Putty Knife
Why Make Painting A Room Difficult?
After having had such a great time on my fourth mini vacation of the year, my wife must have decided that I’d had just too much fun and I was going to have to do penance. Her method of torture was to make me paint a couple of rooms that were, in her eyes, becoming dull and in dire need of paint!
I approach painting a room as I do almost everything; why make work of something that could be fun if you give it half a chance? Painting is such a project. I pretend that I’m creating a masterpiece that will be praised by all. At the same time I put as little effort into painting as I possibly can. If you don’t watch it, you can make painting seem like work!
We want a stress free painting experience so we’ll only buy a few things we need instead of spending a lot of money. Spending money to most of us is stressful so we’ll do as little of that as possible. You’ll need a good paintbrush, probably one that will use latex paints, since that’s the overwhelming choice today for paints. You will also need a roller and a roller handle along with a paint tray.
Since you will always have holes in the wall, you’ll also need a small can of spackling paste and a putty knife. Other than some kind of drop cloths to cover the floor and furniture, that’s all you need to buy! I didn’t mention a step ladder because you can find one of those small 2 step ladders in most homes today.
I don’t have to paint the ceiling which is wonderful, because they’re really a pain in the neck! Literally, because you have to keep looking up and straining your neck! One of my rules is “If you don’t want to put it back together, don’t take it apart!” Just paint around electrical outlets, wall lighting and such. Of course you have to take pictures and stuff off the wall, just get someone else to put them back.
Move furniture to the middle of the room. There’s no need to empty the room unless you just want the extra work. You now have the walls almost ready to paint, but before we start, check them to see if there are any holes that need filled. Only use a small amount of spackling for each hole, and then scrape most of it off with your putty knife. After it dries, sand it down and put another thin layer over the first.
Scrape it off again and sand it a few strokes with sandpaper after the last coat dries and you’re ready to paint! See how easy that is? Feel the stress beginning to fade? You’ve already saved yourself a lot of work just on filling nail holes. Most people put in a tremendous amount of unnecessary work on wall preparation because they use an excessive amount of spackling. Then they’re faced with sanding all that mess off!
Always paint the trim work first, because it’s easy to hide mistakes with wall paint later. There’ll be four doors and three windows this time around. I’ve long ago determined that it’s going to take about 30 minutes each to paint these, so I don’t try to rush because I know it’s going to take 3-4 hours to do the work. Just before I get out the paint brush, I wipe the wood with a deglosser to make the paint adhere easily.
After the trim work, you’re ready to paint the walls! Just do it! It’s really pretty hard to do a bad job if you use enough paint. For some folks, squeezing every drop of paint out a roller seems to be an obsession. The old adage, “You can’t paint with a dry brush!” also applies to a roller. Don’t be afraid to use enough paint and you’ll do a fantastic job!
By nature I’m a lazy man, so I don’t believe in making an easy job difficult. I don’t bother trimming around windows and doors as I paint the walls, because I’ll wipe down any spatters I may have with a wet cloth and keep painting. Depending on the size of the room, I’ll be through with the walls in 1-2 hours.
By the time I’ve pushed the furniture back against the wall, I find I’ve spent most of the day painting and I’m sure it will have been an enjoyable day. I’ll really feel like I have accomplished something. I’ll paint the other room the next day and then it will be time to go fishing.
Life is too short and time is too important to waste it making easy jobs hard. If it were an electrical or roofing project, I wouldn’t tackle those. I’d just hire someone who knows more about those projects than me! Then I’d go fishing!
About the Author
Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:
http://www.redfishbob.com
http://www.bluemarlinbob.com
A “quick” way to sharpen a putty knife
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GREATAMERMARKETING PT05610 10in. Putty Knife, 10 pack $6.49 |
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Allway Tools 1 in. 2-in-1 Putty Knife $12.99 |
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Lot of 2 Warner 3″ Stiff Putty Knife Scraper $21.00 |
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5 in 1 Putty Knife Scraper Cleaning Paint Remover Tools $0.99 |
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1-1/4″ Flexible Blade Putty Knife by Hyde 02000 $4.99 |
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Faithfull professional Putty Knife 115MM $12.54 |
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Stanley Dynagrip Putty Knife 0 28 654 $18.29 |
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CORONA CHINEX 3″ BRUSHES & PUTTY KNIVES (worth over $65) $33.99 |
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4pc PUTTY KNIFE SCRAPER SET 5″ new paint knives scrap $7.99 |
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2pc Wide PUTTY KNIFE SCRAPER SET 10″ new paint knives $3.99 |
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Stanley 1-1/4-in Flexible Putty Knife with Nylon Handle 28-240 NEW $14.98 |
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Silverline 228559 38 mm Putty Knife $8.34 |
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Silverline 868602 Putty Knife $9.86 |
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Silverline Skew Putty Knife $7.40 |
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Lof of 20 Paintbrushes,Putty knife,Scraper,Broad Knife Sherwin-Williams,Warner $9.99 |
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2pc Wide PUTTY KNIFE SCRAPER SET 10″ new paint knives $3.99 |
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Stanley 1-1/4-in Stiff Putty Knife with Nylon Handle 28-140 NEW $13.98 |
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Stanley 1-1/2-in Stiff Putty Knife with Nylon Handle 28-141 NEW $14.98 |
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Stanley 1-1/2-in Flexible Putty Knife with Nylon Handle 28-241 NEW $14.98 |
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2 Painting Brushes & Putty Knife Perfect4urPaintProject $3.49 |
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PUTTY KNIFE $4.95 |
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HOMAX WHOLESALE LOT OF 32 PUTTY KNIVES NEW $13.99 |
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Putty Knife Set includes 2 in., 4 in. and 6 in. polypropylene putty knives $6.99 |
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Workforce 1-1/2 in. Flexible Putty Knife $6.99 |
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2 MIT 1 1/4″ FLEX PUTTY KNIFE 69271 PROFESSIONAL WOOD $6.00 |
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2 ALLWAY 1 1/4″ FLEX PUTTY KNIFE #X1-1/4F PLASTIC NOS $6.00 |
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Draper 71291 100 mm Soft-Grip Putty Knife $11.60 |
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4pc PUTTY KNIFE SCRAPER SET 5″ new paint knives scrap $7.99 |
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Stanley 28-540 1-1/4″ Flexible Blade Putty Knife Hardwood Handle $4.50 |
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1-1/2″ Stiff Putty Knife by Red Devil 4203 $4.49 |
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Putty Knife – 1 1/2″ (3.8 cm) Stiff – Case Of 12 $89.88 |
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Putty Knife, Plastic – 4″ (11.4 cm) – Case Of 12 $19.08 |
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Sterilite 01428501 4-Shelf Utility Cabinet with Putty Handles, Platinum $109.89 Sterilite 01428501 4 Shelf Utility Cabinet, Light PlatinumSterilite 01428501 4 Shelf Utility Cabinet, Light Platinum Features:; 0142 – 4 Shelf Cabinet; Heavy duty cabinet assembles in minutes without the aid of tools; Doors swing open easily, close securely, and can accommodate a padlock; Each unit has rugged shelves that can be adjusted to multiple heights and comfortably hold up to 40 lbs each… |
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Farberware 5070534 Jar Scraper Spatula $6.99 This Farberware Jar Scraper/Spatula is shaped to reach food in jars easily. Perfect for small and large jars. the ergonomically designed handle provides a secure, comfortable grip. Dishwasher safe. Dimensions: 0.39″ H x 1.18″ W x 11.42″ L…. |
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Farberware 5070535 Scraper Spatulas, Set of 2 $12.99 These Farberware Scraper Spatulas feature a flexible head making them perfect for scraping the last bit of batter from mixing bowls and food processors. The ergonomically designed handles provide a sure, comfortable grip. Dishwasher safe. Set of 2 includes a scraper and spoon/spatula, each 10-3/4″ long. Dimensions: 0.79″ H x 2.36″ W x 10.75″ L…. |
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Apollo Precision Tools DT0773N1 135-Piece Household Pink Tool Kit $35.99 This 135 piece household tool kit is perfect for a variety of small projects around the house. With almost everything you need in a compact case, you’ll be finding projects to use them with! This set includes an 100 piece fastener set, a 4.8 volt cordless screwdriver, an 18 mm utility knife, 10 1-inch CRV screwdriver bits (1/8, 5/32, 3/16, 1/4, PH1, PH2, PH3, PZ1, PZ2, PZ3, 10 1-inch CRV screwdr… |
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Great Neck 125PC 1-1/4-Inch Width Flexible Putty Knife $2.89 Great Neck Tool 125pc Putty Knife 1-1/4 Carded… |
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Hyde Tools 02350 3-Inch Flex Scraper, Black and Silver $3.55 3″, Putty Knife Black and Silver Tool, High Carbon Steel…. |
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Putty Knives, Garage Doors, Electric Motors, Wool $1.99 … |
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Warner 808 Tool 1-Inch Carbide 100X Scraper $10.67 CARBIDE SCRAPER – Carbide 100x scraper w/triangle blade ~… |
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Superior Watch Back Case Knife Remover Snap Opener Battery Jewelry Repair Tool $15.99 - This is a new stainless steel watch case knife. - This tool is a must have for watchmakers and jewelers. - This tool measures approximately 5.5′ (140 mm). - This tool is made of high quality and durable steel perfect for opening watch case. - Hardened knife hand,easy to hold,give you extra power make the opening process easier. - Changeable blade,just free the screws and change the blade very ea… |
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McKesson Putty Knife – Model imp3201 Brand or Series: McKesson Brand. Application: Putty Knife. Blade Length: 1-1/4 Inch Wide. Feature: Ergonomically designed. Stainless steel blade and comfortable polypropylene handle that is chemical and solvent resistant. 1-1/4 Inch blade width. Feature: Latex-Free. Feature:… |
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