The original wallpaper in my house was applied directly to the drywall. I'm guessing this is/was a pretty popular builder's trick, at least in the 80s (and oh, the horror of the peach and navy wallpapers), but even with careful scoring and steaming I am losing the very outer epidermis of the drywall paper in a lot of places. [more inside]
posted on Jan 10, 2008 - 18 answers

Should I paint my untreated pine shelves then assemble? Or assemble then paint? [more inside]
posted on Oct 25, 2007 - 15 answers

We are replacing a section of our white wood picket fence that someone's car hit and want to give the whole thing another coat of paint while we're at it so that the new section will blend in with the old section. What do we need to do? [more inside]
posted on Mar 27, 2007 - 5 answers

I've seen several DIY shows on BBC America where ceramic wall tiles are painted using products described as 'new' - within the last 5 years - tile primers followed by paint and more recently, self-priming tile paint applied directly to the tiles. I've searched DIY sites and googled extensively, but I've yet to find a source in the US.
posted on Apr 17, 2006 - 3 answers

What's the best quick-and-dirty way to change the colour of my bicycle? [more inside]
posted on Mar 23, 2006 - 23 answers

I have an old house with lathe plaster. There are rooms that have had peeling paint that just got painted over a few times in the distant past. I do not much like the way it looks, and I would like to expose the bare plaster and start fresh. Is there any way to remove all this paint? I do not want to sand the ceilings of such large rooms, as I feel I will get tired of that real easy. I have not seen any solvent that lists paint on plaster as an appropriate use. I am quite confident that the plaster itself is sound and uncracked. Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you are my only hope.
posted on Dec 22, 2003 - 15 answers