Still painting…

Over two weeks since the builders left; still painting!This is a view of the back. A lot of work to be done restoring gardens, even to their usual state of chaos.
After a morning’s painting, have been assessing what I have learned from this job.
1 Shop around – very obvious I know. I reduced the cost of the bathroom suite by over a grand by buying the various elements separately and opting to stick with the existing basin, though adding posh new taps.
2 Builders don’t make it easy for painting. If my MDF shelving had come pre-painted (or if I had painted it before it was cut etc), I wouldn’t have have to spent about five days (over three weeks) painting 130 awkward boxes three times. Also discovered that products claiming that you will only need to paint MDF once, are spoofing – like the manufacturers of any paint that claims you don’t need an undercoat. You need an undercoat. Business idea: pre-painted skirting at a reasonable price. Painting skirting boards is not fun.
3 Varnishing is for people with buckets of patience. Wood soaks up varnish – you would need a minimum four coats, with sanding in between. I gave up – have painted my window cills white (jasmine white), and they look good. Have also painted the saddles at doors a deep brown – had some left from painting a floor a few years ago. Looks great!
4 Not sure anyone knows what they’re talking about when it comes to insulation, so here are a few random thoughts. Wrap your house in a version of styrofoam either indoors or out, and it won’t breathe. So you’ll get mould and other nasties. One chap was honest enough to tell me that they really had no idea what the long-term effect of wrapping old buildings in plastic will be. Although my builder was sceptical, I was told that I had to knock vents into every room – extra cost €700. Then I discover drafts coming through doors, which the BER man didn’t comment on. Also I can open my lovely wooden windows slightly and then lock them in place to air the house. So is there any need for expensive vents that are ugly, not sound proofed and bloody annoying?
5 More on insulation. My house looks great with its outdoor insulation now, but how will the plastic age? Would have MUCH preferred a natural product. Plus can’t say it’s made much of a difference. I had my house dry-lined and double glazed four years ago; that made a HUGE difference. If you’re going for insulation, dry-lining is cheap and effective. Apparently outdoor insulation which costs about four times as much is worth only an extra 5% in terms of insulation. Plus curtains, draft excluders on doors, etc, will all help keep your house snug. As we know.
6 Attic insulation. Was persuaded to use that foam – a version of the filler you get in a can for blowing into holes around radiators and so on. A big mistake. No sooner was it in than I had to start cutting into it for various reasons. It’s horrible, though it may have its uses in factories. Should have gone with the sheep’s wool – and thought about insulating the roof rather than the ceiling, so ensuring that the attic is warm enough to use as a storage space.
7 Back to the painting. Buy only what you need. If you go to a specialist shop (Decor Centre Stillorgan is my local one), they will tell you how much you need. Plus don’t bother investing in good brushes – very few can be cleaned effectively and you are going to chuck them out.