With school winding down and my part-time job load becoming lighter for the summer I'm finally planning to tackle some much-needed home improvement projects.My problem with home improvement is that I'm a dreamer but not a follow-througher. I want projects to be quick, easy and still produce results that look professional and stylish.
For that reason, I have NOT done much painting in our home and it desperately needs it! Oh yeah, and I may have been a smidge busy chasing after my three little ones. (Speaking of which, Solomon has just pulled down all the homeschool books from the shelf TWICE since I've sat down to finish this post). Matt painted both the kids' rooms but didn't do any trim. And then I painted the bathroom in one VERY harried day with my mom a year ago. I wanted it to be a "while-you-were-out" type of project so we crammed the whole shabang into one full day. With two little kids running around and one big pregnant belly in the mix.
Already, the bathroom needs to be redone in some places. I didn't sand the vanity or mirror so the paint is peeling off. We also didn't use moisture-resistant paint so it's bubbled up near the shower and my curious 1 year old enjoys picking it off whenever he gets the chance.
So, that's my brief and sordid history with painting. And now I'm scheming to add these painting projects to my summer to-do list:
* paint front door and window trim
* repaint worn spots on front porch
* touch-up needed spots on bathroom wall
* sand and repaint mirror and vanity
* strip old paint layers from inside window trim and restore wood
It's that last project idea that prompted this blog post. I've NEVER stripped paint before and I'd like some advice from folks who have. Is it worth it? I have at least 5 window trims and 5 door trims I'd like to strip and restore. There are two layers of paint over most of the trim that I'd have to peel off before restoring the wood.
There are many high traffic spots around the house where the paint is peeling on its own. I've been chipping away at this spot by Clive's door for a few weeks now. Doesn't the wood underneath look nice?
Am I crazy here? Or is this a doable summer project?
3 comments:
Oh, Alicia! I know your problem inside & out. Our house had paint over wallpaper on the walls in the living room & dining room & wallpaper in the bedroom. It all had to be removed. It's a horrible long process but SO WORTH IT! Also, I have stripped a large dresser of about 4 layers of paint. I would suggest removing the window trim so that you can do the process outside. The chemicals are harsh & very stinky. I ended up with little chemical burns blotched all over my arms & legs b/c I did my project in July & August. It was so hot & humid I wore shorts & tank tops even though the chemical would flip around & get me. I would say all of your projects are certainly doable but you will have to be very patient b/c they are all very time consuming & require quite a bit of elbow grease. I'm excited for you - the improvements will make you so glad you did it! Keep us updated (I promise you, there is no way you could move at a slower pace than Mike & I *grin*).
Mary Ann: THANK you so much for your great advice! Oh, believe me, I'm SURE I can beat your slow pace. All these projects are just dreams right now. I've got no plan and no idea when I'll have time to tackle any of these projects! And I don't think there's any way to remove the trim. The house is 100+ years old and the wood is HEAVY and well-fastened. I think I'll look into removing the layers with heat to see if that's more doable for me. Thanks again for your wonderful advice and encouragement!
Mary Ann is right - it is a horrible process, but very worth it. (When you're all done and looking at your beautiful work with a tall glass of iced tea in hand!)
rooting for you - you can do it!!
Post a Comment