Three-plus years later ...

Our long drywall repair nightmare is over.

As you may remember, I started fixing my very rough (i.e. "good enough") drywall job on my daughter's bedroom doorway a couple Fridays back (read the back story here). After that, time and my daughter's illness forced me to take a step back. I was able to get my final coat sanded, but painting ... that was a different story. Imagine my shame every time I walked past that joint compound-decorated doorway.

Finally, last Friday, I finished - paint and all.

Using a drywall sander that attaches to the vacuum cleaner, I was able to contain most of the dust from that project, but I wasn't naive enough to think I was able to completely eliminate it. Those tiny, pesky bits of drywall dust are still in the air, looking for somewhere to settle down and make themselves at home. After lots of cleaning and vacuuming, I'm confident that 95 percent of it is gone now.

Unfortunately, the paint we had stored in the basement was mixed in a different batch than the paint that was already on the wall, meaning there was an ever-so-slightly difference in the tint. Fortunately, I only had to paint the wall in question. Unfortunately, that's one of the longest uninterrupted walls in our home.

Two coats later, I'm very happy with the results. If you compare the above photo with this one, I'm sure you'll agree that my pride in a job well done is justified.

To DIY or not to DIY ...

I'm making my guest-blogging debut at Building Moxie today with a post about the necessary evil of hiring out your home improvement and the potential perils of doing so. It's a personal story, and the names have been changed to protect everyone - the innocent and the guilty.

Click here to give it a read. Some of it may hit too close to home, but hey, that's the nature of home improvement.

While you're there, bookmark Building Moxie. JB and his team do a bang-up job over there, and I'm proud to have been asked to contribute.

Toothpaste for grownups

Ever have to patch drywall? I have, and you know what? For the most part, it's not that hard to do.

The easiest I've ever used is to fill nail (or dart) holes with white toothpaste (ah, college). On a white wall, it can be almost impossible to notice. Do it the night before your landlord comes by for the final walk-through and you should get your security deposit back. Or at least if you don't, the nail holes won't be why.

As an adult male homeowner, toothpaste won't do. So for small-ish holes (i.e. 99 percent of what I've dealt with), I use a marvelous invention called the DAP Patch Stick. It's like the toothpaste trick, just more permanent and durable. And it's for grownups. At less than four bucks a stick, there's no excuse for not having one stowed in the garage or junk drawer. That goes for every household.

(As an aside, the last time I was at Home Depot, I noticed there's now a DAP Stick specifically for nail holes, which costs about a dollar more. Is it worth the difference? I'll let you judge for yourself. Personally, I'm reminded of the Simpsons episode where a company released a "new" version of the Malibu Stacy doll with the only change being that she had a different hat.)

The other grownup method I've used for repairing drywall is much more labor-intensive. Therefore I avoid it as much as possible. If the hole's too big for the DAP Stick (in my estimation, which tends to be much more liberal than DAP's), I have to get out the old drywall mud, slather some on, smooth it as much as possible, wait for it to dry and then sand it smooth. Luckily, I've only had to do this a few times - with varying results.

And most luckily of all, I've never had a hole big enough to require floating a new piece of drywall (knock on wood). That would require a house call/demo from dear old Dad.