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Good luck with that. I have been asking for one for a couple years now.


She tells me you are getting 6 months of vacation twice a year what more do you want?
 
We're re-doing our master bath to make it ADA-friendly for yours truly. Thanks to my new friend, ALS, we've hired this out rather than doing it ourselves, as we have done for the last 45 years or so. I thought I was a pretty good DIYer, but I was humbled (watching the real pros at work) and stunned (to see how much I had saved over the years by doing it myself). Some highlights: Protecting workspace with Zipwalls, floor protection, etc., and demo of old bathroom and adjoining closet: 1 day. Reframing for new layout, including lowering the underlying joists to allow a roll-in shower, cutting in a new window in the new shower, enlarging doors from 28" to 36", shoring up the floor joists to compensate for all that (as well as for an error in the original load calculation): 1 day. Plumbing rough for entire bathroom: 1 1/2 days. Electrical rough including new home run for 240VAC heat for shower, new lighting in relocated closet: 1 1/2 days. Reworking double vanity to accommodate wheelchair at one sink, and hanging vanity on a wall that turned out no to be plane: 1 day. Somehow they sneaked in hanging and finishing all drywall in bathroom and new closet space, installing hanging and shelving, ready for use. Tile guy started 3 days ago with basic Schluter system, ready for tile tomorrow.

What got me started on this was the discussion of drywall and sandpaper. I knew a guy in Florida who did all my drywall worked where it would show. I never saw him use sandpaper. Ever.
 
What got me started on this was the discussion of drywall and sandpaper. I knew a guy in Florida who did all my drywall worked where it would show. I never saw him use sandpaper. Ever.


We had an old guy that did a whole house drywall job. He shows up on the paint day and tells my friend (homeowner) today we sand and paint. He pulls a little piece of sandpaper out of his shirt pocket and takes a little swipe on the wall and tells him sanding is done on to painting. The job looks beautiful.


Not me I’m covered in dust getting it looking good, that’s why I’m not a pro. I did all my ceilings and her grandfather came over with his concrete float pole aluminum about 8’ long. I put my sander on that off of the broom handle I had on it. What a difference that made.
 
I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a vert good drywaller. Being around new construction and remodels for 25 years I had the opportunity to see some craftsmen that do it every day. The harder I try to do what I saw them do, the more sanding I have to do. But... Doesn't keep me from working harder, not smarter.

Michael, I'm sorry to hear of the issues you're facing. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
 
Thanks, OD. (I had a dog named Odie who couldn't learn any tricks, new or old. Flunked obedience school. I miss him.) One more drywaller story - an old student of mine (and vice-versa) has a gorgeous home in the mountains of Colorado. The great room must be 40x60 and looks out a huge window, which casts light onto a wall that must be 30' high. I'm told the old guy who did that (are they ALL old?) spent a day or two making sure the studwall was plane, then threw up the drywall, taped and mudded, and walked away. No sandpaper, and it looks like glass.
 
I've been the dog chasing his tail the last couple days trying to get everything smooth. Harder I tried, worse it was getting, starting to think I needed to get the BFH out and fix it for good. Been using a sanding screen on a float type tool. Figured there's a better way, so off to my daily trip to the big box store and picked up a 3M fine wet/dry sanding sponge and what a difference. 1 hour sanding, wiped the walls down and put a base coat of flat ceding paint on. There's a few touchups but overall I'm pleased. Taking a flashlight and shinning it over the wall really tells on just how inexperienced a drywaller I am.
 
Any luck thus far with the smoothing? Sounds like when I was trying to smooth some frosting & it just kept sticking to the spatula and making it worse (this is part of why I don't bake and why I eat the frosting straight form the can-- ok, I eat the frosting straight from the can because I like eating frosting)
 
Drywalls done with a coat of paint, durock around the tub in and waterproffed, today I'm starting putting tile on the wall. I did pick up a laser level to help keep my rows straight and plum.

I've had to go do a few roof repairs, with all the rain we've been having, it's been a distraction.
 
Leaking roof is definitely not good. Hope it's fixed & won't leak again. Sounds like you got a lot done though.
 
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I have all the subway tile up around the tub except for a few trim pieces that I had to pick up. I made some witness marks on the middle of the door sill, the back wall and used my laser level to find center of the floor. Dry fit half the tile using spacers and made my cut pieces. Tomorrow I'll start mudding the floor tile. Took half this morning to mortar bed the floor cement board and screw it all down. Screws on 8" centers sure burns up a couple boxes of screws quick. Thank goodness for impact drivers and laser levels.
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I like the new tile! Looks great!
I'm not familiar with the term "witness marks".
 
I like the new tile! Looks great!
I'm not familiar with the term "witness marks".
I took a marker and scribed a line on the threshold and the back wall after I squared the tile to the tub and wall. That way I can revisit the line with my laser level in case it gets bumped. Using the laser is so much easier than snapping a chalk line on the floor and trying to keep track of the line while you're spreading out the mortar.
 
The laser level is definitely a good idea.
 
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Making progress. Running trim and putting the closest door frame back in. A little caulk and touch up and looking forward to marking this project done.
 
Good looking job Tom. All this with a tornado blowing through your town?
 

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