Designers, you know that affliction you have when you try to figure out what typeface a new restaurant is using for their logo. Or you come across an interesting website and view the source to see how it was built? Or you’ve noticed that any business having to do with “natural” products or “spirituality” uses Papyrus? I think I’ve sort of developed that with construction and finish work.
Now, everywhere I go I look at finish work and appreciate the effort and quality of how something like a wood paneled wall is made. Or I’ll notice how somebody did a poor job of feathering mud, so a seam is visible on a ceiling. Having a first person understanding of what it takes to make a wall appear flat and smooth, or wire lighting to a room where previously there was none, or that there is a way to ensure your insulation is as efficient and effective as possible, makes me appreciate what professional builders do. Through each step of our remodel, my respect for what tradesman and builders create has grown immensely.
Friday night was spent insulating. We used Great Stuff (yes, that is it’s name) Spray foam to insulate gaps between the framing of our doors and windows and reused R-30 fiberglass batts we had previously retro-fitted in our attic for the ceiling. For the exterior walls, we used Roxul, a stone wool product instead of the usual pink fiberglass stuff. I also added some blocking between studs to support the floating shelves we’re going to have next to our refrigerator.
Sunday was a fourteen hour day. Tara and I began it by going to the Home Depot near our house to buy 10 sheets of 4’ x 8’ 1/2” drywall. To get it home, we rented one of their big ass Ford F-350 Super Duty Trucks. At $19.95 for the first 75 minutes, it was money well spent.
The remaining 13 hours was spent in spent in drywall hanging hell. Wallboard is heavy and awkward, so trying to lift and mount it to joists 8 feet off the floor isn’t easy. I made a lift out of 2x4’s that we used to support one end of the board, while I was on the other end up a ladder holding the board up with one hand and trying to screw drywall screws in with my other hand. To make things a little bit more complicated, we had to make cutouts for our four new lighting fixtures before they were actually mounted. This is where the phrase “measure twice, cut once” comes into play. With the exception of a few smaller boards that we still have to mount on the walls, our kitchen is starting to look like something resembling a room.
Next up is mudding and taping the wallboards. This will be my third attempt at finishing drywall. My first was a closet, second was an upstairs guest bedroom. Hopefully my skills have improved so you won’t notice any seams on the walls when you come over.
