DIY Tesha’s painting guide PART 2: the color

Click here to read part 1 of the Painting Guide.

PRIMING

Don’t skimp on primer. Not only does it help cover a surface so that you get the same color everywhere, but it helps your paint adhere. That’s particularly important when painting over nasty shades of paint. When you’re covering a dark or medium color, you’ll want to use two coats of primer for sure. If you’re painting over fresh sheetrock, you’ll need two coats of primer. And if you’ve got a combination wall — patches that were repaired with new mud AND ugly medium-shade paint, like I did, you will definitely need two coats of primer. I bought primer in the big 5-gallon buckets. For my house remodel, I went through three of them.

Between each coat, be sure to sand down the wall lightly to knock down any bumps that your roller left behind. I used one of those round sanders on a long handle that professionals carry around — and I discovered why they use them. They work so well! A few minutes and you’re done with a room.

If you are painting over fresh sheetrock, you’ll need to go back between coats of primer to fill in those myriad of tiny air holes that show up suddenly when you paint over them. Again, you could swear there was no hole until the paint exposes it.

There will likely be spots that the primer didn’t cover. If you find yourself staring at a blue mark that some little kid put there one day with a crayon, you’ll want to pull out the hard-hitting Cover-Up spray paint. A few sprays and that ugly spot will disappear — finally.

FINAL COAT

I prefer to paint as a duo. One person (not me) does the edging and the other follows behind to cover the rest of the wall.

I tried out a new tool for edging one day, the Shur-Line Paint Edger, while painting by myself, and my official report is this: Avoid it! The Shur-line promised to leave a sharp straight line around ceiling, sash and baseboard without leaving a line on the ceiling. It lied. It also left a line of paint on the bottom because it went on thicker than what I put on with my rollers. It dripped like crazy and I did not enjoy sanding down that line. I kept thinking it was user error and I just needed to practice with it more. Finally, I chucked it. Take my advice and stick with a good paint brush.

The professional painter I know told me once that a good paint brush is worth its weight in gold. Don’t skimp on the brush. Buy the expensive one so that you don’t have to pick out stray strands or try to keep wild bristles from leaving marks on your ceiling. You’ll also want nice rollers, but don’t worry about keeping them past each project. Rollers don’t last long.

Paint dries best between 60-75º. Less or more and you will have to deal with drips and cracks.

ADD SOME TEXTURE TO IT

I love the look my double roller leaves on a wall, and I’ve gotten many compliments on it. My favorite is from Wall Magic. The trick is to pick two colors that are a step apart for a look that adds texture to your wall. If you want something really dramatic, make it two steps apart. This look hides imperfections on your wall while giving it a designer feel.

Another great thing is that it takes less than half the amount of paint it would for a solid color. I’ll never forget when I used an entire gallon on a single bathroom for a solid coat, and a half-gallon for the bedroom’s double-roller paint job.

You’ll need a special paint tray with two different trays, one for each color. Help your paint spread better on the walls by mixng a capful of floetrol in each side.

Mix the two colors together for the paint you put on the edges; go back over that later with a sponge to soften things up. A sponge will also work for the little areas you can’t get your roller into.

You’ll want to do two coats, so you don’t need to be especially careful or wonderful with the first one. More white shines through on that first coat, and things will tame down when you add the second one. Be sure that only one person is wielding the roller; everyone rolls differently and the design will look different depending on who is rolling.

TOP TOOLS

• Double roller

It adds texture to a wall and uses less paint.

• Hand-held paint bucket

Save your back. This nifty bucket is easy to carry around.

• Taping knife

Use this tool to spread putty when you fill holes and then later to make sure your tape is on tight.

• Good paint brush and rollers

A good paint brush will last for many jobs and ensure that your lines are clean. A good roller won’t leave fuzz bumps on the wall; replace your rollers with each job.

DIY Tesha’s painting guide PART 1: prep work

Why spend money paying someone else for something you can do?

There are things I will pay for: a high-quality varnish on trimwork, cabinets and doors (learned the hard way); taping and muding (except in the basement); and window installation. But I won’t pay for paint. I can do that myself.

I have to confess that towards the end of my latest remodel project, I nearly caved and paid someone to paint my stinking windows. Four coats (2 primer, 2 final color) on 17 windows had me so tired of painting. It’s not like painting a wall. It’s putsy, careful work. Not the kind I can do for 68 hours. Yeah. It took about 1 hour for a coat on each window. I wanted to pull my hair out. And even when I took an hour to do each window, I slopped on the handles, locks and whatever-you-call-that-stuff-on-the-sides-between-pieces-of-wood-and-glass. What a bother.

Anyway, I digress.

I love painting walls. It’s such satisfying work. One minute the wall is ugly. A few later, the wall is beautiful. There’s little else with such instant results.

PREP WORK

Prep work takes nearly as long as the actual paint job, but without it your gorgeous new paint will look just plain terrible.

Be sure to fill in knicks and nail holes with spackle. It goes on well if you use one of those taping knives that sheetrockers use to put a layer on mud on the walls. Be careful to avoid leaving a ridge on any of the sides. You’ll want to go back before painting and sand it lightly (200 grit) to be sure to knock down any bumps. It’s crazy how you could swear that the wall was smooth until you put some color down. Places where you’ll always be sure to find dents are corners and high-traffic areas. I was flabbergasted by all the knicks in my entry way, stairwell and a little wall between the bathroom, kitchen and dining room.

Take a tip from the professionals: Circle any rough spots when you notice them with a pencil so you don’t forget about them. Don’t worry; the primer will cover it over later.

Painting tape comes in a few colors signifying less to more adhesion. Use tape carefully, because if you’re not careful it will tear your new paint right off. Again, I learned the hard way: don’t paint one coat in the evening and leave the tape on until you paint the second coat the next morning. My paint peeled right off. Apparently, you need to be very careful with paint for about a month; it takes that long to fully dry. One tool I really like is an tape edger. But my brother swears by the same tool he uses to putty: that sheetrocking putty knife. Drag it down the tape line to make sure it is tight to the wall and you’ll avoid seepage beneath the tape.

PICK YOUR PAINT

Paint comes in several types ranging from flat to super shiny. Get the flat stuff. I repeat: Get the flat stuff. I’ve heard that professional painters won’t use anything shinier than eggshell. It covers a multitude of sins on a wall. The shinier you get, the easier it will wash but the more it will show. There are lines you would never see on a wall until you put shiny paint there. Suddenly you can’t focus on your TV because all you see is that tape line that runs from floor to ceiling. The professional painter I know told me that the difference in washability is a mere 10% between eggshell and semi-gloss.

I have to make a confession here. I opted for semi-gloss because the Hirschfield’s man told me it would be easier to clean with my toddler. And I already hate it after just a few weeks. Yeah, it cleans up nice but it shows every bump on my not-so-new walls. I’ll never use semi-gloss again.

I opted to use the low VOC option from Benjamin Moore because of my toddler. While the VOC level goes up when you add tint to the basic white, it was a lot less odor than my primer was. (No one was feeling loony when I painted the main color like they were around that primer.) If a sales person tries to tell you that you don’t need primer with this paint, let his words roll off without affecting your decision. My brother tried that and is now having to clean up a huge mess. Of course, the paint peeled.

Part II coming Saturday.

Save money and get unique lights at Creative Lighting

Shopping for lights and wish there was someplace besides Lowe’s, Home Depot or Menards? Turns out there’s a great alternative right here in the Twin Cities: Creative Lighting off Snelling. It’s a family-owned shop with fantastic deals.

Creative Lighting is located midway between Minneapolis and St. Paul. You can see the building off I94.

I have to confess that I’ve always wanted to go in that store but was scared off by the prices. Not that I knew what the prices were (as I’d never been inside, remember), but I was sure they’d be way out of my price range.

After dropping in there today because of a Groupon I’d purchased, I learned that while they do carry some expensive (and gorgeous) light fixtures, they’ve also got plenty that compare price-wise with all the Big Box stores. I wish I’d known that before I bought all my lights for our remodel at Menards!

I was impressed with the number of clearance items the store carried. I got a mirror for half off the original price. Nice! With my Groupon, I paid a total of $44.18 for a mirror that was originally $134.

Factoring in my Groupon and the clearance price, I bought this gorgeous mirror for $44.18. It was originally $134. Creative Lighting has a huge clearance selection.

They have items up to 60% off the original price in their clearance area. Conveniently, that’s also where they have the Kids Table stocked with toys my 2-year-old enjoyed playing with while momma shopped. That’s another thing they’ve done right. I love it when a store values their customers enough to create a place for kids.

Another great thing about Creative Lighting is that they carry so many unique items as compared to the Big Box stores. The atmosphere is nicer than at Menards, too, that’s for sure! No annoying jingles. It’s not just overhead lights on their shelves, but fans and lamps, as well. And, of course, mirrors, which is what I was shopping for. According to the web site: “We take pride in our experienced and helpful staff, our large selection of items available in stock and our low price guarantee.” Apparently, if you find an item they carry for less somewhere else, they will match the price. That’s great customer service!

THINGS OF NOTE:
• From now until March 17 you can get a coupon for $20 off a purchase of $150 or more. Redeem the coupon at http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/100628.
• Find out about sale promotions, get lighting tips and discover what’s hot in the lighting world at http://www.creative-lighting-blog.com/
• If you find an item advertised for less they will match the lowest price – “that’s our guarantee.”

Creative Lighting carries mirrors, fans, lights and lamps that range from affordable to expensive.

DETAILS
1728 Concordia Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Telephone:
651.647.0111
Showroom Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday & Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed Sundays

Eight Questions to Think About Before Your Visit
From www.creative-lighting.com

1) What is the decor of the room you want to light?
Narrow and refine your lighting search articulate your style of decor so you can focus on something that will complement your interior design.

2) What are the textures and colors of the room that will be lit?
Ideally, you would be able to bring samples of the textures and colors in the room you are lighting. Samples of wood used in cabinetry and flooring, as well as fabrics and colors, can steer you to the appropriate selections.

3) How will the room be used?
Answering this question completely ensures that appropriate lighting recommendations can be made.

When visiting a lighting showroom, in addition to having a handle on what style you like, you need to ask yourself, "what is it that I am doing in these rooms?" For example, will the lighting be used for tasks, or will it be mostly ambient or decorative? Those questions will ultimately help refine the type of light you need.

4) What are the dimensions of the room you want to light?

5) What is your budget?
Quality lighting is available at various prices. Ask one of our lighting consultants to explain the differences at various price levels within your range.

6) Where does lighting fall on the “Project Schedule”?
While we carry a huge selection of merchandise in stock, keep in mind that if you choose to order something that is not in stock the lead times are normally several weeks.

7) When should I start thinking about lighting?
Since lighting is an integral part of the design plan, your lighting questions should be decided before the project begins. We can help you with this process.

8) Do I need an appointment?
NO! yet we recommend calling ahead so we can better match what you’re looking for with our staff of lighting consultants. For example, if you want traditional lighting we would recommend you see a different consultant than if you had a highly technical contemporary design in mind.

Stay safe during a remodeling project

My sister is an emergency room nurse, and she’s always telling me horror stories of children who have been seriously injured and/or killed. The stories are enough to make your blood chill. Last summer, an 18-month-old about my daughter’s age at the time fell into a pool during a big family gathering and drowned. Everyone thought someone else was watching the baby, but the baby had other ideas and was toddling around after the big cousins, found the pool and fell in. The baby died.

I couldn’t stand for something like that to happen to my darling daughter.

So I try to always be careful.

Now, I know I can’t be so careful that she’s never able to do anything or learn anything. I like to think I am walking that balance between safety and smothering. I’m sure she’ll tell me someday when I erred on either side.

For now, my focus has been on keeping her safe through our major remodeling project.

Luckily we’re not living at the house while we’re tearing it apart. I don’t know how I’d manage that although I know that other people have lived through such chaos before and somehow survived. For me, keeping a toddler’s hands away from the power tools and leftover carpet tacks isn’t something I want to do 24/7. So we live in an apartment and are weekend and evening warriors.

I have to confess I do my best to leave our little girl at home. Well, not exactly at home, but a babysitter’s home. Lucky for me, my best friend lives just down the street from our apartment. She’s been seeing a lot of my daughter and just a little bit of me for the past few months. (When will this project end?!)

There are a million dangers at the project house.

We’ve torn up all the flooring and left the carpet tacks where we plan to reinstall carpet. Where we tore up the linoleum, we were left with millions (I swear!) of tiny staples that took an extreme effort to pull out. We tore out a wall in the living room and had a few holes in the floor while we decided what to do about various vents. Then there are the loosely stuffed toilet vents that we poked old carpet padding into while we redo the bathroom floors. The constant sheetrock dust that gets into your nose and chest. The trim we pulled off with the nails sticking out. The pieces of sharp tin from the heating vents. The fireplace sitting in the middle of the room that a climber could easily pull down. The uncovered sump pump hole.

Like I said. A million dangers.

I’ve done my best to remove things to the dumpster out back as quick as I can, but it seems like as soon as I haul something out another two items replace it. It’s endless.

So when our little girl comes to the job site, I keep a close eye on her. She wears shoes (which she always wants to rip off), she’s dressed in her own “work clothes” (overalls and old sweater), and she has to stick close to mom. I don’t get much done when she’s there except that I unplug a lot of power tools.

I have 2 important rules:

1) Our two-year-old isn’t allowed in the house when momma’s painting. I don’t want her to inhale those nasty fumes. Even though I’m using the low VOC paints, I want to expose her to as little as possible.

2) She’s not allowed around when we’re sanding sheetrock. That dust settled in my chest and gave me problems for weeks.

For a long time, we kept just a slice of carpet in the living room area for her. I’d sit her down there with snacks and toys. Now that the carpet is gone, I plop her in a chair; she likes big people chairs, so that keeps her in one place for awhile. Oh, and she LOVES climbing into the old center island we’ve got hanging around and playing hide and seek. I like that game and that location. It is completely safe as long as she stays inside the cabinet. I’m about to lose that now this weekend when we install the new wood floor. But when we install the Bellawood, that floor will finally be safe. Oh, there is an end in sight!

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We plan to move into the house after the remodeling is done, but then embark on an addition. I’m not entirely sure how I plan to handle safety when we are living in a work zone, but I’m pretty sure it will involve doors, locks and stern “Do not go theres.”

Here’s a few other tips from Consumer Reports.

Wrong answers in Minneapolis -- by the folks who supposedly know

Don’t believe the first answer you get, or the second. In fact, you probably want to get at least three answers. That’s what I have learned after a few dealings with the city of Minneapolis.

Let me tell you: I am not impressed. In fact, so far I think the city of Minneapolis is pretty ineffectual and definitely too big for its own pants.

It took me two calls to get a garbage can. I’m still waiting for my recycling bins.

My street wasn’t plowed for three days after the big storm in December.

And that ridiculous 311 system. Just send me to the correct department, please. I’m tired of getting answers that are wrong by people who shouldn’t try answering them because they don’t know what they’re talking about.

First example:

I called to see if I could get a dumpster and leave it on my street during snow emergencies. I didn’t want to pay the cost of having the dumpster company come back after the road has been plowed, of course. I wanted to leave it there until my home improvement project is done — which might not be until spring.

The first answer was exactly what I wanted to hear: Oh, it’s no problem. Just park it on the odd side of the street (luckily that’s our side), and shovel around it when it snows. You won’t need to move it during the snow emergency. After I spoke to my contractor and he spoke to the dumpster guy, I called back. The dumpster company has been having lots of problems in Minneapolis this winter.

The second answer was the one I didn’t want to hear, and so I figured must be true: No, you can’t just leave a dumpster in the street when there’s a snow emergency. You have to move it, and the city of Minneapolis doesn’t care how much extra money that incurs for you. They need to plow the street. All right. We put the dumpster behind the house instead. I can understand having a cleared off street (especially in light of my earlier complaint that the city didn’t plow me out until three days after a snow storm!).

Second example:

Yesterday, I called 311 to see if I needed a demolition permit to tear out the crappy stuff inside my house. My contractor warned me I probably needed it. But the lady who answered my call, who said she was authorized and knowledgeable about permitting, told me that no, of course I didn’t need a demolition permit unless I was demolishing the entire house. I checked online, and the information on the city’s web site about permits agreed with that answer.

I called again in the afternoon to see what I could learn from a second person. After I repeated my story about what I wanted to do in the house, she also told me I was just fine.

To be on the safe side, I asked that someone from the permit department call me back. I gave my number and got ready to wait one to three days.

A man from the permit review department just called me back. Yes, I do need a permit to remove interior stuff, he told me. WHAT?! He got annoyed when I was obviously annoyed at having been told the exact opposite by two other city employees. Whatever.

Needless to say, I am not impressed by the city of Minneapolis. It’s about time they start sending people to the correct city department again instead of using some ridiculous answering service that isn’t even based at city hall. And that’s what I plan to say on my comment card when I visit the zoning department. Wonder if they’ll bother listening to the people they serve... I won’t be holding my breath.