The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

House Painting

Interior Painting

Sometimes all the interior woodwork is painted; often, in houses where varnish is the principal finish, certain rooms are painted. For this a somewhat quicker-drying paint is used than for exteriors; paint is much more durable when not exposed to the weather, and a quick-drying paint is allowable. This may be an ordinary oil-paint, such as has already been described; more often it contains a portion of varnish in place of part of the oil, and is called a gloss paint, as it has consider- able luster; these, if well made, are the most generally serviceable; for fine finishes enamel paints are used. In these the vehicle is a varnish. Before beginning to paint, all knots and pitchy places, and all sap-wood, are given a heavy coat of shellac varnish. In all cases the foundation is a priming coat of white lead and oil, to which ten per cent of pale japan drier has been added; it should be almost all oil, very little lead. When this is dry, all nail-holes and crevices should be puttied up; the putty for this purpose is made by working dry white lead into paste white lead until it is of the right consistency; this dries quickly and very hard. It is not applied with a steel putty-knife, as this is liable to scratch the wood, and scratches will show on interior work; use a wooden spatula, or a conveniently shaped stick of hard wood. The white lead putty is made immediately before using. The first full coat is lead, oil, and turpentine; this may be made by thinning paste lead with a mixture of equal parts oil and turpentine; this will dry quickly to a hard, "flat" surface to which the next coat will adhere. The next coat should have two-thirds as much turpentine in it as the preceding, and the final coat none at all. If there is any gloss when the next to the last coat is fully dry, it must be removed by lightly rubbing with sandpaper, or with curled hair, or with a handful of excelsior. If an enamel paint is to be used for the finish, the second full coat is sandpapered to produce a smooth surface, over which the enamel is flowed on in a full coat. For extra good work this coat of enamel, when quite hard, is sandpapered, and another coat of enamel is applied. This may be left with its full gloss, or it may be rubbed with pumice and water to a flat (dull) surface.

When paint or varnish is spread out in a thin film it remains a liquid for a considerable time, then becomes a sticky, jelly-like sub-stance, which will not run; then it becomes firmer, but still sticky; in this condition it is said to be "tacky"; then it becomes hard enough to handle.