Need Dry Wall Info

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Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 14, 2018 - 08:10am PT
This is a question for the contractors on this site.

I'm having new insulation and a new ceiling put into my kitchen and a back bedroom following a roof repair. The contractor has put in the dry wall and sealed it with mud and tape and covered that with more mud. Now he says he needs to sand that before applying a textured mud to the entire surface. The problem is that my respiratory system is very sensitive to plaster dust. Just walking across dust on the floor has forced me to use my inhalers again. I can't imagine what sanding will do, even with plastic on all the doorways etc.

The question is whether or not I can just paint over what he has done so far without the sanding?
paul roehl

Boulder climber
california
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:15am PT
If it's dry wall mud and not real plaster he should be able to "sand" it with a wet sponge and there should be little dust.

If it's joint compound or topping it will come right down with a wet sponge. Try it.
rincon

climber
Coarsegold
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:24am PT
If your'e satisfied with the way it looks, you could just paint it as-is. The texture coat is simply for appearance. They have come this far, I think you should just let them finish. Go away for a day or two.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:29am PT
Texturizing is done to atone for poor finishing skills. There is no alternative to sanding IF a
truly smooth finish is desired. There are ways to virtually eliminate dust which he should have
advised you of beforehand.
Jim Clipper

climber
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:30am PT
Usually, you can avoid most of the dust, but it can suck to live through a remodel. Will your contractor use plastic and tape off the rooms while he works? A friend bought my uncle an powered sander with a vacuum attachment. He suffered from COPD and it helped him continue working. vacation for a week?
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:37am PT
Getting the job done right is worth more than a few nights in a hotel if need be, IMO, don’t take shortcuts. Poorly finished drywall looks like a$$, can’t be unseen and is way more difficult to fix after paint.

Are they cleaning up at the end of the day? A good shop vac with hepa filters can do a lot of good in maybe just a 1/2 hr at the end of each day, maybe 150 for a deluxe setup, vacuum everything - walls, ceiling, etc. Make sure your furnace filter is good, upgrade it if need be and make sure all hvac is blocked off to the area.
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2018 - 08:37am PT
The can the mud is in is labeled "all purpose joint compound". Any idea what that is?
rincon

climber
Coarsegold
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:41am PT
"All purpose" is just drywall mud that works for taping AND sanding.

Compared to "Hot mud" that hardens in a short time, but does not sand easily, and "topping mud" that sands real easily, but is not hard enough for taping.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:42am PT
The ‘all purpose’ is used for the first coat. ‘Finishing’ mud is used thereafter. None of it is
toxic in and of itself, it just isn’t advisable as a steady diet. If you had professional drywallers
there you would barely notice them, other than for their boom boxes.

FYI, Homey Dopey rents the sanders that attach to a shop vac. They don’t rent the good
German one but it’s better than nothing.
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Nov 14, 2018 - 09:02am PT
Does he have a Fein sander attached to a vacuum? Good mudders do very little sanding. But, you’re probably stuck with the guy. Have him plastic and tape off everything so that it won’t aggrivate your lung issues. He may bill you an hour for it, but it’s obviously worth it.
hailman

Trad climber
Ventura, CA
Nov 14, 2018 - 10:22am PT
Without any sanding, there will be lines that become more apparent after you paint. The lines are left over from the edge of the trowel as your guy spreads the mud around.

First time I was drywalling, I was super-lazy with the sanding process. I was like, Ah yeah it looks fine, whatever.

But then the lines really show up after you paint and it looks bad. Whoops
Ricky D

Trad climber
Sierra Westside
Nov 14, 2018 - 12:49pm PT
Are you set on the typical smooth wall finish or would you consider something more interesting like Spanish Knive technique. This technique reqires no sanding, maybe a light knockdown of too high a ridge.

For our cabin, we said no to the tract home walls and instead did textural sweeps with topping mud. Once painted, the walls have a neat shadow catching look. Even went crazy in the entryway by embedding live fern branches in the still soft mud...enough to make a bas relief imprint. Once dried, pick out the leaf matter. Looks awesome.
Contractor

Boulder climber
CA
Nov 14, 2018 - 02:06pm PT
So you're working with a contractor?




You're....




Gunna....



PAY!






Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2018 - 07:50pm PT
Thanks everyone. I understand the situation better now. I don't really care if the ceiling is smooth or textured. The house is 130 years old so nothing is plumb or square or even anyway. Probably the kitchen had a tin ceiling at one time.

Right now I just want to finish up 4 1/2 months of agony and get on with my life. Unemployment is 3.9 % nationwide and only 2.9% in Colorado now that they've chased out most of the hard working Mexicans. What's left are some of the dregs of white millennial society. So far I've dealt with ex-cons, heroin addicts, and alcoholics on the job. Federal marshals arrested one of the workers for skipping parole in New Jersey. The contractor's daughter got head lice from one of them and two have been caught driving a company pickup dead drunk in the middle of the day - on separate occasions.

I've put up the plastic myself to try to speed things along. I think while I'm working on my desktop in the adjoining room I will wear goggles and a mask I have with air filters on either side. That should be quite a sight! Again, thanks for all the advice.
Jim Clipper

climber
Nov 14, 2018 - 07:57pm PT
epic! wishing you a reputable tacoan nearby...
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
Nov 14, 2018 - 08:11pm PT
I like to use a Stihl leaf blower when i clean up drywall dust...Blow it into the neighbors yard while they're at work...
hooblie

climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
Nov 14, 2018 - 09:03pm PT
there might have been a sore ass or two among the people who presumed to cross the prairies but i'm sure it was never mentioned ;)
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 14, 2018 - 09:31pm PT
Jim,

Rehab work is a little different than new construction. I work from home so it's not that easy to go somewhere else. I've also discovered that I need to be there to answer a lot of different questions and if I'm not there, the workers take even longer breaks than usual.

Hooblie,

I've read a number of accounts of people crossing the prairies and they are full of heartache and complaints. Sore asses were a minor detail compared to their other woes. Truly sore asses tended to end up in unmarked graves along the way.
matty

Trad climber
under the sea
Nov 15, 2018 - 10:35am PT
I thought this post was going to be about dry big walls to do in winter ;)
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Nov 15, 2018 - 10:39am PT
Sounds like your option is to wear one of those disposable masks for the duration of the job. All the dust reduction technology will not eliminate it.
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