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CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE  >> FINISHES >>

PAINTING
 

1. What Should I Know about Painting and Wall Coverings?
2. What Public Domain Documents are Available for Further Study?
3. Tricks of the Trade & Rules of Thumb for Painting:

What Should I Know about Painting and Wall Coverings?

The Painting and Flooring Contractors often get the dirty end of the stick when it comes to scheduling. On many projects, delays during the course of the sitework and shell construction happen, but the completion date doesn't change. So the Painting and Flooring Contractors often have to complete their work in compressed time. In addition to the less time to do their work, they  often have lots more people around, electricians, carpenters, etc, getting in their way.

I've learned over the years that those type of project completions take a toll on the final project quality. We all need to understand that the Painting Contractor isn't going to get a high quality wall finish if a carpenter is cutting wood trim nearby. Even though none of us plan to compress the schedule for the finishes, it happens routinely. At the least we should all, including the Owner, be aware of the quality costs. Hopefully, though, we can do better and actually schedule adequate time and unobstructed space for the Finish Contractors to get their work do with high quality.

There are many paint and coating options available, though I don't think the Construction Supervisor really needs to become expert in the options available. One of the largest paint suppliers is ICI, which has an informative website. A couple of other quality tips:

1. For a higher quality paint job, make sure they pole sand between coats to remove imperfections in the finish.
2. Use the proper nap rollers for the type of paint to be used.
3. The wall finish under vinyl wall coverings needs to be almost as good as a paint grade finish (imperfections will show through).

What Public Domain Documents are Available for Further Study?

1. The US Department of Defense provides a detailed general resource for Protective Coatings and Paints.  This 249 page manual is officially called UFC 3-190-06 (January 2004).
2. The US Navy offers an excellent training document for learning about the various types of painting. The 15 page guide is a painting excerpt from the Navy NAVEDTRA 14044.

Tricks of the Trade & Rules of Thumb for Painting:

1. Give the Painting Contractor adequate time and space to get the job done with high quality.