Drywall mudding and taping in the laundry room is progressing well. We’ve completed two coats and finished the first round of sanding — we tried wet sanding this time and I’ll share the results soon — but I’m still holding my breath until the third (and hopefully final) coat and primer are done. The last coat and primer tend to reveal the real outcome, so rather than split the mudding and taping tutorial into separate posts, I’ll cover the whole process start to finish on Monday (with video). Today’s update focuses on budget and insulation and includes a note about the insulation company we used in McLean, VA.
Completing the drywall marks the end of the tasks we had originally solicited contractor quotes for, so it felt like a good milestone to review our spending and evaluate the savings from doing more ourselves while hiring subcontractors for specific jobs. Here’s the breakdown so far:
- Framing (labor & materials): $360
- Electric (labor & materials): $400
- Plumbing (labor & materials): $375
- New dryer vent (materials & tools; we did the labor): $87
- New HVAC vent (materials only; we did the labor): $59
- Drywall & insulation (materials & truck/tool rental; we did the labor): $298
- Drywall mudding (materials only; we did the labor): $84
- Sub-floor (materials only; we did the labor): $30
- TOTAL: $1,693
We’re relieved to be well under the contractor bids we received. The first contractor quoted nearly $5,000 and the second quoted $3,250. Comparing line items, our biggest savings came from framing and drywall. Together those items added up to more than $2,000 on both contractor estimates, while our costs for those were under $750.
Drywall was cheaper primarily because we took it on ourselves — a separate subcontractor’s bid for drywall aligned with the contractors’ estimates. Framing was lower for a few reasons: David, who handled the work, is efficient and affordable, and contractors often bundle fees and miscellaneous costs into framing line items. Plumbing and electrical, by contrast, were only moderately cheaper than the contractors’ estimates (roughly $150 less each). Additional savings came from doing smaller tasks ourselves that contractors had included in their bids, such as installing the subfloor, redirecting vents, and adding insulation.
Overall, we’re grateful that the first phase of the project cost considerably less than expected, especially since we still have big expenses ahead: floor tile, cabinets, shelving, and more. Another advantage of our approach — doing more ourselves and hiring subcontractors selectively — is that we were able to start the project sooner rather than waiting for full-contractor scheduling openings.
While the latest joint compound coat was drying, I installed insulation around the outside wall of the laundry room. Although interior wall insulation isn’t always required, this wall backs an unfinished, unheated storage room, so adding insulation seemed worthwhile. It should also help reduce washer and dryer noise once the adjacent space becomes a finished bunk room. I watched a how-to video beforehand and prepared for the install.
I picked up batts at Home Depot. I chose batts because they are pre-cut for common 2×4 wall depths and 8-foot ceilings. They are available in widths for 16-inch stud spacing, but I accidentally bought 23-inch-wide batts. That meant extra cutting, but it was straightforward — just more work than expected.
Cutting the batts is simple: lay a batt paper-side down, press a straight edge into the insulation along the cut line, compress, and slice with a utility knife. The side not pressed down will puff back up, which lets you know the cut is progressing. Occasionally I had to flip a batt and finish cutting the paper backing where the knife didn’t penetrate fully on the first pass.
The facing on batts has an overhang designed to be stapled in place, but the facing is flammable and shouldn’t be left exposed. Because the storage room remains unfinished for now, I installed the batts with the paper facing inward. Since I didn’t cut them too narrow, they stayed put with just a gentle push.
I cut around obstacles like electrical boxes and laundry pipes as needed. The job was straightforward, if a bit warm in the unconditioned space. Proper protective clothing — long sleeves and pants — helps keep fiberglass irritation at bay.
Insulating the ceiling is still on my to-do list. I can access the attic from the stairs, so I’m leaning toward using rolled insulation or batts rather than dealing with blown insulation again. I’ll decide once I assess the space more thoroughly.
Next up: back to mudding and taping, then priming so we can move on to flooring. Once the floor is in, we can plug the appliances back in — I can almost smell the detergent already.
Anyone else have plans for the weekend? If they’re especially fun, I might be tempted to fling a bit of drywall compound in your direction.
