With wall covering, it's starting to look like a room

Over the past week I have slowly been covering the walls with sheetrock.  I had originally planned to do the outside stucco work before tackling the drywall, but I am waiting for a block-and-tackle I that purchased on eBay to arrive – I need that pulley unit to hoist the heavy buckets of stucco mix onto the high scaffold.

So . . .  itching to keep going on the project, I put on my drywall hat, picked up the same tools that I used 30 years ago in Austin.

Above and below: With the application of drywall over the studs, the new upstairs Tea Room takes shape above the dining room.  A 48" french door will go into the opening.

The red chalk lines on the drywall indicate where the studs are. I used 1 5/8" coarse-thread drywall screws to attach the 1/2" sheetrock.

Above and below: While covering the wall that adjoins the office, I realized how much I enjoy this part of the project. The drywall effects a quick, dramatic transformation into a usable room.

Above and below:  The left closet.

The shiny metal strip at left is called "round corner bead." You nail it over outside corners and plaster over it with drywall compound for a soft, round-corner effect.

Using odd scraps of 5/8" drywall, I patched up the channels in the garage ceiling that I had created to run wiring to the new room. The yellow strips are drywall mesh tape.

The wires ran through this "chase." The Cowboys/Longhorns pennants remained undisturbed through the project.

Applying the "mud."   Once the joints are taped with the yellow nylon mesh, the plastering can begin. It generally takes three coats, using successively wider blades, to effect a smooth finish. I have blades that are 6", 8", and 12" –  the same tools that I used 30 years ago when building my house in Austin.

The key to a smooth wall is to use plenty of drywall compound and feather it out widely with each successive coat –  to blend it with the existing ceiling.  I sometimes dip the blade in water to get a really smooth glaze.  With patience, most sanding can be avoided.