I freaking hate drywall compound dust...

[clumzgirl]

We have an 1860s Italianate Victorian we bought a year and a half ago, and when we gutted the kitchen, I developed a severe dislike of drywall compound dust. I still have nightmares about it and can't watch This Old House kitchen remodels without flashbacks! There's nothing quite like taking a toothbrush to the floorboards to remove that white crap!

Below is a picture of the house when we bought it. Since then, we've unenclosed the porch and cut down both trees. Done some more landscaping and repaired the boarded over window. As I mentioned before, gutted the non-existant kitchen, (added copper ceiling, cabinets, fixtures, first floor laundry, custon stained glass for the transom) mission style tiffany repro pendant lights--yes, I realize it's waaay later than the date of the house, but I can't live without a functioning kitchen--) now we're repairing the ceilings in the dining room and family room, refinishing the floors, rebuilding the windows, ripping down cheap paneling and replacing it with paintable embossed wallpaper....I could go on forever.

 

[Wolfsblood]

I do drywall every day for the past 13 years.

 

[krisy]

I do drywall every day for the past 13 years.

That's my hubby!!! If you need any advice clumzgirl,Wolf can give it to you! My brother and stepdad do drywall as well. The tricky part is learning how to get it out of the clothes he comes home in everyday.

Have you thought about hiring someone to do it on the side for you? It sounds like you are one busy lady with all that work!! We are redoing our whole upstairs this winter in our new house. It has paneling that someone painted blue!!! There are 2 rooms and one of them is my son's. The house was built in '50 so that explains the paneling upstairs. I can't believe anyone ever liked that stuff!!!
Just try to think of how happy you will be when it is allllll done!!!!!! Neet house too.

 

[clumzgirl]

I do drywall every day for the past 13 years.

So, do you have any advice for what to do when you poke around the drywall and "sound" it, only to find a closet behind the drywall that been hidden for umpteen year?

And do you put in a patch of drywall where the plaster is cracked and loose, (as seen on This Old House) or do you rip it all down and just ferr (sp?) it out and put up drywall?

And all this started with a simple outlet in the baseboard. Amazing. A snowball in August...!!!!!$$$$

And no, my husband would never hire someone to do the drywall. He's a DIY-er of the highest order. I had to BEG him to let a professional come in and refinish the floors!!!

And good luck with your house! Maybe you could post some pictures and some point too! I'd love to see them.
Oh, and I know about the paneling. We have this weird wood-grain paneling in our upstairs office with farm scenes on it. I've never seen anything like it...

 

[budboomer]

Hey clumzgirl
I feel your pain. I have been helping my friends renovate an 1850's farmhouse in upstate NY. There is an attachment you can get that hooks up to a wet/dry vac. And uses a sanding mesh. As you sand the drywall the vac. Keeps the dust to a minimum. Works quite well.
Copper ceiling? That's a very nice touch. Good luck.

 

[clumzgirl]

I've heard of those. We actually had a ShopVac but we used it after the fact. Still, even if you seal off the room, you still end up with dust all over the house. I guess it's a necessary evil.

 

[Wolfsblood]

Drywall dust is very fine and it hangs in the air for a long time. The best way to keep the dust form traveling is to shut of your HVAC fan, close windows, seal up doors and put dust down on the floor after you give it 12hr to settle. When you vacuum make shore you aim the blower end of the vac up. And clean the filter a lot. I no you said your husband does not want to hire a prof but a good drywall finisher can put the mudd on so that their is less dust.Or you can texture the walls and ceiling and you don't have to sand at all.

 

[Wolfsblood]

Hey clumzgirl
I feel your pain. I have been helping my friends renovate an 1850's farmhouse in upstate NY. There is an attachment you can get that hooks up to a wet/dry vac. And uses a sanding mesh. As you sand the drywall the vac. Keeps the dust to a minimum. Works quite well.
Copper ceiling? That's a very nice touch. Good luck.

The thing about the vac sander is you have to stop a clean the filter a lot to keep the the vac sucking the dust in and you can not use it when you hand sand. Mesh sand paper is not very good it digs into the board more, and it burns the board. (The fuzzy fell on the field between the flats).

 

[Joz]

I no you said your husband does not want to hire a prof but a good drywall finisher can put the mudd on so that their is less dust.Or you can texture the walls and ceiling and you don't have to sand at all.

I have to second this. (My ex is a carpenter/contractor. Learned to finish drywall from some really good finishers.) The guys who do this professionally, do so so there VERY LITTLE sanding that needs to be done. It's remarkable to watch. Make sure the men you get are reputable. And too, you get what you pay for.