More Cover Up in the Basement

Last weekend, while regaling you with tales of the pellet stove move, I was accomplishing more work on the wall along where the pellet stove has resided. It was a major accomplishment to get the one piece of sheet rock that I got done by Sunday afternoon. Before I get into the nitty gritty, let me just say the following picture represents using only one sheet of sheet rock, and one cut for the outlet (okay, 2 as I had to shave the left side to enlarge it just a scoche.

That piece doesn't look like much does it? But there is more work involved than meets the eye. First I had to make a trip to the nearest BBS - 30 miles away. Then I had to cut the sheetrock down to something that would fit in the truck. As an aside, my newer Explorer is not quite as wide in the hatch area as the old one, so I can't get a 4' wide sheet in, even at a diagonal. Second, I bought a 12' sheet of sheet rock, cut it in half lengthwise (for two 6' pieces), then cut a couple of inches off the sides to get them in the hatch.

I also had to get the metal strapping for anchoring the sheet rock to the wall and concrete screws. Okay, back at the house to begin cutting the strapping down to sice, using a metal bit to drill holes for the concrete screws to go thru, tape the strapping to the Reflectix so I could use the hammar drill to drill holes thru the concrete block, then screw the strapping into place. That takes forever. It didn't help that the hammar drill burned out in the middle of drilling a hole (seriously, with 5 holes left to drill.

So, it was online to find a decent hammer drill for home use, and a good price. The hammer drill that I settled on was a Dewalt. At the BBS, where I had been earlier that day, they had it for $20 less than what the local hardware store was selling it for. I was mulling over whether it was was worth the extra $20 to save the drive time and gas when I realized that the hardware store had been emailing me that they would deduct $10 for a first online purchase and pick up at store (purchases over $75). Since I already hold their reward card, I chose that option then found that they also had a special that any purchase over $50 earned a $5 reward - that could be used right then (also had option to use later). Well, being no dummy, I chose to use the reward so the final tally was just $5 over what I would have spent up in Concord - well worth the gas and time! An hour later the store texted me that my order was ready to go.

During the wait for my order to be filled, I readied the outlet to be moved out so it wouldn't be recessed in the wall. I used a 3/4 piece of Azek (a pvc product) to raise the level of the outlet since it was a back mount not a side mount. Oh, and I took a short nap :)

Finally, back to drilling holes for the strapping, then cutting the sheet rock, then the install of that one piece of sheet rock. I also cut the piece that goes above it, but I ran out of "want to" and called it done for Sunday. Well, I began cleaning out the far corner so I could continue work on another day. Should have taken pictures of all the stuff piled over there - suitcases full of artsy stuff and a box of stuff all of which Cop Car had sent me, boxes of collector plates that I had brought from the old house, knick-knack holders (which I took to the swap shop) and other stuff that I don't even remember.

This past Wednesday, I moved the dryer and installed more strapping and another piece of sheet rock.

Oh yeah, see where that dryer outlet is? Well that was installed on a L-shaped board set up that had been lagged into the floor joists (the basement ceiling) and glued to the block wall. That was a bear to remove on Sunday since I was trying not to disturb the foam/reflectix installed around it. And on Monday night I installed rigid foam and Reflectix in that section.

After another trip to BBS, for more sheetrock, this happened yesterday.

Still have more to do, hopefully all today, but that is for next week's post.

 

Comments

[Cop Car]

It's only 0730, here, but I'm ready to go back to bed after reading all of that. (You know how work tires me!) Well done, Bogie, and I admire your thrift.

[Ruth]

very nice!