That's just the way they roll

I doubt any other pedestrians passing by this painting crew stopped to ask permission to shoot a photograph of their buckets.

But I had to share a pro painting tip that's often overlooked on the DIY level--you've got to dip your roller into a bucket, rolling out the loose paint onto a bucket grid.

Forget the tray, I say.

The tray is always low on paint, unwieldy, and difficult to move as you make your way down the wall. Plus, you're bound to step in the thing before too long. The bucket keeps you with plenty of paint, and the handle is much easier to move around. Mixing all your like-colored gallons also boxes your paint, evening out any minor inconsistencies from can to can.

Paint can dry on the screen, though, and the dried flecks (known in the business as boogers) can get into your mix. Here's a tip involving another kind of screen that can help keep that from happening.

Back to the paint crew--as I moved their lime-green buckets into the sunlight, I handed out a business card to assure them this photo was being taken in the name of journalistic research, and that I wasn't, well, crazy. Arranging the shot, I overheard one worker ask another what I was doing with their paint.

"Oh, he's just taking pictures," came the reply.

Must happen all the time.