Our renovation path has finally reached the mudroom. The walls are in bad shape – lots of nail pops, drywall seam cracks, and an ugly swirl texture. The ceiling is worse as there is a big poorly patched area that had some water damage, not to mention more nail pops.
I was thinking of tearing it all down and starting over -the room is only maybe 9×9. Then I can put in new insulation and really airseal the space better from the garage, maybe with airtight drywall. The mudroom is a single story, partly over foundation, partly cantilevered between the house and garage over a slab.
If I rip down the ceiling drywall, I’ve got to remove about a foot of loose fill insulation first. Seems like a big job and the wife is not into the idea. I haven’t done anything this big before, either.
Kind of an open question here, but what are the other benefits/drawbacks to taking this all down to the studs and rafter ties+furring?
Could I just put another layer of sheetrock over the ceiling instead of ripping it down?
What’s your metric of when to rip it all down?
Thanks!
BobS
Replies
Given the info you've provided, I'd rip the walls to ths studs and just rock over the ceiling. It sounds like you've got plenty of insulation in the attic, and you'll just make an ungodly mess if you take the ceiling down (all to save 1/2" of ceiling height). The walls, on the other hand, sound like they need a lot of help, and need better insulation, so I'd take them out.
Bob
I need to get a desk job like you.
That way, I can learn to type faster.My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard
Actually, my time is so valuable, I pay someone else to type these responses for me ;)
Bob
Hard to say, but I would probably take the walls down to the studs, and leave the ceiling up. From the sounds of it the corners are probably taped with paper tape, so you can just cut the inside corner, at the ceiling line, with a utility knife.
I'd just run new drywall right over the old, making sure to screw into the ceiling framing.
This way you could re-insulate the walls, and not have to deal with all that loose insulation.
PS
Don't blame me when the wife gets mad. ;-)
My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard
Edited 2/22/2006 5:04 pm ET by dustinf
Dustin,
I could try and get the new drywall screwed into the furring under the rafter ties, but is there a limit to how much weight the furring can support? Will two layers of drywall be too much?
saw the title and thought this was about breeding something... my bad
9x9? That's why they call it work. Tear that crap out and do it right.
Get a good fan blowing out the door and seal it so the xxx doesn't go back in the house.
Put your hooded sweatshirt on and a respirator on and 1 hour later it's all down and you'll feel oh so much better.
Thinking about it is the hard part, sneak up on it and tear it out.
So you'd take the ceiling down too?
Were not talking a big job. Ya it's a mess but look at it when your done. You get access to electrical and all the rest. Make a nice tight finish. And you know what you've got. Tear it out and don't look back.
Couple of Garbage cans and a snow shovel to scoop up the loose fill and your ready to put it back together again.
I agree - take it all down. Find a couple of high school kids, buy 'em a couple of face masks and a box of construction-debris garbage bags.
have them pull it down, bag it, and shop vac. No biggy...
Hey ---9x9? even and old guy like me can do that.
Make believe that somebody want's to charge you like 5000$ for the whole job. So as your eating all that crap out of the ceiling, just think of all the money your making.
just be happy its not horsehair plaster. Drywall...I would rip it right out and start clean.
Tear it all out -- you will thank yourself. I'm a DIYer, but have done several of these total guts. The mess is horrific at first, but if you are well-prepared with masks and contractor bags, it won't be so bad. Actually it's exhilarating! I would try to do it all in one day. Clear the room the day before, get everything in place, get up at the crack of dawn and just do it. Also, once the walls are down you have an excellent opportunity to upgrade wiring and plumbing. Put those outlets where you want them, finally.
Do you have teenage kids? They and their friends could have a graffiti party on the walls before you start. Harmless fun.
Okay, so a lot of you are saying rip it all down - ceiling too. That means money for new insulation in attic and walls, but I suppose I can put in what I want this time.Any other suggestions for what else to do besides new wiring and insulation? The main circuit breaker for the house is in this room as are the washer and dryer. Any other upgrades this opportunity affords?
I agree to rip it all out. I had a sleeping porch like that, several layers of ceiling and a bunch of roofing mess, and I'm really glad I did. Wish I had a good respirator though. I was coughing up black dust for days.Anyway, you mentioned that there is a patch in the ceiling suggesting water damage? That is why I would rip the ceiling out - to make sure the source of the leak has been repaired properly. You might be able to rent a large shop vac and vacuum out much of the blown in insullation by cutting a hole in the ceiling the size of an access panel and just stand on a ladder and suck much of it out.As for what to add, don't forget about any outside illumination you might need. I'm assuming since it is a mud room, there is exterior access. Also, if you want to get fancy, something along the lines of intercom/communicator if others use the door. And I would think you would want at least one or two convience outlets.A floor drain for the washer? A utility sink? A lighted mirror to check the hair on the way out the door? I'm sure if I think long enough I could give you an endless list, which is what you don't want.
. Any other upgrades this opportunity affordsIf you plan on adding any wall mounted hooks or racks etc. for hanging things, it would be beneficial to add blocking in the walls to attach to. Takes little time, adds almost no cost, and saves hassle. An often overlooked step."I'm your huckleberry"
That is a great, great idea and I would have overlooked it and been a little pissed later. Thanks.