If you say that you are planning to redecorate a room, usually the first thing that comes to mind is painting. I knew if I titled this “painting”, no one would read it because nearly everyone views painting as an onerous chore. It need not be that way. Think of painting as an art form to be accomplished rather than a loathsome chore. It helps, it really does. I like to make ugly things attractive and painting is the way I do it. I even paint a lot of my outdoor tools. One thing that has made painting so much easier in my lifetime has been water-based latex acrilic paints. They do have a slight odor but not nearly as overpowering as oil-based alkyd paints that use paint thinner. Cleanup is a breeze too and that makes the job so much easier. I find that good interior latex paints are just as durable as alkyd paints in most situations. Instead of stirring paint, I always shake it as is done in the paint store, however, if that’s too difficult for you, stirring is fine too. Just make sure you have a safe place to lay the stir stick so it doesn’t leave a big blotch of paint on the floor. You need a small container of water, dip your brush in water first, and then shake out the excess to dampen the bristles. Have a damp cloth or paper towel at hand to quickly wipe up a spill with, and then start painting the edges first and around the trim. Save the easy stuff for last, the big open spaces that you can paint with a roller. It seems to work better if you do the tedious stuff first and the big stuff after. I think it’s because we lose patience as we go along. Baseboards look like a big problem but they are really easy if you have a paint guide. It looks for all the world like a wide vinyl slat from a Venetian blind, in fact, I’m sure it is with an attached handle in the center. Just slip it behind the baseboard and paint the wall behind it, moving the guide along as you go. That keeps paint off the baseboard. The same tool works great around window and door casings and ceiling moldings. You will need to wipe paint off the guide occasionally. If you drip a bit of paint here and there, wipe it up immediately with your damp cloth. Of course if you are painting over carpet, lay out some sort of protection on the carpet first. Make it easy on yourself by not trying to do too much at a time. Perhaps only one wall today and another tomorrow, then you won’t feel pressured by time constraints. Most people are in too much of a hurry to do the job well. Remember that Michelangelo took a while to do the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. The Pope wasn’t too happy about it but Michelangelo refused to be hurried. He was creating a work of art to last the Ages. That’s a good attitude to have. Some helpful hints: Paintbrushes should be natural hog bristle not the new synthetics. Synthetic bristles are very smooth and don’t hold paint very well. It’s hard to find natural hog bristle brushes anymore, about the only people that still make them are the Chinese. A discount auto parts store or industrial supply may be your best bet. Look for parts cleaning brushes, which are cheap paint brushes made in China from natural bristle. Of course a good cleaning is necessary prior to painting. Don’t try to paint over dirt because it will look exactly like someone painted over dirt to cover it up. Nail holes and cracks should be filled and sanded smooth too. I’ve never had too much luck with using masking tape. The paint always wicks underneath and leaves a mess, so don’t bother. Using the paint guide as described seems to work best. If you must leave for a bit in the middle of painting, wrap your brush or roller in a wet paper towel and put the lid on the paint can until you return. When finished for the day, make sure the lid of the paint can is all the way down all around so the paint doesn’t dry out. A claw hammer and a block of wood will do the job for you. Put your paintbrush in your container of water as soon as you are finished and then thoroughly clean it as soon as possible. A wire brush is sometimes helpful in cleaning. Pure bristle paintbrushes are at their best after they have been used a few times and will last for years if you take care of them.
Good advice. I won't be painting anymore in this life but I have this advice at the ready now to pass on to the kids. I would other otherwise not thought of redecorating or painting. Thanks.
When I was young, I enjoyed painting rooms and, more than once, I have even asked permission to repaint apartments that I was renting, just because another color would make me feel more comfortable. Now however, I dread such tasks and put off painting chores on my own home.
@Ted Richards I AM reading despite your foreboding prediction! We bought a 10 year old manufactured home 5 years ago. The LR and 3 BRs are carpeted with horrible worn out carpet. Can't imagine how much mote this stuff puts into our air. Wife is ready to rip it out. Underneath?? Who knows. I told her, "What if"? What if the underlay is glued down? Talking maybe 100 sq. yards here, or more. We cannot afford to pay for any work to be done (much less, buying the wood flooring she desires. Suggestions? Frank
Ooooh we do almost all those things @ ted... I've always done my own painting and decorating.... We use calk which we call ''filler'' all the time , on many things..and elastomeric sealant for places that need to be able to 'move' a little... For example small gaps in the UPVC window frames to prevent draughts ( drafts) ..and also of course around the baths and sinks.. We use odour free paint on the walls where possible... and whenever we're painting the ceiling we use the ''Pink to white'' emulsion paint.. which goes on Pink..fading to White within an hour, which makes it easier to see where we've already painted preventing over painting the same areas.. Our walls here in the UK are all brick...not Cavity walls as in the UK...so they're very unforgiving and paint is hard to put on perfectly and smoothly as it would on US homes ...so prep is the most important aspect of painting walls here..
In most mobile homes, the carpet and foam backing are all one and not cemented down to the floor. It's easy to check this out by lifting the transition strip between the carpeting and adjacent vinyl flooring, Underneath you should see tiny little teeth in an aluminum strip that holds the carpet tight. Lift the carpet and look to see if it, glued down. Lots of great wood flooring out there that's not too expensive and easy enough to install yourself. Just follow the directions exactly and take your time which we retirees have a lot of. We are fortunate in this day and age because if we get in trouble, there are so many on-line resources at our disposal. There are "How to...." instructions for almost everything. Do you have anything better to do this winter?
Wish I could paint our apartment. Almost nine years here so wear is noticeable. But I re decorated our small mantle today. Found all these half off at Hobby Lobby.
The above is just a sampling of one of projects that I’ve been doing lately. It’s not quite finished but ya’ll get the gist.
You can’t see it but in the above pic there used to be a sliding glass door on the right that somebody decided to take a hammer to. I tore it out and made it a solid wall. The floors obviously haven’t been tiled yet.
We had an accident in the upper bathroom which stained my downstairs bath's ceiling. I wonder how I am on a ladder with a paint pan these days Hubby is kind of worthless. Even when he was helpful, I took off all the outlet plates and light switch covers, taped etc in the living room. And left him with the paint and equipment. He rolled over the outlets! At least he was good at plumbing.
You can get a half decent extension for your roller at Walmart so you don’t have to use a ladder and since the extension allows you to be away from your paint, you can see the job much better. That up and down the ladder thing along with moving it each time you go to a different location gets pretty old. With the extension all you move is the roller and you. The paint pan sits on a tarp or whatever which helps prevent accidents.