Some rather basic advice needed.

[twazzock]

Right, this may sound a bit stupid, but here goes...

I've just found out my mum and her partner are going away for the weekend, leaving me alone in the house. For some reason she's decided she needs to give me £40 to do this, and pondering this in the shower, whilst staring at the rotten wall I've had a and decided I'm going to 'freshen the place up a bit' for her return, using her sly don't-have-a-party-while-I'm-gone money.

When I say 'freshen up' I mainly mean slapping a bit of paint on a few walls in the bathroom - they're sort of peeling and stty/mouldy from the moisture getting behind them in places (I think that's the reason; pics on request anyway). I realise it's probably not going to be a long-term solution or even a particularly high quality job, but just about anything is better than what they are currently!
The hall/stairway and landing are also in need of some attention: they were stripped with the intention of being painted but that was several years ago and lack of funds put an end to that plan. This would involve much more surface area though, and I'd have no colour to 'touch up' as such; not sure mother would be too happy coming back to a house painted in a colour she didn't like.

So what I'm asking is: is it at all feasible to get some or all of this done in one day, with (probably) just one person, on £40 (somewhat negotiable) or less?
(got various DIY paraphenalia in the shed, might need some dustsheets and a feck off roller extender for the stairway though )


Excuse the general daftness of this post, I'm 18


Thanks in advance,
Richard.

[anonymous-user]

You are 18 and going to spend the b/h weekend painting your mums place? FFS, get some loud music on, some m8's around(some female) & plenty of beer. It's not a proper party unless the Police are called while it's still light ouside

Seriously, i used to day dream about how much i could get done in a day, once you start & it all goes to tit you will wish you had followed the advice above.

Have fun (either way!).

Edited by Dave_ST220 on Friday 30th April 09:29

[andy_s]

twazzock said:

Right, this may sound a bit stupid, but here goes...

I've just found out my mum and her partner are going away for the weekend, leaving me alone in the house. For some reason she's decided she needs to give me £40 to do this, and pondering this in the shower, whilst staring at the rotten wall I've had a and decided I'm going to 'freshen the place up a bit' for her return, using her sly don't-have-a-party-while-I'm-gone money.

When I say 'freshen up' I mainly mean slapping a bit of paint on a few walls in the bathroom - they're sort of peeling and stty/mouldy from the moisture getting behind them in places (I think that's the reason; pics on request anyway). I realise it's probably not going to be a long-term solution or even a particularly high quality job, but just about anything is better than what they are currently!
The hall/stairway and landing are also in need of some attention: they were stripped with the intention of being painted but that was several years ago and lack of funds put an end to that plan. This would involve much more surface area though, and I'd have no colour to 'touch up' as such; not sure mother would be too happy coming back to a house painted in a colour she didn't like.

So what I'm asking is: is it at all feasible to get some or all of this done in one day, with (probably) just one person, on £40 (somewhat negotiable) or less?
(got various DIY paraphenalia in the shed, might need some dustsheets and a feck off roller extender for the stairway though )


Excuse the general daftness of this post, I'm 18


Thanks in advance,
Richard.

I think it's best you spend the £40 on white lightening rather than white gloss. I think, long term, your mum will appreciate it more.
Nice thought though. (Just flowers and a tidy-up will do)

[Busamav]

Definitely a nice thought ,

But if you really want to please her , clean the house properly and tidy your room , seriously .

Buy a bunch of fragrant flowers and leave them in a vase in a closed room.

Spend the rest of the money on yourself.

Do not even consider having a couple of mates over for a drink if you respect your mum and her trust , just get a dirty bird(s)

[Jonny671]

£40 doesn't get you far on materials, and really not far at all with labour costs unfortunately

Maybe as others have said, a very good tidy (Cleaning things are getting more expensive, about £3 for a bottle of multi purpose now!) and some nice flowers or something.

You could, cheaply, paint out the bathroom if you did it yourself (Its not difficult) and go for something thats a safe colour.. Fishbone or off white? Yellow sometimes works in a bathroom too.

[Mojooo]

For 40 bucks I would paint the bathroom, you will get a tin of paint plus the brush/rollers etc with some change.

the other area sounds like roo much in a day.

[Busamav]

ps. If you're only 18 .......

got any pics of your Mum ?

[monthefish]

twazzock said:

a few walls in the bathroom - they're sort of peeling and stty/mouldy from the moisture getting behind them in places (I think that's the reason; pics on request anyway

Yes, I'd love to see some pics of some shiiity/mouldy paint-peeling walls.





I think that's a really nice idea but what you've described will take longer than a day (use the rule of 3 i.e. it will take 3 times longer than you predict). It will take quite a bit of time just setting up (i.e. clearing furniture, dustsheets down, finding brushes/rollers), and you don't want to get it half-done and your mum coming back to a 'work in progress'. Suggest just aim for one small job (the bathroom) and see how it goes.

Get the room dried out as much as possible, and get rid of as much of the peeling paint as you can, otheriwse the new paint won't attach to the surface and you'll just have end up with bigger bit peeling off in a couple of weeks.

Edited by monthefish on Friday 30th April 14:22

[twazzock]

I'm quite aware that I should be making the most of the free house in an entirely different way to what I've suggested here, but funnily enough somone else's parents are away too, so we'll be and fking their gaff up instead on Saturday night.

Sunday is reserved for a nice young lady to come round.

monthefish said:

twazzock said:

a few walls in the bathroom - they're sort of peeling and stty/mouldy from the moisture getting behind them in places (I think that's the reason; pics on request anyway

Yes, I'd love to see some pics of some shiiity/mouldy paint-peeling walls.

monthefish said:

Suggest just aim for one small job (the bathroom) and see how it goes.

Get the room dried out as much as possible, and get rid of as much of the peeling paint as you can, otheriwse the new paint won't attach to the surface and you'll just have end up with bigger bit peeling off in a couple of weeks.

Mojooo said:

For 40 bucks I would paint the bathroom, you will get a tin of paint plus the brush/rollers etc with some change.

Jonny671 said:

You could, cheaply, paint out the bathroom if you did it yourself (Its not difficult) and go for something thats a safe colour.. Fishbone or off white? Yellow sometimes works in a bathroom too.

The bathroom is already yellow, just a case of working out which yellow and painting over it.

Busamav said:

But if you really want to please her , clean the house properly and tidy your room , seriously .

Buy a bunch of fragrant flowers and leave them in a vase in a closed room.

Looks like I have my Saturday sorted: loud music, tidying, painting and then a or 8 in the evening.

The biggest pain's probably going to be getting the right yellow for the bathroom; I'm really looking forward to B&Q.


Thanks for the advice chaps
Any other opinions/tips welcome!



P.S. No, no pics of mum or nice young lady
Have you not heard of google images?

Edited by twazzock on Friday 30th April 15:28

[Mojooo]

If the old paint is flaky you will prob have to sand it all off to smooth it so account for the cost of sandpaper and maybe a block and clean up time.

[Busamav]

make sure you have a yellow pages at hand for sunday morning, when you need help removing paint from the hall carpet urgently

[twazzock]

Mojooo said:

If the old paint is flaky you will prob have to sand it all off to smooth it so account for the cost of sandpaper and maybe a block and clean up time.

What grit should I get? Pretty fine, I assume? Will have a rummage in the shed beforehand, there's various bits in there...

Busamav said:

make sure you have a yellow pages at hand for sunday morning, when you need help removing paint from the hall carpet urgently

[Mojooo]

i would get fine and the next one up, start with the coarser one then finish with a fine

depends how flaky it is really.

using a sanding block iwll help, you can buy them or try and make one yourself with a block of wood