Work on the house
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My contractor emailed me last Friday and said he could start my latest project Monday. OK, short notice, but I was happy to hear from him. After the accident and the ensuing flight of monies out of here, I had considered postponing until spring. But on second thought decided that there needs to be some positive developments in addition to the negatives lately.
So he was here Monday and tore out the wood paneled wall in the living room. When I moved here, the inside wall and the outside wall were paneled in dark stained, solid wood paneling. A few years ago I had the inside wall paneling cut down to wainscoting and then papered the top of the wall.
He'll be installing sheetrock (moisture barrier and insulation first) on this exterior wall, which I'll paint to match two of the other walls, leaving the wainscoting wall as a focal wall.
Next project after this is to get rid of the hideous ceiling and replace it with sheetrock, but that will be next spring.
This picture from some years back, shows the dark paneling.
Here is what the wall looks like since Monday.
I love the fact that my house is not clad in plywood or OSB (are they the same thing?).
@Bernard said in Work on the house:
I love the fact that my house is not clad in plywood or OSB (are they the same thing?).
Definitely not the same thing. Plywood is made by gluing sheets of wood veneer in alternating grain directions into a thicker sheet. A lot of the veneer is cut in rotary fashion from logs. Some plywood destined for furniture or similar uses may have the exterior layer on one or both sides made from flat-sawn veneer, typically a good hardwood.
OSB (oriented strand board) is made by chipping wood into strands (fairly large thin pieces) that are mixed with glue and usually some water-repellent. The strands are then laid down in a fashion that aims to largely orient the strands in layers with alternating grain direction and the resultant mat is compressed and heated to activate the glue and form the board.
OSB allows timber that is not suitable for lumber or plywood manufacture to be used in the production of a material useful for sheathing, subflooring for floors and roofs, and similar applications.
(Full disclosure: I worked on start-up of the first production-scale plant for what eventually became OSB in northern Minnesota in 1972-73)
What are the walls of your house made of? I can see boards in the pictures, but I don’t know what exterior material may exist outside that sheath.
Big Al
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@Bernard said in Work on the house:
I love the fact that my house is not clad in plywood or OSB (are they the same thing?).
Definitely not the same thing. Plywood is made by gluing sheets of wood veneer in alternating grain directions into a thicker sheet. A lot of the veneer is cut in rotary fashion from logs. Some plywood destined for furniture or similar uses may have the exterior layer on one or both sides made from flat-sawn veneer, typically a good hardwood.
OSB (oriented strand board) is made by chipping wood into strands (fairly large thin pieces) that are mixed with glue and usually some water-repellent. The strands are then laid down in a fashion that aims to largely orient the strands in layers with alternating grain direction and the resultant mat is compressed and heated to activate the glue and form the board.
OSB allows timber that is not suitable for lumber or plywood manufacture to be used in the production of a material useful for sheathing, subflooring for floors and roofs, and similar applications.
(Full disclosure: I worked on start-up of the first production-scale plant for what eventually became OSB in northern Minnesota in 1972-73)
What are the walls of your house made of? I can see boards in the pictures, but I don’t know what exterior material may exist outside that sheath.
Big Al
@Big_Al Wow! Thanks Big Al for the clear explanation. Cool that you have that connection to the birth of OSB.
Outside the visible boards is a covering of tar paper, and on top of that, board and batten. In fact, the contractor's quote included covering the inside of the wall with a moisture barrier before insulating, but when he discovered the tar paper, decided against it. On the other sides of the house, clapboard cover the main portion of the walls, with board and batten in the front gable.
The industrial revolution cheapened everything.
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I like that your drywaller “picture framed” around the window.
It’s one mark of quality job
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Contractor finished up his part yesterday. Whew. It really is disruptive!
Current state of the wall:
I need to prime and paint and install a bit of temporary trip top and bottom. Will need to live with the ceiling as it is until springtime.
I bought the primer yesterday, but with paint over $90 a gallon, and the fact that the store has a 40% off sale starting next Friday, I won't paint until I can get it on sale. But I am moving some of the big pieces in rough position because I can't stand to live another week with everything piled up on one side of the room!
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I like that your drywaller “picture framed” around the window.
It’s one mark of quality job
@Steve-Miller What does that mean, Steve?
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Wow, @Bernard that's going to be great when everything is done!
@Bernard said in Work on the house:
with paint over $90 a gallon
Yikes!!
@ShiroKuro I know, right? I'd go for a cheaper brand, except that I need to match the paint I used on the other wall 2 years ago and it was Sherwin-Williams Emerald interior laytex. $93.99/gal. But I'll get it for around $56 when it's on sale.
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@ShiroKuro I know, right? I'd go for a cheaper brand, except that I need to match the paint I used on the other wall 2 years ago and it was Sherwin-Williams Emerald interior laytex. $93.99/gal. But I'll get it for around $56 when it's on sale.
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@Big_Al Wow! Thanks Big Al for the clear explanation. Cool that you have that connection to the birth of OSB.
Outside the visible boards is a covering of tar paper, and on top of that, board and batten. In fact, the contractor's quote included covering the inside of the wall with a moisture barrier before insulating, but when he discovered the tar paper, decided against it. On the other sides of the house, clapboard cover the main portion of the walls, with board and batten in the front gable.
@Bernard said in Work on the house:
Outside the visible boards is a covering of tar paper, and on top of that, board and batten. In fact, the contractor's quote included covering the inside of the wall with a moisture barrier before insulating, but when he discovered the tar paper, decided against it. On the other sides of the house, clapboard cover the main portion of the walls, with board and batten in the front gable.
Glad to hear he's being careful with the vapor barrier. Old houses were relatively free-breathing, but with insulation and restrictions to air and moisture flows, condensation within wall cavities has become a serious concern if not properly addressed.
Big Al
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Like this:
Area around window is all cut out of a continuous sheet of drywall. If you do it in three pieces you’ll probably end up with cracks.
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Like this:
Area around window is all cut out of a continuous sheet of drywall. If you do it in three pieces you’ll probably end up with cracks.
@Steve-Miller Thanks!
