Image: Pixland/Thinkstock
About This Quiz
Painting is one of those household tasks that can be tempting to rush. But if you're painting your brown den an airy light blue and think you can get away with using the old roller you used for the outside of the house -- or if you want to skip the primer -- you might want to think again. And what about those VOC fumes you keep hearing about? What kinds of paints have those? Take this quiz and find out for yourself.
About how many square feet does a gallon of paint cover?
100-150
150-200
200-250
250-300
Count on about 250 to 300 square feet per gallon of paint for a typical interior paint job.
300-350
Advertisement
For an exterior house paint job, what's the rule of thumb for amounts of trim paint to wall paint?
1 gallon of trim to 2 gallons of wall paint
1 gallon of trim to 4 gallons of wall paint
1 gallon of trim to 6 gallons of wall paint
You should figure in a gallon of trim paint for every six gallons of wall paint.
Advertisement
You're painting your bedroom and notice that the paint is drying into little islands. What's the pros' nickname for this problem?
turtling
crocodiling
alligatoring
Alligatoring happens when you're painting with incompatible paints or you've put a second coat over still-wet paint.
Advertisement
When you're looking for a new paintbrush, you should select one that has exactly even bristles -- or as close as you can get. True or false?
true
false
You should look for one that has bristles of various lengths that are tapered along the edges. This makes for a more even coat and prevents striping.
Advertisement
What's the best type of paintbrush for putting acrylic paint in an interior room?
natural
polyester
Polyester is best because it's soft and produces a smooth finish.
nylon
rayon
Advertisement
What's the best type of brush for outdoor use?
natural
polyester
nylon
Nylon is tough, so it works well on rough or outdoor surfaces.
rayon
Advertisement
What's the best brush to use with oil paints?
natural
Because of their superior ability to hold their shape and stay stiff, natural brushes are best used when applying oil-based paints and lacquers.
polyester
nylon
rayon
Advertisement
What's the best size roller for painting walls and ceilings?
5-inch
7-inch
9-inch
Go for 9 inches for any basic wall or ceiling paint job.
11-inch
Advertisement
What should the nap be on your 9-inch roller for that wall-and-ceiling job?
quarter-inch
quarter- to half-inch
A quarter- to a half-inch nap will work best.
half-inch to three-quarter inch
Advertisement
For what kind of surface would you need an inch-thick nap?
stucco
A very uneven surface like stucco would require an inch-thick nap.
concrete
natural wood
Advertisement
What's the most versatile kind of paint sprayer?
piston pump
Piston-pump sprayers can handle thicker paint as well as thinner paints and lacquers.
diaphragm pump
Advertisement
What's the most environmentally friendly kind of drop cloth?
canvas
Washable, reusable canvas is best if you're trying to be nice to the planet.
paper
plastic
Advertisement
What's cheaper -- oil- or water-based primer?
oil
water
Water-based primers are less expensive, but oil-based products are often more versatile and effective.
Advertisement
What's the most effective way to prep smoke-damaged walls?
latex primer
shellac primer
Shellac primer is really the only way to seal in smoke odors.
oil primer
acrylic sealant
masonry sealer
Advertisement
About how many known toxins are lurking in a typical container of household paint?
50
100
150
300
There are about 10,000 chemicals in your run-of-the-mill household paint, 300 of which are known to be toxic. The worst ones are volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
500
Advertisement
What percentage of these toxins have been linked to cancer?
30 percent
50 percent
About 150, or half, have been connected to cancer.
80 percent
Advertisement
VOC levels are dangerous for a few days post-painting, but after that, your indoor air will be totally safe. True or false?
true
false
VOCs continue seeping out for several years. Studies have shown that only half are released within a year of painting.
Advertisement
If there's dried paint all over your door hardware, stick the parts in a pot of water and this kind of cleaner.
trisodium phosphate
Simmering the hardware in water and trisodium phosphate (TSP) cleaner should do the trick.
turpentine
bisodium carbonate
mineral spirits
Advertisement
If you need to remove old paint that's been there since before ______, you should take precautions against lead exposure.
the 1950s
the '60s
the '70s
Lead-based paint was common before the '70s, so be extra careful (ideally, get a professional to do the job) if you're dealing with paint that old.
the '80s
Advertisement
If you're looking to spruce up your kitchen but don't want to spring for new countertops, you can just paint them. True or false?
true
Yes, it's true -- if they're laminate, that is. Just make sure you use an acrylic primer that's made to cover glossy surfaces, and then seal your paint with clear acrylic.
false
Advertisement
You Got:
/20
Pixland/Thinkstock
