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Virginian - Pilot

By STACI DENNIS

By Staci Dennis

Correspondent

If some of our walls could talk, they might ask for a little magic from a wizard.

According to Brian Santos - aka The Wall Wizard - unlocking the secrets of walls, wallpaper and painting is easy as waving a wand. In this case, a paintbrush.

Santos will share his tips and techniques at the Mid-Atlantic Fall Home Show at the Virginia Beach Convention Center next weekend, teaching audiences how to transform their bland walls into beautiful ones.

"My goal for the show is to de-mystify the process of adding color and texture to walls," said Santos, "and teach homeowners how to save time, money and heartache when embarking on one of the most common remodeling projects."

Santos' family has been in the wallpaper and painting business for four generations. His grandfather was a scenic artist and his mother was a muralist. Santos himself has made a career in the industry. He has a degree in business and studied chemistry.

"I was born with turpentine in my blood," said Santos, of Tampa, Fla. "I was meant to do this kind of work."

In addition, Santos has written three books on wall design - "Painting Secrets," "Faux Secrets" and the recently completed "Wall Covering Secrets." He is also a contributing writer for Better Homes and Gardens' Do It Yourself magazine.

He has developed a line of ergonomically designed tools, which will be available on the QVC home shopping channel and in Sears and Kmart's stores in 2007.

At the Home Show, Santos will cover topics from his books. Among them: how to use household items to create a unique faux design, how to cut painting time in half and how to easily strip wallpaper.

"There is an art and science behind home decor," Santos said. "The magic comes from within. If you tackle a job and don't let fear hold you back, then the finished product will be beautiful. Even if it's not, it's only paint and you can do it over."

Here are his top 10 tips for walls and painting.

1. Use Pam, the cooking spray.

To keep the paint off your skin and aid in clean up, spray a light layer of Pam on your arms and hands and let it dry. The cooking spray will keep the paint from sticking to your skin, and clean up is quick and easy with a cloth. No scrubbing is required. Santos noted: "You might want to steer clear of the garlic versions of the spray, because you only want to keep the paint off, not scare everyone else away."

2. Keep a tube of ChapStick handy.

Run the lip balm along the inside of the window at the edge. The wax barrier will keep the paint from getting on the windows. The method also saves time because no taping is required.

3. Cling Wrap is for more than just leftovers.

To avoid having to scrape paint off your glasses, wrap them in plastic wrap - the clear variety - and simply remove when finished.

4. Rubber cement instead of tape.

Blue painter's tape, which can cost about $7 roll, is typically used to cover areas you want to protect. Taping is time consuming, and if not applied properly, will let paint leak though. A bottle of rubber cement can ease the pain of taping. Apply two to three coats of it over the desired area, such as a door hinge or latch. Wait until it dries and forms a barrier the paint can't penetrate. When done, simply peel the cement off. It won't hurt the finish and is easier on the fingers, Santos said.

5. Combat the paint smell.

For those who don't like the smell of a freshly painted room, add four drops of vanilla extract per one quart of paint, and then mix in. The vanilla will help neutralize the smell.

6. Hazardous waste no more.

You can't throw paint in the regular garbage because it's hazardous waste. But use crystal kitty litter and paint can be disposed of in a non-toxic manner. The crystals in the litter are designed to absorb ammonia, a main ingredient in paint. They also absorb water. If you mix the litter (only the crystal kind will work) with the paint, the liquid will turn to a solid and can be safely discarded in a landfill, Santos said.

7. Household faux tricks.

Instead of spending upwards of $25 for a specialty faux brush or instrument, Santos said to take a look around the house for items that can creat texture, such as a feather duster, mop or even a (clean) toilet brush.

8. Wallpaper remover recipe.

Mix: 3 gallons hot water, one 22-ounce bottle of wallpaper remover (purchased at paint or home improvement stores), cup liquid fabric softener, 1 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda.

Perforate the wallpaper. Combine all ingredients in a bucket, then fill a plastic garden sprayer with mixture. Spray mixture on wall then seal with 1/2-mill plastic sheeting that can be found at local home improvements stores. Smooth out air pockets.

"Here's the secret to success," Santos said. "Walk away. Let it sit. Don't touch it."

Let the mixture soak for at least three to four hours. Santos said the wallpaper sheets should peel off just as they were put up - in complete pieces.

9. Bubble trouble.

An easy solution to smoothing out wallpaper bubbles is to buy a marinating syringe and fill it with adhesive. Insert the point through the paper and inject with a small amount of adhesive. Then work the bubble out.

10. Clean up.

Santos has a trick to clean brushes in 10 seconds or less.

Combine 1/2 cup of liquid fabric softener in one gallon of water. Mix and drop your brushes in the solution, swish around and the "paint just falls off the bristles," Santos said. This concoction works only for latex paint.

"The beauty of this creation is it works fast," Santos said, "and your brushes come out smelling oh-so-spring fresh."

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Reach Staci Dennis at sdennis@cox.net.

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