• My old house is painted inside with lead based paint. How can I safely deal with it?
  
• What's the best way to strip paint from wood?
  
• Can I paint old and chalky aluminum siding?
  
• How much paint will I need?
  
• I want to wallpaper a room in my house, but the wall is textured and rough. How can I smooth it?
  
• How do I paint my fiberglass entry door?
  
• Can I paint my exterior steel door?
  
• How can I get several coats of paint off my fireplace mantel?
  

• Can I paint the dark wood paneling in my house?
  
• Can I paint ceramic tiles?
  
• Can I paint Formica?
  
• How do I remove wallpaper glue from my walls?
  
• How do I remove vinyl wallpaper?
  
• Can I wallpaper over wood paneling?
  
• What's the best way to paint kitchen cabinets?
  
• I painted my banister but the paint keeps peeling off. Why won't it stick?
  
• What should I use, oil-based polyurethane or water-based polyurethane?
  

First, if undisturbed, lead-based paint is not dangerous. Lead cannot be absorbed through the skin. Problems arise when overeager homeowners decide to sand off the paint as part of a renovation project and breathe in the lead particles. But lead can also be absorbed when children ingest flakes of paint falling from windowsills or around the baseboards. The dust is picked up on their hands as they crawl about or play. It enters their bodies when they put their fingers in their mouths. Even pros wearing respirators can get in trouble if lead flakes fall on the sandwich they are eating during a break.

Lead was originally added to paint to make it more durable and easier to spread. Paint prior to 1950 contained large amounts of lead, but the percentage steadily diminished until 1978, when it was banned altogether in house paints.

To correct the problem, consider one of these three primary approaches. First, you can have a lead abatement team come in and strip the house. Needless to say, this is expensive. Second, you can cover the walls with paneling, or paint over the walls with special lead-encapsulating paint. Third, especially if the paint is in good condition, is to leave it undisturbed. Use damp cloths to dust, and vacuum carefully around the baseboards and windows and doors. Doors, which often rub against the jambs when closed or opened, can generate fine amounts of lead-paint dust. The same is true of double-hung windows when opened and closed.

What's the best way to strip paint from wood?

There are a variety of chemical strippers on the market. Some have different applications, so read the instructions carefully before buying. A quality paint store may also be able to offer good advice when you describe your project. One product that penetrates many layers of paint is Peel Away. Its primary ingredient is sodium hydroxide, which is a powerful lye. One advantage of this paint remover is in working with old lead-based paint. It pulls the paint off and seals it in the process so the paint can be properly disposed of. It also eliminates sanding, which is a serious health hazard with lead-based paint. As with all chemical paint strippers, test the results first on a small area.

Can I paint old and chalky aluminum siding?

You can, but for best results on all metal siding, the finish should be sprayed on. The most important part of the project will involve removing all loose or chalking finish. Because aluminum siding tends to chalk (it's the nature of the beast), specially formulated acrylic paints have been created to deal with this issue. Even more important are the acrylic primers that are designed to be applied to chalky, or soon to be chalky, surfaces. Their chemical makeup allows them to chemically bond with the chalk and form a solid coating that won't peel or lose adhesion. Alkyd (synthetic oil) based primers are not the best for aluminum. The chalking, including present and future, will adversely affect the primer's adhesion. Select a latex paint, which is more elastic and thus expands and contracts without cracking. Do not use a dark color, which will absorb more heat.

Also, make sure to caulk all seams, crevices, and cracks with a quality exterior caulking made to be painted. Silicone based sealants will not take paint. Finally, if any of the wood sheathing needs repair, take care of that before covering it with new siding.

How much paint will I need?

You can check ImproveNet's Paint Calculator first. It will do it all for you. Otherwise, first calculate how many square feet you have to cover. Do this by measuring the length and the height of the area to be covered. Multiply them by each other, which gives you the number of square feet. Add square feet of walls, ceilings, or other items together. Then, to find the number of gallons required, divide by 400, which is the approximate number of square feet a gallon of paint will cover. But there are many variations. If you are painting light over dark, or dark over light, you will probably need two coats.

The coverage from a gallon of paint also depends on the substrate being painted, the product being applied, and the manufacturer's specification regarding coverage. Always apply paint heavily enough to cover, as closely as possible, the number of square feet the manufacturer says a gallon will cover. Applied too thinly, the surface will need another coat for proper sealing or hiding. Applied too thickly, the paint may not cure properly or may sag. Assuming you are painting with a brush and roller, you typically paint ceilings first, walls second, and trim last.

I want to wallpaper a room in my house, but the wall is textured and rough. How can I smooth it?

Scraping or sanding textured plaster will not smooth out the finish entirely. The best route to take in this situation would be to ask a reliable wallpaper dealer in your area about using an interlayer, which is a thin type of sheathing material that will provide a smooth enough surface for your wallpaper. You can also refloat the wall with some wallboard joint compound. A thin coat may fill in all the irregularities. Then sand it smooth and size it. It might take two coats, depending on the depth of the texturing.

How do I paint my fiberglass entry door?

First, clean it by scrubbing with trisodium phosphate (TSP), an industrial-strength cleaner, to remove all grease and dirt. Then apply a very high-quality oil-based gel stain. Take your time and follow directions closely to get a smooth, even stain. When the stain is dry, coat the door with a marine spar varnish, which is tougher and more flexible than polyurethane. Do not use polyurethane, as it will quickly deteriorate in direct sunlight.

Can I paint my exterior steel door?

As with a fiberglass door, clean it first with TSP (see above). Next, sand it lightly to roughen the paint and make the next coat adhere better. Apply an oil-based primer and when dry, sand it lightly with fine sandpaper. For the finish coat, use high-quality acrylic latex, which will expand and contract with the metal door without cracking. Oil-based finish paint is not recommended because it tends to yellow with time and it is more prone to mildew, a factor in damp climates.

Do not use a dark color if the door is exposed to direct sunlight. This will increase the heat penetration. Because the interior panel will be cooler than the exterior panel, the two will expand at different rates, which can cause the door to buckle or bow.

How can I get several coats of paint off my fireplace mantel?

There are two possibilities. First, try chemical stripping. Be sure to ventilate the room well, and in many cases you may be advised to wear a proper protective mask. Follow instructions carefully. Peel Away advertises that it removes two dozen coats at a time and uses a powerful lye as its key ingredient. Second, you can consider sandblasting. This will have to be done by a professional. Sand particles and dust will coat the room, and more importantly, the sandblasting will remove the protective fired finish on the brick. This may be all right for interior bricks but not for exterior, as they will quickly soak up too much water. If cleaning paint from outside bricks, you can also try power-washing paint off the bricks.

Can I paint the dark wood paneling in my house?

If it is smooth and shiny, lightly sand it first, then wash it with TSP, which is a strong degreaser. When the wood is dry, paint it with a flat white alkyd primer first. Apply a second coat of latex in the color of your choice. If the paneling is rough, frost it with cream or rose latex stain for an elegant and soft look.

Can I paint ceramic tiles?

Yes, but check with a quality paint dealer first. You used to be able to clean the tiles, apply KILZ, a stain-blocking mildew resistant primer, and then paint. But there are much better paints specifically for tiles out there now, and you might also look into enamel paints for this purpose.

Can I paint Formica?

Yes, if you first clean it with TSP (see the two questions above) and then prime it with KILZ. For countertops, you may want to apply three coats of water-based polyurethane over the paint to seal and protect it.

How do I remove wallpaper glue from my walls?

In pretty much the same way you remove wallpaper. With wallpaper, you first score the paper with a little spiked wheel and then spray or sponge on the wallpaper remover chemical. The biggest problem in this process is that people are impatient. They don't wait long enough for the chemical to soak all the way into the glue. So if you pull off the paper and glue is still stuck to the drywall, sponge or spray on more chemical, let it eat into the glue, and then scrape it off with a wide-bladed putty knife.

How do I remove vinyl wallpaper?

First pull off the vinyl layer, and then apply wallpaper removal solution to the paper.

Can I wallpaper over wood paneling?

Yes, but first make sure the walls are free from oils and residues. Clean the paneling with TSP, then cover it with wallpaper liner, which goes up like wallpaper but is heavier. It will cover the grooves in the paneling. Alternatively, you can fill all the grooves in the paneling with paintable caulk (not silicon) and smooth them with a putty knife. Sand any irregularities smooth before wallpapering.

What's the best way to paint kitchen cabinets?

Lightly sand any glossy finish, wash with TSP to remove grease, and then apply an oil-based primer. You need to do this because if the surface coat on the cabinets is oil based, latex paint will not adhere to it. Finally, apply a latex semigloss or glossy paint, which is easy to wipe clean.

I painted my banister but the paint keeps peeling off. Why won't it stick?

The problem is probably that you are applying latex paint over oil-based paint. But latex will stick to an oil-based primer. In this case, you will have to sand and pull off all the loose paint, then apply an oil-based primer, then your latex finish coat.

What should I use, oil-based polyurethane or water-based polyurethane?

Choose water based. It goes on more smoothly, dries faster, and is not prone to yellowing as it ages, as is oil-based polyurethane.