Simplify Tasks at Hand With Shortcuts, Hints

Here are some tips and shortcuts to help make your next painting job easier:

Getting ready

* Instead of wearing rubber or plastic gloves while painting, coat your hands with liquid latex (available at hardware stores). It dries to a flexible film and washes off with the paint. For quick touch-ups, use a coat of hand or face cream.

* For easier stirring and better mixing, drill a few quarter-inch holes in the stirring paddle.

* Working from a full can of paint invites spills and dripping. Pour half of the paint into an extra can or bucket and use that for painting. Seal the original can until you need more.

* Avoid paint-can mess by punching holes in the rim groove of the can. Instead of collecting there, the paint will drain back into the can. To catch drips, tape a paper plate to the can’s bottom.

* To remove clots or lumps in old paint, strain it through a piece of cheesecloth or pantyhose fastened over the top of a paint bucket.

* With alkyd paint, two thin coats are better than one thick one. But with latex, apply a heavy coat, even when you plan another.

Flaws and spills

* When painting around trim, keep handy a screwdriver and a cloth dampened with solvent. If you get a bit of paint on the trim, fold the cloth around the tip of the tool and wipe away the paint.

* For an easy, accurate way to scrape paint from windows, place a 4-inch-wide drywall taping knife blade against the putty or wood molding. Slide a razor-blade scraper against the knife blade to make a perfect line.

* Remove masking tape as soon as the paint is dry enough that it won’t run or smear. If you have to delay tape removal, soften the adhesive first by heating the tape with a hair dryer.

* Don’t paint over a drip, run or stray bristle after the paint becomes tacky. Instead, hold a piece of masking tape at both ends, press the tape gently over the flaw and pull it straight off. When the paint dries fully, sand the area smooth and touch it up.