Painting Tip- Get A Manufacturer’s Paint Warranty March 22, 2007
Posted by admin in : Painting Tips , 1 comment so far
Do you know that in Singapore, you can get a manufacturer’s paint warranty for your exterior paint job? Not known to many, and as long as you follow the paint system recommended by the manufacturer, a warranty of 5 years can be requested. Such warranty need not be for big projects. However for individual houses, this is usually for the exterior walls of the entire house. And it will cost you nothing extra. The warranty covers product defects such as peeling or discoloration. But it covers only product ie. the manufacturer will compensate you for the paint needed to “make good” the product defect. It DOES NOT cover labour. For labour, you have to get the contractor to provide you the warranty on labour. You have to adhere strictly to the paint system the manufacturer recommends - 1 coat solvent-based sealer followed by 2 coats of SS350 exterior paint. This should not be a problem, since you would want to use this system anyway, with or without the warranty. Technical representatives will inspect the walls before and during painting - so it is important NOT to paint anything before getting the manufacturer to inspect. There are occasions where the technical reps will ask you to delay painting especially if the walls are moist from recent downpour. How to obtain a warranty? The easiest way is to just give me a call (see contact numbers on the right) or post a response here. Alternatively, you can contact any of the main manufacturers. I would have recommended that you contact any paint dealers but a recent event made me realise that even some paint dealers do not know of such a warranty. Till next….
Method of Applying Paint 1- by brush March 22, 2007
Posted by admin in : Painting Tips, Painting Tools , add a commentThe correct application of paint is important so that the paint will last its intended period. This is sometimes overlooked with emphasis more on the
paint than on how to get the paint applied. I give you an example. Just this morning I saw some workers painting the road dividers. You know, the green coloured ones separating a two-way road, the ones that you’ll often see jaywalkers climbing over to avoid using the overhead bridge. These workers did not use brushes or rollers ! Amazing. Their only painting equipment was a piece of cloth. They soaked it with paint, and rubbed the paint onto the divider. It was an undercoat they were putting on, but my bet is that they’ll use the same ‘professional’ method to paint the topcoat. The resulting surface was uneven and had streaks that were not painted. The desired film thickness was definitely not achieved. 20-30 microns, max. The coating will not last its intended length of time. But then, who am I to say. They did it real fast and it was probably how they wanted it - fast. Painting works should never be rushed, especially for our own homes. Doing it properly will delay repairing and recoating works significantly. There are generally 3 methods of application : by brush, by roller and by spraying. We’ll do these in 3 separate posts. Application by Brush 
This is the most widely used method of applying paint. It is cheap, relatively clean and has minimal wastage. Brushes can reach small, restricted areas or in areas with poor ventilation. They are also easily available. You can buy brushes in most stores, and in various sizes as well. The drawbacks are that it is slow and can be quite exhausting. Fast-drying paint may also not be satisfactorily applied by brush. And I hate the brush marks they sometimes leave behind, which requires additional work of having a foam roller run over it. It is important to choose the correct type of brush. It must be capable of
holding sufficient paint to cover a reasonable area and must also be able to transfer this paint to the substrate to give an even finish without showing too much brush marks. Good paint brushes are not only expensive, they are actually quite hard to find, especially here in Singapore. Many paint stockists choose not to carry these as demand is low. A piece of tip - a good paint brush is a used paint brush. Too bad we usually throw away the brushes after use. We find washing them quite a hassle. However, a used brush, provided it has been cleaned properly, carries paint better. Loose bristles would also have all dropped off. Try it. You may never throw away your brushes again. (But you have to ‘not’ throw away your paint brush first to try it 
) A good technique is to dip the paint brush only 1/3 the length of the bristle into the paint. By not dipping fully, you avoid overloading the brush with paint, and overloading leads to extensive dripping. Do not run the brush against the side of the lid to remove excessive paint. This removes more paint than necessary. Subsequent brushing will be ineffective. If required, just drain off small amount of paint by touching the brush against the side of the can. The first contact onto the wall usually results in a area where the paint is a bit heavy. That’s fine. Apply the paint in 1 - 2 strokes. Then, preferably with horizontal strokes, distribute the paint evenly. Finally, when the paint has been distributed evenly, smooth out the paint in light long strokes, lifting the brush off lightly at the ends. These final smoothing out process will remove brush marks. Lets talk about the next popular method of application, by roller, in the next post.
International Marine Paint - Sea Colour Chart Uploaded March 20, 2007
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart, Marine Paints , 1 comment so farAs requested by quite a few, I’ve scanned and uploaded the International Marine Paint Sea Colour Chart. It’s a rather big chart, so I’ve split it into 2. The bottom part of the 2nd chart has a reference table to show the grid reference and the corresponding colour code for the paint. As always, remember that the colour you see depends on the settings of your monitor and can be quite different from the actual colour of the paint. With that said, it is still an indication of the colour, short of coming down to my outlet to look at the ‘real’ thing. Click on the image to pop up a larger image.
If you can’t focus on small words and numbers, the images below will let you zoom in. They are the same as the above 2, just that it allows you to zoom in.
Great Painting Tips recommends ICI Solarscreen for Exterior Wood March 20, 2007
Posted by admin in : Painting Tips, Recommendations , 1 comment so farICI Dulux Solarscreen
I’ve often been asked to recommend a good varnish for exterior woodwork such as outdoor deck, garden furniture, wooden roof panel etc. The concern is often peeling and cracking, resulting in run-down look. Some stick to the hardy types such as chengai to avoid having to paint or varnish the wood.
However, while chengai can withstand the harsh exterior conditions, its uncoated appearance leaves much to be desired. A chengai chair I used to own, and one that I resisted varnishing, turned greyish-white after a period of deliberate neglect. It was quite an eyesore considering that my minimum expectation was that it remained brown. Varnish forms a layer on top of the wood, protecting it from physical abrasion as well as from the elements such as ultraviolet rays, rain water and insects. Wood stains work differently from varnishes by penetrating the wood and colouring it at the same time. It does not form a physical layer on the wood and thus its function is solely cosmetic. One exterior varnish that seldom fail me is the ICI Dulux Solarscreen. It is a durable pigmented varnish based on a resin that gives it its protective properties. Resistant to abrasion and water, it is able to filter out UV rays which is the main culprit for causing to wood to peel and crack and turn flaky. It’s sheen is glossy. Solarscreen comes in 5-litre pack size. One such can theoretically covers about 90 sq m per coat. It comes in 6 different colours as shown below. These colours you see are only approximate and it is dependent on your monitor colour settings.
HoneyPine 16325
Mahogany 12493
RoseWood 14337
AntiqueRed 14338
Walnut 14331
Ebony 10484
Before applying the varnish, the surface must be clean and dry and free of any loose or poorly adhering material. Rub down with a 280 - 320 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper in the direction of the grain and dust off. Apply 1 coat
of Solarscreen and allow 4 hours to dry. Sand down again with a 320 grit before applying 2 more coats, waiting 4 hours in between coats. Note that varnishes are mostly translucent. The more coats you put on, the darker it gets. Thinning is not necessary but if required for ease of application, use turpentine from your paint retailers.
Painting Tip - Prepare a Painting Tools Checklist March 19, 2007
Posted by admin in : Painting Tips, Painting Tools , add a commentYou’ve painted the ceilings. You’ve painted the walls. The new place looks beautiful. You are trying to finish up the door so that you can rush home to
watch the final episode of Prison Break (of course with the power of hindsight, the lousy ending is really not worth rushing back for). You begin on the door, but in the rush, you spilled some paint on the new floor. OK where’s the turpentine???
Oops! Now you remember what you have been trying to recall whole day!
I get customers come in with body all coloured, asking for cleaning solvents…and gloves! Others forget wooden sticks to paint their ceilings with. Once in a while you get one who forgets even the brushes and rollers. Below is a checklist of items required in a standard paint job. I will compile a pdf file in future for easy downloading. In the further future, I may even compile a excel file with all the prices inserted and updated. With this, you can work out a fairly accurate estimate of the cost of the project. But that’s in the near future. Meanwhile, please make do with a simple checklist: 1. Paint (I feel like an idiot putting this in, but better me than you..being the idiot, that is ) 2. Brushes and rollers 3. Paint trays and plastic cups 4. Paint stirrer - often overlooked…and chopsticks make poor stirrers 5. Sandpapers 6. Plastic drop cloth 7. Masking tapes 8. Cleaning rags 9. Paint thinners - for oil-based paints 10. Extension poles or wooden sticks (sticks come in 5ft, 6ft or 8ft) 11. Wall putty 12. Scraper for putty and for removing peeled paint 13. Paint gloves 14. Ladder The above are items for normal paint jobs. More specialized jobs such as epoxy painting or floor sanding will include other items such as face mask and goggles. These projects deserve separate posts. I will elaborate further for most of the tools - the correct equipment, the correct specifications, brands available in the market and the price range - in future posts. Meanwhile, if you are unsure, send me a question through the comment box below. I will reply either directly to you, or I will include in my post for the benefit of others. Till the next tip….
