I had my first moment of "the joys of home ownership" yesterday. I’ve been digging at some of the worst cracks in the walls of the bedroom, filling them with joint compound and sanding them smooth before painting (photo right, click to enlarge). It worked fabulously on two of the walls, but…
The last one: It was like the paint was a single sheet of plastic that had been glued on to the plaster underneath 90 years ago with Elmer’s glue. Within 30 seconds, I had a paint chip the size of my palm pop off the wall intact. After that, it was like picking at a scab. I just couldn’t stop even though I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I had one unblemished piece of paint larger than my foot come off in one piece. I’m surprised I couldn’t lift the entire 1/16-of-an-inch wide sheet of dried paint off in one piece. It was completely ridiculous.
Anyway, I think some moisture had seeped in between the paint and the plaster, loosening the bonds on that original layer of paint. I cleared off most of the wall down to the original plaster when I realized that the original builders had just painted directly on the underlying surface. Anyway, a little but a joint compound will smooth out the one sharp edge, and it will look grand.
[Photo right of the cleared out section, with some paint already on it.]
I’m loving it.
I hope to get the bedroom base coat done tonight when I get home. Then I’ll prep the living room Tuesday and Thursday, put down a first coat in the living room Friday evening and Saturday morning, rag-paint the bedroom Saturday afternoon, and put a second coat down in the living room Sunday (maybe even Saturday evening). Then I’ll put a glaze coat (probably rag) on the living room walls Monday afternoon/evening (after the packers pack) and I’ll be all ready for the movers on Tuesday.
Weird yes. I have no idea what’s with those walls. But the flooring sure look great when you focus on the scraps that fell.
A home, what a wonderful new habit.