Paint tape is going up

[duh]

Ok it rained some time last night and it is suppose to rain today and tomorrow.  But the temperatures are perfect for having the doors open.  So I'm taping the cabinets in the kitchen.  I have harvest gold paint for the walls.  This is going to darken it but it will cover up the wallboard design that I just do not like.  I know I'm one of the few but I don't like purple and green together. 

This is going to darken the kitchen but then when I paint the cabinets cream that will lighten it again. 

Wish me luck.  I really don't like to paint.  Well lets admit it, I'm a lazy bum when it comes to home maintenance. 

[duh]

And I'm not the brightest bulb in the box.  I don't need to tape the cabinets if I am going to paint them later.   Ok so all I need to do at this point is clear everything off of the counters and cover them with something I can wash.

[sunsoaker]

My kitchen is dark too Tammy. I have no window in the actual kitchen. I don't want to change the cabinet color though. I would like to put some kind of tile up for a backsplash though. Have to get some $$ to get the tile first though. It ain't cheap.

I actuall like the wall board in my house, what I don't like is the firring strips or whatever they're called, and really don't know what to do about that short of drywalling the house.

Good luck with the painting.

[Jessica]

Have fun painting, Tammy.

[duh]

Barb about the firring strips unless you are willing to paint you are stuck with them.  Behind them is a ditch.  I suppose it allowed the house to flex while it was being moved without damaging the walls.  Since my house is on a permanent foundation and has been on it for 15 years I'm figuring I'm as settled as I'm going to get.  So I'm willing to take them down.  Mud the trench behind them and paint. 

I'm thinking of making "tiles" by cutting wood squares then coating them with decopage and then sealing with poly.  Make them look like they are underglass.  I'm thinking of using different stains to give them a maple leaf pattern that matches my curtains. 

I'm lucky my kitchen has two sky lights and an over the sink window.  But I'll use the "dry stack" technique because I'm not putting up with grout anywhere in my house.  That's the one thing I hate about real tile.

[sunsoaker]

The problem with the method you are talking about on the walls is that the vinyl on  my wall board is textured, so taping and mudding would leave obvious difference in the wall texture. The thing is that my walls are already sheetrock, they are just vinyl covered sheet rock. And I am not on a solid foundation, wish I were but it would have added 30 to 40K to the cost of this place. I am on piers, and tie downs. And the house is not level to start with. So I'm thinking loosing the firring strips is a pipe dream. lol

Why is it you don't want any grout? How would you adhere tile to the wall without it?

[duh]

Yes wallboard is textured.  But a skim coat of mud and all is nice and even.  Yes wallboard is sheetrock with a vinyl cover.  Much more expensive than regular sheet rock too.

Not being on a solid foundation is a problem.  There are of course a couple of options.  It depends on the type of home decor you like.  I'm fond of traditional as long as it isn't fussy.  And I've been thinking in the livingroom I would like to put up molding squares.  I don't know what they are actually called.  But molding strips are put in to create frames on the wall.  I've been thinking about doing that but punching it up a bit by putting sheetrock up inside the "frame".  Then either wall papering the inside or outside of the framed area.  I haven't decided.  it's still only a pipe dream.  There are many other things that have to be accomplished first.  Anyway something like that may work for you to get rid of the firring strips.

I've also seen several "Cape Cod" styled rooms where they use the bead board to go half way up the walls and then do a chair rail.  That would fix half the problem and then there is a technique that frank used to use where he would mud to create a slope between the high point, "the firring", and the rest of the wall.  It would take about 3 days to build up the mud and have it completely cured.  But it's suprising what can be covered up using that technique.  Just becareful where you position any pictures since they can show up the uneven wall if they aren't placed well. 

Then of course there is panelling.  But I think if I were to panel I'd just go all out and create a den with built in shelving rather than walls.  Of course I'm a nut about books so having all of my walls lined with them wouldn't bother me.  I'm sure it would bother almost anyone else.



The stuff that you stick the tile to the wall with is fine.  No problem there.  What I am talking about is the grout that goes between the tiles.  It is decorative in nature and allows the tile to expand and contract without cracking the tile 99% of the time.  What I hate about it is cleaning it.  My mother god bless her soul had dad install tile counters back when they were in fashion.  70's I think.  Of course the cleaning was my chore.  Everything gets in grout lines and stays there.  Even sealing it doesn't completely cure the problem.  Even colored grout doesn't complete hide the problem.  So Tile is not welcome at my place.  At least not as long as I have to put up with grout. 

[sunsoaker]

Yes wallboard is textured.  But a skim coat of mud and all is nice and even.

This is what my sister started doing in her house - 3 yrs ago. lol  She still hasn't finished, and if I decide to do something about the firring strips, it is probably what I would do.

I don't have a problem with grout myself, though I wouldn't use it on a couter top just for the reasons you mention. But for a back splash, I think I'd be fine with it.

I had mostly tile on the floor in the house my ex and I had and really didn't have a problem with the grout. Whatever the installers sealed it with worked great.

I may work on my walls a bit at a time starting next fall, assuming the house doesn't show any signs of settling/shifting.

[bestofour]

I have a tile counter top in my kitchen and if I ever get rid of it I'll never have it again.  The grout stays filthy no matter what I do. 

I have beadboard in the bathrooms and love it.

[duh]

I'm looking for ideas for the bathrooms.  But I can't come up with a thing.  I think it has something to do with the fact that I hate the layout.  But I can't afford like 30K to remodel it.  Can you believe the prices contractors get to remodel bathrooms?

[Penny]

Have fun Tammy, and make sure to take some pictures too.

[bestofour]

Tammy, I'm amazed at the projects you do by yourself. 

[duh]

I stopped after taping one cabinet on this project.  Now having watched Sarah's house and how she did her cream and yellow kitchen I'm thinking I have the wrong color of paint.  And maybe the yellow should be going on the bottom cabinets rather than the walls.  I don't know.  Back to the thinking stage.  I need an interior decorator.

[bestofour]

where did you see how Sarah did her cabinets?  I want to see too.

[Penny]

Are you talking about Sarah's House on HGTV?
Her house isnt that far away from me.

[bestofour]

Oh I thought she meant one of our Sarah's.  Thanks for straightening me out.

[Penny]

Oh I thought she meant one of our Sarah's.  Thanks for straightening me out.

She could be, i just assumed she was talking about a show up here called Sarah's House, and she did her kitchen exactly how Tammy described..........................oh Tammy, where are you?

[duh]

lol I'm here.  Yes I was talking about the tv show.  Sorry for the confusion. 
Hey Penny if you ever meet the Sarah from the tv show tell her I'm a fan.  It's amazing the things she thinks of when confronted with the pre-reno.  I'm usually thinking an entirely different way.

[Penny]

She also has a cottage thats not too far from here, its the one thats on the little Island, did you see those shows?

[duh]

No I didn't.  I love cottages.  Not that I would fit in one.  I seem to grow into and then out of spaces.  I guess I'm a clutterbug.

[Penny]

The farmhouse that she just finished renovating is in Creemore, which is about 20 minutes from here, and the house infact is visible from the road, so its easy to see.

[bestofour]

I've never seen that show but I'd like to redo my kitchen.  It seems so much work though to redo the cabinets.  I used to go to a hair salon where the owners redid the cabinets and they looked cheap and worse than before they were redone.  That's what I'm worried about.

[duh]

That would be awful.  But considering what I have to work with it's not a problem for me lol.  There isn't anything that I like about my cabinets except that they hold stuff. 

[bestofour]

 

[duh]

oooops wrong place.