Y’all, I made it over an enormous hurdle this weekend. After convincing myself that I wasn’t able to doing the drywall within the studio myself (you can read more about that here), after which having no success find another person to do the drywall for me, I jumped proper in and did it myself. I had deliberate to start out on Friday, however then Matt had a horrible day, so I ended up not with the ability to begin on it till Saturday afternoon.
Right here’s what I used to be working with. I had already moved all the shops (I explain here why this was necessary) and stuffed within the foam that needed to be eliminated with canned spray foam. In order of Saturday, I needed to minimize away the surplus foam, set up the drywall, after which tape, mud, and sand the joints.
I’m absolutely the slowest at putting in drywall. It took me an embarrassingly very long time simply to put in the 5 sheets of drywall on two partitions. However I don’t even care, as a result of by the point I went to mattress on Saturday evening, all the drywall was put in.
That was an enormous hurdle for me. After convincing myself that I wasn’t able to doing it, it felt excellent to finish the day with the drywall performed, and performed fairly effectively.
No, I’m not almost pretty much as good as knowledgeable who installs drywall each day, however it appeared fairly darn good, and the shops didn’t appear to be an entire mess. So I used to be fairly happy with the work.
After which yesterday night, I used to be in a position to get the taping and mudding performed earlier than I went to mattress. I’m not good at mudding in any respect. I’ve seen professionals who put the mud on so easily that they barely must do any sanding in any respect. However I’m not that particular person. 😀
I mud drywall a lot in the identical approach that I exploit wooden filler. I pile it excessive so as to have the ability to sand it actually clean. And my drywall mud requires a ton of sanding. Most of my joints look fairly good…
These joints on the lengthy mural wall turned out fairly good, even earlier than they’re sanded.
They do nonetheless want fairly a little bit of sanding, although.
However the ones to the left and proper of the window within the “workplace” space of the room are simply ridiculous. 😀 I couldn’t get these clean to avoid wasting my life, so I simply used my “pile it on” methodology. I used to be relieved to go on this morning and see that there have been no cracks, so now it may be sanded easily.
I spent a couple of minutes sanding the world on the opposite aspect of the window, which began out appeared simply as tough as the image above, to make sure I may get it clean. It seems prefer it’ll work out simply wonderful.
So I’ve fairly a little bit of sanding to do, however that goes fairly quick. I really love sanding drywall mud. I discover it to be a soothing course of because it sands so simply.
As soon as it’s sanded, I’ll want to offer it a coat of primer. After which, barring any unexpected circumstances, I’m fairly certain I can get the brand new wallpaper mural up right now!! I’m so excited!
This complete drywall undertaking actually did go very easily, and whereas it wasn’t precisely a enjoyable undertaking, it wasn’t horrible. I imply, it was a scorching, humid day, and I dragged the sheets of drywall out of the van instantly onto the ground of the carport to chop every one earlier than bringing it inside. However in hindsight, it was a lot simpler than what I had constructed it as much as be in my head. The dread main as much as the undertaking was a lot worse than the undertaking itself.
As I used to be working, I did an entire lot of self-psychoanalysis. (Simply placing my psychology diploma to good use. 😀 ) In all seriousness, I needed to know why, over the previous couple of months, I went from being fearless and daring to self-doubting and fearful. There needed to be a proof for it. Modifications like that don’t occur for no motive.
Nicely, I believe I figured it out. At the start of this 12 months, I used to be engaged on one thing, and I pulled a muscle on the correct aspect of my again. It wasn’t horrible. On a scale of 1 to 10, the ache was most likely a couple of 5. And whereas that’s tolerable, it undoubtedly affected me when making an attempt to do the issues I must do to look after Matt.
Matt is 6’1″ tall and weighs 219 kilos. I don’t ever have to select him up. I imply, I couldn’t even when I needed to. I’m not that robust, so we have now a Hoyer carry that I exploit to get him from mattress to his wheelchair, or from mattress to his recliner. However there are nonetheless different issues I’ve to do for him that require an excessive amount of energy, like transfer him over on the mattress or get him dressed. So if I’m injured, I’ve a tough time doing these issues.
I’ve by no means been injured to the purpose the place I can’t do the issues I completely must do for him. However I’ve been injured to the purpose the place Matt has to spend far more time in mattress than he ought to. Keep in mind years in the past once I had that pinched nerve in my neck and again (across the time I used to be stenciling the music room partitions)? That was a depressing time for each of us.
So once I pulled the muscle in my again firstly of this 12 months, whereas it wasn’t horrible, it undoubtedly affected me and the issues I may do. I took it simple for a couple of week, after which it occurred once more. And whereas it nonetheless wasn’t horrible, I believe one thing about having that occur twice in such a brief time period triggered a worry in me. (In hindsight, I don’t suppose I gave it sufficient time to utterly heal, so I simply re-aggravated it the second time.)
I imply, if one thing had been to occur to me, and I couldn’t handle Matt, he wouldn’t have the ability to keep in our residence. He must go someplace the place he may obtain the full-time care that he wants. So once I pulled that muscle a second time, I believe that that, together with the truth that I used to be approaching my fiftieth birthday, triggered that “what would occur to Matt?” worry in me, and made me wish to cease doing any of the issues that might result in me being injured — carrying heavy issues, doing initiatives that may injure me, and even climbing on ladders.
You discover that I went from wanting to color the studio to being okay with the present coloration? That’s as a result of portray the room with the 12-foot ceiling would necessitate me climbing on a excessive ladder, and I had out of the blue turn into scared of climbing ladders. What if I fell? What would occur to Matt?
So I’m fairly satisfied that that’s the place all of this got here from. That’s what triggered this sudden self-doubt and fearfulness. I’ve by no means been afraid of injuring myself earlier than, and in 30+ years of DIYing, I’ve by no means had a critical harm. However I let that worry creep in, and it modified me. So I’m going to do my absolute best to take management of that worry and proceed to be the safety-conscious however fearless DIYer I’ve been all of my grownup life. As a result of my worrying and dwelling in worry received’t make me safer. If something, it may make me extra liable to accidents.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.
