I admire the entrepreneurial spirit, and passion about one's work, and courage.
So when Steve Broujos, a painting contractor and educator in Wilmington, Del., asked if I'd like to see his new book, I thought: Why not?
The title is not exactly dynamic: "The Homeowner's Guide to Surface Preparation for Interior House Painting." But I'll tell you what: It's accurate.
This book sounded interesting because I've heard so many times that the trick to great house painting is preparing the surface. But that's usually all you hear. Surface prep is important. So how do you do it?
This book tells you how, along with giving you tips and tricks only a professional would know. For instance, use of a sanding block attached to a pole. It's known as a pole sander. I love the idea of sanding rough spots on walls and ceilings, but not at arm's reach from a ladder. Using a pole to reach up and out is much more my style.
There are plenty of photos in the book's 193 pages, all in black and white.
I think this is a useful book, in which you'll learn about setting up and lighting your work area, removing wallpaper paste residue, applying caulk, skim coating, repairing holes and many other topics. It's a sincere book by a real expert. If you're going to spend hundreds of dollars on paint and countless hours applying it, perhaps some extra thought to the surface preparation would be a good investment.
You can order it from Amazon.
