That old house #4: Change order #10,999 and counting

I am honestly not keeping track of how many change orders have taken place, because most of them originated from me opening my big mouth and suggesting a different approach. Just when I thought it was safe to move on to another segment of the job, changes in design take place. Who cares – right?

Finishing the drywall went well. I recently picked up a Porter-Cable 7800 Drywall sander and vacuum and couldn’t wait to use it. Although this is a small job, I brought it along just so I could give it a spin. I was really skeptical at first. I knew this sander had the potential to cause more damage then being a help in sanding. Surprisingly, it worked fantastic.

To say it is fast is an understatement. True, you have to be careful of the pressure applied, however, it makes short order of a tedious job. You still need to hand sand corners, but I can see using this every time I drywall. Kind of heavy, but still a good investment.

Oh, did I mention the vacuum? It does not say it is OSHA or EPA approved for RRP, but PC claims it is 99.85% efficient in containing dust. Only my Festool CT26 is better in performance and noise level.

This is also the first time I did a Level 5 finish on drywall. After this, unless everything is going to be hidden or the customer specifies they do not want it – this is the finish I will go with. Some people might consider this overkill, but the neighborhood where my client lives is upscale, with everyone competing against the other. Neighbors across the street as well as next door are both architects, and pride themselves on how well-constructed their houses are. Several houses have appeared in magazines, however, my client’s house will be torn down and replaced with a big-foot structure the moment she passes away. Thus, she wants her house to look good – only for her enjoyment – not for her neighbors. I, however, want my work to surpass other work in the neighborhood. Well, that’s the plan.

And this should be the end of the drywall saga, with a quick segue to painting. But wait, if that were true, I’d be talking about someone else. Here is what happened when we moved her new table into the kitchen. Where she thought she wanted the table (and where I put the light), is not where she really wants the table (or the light).
The light needed to be move about 8 – 10” toward the window (marked by the X).

Fortunately, the electrician left enough wire that I was able to move it to the new location – 9” closer to the window.

Now for my change order. Remember – Tuscan is the theme, thus the arches on both sides. Plans are to put a faux brick archway above stove with stucco in the middle. After thinking about how boring it will look, I mentioned putting an arched niche inside the faux brick arch. Hey – what about also putting an arch in the opening to the living room?

Well, guess what I’m working on tomorrow? Yep – I’m going to construct an arch and do some more drywalling. More blogs to come.

-- No matter how many times I measure, I always forget the dimensions before I cut.