So, last time I posted I was in the neutral maze, cold
feet and all…
I was so much hoping the decision will make itself –
it didn’t. And that in spite of my posting a survey on twitter with the
generous number of 0 participants.
And that is why the colours travelled with me – in my
mind, as I remember them, in my handbag – so that I can review and revisit
throughout the day, different lighting, atmosphere and moods. It seems to me I
opted for A40 at a point in time when the other competitor disappointed me a
little.
Being so unsure on my choice I went for a sample –
comes in cute little pot and the manufacturers promise you 3 square meters of
sampling area.
The quantity is not true for at least two reasons:
-
The
walls are seldom flat – the surface thus is bigger than its flat projection
- When
doing a sample, the selected colour is laid against existing surfaces –
ceiling, flooring, doors, switches, architraves – for all the “borders” the
detailing brush is necessary and it consumes a great deal more paint than the
roller.
Therefore, two things to do when the pot is finished –
first I try to assess how the colour looks next to my doors, but I also try to
measure those areas and calculated the actual yield. In my case I worked out
that I only achieved around 2,5 square meters out of the 3 promised.
Once satisfied with the result, I proceeded with
calculation of the overall area nett – meaning my four walls minus 2 windows
and 2 doors. First time I got it wrong (happens), so I strongly advise to check
and recheck whatever your result is. In my glorious past, I wouldn’t worry as
much – I would just buy the paint, and then buy some more if not enough.
However – there was a discount in Brico, the quantity was more important than
usual and last but not least – all paining takes place in the weekend and there
is a limited number of shops open on Sunday, and none of them is in my area.
I mentioned the word satisfied – but satisfied I could
not be right away, because my new colour was also laid against the older
colours, so the contrast did not exactly help to evaluate the final choice.
In addition, after an advice from a previous paining
adventure, I had done an extra coat of white over the darker of the two
existing colours, so that they are equalised. I was hoping that this may save
me a second coat. It didn’t. The white paint being fresher than the existing
one mixed with the final coat (all water based paints these days!), and the
finished walls look slightly different.
As you may have already discovered, the actual
painting is small percentage in time compared to masking and detailing. I
dedicated all Saturday to the latter, and achieved the former in under 3 hours
on Sunday.
Am I ready? Photos make it hard to tell for the simple
reason that blemishes are visible mostly close up, mostly in strong daylight.
So, another coat is in order – as I am almost certain about the layout, I will
make sure to load the future visible walls well and probably make less effort
for the ones which will remain behind furniture!
In any case the painting will go on for as long as
there is paint in the pot – I had 5 litters for 60 square meters, with original
estimate of 35 square meters upgraded to 44 in order to allow for detailing and
uneven surface.
Final question – is it normal to have painting as a
full 10 days activity? Definitely not – for one – I have to quickly unmask the
freshly painted ceiling, if the tape stays for too long, then it will leave
with the paint and I may be forced to start over!
The not very successful ceiling painting is a
different story altogether, but I will keep it for later on – we have enough on
paining as it is!
And what about you? Which part of painting do you find
the most challenging – colour selection, quantities calculation, masking,
detailing, rolling? Do you feel it is still worth it doing it yourself? Don’t
be shy, share your thoughts!
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