painting the bathroom
8/24
some things i learned today while painting the bathroom
(most of them i already knew, but had conveniently forgotten)
i am not precise and i am not methodical
i am easily distracted
the internet is an easy distraction
so are cookies; i like the crunchy wafer kind with dark chocolate,
i just ate the last three
:(
(and a little distraction is good: paint fumes are bad, even latex)
i like to make lists
if you leave the lid to the paint can lying on the floor, you might step on it
no, i didn't, but i could have, and there is still time...
i much prefer a brush to a roller, unfortunately i have 11.5' ceilings
some things you might want to consider before going to the top of an 11' ladder:
that dress you wear in the studio for painting is not the safest thing for climbing rungs
(i didn't change)
do you have enough paint in the tray?
(i did)
having a rag handy in the event that you hit the light fixture with a loaded brush
(i did, i didn't)
if your best friend is in crisis and could call at any moment, you might consider having your cell phone within arms reach
(she didn't, i didn't)
you do have to tape EVERYTHING because it does matter if there is ochre paint on the side of the toilet tank
paint drips
(yes, i know you are careful, but paint drips)
why is this important?
because if you don't believe it will happen, how could you ever find it when it does?
in life one makes mistakes, not a problem,
what is a problem is believing you don't (make mistakes)
which gives you no chance at all to correct them.
it is generally good to clean up drips as you go
one exception might be the cover to the light fixture: it is very hot
yes i know i said to tape everything but...
light is good,
light is good,
light is good,
more light is better
(this applies elsewhere in life as well and you don't have to have SAD to know this is true)
it is proper etiquette to use your finger(s) to remove stray paint from surfaces
(you might want to take that with a grain of salt: i eat my salad with my fingers)
thank god for latex paint
(i never thought i could feel that way)
latex is great: it dries quickly
latex sucks: it dries quickly
(wrap up those rollers and brushes between coats if you ever want to use them again)
you will need 2 coats,
and no, it doesn't make a difference that it's the same color
3 coats is probably better (but i'm not going that far)
joint compound works better than paint for filling holes
sheet rock works better than joint compound for building walls
yes i do tend to make walls out of joint compound,
i like to think of it as a retention of my italian heritage (as in master plasterer)
if you are seeing flaws where you've primed, (and you do need to prime)
you will see more when you've painted
like a panty line or a bald spot;
just because you choose to look at these things from a more forgiving angle,
doesn't mean no one else will see them
and no, those extra 2 coats of paint are not going to fill in those cracks
but if there is ANY chance of this happening... you'll need to use a brush
(and watch for drips)
yes, you do have to wait until the paint is COMPLETELY dry before applying another coat
(like removes like)
for those hard to reach places, sometimes it's nice to be able to paint with your left hand
:D
(apologies to all you southpaws for being so not pc, but "non-dominant hand" just doesn't pack the same punch)
while it is true that very few people (if any) are going to check to see if you painted behind the toilet,
you will feel better knowing you did
(maybe not precise, maybe not methodical but i am a bit obsessive)
when it comes to earning a living, i will stick to data conversions
when it comes to painting, i will stick to situations where subjective is more highly valued than objective
when you've finished the cookies,
when you've read all your email,
there is still another coat to paint,
bike ride anyone?
some things i learned today while painting the bathroom
(most of them i already knew, but had conveniently forgotten)
i am not precise and i am not methodical
i am easily distracted
the internet is an easy distraction
so are cookies; i like the crunchy wafer kind with dark chocolate,
i just ate the last three
:(
(and a little distraction is good: paint fumes are bad, even latex)
i like to make lists
if you leave the lid to the paint can lying on the floor, you might step on it
no, i didn't, but i could have, and there is still time...
i much prefer a brush to a roller, unfortunately i have 11.5' ceilings
some things you might want to consider before going to the top of an 11' ladder:
that dress you wear in the studio for painting is not the safest thing for climbing rungs
(i didn't change)
do you have enough paint in the tray?
(i did)
having a rag handy in the event that you hit the light fixture with a loaded brush
(i did, i didn't)
if your best friend is in crisis and could call at any moment, you might consider having your cell phone within arms reach
(she didn't, i didn't)
you do have to tape EVERYTHING because it does matter if there is ochre paint on the side of the toilet tank
paint drips
(yes, i know you are careful, but paint drips)
why is this important?
because if you don't believe it will happen, how could you ever find it when it does?
in life one makes mistakes, not a problem,
what is a problem is believing you don't (make mistakes)
which gives you no chance at all to correct them.
it is generally good to clean up drips as you go
one exception might be the cover to the light fixture: it is very hot
yes i know i said to tape everything but...
light is good,
light is good,
light is good,
more light is better
(this applies elsewhere in life as well and you don't have to have SAD to know this is true)
it is proper etiquette to use your finger(s) to remove stray paint from surfaces
(you might want to take that with a grain of salt: i eat my salad with my fingers)
thank god for latex paint
(i never thought i could feel that way)
latex is great: it dries quickly
latex sucks: it dries quickly
(wrap up those rollers and brushes between coats if you ever want to use them again)
you will need 2 coats,
and no, it doesn't make a difference that it's the same color
3 coats is probably better (but i'm not going that far)
joint compound works better than paint for filling holes
sheet rock works better than joint compound for building walls
yes i do tend to make walls out of joint compound,
i like to think of it as a retention of my italian heritage (as in master plasterer)
if you are seeing flaws where you've primed, (and you do need to prime)
you will see more when you've painted
like a panty line or a bald spot;
just because you choose to look at these things from a more forgiving angle,
doesn't mean no one else will see them
and no, those extra 2 coats of paint are not going to fill in those cracks
but if there is ANY chance of this happening... you'll need to use a brush
(and watch for drips)
yes, you do have to wait until the paint is COMPLETELY dry before applying another coat
(like removes like)
for those hard to reach places, sometimes it's nice to be able to paint with your left hand
:D
(apologies to all you southpaws for being so not pc, but "non-dominant hand" just doesn't pack the same punch)
while it is true that very few people (if any) are going to check to see if you painted behind the toilet,
you will feel better knowing you did
(maybe not precise, maybe not methodical but i am a bit obsessive)
when it comes to earning a living, i will stick to data conversions
when it comes to painting, i will stick to situations where subjective is more highly valued than objective
when you've finished the cookies,
when you've read all your email,
there is still another coat to paint,
bike ride anyone?
