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Tips & Techniques

Paint Prep With Less Waste

When painting ceilings, reduce the amount of waste you produce by hanging reusable fabric from the walls instead of plastic sheets.

Issue 327 - November 2024
Drawing by Martha Garstang Hill

Using large sheets of plastic to mask off entire walls when painting ceilings creates a lot of unnecessary waste. Here’s a tip that’s motivated more by my environmental ethics than efficiency. I install 3M Command Strip Hooks at various points along the top of the wall and hang reusable and washable ZipSheet fabric from the hooks using tarp clips.

I then apply masking paper so that it drapes over the top part of the fabric. When I’m done, I just pull off the paper and hooks from the wall and pack up my ZipSheets. I leave the tarp clips on the fabric so they’ll be right where I need them the next time.

— Scott Montgomery; Saskatoon, Sask., Canada

From Fine Homebuilding #327

RELATED STORIES

  • Getting Ready to Paint
  • Spray-Paint Protection
  • Painting Walls and Ceilings

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 330 - April/May
    • Deck Details for Durability
    • FAQs on HPWHs
    • 10 Tips for a Long-Lasting Paint Job
  • Issue 329 - Feb/Mar 2025
    • Smart Foundation for a Small Addition
    • A Kominka Comes West
    • Making Small Kitchens Work
  • Issue 328 - Dec/Jan 2024
    • How a Pro Replaces Columns
    • Passive House 3.0
    • Tool Test: Compact Line Lasers
  • Issue 327 - November 2024
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    • Plumbing Protection
    • Talking Shop
  • Issue 326 - October 2024
    • Paint Behind Strike Plates
    • Conceal Cut Ends
    • Ladder Slip Solution

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