As the drywall continues to turn....
December 16th -- The soap opera of the drywall continues but only because the painters could not be working any harder than they already are. OK, that is a really weird sentence, so I will have to explain. Both the contractor and architect told me that drywall moves quickly, which is true when someone is doing an "adequate" job. The problem is that the previous drywall guys did a less than adequate job and they were fired. The painters who came to the rescue have brought a much higher quality of standard to the work, and high quality takes time. So, while the painters/drywallers are redoing much of the previous work, they are meticulous in the work they are doing. As the owner of the painting company told me, "We're getting a reputation for coming in and fixing up the messes that others have made." I would just add that not only are they fixing up the previous messes, but they have gone beyond the level of quality that was originally bid for the job. These guys take so much pride in the work that they do that they would not have it any other way.
For example, the owner of the painting company experimented with several mixtures of drywall mud and settings to get just the right texture for the walls. Once he was happy with aligning all the variables, he spent several hours on Sunday to mix the mud and adjust the spray mechanism so that on Monday he would have the right mix for spraying. These photos don't do justice, but here are 2 of about 5 different test "texture panels" that he made in order to find just the right texture for the walls.
Although you really can't tell from the photos, the texture of the walls is rather light because texture is typically used to hide imperfections on the mudded drywall. These guys are so meticulous in applying the drywall mud and sanding it, that this level of detail and quality is time consuming.
And, here is the winning texture.....
The following photos show just how much work they have done to mud the drywall to hide joints and the screws that hold the sheet rock panels to the framing studs of the walls.
The guy who laid the hardwood floors on the main level also came over the weekend to begin to lay the hardwood floors in the master bedroom. His process is just as meticulous as first he selects and lays out the different boards, almost as if fitting together the pieces of an elaborate jig saw puzzle.
The painter/drywallers and the hardwood floor installers are now involved in an intricate choreography as they are working in the same spaces. In an ideal world, without the drywall debacle, the walls would have been done before the floors were laid, but that didn't happen, so they are trying to work simultaneously.
In the meantime, I selected really cool showers doors -- one for the master bathroom and the other for the 3/4 bath off the gathering room. The one for the master bath shower will have this really neat pivot hinge.
As the drywall work continues, I try not to become disheartened (although that is a challenge) because the amount of mess has grown exponentially, as shown just by all the stuff that is needed to do the drywall work in these photos.
The cabinets were delivered Monday afternoon, and there are about a zillion boxes of cabinetry in the newly textured gathering room.
I suppose that in the spirit of the holiday season I should think of all of these boxes as gifts for the house that will yield wonderful surprises when opened, even though I already know what is inside.
The next step will be to narrow my choices down to about 5 colors and then the painter's supply house will provide "drawn downs" which are boards of the selected colors that I can move from room to room at different times of the day to see how the light in the rooms affects the colors so I can finalize the colors.
The drywall debacle has increased the level of stress associated with living in the construction zone. As much as I try to seal off my living areas with tarps, plastic sheeting and lots and lots of taped edges, the drywall dust permeates these barriers. Between the dust, grime, general chaos, and the knowledge that the project is delayed by 6 weeks, and the elegantly sequenced plan has been sabotaged by the fired drywall crew, it is not surprising that I have contracted a nasty upper-respiratory virus of some sort. My mantra is "..whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger..." By the end of this project, I should be able to bench press at least 500 pounds!
In the midst of all of this progress and stress, I have received a jury summons and must report bright and early to the courthouse Tuesday morning for jury duty....this is a nice reminder that life continues outside the construction zone. I just hope that I am not selected for a trial that involves charges against a negligent drywall hanger because I would have a major challenge remaining impartial!
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