Skimming the surface

As you should know if you keep up with my other (non-renovation) blog, we're expecting Baby Plemmons to arrive sometime in early February 2013. That news, combined with the fact that a grand piano is moving into the house a week from today, means that I'm particularly busy knocking out some more renovation.

 

The big project is still the new entertainment/guest room, since the TV will be moving upstairs to help make room for the piano. Unfortunately, this room is the one that had walls covered in cigarette smoke-infused cork and carpet squares. I got it all scraped and sanded, but left the dried adhesive remnants, since I couldn't find any way to remove them. Of course (I thought), the primer will cover them up...

 

Nope. When the brown adhesive contacted the wet paint, it softened and began to smear with every brush stroke.



Two coats of primer and a bit of skim (left side)



After the first skim coat when on, it started to look like a horror movie, as the drying 'mud' would form little circular cracks in a few places and start 'bleeding' brownish trails down the wall in a few placed. Creepy. Fortunately, the second skim coat seems to have conquered it, and it's now only lightly brown showing through.

 

I'm hopeful that any final skimming and a new coat of special stain-blocking primer will take care of it for good.

 

Otherwise, wallpaper, here we come!