7/28/19:
(Above: The bedroom window-shelf taped and ready for paint.)
Building Summary: Today I had a slightly lengthy pre-Jacobhouse session consisting of helping check / IV a number of sick calves* and beginning on the holes for Padre’s studio project (would much rather do the latter). This was followed by my preparing Jacobhouse’s various closets for painting (i.e. removing stored items, brushing off dust, taping around all edges, and using wood putty for various holes) and then by my continuing to clean up the place via broom/dust pan. To finish off the morning, Padre and I drove down to Sparr, obtained some white primer**, and then dropped off that primer, the turquoise paint from yesterday, a panel box cover*** and some other miscellanea at the farm before heading home to eat lunch.
Commentary: If, for some reason, I had to build Jacobhouse all over again, I would do my best to limit the aesthetic portion of construction. Certainly, I enjoy seeing the interior shiny and gleaming, and most assuredly, I appreciate the efforts I have gone through to make it appear as such. However, when compared to other parts of building, this recent portion does not seem to grant as much satisfaction for the time invested.
For example, the past 25 days have been spent installing galvalume and trim. I’m aware that there was a week in Colorado, but it doesn’t eliminate the fact that I’ve been working for over half a month on something that is ‘just for looks’. It has not brought me any nearer to living in Jacobhouse like a finished bed or an installed toilet or a completed kitchen counter would. Therefore, if I could, I would probably go back to past-Jacob and tell him to cover the walls with some form of flexible and easily workable material like the burlap that Padre has mentioned a couple times now. Such a material would not need trim because it would simply bend around every corner, and it would be especially easy to cut through any places where holes were needed for electrical receptacles. In regard to cleaning, it would not be as easy to wipe down as galvalume, but instead I could simply take down the cloth and wash / replace it.
Unfortunately and fortunately****, I am unable to go back to past-Jacob and tell him of this idea, for I am quite happy with the present shiny interior. Instead, it is my hope that in future projects, I will better appreciate the aesthetic portion of construction because I won’t be impatiently waiting to move in while I tend to it!
Final Note: Tomorrow I may prime the interior of all of Jacobhouse’s closet areas along with all available shelves. Either that, or I might obtain some ¼” plywood from Madre and cut it into small triangular pieces to fit upon the braces of the ‘spice wall’ in the kitchen. Even though I do want to get started painting, I’m afraid I may need to go with that second option.
*We think this is a combination of the calves being purebred or of embryo origin along with the fact that Florida’s weather has recently been ruthlessly hot and humid.
**I read up on painting plywood because I noticed last time that the substrate sucked up a lot of paint. It turns out that if I brush on a coat of primer first, the absorption is vastly reduced (and subsequently so is the required amount of liquid-turquoise).
***Padre attempted to cut the panel box cover down to the appropriate size while I was in Colorado, but it seems that the old, wobbly jigsaw was not precise enough to complete the task. Thus, Charlie the welder will be obtaining the new panel-box cover and shall use his plasma cutter to cut some perfectly straight edges. I just have to collect the measurements first.
****Now that the galvalume paneling is in, I really do enjoy its unique look. Also, there is no denying that the bathroom’s curved corners are something special.