25 years. Condo.

Good point about the seam, I hadn't thought of that.


Now..about paint. I am really clueless as to what i'm looking for. The wife wants a textured, sort of "rough" paint. What all do I need?

Second issue:

I replaced some electrical receptacles recently because the plugs would not stay put in them. One of them was a "switched" outlet, meaning I could flip a switch and it would turn off and on. I wired the new receptacle exactly the same as the old one, and now it no longer has the switching funciton. What is weirder is, the other switched outlet (one I DID NOT replace) on the same circuit also no longer functions correctly. It is just "on" all the time.

Saul,

There is stuff you can "stir" into paint to make it textured, but I've never seen Textured paint.

usually, its drywall mud that is applied with an air compressor and a hopper through a texture gun. Most interior walls are what is called an "orange peel".

This list of Top 10 mistakes by Do It yourselfers was on Msn today...
http://realestate.msn.com/Improve/Ar...umentid=454916
I direct you to #'s 5 and 6

5. Using the wrong paint. One of the biggest DIY projects around, painting can make a place look great. Manfredini says flat paint should only be used for ceilings. Interior paints should have at least an eggshell or satin finish so you can scrub it. On outdoor decks, "sun and rain tear the heck out of the wood," he says. Clear sealers don't block the UV rays, and they peel. Use a linseed-oil-based stain; it drives the pigment into the wood and preserves it.

6. Improper preparation of walls for painting. A good, quality paint job is 90% preparation, Manfredini says. Clean the walls, sand them and patch any holes before you paint. Iannuzzi recommends a coat of primer or stain blocker if you're trying to cover over oil-based paint, stains or peeling paint, or if you're painting a lighter color over a darker color.

I'm no guru electrician, and get shocked more than Tim the Tool man....but I had that happen once. You've got 2 wires switched in a way that never opens the circuit.

Good article.

When we went to Lowes, they had swatches of "textured" paints or whatnot. I assume you buy the kind of paint you need, and they mix in the color and desired "texture" for you?

I saw a can of paint specifically made for bathrooms. Mildew resistant.

Just ask your wife. Isn't she an expert at rolling up your hose?

No, no, no, that is Donger you are thinking of.

I have seen stuff you can stir into paint.

If you do use that, I think I'd have them shake it good before you go, and paint when I got home...if not, be sure to stir it really well before painting, so you don't end up some that looks like Creamy peterpan and some areas that are Super Chunk.

She apparently didn't appreciate my homeade sollution to that problem, and this spring, showed up with a $35 plastic Rubbermade sollution.

A quick google gave me this:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio.../rightNavHowTo

Sounds like they have the stuff in stock. I'd have to paint that on, and then apply a 2nd layer of the color I want. It would probably be a good idea to use the textured stuff anyways since the wall might be in kind of rough shape. There is the big sheet of fake tile that is nailed on to the wall that I want to remove. Very ghetto looking, we are planning on painting whatever is under that.

I have a metal garage door and some punk-ass wannabe gangbangers decided to go garage to garage and spray paint symbols on all of the garages on my block. I need advice on the best way to remove the spray paint. My first thought was getting some paint thinner. Will that be sufficient or will paint thinner also take off the garage door paint? If paint thinner isn't the best method, what other solution is there?

Paint over it

Get a new garage

Make the symbol look like something cool

join the gang

kill yourself

I'd kick their little punk asses if I had any clue who did it.

You can try thinner but I'm guessing you'll need laquer thinner to remove spray paint. Thinner might not take off your garage door paint but it will definitely ruin the sheen. You're probably going to have to repaint the door anyway so I'd hit it with some kilz and then paint. It's an opportunity to paint the door, dude. You should be thanking those kids.