Living in a home that was built in the 1880’s – can be wonderful. And then on the flip side, it can also be very expensive and labor intensive. For example- since we moved in ten years ago, we have:

* Painted every room since the whole house was white inside.
* Pulled out the big old-oil furnace that looked like an octopus and installed a high efficiency gas furnace. But before we could do that- we had to run the gas line about 700 feet from the road to the house.
* Then, we changed out the electric hot water heater to a new gas one.
* We had concrete walk ways added to three entrances to our home, cement aprons in front of the garage, barn entrance and had a patio poured.
* Next was the roof ..yep, it needed a total tear off – all FIVE layers! Fortunately (VERY fortunately) for us- we have a an incredible friend who is a commercial roofer and he stepped in to help us with this project. I do not think we could have afforded to have had this done if he hadn’t. (Thank you John S!)
* And lastly, about a month ago, we had all the old, drafty windows on the second and third floors replaced with new vinyl windows by Wonder Windows. What a difference that made with noise control and drafts. I am excited to see what a difference the new windows will be this winter.
We have also changed out the 30 year old appliances, put in new toilets and sinks, and …well, I don’t want to bore you with everything else we have done, but again….if you are thinking about buying an old house…heed my warning. Plan on spending some money.

Anyway, my “to do” list of smaller chores for our house is pretty long and does not get addressed often. It is not that I procrastinate in getting these chores done, but rather finding the time to do them is really impossible. But today I found myself with the luxury of having a little time where I did not have to be anywhere and thought I would tackle one of my many “to do” items!

If you live in a home that was built over 100 years ago, peeling paint is no surprise. We have two porches that both need painting. But the floor on the porch off of our kitchen had been screaming to be painted for at least the last four years now- and today it was going to be silenced!

To prep the porch, I used a big bristle broom and swept it really well- to remove any of the remaining loose paint. I had washed it about a week ago after I hosted my Barn Sale & Junk Jubilee due to the dirt that was all over it, so I knew it was still fairly cleaned. (you should consider washing off the surface of what you are painting outside, but give it a few days in dry weather to make sure there is no moisture left prior to painting. Moisture in what ever you are painting is one sure way to cause the paint to fail on you!)

Like I said, the porch has needed this for a long time- so the good thing about that was practically all of the paint that could peel off – has peeled! After aggressively sweeping it, I used the leaf blower and removed any dust or Hollyhock seeds I accidentally got on it while working in my garden that is directly in front of it.

Choosing which paint to use was the easy part. Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan is incredible paint. Besides creating luxurious finishes on furniture and cabinetry- it performs hard core for uses outside of your home. The important thing to keep in mind though, is that although Chalk Paint® is amazing, it is not a miracle! It will certainly work well if whatever you are painting is exposed to sun and the Chalk Paint® is able to dry really hard. Annie Sloan said, “I have painted many things outside and they are incredible but some don’t work that well because they have too much water on them and have been done when it is too damp I think. As long as that wood is not teak, then it should be fine.” For me, The Purple Painted Lady – not needing to strip, sand or prime are also a few additional bonuses when it comes to choosing Chalk Paint®. And if you live in an old home and have plaster walls versus dry wall- Chalk Paint® will provide an incredible beautiful finish to the plaster. (and it also works wonderful on dry wall too!)

Steve (my hubby) and I chose to use Old Violet. I love this color which is like a periwinkle in my opinion. Old Violet definitely has a blue hue to it – but works well with the various shades of purple and white that already are on my house. Oh, and this is how I named my business by the way. I started my painting/mural business about 10 years ago- and one night when I was sitting around with Steve brainstorming a name to call the business- he came up with “The Purple Painted Lady.” Since we live an old “Victorian” farmhouse- and Victorians are often referred to as “painted ladies” – “The Purple Painted Lady” was born!

You may recall that I painted the cupola for the top of my barn last year with Pure White Chalk Paint®. It has been over a year now and my cupola – that is exposed to New York winter’s, changes between the hot and humid summers and the freezing cold months- looks amazing!

For the kitchen porch, I used a foam roller, the 4 inch kitchen cabinet roller (Whizz brand) and added an extension to the roller handle so I could paint the floor without straining my back. Since the end of all rollers typically have a universal thread, so the extensions found at Lowes, Home Depot or Walmart can be used. Get one of these and I guarantee you the next time you paint a room or floor, you will cut your project time in half!

I painted two coats of the Chalk Paint® today and I think the porch looks amazing! Quite frankly, I could have done just about anything and the porch would have looked better. But most importantly, I wanted whatever I did- to last more than just a season.

TOP COAT?:For exterior use – there is no need to add a top coat to the paint since Chalk Paint®. Chalk Paint® cures and is very durable. I realized this quickly after we had a Chalk Paint® spill outside of my old shop. A sample pot of Old White was dropped in July of 2012 on to the cement walkway outside my store. That splatter of Old White- endured – even after we attempted to power wash it off. So, I figure a protected porch should be a piece of cake! Keep in mind that Chalk Paint® is a flat, matte finish. It will show scuffs and serious dirt, but you can rinse the dirt off- and I am good with that. If however, this was an interior floor- I would have chosen to use Annie’s Lacquer that is made for interior use only- specifically high traffic areas. It is water resistant, but not water proof. So, do not use the Lacquer if the space gets exposed to lots of water- especially if it is standing water (meaning where it is not wiped down.)

COVERAGE WITH CHALK PAINT®: My porch is about 16 feet wide and 6 feet deep. (that equates to 96 square feet) A quart of Chalk Paint® is noted on the quart label to cover approximately 150 square feet. I was able to get 2 whole coats completed out of one quart.

I am now excited about painting that little side table in the photo above in Annie Sloan’s Arles. Arles is a golden sunflower color that will compliment the Old Violet floor and the white and orange chair perfectly!

If you are wondering if Chalk Paint® would be a good fit for your project, don’t hesitate to contact me. I am here to help you. And if you know me- I am not afraid to lose a sale if I feel what you want to do is crazy and not a good fit. For example, I had someone ask if they could paint the inside of their bathtub. My answer- NO! Or, how about your boat? NO! I am here to help you and when it comes to my customers- I am always available to answer project questions! So, with that said – did you know that I sell Chalk Paint® and other supplies. Visit our on-line store HERE if interested in placing an order. We ship every weekday and ship your order same day it is placed. We also offer the lowest flat rate shipping.

Now, with this side porch done~ I just have to hope this incredible warm spell continues so I can get the front wrap around porch done next!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
XO
Trish ~ The Purple Painted Lady
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Tips & reminders on painting unconventional surfaces:

1. Chalk Paint® is amazing- but it is not a miracle. Be realistic in what you are painting. Decide if you are looking for a “season or a lifetime” and get feedback on if it will perform to your expectations.

2. Slippery surface? Chalk Paint® does not require stripping, sanding or priming, however, if you are covering something that is super, super slippery- it would not hurt to scuff it up with some rough sand paper. Again, Chalk Paint® is amazing- but it is not a miracle. I have people write me about painting wall tile. Annie’s does not promote that, but I have a customer’s who have and they are elated. I would clean them really well. Use a little Mineral Spirits on a ScotchBrite scrubbie. Clean and then rinse with plain ole’ water. Make sure to wait a day or two to allow any moisture in the grout to dry. Scuff them up with some 180 grit sand paper. Blow off dust.

Apply initial coat of Chalk Paint- thinning it just a little. WAIT 24 hours before applying a second coat. This allows the paint to “do it’s thing” – basically scientifically – to let the molecules settle, connect and really adhere to the surface. Once done- clear wax over your paint or lacquer.

3. Allow your base coat to dry 24 hours before applying another coat. I am incredibly impatient- but in general – just like I wrote above- the wait time allows the paint to “do it’s thing” – basically scientifically – to let the molecules settle, connect and really adhere to the surface.

4. If choosing to use Chalk Paint® outside, it needs to be on a surface that will not be saturated with water all of the time. Most products will fail in this environment.