The Money Pit

Remember when Rush was so frustrated with the subs, and I was worried he might kick the sheetrock guy to the curb? Well, he’s even more frustrated with the drywall itself.

First I have to brag. Rush has gotten so much done lately—finished the laundry demo, put in new supports and subfloor, framed a wall with a pocket door and transom for the half bath, moved some switches/outlets, put in a fan/light and has begun the process of putting up sheetrock in that area.

But he’s miserable.

First of all, to use his words, it’s been “hotter than 400 hells” lately, and since there is no ductwork for the AC, we have only box fans to fight the heat, akin to tossing a thimble of water on a raging forest fire.

But even worse than the heat is Rush’s disdain for drywall. I went over to help him hang a piece on the ceiling one morning, and it wasn’t long before the ill-fitting sheet went flying out the back door to its demise, a string of curse words close in tow.

Since then, he works only on small sections at a time and quits to do something else whenever he feels his blood pressure rise. Drywall sheets across the Valley are resting much easier these days.

Thinset, if you’ve been keeping score, became my nemesis this week. But I am pleased to report that the rivalry was put to rest last night.

I mixed up a batch to start tiling one of the shower walls, and rather than mixing to peanut butter consistency as I had been advised, I went slightly looser, closer to brownie batter. It was perfect. Went on the walls much like the mastic, and the tiles adhered beautifully.

Of course now that I have asserted this triumph, I’ll go in tonight and the tiles will be in a heap on the floor, but for the moment, I’m savoring the sweet taste of victory … mmmm … wish I were savoring the sweet taste of brownies …

After this house is done, maybe I’ll start watching less HGTV and more Food Network!

The first phase of this project involved several subs. We had all the exterior wood fixed or replaced. Had it all painted. (Kevin Vannoy ROCKS if you ever need a painter for interior or exterior, and he’s one of the nicest people you will ever meet.) Replaced missing siding, which was a banner day for us because it meant no more tarps!! Repaired roofing. Put up gutters. The electrician is still working. He put in a new box and replaced every wire, every outlet, every switch and many fixtures, although we reused what we could.

The rest we had hoped to do ourselves, but time is not our friend these days. Because Rush got a rehab loan, all the major work must be completed by June. It HURT him to hire a sheet-rock guy, but  he counted close to 60 holes in the plaster (several big enough to throw a cat through) waiting for repair. Most were a side effect of the electrical work. We have the skills to fix every one of them. Unfortunately, it would be circa 2050 by the time we got them all finished, and we have a deadline of June  2010 … sigh … so Rush broke down and hired a sheet-rock guy to mud the sections of new wall and repair the holes left by the electrician.

Most subs come in and they want quick money. Quality and pride in workmanship don’t rate very high on the list for most of them. Rush is a perfectionist, so I am struggling with how to characterize his feelings about the subs … I’ve got it … you know the famous painting “The Scream”? How about the song from a year or two ago “Hope it gives you hell”? Rush doesn’t talk or chat about the subs, he rants, LOUDLY and daily.

First the carpenters made him crazy–breaking in through a window to use the bathroom and plug in tools (even though we were assured they didn’t need anything but a single extension cord that we supplied), moving at a snail’s pace–a paralyzed, geriatric snail that is–and doing shoddy work in general. Others have caused some minor irritations–running into the retaining wall and the house with their trucks, walking on and breaking sheet-rock waiting to be hung, using our personal tools or supplies without asking, showing up half a day late, a day late or not at all. Right now it’s the sheet-rocker he cusses and fusses about. I can’t wait until he’s done!!

So this weekend, if you’re driving past Munro, you’ll likely hear the sounds of my scraper, taking off two layers of ancient wallpaper from the den and hallway walls, or Rush’s sledge hammer, finishing the bathroom demo, or my mother’s and daughter’s paint rollers. (Mom’s helping my daughter with her senior project–there’s a saga for another blog!!) But if you do happen by, keep your eye out for flying sheet-rockers–Rush just may lose it and kick him to the curb before it’s all over with.