Tip by KatieMae

 

 

 

 

Instructions from My Romantic Home Blog

 

Stripping: I almost always strip my furniture before I paint it. Another option would be to sand it really well. You don’t want any clear finish or wax on it or the paint will scrape right off. I use Jasco paint stripper. It comes in a can and I think you should be able to find it at most hardware stores. Follow the directions on the can and make sure you have long sleeves and pants, shoes, and safety glasses or goggles on. Trust me on this one…I was using this wearing flip-flops and got just a speck of it on the top of my foot….Ouch, it feels likes it's burning a hole through your skin…actually it probably is. You can use a wire brush to get into crevices. I buy the small disposable wire brushes at the hardware store (they are shaped like a toothbrush).

Prepping: Before you paint, wipe the piece down to remove all the stripper and sand it lightly. I like to use the 3M sponge sanders. Wipe down again after sanding.

Primer: Some pieces I primed first and others I didn’t. If the wood still has stain that was not removed completely from stripping and sanding it, I would prime it for sure. Make sure you get a primer that also says "sealer", this will seal the stain so it doesn't bleed through your paint. Some pieces of furniture will need two coats of primer to seal the stain.

Paint: I use regular latex indoor house paint. I’ve used flat and eggshell, it doesn’t really matter, in the end they look the same. I use a soft white, not pure stark white but any color will do. Just brush it on following the grain of the wood. Let it dry and if needed add a second coat. I wait about a week before I go on to the next step (If you're in a hurry you can probably wait 48 hours and be fine). Latex paint it will be gummy if you try to sand it before it’s really had time to cure. Warning...It’s going to look really bad at this point, it will be very flat and chalky looking, especially if you used flat latex but trust me it will look good in the end after you put the paste wax on.

Sanding and distressing: I lightly sand the whole painted piece with very fine sand paper. This really smoothes out the latex paint. On the edges I sand through to the wood to give it a distressed look. You want to do this in areas where the piece would normally wear over time, like on the edges. If you want a more distressed look you can take a large chain and hit it on the wood to leave dents…I don’t do this but I’ve seen my dad do it on his pieces.

 

 

 

 

Tape off anything that you don't want painted or over sprayed. I used Rustoleum Wrought Iron Texture paint to make it "look like" wrought iron but I was painting over the builder basic shiny brass fixture. So, I primed it first with the Rustoleum metal primer so that the paint would adhere better and not drip or run on the slick surface. If you have a chain that accompanies it, remove it and paint it separately because the cord inside it will not take the paint well and will look tacky. (Most of the cords are plastic coated to which the paint won't stick. If you have that type of cord and want to paint it black, you have to use the Kylon Paint for Plastic on it.)

Another hint, get one of those trigger sprayers at the home improvement center that fits over the spray button on the can. Instead of using the button to apply, the trigger really helps give smooth, even application maintaining the proper distance so that you avoid runs and drips which make the appearance of the finished product look amateur. And, don't try to cover the entire thing in one go. Spray it from one direction, let it dry. Turn it to another, spray again and let it dry. I rest mine on coffee cans to elevate it so that I can see where I missed. But you really have to keep turning the chandelier to make certain you have even coverage and haven't missed a spot.
Many light coats is better than one heavy coat.

 

 

 

 

 

Tips by KatieMae

 

The easiest, fastest way to go is to use a wallpaper steamer.  You can buy one at Lowe’s/Home Depot, or you can rent one from a rental shop.  The ones from a rental shop are industrial and much more hardcore than the ones you buy from Lowe’s/Home Depot.  I don’t know if you can use a steamer on drywall.  It might damage the paper layer of the drywall.  However, I know you can use the steamer on plaster walls.  First, score the wallpaper.  Then, hold the steamer on top for about 30 seconds.  Use a putty knife (one that you use for drywalling) and scrape off the wallpaper.  When you’re finished, wipe down the walls to remove any remaining glue.  Prime the walls, then paint. 

Two other options if your wallpaper isn’t layers thick, painted over, on the ceiling, etc. One is to use fabric softener or DIF wallpaper removing gel.  For both, score the wallpaper first.  Apply the solution, the remove with a putty knife.  This stuff works, just not as good as a steamer does.

 

 

Tips from CutesBoots:

Determine if your walls are plaster or drywall.  Drywall is more delicate, so you'll want to avoid beating them up with tools and soaking them very heavily.  Prep for the job by moving away furniture, removing outlet covers, and protecting your floors.

1.  Lift a corner of the paper and pull.  If you're lucky, you'll have a quick-peel type of paper that comes off in long strips.  There will still be a brown backing and glue left on the wall, but it's a start.

2. Run a scoring tool over the wallpaper (Paper Tiger).  Light, even pressure is all it takes.  If you press too hard you'll risk damaging the wall.

3. Wet & Scrape - Work in small sections

For plaster walls, the steamer method can be a huge timesaver.  For drywall, you need to be more careful not to oversaturate your walls, so unless you're dealing with multiple layers of paper, a steamer can be overkill.  A steamer can still work, but you have to be extra careful with your scraper not to damage the top layer of drywall.  Check with your friends and family, because you may be able to borrow one for free.  If you're going to buy or rent a steamer, just get the small one.  By the time you need to refill it, you'll be ready for a break while the water heats up anyway.

To use the steamer, hold it over one part of your wall until it saturated.  Move the steamer over a little, and scrape off the area that you just steamed.  By the time you've removed this portion, the next spot will be ready.  It helps if you can work with both your hands to switch off and keep moving.

Otherwise, wet your walls by apply your preferred solution with a spray bottle, or with large sponges.  Depending on your tolerance for odors, you can start with a homemade concoction of vinegar and water or diluted fabric softener.  The key is to mix these in HOT water.  You'll want to make it in  batches to keep the heat.  Or, you can buy a premade formula (like DIF), which can be purchased in a spray bottle or as concentrated gel.  Allow the solution enough time to soak in and saturate the paper, it can take longer than you'd expect depending on the paper.  For really stubborn glue, apply strips of wet newspaper to the walls.

4.  At this point, you'll still have some remenants of glue.  Wash them with soapy water or with TSP solution.  Don't skip this step, or your paint will not adhere properly.

 Make sure your subfloor is completely level, or you risk having your tiles break after walking on them.  Screw down cement backerboard to the floor.  Where the joints come together on the backerboard, apply mortar so the surface stays level.  Let dry for 24 hours.  If using natural tile, you’ll have to seal the tile before laying it.  They sell sealer that’s good for 1 year, or sealer that’s good for 10 years.  The 10 year sealer is much more expensive, but I think it’s more practical.  Paint on the sealer 3-4 times and let dry.  If using ceramic tile, you can skip this step.  Then, you’re ready to lay the tile.  Cut your tiles with a wet saw, apply mortar to the backs of them with a trowel.  Use the teethed edge of the trowel.  Firmly set the tile on the floor.  Make sure none of the mortar gets in between the tiles or on top of the tiles.  Apply spacers in between the tiles so they’re all evenly spaced.  Let the mortar dry for 24 hours. 

Next, you’ll apply the grout.  Mix up the grout to a semi-thick consistency and smoosh into the cracks between the tiles.  There is a special tool used for grouting that is like a rubbery trowel.  After letting sit for about 15 minutes, wipe the excess grout away with a damp sponge.  Let the grout dry for at least 3 days. 

If you used natural tile, seal the entire tile and the grout 3 more times with the tile sealer.  If you used ceramic tile, only seal the grout 3 times.  Be sure not to get the sealer on ceramic tile itself because it’ll leave a filmy residue that can’t be removed.  If you sealed enough, you’ll notice that water will bead on the tiles like water beads on a waxed car.

 

Instructions by BeckysinLuv

 

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Tips by Kt&Dave

 

I used a sheetrock sanding block to lightly sand the entire surface, then I wiped down the surface with 50/50 vinegar and water mixture to fully prep the fridge, taped off the ice maker and stainless steel sections. I then used Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy spray paint in small sections to avoid the paint from running. I would recommend removing the handles (which I forgot to do) and not spraypainting indoors it leaves a layer of paint sut on everything.

 

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How to Paint Stripes

 

Tips by MsLindseyLou:

I used flat and gloss because I really wanted it to show up, but you could use satin instead or whatever.

I painted the bottom part with flat paint first. And then marked off where I wanted my stripes, I did 6 inch stripes. I taped them all, and since we have textured walls, I painted over the edges of the tape with the flat brown paint to seal the tape to the wall, so the gloss paint doesn't seep under the tape. Then I just painted with my gloss brown paint. then when its all dry you can peel the paint off.

It's pretty simple, time consuming though - taping those stripes took forever! But once I got that done it was easy!

 

 

 

 

Tips from Nestie jenmorris:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Websites to find the letters:

 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/oneletter/