An alternate title for this post could be ‘We Both Really Hate Sheetrock Dust’.  Either way, we’re moving right along.   I’ve been busy hanging drywall, while Sandi has literally worked her fingers bloody with sanding pads, trying to get the corners smooth enough for texture.  We’ve still got a few more days before that happens, so there will likely be another couple of inches of plaster dust on the floor before we’re finished, but I wanted to share an update with a few photos.

The closet in the master bedroom (on the left in the photo) was pretty small, even though there is a 12′ x 20′ attic that has plenty of storage space.  The problem (aside from the funky paint job) is access.  The only way up there was a flimsy, fold down ladder.

My son-in-law came up last week and helped me pull out the old ladder and install a new, stronger, aluminum ladder.  It’s still a little too awkward to use for everyday clothes storage, which is why we added the big, new, walk-in closet, but it should work just fine for Christmas decorations, little-used clothing, and those miscellaneous boxes that I’ve been hauling around for years.  Someday, I swear I’m going to open them and find out what kind of treasures are inside.

You can see the new bathroom through the door at the right.  After a three week delay, I got a call the other day letting us know that the vanity, mirror, wall cabinet, and linen cabinet we ordered are waiting to be picked up at Lowe’s.  If we don’t go down this weekend, we’ll pick everything up early next week.

In our last post, I shared a photo showing the shower walls going in.  The shower pan is installed now, the plumbing is all connected, and the walls are sealed, ready for tiles.  It looks a little strange, but the red is a waterproof sealant that comes out of the bucket as a thick, bubblegum pink, paste.  It dries red and fills in any gaps in the seams, so water can’t get through.  We picked out the tiles for the walls, the seat, and the shelves and hope to begin installing them in the next few days.

I started this post bemoaning the extensive sheet rock dust we’re having to contend with.  Here are a few views showing how the upstairs has changed.  Remember, there will be some short railings to finish up the low walls that have replaced the old railings.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Things are looking a lot different from down below in the living room, too.  You can see how we’ve opened up the access from the mudroom, and removed a good deal of the ship-lap.  Obviously, all that plaster still needs to be sanded, but I can almost see the finish line.