I Know What You Did Last Summer 6/11/11

Saturday! I worked (as in, at my real job) in the morning again. After that I mowed the lawn. Then I dragged my feet getting started on the south side. Eventually I decided that I was just going to have to work in the bright sun and that's all there is to it. After I started I almost quit. It takes so much longer and so much more mix to complete a section that is so much taller and longer than any other specific section. At first, I thought I was going to run out of mix. But, I didn't. Just that 13.5"x192" section probably took a whole bag, though. Well, really, that is a bag of cement and a bag of mortar, so two bags, or whatever. On the other hand, while those two bags weigh 120lbs together and are obnoxious to handle to the point of actually sticking the crap on the wall, they are only about $5 each, so this is still a pretty cheap application. The mesh seems expensive at $15 each sheet, but the sheet is 27.5"x8ft, so I cut it in half, which makes that whole wall only cost about $20 not including my labor (which is priceless, of course). My begrudging goal of the day was to get that whole section mixed, applied, striped and brushed before the end of the day. It took 7 hours, but I did it. Really, unless I wanted to deal with trying to make a "dry seam" (which is applying new/wet mix next to dried/cured mix) I had no choice but to do it all in one session. I think it will turn out much better than anything I've done on this project so far. In a way, that sucks because I'll probably have to redo the east wall, which I am not looking forward to. But, the whole point is to make the house as good as "possible" so... Technically, I also prepped some of the other rough spots in the south wall, too. Eventually, I ended up having to wait for stuff to cure, such as before striping it and before brushing it. So, I applied that time to some of the other beat-up places that I am not going to completely re-do. I used a "siliconized acrylic" caulk that was 1) paintable and 2) water clean-up. I gooped it into place "generously" then used a paint brush, which I dipped in water, to shape it to the area. It's the same idea, just a different material and smaller scale. I doubted that idea, too, at first because the first caulk I bought was 100% silicon, but I realized later to be not-paintable-- and those cost $7 each. I was able to use those in another area (i.e. some gaps that are now under the stucco)and the right stuff only costs $2-$3 per tube. Really, though, I am sick of prepping. I want to paint and move on.