t13-115

Header by Samuli

Work in progressIt’s been a busy week in my household. Wallpaper removal (you’re right Janet, wallpaper steamers are worth their weight in gold!), sanding, taping, prime the edges, prime the walls, prime the edges again, prime the walls again, more taping, paint the edges of three walls and paint three walls. That’s how far I’ve come so far.

After I write this post I’m going to throw another coat of yellow on the edges and walls. Then start with the red. Oh, did I not mention red? The wall to the left (that you can’t see) in this picture will be daredevil red. Many thanks to Janet for convincing me to take the plunge.

So here are 13 things I’ve learned from this project thus far.

  1. Removing (some types of) wallpaper is much, much easier with a steamer. They only sell one brand of steamer at Home Depot, which has me surprised since it’s much “greener” that the six gazillion brands of chemical wallpaper remover spray.
  2. I really don’t enjoy sanding.
  3. I really do enjoy painting. I like applying blue tape to the edges, I like painting the edges and minute details and I like working with a roller (especially the mini ones!).
  4. While step-stools really do help get those hard-to-reach ceiling edges, they also help you develop shin bruises from leaning against the hard metal edge. Note to step-stool manufacturers: move the edge more toward the back of the stool edge and/or pad it.
  5. Cover everything with plastic sheeting. You WILL get paint everywhere, even if you’re convinced you’ll be careful.
  6. Get used to getting paint on yourself. It’s actually really useful when explaining the new color of your walls. Just show them the paint swatch on your bruised shin.
  7. This probably goes without saying, but one should always wear clothes that can get paint on them. Because no matter how careful you are, your clothes will be painted.
  8. It’s not really enjoyable to watch paint dry.
  9. It’s inadvisable to allow any type of pet into the room that you are painting. While you may be tempted to dip fluffy or fido into your can of paint and rub them against the walls, they really are not the best painting implements. I find a brush or roller works much better.
  10. Listen to the radio while you paint. Two hours of painting with Tom Ashbrook go by really fast.
  11. Take lots of breaks but beware of short attention spans, it may be three hours before you remember that the paint dried two hours ago.
  12. Do read up on painting. The pros really know what’s best.
  13. I’m so ready for the painting to be done. Half of the house is in chaos and I can’t find anything!

What have you learned about painting?

*****

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