scraping, priming and leaving it at that...

DIherself

As we all know, the key to success is preparation... tedious, etc. And one person's choice of paint color might be another person's eyesore. So I had an Ikea idea: I did super-hero prep -- TSP'd, scraped a hundred times, 2 coats Kilz. It looks good. When I sell the house, I can say the hard part's done, all you have to is maybe wash the walls -- pick your color and paint it yourself, the fun easy part. Can you tell me why I couldn't quit there? Thanx, Jean

Leah Frances

Good for you for doing the hard part.

Read the label on your primer can. Some primers need to be coated over within a month or so. So, if your house is going to be on the market for the usual amount of time you aren't doing anyone any favors......

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If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

DIherself

I did read the Kilz can and didn't see anything aout it, so I called the number on the can and they said there was nothing one way or the other about time to paint over it so....

Blondesense

Seems reasonable, but I think I would paint anyway. First impressions are very important and seeing primer and patches immediately makes your home look like a fixer-upper. If it were painted a nice neutral it would look more move in ready. Having it fully painted would most likely make it sell faster and at a better price.

DIherself

I had planned on painting it 'til I saw how nice it turned out -- no patches, no primer look. People thought I had painted it white. I wonder if primer peels and flakes (like paint does)?.

Leah Frances

If paint is peeling and flaking there is a PROBLEM. Paint should not peel and flake (sure it does on my front porch decking from time to time, but if it's peeling and flaking on a wall you have a problem).

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If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

DIherself

I was wondering if PRIMER PEELS and FLAKES on indoor walls. (Paint always peels and flakes outdoors in Florida heat and humidity, unfortunately.)

Leah Frances

It should not, but it will get dirty faster - both from contact (fingerprints) and from airborne contaminants (pollen, smoke, dust, etc). Remember it's made to get things to stick to it - mostly paint.

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If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

DIherself

That's why I said in my original post that "all you have to do is maybe wash the walls."

Leah Frances

*facepalm* Primer is NOT washable.

You'd have to wash and re-prime.

If I bought your house, as considerate as you are trying to be, the first thing I would do is re-prime and paint. And I would HAVE to do it, rather than living with some gentle neutral (like Blondesense suggested) until I felt like painting.

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

DIherself

Having to live with some gentle neutral is exactly what I was trying to avoid -- by letting them pick their own color.

It's good to know about Facepalm Primer. I would still just like to know, if anyone can tell me, how long Kilz primer remains "sticky."

DrHicks

When are you planning to sell the house? Soon?

A couple things come to mind...

First, talk to a local Realtor. Just yesterday I just talked to a Realtor friend of mine about a house she's getting ready to list. I asked specifically if it was worth painting the interior of the house, in light of the fact that buyers might not like the color. She said it was absolutely worth doing. Most buyers cannot see "potential." Her advice was to paint everything with a soft off-white paint & call it good.

It may be different where you live, but that's the word of a Realtor in Omaha.

Second, if the paint is in good shape, a buyer won't have to primer it again. They can paint over the existing paint.

Third, I don't know how well primer holds up long-term. Somebody else will have to chime in on that one.

DIherself

It's gonna take a while to get it ready to sell, like a year. I thank you, Dr. Hicks. I did too good a job on the prep and prime (soft white alright) and that's what got me thinkin' sideways. I hope someone will chime in on the primer longevity question -- for my own dogged knowledge now, if nothing else.

DrHicks

Everything I've heard/read is that you will want to top-coat it in no more than a month. It has to do with adhesion.

Pretty sure you won't want to wait a year. That said, I hope some of the professionals hop in & give their advice.

mustangmike3789

was wondering if PRIMER PEELS and FLAKES on indoor walls. (Paint always peels and flakes outdoors in Florida heat and humidity, unfortunately.) i live in florida and i dont have a problem with peeling and flaking .