Day One - Painting the skirtings...the builder's way

We're painting the skirtings...the builder's way. That's code for Jansen's way. Which is code for doing it properly and taking three times as long as anyone else and having five rounds of quality checks on the way.

So why are we painting the skirtings nine months after we moved in? Long story short, the builders put the skirtings too low for the floating flooring to fit but it wasn't noticed until after handover. I had to pull the skirtings off to get the flooring in and we've been in a bit of a dispute since then as to who is responsible for replacing them. I already had them supplied and reinstalled by Jansen's tradies, but I wanted the builder to paint them. It's still an unresolved issue but after looking at them unfinished for this long I can't stand it any longer.

I need closure!!

Jansen said I should continue to fight the good fight on principle and while I agree, I also have the philosophy to just get over stuff and get on with life. They're only skirtings!!! Furthermore this was basically the ONLY issue in a pretty major build and I'm absolutely over the moon about everything else with the house.  So I was like pffft, it's only a day's work right?

WRONG!!

Apparently if you want to do it properly the builder's way there are a million steps compared to the three I thought there was (mask, undercoat, topcoat).

Plug up the nail holes. Wait for it to dry. 

Sand back the putty.

Wipe down all the excess and put your big, fat finger on the corner of the camera as you take the photo

Next, put Selley No More Gaps on the top of the skirtings. All of the skirtings. Like, probably over 100 metres of the stuff! Arrrgh! I google "painting skirtings" and this step didn't come up in ANY of the results. Having said that I can see how it gives a million dollar finish, so this step alone took up almost all of the day and I only completed half of the upper floor of the house. This is totally going to take more than a weekend.

Apply, wipe off excess with a wet rag and then run your finger over the top to give a smooth edge. Repeat 100 times!!

Josh was responsible for the plugging and sanding of the nail holes on the lower floor. He doesn't look very impressed does he? He did it though, with gusto and to the acceptable level of quality so kudos to him.

So that's day one complete and this is the state of the house. I can completely understand why so many couples want to divorce (or kill each other) during renovations. This is chaos the house is currently and after just one day I want to gouge my eyes out. I have to move quickly because I don't think I can live in such a state for too much longer!

Day two is to finish sealing the gaps at the top of the skirtings (most don't even have gaps but apparently I need to fill them anyway to give an "even" finish!!) mask off the floor and perhaps if there's time, paint on the first coat of undercoat.

Wish me luck!! xx