Day 19 (Thursday) was a run-around day. Day 20 was a watch-joint-compound-dry day. On Thursday we went to Ashfield to check out stone for our counters, got some paint samples and swatches, Brad finished up some projects in the attic, Dave delivered our quarter-sawn fir flooring to get it acclimated to our space, and Brian from Bird Drywall put on the second coat of joint compound. I’m told that the second coat is the most crucial, as it is often the thickest, and takes the longest to dry. So, while we had lovely almost autumnal weather outside (albeit mildly humid), we had to close up the house and turn on the air conditioning to cut any dampness out of the air. We also turned on our dehumidifier (after I mentioned that we had one, and Brian’s eyes bulged out of his head, in a good way) and a few fans to get the drier air circulating. It must have worked because when Brian got here today, the seams were dry (except for in the bathroom where the mold resistant paper on the sheetrock slows the drying process). Phew. He was glad, and so were we. We’re getting a 4-point treatment (essentially four coats) on our seams which means that Brian will be working here this weekend. We’re on target for beginning to prime next week, and in order to make that happen, he’s got to make up for some of the time lost to waiting for the inspector.
On our Ashfield Stone trip, we picked a couple of slabs for our counter tops. We need about 5 in total (their slabs are NOT like the commercial granite you see on TV – they are smaller due to the size of the rock quarried, and the size of their saw), so we still have some choosing to do. The stone is simply beautiful, very unlike anything else I have seen, and will, hopefully, add an earthy element to our otherwise modern classic space. I think it’s going to be great. While we were in Ashfield, we stopped for a quick bite to eat at Elmer’s Store, and sat just across the street from where I grew up (well, until I was three). It’s not easy to make time for these kinds of trips while Jeff has so much work to do, but it was worth it.
Brian was back again today to do another coat. Then he ran low on joint compound (aka: mud, “JC”). But it didn’t really affect his overall timeframe – he still has to come back to do one last skim coat before he sands on Sunday, so he can finish the wall in the west bedroom and master bath tomorrow. So, now I get to go to the supply store and ask for “5 JC” – a five-gallon pail of joint compound. Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking industry speak over here. I’m super cool.
This weekend will be more of the same, so I may not post any pictures until the next phase begins (that’s Phase 2-B, for those of you keeping track: priming and painting). We may even get to start seeing tile go in next week, or at the very least, our shower floor might get poured. Only time will tell, and until then, pictures!
Day 19 and 20. Picture of Bec is start of Day 20:
