrant colour. Remember that blues, violets and greens will give the opposite impression - that of coolness. Try a splash of colour on one wall for a special effect. Your colour choice can complement both your personality and the needs of individual rooms. To begin your adventure, fill all large cracks

with patching plaster and small hairline cracks with spackling material, using a putty knife,’ an old kitchen knife, or the handiest tools of all — a finger and a thumb. When the patches are dry, sandpaper them until they are even with the surface of the wall. Be sure to dust the walls thoroughly to ensure a perfect finish. Remove all light fixtures and to avoid a speckled effect and make your painting easier remove all hardware from doors- and windows. At this point, completely cover your furniture and floor to eliminate damage from errant paint spatters. Use any application tools that you wish — a paint brush, roller or both; or try a spray gun for a quick job. If you use a roller, you will find a paint brush useful in hard-to-reach areas, such as corners, woodwork, and the edge of walls. Before you begin to paint, read the manufacturer’s directions on the paint can — you will find that they differ according to the type of paint used; and remember that a protective cream on your hands will make cleaning them easy. Use the following steps as a guide to easier and more efficient painting. Paint the ceiling first, using this time-saving pattern: work across the width rather than the length of the room in order to save shifting ladders and planks more often than necessary. For the walls, start at the upper left hand corner and work down using either a brush or a roller. When the walls are dry, you are ready to paint the woodwork and trim. If you are painting panelled doors, first paint the panels, second the centre rail, third the top and bottom rails, fourth the vertical stiles and last the edges. Today’s paints are so easy to use and come in such a glowing variety of colours that an amateur can achieve delightful results in a short time. Your home is probably your most important investment and you will

want to enhance its value in every possible way, including giving it the best possible paint care. If you have not sufficient time or confidence in your handyman-ship, one way to be assured of pleasing painted surfaces is to have the work done by a reputable painting contractor — one who takes pride in his work and wants to give you a good job. But, how do you know a reputable contractor? Before employing anyone, it is a good idea to ask him to supply references relating to the contracts he has completed in your area in past years. In addition, you should be certain that he is properly insured to protect you in case of accident to an employee who is work-

ing on your property. To protect you further, he should carry liability insurance against damage to your property or that of others. It is vital that he submit a written contract which explicitly covers in detail the work to be done, the price agreed upon the time and terms of payment. With quality paint, your home should look good for several years. But with inferior paint, it may need attention after a much shorter period. The contractor you hire should also have the necessary equipment to do the task efficiently and with the least interruption of your household activities. Most reputable contractors offer these services.

Where necessary he removes shutters, doors etc. to get at places that should be painted. He cleans and spot primes flashing prior to painting and cleans gutters or -downspouts, with special treatment for galvanised surfaces. He removes loose and peeling paint and feather sands edges, and if there are protruding nails, he will sink them and patch the holes with putty. He caulks open joints where wood and masonry, meet; fills and caulks openings around windows and doors where moisture could creep in. He looks for rotted or warped wood which may need replacing. He protects shrubbery and foundation planting before he paints.