Tiny Bubbles

". . . in the paint, 
Make me feel sloppy, 
Like I'm doing what I shain't."

This morning the cosmic question arose in my reluctant brain:  Which means more time and trouble:  Continuing to use the can of dark yellow paint I already had to lay the second coat onto the walls of the study stairwell, or driving the fourteen-mile round trip to the paint store to see what Sherwin-Williams had to say about it?

The first would mean repeating the tedious process of laying the paint on with the brush, then coming after to roll it out.  The second would take time, gasoline, and negotiating some very annoying roadworks on the approach to the store.  Which, which, which?

Well, it wouldn't hurt to phone the shop and describe the problem.  When I did, the clerk who answered said it didn't sound like the paint ("Duration Home" Interior Matte Latex) was behaving the way it should, and to bring it in for her to take a look.

Funny how having something definite to do on a problem can bring clarity.  Without further ado, I jumped in the car and drove down.

I showed her both rollers I was using, the one with the 3/8" nap and the fine-celled foam one.  I told her how with either, the paint was leaving bubbles in the painted surface.  At first she said that was normal for the foam roller.  I wasn't convinced of that: the wrapper said it was designed to leave the finish smooth.  Then, she opened the can of paint and saw how runny it was.  "Oh, yes!  You have bubbles in here.  Shouldn't be that way.  We'll exchange it."

And she did.  And I got the second coat of "Decisive Yellow" paint on the stairway walls with a roller.  A new, higher-quality, roller.  Couldn't help but notice how much more paint I used than the first time around.  But maybe that was down to this new can of paint being the thickness it should be.

I can't tell for sure with the dropcloths down, but I think I'm going to like this color with the medium mahogany tone of the stairs. 

This was encouraging, so I went on to remove the books from the righthand built-in bookcase and lay a first coat of the dark yellow onto its back walls.  Ended up using the new brush for all of that.  Too much mess and awkwardness getting back in there with a roller.

The lefthand case can wait till I can get the furniture on that wall pushed back and out of the way.  A cabinet sitting out in the room is no place to pile all those books.