Time Remaining: 6 Days
This morning we started at 8:30 and Bill Skinner from Astech Closets arrived at 9:30 to install the closet. He is flying through his install, while Tino and Peter are patiently pushing through the last of the painting. We've got our good friend Amy's Miele vacuum to pick up the dust (we might be buying her a new one after this), and will be posting intermittently today. We will be taking pics however, which will all go up by days end.
Here Tino is putting the finishing touches on our two tone walls in the main room. We had trouble with the blue tape pulling the dry paint away, but I was able to figure out how to soften the tape this morning so we're good to go.
I've had problems pulling paint tape off too -- how did you solve the problem?
Whoa! This is really, really impressive!
You may have the only project I've seen start behind schedule that didn't finish any further behind schedule. That sounds like faint praise, but it's really significant -- it takes work and dedication to prevent delays from snowballing.
I stick the tape to my shirt first, or the couch for longer pieces, to pick up some lint, reducing the amount of sticky surface available. I've also discovered that if it's feasible for your project, pull the tape off before the paint dries (being very careful not to let the wet paint on the tape touch anything).
Good for you -- go go go!
There is also low tack tape out there that reduces fresh paint pulling off the walls.
This is too late to help Maxwell and Sara Kate, but might be useful for someone else -- I bought some painter's tape that's purple, and has less stickiness (sorry, can't remember the name, but I just googled purple painter's tape, and came up with Shurtape CP-28 30-Day Purple Painter's Tape). You might find it helpful. (No guarantees, though! I was using it on paint that had been there for quite a while, not on a newly painted surface.)
My name is MPH and I am a new addict to AT.
It's become my favorite pasttime at lunch. I just finish reading the entire blog on your 9 month cure and I just want to say - "Good for you!" and soon, "congratution!". I went through a similar situation last year and empathise with you and your wife. To make a long story short - got pregnant, married, felt sudden urge to provide a nice nest for the new baby, bought a condo, undergo "minor" contruction, deliver one week after major work was completed - right on schedule both the baby and the project - the latter by sheer determination.
Despite the nay-sayers, your instinct to do the renovation before the baby is right. Because, after the baby is born, there will no time to do anything else - much less a renovation. It takes over and a new life begins.....
One thing about removing tape... Instead of just pulling it straight off perpendicular to the wall, it works much better if you pull back over itself, parallel with the wall...
also - you can smooth some silicone over the edge of the tape before you paint. it's an extra step, but it might avoid having to go over for touch-ups.
AND - if you pull the tape off before the paint is dry, it usually helps.
yes smallcitybeth in canada is right - ALWAYS BUY THE PURPLE TAPE. It's a lifesaver. My painter uses it, it's how I even discovered it in the first place!
Holly
BY "WE" - sk SHOULDN'T BE ON SITE.
What is the paint you're using. Color looks great!
scotch makes a delicate surface tape that is excellent for use on striping walls. the trick is to lessen the adhesiveness even further by putting the tape on your pants or running it over a couch to pick up some lint. after removing the excess tack, place tape where you want to stripe. here is the important part: SEAL THE EDGE OF THE TAPE WITH THE OPPOSITE WALL COLOR. THIS IS HELPFUL BECAUSE ANY PAINT BLEED YOU WILL GET WILL BE THE OPPOSITE WALL COLOR THUS CREATING A SEAL WHERE THERE ARE TEENY GAPS IN THE TAPE. LET PAINT DRY AND THEN PAINT REAMAINING ACCENT COLOR. YOU CAN PULL UP THE TAPE AS YOU GO IN SECTIONS.
For tape that's on the floor/wall interface, we found that running a razor along the floorboards where they meet the tape meant to paint being pulled off the wood. I'm curious to see what works for walls too!
regards,
trillium