Our Basement Renovation - Learning How to Drywall, Then Hiring It Out

In my last post, we had hung all the drywall and had just started mudding and taping all the joints. Being that my mother grew up helping her father who was a Drywaller by trade, she knows a thing or two. She spent a Saturday showing us how to apply the mud and tape to the joints and corners.

We had already filled in all the screw holes by ourselves, which was not too hard, after drilling in a few (OK, more than a few) screws that were not sunk enough. We even got my teenage son in on the action and surprisingly, he was meticulous about it!

My husband was dreading this part, but I am up for anything and figured it could not be too hard. We watch enough "Renovation Realities" and "First Time Flippers" to see that if they can do it, then surely we can! Right?

So initially, it did not seem too hard. My mother and her husband spent a Saturday helping us and we knocked most of it out and I finished up the rest over the next couple of weeks. When the mud dried and we started sanding, we realized we might have overestimated our abilities. The sanding part was extremely messy and there were a lot of places where the tape was coming up. We realized that if we wanted a smooth finish on our walls, we would need help, so we called in a professional to apply the second coat of mud and finish it. (a recommendation from our Carpenter friend, Kenny)

For me, it was a little hard to admit defeat, because we have come so far and done so much, but after spending so much time and money, I want it to look good. On the plus side, completing this much of the project saved us about $2,500, so there's that! I am glad I learned a new skill and feel like if I had a much smaller area, I could complete the project myself.

In the meantime, we were able to complete a couple other projects: removing the tile in the mudroom area/leveling the floor and removing the carpet from the stairs. I will have tutorials on these projects soon, so make sure you are subscribed so you do not miss it!

Next up will be painting...a lot of it, but then we will not have much left before the big reveal! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it isn't a train getting ready to run me over!

Catch up on the other posts in this series:

And So it Begins...
Demo Time!
Breaking Ground
Let the Framing Begin
More Plumbing and Electrical
More Walls and a Door
More Demo Plus a Window and Door
Hanging Drywall