Silicon versus Latex Caulking

...or this could be titled:

Shower Installation: Lesson Number 2...

Yes! there is a difference between silicon and latex caulking. Read your shower installation guide carefully. Silicon DOES NOT stick to some materials well. It fact it is rather poor at adhering to Polystyrene - this material from which many shower walls are made.

I discovered this in shower number one... Used the silicon stuff, in spite of reading the instructions to the contrary - and it did NOT stick forever! Six months later it came unstuck.

So in shower stall number two, latex caulking was used.

In fact I rather enjoy using the latex caulk much better for the following reasons:

• It is paint-able
  
• It cleans up with water
• Does not smell as bad
• Is not a pain to remove - and you will eventually have to remove it.
  

What has been your experiences with silicon or latex caulking? Which do you prefer?

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Tips for a Beautiful (Trim) Paint Job

Lucy, my wife is clearly the best painted of the two of us. She has patience and a flare for detail.

The result is an absolutely beautiful trim painting job.

A few tips to ensure a great paint job:

1) Use the right Brush for the Job

• Use a narrow brush - say no wider than 1.5 inches for the door edges and trim.
  
• Use a small roller to put the pain on the door - but use a brush to smooth it out and maintain the grain
  

2) Use the right Amount of paint on the Brush
Too much paint and it will be dripping all over - too little and it will finish streaky...

3) Be Patient - Let it dry!
Leave the doors open for at least 24 hours, and at least 24 hours between coats.

4) Prime
Always prime bare wood - otherwise you will be painting another coat anyway.

5) Caulk, fill and Sand
Be sure to caulk, fill holes and sand smooth. It is a painful and timeconsuming step but ensures a professional look.

Related Posts:

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Professional Looking Window Trim....

In the previous post we discussed the installing of trim for doors and windows. Here is the result for the main picture window in the living room.

Notice:
1) Finishing nails are all filled and primed
2) the laps of the two pieces of trim on the top and bottom are at the top left and bottom right.
3) all the cracks are caulked

It is ready for painting.

Related Posts:

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Priming & Painting Drywall

Today, Sunday, we will be finishing up the painting on the main floor of the Cottage.

This is a picture I took last week of the drywall during the priming work. The walls and ceiling have been primed but the corners were still yet to be primed.

It was a bit of a pain in the butt to do the plastering and priming as I had the materials for the kitchen and bathroom in the middle of the floor. Unfortunately I had to take early delivery of these materials, and because it is winder I could not temporarily place them out in the gazebo.

Coming Up:
Tomorrow, Monday, I should have pictures of the walls with paint...

Related Posts:

Cottage on the Edge: Snow, Snow, and more Snow - Dec 18, 2008
Priming Drywall: Why You need to do it - Dec 18, 2008

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Priming Drywall: Why You need to do it

As I mentioned in the last post, the drywall was completed last week and over the weekend the drywall was primed.

A latex primer for drywall is a must. Primers seal the surface to equalize paint absorption, and minimize surface texture variations.

Not a Sealer: Some people confuse drywall primers with sealers. It's important to differentiate between the two. Sealers do just the opposite of what primers do. With a high resin content and low pigment content, sealers create a barrier resistant to paint.

Preventing Yellowing: You shouldn't let drywall sit too long unpainted after it's been taped and sanded, particularly if it's surface will have any direct sunlight falling on it for any time. Drywall facing paper can fade or yellow, and it may cause a slight bleeding-through and show a noticeable streaking effect. If facing paper has yellowed at all, you should seal the drywall with a top-quality latex stain-resistant paint prior to putting on the primer coat.

Priming gypsum board drywall must be done; there's no getting around it. So, in a nutshell, buy the highest quality primer you can afford - either latex or oil/alkyd - and apply it to your drywall well before painting. Not only will it look better, you'll have lower, long-term maintenance costs by not having to repaint sooner than if you bit the bullet and primed.

Related Links:
Painting new Drywall
Choosing a drywall Primer
Drywall Painting, Sanding and Priming

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