The @#$%@# bedroom is done. Well, almost done.
 
 
 
(The toxic pink curtains were my daughter’s idea — Jen showed her five different colors at the store and she picked that one. Also, the last photo shows the plexiglas protector to prevent the annoying orange cat in photo #3 from scratching holes in the corner again.)
Next on the agenda
Apply borderWall plates for the plugsInstall door jamb and bifold doors for the closetInstall prehung bedroom doorInstall window jambs and sillsInstall casingsÂPatch floor where old wall floor plates used to beFill and paint nail holesTouch up paintingInstall plexiglas corner protectorClean old linoleum mastic off the floor- Move my daughter and all her stuff in
- Cut hole and install heat vent
I’m not sure what I was doing wrong with the baseboards, in that there’s lots of gapping between the baseboard and the drywall. Is that something I should just caulk and call it good, or is there a better technique? Coping the corners wasn’t too hard, since I had a very simple profile, but I should buy an actual coping saw for the next time I do it.
I do know that I almost certainly won’t be using MDF for casings in the future. Yes, it comes pre-primed, but the primer doesn’t do all that great a job of holding the final coat of paint. Also, the edges aren’t square, it’s hard to plane, it doesn’t really hold screws very well, and it tends to bulge up around the finish nails (where wood doesn’t).
Now all I need to do is buy an inexpensive jigsaw so I can cut a hole in the floor above the existing heat duct for a vent grille. Which I should do soon, but which isn’t really necessary before I move my daughter into the room.
#1 by moses on July 11, 2012 - 12:15 pm
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Stud walls in old houses are wiggly, and the drywall has enough flex to somewhat conform to the wiggles. Wood casings probably would have bent more than the MDF to account for some of the gaps, but yeah, paintable caulk is your friend. You can get preprimed pine casings, too.
I envy your ease with coping. I’ve tried many times and just can’t get the hang of it; they always come out looking a little sloppy.
#2 by Jen on July 11, 2012 - 12:25 pm
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I love the Toulouse ‘Whatcha doing Dad?’ in the picture.
#3 by Sarah Thiagarajan on July 11, 2012 - 12:57 pm
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Beautiful, Bryan, just beautiful. Your daughter is very lucky. My dad made a room just for me when I was a little girl, and I remember it with love to this day. 🙂
Have you thought about soft-paws for your cat? They are acrylic nail covers (Sort of like having fake nails.) It doesn’t hurt them, but in the meantime, they can’t destroy stuff. My cat is apparently (according to the previous owners) a destroyer of couches. The soft-paws have been good for all of us. 🙂
#4 by Dawn on July 11, 2012 - 5:11 pm
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I’m not positive, but B might have a jigsaw you could borrow.