Tricks Schedule

Never too Old Too Paint

In my early 20’s, I spent most of my time traveling around the country meeting people and working in different areas. It was in the early 70’s and I did various types of work in the trades. Some roofing, a little painting, but mostly framing.

The longest span of time was spent in a college town in Colorado. I lived in a house with 6 other carpenters. It was a time with many good memories. Our home, and the people in it, were known in the town, and at the college, as being the place to be as well as the people to know. By no means were we angels, but we really didn’t get into any big trouble. Looking back at it , we were just a bunch of good kids that liked to work hard, and party even harder. Although framing was our thing, in slower times we would hang the rock, tape it, trim the house out, and ‘sure why not’ - even paint it.

When I was about 25 I moved back to New Jersey. There wasn’t as much building going on, but a heck of a lot painting to be done. It was there that I started my first painting company.

I quickly realized, for three reasons, that I was destined to be a painting contractor for some time too come: The first reason was that even though the carpenters made a little more money, usually after the house was built, they would not return. Where as the homes would have to be painted every 6 or so years, ensuring a repeated paint job. Second, was that in carpentry, unless you were to get into the fine trim, or the furniture end of it, physically it’s a trade that would wear on you as time went on. As opposed to painting, where 'You’re Never too Old Too Paint'.. And third, simply that I found I really enjoyed it.

It took a little while to get over the macho image that comes along with being a carpenter. Such as not being able to where that cool carpenters belt anymore and hearing all those neat clicking sounds when you walked.

There’s a saying, “A little bit of caulk, and a lot of putty, makes a carpenter what he ain’t“. Remember that a carpenter works with an 1/2 an inch tolerance, where as a painter's surface has to be exact. The more I got into painting, the more I got into the idea of turning a rough surface into a finished one, which lead to a heightened interest in 'The mechanics' of painting. It’s the mechanics, that enables you to become a 'Painting Machine' . And also mechanics which enables you to do a quality job in a faster time, and actually make a good living in this business.

You may call the mechanics the, 'Tricks of the Trade' , and some know it as 'Being in the Zone'. Learning the mechanics, and becoming 'A Painting Machine' is what allows most older painters to out perform the younger painters. It’s not always speed, it’s technique. Every good spray man knows that your body is all part of the overall paint machine. Your fingers have to start the spray, and stop the spray, your wrists, and arms have to be able to glide through the air without hesitation. In comparison to the golf pro, who has the perfect swing. His body is merely a part of the overall 'Golfing Machine'.

In painting, repetition is the key to saving time throughout the day. Simple things done hundreds of times a day, done the same way every time, can save minutes, and even hours at the end of the day. The amount that you dip your brush into the cut can during the day is one. Due to gravity, when you pull the brush out of the can, there’s always that one drop that falls before you have time to put the brush on the wall. Simply turn the brush up as you pull it out of the can. Any time saved in clean up, and set up, during the day helps in a big way. Consider the time spent when you step on that drip, then walk off the drop, and step it into the carpet. You go to the sink, get a sponge, and clean the spot (or spots), you’ve lost 5 to 10 minuets. Much time is used on that one mistake. Now say you do that 5 times a day.

Knowing the right tools to use is key as well. The lamb skin sleeves holds more paint, last longer, and hardly spatters at all. You can roll all day, and have hardly any paint on your hands. Now that you have a handle on that infamous drip, maybe you don’t have to spend as much time dropping the floors. All that’s really needed, is a small runner, just to be sure. When you’re rolling over a hard floor wet a towel, ring it out, and simply wipe the floor with your feet as you move along. I’ve always felt that you can tell what kind of a painter a person is by just looking at their drop cloths.

A damp sponge is as important to me as a roller, and a brush. I hardly use masking tape. When cutting out the walls, (cutting OUT is the term I use, I know other people like to use cutting IN, but it’s my article) I always start at the baseboards. By the time you cut out the rest of the wall, the bottom is dry enough so that you can do a fast wipe with the sponge as you finish rolling each section. Forget about the money saved on the tape, think about the time saved on applying it.

The best part about painters pants is the side pockets. They hold the single most important tool, a tool that I use more times in the day then any other, the 1” knife. It’s even better then the 5-in-one. It fits in the pocket so perfectly that you don’t even know it’s there, but when you need it it’s at a convenient spot, saving you even more minutes. There’s no better tool for lifting paint off of the trim when you hit it as your cutting out.

How many times have you spent 5 minutes trying to locate the hole that the picture hook came out of, after you filled it with paint? Or you can’t find the hook that you put on the table? Then you have to go to the truck and hope that you have one in the tool box. Already we’re talking 10 to 15 minutes. If you leave the hook in the wall, when you come up to it you can pull it out, put it in your mouth, roll over the wall, and put it back in the hole. All this in one motion.

Use the extension pole whenever you roll, whether you think you need it on not. All the time, during the day spent stretching and bending can make that last hour drag on, loosing whatever time you may have saved during the day.

Set a number of small goals for yourself during the day, such as: “ in 15 minutes I’ll be over on that side of the room”. Or, “ In 1-1/2 hours, I’ll be on that door “. You’ll find, that at the end of the day, subconsciously you’ve been racing with yourself. The day has flown by, and you’ll be surprised as to how much work you’ve put out.

Small things, like hanging a rag around your belt when you’re caulking is a good idea, it’s always there, and you don’t have too step away from the area um-teenth times. Use a gallon can as your cut can, rather then one of those little plastic buckets; with a little bend of the handle, the paint can fits perfectly around your thumb, and in your hand, you’d think that it was made for your hand. This allows you to keep the can at your side, rather then reaching for the bucket every time you dip your brush. Taking it a step further: While the brush is being dipped, both hands are moving towards the wall, so that when you bring the brush out of the can it’s only inches from the surface, allowing you to leave more paint on the brush, and stretching that cut line an added six or so inches. Simply sweep the brush across the cut in one quick pass, twirling the brush as you go, about 1/8 of an inch away from the cut line itself, removing the excess paint from the brush. Then ! with a second pass, cut your line tight, while picking up the excess paint you’ve left. You’ve just ran a 3’ section in seconds. Consider the time saved in a virtual dripless application, if your cutting for 8 hours. Think of the minutes you can save during the day, with just technique.

It’s all timing, technique, and being able to 'Control the River' (of paint). People get a kick out of the terms I use, like being 'A Painting Machine', or 'Being at One With Your Brush'. But all kidding aside, after learning these techniques, everyone can appreciate and relate to them. It’s a pretty sight to watch a crew of painters all using these minute-saving techniques. This is where my company slogan, 'Dazzle em', came from.

These are just a few interior techniques, when you consider all aspects of our trade, including repair work, wall covering, texturing, and exterior painting. There are hundreds of these little time-savers, that once are implanted into your daily routine, can make the difference between a good job, and a profitable job. Giving new meaning to the phrase 'a well oiled machine'.

Peter Ellis (a.k.a. Pete E.)
Ellis Painting Inc.
Jacksonville, VT
(802) 368-2982

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