painting loops

I'm looping again....
trying to take it all in stride....
I feel like I'm in painting hell....
Yet, at the same time, I know it's what I need to do, not only for the ultimate waterproofing and preservation of my house and the wood I've used, but for my ego and breaking down the wall that contains me.

I've spent the last week or so redoing all the grey paint, not only on the roof but on the joists as well....I decided using the acrylic there is the best option....nothing will ever rot out those boards!

It''s been a long and tedious process....painting in between each joist has caused so much pain in my neck, my hands and my butt! But, I can feel the worth of doing it...so I keep on going. I decided not to use the fabric they gave me for the roof as I feel it is unnecessary and even more time-consuming. I probably should have figured out a better way to fix the material I have on the tops of the beams from the roof, but...at this point, I'm sure what I have done is plenty good enough!

I also managed to trim out the stern edges with PVC...I can't paint another board! Uggg...costs extra, but 0 maintenance in the future! (sounds good to me right now!)

Yeah, I was anti-white trim...but it's growing on me....plus, I have a friend (Mervi!) who recently turned me back on to white and the joys of it....it is lightness and airy...how I strive to be...even in the middle of heavy intimidating projects....

because, as our mantra in California last weekend....i chose this....and there will be SNACKS! ;-)

The Looping ends today!

Sometimes in life we find ourselves in a "loop". 

Often we are completely unconscious of it until months or years pass and you realize you are saying or doing the same things over and over again. It could be anything from a simple habit to a major interaction with someone specific. 

I thought about this much over the course of priming and painting my little home. 

At first layer, it was fun and exciting...covering up the brown T1-11 with a new clean slate of white...feeling a youthful excitement about the possibilities and the creative finishing touches to the project. The fun started to wear off as each width of the repeating board patterns felt the same and started to feel endless. I started to notice how much primer was soaking into the roller then not covering quickly as I had hoped. Suddenly it became a burden I wanted to rush and just be done with.

But, because I can't help myself and because my mantra is very serious to me...."enjoy the journey" I needed to regroup. This project isn't just about "getting it done" it's about finding enjoyment in the process and feeling the pride and joy of actually DOING.  And so, with a strong desire to have a fresh change in my perspective, the spray gun entered the scene and I took another look at the task before me and slowed down to enjoy each inch of the process. It wasn't easy at times....my other responsibilities and other joys neglected, but this was MY CHOICE...so I had to be happy with it....and I was...I am.

I realized quickly during each pass of the loop that I had missed so many little things from the previous loop. White streaks and dots showing up in hard to reach places were evident during the second blue coat. Even places where I thought I was being conscious and thorough still had places I missed. Wow, what a huge and obvious life lesson to me!  Looping can be a good thing! We need it sometimes to help us cover the things we missed or weren't ready for the first time around. Each pass my technique got better, each pass my focus on troubled spots became clearer, each pass I became more patient, more observant and aware.

In the new joy I found painting the first blue coat and followed by today's second blue coat I realized that the looping in this project (and life) is such a positive thing....IF we are making progress in each pass. And yet, how many times do we loop with no forward progress, feeling stuck?

Prime example (pun intended ;-) ) is a woman down the street. I've watched her for over 18 years rake her driveway almost every day. It started off as a level gravel driveway that at first needed to be smoothed out. However, her seemingly unconscious "looping" has actually caused more damage than benefit after all these years....

a snapshot oif years of unconscious "looping"

Now, there are bumps and valleys where it was flat and hard exposed rock that used to be covered and no sign of gravel any longer. And yet, every day she finds a reason to get out there and incessantly rake that driveway....apparently out of habit (or maybe it's her chosen form of workout!?).

Think of that image as the symbol of looping in a relationship, or a thought process or anything else that doesn't serve you. Well, I thought of that image as I finished off my blue-tiful paint job happily knowing my looping had purpose and brought me to a better place. 

Glad it's done, but glad it was me that got it done!

I am sooooo satisfied with the end result. I am so happy I did things the "right" way and took my time and gave time to integrate between each successive "loop". I feel I now truly know every inch of that home...my home....as if I am getting to know every inch of my own skin....my own soul. And though I have found journal entries 18 years back expressing some of the same things I feel now....I know my "loop" has been spiraling upward and I am in a better place, having learned from each loop in the series.

And so I have looked at looping in other areas of my life and have taken appropriate steps to correct them as well. Seeing where it is valuable and helps in progression, and which things just lead to a dead-looping-no-end!

Am I am happy to know that radical desire, awareness accompanied by action will break the cycles and bring out something more constructive....a spiraling upward into the great blue yonder of endless possibilities!

roofing is ordered!

OMG....the next big phase for me is underway!

I just spoke with Ian from Conservation Technologies who has been patiently helping me along in this process. I wanted to do the EPDM rubber waterproofing system like Erin did on her tiny floating home, however, I have a trickier situation....the joists sticking out!

It's both an aesthetic and functional choice leaving the beams exposed....however, it is causing some headaches for finishing the roof off. I was looking into rooftop decks from tufdek but after going back and forth for a few weeks with Grant, we realized that their systems just wouldn't be water-tight with my design.

So, I went back to Ian my guy at Conservation Technologies and although he advised against the EPDM for the same reasons Grant did, he highly suggested the Acrylic option....and now, after painting and noticing the beginnings of rot on the outside edges of my roof plywood...I will do what it takes to get it all safely and tightly waterproofed....even if it takes extra effort and work!

So, I plan to do one roof at a time (or alternating while they dry) starting with the loft. I'm so excited because now I can finally get the boat hatch and the chimney in!

I'll be getting a white top because it is the coolest to walk on and keeps the house cooler in general plus, it will be like walking on a cloud in my little sky blue home! It will be arriving next week, hopefully in time to start on the weekend.

I'm really nervous about the application of it, but like all things on this project...taking one step at a time and things seems to work themselves out!

Wish me luck!

blue-tiful

Oh my stars!
Or "starless night" I might say....since that is my paint color of choice for the exterior.

I like to have meaning sprinkled throughout my choices lately, makes me feel more hugely involved in my own life and mindful of my choices....so believe it or not, the exterior color of my home is no exception!

Blue...a deep dark mysterious blue, one that pulls you into the depths of calm and inquiring...that can look black on some days and a brilliant blue on others depending on the surrounding conditions (kind of how I can feel all black and blue literally and figuratively). It's the color of special eyes that have a window to the soul. It's always been one of my favorite colors. It's the color of my element....water. It represents the vast oceans and also endless skies both within and without. And since we are all stars...it is where I belong....in the starless night to take up space!

Now that you have the meaning....here's the mechanics of how today went.....

Well, it started of with lots of stars....Like wtf*ck and sh*t.*** :-)

I cleaned the paint sprayer after the primer, but evidently not quite good enough...I managed to deal with it for the bow wall, the loft wall and starting the starboard wall...but...well, Jackson Pollack is probably the only one who would have said "Keep going, looks great!"

actually quite artistic...

just not great for waterproof coverage!

I managed to get frustrated enough to take it apart and do a thorough cleaning. And boy, did I learn my lesson about THOROUGH! 

After I cleaned it up and had it all working smoothly again, not only did it go faster ....it was way more FUN! (and I'm all about making things more fun these days!)

It still took way longer than I had anticipated...I was up before the crack of dawn and didn't finish everything until around 3:30pm!

Oh well, coat one is on and will have a day or two to cure before the next rain storm. 

Then....round two....wanted to type I'm not looking forward to it...but hey, gotta enjoy the process...so....YEAH...I can't fecking wait to do this all over again! Yipee!

had this side done by 7:30am

and eight hours later (what! seriously!?) First coat on the "boat"!

Ok, I'm happy with how it looks...stoked for the deeper coverage of round two!

Primed for the next chapter

I gave up!

Rolling and brushing the primer on has proven to be a hugely ineffective way to deal with T1-11.
The roller seems to soak up more primer and has a hard time releasing the primer onto the board!

I looked into renting an air painter but realized it would be cheaper to just buy my own...Besides it would be something I could use on other projects, in a few years if I do end up having to repaint and would eliminate any time pressures.... Especially with all the rain lately!

Knowing what I know now after working all day with the spray gun....I would only ever recommend starting and back bruahing T1-11. You can't get away from the back brushing. The T1-11 is so porous that the sprayer does the best job of penetrating the fibers if the board, but the brush is still needed to really work it in. I see now the benefit and absolute necessity of the primer. The more this surface and those damned grooves in between can be sealed and smoothed with primer, the better the paint will stick and apply in the first place!

So, once I got into it...Like everything you initially dread...A simple attitude adjustment and determination and it was nice to just try to do my best.

And when the day was done and I stepped back...I felt I HAD done my best...And that was a nice feeling!

Plus an added bonus...They moved Erins tiny house next to my little home and come to find out...Mine didn't look nearly as large next to hers as it was looking all alone. I think having the smaller windows really makes it look big....Notice how her normal house sized windows makes hers look really small!
. Oh The illusions we let our minds believe!

Makes me feel even better about my plan to rebuild with three double Barrell pontoons and feeling more confident that the extra height in the loft won't throw off the stability with all the bouancy I'll gain!

time to paint!

Finally, the rain is clearing up and I can get the primer on....
Only it wasn't an easy job like I had hoped!

The paint-advice guy in the store told me it would take 2 hours while I drank my coffee....maybe my problem is I DON'T DRINK COFFEE! Instead, I drink a raw cacao drink mixed with cinnamon, cloves and some tumeric.... And this two hours turned into a full day....and I'm still not done!

Took me a while to tape up the trim and the decking. Then I finally got set up with painting, figured out a system that worked ....that didn't really get resolved until the sun was going down. Paint-advice-guy advised me to do two coats...Maia the store gal, told me one would be fine as I walked in complaining that I needed at least one more gallon on top of the three I had already used (for only ONE coat). The T1-11 just absorbs it so quickly that one full roller of it only seems to spread a few feet. Then, on top of it....by the time I rolled out most of the wide spaces on the siding I was still left with the little lines in between....

NOTE TO SELF: NEVER USE T1-11 SIDING AGAIN!

taping the place up

looks are deceiving...not even close to being done 

I had the energy just not the light to keep going.

After killing my hand trying to use a paintbrush to go between the lines I've decided to look into renting a paint gun....after looking at rental prices, I decided to buy one and see how it goes...besides I will most likely use it for other projects as well.

Unfortunately, I may not get to finish it off tomorrow...weather once again not looking good! DAMN...it's great for my garden, just not my exterior painting!

paint f-up!

Today I took my ordered 5 gal of elastomeric paint for the T1-11 siding to Home Depot to get the colors mixed in.
They told me to order it online and do as much so I followed their instructions. Yet, this is what happened....

Yeah, not quite the beautiful deep dark blue of the ocean abyss that I had in mind! The guy explained that because they don't sell the elastomeric paint the computer didn't have the correct formula for coloring and it was only able to add three gallons worth of color before the bucket was about to overflow! With no solution on hand, I had to go another route.

Luckily, home depot made the mistake and gave me a full refund....I went straight to the paint experts down the road at Sherman Williams. Where I met this painter of 40 years who gave me sound advice...use the Resilience with a primer and you'll be fine!

So, he walked me through the store as if he worked there and loaded me up with all that i needed!

So, glad....sometimes, making all the major decisions is tough work....I can get caught inside my own head wondering what is the best path to take....and sometimes there isn't a BEST path ....just a good enough for now path!

It's not compromising....it's moving forward the best I can....at least I'm still moving....and sometimes, that's all that really matters!