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Don't skip the Primer!

Don't skip the Primer
The right primer improves the look and longevity of a paint job

BY JAMES KIDD

The final step of any painting prep should be priming the surface before you paint. I had to learn the hard way. The summer I graduated from high school, an enterprising friend wanted to go into the house
painting business. We didn’t know spit about painting; but we were young and ambitious, and we had 
dollar signs in our eyes.

What primers do

A primer overcomes problems in the surface you are about to paint. If the surface is an already painted surface in good condition, there’s no need for primer. But this is rarely the case.

Some surfaces are slick and pose adhesion problems for paint; others, like new drywall, have varying porosities (they absorb at dif- ferent rates across the surface); other surfaces may be stained by water or grease. Wood knots and tannins in some woods can bleed through the paint’s surface and ruin your hard work. Unfortunately, one type of primer can’t fix all these problems.

We got our first job and were intent on getting several referrals from it. After spending some hot hours scraping and sanding in the sun (in pursuit of an enviable tan and profit margin), we decided to skip the priming and started painting. Watching paint dry can lull you to sleep, but watching a wall drink up your hard work is a nightmare. We eventually coated the house four times using twice as much paint as we should have, and a year and a half later, I got a call: “Your paint is peeling.”

According to Steve Revnew at Sherwin Williams, “Each primer is formulated to provide specific properties, with each ingredient of the primer being carefully selected to optimize those properties.” For example, a binder (the glue that holds the coating together) can be selected based on its small particle size and ability to dry quickly, which gives the primer good sealing properties. Another binder can be chosen because it offers an excellent adhesion property, which means the primer will bond well to a variety of substrates. Pigments (finely ground particles in primer, also called solids) are selected to provide color, gloss, and sandability, as well as to provide sealing properties. It is the combination of all the raw materials in a formula that provides the primer’s key properties.

Just as primer is formulated to cover specific substrates, it also is formulated to be compatible with certain paint. To be sure that you’re going to get the best paint job, don’t mix man- ufacturers. In other words, if you are using a Benjamin Moore paint, it’s a good idea to use their primer. Also, primer should be topcoat- ed within a couple of days; otherwise, it will lose its integrity and will need to be redone.

The difference between oil-base and latex-base primers

Because many of the same pigments are used in both latex-base and oil-base primers, it’s the binder that really sets them apart. Binders give the primer key properties such as surface adhesion, which promotes a stronger bond for the topcoat of paint.

The phrase oil base is used interchangeably for both alkyds and oils. The binder in these primers is made from vegetable oils (tung, lin- seed, soya) that oxidize (or cure) when ex- posed to air. As the primer dries, it leaves the binder and pigment on the surface. The binder oxidizes as it reacts chemically with oxygen in the air and forms a hard, nearly impermeable shell over the substrate. The oxidation process doesn’t stop, and eventually, the primer hardens to a point where it is vulnerable to cracking and chipping.

Film formation, or coalescence, of latex primers occurs when the water evaporates and the particles of pigment and acrylic binder come closer together. As the liquid evaporates, capillary action draws the binder particles together, forcing them to bind into a continuous film.

Latex primers retain microscopic openings that let moisture vapor pass through. Oil-base primers form a much tighter film that is more

“Latex-base primers retain microscopic openings that let moisture vapor escape.“

prone to blistering if applied over damp sur- faces or over an area where water migration is an issue.

Latex coalescence has some limitations. The binder particles are thermoplastic, which means they become soft in warmer tempera- tures and hard in colder temperatures. If you’re applying latex primer when it’s cold, below 50°F, the binder particles become too hard to fuse into a continuous film. But once the temperature becomes warmer than 90°F,

“Made from vegetable oils, oil-base primer cures into a hard, impermeable shell.”

the liquid evaporates too quickly for the binder particles to coalesce properly.

Even with weather limitations, latex-base primers have been formulated to outperform oil-base primers in most applications. With a faster drying time, less odor, and easier cleanup, it’s no wonder latex-base primers now own the lion’s share of the market.

Even drywall needs primer

The terms primer and primer-sealer are commonly used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Primer is made mainly from fillers and pigments designed to fill out textural variations and to provide a good surface for paint to stick to. Primers do not contain enough binder (also called resin) to even out the porosity of different surfaces such as dry- wall and joint compound. Primer-sealers are designed to go over a porous surface and seal off suction caused by porosity and to prepare

a surface for painting. Primer-sealers gener- ally contain more binder and less pigment than primers.

Probably the most commonly painted and often least-prepared surface is drywall. PVA (polyvinyl acetate) primer-sealer is a latex- base product with a polyvinyl-acetate binder. PVA primer-sealer seals the porosity of drywall and is a great-performing product for a relatively low cost. Although it can be used on wood, it’s a bad idea to prime shelves with it. Even when fully hardened, this type of primer is too soft to bear weight.

“To seal the porosity of drywall and provide a uniform surface for paint, use PVA primer.”

PVA primer-sealers are great at preparing a smooth surface but cannot correct minor imperfections in surface textures; for that, you need a high-build primer-sealer. High-build drywall primer-sealer fills and surfaces rough and uneven drywall construction (but still can’t hide a bad tape job).

Sherwin-Williams’s Builders Solution (www.sherwin williams.com) is a two-part surfacer and paint system for new drywall. The surfacer is the next generation of high build primer that has enough quality pigment for high build and is formulated with enough binder to seal the drywall and create a level film for enamel and semigloss paints, which are notorious for showing surface flaws.

The gold standard of interior stain-blocking primer

B-I-N Primer Sealer (www.zinsser.com), introduced in 1946, uses pure, natural shellac as

Primer should be topcoated within a couple of days; otherwise, it will lose its integrity and will need to be redone.

its resin, which is dispersed in a solution of denatured alcohol. The nontoxic shellac resin seals stains so that residue cannot bleed through. Stains are one thing, but odor-causing bacteria are another factor in stain repair. The denatured-alcohol solvent kills bacteria on contact. Along with being a high bonding primer, the resin formulation of B-I-N fills pores and levels the absorbency of wood, drywall, and tape joints for a uniform topcoat.

Because B-I-N uses alcohol as its solvent, temperature doesn’t affect the drying time of this primer. B-I-N is dry to the touch in min- utes, and can be sanded or topcoated with any finish in 45 minutes. The alcohol smell dissipates quickly, leaving no lingering paint odor, which is ideal when working in occupied homes.

“Shellac-base primer cures fully in minutes and can be sanded or topcoated in 45 minutes.”

Because the alcohol dries immediately, the nonpermeable shellac film forms before stains can migrate and locks in smoke and other associated odors. The white pigment, in this case the expensive and effective titanium dioxide, provides the whiteness and high hiding power to cover the stain. The use of appropriate ex- tenders provides some bulk to the primer while ensuring the proper spacing of the titanium- dioxide particles to avoid any loss of hiding. The pigment also provides tooth or texture to which the following coat can adhere.

The limitation to B-I-N is that it’s an inte- rior primer. It can be used outdoors to spot- prime difficult exterior stains, but the shellac has a low melting point and can become soft if covered with dark paint and exposed to long hours of direct sunlight. It’s also rather inflexible, compared to acrylic latex primers, and costs more, too.

Latex-base and oil-base stain-blocking primers are effective, but you really have to know what kind of stain you’re covering to get optimal results. The rule of thumb is to

use a latex-base primer to cover solvent-borne stains such as crayon, grease, or scuff marks because the water will not reactivate these stains. Oil-base primers are most effective when used to block waterborne stains (rust, most food stains, wood tannins, and the like).

Priming exterior wood surfaces

When priming wood siding, the wood’s con- dition determines which primer you should

use. In addition to the physical condition and moisture content of the wood, its chemical composition affects the performance of primer and ultimately the paint.

Cedar and redwood, the most commonly used lumber for exterior siding, contain water-soluble extractives, commonly referred to as tannins. These tannins in cedar and redwood can bleed through latex primer, and the old rule was to use an oil-base, stain-

WHAT PRIMER TO USE AND WHERE

The variety of paintable surfaces makes specialty primers a necessity

High-humidity areas

Kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms produce enormous amounts of humidity. Use Bullseye 123 (www.zinsser.com) or a good quality PVA primer-sealer on the walls and ceiling to keep migrating moisture from damaging exterior paint.

Metal

Nonferrous metals like aluminum gutters can be primed with a 100% acrylic latex exterior primer. Ferrous metals (patio furniture) contain iron and need to be primed with an oil-base corrosion-inhibiting primer.

Smooth surfaces

Tile, PVC, or any other hard, smooth surface requires a high-bonding, 100% acrylic latex primer or shellac-base primer. These primers dry quickly, but may take a week to harden.

Masonry is porous and has an alkalinity level that can damage most paints and primers. Masonry primer- sealer overcomes these obstacles and problems such as efflorescence (salts moving to the surface).

New drywall

New drywall should be primed with PVA latex primer to seal the varying porosity of the paper and compound.

Red paint and other bold colors don’t cover well, especially over white primer. By using a deep-tint primer, one that’s custom-mixed to resemble the paint, you can get the result you want with fewer coats of paint.

Exterior wood

Exterior latex primers are flexible and provide an excellent base for paint. New wood should be primed on all sides with an acrylic stain-blocking primer. This stabilizes the wood, resists mildew, and reduces extractive staining. Knots and stains need to be spot-primed with either an oil base or shellac-base stain blocking primer.

Shelving

When priming MDF or shelving, use an oil-base or shellac-base primer because they are more durable than latex in weight-bearing situations. Also, latex will swell the cut edges of MDF.

Stains

Interior stain-blocking primers dry quickly to block stain migration. Oil-base primers can seal out some odors, but shellac-base primers also disinfect as they are applied.

blocking primer. Because oil-base primers are so inflexible (brittle is how one painter describes them), painters are now using 100% acrylic latex stain-blocking primers. Any waterborne stains will show up immediately, and they can be spot-primed with an oil-base stain-blocking primer without inhibiting the flexibility of the latex.

Pitch and resin are water-insoluble extrac- tives that also may stain painted wood. If the wood has been kiln dried, the pitch hardens and sets in the wood. If not, during warm weather the pitch can become fluid, flow to the wood’s surface to soften, and discolor the paint. Knots in softwood contain resin that also can bleed through and discolor paint. Alkyd primers do not block these resins; they should be spot-primed with B-I-N.

Weathered wood with peeling paint should be scraped, sanded, and then primed with a

100% acrylic latex primer. But there’s also another alternative. Peel-Stop, which is made by Zinsser, binds failing paint and glues the cracks and gaps so that they readhere to the substrate. Peel-Stop is a bridging sealer that repairs the old paint while preparing it for a new topcoat.

New Life for an Old Floor

New Life for an

Old Floor

How to prepare a wood floor for a new finish

Patching

To match the grain of the existing floor, the author uses a replacement board from a closet where a new wood patch won’t be noticed. After replacing damaged floor- boards, he fills nail holes and cracks to prepare for sanding.

Sanding

Going from coarse grit to fine removes the existing finish and leaves the floor ready for a new one. Drum sanders and edgers can be rented.

Scraping

Where the sanders won’t reach, you need to scrape. A sharp carbide blade works well, although it’s hard work.

BY CHARLES PETERSON

Quite honestly, I hate refinishing old floors. It’s ten times the work of finishing a new one, but I can’t charge a premium price. And aside from the potentially hazardous materials involved, I don’t like refinishing because of the hand scraping sometimes the whole perimeter to remove the old finish. The saving grace is seeing my customer’s glee when I transform an old, destroyed floor into one in pristine condition.

Much like finishing a new floor, refinishing an old one involves sanding and applying an appropriate finish. However, before you start, you must determine whether the old floor can in fact be refinished.

Should the floor be refinished?

After establishing what the existing finish is, I look over the floor to see if it really needs to be refinished. If it does, I check whether the floor is solid wood or a veneer. 

Veneered floors can be sanded once or twice, but you should consult the manufacturer for advice on the wear layer thickness. (The wear layer is the amount of stock above the tongue.) You can get a peek at the wear layer by removing floor registers, if pre- sent; otherwise, remove a threshold or trim piece and drill a hole.

A solid floor should have at least 1⁄8 in. of wear layer, or the flooring may splinter when you sand it. The wear-layer thickness should be mea- sured in a few different spots. Many times, an existing floor will have separations between some of the strips, allowing an easy measuring spot.

If it’s safe to drive, it’s safe to sand. The penny gauge for tire-tread wear works for tongue and groove floorboards, too. If you can cover part of the Queens head, there’s enough wear layer for another sanding.

It may be tempting to strip a thin floor with a chemical stripper, but I caution against it. It is difficult to neutralize the stripper and clean it from the cracks between the flooring strips. Stripper trapped in these cracks most likely will cause problems with the finish.

If the wear layer will support another sanding, I sweep the floor clean, countersink any nails, remove all staples and inspect thoroughly for damaged or loose boards (see “Replacing a damaged floorboard,” p. 98).

The moisture content of a floor can be an issue when it’s time to apply a finish, but unless the floor has been flooded recently or there’s excess moisture in the basement or crawlspace, the moisture content is probably okay. Relative humidity should be between 30% and 50%. For wetter or drier conditions, consult the finish manufacturer.

Before sanding, I protect heating, ventilation and air-conditioning openings. If the systems can’t be shut down, I use protective filters over the ducts. I also protect smoke alarms and carbon-monoxide detectors from dust and seal the doorways with plastic. If possible when sanding, I remove dust from the room with a fan.

HOW TO DETERMINE

YOUR FLOOR FINISH

Five finishes are typical on old wood floors: wax, shellac or varnish, polyurethane, penetrating oil and paint. Here are a few tests you can perform to determine the finish on an existing floor. Start with the least disruptive, then work your way down the list.

REFINISH OR TOUCH-UP?

First, test for a wax finish

A drop of water will make a white spot on a waxed floor after about 10 minutes. To remove the spot, rub with wax-dampened #000 steel wool. Floors that have been waxed will be difficult to coat with a nonwax finish. The new finish will roll off the flooring. It may be difficult to sand through the wax because it penetrates into the sides of the wood through the separations be- tween the floorboards. Trowel-filling the entire floor with wood filler will help to seal the impurities and improve the chances of the new finish adhering, but the only sure bet for a wax floor is to reapply a wax finish. If no white spot appears, move on to the next test.

Before going to the work and expense of sanding a wood floor, you should eliminate touching up the existing finish as an option. If damage is localized to small areas, repairing the finish may be a good alternative.

● Polyurethane, shellac or varnish finishes Refinishing is needed when the old finish has been worn through to the wood in a substantial area of the floor. If damage is localized to the finish layer (scratches), the floor can be buffed and recoated.

● Wax finishes Refinishing is necessary when dirt and other

impurities have been so ground into the wax layer that they can’t be buffed out. Thin areas can be patched and buffed to blend with the old wax layer. If the repaired area doesn’t tie in to the old, too much dirt has been ground in, and the floor should be refinished.

● Penetrating oils Refinishing is necessary when the floor has been gouged or scratched. Because oil finishes penetrate the wood, scratches expose the bare wood without leaving a protective layer (as with polyurethane).

Second, test for a shellac finish

If the floor flakes, it’s probably finished with shellac or varnish. Floors installed or finished prior to the mid-1960s are often shellac, varnish or a mix of the two. Shellac and varnish aren’t common finishes these days due to their frequent maintenance requirements. They must be fully sanded off before a new finish is applied.

Third, test for a polyurethane finish

If paint remover bubbles the finish, it is polyurethane. Water- or oil-based polyurethane can be applied over either water- or oil-based polyurethane. Either can be touched up with the corresponding poly, but oil-based poly takes the re- pair slightly better. If the above tests are all negative, the finish probably is penetrating oil.

Sanding: Grit sequence is crucial to a smooth floor

I use three or four sanders for a refinishing job: a 220v drum sander, an edger, an orbital palm sander and sometimes a right-angle orbital sander. Make sure there’s sufficient power to handle the sanding equipment. A professional 220v sander generally requires no less than a 30-amp breaker; 110v rental units require at least a 20-amp circuit. 

When sanding a floor, I always start with the least-aggressive sand paper grit that will sand the floor effectively, then proceed with a sequence of smaller grits until I reach the size specified by the finish manufacturer.

Floor-finishing hazards

LEAD-BASED PAINTS AND ASBESTOS FLOORING ADHESIVES If there’s a painted floor in a house built prior to 1978, there’s a good chance the paint contains lead. 

PRO TIPS

Increasing a belt’s life

Sanding dulls one side of the grit. Reversing the belt after it’s about 60% worn exposes the sharp side of the grit, roughly doubling the belt’s usefulness. The author draws an ar- row inside the belt before installing it. Unidirectional belts (with arrows printed by the manufacturer) cannot be reversed.

Minimize dust

The sander’s dust bag acts as a filter. To minimize dust, empty it often. If the bag gets more than one-third full, its surface area is reduced, thus reducing its filtering ability.

Right-angle sanding

Sometimes you get lucky, and you can use a right angle orbital sander. Otherwise, you need a duckbill scraper for places that can’t be reached with an edge sander.

Asbestos adhesives were typically used for asbestos floor tile and linoleum, so if you have this type of cover- ing over a wood floor that you plan to refinish, you should have it tested prior to disturbing it. Asbestos patch-

ing and filling compounds were banned in 1977. For information on testing, contact your local health department.

CONTAINED SAWDUST CAN SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST A fire needs three things to sustain combustion: a heat

source (natural decomposi- tion of sawdust), fuel (saw- dust) and an always-abundant supply of oxygen.

Moisture in the wood or the air can trigger decomposition. In a closed container such as a trash bag or covered can, the heat can’t dissipate, so the sawdust can ignite.

Similarly, solvents can catalyze an explosion with air borne sawdust providing the fuel and an electrical arc (from static electricity or unplugging a sander) the ignition. If using solvent-based finishes, clear the air of dust before opening the container of finish.

 To determine which grit to start with, I try the first sanding pass with a medium-grit paper (50 or 60) and adjust up or down, depending on the result. If the paper gums up too quickly, I move down in grit. If I’m removing a substantial amount of wood, I move up in grit size. No more than one grit size should be skipped in sequence, or it will be difficult to remove the scratches left by the previous step.

Wax and other old finishes tend to gum up sandpaper, so for the first pass, I use an open-coat paper. Open-coat paper has coarse particles that are spread out on the paper, so they will not readily gum up.

Floors that are cupped, damaged or otherwise not flat should first be sanded at an angle of 15° to 30° to the strip direction. Sanding at a slight angle will remove old finishes more aggressively. But the floor should be sanded parallel to the boards with the same grit size prior to chang- ing to the next grit. This parallel run removes cross-grain scratches.

After the first pass with the big drum sander, I sand the perimeter with an edger (disk sander). I usually use a finer grit on the disk than on the belt, unless I’m sanding a waxed floor, which would gum up finer-grit paper. Again, you need to experiment to find a grit size that will remove wax reasonably. Wax buildup may be thicker at the edges than in the field, so you may need coarser-grit paper. 

1

Prepare the new board

Measure and mark the new board by lining it up with the old board and marking it carefully with a knife blade.

Bevel the ends so that they’ll slip in tightly.

Remove the bottom of the groove from the new board on a tablesaw. This removal allows the new board to slip over the tongue of the adjacent floorboard.

2 

Out with the old

Drill holes near the edge of the damaged board and use a jigsaw to crosscut it.

With a circular saw, make two cuts down the length of the board.

Use a chisel to remove the pieces of the old board. Always remove the pieces working away from the good floorboards.

3 

In with the new

Hammer the old nails into the subfloor. Make sure the subfloor is absolutely clean with no high spots. Glue in the replacement with construction adhesive or a quick-drying epoxy. Because construction adhesive takes longer to cure, you’ll need to weight down the replacement board overnight while the adhesive sets up.

REPLACING A DAMAGED FLOORBOARD

A damaged board can be removed and replaced to blend in perfectly with the rest of the floor. The damage to the board above became apparent during sanding. When a board is removed from the middle of a floor, the surrounding boards will press in toward the empty area, making it difficult to install the replacement. The longer the place is open, the more time the surrounding boards have to move. For this reason, the author prepares the replacement board before removing the damaged one. Replacements should be of the same species and grain pattern and limited to around 2 ft. in length. To ensure consistency, the author used a board from the closet—hence the darker color in the photo. Replacing a floorboard in the closet with a new piece of wood is less noticeable than using new wood in the center of a room.

Split floorboard

Sometimes, even the coarsest paper can’t remove more than a foot of finish per disk. It’s hard to justify the price of all those disks and the time spent swapping them out, so in these cases, I scrape the edges by hand. For hard to reach places such as under radiators, I use a right-angle orbital sander (bottom photo, p. 97), a scraper or a combination of the two. Grit size is stepped down until I reach the finish manufacturer’s recommen- dation. Also, between each sanding sequence, I sweep the floor clean so that the sawdust doesn’t hinder the sandpaper’s effectiveness.

The next step is the fun part: applying a finish coat. With a freshly sanded floor, you can apply any finish you’d like, but if the floor previously had a wax finish, reapply wax. Although the top is clear of the old finish, there may still be some residual wax between the floorboards. A finish other than wax won’t bond to a wax residue. 

The new-repair board

Two favorite floor finishes, one for hardwoods, one for softwoods

There are many types of floor finishes, each with advantages and disadvantages. Hard- ness, durability, maintenance and ease of application

play a role in choosing the appropriate finish. I generally stick to one of two finishes: water based polyurethane for hardwoods and Water lox tung oil (www.water lox.com) for softwoods.

I prefer water-based polyurethanes to oil based because they contain lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Oil based polyurethanes have high VOCs and leave heavy, chemical fumes that are explosive.

Also, water-based fin- ishes cure faster than oil-based, allowing the floors to be used sooner with less chance of damage while cur- ing, a huge advantage in remodeling work.

My favorite finish overall is Waterlox tung oil because it’s the easiest to apply. Anyone can use it and achieve professional results. Unlike other finishes, Waterlox tung oil can be used to recoat the floor only in worn areas, and it blends in perfectly. Its drawbacks are that it takes longer to cure and harden fully, and like oil based polyurethane, tung oil yellows with age.

Polyurethane is durable, but repairability may make tung oil a better choice for easily damaged softwoods.

After the replacement is glued and nailed, nail holes and board edges are patched, then sanded. The replacement blends perfectly.

—C. P.

You don’t get exercise on the job?

If building provides all the workout you need,

Although he didn’t know it, 36-year old Mario Lisak, a framer in Lincoln, Nebraska, could have been a

poster boy for couch potatoes. Mario assumed that his active, on-the-job lifestyle of muscling tools and clambering up and down ladders kept him fit. He scoffed at exercise. But when a physical exam revealed 20 lb. of flab, high cholesterol and a touch of hypertension, the doctor delivered a warning: “Get fit or get sick.”

Eight years ago, I had a similarly rude awak- ening, though the caveat came from my wife, not my doctor. Like Mario, I’d been a hands- on builder for much of my life; but when I got serious about my business, I put away my tools, picked up a briefcase and embraced a sedentary lifestyle. One night, though, I was getting another beer when I noticed that my

wife had placed a new decoration on the refrig- erator: a photo of a fellow in a swimsuit sport- ing one of the largest bellies I’d ever seen. I put down the beer when I realized it was me.

The next day, I followed my wife’s advice and joined a health club. At first, I hated the treadmills and weight machines, especially whenever I glimpsed my jiggling silhouette in the mirror. But slowly, the promise of fit- ness began to seduce me. The workouts became more enjoyable, and the progress encouraged me. It took me a few years of hard work, but now at 47, I’m back down to my high-school weight and training for my second marathon.

You don’t get exercise on the job

I didn’t have a good excuse for getting out of shape; it happened out of laziness. But Mario

thought that hard labor provided all the ex- ercise he needed. After all, he turned in every night physically exhausted. Even the thought of running or pumping iron seemed daunt- ing and unnecessary.

I’ve heard similar excuses from other trades- people: “I work hard, so I don’t need to work out.” Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Ham- mering, climbing and hauling lumber may be tiring, but they don’t provide real exercise.

Exercise is physical activity specifically de- signed to promote fitness; it works your body systematically. Construction work expends energy, but in a limited, lopsided manner (pho- tos facing page). Besides, unless you run up and down a ladder for 30 minutes nonstop, four days a week, construction work provides no cardiovascular benefits whatsoever.

I work hard. What do you mean I need to work out?

Although a physically active job is better for the body than a sedentary one, much building involves lopsided exertions that develop one side of the body at the expense of the other. Repetitive tasks such as hammering nails and carrying drywall promote muscular and skeletal imbalances that often lead to injury and back trouble. Bending over all day long is none too good either. A well-designed program of exercise counteracts these ill effects.

Why does getting up in the morning hurt so much?

For builders who limit their daily physical exertion to fingering the cellular-phone pad and depressing the gas pedal, the picture looks even bleaker: According to the editors of Men’s Health magazine, a quarter-million of us die every year from lack of exercise. If you’re like me—boss and lackey all rolled into one—you can’t afford achy joints, de- pleted energy and a feeble immune system. I think of exercise as cheap health insurance.

Exercise can delay the aging process

Getting out of shape doesn’t happen all at once. It’s a natural byproduct of aging and in- activity. In middle age, sedentary people lose a pound of muscle every year and replace it with a pound and a half of fat. We lose bone

density and strength in connective tissues as well. Without exercise, we literally go the way of rotting lumber. But one preservative helps us to fight back: exercise.

With proper strength-training (weightlift- ing) exercise, you can hang on to every pound of muscle you ever had, and even add to it. With vigorous aerobic exercise (running, bik- ing, swimming), you can burn off the blub- ber and enhance your ability to metabolize energy. And with flexibility training (stretch- ing), you can keep your joints well oiled and pain-free.

Regaining fitness is a lot like rehabbing an old building. You soon discover that it’s not just the paint that’s peeling: It’s the plaster, plumbing, wiring, framing and everything else that got old simultaneously.

But if you approach conditioning as you would a renovation project, with patience and a plan, the enormous scope of the project seems less daunting. You take one step at a time. Set a goal, make a plan, and then achieve that plan. With this attitude, re- building your body becomes less of a chore and more like learning a new craft. Soon, you will begin to see results and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

A good gym is the best place to start

Like every rebuilding project, getting in shape requires a few tools and some basic skills. You should get a building permit, too: your doctor’s OK. You’ll need a good pair of athletic shoes and some comfortable exerciseclothes. If there’s a decent gym nearby, I strongly recommend that you join it.

IF YOU DEPEND ON YOUR BODY TO GET THE JOB DONE, YOU’VE GOT TO MAINTAIN IT PROPERLY

Whether you’re a full-time builder or a weekend warrior, an exercise program that trains your body beyond the demands of the job makes you a more-efficient, safer worker. A well-rounded fitness program should include a variety of aerobic, strength-training and flexibility exercises.

Flexibility training (stretching)

Stretching after lifting weights or in the middle of a strenuous workday ensures that muscles and connective tissues remain supple, and helps to repair the damage wrought by exercise and hard work. Flexibility training

is actually the complement of strength training. Whereas strength- building exercises

develop the muscles’ power to contract, flexibility training develops their

ability to relax.

Strength training (weightlifting)

Instead of working at the limit of your capability, strength-building exercises such as weightlifting help you to develop muscle power that can handle high stress. That

way, if you have to muscle an occasional girder or unload a flatbed full of drywall, you won’t have trouble getting out of bed the

next day.

Aerobic training (endurance)

Running, swimming or riding a bike—any exercise that elevates breathing and heart rate for more than 20 minutes at a stretch more than three times per week—increases lung capacity and strengthens the cardiovascular system. Aerobic training builds endurance, which allows you to frame walls or go up and down stairs all day long without gasping for air.

A friend asked me, “Why can’t I just ride my bike and do a few push-ups at home?” I said, “The real question isn’t ‘Why can’t you?’ It’s ‘Why don’t you?’” Most of us don’t have the discipline to work out for an hour every day at home. We benefit from just showing up at the gym to spend an hour at a facility that is devoted to nothing but exercise. No bills to pay, no chores, no kids. Just you and the machines.

Problem is, if you don’t know how to use all those machines, a gym can be daunting—sort of like dropping a banker in the middle of a job site and telling him to frame a set of stairs. I recommend starting out with a personal trainer (sidebar right). Although skilled train- ers charge upward of $50 for an hourlong ses- sion, most gyms offer an introductory package for new members. At my gym, you get your first three sessions for $100, well worth the expense because the trainer will teach you how to use the equipment in the gym safely and effectively. Additionally, if your trainer has a nationally recognized cer- tification, you can feel sure that he or she is qualified to develop a program that meets your goals and accommodates your current fitness level.

Regardless of whether you join a health club or hire a trainer, a balanced workout must in- volve a mix of aerobic training, strength train- ing and flexibility training.

Aerobic training builds endurance

Run, swim or ride a bike—anything that in- creases heart rate and breathing—and you’re burning calories aerobically. The calories you burn come from carbohydrates and fat, which is why your body responds to aerobics by shedding a few pounds. As you increase the intensity and duration of your aerobic workouts, you push back the threshold at which your body gets tired, too.

You can enhance conditioning just by in- creasing the demands on your body slightly. Go out for a walk every day, and soon you’ll notice the difference. Pick up the pace and jog occasionally; it doesn’t hurt to stomp on the accelerator pedal every once in a while and clear the fuel lines. Nothing is better for your heart than boosting the rpms. The more aer- obic exercise you do, the more your heart and lungs will improve.

I started my aerobic training by jogging slowly for one block, then walking a block,

Personal trainers are not just for movie stars

If you haven’t seen the inside of a gym since high school, today’s high-tech

health club can be intimi- dating: You’re confronted with a bewildering array of machines, weights and ac- tivities. How do you decide what’s right for you? In my experience, the best way to learn how to exercise properly is to start with a personal trainer, one who’s certified by a recognized agency like the American Council on Exercise (www.acefitness.org) or the Na- tional Strength and Conditioning Association (www.nsca-lift.org).

A good trainer will spend the time to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and listen to your goals; then he or she will set up a program just for you. If you’ve developed muscular im- balances from years of pounding nails or digging ditches, for example, they might set you up with exercises that strengthen your weak-side muscles.

During each session, the trainer is there to provide coach- ing (photo above) so that you use good form, and spotting, so that you can push yourself harder without fear of injury. When lifting weights, for instance, it’s at the threshold of maximum exertion that noticeable benefits really happen. Over the course of time, a good trainer will monitor your progress and modify your workouts as necessary to keep your body adapting to evolving stresses.

For non-movie stars like us who can’t afford to work out every day with a trainer ($50 per hour is typical), once a week is a good strategy. Do your heavy lifting when you’ve got the trainer, then do aerobic workouts and lighter weightlifting (or better yet, lift with a friend) on the other days you’re working out.

An even more affordable strategy is to do a few introduc- tory sessions with a trainer. Then get set up on a good self- directed program. When that program starts to go stale, usually after about three months, have the trainer set you up with a new one.

There’s no slacking off when you work out with a personal trainer. In addition to teaching proper form, a personal trainer will motivate you to work harder than you might on your own. A skilled trainer is especially important as you advance into strenuous exercises like squats, which provide tremen- dous physiological benefits but require perfect form to execute safely.

and then running the next. This type of workout is known as interval training. It’s one of the best ways to improve your overall aerobic capacity. The idea behind interval training is to increase the intensity progres- sively and to build a body that resists fatigue. When you can lay down the miles along the trail, carrying lumber up and down stairs will be a breeze.

Strength training builds bones as well as muscles

Your muscles represent the most abundant tissue in your body. And this tissue does a lot more than fuel health-club vanity; it fuels your system with regenerative substances like glycogen, amino acids and human growth hormone (HGH). Muscle tissue is also where the body’s energy is stored. After age 30,

though, most people lose about a pound of this valuable real estate every year. Yet any- one who plans on living past 50 can avoid the complications of muscle loss. You don’t have to aim at becoming the next Schwarzenegger to benefit from intelligent strength training. This means doing exercises that pit your mus- cles against gravity: push-ups, chin-ups, bar- bells and the like.

Exercises such as these not only build strength but also can prevent osteoporosis. Studies have shown that bone density bears a direct correlation to the amount of weight you lift yearly. An increase in your yearly ton- nage translates into thicker, stronger bones.

But intelligent weight training requires more than a few curls. Bones and collagen tis- sues respond to high stress. You need to work up to routines that recruit large muscle

groups and multiple joints, exercises such as squats, bench presses and lunges.

You’re only as young as you are flexible

By the time you hit middle age, your body has lost about 15% of its “lubricant” content. As you age, your tissues dry out and start to re- semble leather. Muscle fibers begin to adhere to each other, developing cellular cross-links that prevent parallel fibers from moving in- dependently. You wake up stiff and aching.

Stretching helps to restore their moisture by stimulating the production of tissue lubri- cants. It pulls the interwoven cellular cross- links apart and helps muscles to rebuild with healthy parallel cellular structure.

Flexibility training helps your spine to stay supple and less prone to injury, too. Believe it

Construction work is grueling even if you’re in top physical condition. To relieve tension and prevent injury, take a break in the middle of a long day and stretch for a few minutes on the job. The following are a few good stretches.

Leg stretches. Stretch your calves and ham- strings by placing one foot behind you, heel flat on the floor, while lunging forward (slowly) onto the front leg (pho- to left). While holding onto the wall, stretch the muscles on the front of your thighs by grasp- ing one ankle and trying to touch your heel to your buttocks (photo below).

Upper-back stretch. Interlace your fingers behind your head and bend your head down, chin to your chest, elbows pressing out.

Arm stretch. In- terlace your fin- gers behind your back. If you can’t, work toward it by grasping your hammer’s head with one hand as you hold the handle with the other. Gradually increase the stretch by work- ing your hand down the length of the handle.

STRETCH YOUR COFFEE BREAK: LOOSEN UP ON THE JOB

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Fitness can become a confusing pursuit when you’re confronted with dozens of magazine articles and news segments advising seemingly contradictory exer- cise and nutritional information. Here are some books and magazines I’ve found helpful in sorting things out and separating sense from nonsense.

Banish Your Belly: The Ultimate Guide for Achieving a Lean, Strong Body— Now by Kenton Robinson and the editors of Men’s Health (Rodale Press; www.rodale.com).

This book provides good, common-sense information on exercise and nutrition.

Fabulously Fit Forever (expanded edi- tion) by Frank Zane (Thunder’s Mouth Press; www.thundersmouth.com).

This legendary three-time Mr. Olympia and wise man of health and fitness pro- vides a realistic, well-rounded path to- ward a lifetime of fitness.

Relax Into Stretch: Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension by Pavel Tsatsouline (Dragon Door Publica- tions; www.dragondoor.com).

A decidedly masculine approach to flex- ibility taught by a former Soviet com- mando trainer who now plies his craft with the U.S. Marines.

Experience Life (800-430-5433) Published by Life Time Fitness (a nation- al health-club chain), Experience Life of- fers sensible advice on diet, exercise and healthy living. Nonmember sub- scriptions available for $16 a year.

Yoga Journal (www.yogajournal.com) The premier publication of the yoga world. A wonderful way to get ac- quainted with all that yoga has to offer for health, flexibility and mental fitness.

Men’s Health

(www.menshealth.com) A fun read with humor, sex and excellent fitness advice.

Lower-back stretches.

Without hunching over and keeping your legs straight but not locked, reach forward and place your fingers on the floor (photo below). To make this a bit easier on your back, start with your knees bent and your fin- gers on the floor and then straighten your knees. For a little extra stretch, grasp you calves and gently lower your head toward the floor without straining. Just hanging off a ceiling joist for a few seconds helps to decompress the spine (photo right). But don’t just hang around. Put a little muscle to work with the occasional chin-up.

or not, stretching your spine can help you retain an inch or more of height as you age. But the nice thing about stretching is that you don’t need any equipment or a special class. In fact, a few flexibility drills may be the best way to spend your coffee break (photos above).

Stretching involves using gravity or an op- posing muscle group to elongate muscle tis- sues. It’s easy to do, but like any exercise, you have to do it right to benefit most: Spend 15 to 30 seconds holding an easy stretch without bouncing. Stretch only to the point where you feel a mild, comfortable tension, then stay there as you feel the tension subsiding. Reg- ular stretching after working out (and stretch breaks while you’re working) helps to stave off post-exercise soreness and gets you back to the job or your next workout with a lot more energy.

The most challenging aspect of fitness, and perhaps the most important, is the “exercise” of restraint when it comes to eating. A vigor- ous 30 minutes on the treadmill burns about 300 calories—roughly the same as one cup of ice cream. For most of us, it’s easier to muscle through a workout than to skimp on dinner. But when you start to exercise regularly, your body starts craving the right foods naturally. Although I still admit to a slight doughnut problem, I’ve found my taste for fruits and vegetables has increased along with miles I can run, while my lust for french fries has vanished entirely. 􏰀

Fernando Pagés Ruiz is a homebuilder and a certified strength and conditioning specialist in Lincoln, NE.