Well, I decided to stay in TN to move things a little further along on the Lodge before I go out to Idaho. It was a tough call to make but… Julie went, and I stayed so dad got some help and company and I made progress on the Lodge. We now have drywall!
In my last post, I complained about no-one being available to install my windows. I ended up renting a 50′ “cherry picker” and my weekend helpers and I got it done. It’s not pretty on the outside but it won’t leak (probably) and is just temporary. I still have to find someone to install/replace the heavy gauge metal siding AND fix the gutters so I’ll have them redo the trim while they are at it. The important thing was to get the windows framed in before the drywall hangers showed up.
There were a few crucial details that needed to be done before drywall went up. I had drywall scheduled for June 14 so had a hard deadline to complete the things on my list. I have never before in my life pulled a double day/double nighter — until now! I slept for two days after but I got almost everything done that was on my list:
- add blocking in some areas so the hangers had something to screw the drywall onto.
- hook up ducting to all the bathroom vents that were going to be covered
- finish framing the side entrance coat nook
- add noiseproofing insulation
- frame 2 pocket doors (did not complete these)
NoiseProofing
I wanted to do as much as I could to isolate sound in bedrooms and my office. After my experience installing Purple SoundBreak XP in my last house, I was pretty confident I would use that. However as I started getting quotes for drywall, I priced it out and it was an unaffordable $100 per sheet! I’m not sure if that’s because Covid caused production slowdown or if that’s a normal price. Whatever the reason, $100/sheet was out of my budget.
I did a ton of research and figured out that I could spend thousands of dollars and do all sorts of different building techniques — and not achieve “sound PROOF” rooms. I decided to do the best I could without spending a fortune and then be ok with the results.
Impact noise from above will be dealt with when I install flooring upstairs. Ambient noise will be quieted by the insulation in the walls and ceiling. I’m on the fence about using “sound absorbing” insulation verses less expensive pink stuff. There’s lots of claims that cotton is the best…but then there are “experts” that say less expensive fiberglass insulation works as well as anything. I didn’t have time to go to 20 stores to get enough of any one thing so I have an assortment of insulation in my wall cavities. I can’t tell you if there’s a noticeable difference.
I can tell you that putting the fiberglass stuff in the ceiling (above me) left me WAY more uncomfortable after installing it! I stayed up all night finishing this bedroom because drywall was coming the next day. I spent the next 3 days paying for doing that job in a tank top!
In addition to insulation in the cavities, I had the drywall hangers double up the ceiling with Green Glue Noiseproofing Compound in between layers. (We used 3 tubes per 12′ sheet.)
Drywall Delivery
The big hole in the wall is where the front doors will go once the deck/addition is built. We created temporary plywood hinged doors to keep out the elements and animals. The large opening is perfect for crane action – delivering materials!
The delivery team dispersed the drywall between all the rooms, which was awesome. I guess I was expecting them to lay it in a big pile in the main room. That would have been a LOT of weight in one spot so — good on them.
One team hung the drywall and then the finishers came in. It took about a week and a half to complete and man does drywall make a BIG difference!
Now it looks like a place you could actually live!
Lots Still to Do
This is my office. That window has to be changed out and may possibly become a door but I’m waiting for the ramp to go in before I decide what I want. For now, I told them not to drywall that whole wall. On one hand, it would be nice to have a pretty, finished room- temporarily. On the other hand, if they drywalled it now, I’d have more demo to do when it comes time and I don’t need more work to do!
Ceilings: I still don’t know what I want to do with the ceilings. They need a layer of something between the roof and the living space to isolate the sound when it rains – which it does A LOT. I just haven’t yet decided what.
This week I get to start priming and painting! I’m eager to get that done so I can get some air conditioning pumping in here! I’m doing mini splits in the suites and they don’t go in until the drywall is up. And here we are! The HVAC company is scheduled to be here next week to get that stuff completed. I don’t HAVE to paint first but it will be much easier to do it before the units go in so I don’t have to mask them off. So I’m going to hustle and see if I get things painted first. I believe I can if I don’t have any issues with my sprayer. Crossing my fingers for good luck.
Tracy Cooke says
Wow! Lots more to do, but lots already done! Excellent! Stay strong. It will all be worth it!
Sandra says
It’s starting to feel worth it. Still tons of effort and money to spend to make it a home though. lol
Jim Hamlin says
Interesting project. Why Idaho? I have friends that live in Jerome, but like it here in Tennessee much better without the cold winters and snow.
Although it still might be an expensive proposition, another soundproofing way is to build two walls back-to-back with the studs staggered between the normal 16-inch centers. Still have to use twice the amount of insulation.
Great work!
Sandra says
Idaho is where we grew up and where my dad lives. Trust me, I read about every single way to noise proof and did what I did on purpose. For the reasons stated. LOL (BTW, My husband grew up in Jerome.)
Lorrie Healy says
I’m unclear as to which soundproofing material you did use. Please clarify for me. We really need soundproofing in our home and have only begun our product search!
Sandra says
Well, I didn’t want to focus too much on what I did use because I can’t tell you one way or another if anything that I used helps reduce sound. 🙂 I used 4 different products/methods:
– I had close cell foam sprayed on the underside of the metal stairs going up into the residence which didn’t help much.
– I installed Rockwell Safe & Sound in some walls.
– I put regular pink fiberglass in some walls and in the ceiling between two bedrooms.
– I used Green Glue in between double layers of 5/8″ drywall on the ceiling between those two bedrooms.
I could tell that the Safe & Sound blocked some sound even before drywall. I have no idea if the Green Glue and double layers of drywall help but that got a lot of facetime in the research that I found helpful.
Tori says
Sandra! It’s looking AWESOME! I groaned inwardly when I saw you wearing a tank top and messing with the insulation! I could already feel my skin sympathy itching for you! But as a fellow Tennessean, I understood the heat and humidity aspect of WHY you had the tank on! UGH! I have a garage room/bathroom that need to be finished out and I’m NOT looking forward to the job. Too hot. Too humid. But absolutely necessary, *sigh*. LOL
Can’t wait to see your place all wrapped up! Savin’ my pennies for a visit!
Sandra says
I had pants and a long sleeve shirt on at one point. LOL Once they were soaked with sweat it was kinda pointless. Can’t wait to have this place OPEN (so you can come visit)!
Darenep says
Hi neighbor! I was also working with that nasty pink insulation this past week in an attic – in Claxton/Clinton. It was hot! I was wearing long pants, rubber boots (because that’s what I had in my truck) and a thin long sleeve shirt. I still had that stuff in every crack and crevice. I didn’t feel very lady like when I got home and shook my head over a sink and saw what fell out of my hair from that 60 year old attic. I haven’t read about your workshops yet. I’ll have to check into that. I was at a workshop you did at the Haven Conference years ago – maybe 2013? Looking forward to seeing you again sometime.
Sandra says
Hold on — You live in Clinton! We need to connect.
Lucille says
The most effective noise reduction installation is sprayed in foam .
Sandra says
I’ve been told otherwise by “sound experts” and the closed cell I had sprayed on the roof doesn’t do much for reducing the sound of rain on the roof so I guess I agree. There’s so much conflicting information…which is why I didn’t spend an additional fortune on noise proofing. Come what may.
Karim says
HI,
I made a layer of air between exterior walls and insulation to soundproof my home and it ‘s good for me.
Sandra, it is an huge work you did : “BRAVO !!!”.
Angela H says
Sometimes things are meant to be! I started following you on Pinterest, I don’t know when. But today I found your article on the beadboard. After sending you a comment I started reading more into your website and caught the posts about your Build and Breadfast idea. As I glanced through them I caught something about IN. I thought, well it’s kind of far from Florida but I’d look into it further…then I realized not IN but TN. Well, goodness! One of my sisters bought a log cabin in TN just about 4 years ago and then my oldest sister also decided to retire in TN with 10 acres in a nearby town. (See the oldest sister was planning ahead for my other sister to sell flip the cabin and build new on her property 🙂 Then my husband passed away….well the suggestion was that then I also should build something on the property – HA ) But I have a ’73 block home on an acre in north central FL with very low mortgage payments and we just had new roof and a/c done before my spouse died in 2019. I was always the one with the most basic of construction knowledge and cared most of the condition and needed repairs but I have unfortunatley gotten physically weaker over past 10years with an autoimmune issue. So my projects stacked up everywhere waiting for an offer from my husband to help me. Well after he passed away unexpectedly I realized if, God forbid please, anything happens to me then my 19yr old college student son would be left with a money pit and no knowledge of even basic home maintenance. So out of my own pocket I got powered up to investigate mold issues in my guest bath and kitchen. Turned out leak in wall in guest bath and possibly unrelated old leak under kitchen sink caused harmful mold. Mid-2020 I paid remediators to tear out and/or kill mold in gbath and kitchen base cabinets. The 50yr old cabinets were completely a loss. Contractor friend empowered me to serve as my own ‘builder or supervisor’ because I knew so many tradesmen from my previous job and then he would spot me with advice at any time. Being a Libra -at least an OCD one – it took me only a year before my son could finally use his bathroom – HAHA. Yep. not the fault of the trades but my wanting to pinch every penny I could and get the best deals! Meanwhile I could not get anyone of the tradesmen I knew to actually teach me how to even cut wood properly with basic tools but understood they were all and still are very busy. I bought a miter saw probably 4 years ago (at the time, my husband didn’t want me to get a table saw and sent me a video of “kick-back” so I did doubt myself too). The miter hasn’t been even unboxed but at least my cordless hand tools and my huge tool bag get lots of use. I also got right on teaching my son to repair basic drywall holes, use cordless tools to hang blinds, hang ceiling fans, and showing him all the repairs that needed to be done as soon as possible and why. (But his attention span is as short as his fathers was.) Eventually I thought I would buy a new shed for the lawn garden stuff and use the 10′ x 25′ for projects. I even went so far as had the rotted deck joining the house and shed repaired and replaced so I could pull out the equipment to use on the deck for ventilation and more room. Next I need to get someone the install posts for me so I can hang sun shades over the area. The nearest woodworking school to me is in Tampa which is over an hour and a half away so I thought I would have to take a multiple day course to justify staying overnight. (I can’t drive long hours.)
BUT Hey – You are building a Bed & Breakfast / school and you are in an area that is less than 2 hr away from my sisters cabin!! Yippee!! Sign me up!!
P.S.
Did you know that in the UK they have programs for exchange college students or even international tourists to volunteer to renovate historical homes/castles in exchange for room and board? Yep – I looked into it but I can’t seem to fathom how much an old (mid-50s – Ha) obese weak lady can actually help them with such phyically challenging projects. See – I need your school! Help me gain my confidence back!
Sandra says
Oh wow! How great that you’ll have a close home base. I’m hoping to be ready for guests by June so stay tuned!