Natural Bristle Brush Is Best With Oil-Based Paints

Question: I’m going to be painting a pair of bathroom cabinets with an oil-based enamel. I’ve always heard that natural bristle brushes should be used with oil-based paints, but a neighbor told me that some of the newer synthetics work very well with them. Is that the case?

R.E.

Orange

Answer: “Brushes that are made with a nylon/polyester blend of bristles can be used with oil-based paints,” says Harold Brobst of Hal’s Paint and Decorating in Fullerton.

“They’re designed to work with the same action as a natural bristle, with a longer life and an easier clean-up, and they can also be used for water-based paints.

“A professional painter, however, will usually use a 100% China natural bristle brush. These are more expensive and can only be used with oils; however, they provide great coverage and will give you a better finish.”

Q: We have a spot about six-inches across in our gray pile carpeting that we can’t remove. In our garage are remnants of the carpeting that was laid out five years ago. Is it a good idea to cut out the bad piece and replace it with a patch from the remnants, or will it look stupid?

T.T.

San Clemente

A: “You can go ahead and replace the spot, but you have to realize it will always look different,” says Tom Nicholas of Linbrook Carpeting in Anaheim.

“Carpeting that’s been stored almost always looks different from the carpeting that’s been on your floor for a while. Instead of using a portion of the remnant for the repair, you could cut out a piece from a closet that might be a little closer in color to the floor carpeting, then use the remnant to make the repair in the closet.

“Cut out the stained spot and then use it as a template to mark how big the replacement should be. You could try sewing the patch to the edges or use two-faced carpeting tape to secure it down.

“If you decide against this, you could try to figure out a way to cover the spot with a throw rug, or you might consider changing the carpeting in that room.”

Q: I like wallpapering, but my weakness is getting the paper to line up perfectly straight. I’ve tried measuring out from the corners and making a straight vertical line but that doesn’t always work. Any suggestions?

W.A.

Irvine

A: “Measuring out from the walls isn’t a good idea because your walls aren’t necessarily perfectly straight,” says paper hanger Russ Davies of Fullerton. “You need to create a plumb line.

“Take some twine and tie a small fishing weight to the end of it, then hammer a small nail at the top of the wall at the edge of where you want the paper to line up. Attach it to the twine, and let the weight hang a few inches from the ground. Then rub the underside of the twine with chalk, and starting from the top, press it or snap it into the wall. This will create a plumb line that will tell you whether your paper is straight or not.”

Q: I wanted to create my own metal guard on a sliding screen door with some scrap tin I have in the garage. What’s the best way to cut it?

W.I.

Los Alamitos

A: “Try using just regular tin snips, which are available at most hardware stores,” says contractor Bill Bream of Santa Ana. “If it’s a larger project, you may need to go with a hacksaw. But I prefer snips because they seem to work faster. Just cut with them like you would with scissors. Make sure the cutting is at the bottom near the hinge, and you should get a very decent job.”