Renovation Nation: Painting...Still

Last weekend was chock-a-block full of projects, which suited me just fine. (I love, love, love a good project.) Sparky oiled the back decks (more on that below) and I started painting the front door and kept working on the neverending job of painting the timber trim.

The front of the house (paint-wise at least) is nearly finished - hopefully this weekend will see the end of that particular task - and while we still have a shedload of painting to do, to see something finished has really spurred us on.

On Sunday I picked up a tin of enamel paint for the front door (Blue Lobelia by Dulux) and gave it the first coat. Gotta say I'm really really pleased with the colour so far. To have a painted front door is ridiculously satisfying!

The colour is pretty vibrant and the paint-shop guy told me I would've been better off using a grey undercoat instead of white, but you live and learn. It just means I'll probably need to do three coats instead of two.

Sparky also finished the deck with Organoil, and it has come up so beautifully. By his account it's super easy to apply and I love the fact that it's non-toxic and smells like eucalytpus oil. Two initial coats are needed, then one in six month's time. After that we should be able to go 12 months between oiling.

 You can see the difference between the oiled timber and the raw new deck.

I also spent some more time finishing off the paving. When we took out the garage and the slab, there was a whole mess going on with the border, so we tore it up and I'm in the middle of relaying it. Not a huge job but it's getting us closer to the end!

(Also note the chalk drawings. Excellent time consumer for toddler and mum alike.)

Current Status:

- Construction is done for now. We will put a roof over the new deck eventually and have to build a storage shed/studio in the backyard at some stage in the next 12 months or so, but no real rush.
- The back deck is finished. Just need to tidy up some loose ends and get us some retro cane armchairs to do some lounging on.
- I've started a master plan for the gardens and will slowly start to work on the beds as time allows. I've had to finish off some paving jobs, but they're nearly done now - thankfully.
- We've decided on the kitchen renovation plan now - a cheapy refurb rather than an all-out replacement, which makes me happy. (Buying further into the K.I.S.S philosophy: Use what you've got before looking for brand-new replacements.) As a result, I'm now stalking eBay for second-hand shelving, a butcher's block and a stepladder.
- We still haven't finished painting inside, but we'll get around to it eventually. Everything is undercoated, so if you squint it kind of looks painted.
- Slowly figuring out how best to furnish the new space and, again, stalking eBay for a mid-century lounge, some wireframe chairs, a dining table and a bookshelf.

Green Product Review: Organoil

When Sparky and I were looking at products to finish our house, we tended to look for products that were safe for our family, with less impact on the environment. I've already mentioned the interior paint we chose, but I thought I'd review the floor finish we ended up using, as when I was researching online I could find very little info on it.

We have cypress pine floor throughout the house and decided to get the old floors (which were finished with some kind of estapol or polyurethane finish) sanded back and treated at the same time as the new floor in the extension. After talking to a few people and doing some reading online we opted for an oil finish on the floors and decided to go with Organoil.

THE PROS:

• The smell was not only bearable but actually pretty pleasant. Citrusy/bergamoty kind of thing.
• It's non-toxic - great for Isy and myself (I was pregnant at the time)
• A matte finish on the floor - good for a family home where spills are frequent and varied!
• Scratches are apparently easy to fix, with just a quick reapplication of oil required.
• The installer recommended only mopping once a month (score!) as the matte finish means scuff marks don't show up readily.
• The matte finish feels really nice underfoot, as you're essentially just walking on the polished raw timber.

THE CONS:

• It's expensive to install (it's more time-consuming apparently) but it was more than double what a poly-finished floor would cost.
• We're found it to be not very durable. Things that wouldn't have scratched our old poly floors have left noticeable marks and scratches in the finish (these aren't gouges, just surface scratches from things like the high-chair or the kids' pram)
• Things like chalk or crayon, which would wipe off a poly floor easily can leave a mark.
• Very very very susceptible to water damage in the early days and weeks. Obviously water and oil aren't great friends, which means we had to walk on cloths for the first few days, to avoid getting any water from our shoes onto the floor. Even socks wouldn't do as any sweat on your socks will affect the finish. We had a million people in and out of the house at this stage and as a result, have tradies' footprints, what I think is an Esky mark and water rings in the finish already.

Scratches in the surface from the high chair.

The beautiful, silky matte finish on the floor. Feels nice underfoot!

The water damage (whitish marks) from a tradies' Esky and drink bottle.

THE RESULT:

Despite all the cons, and the fact that we're both a little disappointed in the durability of the finish, Sparky and I would still choose Organoil if we had our time again. The smell factor is huge for me, and I do like the more rustic, matte finish of the floor. It's a little more on the Scandinavian side, which is what we're after in our house overall.

Basically there's a reason that some products have both a green option and a traditional, commercial option - often there's characteristics of the commercial option that people don't want to compromise on (durability/hardness, shine, etc). In this case we're happy to compromise as the pay-off is a much greener, friendlier product in our home.