dtel's wife

Aw...thanks Picky. I think Venetian plaster may be a little more difficult. Because...you have to get the "wiping technique" mastered to achieve a quality finish. I would love to try this this technique at least once. That finish would look really nice in a home theater also. I have used the "feather dust" method a couple of times in the past on accent walls. I have also used the "feather dust" technique on the sides and floor of our utility trailers. We put two foot wooden sides and plywood floors in the bottom of our utility trailers. It makes it much easier to haul plant material and bedding soil and it doesn't show scrapes and marks like a solid color paint. I also "feather dusted" the bottom of one of dtel's boats. He had an aluminum flatboat that he "floored" and he asked me to do that "feather dusting" thing on the floors.

Obviously your father was very talented. The technique you describe it extremely difficult and you must have lots of patience to get all those circles in the correct pattern. This technique is almost obsolete as very few individuals are talented enough to employ this method. I would love to see a picture of that do it yourself tool he constructed.

Okay, it wasn't dtel that said that, it was "dtel's wife". But for the record..."I do love our Fortes, all of them. I sure am glad you didn't ask me to compare Fortes to Cornwalls. That would be a tough one." And I do love the Cornwall III's. However, all things considered, including pricing (you know the little WAF thing) I would have to say it would be a tough decision. Yes, I would definitely love to own a pair of Cornwall III's ( we do, but we did not pay for them, they were given to us by Klipsch) Hands down the quality of the sound is considerably better with the Cornwall III's. But...two pair of Forte II's and one pair of Fortes for less than one third of the price for Cornwall III's??? Which brings me to the next point, the Cornwall III's will remain in our home long after any other speakers we may ever own, yes guys, including Khorns. Remember, the WAF, well the sentimental value I have attached to the Cornwall III's make that last statement a certainity. And you guys thought ya'll had women all figured out?[]

Labor intensive...yes Level of difficulty...easy Result...attractive, versatile, unique, durable and relatively inexpensive, considering the cost of drywall contractors, and with a drywall/painter you will end up with your typical "orange peel texture". I guess it's all in what you like. I love old houses, rustic houses, cabins etc. so we eventually decided on the "Lawnwood" paint color. However this texture technique can also have an air of elegance, depending on the color paint you use. It also reminds me of some of the nightclubs in the French Quarter. Did you read damonpayne's post regarding drywall bids for his home theater? I can't remember the dimensions of the room, but I think he mentions the dimensions in the thread. Take a look at the prices for drywall and the square footage of his home theatre room.

Jay, We hung the drywall in the usual manner. We then taped and joint compounded each seam (and screw holes). We then used a six inch trowel to apply an uneven layer of joint compound all over the wall. There is about a 1/16" to 1/8" (sometimes even a l/4") layer over the entire wall. It looks like plaster,(spreading technique creates effect) but it is in fact, joint compound painted with semi gloss acrylic latex paint. The paint color is Lawnwood, a real subtle green. We discovered this technique when installing and floating our own drywall. We liked it and used this technique throughout our entire house. We later found out through a painter friend(35 years plus) in the business that this is a "high end painting technique" that has generated $10,000 to $20,000(labor) per house for a company of three women in our area. The homeowner purchases for the materials, the three women apply the texture, then the paint contractor takes over. Most paint contractors won't apply this technique because it is labor intensive. IMO, it is a super easy technique for the do it yourselfer, just takes a little time. BTW, you can also add latex paint directly to the joint compound for a "duller" finish.

I agree with dtel. We have two pair of Forte II's, one pair of Forte's and a pair of Cornwall III's (courtesy of our name being pulled at the 2006 Klipsch Pilgramage in Hope) IMO you can not possibly go wrong purchasing Forte II's, or Forte's for that matter. It is an individual preference. We love our Fortes, all of them. I sure am glad you didn't ask me to compare Fortes to Cornwalls. That would be a tough one. Good luck.

I just came across the pic. It shows the textured walls from a distance. This wall treatment technique is very subtle, as you can see from this pic.

One more...

Next...

I am going to try to upload some pics of a textured wall in our home. I hope this works... These are the pics mentioned in "insulation passed/drywall next"

Damon, I am going to try to get a good picture of the texture on our walls and post it under this thread. Hopefully I can get it posted by this afternoon. I am also "floating" drywall today.

If you choose to float seams in the traditional way, just remember to take regular breaks, especially when floating the ceiling. Dtel and I have done all the work ourselves on our home. No subcontractors, no contractors, from the ground up. The only thing that almost kicked my butt was floating the ceilings. I had a very very serious case of tennis elbow, because of the way you have to use your arms in overhead work and the pressure applied to "get the air bubbles out". I could not use my right arm for almost two weeks without experiencing extreme pain. Other than that it was a breeze. What I thought was kind of cool? I did not realize what was meant by "floating"(I had never seen anyone "float drywall". Once you do a few seams you realize you are floating the seams so they fade into the remainder of the drywall. I just thought that was cool. BTW, most rental stores rent a piece of equipment (the name escapes me) that you can lay a piece of drywall on and lift it to the ceiling. It is very inexpensive to rent, but well worth whatever it may cost since you will saving on the labor. We have used both a "T" and the "drywall lift/jack". The sheetrock lift was invaluable. It saved a lot of time and money. Not one piece of drywall broke when using the "jack". One other thing and probably the most important, don't rush the floating process. After the initial tape and float allow joint compound to dry completely. Most "do it yourself" instructions say you will need to compound seams three times. After a few seams you will probably only have to compound seams two times before finishing. IMO, the stucco finish would really make the room unique. This finish was used in a lot of older New Orleans homes (I believe using plaster). It is again emerging in a lot of the upscale new homes. Just to have the texture applied in a 2500 square foot home can run 10-20 thousand dollars. That doesn't include priming or painting. MC needs a good woman to stand beside him when he is taking on some of these "do it yourself projects". I think it would make a helluva difference in his taking on some of these do it yourself jobs. BTW, Colter I am keeping my eyes open for the woman.[] Dtel and I both believe if you can do something yourself you shouldn't pay someone else to do it. We have learned most of the time you can do it yourself if you just take your time and listen to tips others are willing to share. And...most of the time the job will turn out better than if you paid someone, because who cares about the quality of the work more than you. Oh yes, I almost forgot rcarlton's recipe for the brownies. Some of these treats will surely motivate your buddies.[]

Damon, If you have some friends that are knowledgable in drywall, it should work out okay. If not, there is a way to conceal the "poor workmanship" on floating the seams. Using a small trowel 6-8 inches apply joint compound to the drywall in a manner that would imitate "stucco". Basically you would compound the screw holes and "float the seams", then apply joint compound to the drywall to create a texture effect. This can also be done to the ceilings. Prime and paint. It is my understanding that this technique is very expensive if you were to hire a paint contractor and can increase the value of the home significantly. Just a suggestion.

Okay, he may not want to admit to being a smart a_ _ is an open forum, but in private to us, his family he does admit to his sarcasm. This attribute is generally limited to us, his family, however I have on occasion noted his "dry humor/sarcasm" on this forum. I am not being critical of dtel in anyway. I was well aware of his "sarcasm/dry humor" before we married. After twenty eights years of marriage I can honestly say, "I love him more every day", even with the "dry humor/sarcasm/smart a_ _". I personally have never met another man as kind, loving and tolerant as he is.[{][}] Phil, he reads this forum more than I do, and I am sure he will see this post. Maybe he will answer your question honestly himself and then it will truly be a unanimous agreement.[]

Cal, I just wanted to tell you again that all us here will be thinking of you. You will be in our prayers. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and long lived healthy life. And, yes, even though our friend did not participate in the "therapy" part of the program he still says the surgery is the best thing he ever did, for himself and his family. Take care of yourself.

During a recent opinion taken in our home (remember there are nine of us living here) everyone unanimously agreed that dtel is the smart a_ _ of the family. Do I personally think dtel is a smart a_ _? Answer: He is one of the finest people I have ever met, but he is a smart a_ _, or maybe he is just sarcastic, or, "dry humor"[*-)]

Wow, Moon thats funny, what your wife said ..... I hope when you get in a little better shape she don't call you by another name by accident ![] Just kidding, I couldn't help it Moon, dtel is the smart a_ _, in the family in case you haven't noticed. Don't worry she won't call someone else's name. Congratulations to all of you who are either working on a weight loss/exercise program or have made a decision to have surgery. Your family will thank you for adding years to your life.

Cal best wishes from all the dtels, you will be in our prayers. IMO, the statements above are really one the most important aspects of this surgery. Our friend/neighbor, that dtel mentions in his earlier post was not committed to the "therapy" part of the program. The lack of commitment to therapy caused him tremendous grief in his early post-surgery stages. It actually took about one year for him to "get his head straight". He actually went through "withdrawal", both physically and emotionally. Food can have a powerful psychological effect on our lives. I will say, even without the "therapy" he overcame the obstacles and is much happier and healthier person. And yes, it is a very brave decision you have made. I am really happy for you.

Happy Birthday Picky. I hope you have wonderful day.

I am glad other people are having the same problem. For a little while I thought maybe it was that force field Colter was talking about. The regular mail in this area meaning the Gulf Coast and New Orleans are still experiencing some difficulties, (mainly due to processing space and shortage of manpower) but I didn't think the forum's email would have problems too. There is such a shortage of labor in this area, even McDonald's and Burger King have offered hiring bonuses of $500 to $1000. The bonuses are paid out in the first two months of your employment with the company!!!

Fini, in all seriousness I sincerely hope you begin to feel better soon. Being in constant pain is real depressing and I wish the best for you.

Fini, the shoes, purse, lipstick and toolbelt should all color-match. Or you could match just the shoes, purse and toolbelt. Or you could match the purse and toolbelt and color coordinate the shoes and lipstick. Or you could match the toolbelt and shoes and match the purse and lipstick. BTW, will you be wearing barretts, ribbons or headbands in your hair. [*-)] On second thought after meeting you in Hope, you may not require barretts, ribbons or headbands.[] Oh, and don't forget to shave your legs and underarms, and be sure to color coordinate the pantyhose with your "outfits". And you guys wonder why it takes a woman so long to get dressed? One more thing, Fini, what happened to the "birdhouse in your soul." ? It's sadly been replaced by ...

You mean there is another way to live, besides 'au natural'. We must have missed out on that? Our only source of heat is a wood burning stove, however we don't use quite that much wood. The heat a wood burning stove produces is very different from electric or gas. It doesn't seem to dry out the air as much. Yes, the speakers are beautiful, quite a collection. I think the speakers have found an equally beautiful home. Congratulations on the addition. BTW, your significant other is pretty lucky to have a collection of speakers like that.

Michael, I am sure these guys would be more than happy to "tutor" you in all things Klipsch. [] Heck, have you ever know these folks on this forum to be anything but "gentle".[] Don't worry Michael, I am sure Klipsch will give you a twenty volume reference manual upon your arrival for duty. If not, you can always log in to the forum and get the answers.[:-*]

I haven't posted or read in a while, but I took a few minutes this morning to catch up on the forum. Welcome all of you new members. Just in case you guys haven't had a chance yet, make sure you visit The Klipsch Pilgramage under Home Audio. The Pilgramage threads tell alot about Klipsch and what they stand for in today's market. I know you will make some great friends on this forum and recieve invaluable advice from the members here. Again, welcome and congratulations on your new purchase.