Building the Barbershop - 2

Most of sunday was spent doing work on my new place. Today was drywalling, taping and mudding day. The rest of the walls were not in the best of conditions. Filled with drywall anchors I had to haul them out and fill them all. Let's keep in mind that I am not a very competent drywaller...uh, drywallist.

So I had to create a box to cover all those nasty pipes. It took longer that I had thought. About three hours to be honest. And half an hour was spent staring at the wall figuring out how to build it. It seemed like I was paralysed with indecision, I mean this is the kind of thing that could blow up in my face later if I do it improperly. But then I figured it would be improper anyway, so I just cut a piece of 2x4 and hammered it to the wall. Then I hammered another piece to that one, continuing in that manner until it was finished.

Then I closed off the entranceway, to make my spot a little more quiet and private. That pipe looks horrible though. Not my first choice for a colour scheme were I to paint it. Also that is the drain for all the flats upstairs. Yup, everyones doodoo passes through my place before it heads off to the Halifax Harbour.

Then I had to hang the drywall on the ceiling. One of my great fears is driving a screw or nail into a powerline sending bolts of electricity through my body; causing me to go unconcious and soil my trousers. The small light above the tub is fed power from another unit, so I can't effectively turn it off when I am working around it, so I had to be extra careful. I contemplated wearing adult diapers just in case. But as you can see it worked fairly well...I say fairly well, but we will have to see after a few months and it starts to sag, or the joints crack. By the way, when you are afixing gyprock to a ceiling you might want to have friend help you or something.

Everything was drywalled and taped, I bought a few strips of cornerbead to make it all look nice. Then begins mudding. I am a horrible drywall finisher, by the way, like a child with fingerpaint or Elmer's glue. Its everywhere and its all gunked on there. I like that its very pliable and that I can cover my inexperience with sanding and another coat. I, however, used up an entire bucket of drywall compound and need to get more.

It really isn't too bad. Especially from someone whose only knowledge about this kind of thing is from Bob Villa, Holmes on Homes. Actually I have to give a lot of credit to the internets; there are a lot of renovators instructional videos online.

Wellity, wellity...thats it for now. Over the week I have classes and whatnot, but this project will be at the forefront of my mind, no doubt, compelling me to work away at it when I should be doing other things. I have to continue mudding and sanding and mudding and sanding; then put on a couple coats of primer.
Take care, Dear Readers!