The part that is complete looks great, just as I had envisioned it, but my wrist and shoulder are screaming at me. You will recall that this was a project shared with HeWho Procrastinates. When HeWho gets an idea ( one that I may have planted the seed for), he is always eager to run out and gather all the needed materials together. One not schooled in living with a procrastinator might mistake this as a good sign .......
We decided to make a faux coffered ceiling with inexpensive materials. My attempts at replicating the swirly pattern on the ceiling were epic failures. He grabbed his handy dandy tape measure and went to work measuring and ciphering and pricing materials. Then, quick as a wink, he was hooking up the trailer and off to a builder's supply to obtain the supplies. Yes, one would be thinking installation was eminent. One would be wrong.
Step one was to cut a hole to accommodate the vent cover. The vent cover for the HVAC system that does not exist. He measured and copied his measurements and headed out to his beloved barn to make the big cut. He came in and we raised the board against the ceiling to find that the hole way off. We flipped the 8' X 4' board around and over and this way and that way. We could not make that hole line up. HeWho decided we should cut the board in half and deal with 4' square sections to make it easier. We had already planned to trim it out creating 4' squares, so this was a no-brainer and easier to work with. We set aside the first attempt at cutting the vent hole. This was a few days after the materials came to rest in the trailer by the barn.
Next day, the second attempt at cutting the hole resulted in similar results and HeWho's wife suggested we just leave the vent covered. The vent that is unused. HeWho wonders aloud about the next owners. I don't think it is an issue. They would have to purchase a new system and I don't know that the existing vents would be used. HeWho is like a dog with a bone and seems to take on this vent hole as a personal challenge to his ability to cut a hole. The third attempt is up there. The hole turned out bigger than the vent cover and had the be generously caulked.
There are only 16 "squares" on the ceiling, 6 of those are partial squares. Three squares were up there, all alone for days before anything else happened. In the meantime, the materials were OUTSIDE, supposedly covered securely with a tarp. A couple of the sheets got wet. One buckled a bit, but HeWho assured me it was okay as he nailed it to the ceiling. A couple more had water stains .... "paint will cover that!".
HeWho loves tools that make noise. The pneumatic nail gun is quiet, but the compressor kicking on will make one jump out of one's shoes. I like that gun. When used properly it is a big time saver. But ..... just because the nails are smaller does not mean you need to use the gun as a machine gun. This especially problematic when you have to remove the board and reset it. Looks like swiss cheese.
Finally after long intervals of progress, HeWho procrastinates was done with his part. The rest is up to me. I spent long hours carefully filling every tiny hole with wood putty or caulk. Lots and lots of caulk. Maybe I should have stuck with the wood putty, because silicon caulk does not lend it self to being smoothed with sandpaper. A very sharp scraper was implemented to get it all prepped and ready to paint.
Finally, I was able to start slapping paint on the ceiling!! I have two coats on over half of it and today I will be working on two sections with some Kilz .... water stains bled through. I expect to finish completely tomorrow, giving the Kilz plenty of time to dry and hopefully cover the water stains. That is the good news.
Bad news is that now I have to paint all the walls! I don't mind painting. I like the immediate results, but I am ready to put this particular project behind me. My shoulder joint and wrist joint are telling me that I am not as young as I used to be. After the Kilz goes on, I have road signs that await my attention. Yes, Spring is in the air. My house will smell like paint until Memorial day, as I refresh all of our road signs with new and improved frog images!!
3 comments:
I relate to your dedication. It once was mine, too. I hope the muscle pain departs when you are done, and I know it is beautiful.
I hate ceilings, too. Craning my neck makes it hurt and I always need to schedule a visit to the chiropractor afterwards.
One step forward and 15 steps back. I'm sure you are getting your muscles used to such activity. I hope the pain goes away once they are conditioned. Then they'll have to get used to a new routine when that project is finished.
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