Painting- I'm not a fan.

[SurlyCue]

I'm terrible at it. Why did i start?

I am doing DC's bedrooms top to bottom. If they didnt need done so badly i wouldnt do it but ive started so I'll finish. But i hate it.

How do i get paint off my skin?

[Soundofsettling]

If its emulsion (wall paint) it will come off eventually with soap and hot water (but you will need to soak and scrub).

Gloss paint (skirting boards) means white spirit on a cloth which is fairly nasty.

It will look lovely when it's done but sod painting in this weather! Hats off to you!

[Hassled]

Ah but it's so satisfying when it's finished. I love decorating - it's not like housework which is never-ending and never complete, it's a done-and-dusted job where you can see an actual improvement. You need music and you need to get into the decorating zone. Be at one with the brush.

Getting paint off - hot water and a sponge, and lots of scrubbing. If that fails just give it time and it'll flake off.

[SurlyCue]

Oh i know i should have organised myself better but i ordered new beds for them which are coming next week so the decorating needs to be done by then, the rooms are far too small to work round cabin beds.

Currently it is white undercoat on my skin, over the next few days it will be a mix of the eggshell finish paint and wall paint. No gloss! Yay!

[SurlyCue]

Yep i have the radio on and DCs are forbidden from crossing the bedroom thresholds. Poor DS2 has created a den on the landing just to be close to me

[SurlyCue]

Just while i have you both here, how do you think one red wall and 3 very light grey walls will look? Or should i have one red and 3 white?

[Hassled]

I think red and grey would work. Red and white is a bit Red Cross/Switzerland.

My other top tip - break it up a bit. So I do half an hour of the boring edges-with-a-brush stuff, then half an hour of slapping it on with the roller. If I do all the edges at once I lose the will to live.

[SurlyCue]

Thanks hassled! Good idea. Ive done the undercoat on skirting and door frame (only started at 7pm) so will maybe start the grey now. The rooms are so tiny and still have old bed and wardobe in til they sell. Its a reall faff. Has to be done though.

[SmellTheGlove]

Wet wipes are your friend. Get paint off you, spills on floor, sides of sockets etc.

[flanjabelle]

I am right there with you Op. After finally getting dd into her own bedroom I just had to get mine sorted. there was paint coming off the walls, all looked terrible. I am over halfway there, all the woodwork is done, falling off paint is off, I need to whitewash two walls then I can paint the colour. But fuck me I hate doing it. I like the idea of it, and the result, but not the actual process.

[JustBeingJuliet]

I always think I enjoy painting, until I'm actually in the middle of doing it, when I decide I hate it with a passion! I've got another two rooms, plus hall, stairs and landing which I'm putting off as long as possible and by the time I've finished them, the rest of the house will be ready to do again no doubt.

I always do the boring bits first; all the cutting in around the edges gets done whilst I'm in the mood, as the rollering is far more satisfying!

[flanjabelle]

Just I'm the opposite, I love cutting in and painting woodwork. I hate rollering!!

[SurlyCue]

Wet wipes are your friend. Get paint off you, spills on floor, sides of sockets etc.

Oooh! I like this tip! Baby wipes? Any old brand or johnsons etc?

First coat of white on the woodwork, radiator and first coat on red wall done. Its very depressing knowing i have to repeat each coat and then do it all over again in DS1's bigger room. I had notions of decorating the whole house. Those notions are gone. Just a dustcloud in the rearview mirror. I really under estimated how much i hate painting.

[SmellTheGlove]

Any wet wipes! I'm renovating whole house and must have used about a thousand. I'm currently mist coating all my new plaster wall which isn't too bad as you can just whack it on, but I'm not looking forward to the proper painting. Can't justify paying someone though, although I might for one room as I'm using a dark colour and worried I'll make it look shit. It's the prep I hate though, washing down walls, sanding etc. Don't have to do that with new plaster which is nice but I'm dreading the woodwork. I've found cocktails in a can at the end of the day are helping though....