How to Flip a House in 90 Days: Construction Continues

By DIY Maven

As we covered approximately 2000 feet of molding and 20 six-panel composite doors, it was was necessary to employ several tricks to keep our sanity.

Painting Tips That May Prevent Insanity

Since we had removed the baseboard moldings where we were going to install the hardwood floor, we were able to paint the walls with little taping. Before re-installing the unpainted moldings, we cut 6 inch strips of poly sheeting and tucked that behind the moldings, and then using a finish nailer, we fastened the boards to the wall with the poly "sandwiched" between. Why you ask? Because the poly prevented the trim paint from getting on our pristine walls. Also, with this poly protection, I didn’t have to be as careful when wielding my brush. This meant I could paint faster, because when your life has become consumed with painting, you want to get it over with as soon as possible. When I was finished painting the moldings, I used a utility knife to cut the poly down to the molding. And no, you didn’t see the poly!

Although it didn’t curb any of my kvetching, when painting composite 6 panel doors, it was best to use both a small foam roller and a brush. The roller got the paint on fast, while the brush got it into the crevasses. The brush also helped define the lovely fake wood grain of our composite doors. And remember, when painting wood, even fake wood, always take your final strokes with the grain.

The Reveal: The Living Room

Like the kitchen, the living room in our flipper was very dark. The fireplace wall was painted an evergreen color, which did nothing for the gold shag carpeting, to say the least. (Although, the carpeting in the living room did match the stove in the kitchen quite nicely.) We chose to paint the black/brown stained mantle, in keeping with the rest of the interior trim. The contrast, although subtle, was enough to make the fireplace "pop" against the new caramel wall color. We installed new sconce lights on either side of the fireplace, which also adding light. Although a nice touch in any space, the bay window before, even though it had a dark wood seat, faded away against the white wall and behind white curtains. It too benefitted from the subtle contrast of the new paint colors. And, finally, we ran the same 3/4 oak flooring that we used in the kitchen into the livingroom as well.

Tomorrow’s post, How to Flip a House in 90 Days: The B & B’s (basement and bathrooms)

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November 22, 2006

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About: Self-proclaimed Maven of DIY, I'm up for anything from gonzo rehab to dressing a room. Although...