# Apartment Turnovers



## ChrisVA (Aug 13, 2009)

So this weekend we're painting 20 or so apartments, some up to 3 level 4 bedrooms. 

I have a power roller setup, on my small airless sprayer, and some 18" rollers going as well. 

Beyond this--any ideas for doing this very, very quickly? The ceiling is the same color. We'll cut in around plates. All will be done in a standard flat which matches the present paint. 

I suppose two specific questions I have are

--would using a 3/4 inch nap help to go fast? 

--will taping the baseboards with 1.5 inch tape (and no paper) help with speed--could we reasonably get by not taping?

I've painted for 20 years, off and on, and have done turnovers before, but would like to speed things up as much as I can.


Thanks for any input.


Chris


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## Camilo (Aug 8, 2009)

Don't roll them, spray them. You don't have to cut anything in or take off the plates just paint right over them.... keep a wet rag or towel (not dripping wet, but you know...) and as you get done with the rooms, clean them off. Works good for me on a daily basis and on a standard 3 bed 2 bath apartment it usually takes me about two-three hours at the most, that's including prep time. Painting apartments is completely different from painting a house...:thumbup:


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## Camilo (Aug 8, 2009)

Are the baseboards not included in the job or do you not want to paint them again?


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## Throbak (May 5, 2007)

2 guys, 46 apartments, 4 days, using 2 18"x3/4 knit and 6x1/2 lambskin button tip. 3 1/2 gallon Liebco "Big Time" paint tray mounted to a fold-up handled suitcase cart. One guy masking off base w/2" shurtape and removing the cover plates and taping over sockets takes less than three minutes, while other guy cuts in ceiling, around 2 doors, corners, and window with mini lamb. Then masker become paint loader, so there's a continuous wet roller going, roll down onto the tape, eliminating cutting in the base and floor tarps. Elapsed time: 11 minutes/room.

We've 2 victories in 2 races against sprayers.


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## ChrisVA (Aug 13, 2009)

Thanks for these responses. We started with sets of 18" rollers, moved to spray/backroll, then, with several very large apartments to paint in only a few hours, moved to spraying only--not even taping baseboards, just wiping them afterwards. Cut in some w/ 9" roller around lower plates, where soiled. Will go in today, now that move-in is done, to do touch ups for what we missed. 

Thanks again. Next year--would spray again, w/ a better system--taping or other--to avoid having to wipe down bases.

Chris


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## nEighter (Nov 24, 2008)

you did 20 this weekend????


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## Throbak (May 5, 2007)

Curious. How do you cut in around lower plates with a 9 in. roller? Usually pnly a 6 to 7" space between lower plate and base. What about the closet, window, and door casings, glass, mirrors, countertops, appliances, and flooring? Did you just wipe off the overspray from those also? Do you provide the materials and insurance?


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## BESMAN (Jul 15, 2009)

Wow...what a bomb squad.

Just cover the floors, stick a 5 in the center of the room and put a live grenade inside. You can get each room done in 10 seconds.


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## ChrisVA (Aug 13, 2009)

Let me respond to a few of these posts. Really it worked out pretty well. Although I was told it would be up to 20 apts, determined by management after move-out, it turned out to be about a dozen, as well as several in which we painted individual rooms and/or did touch ups only.

I should have been more clear--we rolled around closet/door casings as well. There were no window casings, and we ignored kitchens at the end to hit this week--my goal was to get maximum wall coverage--saving much time from what it would have been this week. Bathrooms were not part of the 2nd half of the project. 

Again, I stayed away from casings with the sprayer, and we checked for overspray afterwards--it went pretty well and I''d do it again.

Thanks again for feedback.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 5, 2009)

NON-BEVEL ROLLER COVERS absolutely awesome for exactly what you're doing. You can bump and roll after you spray, you have to look at a cover to see what im saying. The nap goes all the way to the edge, its not tapered in like most covers. Great for getting into corners so theres minimal brush work needed.


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

NCPaint1 said:


> NON-BEVEL ROLLER COVERS absolutely awesome for exactly what you're doing. You can bump and roll after you spray, you have to look at a cover to see what im saying. The nap goes all the way to the edge, its not tapered in like most covers. Great for getting into corners so theres minimal brush work needed.


Who would want that ? I like it when my guy on back rolling has an 18" frame and just grinds the hell out of the corners with it, gives me something to do.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 5, 2009)

ModernStyle said:


> Who would want that ? I like it when my guy on back rolling has an 18" frame and just grinds the hell out of the corners with it, gives me something to do.


Sure and never use a drop cloth, its easier to just shampoo carpet after your done....or just replace it :w00t::clap:


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## Dustyrose (Feb 13, 2009)

I love when these guys brag about how fast they can paint an apartment and their techniques. Keep doing what your doing guys because your one time job will turn into a permanent contract for a contractor like myself.


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

What about wall prep?


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Wall prep?:whistling:whistling


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## nEighter (Nov 24, 2008)

there isn't wall prep in repaints for apartments aside from taking a palm full of 20min mud and walking around pushing it into nail/pin holes. IF it is knockdown there is no prob, if it is smooth a small wait and lite scuff and you are golden. Painting apartments is just covering the stink on poo...


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

nEighter said:


> there isn't wall prep in repaints for apartments aside from taking a palm full of 20min mud and walking around pushing it into nail/pin holes. IF it is knockdown there is no prob, if it is smooth a small wait and lite scuff and you are golden. Painting apartments is just covering the stink on poo...


They don't at least clean the walls?TSP?


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## nEighter (Nov 24, 2008)

nope.


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## nEighter (Nov 24, 2008)

I am officially highjacking this thread. Here is a unit I painted and did some work on that a lady turned her head inside out with a shotgun in.









































































I walked out of it. I got the call and went to do it knowing what happened, and then seeing what the "cleaner" < official BIO cleaner (btw.. 13hrs was $3000.00 fyi) left. I turned around and got on the cell and told the manager NO WAY. Get that guy back NOW. I WILL NOT DO THIS. She told me to go get kilz


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## nEighter (Nov 24, 2008)

So what happened? I went out and got the feckin Kilz


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Reminds me of the time a renter did the same thing in one of my parents rentals. The walls were spotted for a long time. After different products were tried, someone decided to use hairspray on the spots. It worked. I have told this before on this forum, and someone said the shellac? in the hairspray is what let it cover the stains.

So, what finally covered those walls?

Btw, that has got to be one the nastiest jobs out there to clean up after.


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## Dustyrose (Feb 13, 2009)

The Bio clean up crew didn't do a very good in my opinion. I did a murder/susicide house. Didn't look anything like that.


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

If I would have cleaned that room up you would have needed another hazmat crew for all the barf....


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

I prefer BIN for brains, Kilz sometimes lets the cerebral cortex come back through.


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## naptown CR (Feb 20, 2009)

well the last person to leve there got kilzed too


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## nEighter (Nov 24, 2008)

ModernStyle said:


> I prefer BIN for brains, Kilz sometimes lets the cerebral cortex come back through.


it was actually coverstain  LOL at BIN for brains though :clap:


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## nEighter (Nov 24, 2008)

boman47k said:


> Reminds me of the time a renter did the same thing in one of my parents rentals. The walls were spotted for a long time. After different products were tried, someone decided to use hairspray on the spots. It worked. I have told this before on this forum, and someone said the shellac? in the hairspray is what let it cover the stains.
> 
> So, what finally covered those walls?
> 
> Btw, that has got to be one the nastiest jobs out there to clean up after.


Yep, that is basically what the BIN is. Oh what covered it? I retextured the walls and the ceiling like nothing ever happened. Then painted the walls effected. Was weird, I heard the story and then the lady's kid comes upstairs after he got off from school and let me know I was doing a good job.. :blink::sad: I bought him an icecream from the icecream man.. I left there pondering what they hell makes people do what they do..


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