The Walls Are Closing In...

Finally, FINALLY, we found some time to work on the hallway in the basement. Yesterday afternoon we decided it was high time we got to work in there. For the first time in weeks, we didn't have anything else going on to take up our Saturday. The kids classes at Lands' End had finished up for the session and we hadn't signed them up for anything else. We spent the morning cleaning the house, then Lincoln and I got to it. We had been dreading trying to hang the ceiling with just the two of us, but we managed just fine. The first two pieces went up pretty easily, but the last ceiling piece threw us off. We have to remove the hardwired smoke detector in order to hang the drywall, and we can't figure out how to take it down. Anybody know? We couldn't find the breaker switch, and hated to flip the main breaker. It looks like the wires should just unplug from the unit, but the connection seems impossible to pull apart. Any ideas?



Since we were stumped, we stopped with the ceiling and decided to hang walls where we had already installed the ceiling drywall.


We got four pieces up and Wow! what a difference!


It makes the basement seem huge with that continuous wall and ceiling. And it makes us excited to get the other bedroom and the bathroom done. It will add sooo much space!


For now, I hope to be able to show you all the drywall up in the hallway by the end of the week. My other goal for the week is to get the caulking done in the girls' room. That should keep me busy! Here's hoping we all have a productive week! What's on your plate this week?

Basement Progress

Basement progress might be overstating what we have done of late in the area. But progress is progress, no matter how small...Right? We NEED to get the hallway in this area finished off. As part of that process, we planned to rip out the doorway to the unfinished portion, opening it up without an archway or anything, just a continuation of the wall and ceiling, one smooth line. Well, one smooth line with a soffit in the middle of it.

A few days after Christmas, Lincoln got to work with a Saws All and a crowbar, and tore out the doorway.
I couldn't believe how much bigger it made the family room space look! It will be amazing when we get it finished. And warmer. A lot of cold air comes in from the unfinished basement. Right now, getting drywall up in the hallway is top priority. If we can get the ceiling up, I can plug away at the walls on my own.

There are so many projects I want to get working on, but this is where our money and efforts need to be concentrated right now. I'm hoping we can get to it on Saturday. We shall see.

Finishing Rock...

Let me share with you a few things I've learned about finishing sheetrock. If you're experienced in this area, I won't be much help. But if you're a newbie like me, this might be useful.

#1- PAPER tape is a nightmare.


FIBERGLASS MESH ADHESIVE tape is the only way to go.


Now, there may be some reason that somebody prefers the other stuff, and maybe I just don't know enough about the process to know why it would be better, but I find the mesh stuff waaaaaay better to work with. I started out with the paper tape and didn't really feel like I was struggling with it, but one seam bubbled when it dried. And when I switched to the mesh tape, it was sooo easy to handle. With the paper tape, you spread on mud, bed the tape into it, then trowel off the excess mud as you smooth the tape down into the mud. With mesh tape, you lay the tape over the seam using the adhesive side, then trowel mud over it and smooth it down. No chance of bubbles.

#2- If you don't trust me and you go ahead and use paper tape and the paper tape bubbles, it is possible to repair the damage. I had a section of tape from the ceiling to the middle of the wall that had bubbles spread along it. I had three coats of mud on the tape (the coat it was embedded in, and two coats over it.) I just took a utility knife, cut out the entire section of tape, (which was very easy), laid in mesh tape over the joint, and mudded over it.

#3- I had several screw heads that stayed too far above the surface of the drywall. I had tried to set them deeper without success and then just mudded over them. When we sanded they were exposed again. I got a new dimple bit, scraped off the mud over the head, UNscrewed them a bit, then reset them. This worked with most of them. There is one that is stripped so we can't get it in or out. I just have to build the mud up over it and sand with care. If you can't get a screw to set and it ISN'T stripped, just remove it, mud the hole, and put in a new screw a couple inches beyond it on the joint.

#4- There seem to be 2 schools of thought about this process. Some folks will tell you it's all in the sanding. Other folks will tell you it's all in the mudding. I lean more toward the mudding. There really is a fine line between too much mud and not enough. As one book said, "There's no need to trowel on 5 gallons of mud and sand off 3." However, attention to detail in sanding is also crucial. And you must be patient. I only sanded after the final coat, but then found lots of places that needed to be touched up- screw heads, low spots, furred tape or drywall paper. I REALLY wanted to be done, but I touched up and sanded again. Do this as many times as necessary to achieve the smooth finish you're looking for. You'll be glad in the long run.

#5- Lastly, for now, is invest in a corner trowel.

The book I read did not even mention corner trowels. My corners looked terrible and I was dreading how much attention they were going to need to get them looking nice. Luckily, my mother came to visit and said, "Did you use a corner trowel?" "Corner trowel!?" said I. "What pray tell is a corner trowel? It sounds divine!" I sent my dear husband out for a corner trowel then slapped a coat of mud up in the corners with that. What a huge difference! They are now like buttah.

I still have to sand again and see where I'm at. If I think of any more tips and tidbits to share, I will. Wish me luck. The carpet is supposed to be installed on Friday. I'm running out of time!

Room Progress

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Life has been absolutely insane since my last post. What a hectic summer. Between visitors and trips and this construction project, I'm swamped. But despite the insanity, I wouldn't change a thing. Wait, that's a lie. I would gladly go back and keep my husband with me in NY during my family's work week, rather than letting him come back to work. And I would pass on two of my kids getting pneumonia. I think I would just opt out of that completely.

This past week I have been frantically trying to get Julia's room taped and mudded before she arrives home. I wanted it to be painted so it would look like some serious progress had taken place. Because she won't be able to see the hours and hours I've put into this mudding process. This evening I finally finished the skim coat on the room. Unfortunately, she arrives tomorrow afternoon, and unless the sanding goes really well, I'm afraid there will be no paint on the walls.

Just to keep things interesting, I'm also trying to refinish a bunk bed I picked up for the girls from Craig's List and a pretty little chandelier I scored at Goodwill. I have a guy coming tomorrow to measure for carpet and a door order on hold at Menard's that we discovered we have to cancel because the opening is not large enough. My vision for the paint in the room is more involved than what i can slap up tomorrow, but if i could at least get it primed I think she would be pleased.

So here are a few photos from the process. I think they were taken during coat #1.





Being a giant comes in handy when mudding the ceiling.




I need to collapse into bed, but maybe I'll put one more coat of spray paint on that chandelier first...