rivka | (no subject)

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In every relationship, sometimes you say things that you wish you could take back. Maybe they sounded innocent in your head, or maybe you knew you were treading on dangerous ground but couldn't quite imagine how much trouble you were about to get into. Then the words are out. You can never snatch them back.

The struggle, desperation, misery, aching, pain, and regret that follow are the price you pay for your unguarded tongue.

What was I thinking? But it's too late to focus on that now.

I said "Hey, why don't we paint the bathroom this weekend?" and now I'm stuck with "Hey, why don't we paint the bathroom this weekend."

May God have mercy on my poor solvent-addled soul.

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I counsel frequent breathing breaks. And (assuming you can) leaving the bathroom window open overnight.

Next time the whim strikes, there's always that age-old relationship advice: Sleep on it. Maybe it will pass. (-;

I counsel frequent breathing breaks. And (assuming you can) leaving the bathroom window open overnight.

We've got the window open, and we'll run a fan tonight. And we both have lead-paint-rated respirators.

Unfortunately, for many many years people have painted this bathroom without removing the paint underneath. So we've got truly amazing amounts of paint to remove before we can even start putting more paint on. I've been cursing them, of course, but I must admit that painting without stripping is starting to sound a lot more appealing.

If it were entirely my decision and my work, I would paint over until we were crowded out.

You fool!!! What *were* you thinking!
I can only shake my head, knowing it's far too late...

What *were* you thinking!

That schnauzer-pee yellow and scuffed-up white weren't good colors for a bathroom. :)

i hope that you (and the relationship) survive!

(i left town when the house was painted and i was still sick as a dog for two weeks afterward--so i really do hope that you come through it better!)

Scared me for a sec. :)

Would it be useful for me to come by and help for a few hours? I just got in from mulching the leaves in the yard, and Amanda should be OK watching Rhiannon.

Thanks, sweetheart, but the bathroom's barely big enough for two - let alone three.

We're okay, it's just going to take many, many coats of paint stripper to get rid of what's probably fifty years worth of layers of paint.

Yeah, I know it's a small space. I thought perhaps I could relieve you or Michael for a while.

Well, after Heaven-only-knows how many applications of paint stripper, we're letting the chemicals work. Nobody's sure about when the last time the bathroom was stripped down to the wood (although we think that the bathroom was an add-on, so it has to have been after 1875, when the house was built). I can see at least four coats on the door, and five on the windowframe, so this may take a while.

At least we've got a downstairs half-bath...

(unsolicited advice) Having done this before... respirator masks are only $35 at HD, plus another $10 for cartidges. Beats getting dizzy from the fumes...

Also, are you guys using solvent-based, citrus or paste strippers? If I have lots of time, the paste strippers work well if I cover them with plastic wrap. And they don't stink.

Ceilings, now... (shudder). The stripper falls in my hair and eyes. Likewise with lead-containing paint dust when I sand it afterwards... euw. Good luck!

We're using a solvent-based stripper, as that was what the HD guy recommended. I'm taking a break after 45 minutes of vigorous scraping to try to get some of this crap off, and it's slow going. It doesn't help that the little spray bottle that came with the stripper is about as effective at spraying as it would be if I just spit on the surface instead.

I thought this project was going to go a little faster than it actually is (I know, I know -- Home Improvement Rule 1: Everything Costs More and Takes Longer), so I'm going to have to do the ceiling later this week. I'm thinking of going for a citrus-based product that I can get in spray cans. That's going to be a pigfucker of a job there.

We've got lead-paint-removal respirators, but they don't come with cartridges. The lead-paint problem is the reason we're going with stripping the whole damn thing.

I'm sure you can sympathize with my level of general frustration right now. Still, the advice is certainly welcome. Thank you.

Grrrr. Arrrggh.

The solvent-based stuff works pretty well on alkyd or oil-based paints, but loses IMO on latex or really-old paint. Citrus comes in spray cans, works in an hour or two, works great on latex, mediocre on oil-based. Sometimes it helps to alternate applications... and you'll probably need multiple applications anyway.

And it hardly ever comes off completely... then sanding is needed. Sigh.

The kind of respirator I'm thinking of is a hard plastic mask with a rubber skin-seal, and accommodates one or two filter cartridges (the solvent cartridge also handles dust). Basically an industrial low-end unit. I use one for painting, staining, stripping, etc., or when

patgreene paints her toenails.

Ceiling suggestion: I've tried several approaches, and they all suck. Sandblasting has a strange appeal, after awhile. The least bad approach that I've found: Get wide strips of shelf paper, non-adhesive. Ladle paste-stripper on one side, and carefully apply the wet side to the ceiling. Secure it with pushpins, thumbtacks or small nails. Remove it the next day, or before the paste hardens. Sometimes the paint will stick to the shelf paper when you peel it off, otherwise scrape, reapply and eventually sand as usual (shakes head).

Messy and frustrating, no matter what... my sympathies.

Hee! Happy painting! :-)

-J

I offer you my sincerest condolences : >

(And, like

mactavish, you scared me for a sec: D )

I offer you my sincerest condolences : >

(And, like

mactavish, you scared me for a sec: D )

Brave, brave, brave

rivka and

curiousangel.

If you want some amusement, you might think about the experience that

betnoir and her DH had when they were stripping the nicotine-varnished wallpaper from their house, complete with the "son's room" that had the added charm of cannabis resin infused into the walls. I'm told that DH got a (timeshifted) contact high from the resin.

oh, dear. oh, dear.

have you heard our bathroom remodelling story?

if not, don't ask until after you're done. honest.

Alas, I now believe that we will never be done.

well, um, same here.

but we have walls again, and have for months. maybe even a year at this point. whew.

Brave li'ls.

We can all share remodeling horror stories over alcoholic beverages sometime.

Meanwhile, I hope the outcome is very rewarding.

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