Author Topic: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?  (Read 11978 times)

dess1313

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #50 on: April 05, 2017, 03:25:25 PM »
I had a wallpaper wall that was really damaged by the time i removed all the paper and scraped the $%#@% out of it.  waterproof bathroom stuff i think.  anyways, if you get a really beat up wall, that has a lot of marks on it, consider doing one of those painting techniques on it to cover up the damage.  You usually paint a lighter base color, and then use a texured or floppy brush over it.  Usually called a faux finish.  you can move it in multiple directions and cover up any damage that would show through a solid flat color

sokoloff

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #51 on: April 05, 2017, 03:34:11 PM »
OK guys, phase one is planned for the end of next week. The landlord has some proper builders in sorting out the shower (where part of the damp problem is coming from, we reckon) so I don't know what I'll be able to get to, but my ideal would be to paint the hallway, stairs and landing in white (from a pale peach), to paint the dining room (red to a dark blue), and maybe to take up the carpet (hallway, stairs and landing).
Wait a minute; you're contemplating replacing light fixtures and laying flooring in a rental that someone else owns?!

shelivesthedream

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #52 on: April 06, 2017, 04:02:31 AM »
OK guys, phase one is planned for the end of next week. The landlord has some proper builders in sorting out the shower (where part of the damp problem is coming from, we reckon) so I don't know what I'll be able to get to, but my ideal would be to paint the hallway, stairs and landing in white (from a pale peach), to paint the dining room (red to a dark blue), and maybe to take up the carpet (hallway, stairs and landing).
Wait a minute; you're contemplating replacing light fixtures and laying flooring in a rental that someone else owns?!

It's complicated. Basically, it's not actually a RENTAL rental - we live in it for free (we only pay utilities, no rent) while my husband works his contract job for three years. So we have no choice about what the house is (which is why we want to change stuff) but what with paying zero rent we're happy to spend a bit of time and money doing it up so it's how we like it. The "landlord" (the people my husband will work for) will make it habitable, we'll make it pretty. And we're allowed to do whatever we like to it as long as it's not irreversible or damaging to the fabric of the house. We've both agreed that we're tired of living in shit places, so we're willing to spend a bit of money to make the next three years nice for us, and we each picked the thing we most want to change about the house: he really wants ceiling roses in all the rooms (why, I have no idea, but that's what he picked) and I really want something other than the gross brown carpet (so I'm going to take it up and paint the floor a nice colour). Other than that, the list has been whittled down to repainting everything I can reach and replacing the fluorescent tube in the kitchen with something that doesn't hurt my ears. There's one door that's hideous and bashed about that we might replace, but we're going to live in it for a month or two first.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2017, 04:05:04 AM by shelivesthedream »

sokoloff

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #53 on: April 06, 2017, 10:57:23 AM »
That makes total sense and I think it's laudable (even wise) to "waste" a little money to give yourself a nice place to live for 3 years.

I was initially envisioning something a lot more ridiculous, like:
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/bad-idea-jeans/n9937?snl=1

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #54 on: April 07, 2017, 03:36:14 PM »
OK guys, phase one is planned for the end of next week. The landlord has some proper builders in sorting out the shower (where part of the damp problem is coming from, we reckon) so I don't know what I'll be able to get to, but my ideal would be to paint the hallway, stairs and landing in white (from a pale peach), to paint the dining room (red to a dark blue), and maybe to take up the carpet (hallway, stairs and landing).

I'm also planning to have a closer look at what's going on with the upstairs wallpaper...

That is a LOT to attempt. How many days?

Either the stairs or the dining room would be a great result in 2/3 days single handedly (depending on the amount of prep/sanding/washing required).

shelivesthedream

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #55 on: April 11, 2017, 07:44:35 AM »
UPDATE TIME

So, I'm here Mon to Fri this whole week now because I've bought some things on eBay and am having them delivered at various times this week. However, the building work on the house is slightly more extensive than we had first thought. This is a good thing, because they're doing a really nice job and are doing some decorative things that I didn't know they were going to do, but it does mean that I've got to work around what they've finished and what they haven't this week.

So, things that ARE happening this week:

- Painting the study. They did an undercoat for me over the existing light yellow, so I'm now painting it a lovely green. (This colour: http://www.diy.com/departments/colours-village-green-matt-emulsion-paint-25l/1145307_BQ.prd)
- Buying curtain fabric. Done! I measured up and went on a big shop on Monday. I bought curtain fabric for everywhere except the kitchen and landing (because we have two white linen curtains already that I think I can make into blinds) for £89. I had a great time. Now I just need to take them home and sew them up into curtains and roman blinds as appropriate. I'm going for unlined for now on the basis that the windows are new and REALLY well-sealed and double-glazed and it'll be easy to add lining (either thermal or blackout - I've actually heard that cheap fleece makes good curtain lining, but my husband might have a heart attack if I suggested that) if we find ourselves chilly come autumn.
- Painting the front fence. A little treat for me :) It's untreated wood and I'm doing it a lovely pale olive.

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED
Getting a nice paint finish isn't difficult but it IS time-consuming.
I love cutting in. It's the best bit.
You have to apply pressure on the roller to get the paint to come off adequately.
I can well see how good quality paint would require fewer coats, but not how it would make painting each coat that much easier.
I would pay extra in the future to live in a rental where I could paint the walls, even if I had to paint them back afterwards. It makes me so happy to have the colour I like, and colour is so personal.

QUESTIONS
- I have a blister from my roller! I've had to apply a fair amount of pressure on the roller and am a weak and feeble woman so it's rubbed at my hand. Can I do anything about this? It's just at the base of my index finger, on the thumb side.
- The builders rolled on a white undercoat and I've done the first coat of green and it looks really patchy at the moment, presumably based on where the undercoat was thick and where it was just a bit too thin. Should I worry about this, or will it fix itself when I do the second coat of green? Based on the tips in this thread and extensive internet research, I've been fairly sparing with the paint for the first coat. We're going to have bookcases around most of the wall, so I wouldn't be averse to doing a third coat on the very visible bits if it will make a big difference.

Also, I'll put some before and after pics up when we've done the whole house. I'm really excited!

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #56 on: April 11, 2017, 08:56:58 AM »
1. Would you like a decorating exchange where you cut in for me and I roll for you?
2. Bullshit, you are not feeble, you are badass. Sometimes badass people need to put fabric tape (not micropore, something thicker than that, like the sticky bit of a fabric plaster) on their fingers. Or cut one of those fancy shoe plasters if it is really sore. For next time, try cutting a bit of sponge to go over the bit where it rubs.
3. Your second coat will most likely fix the patchy coverage. If they used stain block rather than white paint or stain block under the white paint that can sometimes be more persistent and require an extra coat.
4. Yes please pictures, loooooove before and after pictures.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #57 on: April 11, 2017, 12:07:27 PM »
1. Would you like a decorating exchange where you cut in for me and I roll for you?
2. Bullshit, you are not feeble, you are badass. Sometimes badass people need to put fabric tape (not micropore, something thicker than that, like the sticky bit of a fabric plaster) on their fingers. Or cut one of those fancy shoe plasters if it is really sore. For next time, try cutting a bit of sponge to go over the bit where it rubs.
3. Your second coat will most likely fix the patchy coverage. If they used stain block rather than white paint or stain block under the white paint that can sometimes be more persistent and require an extra coat.
4. Yes please pictures, loooooove before and after pictures.

1. YES PLEASE I AM IN NORTH LONDON HOW SOON CAN YOU GET HERE. :)
2. I have bought a fancy pants blister plaster and made an effort to use both hands equally to apply pressure. My lily-white hands are now protected.
3. OK, phew.
4. End of May. Be there or be square.

More questions:
5. I feel like I am not getting as much coverage as it says on the tin. I used an online paint calculator and it told me I needed 5L of paint. Admittedly I bought a different brand of paint for this room, but the square metre coverage listed on the tin is the same. Am I doing something wrong or is this just how it is with paint companies being optimistic? I don't think it's going to be wildly over, but I am going to need to buy a bit more.
6. As much as I like cutting in, radiators are awful. Any tips?
7. Why is it that everyone says to do the cutting in first and then roll for any given section, rather than rolling first and filling in the edges with a brush?
8. What IS feathering, and how can I tell if I'm doing it right?

dess1313

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #58 on: April 11, 2017, 05:13:05 PM »
UPDATE TIME

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED
Getting a nice paint finish isn't difficult but it IS time-consuming.
I love cutting in. It's the best bit.
You have to apply pressure on the roller to get the paint to come off adequately.
I can well see how good quality paint would require fewer coats, but not how it would make painting each coat that much easier.
I would pay extra in the future to live in a rental where I could paint the walls, even if I had to paint them back afterwards. It makes me so happy to have the colour I like, and colour is so personal.

QUESTIONS
- I have a blister from my roller! I've had to apply a fair amount of pressure on the roller and am a weak and feeble woman so it's rubbed at my hand. Can I do anything about this? It's just at the base of my index finger, on the thumb side.
- The builders rolled on a white undercoat and I've done the first coat of green and it looks really patchy at the moment, presumably based on where the undercoat was thick and where it was just a bit too thin. Should I worry about this, or will it fix itself when I do the second coat of green? Based on the tips in this thread and extensive internet research, I've been fairly sparing with the paint for the first coat. We're going to have bookcases around most of the wall, so I wouldn't be averse to doing a third coat on the very visible bits if it will make a big difference.

Also, I'll put some before and after pics up when we've done the whole house. I'm really excited!

You shouldn't have to apply a TON of pressure to roll paint off a roller.  you might be trying to run the roller too dry.  make sure youre loading up the roller adequately with enough paint, and reloading it more often.  you dont want it dripping but you want it really saturated with paint

first coats may take a lot of paint to get things adequately covered, second coats should be easier.  coverage always is just a guideline in my findings.  everyone's mileage will differ.  old dry wood soaks up paint fyi

also what type of roller are you using?  there are different length fibers for different purposes.  longer fibers are usually for texture to get in all the groves.  short fibers are for flat walls etc

Part of why i liked the higher quality paints is that they 1. roll on better.  2. roll OFF better and 3. coat easier/color block better.  most rooms will need 2 coats of paint to adequately cover and get rid of patchiness

I also found that walls i had primed were much easier to paint.  it covers the primer way better

also, are you washing the walls before painting?  hand and grease marks are best to wash off before painting

also if you're cutting in via odd places, get a wide putty knife or some sort of blocker and use it to help create an edge, but prevent paint from going onto other surfaces

and NO!  you're a bad ass home renovator

Linea_Norway

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #59 on: April 12, 2017, 09:20:22 AM »
Use some gloves to prevent blisters. Think of the type of thin gardening gloves. Those are used for painting.
I have never had blisters from painting. So as said above, are you using the right roller and putting on enough paint? I put as much paint on the roller as I can without it dripping and then apply it quickly. Are you using a tray to dip the roller in the paint?

Shinplaster

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #60 on: April 12, 2017, 11:52:46 AM »
More questions:
5. I feel like I am not getting as much coverage as it says on the tin. I used an online paint calculator and it told me I needed 5L of paint. Admittedly I bought a different brand of paint for this room, but the square metre coverage listed on the tin is the same. Am I doing something wrong or is this just how it is with paint companies being optimistic? I don't think it's going to be wildly over, but I am going to need to buy a bit more.
6. As much as I like cutting in, radiators are awful. Any tips?
7. Why is it that everyone says to do the cutting in first and then roll for any given section, rather than rolling first and filling in the edges with a brush?
8. What IS feathering, and how can I tell if I'm doing it right?


Disclaimer:  I am not a professional painter.  I have painted a ton of rooms though.

5. Paint manufacturers always give optimum possible results.  You will rarely have a room that gives those results.  Also, even short nap paint rollers suck up a ton of paint, which will never totally make it onto the walls.
6. No. Radiators are horrible to paint, unless you are using spray paint.  The only house we had those in, I fobbed it off on a teenager that needed money.
7. If you cut in first, then roll, you can get the roller to within a half inch or so of the ceiling, etc.  It minimizes brush marks and streaks, which you will always have with the brush.  Especially since you are brushing horizontally near the ceiling - there will be little drips, lines, etc. that rolling afterwards will smooth out.
8. If you have no brush marks or roller lines, you are feathering.  Just means working the previously painted/wet edge and new paint together to appear seamless. (or at least that's what I think it means - open to correction from pros).

Goldielocks

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #61 on: April 12, 2017, 12:23:26 PM »

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED
Getting a nice paint finish isn't difficult but it IS time-consuming.
I love cutting in. It's the best bit.
You have to apply pressure on the roller to get the paint to come off adequately.
I can well see how good quality paint would require fewer coats, but not how it would make painting each coat that much easier.
I would pay extra in the future to live in a rental where I could paint the walls, even if I had to paint them back afterwards. It makes me so happy to have the colour I like, and colour is so personal.

QUESTIONS
- I have a blister from my roller! I've had to apply a fair amount of pressure on the roller and am a weak and feeble woman so it's rubbed at my hand. Can I do anything about this? It's just at the base of my index finger, on the thumb side.
- The builders rolled on a white undercoat and I've done the first coat of green and it looks really patchy at the moment, presumably based on where the undercoat was thick and where it was just a bit too thin. Should I worry about this, or will it fix itself when I do the second coat of green? Based on the tips in this thread and extensive internet research, I've been fairly sparing with the paint for the first coat. We're going to have bookcases around most of the wall, so I wouldn't be averse to doing a third coat on the very visible bits if it will make a big difference.

Also, I'll put some before and after pics up when we've done the whole house. I'm really excited!

- Blisters -- i second that you should not get blisters from applying pressure.  This also may be why you are patchy.  Too much pressure / too dry.   Try putting more paint on the roller more often and using lighter pressure.   The blisters I have had were from painting the ceiling using an extension pole, and tryng to lift / balance the roller was what caused it, not pressure.

-- Good quality paint is thicker and covers better.   The covers better mean fewer coats (faster) for even coverage, and the thicker means applying it without as many splatters or tendency to drip, which means you can put more paint on the roller and run a bit longer between reloading your roller.

-- coverage is estimated for the best case, such as for a second coat over the same colour base.   Also, they assume that you don't start and stop but use the can all in one go, and don't clean your brushes / waste paint. 

The more absorbent your underwall is, the less coverage area possible for the first coat... but it would be even if you have an undercoat, not plaster, so the patches are from your technique.  Note, the high quality "one coat" paints require you to essentially put two coats worth of paint on the wall at one time and to do a great job with even application.  I am not that good, so always end up with two coats anyway  (more if I am covering a different colour).  And yes, multiple coats are the answer to any uneven coat.  Just keep painting.

-- Radiators.   
This is NOT the official way to do it, but for spindles in a railing or chair, and nooks / crannies -- I cover everywhere around with lots of plastic, maybe even an old towel underneath (I am a messy painter).  Then load a small SPONGE with paint to the drippy point, and "paint" the object (push the wet sponge around, poke it down with a pencil, even, then bring it back out).  Then, using a dry brush (without dipping in paint), I quickly brush out the drips / too much paint areas to reduce the amount of paint.  The sponge is much better/ faster for covering the curves than a brush, but you need the brush to get the finish even and to look right. 

-- i dislike painting bare wood fences,  if you don't prime first, it just soaks up all your paint and you end up with lots of coats, and the parts between the slats are tedious.   If you haven't started yet, be sure to prime the wood first, it will save you a lot of time.

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #62 on: April 12, 2017, 12:27:15 PM »
If you are cutting in behind a radiator, I like to tie the brush to a dowel and use that. You can also get skinny little rollers for reaching behind radiators.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #63 on: April 12, 2017, 12:30:28 PM »
Today I learned:
- Keeping the floor clean while painting is easy. Keeping myself even remotely clean is impossible.
- Telescopic rollers are not for me. I feel much more confident with a hand one and a ladder.
- I was not using enough paint on my roller yesterday, due to my internet-inculcated fear of putting on too thick a coat and it either still being wet when we move out in three years or it spontaneously jumping off the wall.
- The paint desk at B&Q is really helpful and they will not make fun of you for not knowing anything.
- Paint fumes on an empty stomach are not fun. (Cat jumped in the window so I closed it.)
- Paint goes trough a surprising number of subtle colour changes as it dries. This is helpful when you want to see where you have painted. This is not helpful when you get a complex about roller marks in one spot and there are three different shades of green on the wall.
- Tape is not magic. Seepage is real.
- There really is nothing like looking at something and thinking "I did that myself".
- This forum is awesome and full of awesome, generous, encouraging people.

I am now the proud owner of a painted study and a painted fence! It's not stellarly neat around the edges but we have a lot of bookcases going in that room! One of the builders came in twice to tell me what a nice colour I had chosen. The other stuck his head in and just said, "You must really like green, huh?" :)

Questions of the day:
- Tomorrow I can do the bedroom, which is basically a dark blue going to a light blue. I am going to buy something for an undercoat in the morning. What different options can I expect to encounter and how can I choose between them?
- For an undercoat like this (dark to light with two coats of colour on top), do I need the same neatness as in a colour coat?

shelivesthedream

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #64 on: April 12, 2017, 12:34:27 PM »
Oh yes! Today I also learned that a small paint pad out of its holder and small hands do an acceptable job of getting far enough behind radiators and don't smear paint anywhere it's not supposed to be.

Goldielocks

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #65 on: April 12, 2017, 12:39:08 PM »
The more even your undercoat is, the better, but it does not HAVE to be perfect.

Undercoats-- they will just tint a primer to a "half tone" of your top colour.  As long as it is not darker than your light colour, you can do with one colour for the entire undercoat.

Also,  watch out -- if you paint two walls a strong colour, the other two walls (even white) will reflect that colour, too.   So if you want a dark to light difference, the two shade need to be quite a difference in light to dark.

I once painted two colours in a living room, and no one could tell because it was two walls.  They were on the same colour card, but one was only 2 or 3 shades darker than the other.  The way light entered the room, it looked the same.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #66 on: April 12, 2017, 12:42:19 PM »
The more even your undercoat is, the better, but it does not HAVE to be perfect.

Undercoats-- they will just tint a primer to a "half tone" of your top colour.  As long as it is not darker than your light colour, you can do with one colour for the entire undercoat.

Also,  watch out -- if you paint two walls a strong colour, the other two walls (even white) will reflect that colour, too.   So if you want a dark to light difference, the two shade need to be quite a difference in light to dark.

I once painted two colours in a living room, and no one could tell because it was two walls.  They were on the same colour card, but one was only 2 or 3 shades darker than the other.  The way light entered the room, it looked the same.

Sorry, didn't explain myself well! I mean the colour now is a dark blue and the colour I am painting it is a light blue.

sokoloff

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #67 on: April 12, 2017, 12:44:50 PM »
If you are cutting in behind a radiator, I like to tie the brush to a dowel and use that. You can also get skinny little rollers for reaching behind radiators.
Painting behind a radiator, I like to remove the radiator. It was very obvious in our 90 year old house that very few painters agree with my technique.

dess1313

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #68 on: April 12, 2017, 03:46:22 PM »
The more even your undercoat is, the better, but it does not HAVE to be perfect.

Undercoats-- they will just tint a primer to a "half tone" of your top colour.  As long as it is not darker than your light colour, you can do with one colour for the entire undercoat.

Also,  watch out -- if you paint two walls a strong colour, the other two walls (even white) will reflect that colour, too.   So if you want a dark to light difference, the two shade need to be quite a difference in light to dark.

I once painted two colours in a living room, and no one could tell because it was two walls.  They were on the same colour card, but one was only 2 or 3 shades darker than the other.  The way light entered the room, it looked the same.

Sorry, didn't explain myself well! I mean the colour now is a dark blue and the colour I am painting it is a light blue.

Ask the guys at the desk about what is the best option for color blocking primers.  it may take 2 coats of primer to cover a dark dark wall, before you paint color coats. 

I had lots of that issue here.  you can also get the primer tinted as some have mentioned, that will help change the tone of the wall as you're going.  I never tinted my primers because i was using so many various coats throughout the house with different colors my primers could go anywhere because they were white

There are also some paints with primer in it.  they're a better blocking color and usually a little bit more pricewise.  but not as much as buying another can of primer to go with it in my case here. you'd only have to buy that paint can, and only do 2 coats.  Instead of primer and paint can and do up to 4 coats.  I wish i had bought more of this when i started, it goes on so much better, and i would have saved myself 2 primer coats in so many rooms(they did awful colors here like it was a clown's LSD nightmare)

shelivesthedream

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #69 on: April 14, 2017, 12:54:23 AM »
Yesterday I learned:
- Valspar two in one primer and undercoat is amazing. One coat and it totally blocked out the dark blue.
- Dulux paint is THICK.
- There is such a thing as polystyrene coving.*
- I AM a badass DIYer.**
- This house was built by a Victorian cowboy or of cardboard, held together with spit and string, and then abused for a century. I can FEEL the holes in the interior wall behind the lining paper.
- My parents maintained their house really well. (Same period and style as mine but larger.)

*I was starting the undercoat in the bedroom and I looked up and thought, "That coving's a bit yellow. I might as well pop a coat or two of white while I'm at it." I get up my ladder, touch my paintbrush to it, and it makes That Sound. One second later I realise to my horror and amusement that the whole lot is made of polystyrene.
**There were some nail holes in the wall and I asked the builder if he had a dab of filler I could use. He handed me a packet of powder, a scrapey thing and a tray thing. I was too embarrassed to ask for help, but I thought, "Now come on, you can do this. Logically, how is this going to work?" And I did it! I didn't do the best job ever, but tbh one Id sanded them a bit the general condition of the walls in the bedroom is so bad that my filled bits blend in perfectly with the rest of the pockmarks.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Am insane to do any of these things single-handed?
« Reply #70 on: April 14, 2017, 01:00:41 AM »
Yesterday I learned:
- Valspar two in one primer and undercoat is amazing. One coat and it totally blocked out the dark blue.
- Dulux paint is THICK.
- There is such a thing as polystyrene coving.*
- I AM a badass DIYer.**
- This house was built by a Victorian cowboy or of cardboard, held together with spit and string, and then abused for a century. I can FEEL the holes in the interior wall behind the lining paper.
- My parents maintained their house really well. (Same period and style as mine but larger.)

*I was starting the undercoat in the bedroom and I looked up and thought, "That coving's a bit yellow. I might as well pop a coat or two of white while I'm at it." I get up my ladder, touch my paintbrush to it, and it makes That Sound. One second later I realise to my horror and amusement that the whole lot is made of polystyrene.
**There were some nail holes in the wall and I asked the builder if he had a dab of filler I could use. He handed me a packet of powder, a scrapey thing and a tray thing. I was too embarrassed to ask for help, but I thought, "Now come on, you can do this. Logically, how is this going to work?" And I did it! I didn't do the best job ever, but tbh one Id sanded them a bit the general condition of the walls in the bedroom is so bad that my filled bits blend in perfectly with the rest of the pockmarks.

Yes, you rock!
And in your next house you will be even more confident, as you are currently learning a lot.