Inspection Take Two: Passed! On to Drywall!

After much consternation, I've finally passed inspection; there are exactly two inspections remaining: the sewage top-up test, and the final, everything-is-installed inspection. That means that I can start putting up drywall, laying floors, and generally getting things done. Of course, like everything else, it's not quite as simple as just slapping everything up and stepping back with a satisfied grin. Someday, maybe.


First, I need to take down the door that's currently in the hall, and move it to the closet (sans trim, of course). I may also put a board over the window, for safety's sake.

Second, the north walls get drywall, in every room but the bathroom. The bathroom just gets a temporary board, nailed in place. The north wall is the "tall" wall; once in place, it'll act as a lip to hold the ceiling. Once I measure and cut the ceilings, I'll lift them onto the top of the drywall, push the other end into place, and brace it with a board. With the drywall securely held in place, I can screw it in without worrying about it falling on my head.

Which is third: ceilings. The hardest part of any drywall attempt. That's the part I'll need help with, for certain.

Fourth, the rest of the walls. Once the ceilings are in place, I can move on to installing the other walls, cutting them so they are right up against the ceiling. Even if you want to install molding at the top of the wall (which would cover a gap), it's a good idea to have the drywall right up to the ceiling. Walls don't have anywhere to go, but ceilings have a tendency to sag downward; with the walls directly supporting it, the drywall won't sag. Unless it gets wet, or something, in which case you have other problems. I'll have to get a door for the bathroom before I can drywall that bit, but that's not hard (or expensive - ReStore for the win!).

Somewhere in this process is the sewage inspection, pain that it is. I have a few leads on where I can get some test equipment, hopefully cheaper than ordering it online...

Fifth is the north wall on the bathroom, and all the cement board. There is a lot of cement board, but I have a very specific plan for it, detailed down to the last half inch. I shouldn't have much in the way of leftovers when I'm done. I'll cut it all, lay it out to make sure everything fits, then start screwing it in. The only fiddly bit is the shower - I will have to be super-extra-careful to drill the holes for the tub in exactly the right place!

Sixth, and the last step for walls, is to caulk all the joints in the bathroom and mud, tape, and sand every last bit of drywall. So much dust... it's worth it, though. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. I might paint the walls before I do the floors; I haven't decided.

Speaking of floors, that's the last thing that needs to be done before final inspection. I'm in a bit of a quandary because of materials. The bathroom will be tiled; no worry there. I know of several places to get all kinds of tiles. The other floors... I'm not sure about. I need wood, and I don't have the right kind. I really don't want to make a floor out of #2 yellow pine. At best it will be ugly, and at worst it will be fragile and warped. Not qualities I'm looking for in a floor. Since the boards only need to be between 3 and 6 feet long (and I could work with shorter), I can probably managed with a bunch of factory seconds; the only question is from where. If I buy a router table, I could even cut the wood and make the tongue-and-groove joints myself; I just don't know where to get the wood. I'd prefer heartwood pine, but that's a bit hard to find these days. And I'm not exactly looking to cut and plane wood from a tree... maybe if I had a log that had already cured, but that's going to be hard to find.

I plan on finishing the nook first, so that room can actually be a room. The bathroom is going to be done last, simply because tiling the floors and the walls is going to be a very long task. Somewhere in all that, I'll install the vents, windows, trim, molding, and the stuff in the fancy closet (you'll see).

There's a lot to do; in fact, it may look as if the list is actually growing longer. The reason for that is that there are fewer things to do, so I can go into more detail about what needs to happen. What used to be "finish nook" is now "Install drywall, mud and tape, paint, install underlay and flooring, install trim around doors and window, install molding on floor..." Which is longer, but much more detailed. And once I get the things on that list crossed off, they're done for good!