Painting VJ's

[Theremin]

Does anyone have any hot tips for painting VJ's? (as in the boards used in Queenslanders for walls/ceilings). I have tried using just a roller, but had to use a fairly large nap to get into the grooves which meant it didn't leave a very flat finish. I have also tried using just a brush, but that takes ages. Someone said to paint the grooves with a brush first then roll the boards in between. Any ideas?

[echnidna]

use roller and a small brush at the same time.
roll a smallish section, brush the v's then do another section

[mrsxtro]

BTW to get a really good finish you need to fill the gap between each board with flexible gap filler. It is a bugger of a job, takes forever, but well worth the effort in the end.
Have fun!
-mrsxtro

[Steveoo]

I have done lots of this type of painting - 5 bedroom qlander - all vj. :rolleyes:
All painted by me on a 6 ft ladder !!!!!!!!!

Cut in all corners and perhaps extend this cutting in down the VJ's grooves a bit further than on the flat - comes in handy later-

Use two rollers one long nap one short. -both on poles-(much easier)

Use long nap first (to get in the grooves)and do a manageable section that you can paint and still have it totaly wet when you go over it a second time with a fairly dry short roller. ( I would proberly do about 1.5m of 3m high wall at a time). when you have taken off the excess texture dry the short roller back out on the next section of wall you are going to do. It is then ready to go next time. so get your long nap out and do the next section.

You will find the groove is harder to fill with the roller in the corners so that is why it is easier to cut down a bit further.

I know it might sound a bit complicated way to do it but take it from me you dont want to cut in a whole room (or house) full of vj's, and it is actually quite quick.

It is pretty much one of the golden rules not to gap fill in between the vj as they are supposed to move (it's in lots of q-landr books so it must be true:))

Haveing had to clean up sticky **** like that off walls and floors from years ago (proberly those hippies in the sixties!!!!) I say think of the person (or yourself) in thirty years saying "what sort of wanker would have put this **** all over this it's going to take me days to get this off." I would (and have) erred on the side of caution.

steve

[Theremin]

Steveoo - that is an interesting method and sounds like it might actually work! I thik I'll give it a try. As to not filling the gaps between VJ's, I'm not so sure about that one...

[Munga]

Thereman I would definately fill the gaps but not with the normal gap filler as it sets too solid you can get a water clean up one that stays flexible (I have some in the shed will look the name up if you want) and apply it in the dryest time of year when the boards have shrunk and left the biggest gaps.
I used 176 tubes in mine it was b----y tedious but the ease of painting and no more dust filtering down from the ceiling made it well worth while.
Cheers Arch.:)

[dzcook]

am just doing same thing at monent like the idea of two rollers have done most of my places with brush first and then roller would be good wiuth 2 pple one rolling with long nape and the other following behind

did gap fill in last place but have found that now 4 years down the track the gaps are almost as big as they where before have removed 2 tons of dust and dirt from the ceiling cavity and still have the dust coming down thru the gaps the boards have actually curved over the years which is why the tongues no longer match

[mrsxtro]

If you don't fill the gaps then you will undoubtably get big cracks in the paint between each VJ. It is not a good look. Yes, VJs are designed to move but if done properly with a flexible gap filler, at a time when the gaps are at their largest, then you shouldn't have any problems. They will still move but they won't crack the paint as much.
I too live in an old Queenslander and this is just my experience!
-mrsxtro.

[Steveoo]

*************** 176 tubes of gap filler *******************

Fu(k me dead

Thats a party i wish i had an invite to !!!!!!:D

If you must gap fill I can recommend (from doing cornices ect.) the fullers tubes for about $7.50 they have i believe a 25% flex to them (pay the extra !!!!) and i can tell you the bostich ect. stuff for $2.50 isnt any good at all.

[Munga]

I agree in not getting the cheap stuff as it is not flexible enough but you will be surprised how much goes into the grooves especially on 3.6mtr high walls, get a tube and do a test on how far it goes but make sure it is pressed well into the groove then estimate how many you'll need for the job. I bought 4 cartons at a time & reduced the cost by nearly half. Cheers Arch.

[RufflyRustic]

DZCook said: "...still have the dust coming down thru the gaps the boards have actually curved over the years which is why the tongues no longer match..."

So does insulation help with this problem? I've VJs and gaps and dust coming through the ceiling too. Not much dust as it must have been re-roofed in the last x years and the dust is only a couple of mms thick.

I definitely agree with not filling the gaps unless with a good flexible filler. The amount of movement in our house here in Toowoomba may be too much to consider filling gaps. Actually, there are more gaps in the ceiling than in the walls.

Cheers
RufflyRustic