Asked on Oct 05, 2018
How would you like to benefit from my mistakes?
by
Sally Alter
+7
This post is not for you experienced DIYers, it is for people like me who are new to this hobby and want to stop making stupid mistakes, and wasting time and money on bad products.
I started out in August by making a backsplash in my spare bathroom with Dollar Tree marbles. It looks awesome, but I used Mapei Tile 1 which squelched out onto some of the marbles and had to be removed with Mineral Spirits. Also, I am very bad at prep. so instead of putting down drop cloths and taping things off, I went charging in and made a lot of unnecessary mess.
Then I painted one small bathroom cabinet with a sample of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint which went on great but looked too flat. I tried some of their wax on a small portion and it looked no better. So I did two coats of Polyurethane but made a very bad job on the molding. When I painted the mirror frame I bought a small can of RustOLeum oil paint - bad smell, long drying time - then realized it was for outside furniture to prevent rust! (Read the label first in future). Still undaunted, I decided to paint the plastic sink. Oh, no, RTG Tub and Shower paint left drips, blobs, brush marks, has no sheen whatsoever and is now peeling off. I shall need to buy a new sink after all.
Next I scrubbed the tiles in my kitchen with vinegar - worked really well - but the Quick Shine I put on afterwards turned the grout brown again. Also when I cleaned the floor, the Quick Shine balled up like wet blotting paper so I had to scrub it all off with Krud Kutter.
Present project - painting the kitchen cabinets. I used General Finishes Milk Paint which needs no sanding or priming and looks wonderful. It went on very smoothly, and so far I have done 3 coats on 17 doors and one large cabinet with one quart of paint. They suggest using foam brushes which left no brush marks at all. I made the mistake of trying to fill nail holes with DAP grout which was grainy and fell out. Next I used 3M Patch and Prime and it worked well. But, oh, dear, I removed the painter's tape after the paint had dried and it took chunks out of my walls. So now I shall have to patch or repaint the walls. Also, I started to hang some of the doors then realized I should put the hardware on first!
Oh, well, you can't say I am not trying. Press onward.
To be continued......
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Oh, I forgot to mention my most successful project. I painted the kitchen counter tops with a Gianni paint kit and they look fantastic, just like granite. I also painted the bathroom vanity and a coffee table and still have some paint left for another project.
Thanks for the advice!
All of that in just two months? Slow down and take your time. Do your research and do a small sample spot if it's all that new to you.
Wow! I'm already exhausted! Thanks bunches!!
Hi Sally, I am a somewhat experienced diyer and I still make mistakes sometimes so I feel your pain. I just re-upholstered a stool that I tufted and realized that I didn't put the tufts in the right places so now I have to tear it off and start again. Live and learn. lol It does get easier I promise. There will come a time when you stand back and admire the great job you did and how beautiful it looks.
Oh, no, Rebecca - life just 'ain't fair, is it? But I am really thrilled with the way my Gianni counter tops turned out. That was my 'piece de resistance'. The cabinets are turning out OK, too, so far. My mobile home is very old so everything is made of faux wood pressed board. I am pleased to say that General Finishes milk paint bears no grudges. Onward.....
Sally....first of all take a deep breath and thank yourself for trying so hard. The ONLY way to get better at anything is to keep at it. My ONLY suggestion to you is to take more baby steps. I think your enthusiasm is causing you to do projects way above your abilities. But you will get skills and confidence each time you do a project. Most of all have fun with them.
Heh, Fiddled, I am sitting down now after just completing my kitchen cabinet painting project. I honestly never imagined I could do something so ambitious on my own. I am 71, physically ill and had to climb up and down, bend, stretch and sit on the floor. However, it is now complete and looks just great.