Wednesday, March 28

Project For Now: painting



In the last post (the Handyman's), it was reiterating the history of the renovations around here. The reason for that I imagine is the nice way of revising and correcting my rendition. Saying your wife is wrong with her facts can be like saying she looks fat in that dress- an uncomfortable situation for men who like to keep the peace. But no worries, I am here to tell you, dear readers, that when we discussed my timeline I found I was wrong about when the kitchen remodeling took place: it was fifteen years after moving in, not seven. I knew it was a long time, but I thought to myself that it couldn't have been that long. It was, and my husband helped me remember.

The reason it works like that is because instead of taking time to figure which year something was done, I place it in some general portion of my life- very inaccurate. This tells you exactly why my husband can't stand the idea of me doing any wallpapering. I tend to be inexact about numbers. That is bad for things that need to be measured and cut. I,thus, have never wallpapered anything in my life. I paint.

Which brings me to what we are doing in the house right now: repainting a couple rooms. Everything is getting moved away from the walls and we wash them down with 'Spic 'N Span'. I have always used that product before painting since it removes grease and grime the best- since the dining room, which is the present project, is in open connection with the kitchen, that is doubly important. My dad taught me that. If you don't get that layer of grime off, especially the greasy type from cooking steam, the paint will sometimes peel away. Good preparation pays off in most projects, but especially in painting.

I once had high hopes of painting a freehand trellis and garden look on the walls, but I just never had the time; so for now, I am happy with a fresh white. Then we will repaint a new area in the back part of the house- just because I think it needs more coverage, and now is the easiest time- painting with the same color as the dining room. It is sometimes amazing what a good coat of paint will do, but this can be used to detrimental effect, too.

My aunt once had an artist craftsman paint large parts of her sizable home with natural faux wood and marble effects. The person who inherited the house painted over everything with a quick white coating before selling the house- I thought it was such a shame. So giving something a new paint job is not always the best solution, it just works well in most practical instances.

This project should be done this week. Then I move everything back into the room and organize and set up the room so we will feel that at least the project is an accomplished one. If I am very diligent I might even take a picture or two- but no promises, I'm remiss and a total amateur when it comes to photos.

Then next?
Handyman is always frustrated with doors. Doors are his nemesis, and that is the next project: fixing up the back screen door....again.

Technorati Tags: ,