House Update: Floors and Patching Walls

 Finally, I have a few pictures to share! I know it looks a bit scary still! 

Last week we got the cement board down in the kitchen and started patching the walls. This past weekend we got the cement board down in the bathroom and started in on the electrical! I am so excited things are moving along now and so tired out......

 I am rather proud of our  patching (sister Mandy was my partner in crime)! Came out nice didn't it? I figured it was a good place to practice as the cabinets go in front of it.

So here is the process. First we cleaned off all the loose plaster still clinging to the lath (the wood slats), then we put two layers of a scratch coat on. Scratch coat meaning it is a rough plaster/cement that is not sanded. We put that directly on the lath "keying" it in. (Using enough pressure to get the plaster between the lath, this is what holds the plaster on.) Then we will apply a thin layer of smooth plaster that is soft enough to sand. And the wall be as good as new!

This is a back view of a plaster and lath wall. Pretty cool, huh? The really white plaster is the new stuff, the gray is old.

Mandy and I were a little nervous we weren't getting a good "keying" so we also patched this hole in one of the bedrooms that had the backside open to the bathroom. That way we could check to see how we were doing!

Construction Zone!

A sneak peak at the dining/living room from the kitchen doorway. Over on the left are the kitchen cupboards that had to be moved so we could work on the kitchen floor.