Playing in the mud

After a grueling weekend of hanging drywall, this weekend's task seemed like a piece of cake (or mud pie!).  Taping and mudding was on the list this weekend.

First a little side trip.  Four years ago we did the bathroom.  It was our first project together and when our relationship first stated.  I had a better feel of how the bathroom was going to go than I did about our relationship at that stage of the game.  Well there was one piece of drywall that didn't sit so well with Troy.  It has been bugging him for years now soooo

now it is repaired.  Since we were drywalling anyway - why not fix it?  What this means of course is that the bathroom has to be repainted. (Diana - remember the evening phone calls to the decorator who was painting the bathroom while the guys were in Vermont?)  While I'm at it, why not a new shower curtain and new window treatments.  I think he was counting that to bring me on board!! - sneaky guy!

I was out at Calico Corner doing research for an assignment and drooling over the new Nate Berkus fabric line when I spotted this on the remnant pile

Instant love affair!  It has all the colors I want in the room but a mid-century modern feel to it.  There was only one yard but it would be enough for this

Source: cre8tivedesignsinc.com

Back on the main road.  The first round of taping and mudding is done!

 

 

I usually do all the screw holes while Troy does the corners and seams.  I tried a little seam work in the closet - where no one will ever see it! 

We celebrated with dinner at Panera.  Starting tomorrow I'll be eating drywall dust with my dinner as we - I should say Troy - begins sanding. 

The closet doors should be in next week and it won't be long before I can start painting! 

Dry Wall DONE!!!

We finished the drywall today!! Two days of back-breaking work.  Troy insists on fire-rated drywall on interior walls and that stuff is HEAVY!!

I usually share pictures when everything is all cleaned up and nice and neat.  Today you will see what drywall is REALLY like.  No holds barred.

This is what the process looks like.  There is drywall dust everywhere.  And scrap pieces and tools.  Yes that is a circular saw there.  If you remember how freaked out I was about cutting cement board inside while we did the kitchen, you probably wondered why that is in the house again.  I caved.  Some of the cuts were done with a circular saw.  Even worse than caving, it was my idea! 

One of the most challenging parts of the job was the front wall.  It has two doorways, two sconce boxes, three switches - one a bank of three, an outlet box and several more boxes for cable and sound.  Each of these boxes had to be measured and cut by hand. 

 

Measure twice,cut once is the #1 rule!!!

 

 

Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention.  We could not find the compass - it's in the garage - need I say more?  So to mark our circles we took the tape measure to the kitchen.

 

 



 

An oatmeal container is the same size as the sconce boxes!

 



 

Sadly we had to say goodbye to an old friend this weekend.  The old red level was so marred, you could not see the bubbles.  So we retired our old friend and hired a new kid.

 



So next comes taping, mudding and sanding - time consuming and messy work.  But then the fun stuff begins!!

Closet doors revealed

The closet doors have been ordered.  These are exactly what I wanted! 

If you recall we have a whole wall of closets

We had UGLY brown hollow core doors which looked like cheap garage doors!   Now my closet doors will blend in!

Now to find a door for the bathroom.  I'm looking for something similar.  That is proving tougher than I thought.

Dry wall begins

We began drywalling this weekend.  We didn't accomplish as much as we wanted. 

We got smart and rented a drywall lift from Home Depot.  For $36 for a day, it was well worth the money.  We only used it on the ceiling but you can also use it for walls. 

Another key tool is a decent keyhole saw.  My task was cutting the openings for outlets and other electrical boxes.  I learned to let the saw do the work!

Troy's gift to me - more useful than flowers!

And we could do without these - we both have one now!

We call them Charles and Di - aka the royal couple. 

Our progress was slowed by minor illness, other errands and a power outage on Saturday but we should be able to finish this weekend.  then we get to play in the mud and sand for a few weeks. 

Italian Cooking Lesson

I got an Italian cooking lesson this week. 

Fettuccine

 

Spaghetti

 

 

The electrician was here during the week. The upper picture is the bank of switches for the fan/sconces/tray ceiling lights - the latter two with dimmers.  Fancy, Smancy!

 

 

On Saturday, we ran the speaker wire, the phone and internet wires.  I really think someone at the wire factory tries to mess with your head.  Why won't this stuff simply unroll?? 

 

 



 

 

Sunday we insulated.  It was kind of chilly with bare walls.  Notice the TV.  Yup we got the cable working so we could watch the race while we worked.  How many people do you know that have a construction TV? 

 

 

We are ready for drywall!!  Things are moving along rather quickly I think.

 

Oh and I got a new ride - well new to me - just in time for some serious shopping for light fixtures, ceiling fan, drapes and all the finishing touches that are my part of the job. 

 



We have begun!

The master bedroom project has officially begun.

Last weekend we cleaned out the game room so that it could become our new bedroom.  One trip to Goodwill and one trip to the dump.  The hardest part was finding a place for all my clothes and shoes!  Poor Trevor lost his closet.

Our new digs

Smaller than our bedroom but kind of cozy.  We are trying to maintain some semblance of order and a retreat during the coming chaos.

Trevor's computer is now in the dining room and he actually said he likes it there.

Someday I will have a REAL dining room - I'll share my ideas for it later - that is a tease.

 

The bedroom is empty and ready to demo

 

 

Troy and Trevor had a wall kicking contest Friday morning - Troy won!

See why finding space for my clothes was hard?

So demo began at 7:30 am on Saturday, February 16 2013 - no turning back now.

 

First dump run was at 9:30 am. We made good progress - then we hit the closet!

Demo done and we are ready for the electrician on Wednesday. 

Best line of the weekend - A man's callouses are his gloves!


Signed

The Demolition Diva

New Project - Master Bedroom

It is that time of year again!  Reno season!!

This weekend we move all the furniture out of the bedroom into the "game room" so that we can start demo on the master bedroom. 

Here is the plan:

new insulation and drywall
replace closet doors
improve lighting with sconces and ceiling soffit with lighting
paint - of course
redecorate - of course

Here is the mood board

 

 

I think it will be a very tranquil retreat once it is done - in JUNE - UHGGGG