# To Paint or Not to Paint?



## blu878 (Jan 15, 2016)

My house is nearly 30 years old with it's original white paint. The paint has of course faded over the years. The household is having a disgreement over painting one of the rooms and I'd like some opinions.

The family room probably has the darkest paint due to cigarette smoke and a kersone heater putting out black/gray smoke. The room looks different (better/worse) depending on the lighting. I'd say it can look anywhere from white with a little bit of gray to white with a little bit of yellow/beige - all depending on the lighting. The windows are on the southwest side of the house but the porch and bushes block much of the sunlight. So it doesn't get much natural light.

Personally, I don't think it NEEDS painting. I think the trim could use some paint and there are some beige spots (someone must've splattered something) on the ceiling that need touching up. I think if we just paint the door and all the trim bright white and leave the room off-white (or whatever color it is now), it will be fine.

My other family members are against this. They want to paint the entire room the whitest white there is. 

This is where the problem comes in. My grandma needs to move in ASAP. The family room will be her bedroom. It would be a huge pain in the butt to have to paint the room on such a short time frame. The only reason anyone wants it painted is because it does kind of need it, but they're more concerned with what the guests will think. They don't even care what Grandma wants. I'm sure she'd be perfectly fine with the room the way it is. It's a bedroom, the only time she'll be in it is when she's sleeping. Guests should only have to pass by it. I'm agreeable to painting the trim bright white, but I don't agree with painting the walls and ceiling.

What do you all think?


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

If something hasn't been painted in 30 years, well, it's waaaaaayyyyy past time to repaint. Your grandmother will thank you. White is rather bland for a bedroom. Let Grandma pick out the color and go to town......


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## jimn (Nov 13, 2010)

I can't imagine having a room in my house that hasn't been painted in 30 years and there is no smoking in my house and you couldn't give me a kerosene heater. Way pat time to paint that room and make sure you clean those walls well. 39 years of grime won't hold paint .


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## MT Stringer (Oct 19, 2008)

Hopefully a good primer will block the cigarette smell and other odors giving grandma a nice place to stay.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Wash the walls with a big sponge mop and squirt of Mr. Clean in a 3 gallon bucket of water and be prepared to catch the yellow as it drools down to baseboard level. At least the room will smell better while painting.


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## Trillium (Nov 26, 2015)

and then paint it again in five years this time


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## melving.crane (Dec 28, 2015)

30 years, that's a long time painting has been away from your home walls. Since it's pretty important to paint overall home right away. I don't prefer white color in the house, choose deep colors, except white.


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## LVDIY (Mar 28, 2011)

Are you messing wth us, or are you really asking this?

I think grandma deserves staying in a place free of 30 years worth of cigarette stained walls...


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

This can't be for real...It sure grosses me out. Yuck X 30!


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