Tape & Mud: Smoothing it Out

Inside the New House Next Door, the temporary heating system is set to 50, and "the Tapers" have set to work. They have the task of making smooth (invisible) connections between all the sheet goods that were screwed to the framing. They spread "mud" and tape on all corners and seams, scrape joint compound over all the screw holes, and apply stiff corner angles to exterior corners with tape and mud. When they are done applying, sanding, and smoothing, you won't be able to see where one board ends and the next starts, or where any screws are located - it will all be smooth.

But cooler than what they are doing, (finishing the interior face of all the walls- home stretch!) and nicer than the fact that they get to work inside in heated space, (the carpenters are still working outside and it's still really cold most days) is the fun fact that they wear stilts at work! Really, what non-clown job can someone do where they get to walk around in stilts?!

Better than a ladder: stilts move with you to finish the ceiling and top half of wall.

I remember years ago, when we were doing a renovation and addition at our previous house, the taper left his tools (including his stilts) in our home since he was coming back the next day to continue. (It is a 3 layer process) Well - the temptation was just too great, and my dear husband had to try them on and walk around for the amusement of the kids. The kids loved it, because again, we see stilts (and since we are not tapers), we think of the circus, the parade, clowns! It's FUN! We were all smiles as he walked around the house... Until, startling us, the door bell rang! All four of us felt "caught". (It was not the taper at the door, making sure we weren't playing with his stilts... but my then 5 year old thought for sure it was going to be!)