Which manual? Benjamin Moore’s “Fresh Start: Your first steps to becoming a Benjamin Moore brand Ambassador”
It’s a handy book, filled with quite a lot of information. It runs the gamut from the history of Benjamin Moore, to fixes for common challenges for individual product applications.
“In the early 1900’s nitrocellulose paint first used in auto production, replaced a twelve coat 24-hour dry per coat brush on system.” (Page 2).
All I can say is wow. Twelve coats, 24 hour dry time each. In the words of John McEnroe, “You cannot be serious!”
The above image is from page 36, showing the basic formulation differences between a higher and a lower quality paint.
“Regardless of the intended end use of wood products, they must have a protective coating applied.” (Page 63).
“New concrete should be cured 28 days prior to coating, and tested for moisture. All concrete should be acid etched and rinsed thoroughly prior to coating. If acid etch does not work, surface of concrete likely contains a silicone based sealer that no coating will properly adhere to.” (Page 72).
“Different pieces of the same type of wood accept stain differently, therefore always use a piece of original stock for testing.” (Page 77).
“Color Flow – This is the linking of rooms with color to create spaciousness. For example, when the dining room is connected with the living room, both can be painted with the same color to create continuity and spaciousness.” (Page 127).
“The most common exterior paint failure on masonry construction is peeling and scaling, often caused from painting over heavy chalk deposits that have not been properly removed. The most practical and efficient way to remove these deposits is with high-pressure spray equipment.” (Page 134).
“Quality in a brush refers to durability and how well it performs. Professionals measure performance by pickup (amount of paint a brush picks up and holds) and release (rate and amount of paint being applied). A quality brush should have good paint pickup and release at a steady rate to avoid dumping paint on the surface. Also important are leveling (smoothness of paint laid on), hiding (how well paint covers previous coating), and cutting in (ability to paint a sharp, straight line when desired). ” (Page 144).
“These are some basic painting tips.
Dip the brush in the can so that one-third to one-half of the stock is coated. Remove excess paint by wiping one side of the stock against the inside rim of the can. For walls and other large areas, hold the brush with a relaxed grip. Don’t press too hard as you apply paint, and flex the brush so that the paint contacts the surface well. Use long, steady strokes, lifting the brush gradually at the end of each stroke as you work back and forth.
Always work from an unpainted area to a painted one, overlapping as you go. This will help prevent unsightly lap marks. For narrow surfaces such as windows or molding, use a smaller brush and grip it as show in the illustration.
If you take a break during your painting and the interval is not more than two or three hours, there is no need to wash out your brushes. Simply wrap them in foil to keep them moist and workable when you come back.” (Page 148).
“Chain link fences-
When application is made by spray, figure the square foot area of the fence as a solid because of the over spray. Always double paint requirements for both sides. in estimating the paint requirements for chain link fences your first consideration should be the method of application. The most economical and recommend method is with an extra long roller. ” (Page 166).