Getting ‘board’ with the reno

Wallboard, drywall, or gyproc….whatever you call it, help is a good idea.

Not being able to stomach the Barney-purple haze that was my living room, I couldn’t wait to get the drywall up! Just like every other job though, there’s always those last couple things you need to do to get ready.
My day started early insulating the wall between the kitchen and my youngest daughter’s room with Roxul batt insulation. Being as this kitchen will likely be the entertainment hub of the house, a little sound deadening between the two rooms will be great for when company comes to visit.

The last prep step was to deal with any cracks that were too small for the spray foam to fill. Areas such as the seams between doubled plates or king and jack studs can be a source of air (and heat) leakage, so they were all filled with a bead of acoustic caulk.

Drywall: Putting up drywall is one of those jobs that *can* be done solo, but trust me….if you can get some help, that’s the way to go.
You know what’s better than having a buddy that’s willing to help you board? Having a buddy that’s willing to help you board that just happens to own the best drywalling company in the area.

My friend Jason, his brother Andre and their helper showed up, assessed the situation and the four of us started the day by carrying in the 2 million or so (OK, maybe not that many…but it seemed like it) sheets of drywall from the shop where they were stored and into the house, and then the screw guns started and the hammers came out.

Having pros helping out sure speeds up the process….. We went from this:

To this:

In less than one day! When I did my shop solo (similar layout, 14’ cathedral ceilings, 12’ sheets) it took me the better part of an entire week to do. Like I said, help is good.

Of course, there are always jobs that you are going to end up doing yourself anyway…like the clean up.

But hey, when you have someone that looks this pretty in a dust mask helping out, the clean up part doesn’t seem as bad!

No rest for the wicked! The last step was to get the tape and the first coat of mud done…..with the cabinets en-route and the paint ordered, time is running short.

Next entry we finish up the drywall and get some paint on the walls. By the time that’s done we should have a kitchen to install!

Thanks for looking,

Ryan