Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Me and Mud
Joint compound, that is! Just so no one gets the wrong idea about the title . . .
I got up around 2:30 this morning. Somebody in the bedroom above me was making too much noise, so I decided I could either lay in bed and brood, or get up and be productive. I’d probably stay awake until 3:45 and then fall back asleep just in time for the alarm to go off at 4 anyway. Sure do hate when that happens.
I’m on my third bucket of mud now (premixed joint compound). I’ve been experimenting with adding water and dish soap, and I think I’ve got it about right now. I’m working on the third coating, and the water helps thin it down, and the soap helps break cohesion so it spreads better without all those nasty little air pockets forming. I’ve got the dining/hallway area pretty much done. It needs to be sanded and probably touched up here and there, but the bulk of the work is done.
Now I’m finishing up in the living room. This room has 9’ ceilings, so I use my 6’ ladder. I think the mud wasn’t ready to go to work that early. It sure didn’t seem to want to stick on the ceiling like it’s supposed to. Ok, so maybe I’m a bit on the sloppy side, but this morning seemed a bit excessive, even for my standards. Yesterday evening I was working and my son (the same person banging around in the bedroom at 2:30 am) wanted to talk. I had to warn him not to stand below where I was working. Sort of like it’s not a good idea to sit under a tree that is full of birds.
I got everything ready to go, got a batch of mud mixed up and headed up the ladder with my two trowels in one hand and the mud container in the other. Not sure what you call those things; it’s about 4” wide and 14” long. I started spreading mud on the ceiling side of the wall/ceiling joint, and a big dollop of mud escaped from the side of the trowel and landed right on the top of the ladder. Ok, not a real big deal, I’d just have to remember it was there. That’s not so bad as having it land on a tread. I keep working, and am sort of leaning backwards a bit, and somehow managed to flick my trowel and it went flying out of my hand across the room. I sure hate when that happens, now I’ve got to get down the ladder and pick it up. I leave the big trowel and mud container at the top of the ladder, being careful not to place it in the mud pile. Didn’t leave much free space at the top of the ladder though.
I get down, get the trowel and clean the now dirt incrusted mud off it, and head back up the ladder. My ladder is fiberglass, and they sometimes like to “walk” around a bit on their own. So as I’m going up, the ladder shifts a bit. I’ve only got one hand on the ladder, since I’ve got the trowel in the other, so to help keep my balance, I reach up to the top of the ladder with the hand holding the trowel, and manage to place my hand right on the big spot of fresh mud. Ok, enough is enough, I take the trowel and scrape what is left of the mud off the ladder (on to the floor, of course) set the trowel on the top of the ladder (it’s got mud on the handle since I was holding it when I put my hand in the mud).
I climb back down the ladder and clean off the stuff spread all over the palm of my hand. Go to get back on the ladder – squish! Yup, that stuff I scrapped off the ladder and on to the floor is now on the bottom of my shoe. I’m really thinking I should have stayed in bed about now, but this needs to be done. So I climb back up the ladder and grab the trowel. YUCCKKKKK!!!! I forgot the handle was still full of mud. I’m not going back down the ladder, so I wipe my hand and trowel on my pants. I use my pants to wipe off the trowel blades regularly, so I’m pretty well covered by the time I’m done anyway.
I finally get that spot done, and then needed to move the ladder. We still have four sheets of sheetrock on the floor, and I had to put the ladder on top of that. No big deal except that I forgot that with the ladder on the floor, I can make it one extra step and my hair just clears the ceiling. With the ladder sitting on the sheetrock, it’s now two inches closer to the ceiling. So up I go and as I straighten my legs, I realize I have just put the hair on the top of my head into the mud I just got done spreading before I moved the ladder.
Some mornings are just like that. I took a long shower before getting ready to go to work this morning.
Cathy
I got up around 2:30 this morning. Somebody in the bedroom above me was making too much noise, so I decided I could either lay in bed and brood, or get up and be productive. I’d probably stay awake until 3:45 and then fall back asleep just in time for the alarm to go off at 4 anyway. Sure do hate when that happens.
I’m on my third bucket of mud now (premixed joint compound). I’ve been experimenting with adding water and dish soap, and I think I’ve got it about right now. I’m working on the third coating, and the water helps thin it down, and the soap helps break cohesion so it spreads better without all those nasty little air pockets forming. I’ve got the dining/hallway area pretty much done. It needs to be sanded and probably touched up here and there, but the bulk of the work is done.
Now I’m finishing up in the living room. This room has 9’ ceilings, so I use my 6’ ladder. I think the mud wasn’t ready to go to work that early. It sure didn’t seem to want to stick on the ceiling like it’s supposed to. Ok, so maybe I’m a bit on the sloppy side, but this morning seemed a bit excessive, even for my standards. Yesterday evening I was working and my son (the same person banging around in the bedroom at 2:30 am) wanted to talk. I had to warn him not to stand below where I was working. Sort of like it’s not a good idea to sit under a tree that is full of birds.
I got everything ready to go, got a batch of mud mixed up and headed up the ladder with my two trowels in one hand and the mud container in the other. Not sure what you call those things; it’s about 4” wide and 14” long. I started spreading mud on the ceiling side of the wall/ceiling joint, and a big dollop of mud escaped from the side of the trowel and landed right on the top of the ladder. Ok, not a real big deal, I’d just have to remember it was there. That’s not so bad as having it land on a tread. I keep working, and am sort of leaning backwards a bit, and somehow managed to flick my trowel and it went flying out of my hand across the room. I sure hate when that happens, now I’ve got to get down the ladder and pick it up. I leave the big trowel and mud container at the top of the ladder, being careful not to place it in the mud pile. Didn’t leave much free space at the top of the ladder though.
I get down, get the trowel and clean the now dirt incrusted mud off it, and head back up the ladder. My ladder is fiberglass, and they sometimes like to “walk” around a bit on their own. So as I’m going up, the ladder shifts a bit. I’ve only got one hand on the ladder, since I’ve got the trowel in the other, so to help keep my balance, I reach up to the top of the ladder with the hand holding the trowel, and manage to place my hand right on the big spot of fresh mud. Ok, enough is enough, I take the trowel and scrape what is left of the mud off the ladder (on to the floor, of course) set the trowel on the top of the ladder (it’s got mud on the handle since I was holding it when I put my hand in the mud).
I climb back down the ladder and clean off the stuff spread all over the palm of my hand. Go to get back on the ladder – squish! Yup, that stuff I scrapped off the ladder and on to the floor is now on the bottom of my shoe. I’m really thinking I should have stayed in bed about now, but this needs to be done. So I climb back up the ladder and grab the trowel. YUCCKKKKK!!!! I forgot the handle was still full of mud. I’m not going back down the ladder, so I wipe my hand and trowel on my pants. I use my pants to wipe off the trowel blades regularly, so I’m pretty well covered by the time I’m done anyway.
I finally get that spot done, and then needed to move the ladder. We still have four sheets of sheetrock on the floor, and I had to put the ladder on top of that. No big deal except that I forgot that with the ladder on the floor, I can make it one extra step and my hair just clears the ceiling. With the ladder sitting on the sheetrock, it’s now two inches closer to the ceiling. So up I go and as I straighten my legs, I realize I have just put the hair on the top of my head into the mud I just got done spreading before I moved the ladder.
Some mornings are just like that. I took a long shower before getting ready to go to work this morning.
Cathy
Sunday, March 26, 2006
March 26th, 2006
Didn't make as much progress on the sheetrock as I would have liked the last two days (big shock there LOL!!)
Decided instead of rushing the project, we'll plan on spraying the ceilings next Friday. Hubby should get off work around noon (the IL crew likes to get out of town early) and be home around 3. I can have everything ready for him, he can spray the ceiling and we can get the room cleaned up.
Then we'll head east around 4am Saturday morning. We'll take my car (since the truck is acting up) and make it into the Twin Cities before noon. (We’ll stop for breakfast somewhere along the way).
Then we'll have time for lunch and visit my parents for a bit after that. We are also going to see if we can spend some time visiting hubby's grandparents for a bit. His grandparents (now over 90) are only 10 years older than my parents. Then stop in and say hello to our daughter, and then head back towards SD. My hubby does not want to stay overnight, but if he's driving, that is ok with me. I'm use to getting up and hitting the road while it's dark out, so he can sleep on the way in.
Then Sunday, if the parts for his truck show up, he'll be installing them. And we can lay the sub floor down in the dining area and I can start laying tile the week after that.
I wish I could talk hubby into staying overnight. We would leave very early in the morning, but then we could spend more time on Saturday. I'd love to go do a bit of shopping - there is a big wallpaper warehouse I'd like to stop at, and the tile liquidator - but we won't have room in the car for tiles if we get the books. Sure is a bummer the truck picked this week to act up.
We're going to make a Menards run this morning, and pick up barn cat food at TSC. Hubby's bugging me to get going, but I'm not done with my hot chocolate yet. I know better than to rush him while he's enjoying a cup of coffee . . .
It’s now late afternoon. Got what we needed at Menards and the cat food. Found some wallpaper I really liked, so won’t need to be look for that when we go into the Twin Cities. Plan on putting it on the east wall (the one that goes up into a point) and the north wall where the windows are in the dining room. It looks much prettier than the picture. That’s the tile that will be going on the floor in that area. Maybe it will all be done by May 1st, that sure would be nice.
Here are more pics of the sheetrock progress. I know, it does not look like much, but the hallway and dining area are about ready for the final sanding and priming. Still have a bit of work to do in the living room though. I’ll have to be disciplined and WORK this week if I have hopes of getting the ceilings sprayed Friday. I want to have a few days for the primer to dry.
Decided instead of rushing the project, we'll plan on spraying the ceilings next Friday. Hubby should get off work around noon (the IL crew likes to get out of town early) and be home around 3. I can have everything ready for him, he can spray the ceiling and we can get the room cleaned up.
Then we'll head east around 4am Saturday morning. We'll take my car (since the truck is acting up) and make it into the Twin Cities before noon. (We’ll stop for breakfast somewhere along the way).
Then we'll have time for lunch and visit my parents for a bit after that. We are also going to see if we can spend some time visiting hubby's grandparents for a bit. His grandparents (now over 90) are only 10 years older than my parents. Then stop in and say hello to our daughter, and then head back towards SD. My hubby does not want to stay overnight, but if he's driving, that is ok with me. I'm use to getting up and hitting the road while it's dark out, so he can sleep on the way in.
Then Sunday, if the parts for his truck show up, he'll be installing them. And we can lay the sub floor down in the dining area and I can start laying tile the week after that.
I wish I could talk hubby into staying overnight. We would leave very early in the morning, but then we could spend more time on Saturday. I'd love to go do a bit of shopping - there is a big wallpaper warehouse I'd like to stop at, and the tile liquidator - but we won't have room in the car for tiles if we get the books. Sure is a bummer the truck picked this week to act up.
We're going to make a Menards run this morning, and pick up barn cat food at TSC. Hubby's bugging me to get going, but I'm not done with my hot chocolate yet. I know better than to rush him while he's enjoying a cup of coffee . . .
It’s now late afternoon. Got what we needed at Menards and the cat food. Found some wallpaper I really liked, so won’t need to be look for that when we go into the Twin Cities. Plan on putting it on the east wall (the one that goes up into a point) and the north wall where the windows are in the dining room. It looks much prettier than the picture. That’s the tile that will be going on the floor in that area. Maybe it will all be done by May 1st, that sure would be nice.
Here are more pics of the sheetrock progress. I know, it does not look like much, but the hallway and dining area are about ready for the final sanding and priming. Still have a bit of work to do in the living room though. I’ll have to be disciplined and WORK this week if I have hopes of getting the ceilings sprayed Friday. I want to have a few days for the primer to dry.
