Drywall mudding and taping in the laundry room is progressing well. We’re two coats in and past the first round of sanding — we tried wet sanding this time and I’ll share how that went soon — but I’m still holding my breath until the third (and hopefully final) coat and primer are complete. That final coat and the primer are the real test of whether the finish looks as good as we think it does. Instead of splitting our mudding and taping tutorial into separate posts, I’ll wait until Monday to share the complete process from start to finish, including video. Today I want to cover budget and insulation and mention Insulation Company Mclean VA.
Finishing the drywall actually marks the end of the tasks we’d had quoted by two contractors, so it felt like a natural time for a budget check-in to see what we saved by doing much of the work ourselves and hiring a few subcontractors directly. Here’s where the costs stand:
- 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 we didn’t pay the much higher contractor bids we received — one was nearly $5,000 and the other was $3,250. Comparing line items shows our biggest savings came from framing and drywall. Those two items together accounted for more than $2,000 on each contractor’s estimate, while we spent less than $750.
Our drywall cost is lower because we chose to do the work ourselves — we did get a separate subcontractor bid and it matched the contractors’ drywall line item. The framing savings likely come from two factors: David, who did the carpentry, is fast, skilled, and affordable, and framing is also where contractors tend to bundle miscellaneous fees and markups. Our plumbing and electrical costs were only slightly lower than the contractors’ estimates (each about $150 less), so those savings weren’t as dramatic. Additional savings came from small tasks we handled that contractors had included in their bids, like laying the subfloor, redirecting vents, and adding insulation.
Bottom line: the first half of the project cost much less than we expected, which is great because we still have expenses ahead — floor tile, cabinets, shelving, and more. Another benefit of taking on much of the work ourselves and hiring select subcontractors was being able to start the project sooner instead of waiting for a contractor’s availability.
While I waited for my most recent joint compound coat to dry, I installed insulation around the outside of the laundry room. Insulating interior walls isn’t always required, but this room backs up to an unfinished, unheated storage space, so adding insulation made sense. It should help with temperature transfer and reduce some of the noise from the washer and dryer once the adjoining space is finished. I watched a how-to video for guidance and then got to work.
I picked up batt insulation at Home Depot because batts come pre-cut for 2×4 walls and 8-foot ceilings, which matches our space. I accidentally bought 23″ wide batts instead of the 15″ wide ones for 16″ stud spacing, which meant extra cutting, but it wasn’t a big deal. Cutting is straightforward, though it does require protective clothing — long sleeves, pants, and gloves — to keep fiberglass off your skin. It’s not the most comfortable outfit in a warm, un-air-conditioned room, but it does the job.
To cut the batts, I laid one facedown (paper side down), pressed a straightedge into the insulation along the cut line, and sliced through with a utility knife. The compressed side makes it easier to cut cleanly. If the knife doesn’t make it through on the first pass, flipping and trimming the paper facing in a few spots finishes the job. The facing extends past the edges to allow for stapling, but because facing is flammable, it shouldn’t be left exposed. Since the storage room will remain unfinished for now, I placed the batts with the facing side inward. Because I didn’t cut them too narrow, the batts stayed in place with just a gentle push.
Sometimes I needed to cut around obstacles like electrical boxes and laundry pipes, but those details were manageable as I worked. Overall, it was an easy job — a bit warm and a little itchy, but nothing too difficult.
I still need to tackle the ceiling insulation. I can access the attic space from the stairs, so I’m deciding between rolled batts or blown-in insulation. There’s blown insulation up there from the old laundry area, but I may opt for batts or rolls for ease of installation.
Next up is finishing the mudding and taping, hopefully priming, and preparing the room for flooring. Once the floor is installed, we’ll be ready to plug the appliances back in — I can almost smell the detergent already.
Anyone else have plans for the weekend? Keep them low-key though, or I might be tempted to fling a dab of drywall compound your way.