Sunday, July 8, 2007

It's not much, but....

...we got some doors finished. Exciting, huh? I'm sure your pulse is racing from the rush of adrenaline. ;-)

Well, my pulse isn't exactly racing (except from exertion, maybe), but I am pleased. We got back from a great five days in southeastern VA visiting family on Thursday. On Friday morning, Will and I wen to the local hardware store (privately owned "small" business...in case you're keeping track) and bought supplies. We then decided our teen boys (16 and 18) really did want to know how to use the palm sander, so we volunteered them to help. I took charge of the painting detail which included my 10 yr old daughter. My 13 yr old daughter somehow managed not to get involved. We're still trying to figure that one out.

Over the next day and a half, we worked in 95 degree weather to sand, scrape and clean the doors, and then prime and paint them. At first we tried prepping them outdoors and painting them in situ, but that was a bad idea. It's impossible to paint a door correctly when it sits on carpet, even with a drop cloth. There is no way to keep the paint from getting all over the drop cloth as you paint the bottom edge of the door. I had paint all over me by the end of the day.

The next day we tried a different tactic, one that took longer but made for easier painting and a nicer end product. We painted the doors outside while they were on sawhorses. That meant one side at a time, and it was s-l-o-w, but they looked nicer. It also meant I was outside working instead of inside. I don't generally mind the heat, so I was okay. In fact, during one painting stint the outside AC unit cycled off and stayed off for the entire time I was outside. After a few minutes I realized that I was hearing birds singing, and kids playing and laughing on the next street over. It was quite relaxing and made me smile. I kid you not...as I took the last swipe with the paint roller, the unit kicked on. I felt like God had given me a 30 minute reprieve from noise, and I was thankful I hadn't brought my iPod out with me!

So I have 9 freshly painted doors in my house. I eventually need to do 9 more, including two sets of louvered doors, but we made a start. Something on my to-do list got done. It makes a difference in my whole outlook on life! :-D

3 comments:

Jimmy said...

Just so you will know...you ended up doing it the "right" way.
http://www.ehow.com/how_21_paint-door.html

carrie said...

Thanks, Jimmy. But I wonder how you get a smooth look with a brush. I tried that on one, and it looks streaked to me. I prefer my mini-roller. then again, maybe I just don't have a really good brush!

Jimmy said...

Yes, a good brush and good paint do make a difference. It also helps if you scuff the paint with sand paper and prime before you apply the top coat. Most folks also DO NOT keep enough paint on the brush and they pull through an applied coat to many times.