September 14, 2012

Gerry the Painter

That’s Gerry giving HSQ a fresh coat of paint. Gerry came into HSQ to ask us about the IdeaPaint. This was at a point when we were selling it on our retail wall. He’d been asked by Harvard to paint a large wall. So I spent some time relating our learnings. The main items are below. So Gerry was a natural choice when we got to the point of needing some fresh paint at HSQ. He’s just the kind of person I like to work with, smart, thorough, takes pride in his work, and seems to really enjoy himself. If you have some painting you need done let me know, I’d be happy to put you in touch with him.

TIPS FOR IDEAPAINT APPLICATION:

  • You need a SUPER smooth surface to begin, sand to 220 grit or smoother, clean
  • Start with a coat of KILZ 2, don’t use any other primer. Even if you’re going over a previous coat of IdeaPaint you need primer.
  • Allow KILZ to dry for 24 hours, smooth with sand paper, clean
  • Mix IdeaPaint, we use the Pro product. Make sure you’re ready to go before mixing, you’ll only have 30 minutes to work
  • Wear a gas mask, I have one from my days working in Organic Chemistry labs at MIT
  • Apply something a little thicker than you would with normal paint, but not super thick
  • Work quickly, left to right or right to left, full vertical columns. Don’t roll too fast and keep pressure even
  • Make sure temperature is more than 65°F
  • Wait 7-10 days before you write anything (VERY IMPORTANT)

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