Search	Exterior Painting & Staining Tips Problem Solution How do you stop debris in the air outside from getting into your paint can? Get a snap-on, plastic lid that can be snapped on and off by hand. You can pour from the can when your tray needs refilling without the aggravation of having to pry the lid off the can, hammer it back on when finished and spattering paint in the process! How can I stop a skin or film forming over the paint in my open can in hot weather? See point above regarding a handy lid. When I paint or stain a large area, how can I avoid refilling the tray with paint or stain over and over again – especially when the tray is difficult to move? This is a common problem with many exterior jobs ! It's easy to resolve with a bucket (5 gal/ 20L) and a bucket grid. The bucket has a handle for easy transport and the bucket grid fits inside the bucket (filled halfway with liquid) at an angle and allows you to load your full size roller, brush or mini roller right out of the pail. What's the best, fastest way to paint lattice work? It can be very tedious and sloppy to paint these kinds of areas with a brush. Try a fabric mini roller (4"/100mm) and you'll find it's easier, neater and faster to use. Stain never seems to go as far as the label says it will. Why is that? This can be because the surface was left too long between applications and is very dry as a result; it can also be because too heavy a coat was applied. Also, since exterior surfaces tend to be a little rougher in nature, many people choose an exceptionally high pile roller thus applying too thick a coat at one time. Be sure to give exterior surfaces (especially those exposed to the south and the west) a maintenance coat from time to time. Smooth surfaces require a roller cover with 10mm or 3/8" pile. Semi-rough surfaces like rough fence boards require 15mm or 1/2" pile. Rough surfaces require 20 to 30mm or 3/4" to 1 1/4" pile for best results. Can lumpy, leftover stain or paint still be used? Yes! Sometimes paints or stains can develop lumps or chunks and these will ruin your application. The best approach is to strain the paint through a paint strainer. Never apply an exterior coating in direct sunlight nor onto a surface that is hot after being exposed to the sun all day long. Doing so is a guarantee of paint failure, so wait to apply paint on a cooler or cloudy day. When painting vinyl siding, don't use dark colors because they will absorb heat and warp the siding permanently over time. If you expect the overnight temperature to go much below 10 degrees C or 50 degrees F, delay applying paint or stain. Exposure to lower temperatures during the first few days of set up will lead to premature coating failure. Super Lid - this handy plastic lid for gallon containers snaps on and pulls off easily. Its dual action lid has a screw off cap for pouring and a flip top to allow you to paint right out of the can. It keeps paint free of debris, stops it from skinning over prematurely and makes for quick and convenient reuse - no more hammering paint can lids and spattering paint! Bucket Grid - This metal (or sometimes plastic) mesh goes right into a large pail that allows you to roll your full size roller right out of the container. You'll spend less time refilling a tray and can move easily from spot to spot. Great for large jobs and easy to clean when you're done! Stain Brush - Choose a Dynamic poly/bristle blend stain brush. This material is useable with any type of stain, holds a lot of liquid, and works the stain into the surface evenly and uniformly. It lasts longer, too. Choose a brush with a good length of filaments so that you can apply enough stain at once. A brush that is too short results in the need to continually reload making the job twice as long! Mini Rollers - For detail work like lattice, fence boards with wide gaps between them, handrails, deck railing etc, consider using a 4" (100mm) or 6" (150mm) fabric mini roller. They are faster than a brush and waste less paint so you get full mileage from every can! Paint Strainer - This mesh cloth allows you to run your paint or stain through it to ensure you don't encounter lumps in the middle of your project.     View Product Catalogue >> Click here for a printer-friendly version of this page
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