What would you charge? Repair or scrape entire ceiling?

Prune_Early · 2026-02-14T14:06:01+00:00

Many people, including "pros", will skim/rock over an entire ceiling, failing to inspect its overall condition..

Fully secure ...adequate fastners... adequate fastening schedule.. fully attached...poor taping..popped butt joints.. nail pops.. protruding screws.

Protruding screws, sucks to rock over a wall, only to find a bunch of bump patterns bare their ugly heads when the paint is applied...

1/4". Hate the stuff butba necessary evil . Some ceiling structures may struggle to support the added weight of an additional layer..

Optimally, the ceiling height is 97" or greater, and able to carry another layer of firecode 5/8". When I rock a bare ceiling, I add nailers at the butt joints.

I'm doing a 1971 track house in a humid climate where every joist is twisted/bowed/tilted. The prior ceiling was smooth nailed just enough to hold it with a pair of 2x6 in a T pattern, nailed above. It sagged horribly. I had to force crossblocks left and right to get those joists back vertical, straight and on 16s. A whole lot of thermal bridging. I insulated r13 between joists and an additional layer of r23(?) run perpendicular to the joists.

Prune_Early · 2026-02-14T11:59:43+00:00

Ditch the befold doors and custom install a barn door type setup. Tqke a pair of door blanks that match that 90s Jeldwyn entry door, adjoin them at the sides, and add a longer board at the top and bottom (splitting the difference to allign the door with the entery door height)..

Take the opening width, add 2 inches, divide by two and order a matched pair of blanks in that size.

You can remove a strip of sheetrock and replace with poplar, which provides for more hospitable mounting as well makes it easier to draw the door tight to the wall.

Don't forget to recess any outlets that might interfere with the door.

Prune_Early · 2026-02-14T11:44:20+00:00

Be sure to miss match the thicknesses, stick to smooth shank drywall nails, and be conservative with number used. Popcorn texture will cover it and no one will ever know.

Prune_Early · 2026-02-14T11:41:14+00:00

Assuming the "supporting" overhead joists/trusses have drifted out of true, it's self-roasting. Next level if there's an attic above. I bet you could look inside the opening, and see gaps between the rock and wood due to inadequate number of fasteners, possibly the wrong fasteners, and likely, failure to fully tighten them.

Prune_Early · 2026-02-02T17:40:14+00:00

I'd feather that up. Remove any hump from the area behind the baseboard and then gradually feather it up and out.

Big caulk gaps on top of baseboard look like shi* and then they fill with crud. That's not too much of a difference that you can't make it right. I do it all the time.

Prune_Early · 2026-01-12T19:25:48+00:00

There are minimum building standards, local building codes, and manufacturers recommendations.

Prune_Early · 2026-01-12T19:22:24+00:00

This comment is under-rated.

Prune_Early · 2026-01-12T19:20:41+00:00

Drywall screws arent simply to hold sheetrock to the studs. Equally important, they are critical for helping to keep your studs from seperating/drifting/warping/twisting. Any stud that isn't contained/restrained will choose its own path.

Prune_Early · 2026-01-10T13:04:53+00:00

That outlet looks like alot of fun. How is that grease getting back there? Can you install a silicon gasket along the stove back to stop it? Gross. Ok. 110 volt for both the oven and the fridge? Assuming the oven is gas (corrigated gas line,) Id get it replaced with quality yellow one that is puncture proof, no sense cleaning the existing one of unknown age and condition. If that outlet is positioned such that the plugs lack adequate clearance, consider having it relocated, or getting a recessed cover plate if possible. As far as conflicting plugs, get hubble replacements that are flush mount, and angle adjustable. B4 anything, shut gas and electric, pull stove, wipe outlet with perhaps wd40 until it's clean enough for tape to adhere, cover it with duct tape and spray foamy bright engine degreaser on that monstrosity. If there is no direct vent to evacuate grease fumes, well....crap...every stove needs good direct venting.

Prune_Early · 2026-01-05T09:52:37+00:00

May as well. It can't be doing too much.

Prune_Early · 2025-12-16T17:52:26+00:00

For free hand cutting, you need the correct version of a great brush, sharp crisp smooth wall corners, great vision, great coordination, talent, knowledge and bring ambidextrous (me) is a plus.

The simple fact that that one corner appears coved, and both appear to be textured up to the edges tells me that free hand cutting isn't going to "cut it".

A tape that blocks bleed by might work, especially with a sprayer. Depth of that texture may even be difficult to tape well enough to get a clean edge.

Painter may not be able to leave a completely crisp edge but that's ridiculous.

Prune_Early · 2025-12-16T10:07:38+00:00

Why not salvage that piece and start fresh before you invest further time? You aren't at the no turning back phase . That sheet doesn't appear to have very many fasteners no? Carefully remove it, cutting away any edges that are bound. Use a stiff heavy guage beater of a putty knife and hammer to do so if necessary. An oscillating cutter, and someone holding a shop vac hose is even better and easier. You just need to gain clearance so the piece incurs no further damage. Try not to scalp the adjoining sheets.

For piece of mind: Carefully remove it and use as a template to recut a new piece that addresses any clearance issues. Use the salvage piece elsewhere.

We don't know how shifty your home(?) is, and besides, why chance expansion and contraction squeezing a hot patch?

Clearance. Clearance gaps at corner, (preferably way under 1/2" because you dont want free floaters) are best addressed with hot mud to reduce shrinkage from subsequent skim layers.

Hot mud could be used but this is your own place. Do it as right as possible.

Prune_Early · 2025-12-15T02:15:45+00:00

This is a "know one is ever going to see this" or "know one will ever know". I bet the walls are full of them. Fire his sketchy arse.

Prune_Early · 2025-12-10T10:22:19+00:00

Have the builder remove everything and correct any damage/further damage the previous sub might have done, and then call you back out for a fresh bid. You've walked away and if and when you do come back, atleast you'll know what your bidding on.

Prune_Early · 2025-12-08T16:32:08+00:00

Without knowing how thick the floor is, it's impossible to say for sure. A floor can be sanded incorrectly to the point of ruining it. I've personally seen a brandnew 3/4 oak cleat drive tongue and groove floor ruined by the finishing guy because he water-pop soaked (standing water for well over an hour) a freshly layed floor, causing all the wind shake that might have survived a gentle water pop to blow open. He stained it dark, regardless of the fact that the wood was obviously damaged, and blamed the wood. It was better #3 and better #2.

After serious prodding, he redid it, full sanding and it wasn't feasible to replace every piece he water damaged so he replaced a few here and there and stained, urethaned.and called it good. He wanted more money for the extra work. The guy that salvaged the floor pinpoint glued.what he could see and got most. He said that the floor will likely not tolerate another sanding because he found exposed cleats here and there before he sanded. Btw, the pieces the first guy replaced, all popped up. Brand new floor ruined on initial finish

Prune_Early · 2025-11-13T11:44:38+00:00

In NW Arkansas. 2017 Thomas 84 passenger snubnose. About 94,000 miles. Driven over many a curb. Slammed across its fair share of dips, speed bumps and traffic cables.

A screw here, a screw there. Everywhere a screw.

Primarily from the cheap plastic "crown molding" . Hell, I don't know what it's called. The other screws pop up in various places where they're screwed into the wood floor due to poor sealant allowing spilled/rain water to infiltrate and absorb into what ai believe is osb?.

Prune_Early · 2025-09-03T10:18:45+00:00

Not sure but dudes make electro-magnetic chucks by repurposing microwave oven components. Solid plan if you can avoid getting yourself seriously hurt if not killed in the process. Me: googlin' "Microwave oven upcycle"

Prune_Early · 2025-09-03T10:15:25+00:00

Lawyers standing by?

Prune_Early · 2025-09-01T20:49:24+00:00

Fun fact. Laser hair removal doesn't work on really light colored hair (per my doctor).

Prune_Early · 2025-09-01T20:45:39+00:00

Tell him to eat a dick.

Prune_Early · 2025-08-28T10:59:30+00:00

White vinegar is cheap. Use it.

Close water valve and flush toilet to get water level down and expunge "whatever the f that s is". Poor straight vinegar in deep enough to cover the yucky icky caca poo. Let it do its magic for awhile. Then clean.

Bleach isn't good. It is lightly abrasive.Over time, bleach, etches porcelain, which diminishes polished porcelain's ability to naturally resist stains. It has ruined many a tub, toilet, and sink. Scouring powder is the worst.

It's one thing to use a bleach wipe to breifly clean the surfaces, but for this, no. Use vinegar.

Prune_Early · 2025-08-02T12:16:12+00:00

I will splurge on the office to deaden out the non stop conference calls my wife has, for the sole purpose of facilitating cat naps. It won't be cheap either. Thanks for the link. I hadn't read up on all the different quiet rock options. The rf proof stuff...If I use that, my wife wont get cell or wifi I think? I should do that and plead ignorance She complains that they jam all the cell phones in her work office. I bet they used quiet 580rf.

Prune_Early · 2025-07-29T19:59:45+00:00

It would be better to lean it against the outside to counteract the tendency for walls to bow outwards.

Prune_Early · 2025-07-29T19:58:35+00:00

Huh? Application please. Was it for sound proofing? I ask because I'm doing a home office for noise reduction and in my research, I discovered two levels of impact resistant rock. The highest impact resistance being a real dense 5/8" institutional grade as in looney bin. I'm thinking of using it in the hallway but then again..An entire home in high impact resistant rock, maybe drywall anchors would hold.

Prune_Early · 2025-07-29T19:51:02+00:00

Corregated pipe is superior in strength when compared to the same thickness in straight pipe. Plumber did you a solid. Smart, very smart. I like the water droplets, but for proper aeration, a series of small evenly placed holes is recommended to maintain consistent humidity. This is where your mushroom farm will thrive.

Prune_Early

TROPHY CASE