Week 15 - Drywall

Very little happened on the outside of the house this week except with the porch trim. The posts and headers were faced, the porch floor was completed and drainage slots were added to the railing.

The major work moved inside. On Monday the drywall process started. It went amazingly fast and was amazingly messy. There was drywall dust and refuse EVERYWHERE. Still, it was fascinating to observe. They started at the top of each room and just worked their way down.

I was surprised when they put up the drywall right over windows and doorways and then cut out the openings afterwards, but apparently that is a standard practice.

The also patched the bedroom window opening.

Finally I have a closed bedroom again. From a psychological point of view it just feels more secure. I have felt exposed ever since the wall was opened up. If I were to do a similar project in the future, I would probably secure something opaque over the opening, just for the psychological security it would provide.

A note: Always try to remember the WHOLE house when you plan. This is a 1923 structure which may have been wired after it was built because almost none of the outside walls have outlets on them. I realized the front wall of this room would be open from the other side and had them put in an outlet, but it didn't occur to me that the west wall was also exposed inside the garage, so I could have had one put in there as well.

By the end of the first day, the drywall was all up and I had real walls ...

..and clearly defined spaces, including the hall closet and the half bath in the front. What a change!

The next day all the seams were taped. At this point, it became necessary for me to keep the rooms warm and well ventilated, to speed the drying process. Luckily, we broke a couple of temperature records in Portland on the very days I needed it to be warm. Amazing.

The vent windows in the office proved very useful in regulating the temperature in this space. It looks as if they will work just the way I hoped to vent the house in the summer. Yeah!

Somewhere in the middle of the taping and plastering process, I remembered that the mail slot needed to be opened on the inside wall before the wall was textured. I located the bottom edge of the opening from the outside and then the drywall guys cut the opening for me.

The seams were plastered and, on Friday, the walls and ceilings were textured, giving everything a much more finished look, both in the living room and in the office space.

During the week, I also went out with Robert to get the flooring material. I will be laying down the floor myself.

I also decided to put all the plants that have been sitting in pots out back into the ground before the weather really heats up. They were supposed to be replanted in early spring, but the space won't be ready, so now they will be replanted in the fall, when the weather turns cool and/or wet again. So my back yard is now jamb packed with temporary plants, making it impossible to mow. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

My Vacation