Title says it all. I have about 2 inches between the wall and the tank; enough to see if it is not painted; too small to get a brush or roller in there.
(Please don’t tell me to remove the tank. I can, but it is a PITA)
Title says it all. I have about 2 inches between the wall and the tank; enough to see if it is not painted; too small to get a brush or roller in there.
(Please don’t tell me to remove the tank. I can, but it is a PITA)
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Replies
use a long handle mini-roller
No need to remove the tank... remove the whole toilet... lol. Probably less trouble than removing the tank though.... and it'll give you a chance to make sure the wax ring is up to snuff.
I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
".... and it'll give you a chance to make sure the wax ring is up to snuff."YOU may want to snuff an old wax ring, but I wouldn't. :)BruceT
Tie a sponge between 2 strings. You paint the back of the tank also, so what?
They make a little roller just for that.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Remove toilet and TILE behind toilet.
Never have to paint behind toilet again.
I rarely have 2" of clearance, but if I did, I would use a mini roller (also called hot dog rollers).
Removing the tank is easier than removing the whole toilet and it's a lot lighter. I don't find it to be a PITA at all. If you do decide to do that, get a new tank-to-bowl gasket, tank bolts and washers, and a new supply line. You probably won't need the supply line, but it's good to have on hand.
Oh yeah, don't forget to remove the water first.
I agree. If removing the tank is a pain it's probably because the bolts are corroded and need replacing anyway. With a fairly new toilet removing the tank takes five minutes with three left over to eat a doughnut.
There are few signs that point to shabby work more than removing an appliance or cabinet to find it hasn't been painted behind or someone has just poured paint down into the dirt and cobwebs.
Edited 7/10/2009 7:25 pm ET by fingersandtoes
>>>With a fairly new toilet removing the tank takes five minutes with three left over to eat a doughnut. Now remember to wash your hands before eatin' that dognut. Rules of plumbing:1) $h!t flows downhill.2) Plumbers shouldn't bite their nails.;)Scott.
Edited 7/10/2009 9:11 pm by Scott
Weenie roller is what I've heard them called. I use them all the time. They are great for a lot of things.
I made my own roller bucket for it out of an ice bucket. I can hold the bucket, a brush, and the weenie roller all at the same time. It saves a lot of time on top of a ladder.
Will Rogers
"I made my own roller bucket for it out of an ice bucket. I can hold the bucket, a brush, and the weenie roller all at the same time. It saves a lot of time on top of a ladder. "
Wow - you need a ladder to paint behind the toilet tank? Must be one of them fancy victorian terlets. Or you should be in the circus.
paint pad
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Your standard of living will eventually diminish to your standard of buying. Think about it.
That's a good idea, but the only paint pads I've seen have a handle that won't let them squeeze into a 2" space.
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Is there a particular brand that you use?
There is a white roller that is smaller in length and diameter than the pink one in the previous post
that fits on a long handled roller made specifically for them. Available even at the bigboxes.
The Woodshed Tavern BackroomFor Topics Too Hot For Taunton's Breaktime Forum's Tavern (abandon hope all ye who enter there)
Edited 7/9/2009 11:46 pm ET by rez
The minnie rollers are great but if you want to use the paint pad remove the standard handle and glue or screw on a piece of stock similar to a paint stirring stick.
Nice and thin and make it long enough to get it done in a single reach from the top down, or whatever side gives you the most clearance.
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Your standard of living will eventually diminish to your standard of buying. Think about it.
Use the paint padn not the handle. Glue flat wooden paint stirrer to back of paint pad --- works like a charm.
Saint
Good idea Saint!
You really don't need to paint behind the tank.
Remove the lid and use one of the mini rollers and you only need to go down an inch or two.
After you put the lid back on you won't see it.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
Like others have said, the mini roller might work. But if it doesn't, removing the tank is all of five minutes work. If it's an old toilet you might want to have a tank gasket kit ready, which is cheap enough.
Scott.
The main thing you are worried about is painting the tank accidentally.
Brown paper pulled taught, taped to the tank. You could even spray then!
Tu stultus es
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Remove the toilee.
A La Carte Government funding... the real democracy.
Remove the drywall and studs and top and bottom plates and any wires or pipes from the other side of the wall behind the toilet.
Then carefully cut the paper tape in one both corners.
this will allow the tape on the ceiling to act as a hinge.
Pull the drywall behind the toilet back away and pivot it up to the ceiling.
build a temporary wall to support the dry wall.
then you can paint it at your leisure.
when the paint is dry simply fold it back down and rebuild the wall!!!
DONE!!!
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion"
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
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.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
.
.
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according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."
take the short cut...
pour the paint down the wall....
pour as much as needed for 100% coverage....
wipe up access from floor...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Great idea!
Not to hijack, but how many folks actually still use a roller? Have not used a roller in maybe 10 years, since I got an 835 spray setup. Mask (work and you) and go. Small jobs just a brush.
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Spary applications still require rolling! To allow the paint to adhere properly to most surfaces, backrolling is still required. And to guarantee a proper even fisish to the paint, backrolling is a must. Especially when your doing interior work and even more if your spraying any paint with finishes above a dead flat. The scheen in the paint does not ever spray correctly. Overlap marks, thin spots, and heavy spots need to be evened out. I've been spraying for years and year on all possible surfaces and there is no surface besides trim that I don't backroll. Unless your using an HVLP sprayer, which is a totally different type of application.
Welcome, you may be an overachiever for this place. Good points, I would shoot cr*ps with removing the tank before I would even think about taking the whole fixture out as some said. If there is not room to paint, then you will have to get a mirror to see any unpainted area.
For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
"you will have to get a mirror to see any unpainted area. "
one answer..........................in-laws!
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Your standard of living will eventually diminish to your standard of buying. Think about it.
Exactly. And inch or two down, in most cases, is all that you need. And that is easy to get with a small roller.That said I did have the HO pull a toilet one so that I could paint behind it.One reason is that was a small bathroom. Minimal size for toilet, tub, and small vanity. And it had vaulted ceiling. Needed space for the ladder. Also they had put up wainscoting beadboard and toilet sat out littel further than usual and you saw behind it from the vanity. And with the small roller you could paint the surface, but left the groves dry.The other 20-30 jobs I have done just the lid off and a couple of inches down with the mini-roller.And I don't try to wrap the tank either. Any paint that gets on it wipes right off..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
My husband decided to spray the insides of our kitchen cabinets a lovely dark blue. Masked off, drop cloth in the 5 feet around the cab, and have at it. On that attempt, my daughter, who was 25 feet away, had blue snot. Plus both of my husband and I spent hours with acetone trying to get the blue off the stove, floor, and other items that weren't intended to be blue. Apparently, the sprayback was more powerful than he realized :) On the second attempt, he put plastic across the front of the cabinet and stuck a glove through a sealed opening like a cleanroom. This time everything in a 20 foot radius was also dropclothed, just in case. That was good because we still had blue outside the intended spray zone. Apparently, the gaps between tops, bottoms, and sides inside the cabinet were so huge that the sprayed paint was coming out of them to disperse around the room. This time the dispersal wasn't so far because we didn't open the window (since the paint area was sealed).
He switched back to brush and roller.
Some guys just don't feel they worked unless there is a big mess!"There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
'specially in the kitchen. I believe the Y chromosome makes it necessary to use 3 pots to boil water.
If I can't cook the entire dinner in one cast iron skillet, something's wrong. I live alone and have to clean up my own mess.
You can do it in one skillet, but must have a torbo charged 250k btu burner..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
Yes, I do have an oxygen generator to increase the BTUs, and a high pressure mapp gas burner on the stove. Coffee boils on the stovetop in about 43 seconds.
"blue snot" - oh, that's priceless ! ! Thank you for the clear mental image !
Greg
LOL, Haven't seen you give painting advice for a while. Sure you're up to it?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I wan't being funny... I was being serious....
ya think 5 gallons is enough to create that waterfall??? or would that be paintfall...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
paintful, would be more like it
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
Your standard of living will eventually diminish to your standard of buying. Think about it.
Tape 14" mud pan to wall to catch XS paint. No mess to clean-up.
rather have the mess....
word get out...
nobody will allow me near the paint....
win/win situation...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Put stainless steel on the wall behind terlit.
sub it out...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
what Imerc said LOL
the job's yurs....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
ROFL!Do you manage government programs for a living?BruceT
That's my method.
It is getting rare to find other craftsmen willing to put forth an honest effort to get superior results.You sir, are one of the finest few.remove the tank!!!what is this the dark ages!!??!!.
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"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
.
.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
.
.
.
according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."
Thanks to all. In summary
No, I did not remove the wall and put it back
No, I did not caulk between the wall and the tank
No, I did not leave it unpainted
No, I did not remove the tank (although that one was high on my list)
I bought one of those mini rollers. I got the one with the nap, NOT the one with the foam. It worked better than advertised.
BUT WAIT!! THERE'S MORE!!!!
That roller has the nap go around the end. It is the bee's knees for painting the corners of the wall. It is even better than using a brush to fill in the corners. It is faster, and keeps the roller texture all the way to the corners.
Laaadies and would-be gentlemen!
The winner and still champion... 4 inch mini-roller.
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"No, I did not remove the wall and put it back"HACK....
.
"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
.
.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
.
.
.
according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."
I use one the same type of mini-roller on every interior paint job.It also leaves the same stipple finish as the big roller.If I am taping I will use ti for the the cut in. If not I cut in with a brush and run the roller about 1/4-1/2 from the edge. And use it around light switches and the like. Does not leave that band of brush marks. Specially in that area between a light switch and the door casing..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
2" is plenty for a cigar roller
Also easy to take the tank or whole appliance off
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Hi John,
I've painted behind thousands of toilets over the years. My process is fairly simple. 1st remove the tank cover, 2nd wrap thin painters plastic or a large garbage bag over and behind the toilet and tape it taught so there is no slack. 3rd use a small "mini roller" ( I prefer wooster 1/2" napp) and simply roll. You may run into a situation where your actually smear the paint as apposed to actually rolling. However for the 40 sq. inches that will be hidden behind most toilets, this is not noticable if the stipple is not congruent with the rest of the room. Use the plastic that wraps the toilet, don't be afraid to smash the roller behind there. Make sure you tape off any base below the toilet and use a drop cloth to catch any paint that my drip. This is how the best way that I've found, and I've never had a complaint to date regarding behind the toilet. Please let me know if I can help with anything else about your painting needs. [email protected]
Kevin's Paint Contracting
NO to removing the tank
NO to removing the toilet
YES to the weenie roller
YES to paint pad on a stick
YES to smashing a bigger roller and scrubbing
YES to just painting the visible part
And, grudgingly, YES to hinging the wall and swinging it out of the way to paint!
Jim x 3
Thanks for the help .... at least I think it is help!
Something that I didn't mention, and is only passing important: This is a new bathroom; the toilet has been p###ed in only twice. I ain't removing it.
The weenie roller or paint pad sounds like the solution. I don't know why I didn't think if them. Well .... Actually I do know why I didn't think of the pad: I used them ONCE in the past and vowed never to use them again. However, this just might be the vow breaker.
Only thing I can say is we could had the tank off, two coats of paint and the tank back on in the time this post ran. LOL.
"If all else fails, read the directions"
Why wouldn't you just caulk the gap?
Bravo! I just knew if this thread went on long enough that someone would come up with a nice simple solution :-)
I've not yet seen 2" backer rod at the big box, and the wholesaler wants me to buy a 1000' roll.
Group buy on toilet tank caulking kits?
:)
I twist the backer rods together to make a thicker rope. It works great. I've never had to twist more than two, but I wouldn't be opposed if I had the proper caulk.
I've twisted 3...
"Trimming in" some large exterior louvers on a precast building.
I'll bet it looks good from downtown!
He11, it looked good from the ground right there :)
We like to refer to that gooey stuff as "liquid trim".
And yes.....caulk IS trim!
Use a hot dog ;o)
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Edited 7/11/2009 9:13 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke
Use a topper gasket, painted to match the walls.
Less cobwebs and critters to deal with.