Last night, I showed up at the house to sand the final room in preparation for painting this weekend. What will eventually be our shared office was, in its previous life, the master bedroom. The purple master bedroom. The most common question I get when I show friends and family around the house has to do with the status of the previous homeowner’s… uh, man bits. That a grown ass man went to sleep every night in a seven year old’s My Little Pony dream room either says that he really loved his wife (who, clearly, loved purple) or he simply didn’t notice.
Anyway, when I got there, I walked through the house cleaning up the assorted painting supplies that were strewn about and when I passed by the guest room I noticed that SURPRISE! the paint was peeling off the walls. Paint. Peeling off. The walls. Oh, man, I sure do love surprises! This whole time, I’d been thinking that the guest room would be a breeze. A breeze! A lovely Caribbean breeze! Not some dirty, downwind of the dumpster breeze. As the only room with the original paneling intact, the walls we a far sight cleaner than the rest. But joy of joys, they were painted with latex paint over years of oil paint, either to test of my fortitude or because some really just didn’t know how freaking foolish that is.
Just how freaking foolish is it? Really freaking foolish.
Now I don full body armor and a mask and I scrape. Because I’ve been left with no choice. Most of the offending paint peels off in long, rubbery strips. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking the whole thing will work that way. Tonight will be interesting.
Did I mention that we have to be done by Tuesday? As in, one week from today? Oh ha ha, yeah. On Tuesday, the floor guys start sanding the every lovin’ crap out of the lovely hardwood that apparently doubled as a dog toilet for many moons. Those floors are going to be glorious when they’re done. At some point I’ll probably roll around on them naked just to commemorate said glory. In the meantime, though, I’ve sort of hit this cement wall. And the more I tell myself, “Keep going! You’re almost there!” the closer I come to a persistent vegetative state. I’m worn out (to the point I feel sad instead of tired). But also, it turns out, stubborn. So full steam ahead.
Ahem. If you’re handy with either a small electric sander or a putty knife, PARTY AT MY PLACE! Tonight. 7PM. Who’s with me?
If you could get me a plane ticket from MA, I would come to help you. Here is a reminder: You are one awesome lady for being able to do all of this!
Haha! Katherine stole my comment! Great minds…
I’d be there in a flash to help. I love home improvement projects.
I am in awe of your new-found home owner skills.
I’d come if I lived in the same state. : )
Your body must be killing you but think of the muscles you’re getting. ; P I helped paint the nursery for my soon to be nephew and my body hurt for days. I had pains where I didn’t think it was possible to have them!
My parents and I once scraped a layer of wallpaper off their walls only to find another layer of wallpaper that had been painted over. I cred a lot of tears, so I feel your pain.
Good luck! Sometimes being stubborn comes in handy…especially when scraping.
I would if I lived closer, kiddo! In lieu of that, though, please have someone volunteer to take photos of the sanding/painting party that will ensue!!
Oh, honey. That surprise is NOT COOL. Not cool at all. If I lived closer, I would so show up and lend you a hand!
Believe it or not, I’m seriously envious of you right now. And if I could, I’d be there to assist in a heartbeat.
You’re doing great! Go, go, go!
I actually do live in Dallas and would totally peel paint tonight if I didn’t have a hard to secure dinner reservation.
I would totally help you paint this weekend. If you think I’m joking…I’m not. I’m good with a brush…
I’m in the same state but about 5 hours away. So I’ll cheer you on from here.
Hi Fish
I’ve been an avid follower of your blog for years but have never commented! Anyway firstly kudos to you on your DIY project. And secondly, you should consider painting after you’ve sanded due to the insane amount of dust that will settle EVERYWHERE. The first time we sanded our floorrs we painted first & it was a disaster!!
Good luck
Hmm…. actually, our floor guy said the exact opposite. He said if you sand the floors first and then fail to get up all the dust before you paint, you’re going to end up with a grainy finish where you missed clean up. In this case, our walls are painted, dried and will only need a wipe down once the floors are done. I’m guessing it’s just gonna be plain messy either way! Besides, it’s too late. The painting is almost done.
If I still lived in Dallas, I would totally help. I’d bring my husband, too. Wouldn’t that be more fun than a “meet and greet”? I was too chicken to go to yours when you had it something like four years ago. I’m less chicken, now. Something to do with age and having a bold 3 year old.
Didn’t you say you bought this house from a friend/colleague with an architect husband who had custom designed the kitchen?
An ex-coworker (he is a contractor, not an architect) and the kitchen is just fine. In fact, it’s my favorite room in the house. It’s new, clean, bright. Fantastic.
Hey Pretty Lady, just look on the bright side…all of this house work = awesome pre-wedding work outs! See, you’re just multitasking. Clever girl.
Can’t wait to see the before and after!
If I lived there I would totally help. Painting my house was a nightmare to long and horrific to explain so I feel your pain. And I have stripped (giggle) my fair share of paint off of furniture so I think I could tackle a wall or two with the aid of some adult beverages. As long as you were cool with my cheesy stripping jokes. And you would go with me to Ikea when we were finished.
I’m an expert paint stripper/wallpaper remover. Also putting up wall studs, insulation, drywall, and sanding. Alas, I’m near Kansas City MO…a bit of a distance for an evening of home improvement :/
Wait…didn’t you buy this house from a friend/co-worker?
An ex-coworker.
OMG. The Master bedroom of our house when we moved in was purple. Well, not the walls, but the window sills and all the trim were laquer purple. The guestroom was neon green, the dining room was pee yellow, the bathroom was a shade of orange that made you look tan (no easy task with my skin), and the original trim that has leaves carved in it had each leaf painted metallic silver. The previous owner’s name was Nancy Jo and it has become a curse word in our home.
I don’t live anywhere near you, don’t have the tools, and don’t really have a lot of talent when it comes to that sanding and painting department. However, I will be sending you massive brain waves that will create and energy field that in turn will make your job go a whole lot faster.
OK, don’t believe me; see if I care! BUT SERIOUSLY, all the best, and I do hope everything goes well.
You can do it! I’ve been there myself and it seems the closer you are to being done with an exhausting DIY project, the harder it gets to finish. I have wanted to (and have) cry and throw a tantrum and quit, but I put my big girl panties on (sometimes after a bit of a cathartic cry…because stripping floors yourself can be H-A-R-D) and finished and now it looks great! I promise the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train, and I highly recommend a fully charged iPod and perhaps the occasional glass of wine to get you through!
I had crappy walls in my kids’ bathroom. instead of going through all of that I just had it gutted! drywall was pretty cheap!
Yes, all that house work = great pre-wedding muscle shaping! You go, girl. And it will be GREAT when you move in. My unsolicited advice for you: once they’ve sanded those floors, sprinkle some baking soda around on them (it absorbs any lingering odors). If you can let it sit overnight, all the better, then vacuum it up before refinishing. Clean, clean, clean, and peace of mind
As someone who has been living in the garage while builing a house on the weekends for the last year, I’ve seen that concrete wall up close a few times. Also for paint that’s coming off in huge rubbery strips, I’d try a heat gun. It’s my favorite tool for removing paint from wood. (I think you can get them for under $20 at your local Big Box). If you just heat it up a little you can almost pull it off in one sheet!
Girl, I so feel your pain!!! I recently, as a single girl, bought a 1940′s house. In the years since its construction, the kitchen walls had been painted, wallpapered, repainted and repainted again…all without removing/sanding/etc. I spent tens of hours sanding, peeling and chipping away at those walls. It’s worth it though…I promise!