The Paint Disaster Downstairs & What I’m Doing About It (Parts 1 & 2)

Hi, Everyone,

This is a follow-up of Sunday’s post about the paint disaster that has befallen my entire primary bedroom suite. If you missed the drama, please begin from the top. Otherwise, to skip ahead to the latest, please click the link below.

I am incredibly grateful for all of you! Your wisdom and support are among the primary ways that help me cope. However, I’ve listed some others in part 2.

 

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Dear Readers,

I know: a paint disaster.

No, I am not joking and definitely not exaggerating.

It’s unreal, isn’t it? And for the love of God, paint colors are something I’m known for. I’ve been specifying paint for clients since 1988. However, I’ve spent the most time studying them since I began this blog in 2012. Incidentally, with everything going on at the time, I forgot to wish everyone a Happy 12th Blogiversary on April 8th.

So, having a paint disaster to deal with is the height of bitter irony.

 

How did this happen?

 

I will tell you, but before I do, a couple of people have gotten on here and chastised me for this and that under the guise of being “helpful.”

It’s not that I don’t want help; I don’t particularly appreciate being belittled; no one does.

 

There is a huge difference between offering a suggestion (which is always welcome) and telling me:

 

“Laurel, you don’t understand men; you don’t know how to communicate with them, blah, blah.” [ However, I’m a far superior human being than you are, Laurel, so I feel obligated to tell you what you’re doing wrong. After all, you seem to need help.]

 

Sometimes shite just happens. It happens no matter how careful we are or how well we communicate.

 

Most things in life are out of our control, in any case. That goes for all of us, even those who are far superior to me.

As most of you know, a LOT was going on last week. Most of it should’ve happened months ago, but one thing that happened shouldn’t have been happening at all.

Unbeknownst to me, beginning on Wednesday, finish coats of paint were being applied downstairs amid copious amounts of construction AND the dustiest conditions possible.

I wasn’t aware until the end of the day, but I told the painter he needed to use the Advance Formulation and Regal Select. It’s written out in the comprehensive paint schedule I gave him. (It’s attached later on in the post)

 

Look, as you know, this isn’t easy. I’m trying to run my business, blog, write, take photos, manage the contractors, vacuum, maybe eat, wash the dishes without fail, and occasionally sleep and take a bath, etc. I can only focus on so much at one time.

 

I trusted that this sub, who I knew was highly experienced and recommended by Robert, would do a beautiful job. However, when I went downstairs on Friday, I was horrified by the ensuing paint disaster in my newly built bedroom suite.

It was a rough weekend for me. That doesn’t mean there’s anything you need to do. I appreciate you just being here; more than you’ll ever know.

Okay, the following are images of the paint disaster.

 

Please allow me to take you into my not-so-funhouse-of-horrors while we visit the crappiest paint job imaginable.

 

I mean, what is the number one culprit painters fear most?

Dust.

Right?

Yes, folks, this is Benjamin Moore Simply White oc-117 in the plastic “Ben” semi-gloss latex formulation rolled on instead of finished with a brush (back brushed). It contains not only dust but large detritus particles, along with an improperly prepped door jam.

I specified Benjamin Moore Advance in a written paint schedule. (coming up)

 

 

This has not been painted yet, but everything needs to be wiped clean before it is painted. I rubbed this for a bit to push the dust to one side. It does not come off easily.

However, of course, the bedroom is where the guys do their sawing. It is a massive dust bowl. I had told Bryan to hold off on applying any finish coats.

He ignored me.

 

One quick wipe on poorly painted mouldings yielded this.

 

That’s another door jamb.

 

The moulding inside an expensive embrasure door.

 

Another door above and below. Yes, this is the finish coat. Although, it’s supposed to get another coat. Yikes!

 

This door has paint pimples and looks and feels like sandpaper.

 

Dust, dust, and more dust on the primary closet doors, and hinges!

 

More shiny orange peel from the roller on this door jamb.

 

The jamb of course, but also look in the upper left at the door casing.

 

 

As an aside, because I never like to show only bad things, I don’t think I ever showed you what Brendan did for the inside panel of the embrasure doors.

 

However, this is what shiny latex paint looks like. It has a weird plastic-like sheen. I can’t stand it. I always specify Benjamin Moore Advance.

 

Also, notice that the trim hasn’t been put back on the hidden doors, and the doors haven’t been prepped yet.

All prep work should be 100% finished before any finish coats are applied. That is basic painting 101.

 

They also painted the casing around the niche without sanding the jamb, which is also getting painted with the same paint. This is all so weird, not to mention confounding.

 

Oh, Laurel, are you sure they painted the casing?

 

Yes, 100%, and that’s because they managed to eff that up too.  (see below)

I knew this casing was going in the bathroom, so I found the exact style I wanted in molded plastic. It is smooth as silk, and somehow, they managed to do this to it.

 

These are not isolated flaws. No, they are everywhere.

 

The prep work was dreadful.

 

My beautiful crown moulding in the bedroom looks like paper mache here. And look at those lumps in the ceiling. They haven’t properly skim-coated the wall, as you can still see the metal plate here.

 

Now, interestingly, I found something that looks as it should.

 

This crown and ceiling are beautiful. The second day, Bryan did bring a gallon of Advance, but he insisted this was the Ben formulation. I have no proof, but Advance has this silky-smooth look.

 

The door is supposed to be Farrow & Ball Hague Blue, and they painted it Simply White.

 

 

But, Laurel, what is that gorgeous color on the ceiling?

 

Oh, thank you. That is one of my favorite Benjamin Moore Opal Essence 680 colors from the Laurel Home Paint Collection.

All of it is on the aforementioned paint schedule I made for Bryan, which you can see here.

 

And now, a few more closing shots of the paint disaster in my bedroom.

 

 

 

Yes, this, too, is Opal Essence below on the ceiling. I’m only doing it downstairs.

 

 

This is how they left the work site on Friday. Please note that I used the wide-angle phone lens. The eye does not see the room like this.

You know, I had a Brazilian painter way back when my kids were babies. The drop cloth was akin to a net for a trapeze artist. It was there, just in case. I mean, there wasn’t a drop of anything on it. Every day, he would fold it up and bring it back, looking like he had just taken it out of the package it came in.

Ahhhh… we had oil back then. Oh, how I miss it! However, Benjamin Moore’s Advance on new, properly primed, sanded, and wiped-clean materials is very nice.

 

Okay, I know what you’re going to say.

 

FIRE HIS ASS– NOW!!!

 

Well… not so fast. First, he has to fix this paint disaster.

 

Laurel, this is your contractor’s painter. Did he recommend him?

Yes, and yes.

 

Well, is he on something? Drugs? Alcohol?

 

That’s very astute of you. ;]

Of course, I have no way of knowing what his problem is. However, his judgment does seem to be impaired.

 

Ya think?

 

Now, both Bryan and Robert, my GC, have assured me the paint disaster will be taken care of and it will be perfect.

 

Robert admitted to me today that the job is unacceptable, yet he’s perplexed about how it happened in the first place. He insists that Bryan is a superb painter, or he wouldn’t have recommended him.

I’m sure he realizes by now that I’m, shall we say, “discerning.” Of course, most of us are when we’re paying thousands of dollars to have a professional do work for us.

 

It’s a pity. He has to spend much time undoing what he did and then doing it again correctly.

 

If I fire him, it’s going to set the job back, even further.

 

Any good painter is booked right now and probably for the entire summer.

Okay, we can continue this for Wednesday. I’m sure many of you have plenty to say. Please be kind; I feel like I’ve been put through the wringer.

In the meantime, I have a meeting with Robert (my GC) tomorrow morning. We’re going to go over everything left to do.

Oh, one last thing. I’m definitely not using Robert’s floor guy. No way! I did some research and found a couple that look terrific, and I also saved some recs from local readers from way back. So, thank you for that!

To be continued below…

*********************************************************

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Hi Everyone,

I’m tearing up reading the dozens of kind, supportive messages. In all sincerity, without y’all, I don’t know how I’d get through all of this on my own.

Yes, it was a rough weekend.

 

Some of you wanted to know how I cope.

 

Well, I called my sister, Holly, who was very sympathetic, and my son, Cale. He is good for about 60 seconds, lol, but it’s better than nothing.

Writing the blog post about jib doors was a great distraction. Plus, it was a reminder of something good going on.

 

I’m sure I watched plenty of ballet online and scrolled a lot through Instagram.

 

Oh, and I discovered the piano prodigy of all piano prodigies on Instagram, Jonah Ho – age five here.

But he’s nine now*. But get this: he hasn’t had a piano lesson since he was THREE.

*Correction. He’s 13 now.

An interview with Jonah when he was about seven or eight where he explains the inexplicable.

Here is Jonah Ho’s YouTube Channel.

I very much recommend his Moonlight Sonata, exquisitely performed in dinosaur PJs.

 

 

 

Music like this is my alcohol.

 

l can’t drink (more than an occasional sip) as it can bring on symptoms of POTS. (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)

POTS is a form of dysautonomia. I had a terrible episode when I went to visit Crown Point Cabinetry on December 1, 2022. I know many of you also have it, or a loved one does. Yes, it sucks because when I have a bad episode (which, fortunately, is very rare these days), I am very ill and have to lie down. It is not life-threatening unless one faints and hits their head. The feeling faint comes from a sudden and extreme loss of blood pressure. Since 2017, when I was diagnosed, I’ve been taking beta-blockers twice a day.

This is a young woman’s issue for the most part, not an old lady thing. It’s becoming better known these days as POTS can be a symptom of “long covid.” Long covid is not new; it just has a name now. I think a better name would be “Post Viral Syndrome.”

 

When all else fails, it helps me to hand it all over to God.

 

It helps to say, “Please deal with this because I don’t have the strength.” I get the sense that God is always ready and eager to help with all the burdens I’m too overwhelmed to handle.

 

Saturday is when I first broke the bad news to Robert.

 

“Robert, I don’t know what to do. There’s a big problem with the paint. The finish is horrible— poor prep work, + dirty, gritty, rough, and more. As I said, they shouldn’t apply finish coats until the construction is finished and the place is cleaned. Yet, they went ahead full steam. 😢 (accompanied by several of the pics in this post)

 

Would you like me to work with Bryan directly?

 

I have spoken to him about some things, but on closer examination, I am horrified by how bad it looks. The trim should be smooth, like the kitchen cabinets you said weren’t perfect when they arrived. I disagree. The finish on the cabinets is fantastic.”

 

Robert replied:

 

***Hi, I’ll talk to Brian for you.

 

However, on Sunday, I couldn’t hold it back any longer and texted Robert again to share more information about how horrible the paint disaster was; this is what he said:

 

I know I recommend Brian but he is not my responsibility as he is working for you directly and you are paying him directly and I’m making no money on the painting side of the job , I mention to you I would talk to Brian tomorrow as a favor to you and I will do so in the morning

If you would like to get rid of Brian and hire another painter that’s up to you

I’m actually loosing my shirt on this job , making $00000

 

Yes, my dear ones, that’s what he said.

 

Sitting here, shaking by this callousness, is when I summoned my higher power to take over.

However, I didn’t tell you any of that yesterday because Robert turned a complete 180 on Monday admitting the paint was unacceptable and had to be fixed. (Couldn’t he at least have said that?)

Aside from the inappropriateness of his response, he can’t have it both ways. If he has no responsibility, then, the day before, he should’ve said. “You should talk to Bryan, as this is between the two of you.”

 

Yes, I knew I was paying Bryan directly, but I did not realize he wasn’t working under Robert’s contract. Everyone else, including the electrician, plumber, tiler, floor people, etc., is working under his contract, but this was never stated.

When I took clients who needed to hire a GC or other contractor, I made it clear that when I gave recommendations, their contract was with that person, not me. This applied to items that, once installed, weren’t movable, like tile and wallpaper. I would be there to troubleshoot should issues come up, but I’m not responsible. If they wanted to use another contractor, that would be totally fine.

 

So, where do we stand?

 

Bryan’s assistant is not a rooky, but highly experienced and did most of the damage. He returned today to sand, and things are beginning to improve, but despite what I said, on Sunday, I am looking for a new painter. (and hardwood floor company to do the floor refinishing.)

You know, even if I hadn’t specked which formulation of paint to use, and in writing, Bryan knows what’s appropriate and what’s not. This is a historic home that I’ve spent a lot of money fixing the horrid remuddling that occurred previously. No way would anyone use the cheap latex paint on their trim. Okay, that’s not true. They would. However, he knows better. With Benjamin Moore, it’s Aura, Regal Select (for walls), and Advance (for trim)– PERIOD.

 

Please understand that I’m not chastising anyone for using the budget Ben formulation if their budget can’t afford the premium paint.

 

I need to cut my losses because I could end up losing even more. I’ve made that mistake before.

 

Laurel, might he be reading your blog?

 

I would say the probability that he reads my blog is like maybe one in a million.

 

In any case, who cares? The worst that will happen is he’ll walk out. Good riddance!

 

And, no, as was asked in the comments, they do not know nor do they care to know who I am or that I get on the Internet and write about their every move, both good and bad.

 

Okay, we’ll let the paint disaster go for now. It’s a drag for sure, but somehow, I think, in the end, it will work out even better for me, like many disappointing things do.

Again, thank you all so much for your wonderful messages and support. They helped me realize that I’m on a sinking ship and need to get onto a more seaworthy vessel soon.

 

xo,

 

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