Decorating - do you sometimes think you are too old to do this stuff!

Yes, OH helped clear the bedroom, so just have an ancient very heavy chest in there and bed frame - double that pulls apart as singles. Got a student to help me yesterday and today- we worked well together- fortunately she is very tall.

I can hardly move now - and OH is cooking dinner.
Tomorrow will be very hard as I will have to get down to floor and shuffle around to sand skirtings. Rest on Sunday then student coming again at 10 on Monday. Hopefull will have it all finished by Tuesday. Then renting sander for the parquet and matt varnishing- and then .... putting all furniture back in! Then NO decorating until mid September.

Only had professional in once- nice chap, but honestly, preparation and finish never up to my standards. At least if I mess up, I know I am to blame and I haven't paid a fortune for it.

If it is something we can do ourselves then we always do. Never touch gas. Yes it is often hard work and you sometimes wonder why did we start it! But if you do it yourself the job is done right and as you want it doing.

I used to do the wallpapering and DH painted.
Now I need a lay down at the thought of it.

My DH does our decorating im his cleaner upper. He is good but he never tidies up after . I strip the walls though . I can decorate but he is a bit of an enabler in a nice way. I just let him get on with it. Im more the chucker out-er of stuff.

I used to be the preparer but gave myself RSI rubbing down all the paintwork so vowed never to do it again.
We do know a couple of painters and decorators who are excellent.
We refitted the bathroom last time it was done including all the tiling but would get someone in now.

Added to which my balance isn't great now and I am rather a messy painter so no, we get someone in.

I helped move some very heavy furniture a couple of times over the last year, Kali2 and don't think my back has been the same since. However, I may be older than you; be careful.
Are your ceilings very high too?

MerylStreep

I do all the decorating because I enjoy it ?
People keep mentioning ladders. Do you not use a platform for ceilings and the ‘top’ of walls?

Added to which I hate doing it

Kali2, why are you sanding after all the painting, and not before?

We used to do our own decorating , we couldn’t afford to have someone in. We always hated it.
Now we get a professional in and instead of a week or two , it takes a day or two.
Fortunately DH enjoys most other DIY and is a competent plumber and he put in our new central heating including the boiler. We had it checked and passed by Gas Safe.

We mostly do our own (DH and I share it). Have you noticed though, that we seem to be the DIY generation?
We have helped DC decorate their houses and several of our friends have too. When we aren't around to help they get professionals in - something we would never have dreamed of when we were younger!
A friend was recently quoted £1200 to do the hall stairs and landing (materials extra), which I was quite shocked at. We're out in the sticks, so heaven knows how much it must be in London!

Auntieflo

*Kali2*, why are you sanding after all the painting, and not before?

I have sanded all the top and ceiling (wood) and doors and windows, but have to do the skirtings now. A young friend came to give me a hand with the ceiling, but could only come yesterday and today- and run out of time.

But you are totally right of course.

A friend was recently quoted £1200 to do the hall stairs and landing (materials extra), which I was quite shocked at. We're out in the sticks, so heaven knows how much it must be in London!
Oh, I might be wielding a paintbrush after all!

It can be quite easy in a modern house- not so in a very old house not decorated for decades and with not a straight line in sight.

I do most of the decorating, OH helps with heavy lifting and ceilings. I'm retired now so have the time. We had someone in to paint the bathroom after it was refitted it last year and in all honesty his work was no better than mine - in fact my wood work is much better. I enjoy doing most of it and get a lot of satisfaction from the improvements but it is definitely harder now I'm older. I've invested in some battery powered sanders to reduce the amount of muscle power required.

We hire electricians, plumbers, roofers, fencers and plasterers and get any major work done by others but don't have the spare cash to pay someone to do every job that needs doing.

I've just given up on my living room update, and got a man to do it.
He isnt much good, but he's cheap.

I'm with maw's dad. We have lots of really good 'professional' workmen that we use.

We also live in a house with not a single straight line so feel it is best to let someone who knows what they are doing get on with the job.

Each to their own - people don't fill their own teeth do they?

Kali2 When I have to get down on my knees to do the skirtings I use those padded knee things (don't know that they are actually called!) that strap around your knees, intended for gardening but excellent for any time you have to kneel on the floor. Although a cushion is useful when you have to lie down to see underneath radiators and get into corners.

If I got down on my knees to do the skirtings I might not get up without help.
Age does have some advantages, then!

We used to do all our decorating, but we got a lady in to do our hall and stairs last time. We’re about to do the kitchen ourselves but I thought I’d pay my GS to paint the skirting boards. He needs the practice and the money!

I recently had my bedroom redecorated my sister and I stripped off paper, washed walls and paintwork. I thought decorator would do the sanding but no he just painted woodwork and ceiling then hung paper. He charged me 600.00 if I had been capable of climbing a ladder to hang paper I would have done myself but I'm not so have to pay. I am not really happy with end result, and some of the paper is already starting to part company with the walls!!!! I had booked him to come and do another room once the plastering has been done but am having second thoughts!!!!

Sadly cannot do the decorating as have arthritis in neck and if I try to look up I lose my balance. I started the box room prepandemic as have 2 little grandchildren who like sleepovers at nanas. But got into problems with my neck. Thankfully a friend came and took over. So now have bubblegum pink paint and a feature wall with festival tent wallpaper. Looking very cool !
Limited finances so rest of house is staying the same.

Yesterday I did a bit of light housework and a small amount of ironing and I was like a wet rag.
It's too hot for furniture removing and decorating for me (even if I liked doing it!). We're in the amber warning zone.

We did have thunderstorms in the early hours which have cooled things down a bit now.

Got up late, and was all aches and pains and decided to take day off ... and went for a lie down this afternoon. Total wimp!

Will do the sugar soaping and sanding of the plinths tomorrow- in readiness for my young friend coming to help me finish Monday and Tuesday.

When I was a child in Yorkshire, the wives always did the decorating, but I`m no good, so keep away from all things DIY.

I'm too fat to use a step ladder these days.
I have to allow belly space, then I'm too far away to see what I'm doing.

Our decorating days are over. I used to do some painting when DH struggled because of his neck and back, but it is too much for me now as well, with neck and knees.
Our hardest thing is we have so much stuff which DH refuses to get rid of, including furniture his grandfather made(!). This means it is impossible to clear a room completely. I don’t know if a professional would be prepared to work round a king size bed, three chests of drawers and small wardrobe.
It is a 3 bedroom house. DH has the other big bedroom as his study. The small one still has a spare single bed, but is also my study, so there is no room for more furniture, and I would need to use that bed whilst our bedroom is being decorated.
I just don’t know how to overcome all these issues, so I can foresee having to live with the old decoration until we die.