Painting

Painting the ceiling…17 feet up!

This is a job we have been putting off for too long. Anyone who owns a wood stove will understand the need to paint the ceiling. We have had the stove for 9 years I think, so it was time. It probably would have been done last year or the year before but we kept putting it off. With the paint bought there was no turning back. First we had to clear the room.

painting the livingroom
Blank canvas really

You might be wondering where we managed to put everything. No worries, it all landed next door in the dining room. New rule…there will be no eating at the table for a while.

painting the livingroom
A bit crowded over there

A few weeks ago I picked a paint color for the walls after agonizing for a LONG time, headed out to pick up a quart of said paint, painted a patch on the wall and hated it. Back to the drawing board. Jim said when the paint company needs a paint chip they could come to me. I have more than any reasonable person should have. I picked a second color, headed out to pick up a quart of said paint, painted a patch on the wall and it was perfect.

painting the livingroom
This is the one!

With the room empty except for the TV and wood stove we got to work covering the floor, stairway and railings with plastic. Even the wood stove and stove pipe.

painting the livingroom
Told you everything was being covered

The blinds are too hard to take down so we covered them with plastic too. It was starting to feel like we are living in a bubble.

painting the livingroom
These are garbage bags cut open

Of course it was extremely hot and humid this week so we cranked the air conditioning and the tunes and started painting.

painting the livingroom
Ladder on the stairs, yikes

The girl at the paint counter has been our go-to for all things paint for years. She suggested that since the ceiling hasn’t been painted since the house was built, we should put a coat of primer on first. And because we have everything prepped anyways we decided it was a good time to paint the walls as well. Seeing as we are going lighter on the walls they needed to be primed too.

We had thrown around the idea of renting two sets of staging which would have been $40 for the week, but Jim said it was heavy and awkward to move around and we were worried about marking up the hardwood floor. So ladders it is. Ladders and extension poles. Jim was right. There I said it.

painting the livingroom
Its a long way up

While Jim primed the ceiling, I started priming the walls. He had to finish priming the window wall up near the ceiling. I have my limits.

painting the livingroom
Finishing up the top

Earlier in the year, while dreading the job, I had a painting company come in to give us a quote. Are you sitting down? He quoted us at $3300. So far the paint and supplies (rollers, paint tray liners, paint, primer) we have spent $300. I told Jim not to look at it like we spent $300 but like we saved $3000.

Next up is painting over the primer on the ceiling and getting some color on the walls. Can’t wait to see how different it is going to look. Tired of sitting on the couch in the dining room looking across the empty living room to watch TV in the evening.

Have a great weekend.

Later

 

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