Dogtrot at Hightop

[MountainDon]

Some stains can be custom tinted just like paints.

[Dog]

John,
Your place is a work of ART. It takes time and thought. 3 years is nothing for what you've accomplished. It's astonishing. really. Giving consideration to so many details...the thought you put into the mantle and your appreciation for the age and history of that special piece of wood. Great idea with the stone work. What you call it..lick and stick?...smart move. It looks fantastic! Imagine all the great things you can continue to do with the interior. Maybe take a cue from Sassy? Her colors and unique furnishings rock! Very very 
Oh ya.....and that front door! Nice~

[Jens]

I love your place, as well.  Maybe one of these days, my family and I will make it over that way, and drop in on ya!  If we can get around to leaving Knoxville, that is.  Never seem to be able to make time for trips, then regret it once we move to a new area.

[Redoverfarm]

Well a little break in the weather as far as the temperature is concerned.  As they say " You have to make hay when the sunshines" .  The prediction is for mid 30's tonight and then up to 55F tomarrow.  So I put the scratch coat and taped the joints of the drywall on the gable ends of the loft. In addition I put up the drywall on the short knee walls as well.  If it wasn't such a PIA I would have used bagged mix as it cures in a chemical reaction whereas pre-mixed utilizes dehydration. 

The kneewalls were just a tad over 24" high (24-1/2").  So I just raised them up 1/2-3/4" from the floor to have them meet the ceiling.  They are going to get covered with baseboard anyway. For a better fit I beveled the top edge between 40 & 45 deg to match the slope of the ceiling to give me a better fit.  Still not good enough to get along without a molding strip at that transition.  Drywall to Drywall no problem as you could form the mud but Drywall to Wood not the best idea.

Here are a couople of pictures of that process for those of you that require visual stimulation.

Kitchen loft



Semi-master bedroom loft

[MountainDon]

Bet you are very happy to get that part done.   

[ScottA]

Ewww drywall. I pitty you John. Well atleast it's almost over with. 

[Redoverfarm]

The easy part.  Making it turn out later is the hard part.  Did I mention that I hate drywall.  

[Redoverfarm]

Well if I didn't have my retirement system already invested I would have went with T&G instead.  I guess you have to know when  " enough is enough". The DW says I need a little bit of varation anyway in materials.  But what does she know.  She wanted me to paint the gable ends red.

[glenn kangiser]

Ahh visual stimulation....  easy with that John --- drywall always gets me excited.

Looks good.

[phalynx]

JOHN!!!!! you are GOOD at drywall.  You want to come visit Texas?

Looking good.  I wish I would have done T&G on my ceilings and walls.

[Redoverfarm]

I think you would get tired of me by the time it would take to finish the job.  Especially this time of the year.  Sunshine and temps above 40F.  May take a while.

[phalynx]

Are you kidding?  Its taken me 6 months to do the amount of drywall I have done on my place.  I put up a few sheets, remember why I hated drywall, swear I'll never do it again. After a few months I think to myself, "what was so bad about drywalling?"  And, the cycle repeats.

[Redoverfarm]

I try to make myself good at everything.$$$$$$$$$$.  Heard the other day that drywall finishers are getting $17 a sheet to hang and finish.  I hope the cost of the board was included.

[phalynx]

Hehe,,, without the sheet, I would make about .25c an hour.

[Dog]

I know a little about dry wall...I know it's heavy...for me anyways...it likes to crack and brake...it's boring...but it provides a nice clean smooth wall when finished properly. Nice job John! 

[Redoverfarm]

Recoated the seams again today on the drywall.  The temperature is playing havoc on the drying times.  Normally in moderate temps you could recoat in 24 hours.  In this weather it is extended to 48 at a minimum. I know the manufacturers recommend 55F for joint compound.  Don't tell them please.  The kneewalls give me more problems than the highwalls.  There is just too little room to work a trowel in that little space to get a good draw.

Started on the master bath.  Laid the 1/2 ply on the floor. Glued and screwed was the approach.  I should have known this wasn't going to be an easy task.  First off the bat the large tube of construction adhesive (polyethylene)  didn't want to work in the caulking gun.  Ended up smashing the cardboard tube.   So I did what every seasoned carpenter would do and that was to cut open the tupe and apply it with a 4" putty knife.   .  The second tube worked as it was suppose to. If no one has every used this type of glue it can only be taken off with Acetone of which I didn't have.  So now I have black fingers that will just have to wear off like a walnut stain.   

[glenn kangiser]

Don't touch your nose, John...

[Redoverfarm]

Or anything else for that matter.

[Dog]

Glue and Acetone John. How fun is that.
Well you got through dry wall and starting on master bath bath. 
Your house is going to be really nice.
Now.... did you organize your tools after you were done for today and sweep up?   

[Jens]

Don't touch your nose, John...

"Ya!  Ya!  Das Gud!  Heil!"

Construction adhesive sucks, but is great stuff.  How that works out, I don't know.  One of the great mysteries of the universe.  Try  using PL400 to glue your "friends" tools to the deck when he takes too many breaks!

[Redoverfarm]

Dog I ain't done yet.  That was just the loft.  I still have a 16X18 master bedroom,  4X12 master bath, and loft bath yet to go.  Time to make a run for some more drywall (green & white). No it's not fun but as they say "just part of the job".

Jens this stuff is more like Gorilla Glue.  The regular construction adhesive is easily removed with mineral spirits or thinner.  Even if you miss some you can scrape it off later.  But this stuff is relentless.  Suppose to have a better contact than the others.  Advantex recommends it. 

[Jens]

Your bedroom is bigger than BK's house! 

[MountainDon]

John, I had a "mishap" with the cold weather and drywall compound. I thought it was all dry; it appeared to be. However, it would seem that there was sufficient moisture in a couple joints and when the temperature dipped to 20 degrees for a few nights the joint "erupted"; from freezing I think. They've sttled back down, but I'm leaving them until warmer weather to repair. So watch the lows.

[Redoverfarm]

Thanks Don.  That was in the back of my mind.  The first two coats are the most important.  Temps in the downstairs did not drop below freezing and the loft was a little bit warmer than that so I should be OK.   The other coats are just skimmed.  I just PU another 14 sheets which I can hang with no problem.  Might not get warm enough temps to mud but at least that part will be done.  Even today when I unloaded the board it was 43F inside and about 25F outside.  I have got gas heaters but it would be too far ahead of the game to put them in now and try to get a tank installed in this weather.  Always later.   

[Redoverfarm]

Installed 7 sheets of drywall yesterday in the master bedroom.  Really couldn't make good time as all of them had to be cutout around the beams in the ceiling.  I just checked on the extended forecast and the temps are not suppose to be above 35F for the next week so it looks like I won't be able to mud anything for a while.  Although I raised the temperature from 30 to 50 yesterday that is just short term and not enough to allow the compound to dry.  Looks like next week will be hanging as well.