If you are or know of a school teacher who is trying to get their Master's or Doctorate degree and they need a neat subject for their dissertation, I have one! Here is what they need to study. Let's look at the incidence of kids with learning disabilities. Let's compare the number of kids per thousand who have all sorts of disabilities and see the age of the houses they live in. Compare the number of kids with learning disabilities in suburban areas built prior to 1978 and inner city areas to those suburbs built in the 1980's and beyond.

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that the statistics will shock all of us. In other words, I would be willing to bet that many of the learning disabilities are related to mild and severe cases of lead poisoning. My guess is that you will not find a statistically high number of kids with learning disabilities in houses built after 1978. This is the year that lead based paints were banned for residential use in the USA.

Exterior Hazard Too!

Don't forget that the exterior of many an old home is covered with paint. Much of this old paint contains vast amounts of lead. It is very risky to sand exterior painted surfaces as you prep an old house for a new paint job. Lead dust can enter an open window or drop down and poison the soil below. If a garden is nearby, the lead might be introduced to the garden soil by erosion or the wind.

If a painter is going to scrape old lead paint, make sure they spread drop cloths that capture all of the scrapings. Dispose of the paint chips off site. You really need to think before you work with any old painted surfaces.

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It seems there is some confusion out there about sandpapers and the properties of the different abrasives. After this column ran, I received two letters from people who said I had my information all backwards. Both of these people had worked with abrasives for years and thought they would set me straight.

Unfortunately, I had to send them the research materials I had from some of the top abrasive / sandpaper manufacturers in the world. I hate dishing up humble pie, but I had to in this case.

The reason I am bringing it up is to tell you that each and every day I find workers who unknowingly are either spreading inaccurate information or are possibly using the wrong tool for the job. This can impact you if you decide to hire a worker who thinks they know what they are doing simply because they have been doing it for 15 or 20 years. The sad fact may be that they have been doing it wrong for that length of time and never realized it!

Some Other Facts

Just after the column ran in a Kentucky newspaper I received a phone call from a reader who worked in a factory. She sanded fiberglass products each day and often saw the words "Open" and "Closed" on the back of the sanding sheets. She asked me what that meant. I told her it was an excellent question.

The abrasive particles in sandpaper can be distributed onto the paper in one of two ways. You can completely cover the paper with grit or you can apply it so that there is space between the grit particles.

Open coat sandpaper has space between the particles. The paper surface often only has 40 to 70 percent coverage of grit in open faced sandpapers. This property is really necessary when you work with raw wood as this space prevents the sandpaper from clogging with dust.

Closed coat papers have no place for the dust to go. For this reason, they are ideal when working with metals that produce an ultra-fine dust.

Backwards Labeling

When you go to buy grit, you might get confused. The coarse papers have small numbers like 40 or 60 and the fine sandpapers have large numbers like 180, 220 or 240. You can even get industrial papers that have numbers as high as 1,600!

The numbering system makes sense when you think of how the grit particles are separated to make the sandpaper. The numbers correspond to the number of holes per square inch in the mesh in the separating sieves used to filter the grit as it is crushed. If you want to get 220 holes per square inch, this means they have to be small. See how it works?

Companion Articles: Sandpaper Selection, Sandpaper Comparison, Foam Pads for Sanding, Abrasives & Specialty Sandpaper

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Other Abrasives & Specialty Sandpaper

If you need specialty sandpapers or other abrasive tools, trust me, they are out there! You can purchase sandpapers in just about any type, size, shape and profile to meet just about every need.

Woodworkers know that they can buy waterstones and diamond stones for sharpening wood chisels, knives, and other cutting tools. Did you say waterstones? Yes, I did.

Waterstones are becoming the sweetheart of the sharpening industry rather than the oil stones used in the past. You simply soak the stones in water for about 10 minutes prior to using them and sprinkle water on the stone as you use it. The water acts as a swell lubricant and you don't have any oil residue on the blade once you are done.

The industrial diamond stones come in a wide range of grits that allows you to produce surgical sharp edges on knives and chisels. They are awesome.

Companion Articles: Sandpaper Selection, Sandpaper Comparison, Foam Pads for Sanding, Sandpaper Facts

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Sources of Foam Sanding Pads

How would you like to have a sanding tool that fits the shape of your hand or the object you are gripping, is waterproof, and is economical? This is not a problem if you happen to purchase a set of foam sanding pads.

There are many times in the past when I have had all sorts of trouble sanding round spindles or other curved objects. The foam pads are the answer. I also like them because they are reusable. When you finish a project, rinse them and they look like new.

I have found two companies that make the pads or sponge sanding tools. One of them sells their products on-line and the other one doesn't. In fact, the only company that sells their sponge pads on-line happens to have a very cool project kit that includes:

• 4 sponge pads with grits ranging from coarse to extra fine
• 4 different super glues
• a glue remover
• an all purpose abrasive file

You get all of this handy project stuff for just $19.99. It is a real deal! The company that has this great project kit is Surehold. Contact them at:

• Surehold
  800-881-4495

The other company that sells foam sanding pads is:

• Norton
  800-551-4415

In a 2012 review, it appears that Surehold might have dropped the foam sanding pads from their product. They seem to be selling adhesives only.

Companion Articles: Sandpaper Selection, Sandpaper Comparison, Abrasives & Specialty Sandpaper, Sandpaper Facts

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Companion Articles: Sandpaper Selection, Foam Pads for Sanding, Abrasives & Specialty Sandpaper, Sandpaper Facts

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100 Percent Acrylic Latex House Paints and Compatible Primers

Just below is a LINK that will take you to a list of 10 manufacturers of 100 percent acrylic exterior house paints. Be aware that the manufacturers introduce new products with different names on a constant basis. For example, Sherwin Williams came out with a paint called Duration on or about 2005. Then around 2013 they introduced another new acrylic paint called Emerald.

All manufacturers make a compatible primer. These are the paints you must get for a superior painting experience. Do not accept substitutes! Beware of paints that simply state "acrylic" paint on the label. Did you know that a manufacturer can put a small amount of acrylic resin in the paint and then add additional vinyl acetate or other lesser quality resins and STILL call the paint an "Acrylic Paint"? You have to be careful out there!

Some new paints say they don't require a primer. As far as I'm concerned about this claim, the jury is still out.

Pricing is always a great barometer. Acrylic resin is the most expensive ingredient (by quantity) in paint. It can cost up to twice as much as vinyl acetate resins. This means that a 100 percent acrylic resin house paint can have maybe several dollars more worth of basic ingredients.

These costs must be passed on to you. You can bet that a 100 percent acrylic house paint will be one of the most expensive paints in the store. Thus, if you see "bargain" house paint for $8 to $10 per gallon, resist the temptation! It probably has a so-so vinyl acetate resin that's not that good.

You can get good buys on the best paint. Watch for sales. The spring and early fall are times to watch for paint sales.

CLICK HERE for the link to the top manufacturers.

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Exterior Scraping, Cleaning & Caulking Tips

The majority of homeowners and workers seem to desire instant gratification. The condition is growing worse each year. A homeowner decides to paint something in a weekend or just one day. They jump right in and paint. This is a big mistake. You must restrain yourself or your mate and have them perform the necessary surface preparation.

Remember, paint is nothing more than colored glue. When was the last time you saw glue that will stick well to a dirty, dusty surface?

Scraping

This is fairly straightforward. Loose paint must be removed. You can do it in any number of ways. Flat putty knives, or "pull" scrapers work very well. You may wish to use both tools. Pull scrapers are those that have shallow U shaped cutting blades. They really cut through old oil paints.

I urge you to wear goggles when scraping overhead. I have scratched my eyeball cornea on two occasions from paint scrapings. It is very painful and costs lots of money for medical care! Wear goggles!

Scraping is the first operation in surface preparation. Remove as much loose paint as possible. You then wash and rinse. I guarantee you that you will have to scrape certain areas again. Look closely at locations where bare wood is exposed. Where paint begins, the film may have lifted ever so slightly. Scrape these spots again. Resist the temptation to sand the edges of the paint smooth. Why? Because if the paint is old - say before 1978 - there is a great chance it contains lead. All you will be doing is generating toxic lead dust!

Is the exterior of your house looking drab? Find the professional painters by using my Exterior Painting & Staining Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Washing

This is by far the most important aspect of surface preparation. I don't care how wet you get, you must hand wash your house. Use a large grout sponge and copious amounts of soapy water. Regular liquid dish soap will do just fine. It produces lots of suds. Experiment with soft brushes or whatever to make the job easier. Rinse the washed areas quickly so the dirty water doesn't dry!

Avoid pressure washing. Why? For one, it doesn't remove all of the dirt! It can also drive water deep into or behind wood siding or trim. I have seen people spray upwards on a soffit. They flood the soffit, the wood swells and 2 months later the new paint peels off! Pressure washers are instant gratification tools!

Caulking

Water that enters the end grain of siding or trim boards causes paint failure. You must do what you can to minimize and/or eliminate this kind of intrusion. I prefer the standard acrylic latex caulks for this purpose. Do NOT caulk the bottom edge of clapboard siding! These boards must be allowed to move and breathe. That small crack allows the siding to move. It can also allows water vapor to escape.

Always wipe caulking with a moist sponge as soon as it is applied. This will produce a clean, crisp joint instead of a finger smeared mess.

Tim provided another useful preparation tip in his June 1, 2010 Newsletter.

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My house really needs to be painted. Fortunately it is not peeling, as the original solid color stain is only 13 years old. My house is relatively young. I started building it in 1986. It is a work in progress as are most builder/owner homes.

The house has actually needed a face lift for over two years. The delay in painting was not really my fault. A manufacturing defect was discovered in my wood windows. They were rotting out. I negotiated a very fair settlement with the window company. They agreed to supply me with new windows in addition to paying for all labor to remove the old windows, install the new ones, paint all interior disturbed surfaces and paint the exterior of the home. They realized that the outside wood siding and trim around the windows would be disturbed and that trying to touch up would not suffice.

The biggest problem was that I had to wait nearly 11 months to get the windows. The last window was installed just about one month ago and I was finally able to begin the painting process.

Glad I Waited

It turns out that I really lucked out. Just before I started to arrange to get the paint, I was contacted by a public relations person from Sears. He invited me to the annual Sears Editors Conference. As we were talking he asked me what my latest project was. I indicated that I was getting ready to paint the outside of my house. He said, "Wow! Have we got the paint you need!" We discussed the new paint. Evidently it was a special new paint that combined water based polyurethane with high quality acrylic resins. It immediately caught my attention as I already knew how sticky urethanes can be.

Is the exterior of your house looking drab? Find the professional painters by using my Exterior Painting & Staining Checklist.

I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

An Exclusive

The management team at Sears has a long history of developing innovative products. They also know how to secure exclusive marketing rights. This magical urethane paint is only available at Sherwin Williams stores. I am sure some small paint companies may try to develop their own version, but I doubt you will see it in major paints stores!

The name of this new urethane/acrylic exterior paint is:

Weatherbeater Ultra

Enormous Interest

I can always tell when a particular column I write strikes a nerve with average homeowners. I get lots of calls to my weekly radio show and I get an avalanche of email at my website. This column really got some attention! Each day I get no less than 10 to 20 emails from folks like you who want to know how they can quickly get their hands on a copy of this Builder Bulletin. Evidently, many people are disappointed with the performance of the exterior paints they have used in the past!

Read the Label

If you buy the new urethane paint and use it like I am on my own home, be sure to take 10 minutes and read the label. My guess is that fewer than 1 in 10 people actually do this. There is valuable information on the label that will help you get the most from the paint.

Be sure to remove mildew before painting. The best product for this is oxygen bleach. It is safe for the plants and trees around your home. Chlorine bleach can kill plants! You simply mix the oxygen bleach powder with warm water, stir for several minutes, pour it into a pump sprayer and wet the mildewed areas. Follow five minutes later with a soap and water wash and rinse with clear water. Call 513-407-8727 for oxygen bleach or go to www.stainsolver.com.

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Urethane Paint

Last year, I discovered a new house paint that blew me away. It contains a blend of acrylic resin AND water based urethane. It is VERY sticky and I used it on my own home. I am very pleased with the results and feel it will wear like iron.

Where do you get it? Well, the one I used was sold by Sears. It is called Weatherbeater ULTRA. You can get it mixed to any color you want.

Sherwin Williams makes this paint for Sears. But they are not allowed to sell this exact formulation in their stores. They make a house paint that contains urethane but it is not exactly like Weatherbeater ULTRA.

I suggest you try a quart or gallon of both on a test area and see which one you like. The guarantee that Sears provides is superb and the Sherwin Williams paint is good too. It is actually a tough call to make.

Have you picked out the paint color but don't have time to paint? Find the professional painters by using my Exterior Painting & Staining Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Be sure to read the label and use the right brushes with the paint! Sears has brand new special brushes that allow you to put on the Weatherbeater Ultra faster and easier with better coverage.

Finally, you can cover oil based finishes with water based paints. Simply make sure the surface is clean and if it is glossy, sand it or roughen it up with a liquid deglosser.

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100 percent Acrylic Latex House Paints and Compatible Primers

Following is a list of 10 manufacturers of 100 percent acrylic exterior house paints. All of them make a compatible primer. These are the paints you must get for a superior painting experience. Do not accept substitutes! Beware of paints that simply state "acrylic" paint on the label. Did you know that a manufacturer can put a small amount of acrylic resin in the paint and then add additional vinyl acetate or other lesser quality resins and STILL call the paint an "Acrylic Paint"? You have to be careful out there.

Martin Senour:

Top Coat: Platinum Exterior Latex
Primer: T.P.S. Exterior Latex Primer

Dutch Boy:

Top Coat: Dirt Fighter Exterior 100% Acrylic Latex
Primer: Acrylic Latex Multi-Purpose Primer Sealer

Is the exterior of your house looking drab? Find the professional painters by using my Exterior Painting & Staining Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Fuller O'Brien:

Top Coat: Weather King™ II
Primer: Weather King™ II Exterior Primer & Stain Blocker

Glidden:

Top Coat: Endurance
Primer: PrimeCoat

Kurfees:

Top Coat: Supreme Acrylic House Paint
Primer: Supreme Acrylic Bonding Primer

MAB Paints:

Top Coat: Sea Shore/Four Seasons House Paint
Primer: Sea Shore/Four Seasons Exterior Latex Primer

Maxum:

Top Coat: 100% Acrylic Low Lustre
Primer: Acrylic Starter

Pratt & Lambert:

Top Coat: Accolade
Primer: Suprime

Olympic:

Top Coat: Overcoat House Paint
Primer: Primecoat

Sherwin Williams:

Top Coat: A-100
Primer: A-100

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