Painting - Interior Painting Advice

Friends,

We recently bought a house built in 1937 of cinderblock, with concrete floors on the first and second floors. There is a crawl space under the first floor. We are going to put wood flooring in every room except the baths, dining room and kitchen. I would like to ask for help with an interesting problem I stumbled into.

I was removing carpet from one of the bedrooms. When I tried to pull back the carpet lengthwise so I could cut a strip from the bottom, I couldn't free the carpet on my left side. Why not? Well, I looked at the carpet on that wall and discovered that it is running UNDER the drywall. Uh oh.

Now on that wall, there is an electric outlet. The outlet box is sunk way back into the wall by 2" or so. It's almost like someone punched the outlet box backwards into the wall. I examined the opening for the outlet box. I can see 2 sheets of 3/8" drywall pressed together. I can also see that the outlet box is surrounded by white foam stuffed in there for some purpose.

We went to talk to the real estate agent who brokered the house, and who happens to live 2 townhouses away from us -- a 30 foot walk. He knew the sellers and helped them with some of their house projects. He said that the paint started peeling on that particular wall. So the former owners simply bought additional drywall, nailed it up against the old drywall, taped it, and painted it. They didn't remove the old drywall first and then install new drywall. They simply nailed a whole new layer of drywall on the old one.

Unfortunately, they built this right on top of the carpet. There is 3-4" of carpet running UNDER the drywall on that side of the room. They also did not remove the baseboard wall trim on the other 2 neighboring walls. But they didn't
bother to add new trim on the new wall.

Now, since a wood floor is going into that room, how do you think I should deal with this? I think I need to remove the "false wall" so I can get every last bit of carpet and trim out. What do you think?

Hello,

I just moved into an old house (built in the 1930's), and want to paint to brighten things up a bit. The walls are plaster, with wood trim that has been painted the same color as the walls. The previous paint jobs are a bit sloppy, with drip marks in some spots. There is also some dark colors (red) that I would like to cover up with something considerably lighter, but I'm concerned about bleed through. Also, I would like to paint the trim a different color than the walls. I am using latex satin finish paint for everything. I have no experience in any type of painting, and would really like some advice. How do I get rid of the old drip marks so they don't show when I paint over them? What is the best way to paint over a dark color and avoid bleed through? When painting the trim a different color, do I paint the walls first or the trim first? How do I keep the paint line from the trim to walls from looking smudgy (is tape my best/only option). Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. I am on a budget, so any fixes would have to be inexpensive. Thanks!

Just Tro It In & See What Happens

Hello!

It looks like your painting thread got posted to Bob's problem about drywall being installed over the carpet. I hope he simply cut the carpet out with a utility knife and didn't tear the drywall out. That would have been a lot of work. We had some technical difficulties a while back, so I guess we are still running into some of our lost posts.

There are some really good books on painting at the home centers and paint stores. I would recommend buying one or simply standing in front of the book rack and reading a couple. And, the library is always a good place to start any project.

Old drip marks will have to be sanded out. If you scrape, you will have to respackle the areas and possibly sand.

Dark colors will have to be primed, possibly even with two coats of primer. I once primed a dark peach livingroom with one coat of primer and applied two coats white latex. When the morning sun came in the livingroom window, I could have sworn the walls were light peach. Everyone told me it was my imagination. Perhaps it was because I knew the peach was under there.

Always paint your walls first and your trim last. Use a good trim brush. With some practice and a steady hand, you may not need tape. If you do use tape, use painter's tape rather than masking tape.

After you do some reading about interior painting, you will begin to visualize yourself doing it. Then, when you actually do it, you will feel like you have done it before. Before you get out to the homecenter or the library in search of books, go to www.interiordec.about.com/cs/paintinginteriors for helpful info including tutorials. There are many other helpful sites on the internet as well.

Thanks for the response, sounds like some excellent advice. One other question. What grit sandpaper would you recommend to get rid of the drip marks? Thanks again!

I usually buy a pack of the mixed "grits" so I have a choice when I am sanding. If a fine grit doesn't seem to work, perhaps a medium grit will. The mixed packages usually contain fine, medium, and coarse.

Twelvepole has given good advice.

I would add that I've had success using sanding screens instead sandpaper. Sanding screens are used to sand joint compound.

Also, get your paint from a paint store, not a home center. The extra couple $$ are well worth it.

Do not skimp on the tools, either. An $8 brush is so much easier to use than the $2 special. Most diy complaints about painting come from using cheap tools and cheap paint.

If you do use tape, remove it as soon as you're done painting. If you wait several days, you run the risk of pulling paint off the wall.

Here's a hint on using a brush - paint with the tips. Too many diy'ers end up painting with the sides of the brush.

BobF, An $8 brush? An $8 brush? Is that the one with the bright color plastic handle with the inch thick plastic bristles? $8? hmmmmm, how about a minimum $13 Wooster Advantage? remember BobF, if you're going to use good paint DON'T use a crappy brush or roller sleeve. Happy painting from all of us at JDX.

As a former paint store owner and painter, I can vouch for the message about buying good brushes. You would be suprised how many times I have seen people buy good quality paint, and try and put it on with cheap painting tools. It just isn't going to work. Cheap tools can make a good gallon of paint look bad. Buy good quality tools from a legitimate paint store.

I always use good tools. They are indeed cheaper in the long run. The $8 example was relative to the $2, not a recommended price point.

Sorry if I confused you, JDX.

Not confused here, BobF. I think this a case of BobF getting his brush caught in the wringer.
BobF, just so I don't get confused again. What is your favorite paint brand, roller sleeve type and brand and brush brand? It's good to see you pushin' quality paint now we've got to work on you using quality tools to do the job right, ehhhhhh?

:eek: