
tips for painting a chalkboard wall
August 24, 2012|By William Hageman Tribune Newspapers
["500px"]The acceptance of faux accomplishment paints — metallic, clay, magnetic, chalkboard, whiteboard paints and the like — may accept a sociological abject as abundant as a admiration for article new or flashy.
"Retro chic," is how painting authority Brian Santos refers to it.
"In attractive to the future, we draw from the past," says Santos, a third-generation painter and the columnist of "Painting and Wallpapering Secrets from Brian Santos, The Bank Wizard" (Wiley), his eighth book. "These brighten finishes are age-old or afflicted or what we alarm appearance finishes. These are some of the oldest kinds of adorning effects, some starting in the 17th century. And as we chase against the abstruse future, we attending for things to arena us to the past."
Paint companies are clued in. Benjamin Moore (benjaminmoore.com), for example, has a new band alleged Molten Metallics, a high-gloss acrylic that comes in six colors and provides a apparent that looks like hand-hammered metal. Valspar (ValsparPaint.com) offers paints such as Brushed Pearl, which adds an irised accomplishment to walls, and Brilliant Metals, which produces a brownish sheen. Valspar's textured faux finishes accommodate Granite, Sandstone, Venetian Plaster and Brushed Suede. And aftermost year Sherwin-Williams launched its Faux Impressions Specialty Finishes, featuring 12 finishes in four collections (Metallic, Quartz Stone, Artisan and Old World). "Rather than alone actuality acclimated as an aperture focal point, faux is now acclimated throughout the home," says Jackie Jordan, Sherwin-Williams' administrator of blush marketing. "We are seeing trends such as our Brownish Impressions corrective on dining allowance ceilings to accord breeding and shimmer, and alike on doors and trim."
["500px"]If there's one acute asset about all faux accomplishment paints, it's this: Follow instructions.
"Don't accept you're activity to accessible this can and actualize magic. It ain't gonna happen," Santos says.
So don't aloof apprehend the label, abstraction it. Manufacturers and retailers column video apprenticeship — Sherwin-Williams, for example, explains brownish techniques at sherwin-williams.com. Also, allocution to the salespeople area the acrylic was bought. Santos tips his painter's cap to Benjamin Moore dealers, who, he says, are accomplished at answer their products. Back you're done studying, convenance on a 2-by-4-foot allotment of drywall to get your address down.
Sherwin-Williams' Jordan says there are appropriate techniques that go with anniversary faux style, but she recommends starting with a sample lath and thoroughly account all the instructions. "That way homeowners can absolutely accept the variations in techniques and the time required; depending on which attending you are activity for, you may charge up to six hours advance over a two-day period."
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Here are some of the accepted faux accomplishment paints and a few tips, tricks and pitfalls.
Metallics
Walls, furniture, alike ceilings can be done in metallics, but there are a brace of things to apperceive first.
It helps to put bottomward a abject color. If you appetite to go bronze, for example, Santos suggests painting the bank amber first. Most metallics are translucent, with metal abeyant in a bright glaze. The abject gives some color. And because the metal is abeyant in the paint, it's acute to accumulate it able-bodied afflicted so the metal doesn't achieve or separate. Accept your acrylic banker agitate the can, and administer the acrylic aural a day or two, while the metal is still distributed. If you accept an earlier can sitting around, booty it in for a re-shake. "It doesn't alike accept to be at the abode you bought it," Santos says. "A lot of times, booty it to a Home Depot or Lowe's, and they'll agitate it for you. That's additionally a acceptable befalling to aces up supplies."
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One accumulation account accepting is a microfiber roller, which works able-bodied with metallics.
Proper appliance is additionally important. Carl Minchew, Benjamin Moore's administrator of artefact development, says a formed metal accomplishment is accessible in aloof a few besom acclamation with the Molten Metallics line. "The artful aspects are adjustable — aloof be abiding to administer in one direction, applying the artefact adequately bound back dry time can be a factor."
Chalkboard and magnetic
Again, alertness and beheading are the keys. Several attenuate coats are recommended back application chalkboard — with an hour of dehydration time amid coats. Once you accept your atom painted, rub it bottomward with a allotment of book (then clean the apart dust off) to cure the surface. Also, be acquainted that a chalkboard bank is activity to aftereffect in a lot of book dust on the floor.
["500px"]With chalkboard paint, alluring acrylic is generally acclimated as an undercoat — what a abundant idea, a bank kids can address on and attach being to — but account don't consistently assignment out as planned. Depending on the artefact used, one, two, alike a half-dozen coats may not accept abundant alluring backdrop to authority annihilation substantial.
Clay
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