The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Care And Repair Of The House
Straining.
Paints should be strained after they have been mixed, to remove hard lumps and skin and to mix the ingredients more completely. A piece of wire fly screen may be used for this purpose, or, better still, a suitable strainer may be made by tying a double thickness of cheesecloth over the top of an empty pail. Pour the paint slowly through the cloth, using a small brush to stir the paint in the cloth pocket, until it all passes through.
Protection.
When not in use the paint container should be covered to prevent evaporation of the liquid material.
3. SELECTION AND CARE OF BRUSHES
The importance of a good brush can not be overestimated. Besides wearing better than a poor one, it holds more paint, does not leak nor spatter, leaves a clean-cut edge, makes a more uniform finish, and does not shed its bristles.
Though brushes with bristles set in cement or vulcanized in rubber cost somewhat more than other varieties, the investment always proves to be a wise one. The best advice that can be given is to buy good brushes and take proper care of them.
Selection of Brushes.
The shape and size of the brushes to be selected depends both upon the materials used and the types of surfaces to be treated. For painting broad surfaces, flat brushes 4 inches wide with 4-inch bristles are recommended for the unskilled. Such a brush is easy to handle, and with it surfaces may be covered rapidly. With wide, flat brushes, however, the paint can not be rubbed out so well as with a suitable round brush. For window sashes and other narrow surfaces a 1-inch oval brush with a chisel-shaped end is generally used. Varnish brushes are also tapered at the end in order to permit the necessary even flowing on of the material. A very wide brush is usually employed in applying whitewash or calcimine, since these materials are spread lightly over the surface and are not rubbed in.
Care of Brushes.
When a painting job is carried over from one day to the next, it is generally sufficient to wrap the brushes in several thicknesses of paper to keep them soft and pliable. If, however, a brush is not to be used for several days, it should be well cleaned before laying it away. One of the most satisfactory materials for washing a brush is turpentine, but it is expensive, and kerosene can be used with almost equally good results. After removing as much paint as possible with one of these solvents, wash the brush thoroughly with soap and warm water and shake all excessive moisture out before hanging it up to dry, bristles down. After the brush is thoroughly dry, wrap it in paper to protect it from dust, being careful not to bend the ends of the bristles.
