The Sheetrock

One of our first tasks after demolition was completed at 213 Washington was to smooth out the existing walls and repair the drywall or sheetrock – which our crew was able to do ourselves. Removal of the previous cheap paneling had left construction glue residue throughout most of the house so it was a big job to smooth it out.

We began by sanding the old glue down with an 80 grit paper loaded into our Ryobi palm sander, wearing safety goggles and dust masks for protection. Then each spot was covered by a layer of drywall "mud", using a special wide knife that is made just for that purpose. Next, we lightly sanded each area and got it ready for texture.

Certain areas also required new drywall so we contracted with Cubillos Construction for the installation. It's actually a kick to watch installation of sheetrock, especially by an efficient team. The material is quite heavy, over 50 pounds per sheet, yet these fellows were able to sling it around almost effortlessly. They seemed to be able to read each others' minds as they worked like a well-oiled machine.

When Cubillos was finished, we tackled the job of taping and bedding the entire house. First, one smears a thin line of mud along each joint, followed by a strip of mesh joint tape. Then another layer of mud is applied as smoothly as possible. It takes a bit of practice to create the perfect joint but we didn't mind too much. For those of us who loved making mud pies as kids, this was really one of the fun parts of the job.

When all was finished, we discussed the different patterns of texture that we might use. Hmmm... shall we go smooth or rough, orange peel or splatter-drag? We'll have to ponder that one!

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