And Yes, The Drywall Is Backwards

You never know what surprises are in store for you when you start a remodeling project in your home. In fact I've come to expect something odd or just plain wrong whenever I start a project in my house. So I was not surprised when I found what I thought was another layer of wallpaper under the old yellow paper in my dining room. What was odd was the fact that this second layer seemed to have a very unique, kind of furry, texture and it seemed to be glued into the gypsum inside the drywall. As it turns out this is not wallpaper. It is the surface of what should have been the back side of the drywall. My wife and I got a good laugh out of that one: “Yes honey, the drywall is backwards.”

To be honest I didn’t even know before now that drywall has a front and a back. In fact I scraped paper from the walls of one of our bathrooms and mud skimmed without recognizing that the drywall there is also backwards. I only thought about it while looking at some new drywall left by the contractor who replaced our severely damaged kitchen ceiling. The difference in color between the two sides got me thinking about the walls on home remodeling shows which are not fuzzy.

The new drywall is tan on one side and gray on the other and the gray is what I am use to seeing on television. It is also the side that was visible on the new kitchen ceiling before the contractor started painting. A quick Google search revealed the differences between the two sides. The gray side (the side that should face into the room) is slightly beveled around the edges. This allows the tape on the seems to lie flat with the edge of the board below the level of the board’s face. Because of these beveled edges it is easier to hide the tape and the seem. Plus the gray side has a smoother surface vs. the brown side’s rougher finish. The sort of fuzzy texture tends to show show through when you paint. Based on recent experience I'm guessing the grey side also makes it much easier to take down old wallpaper.

There are other reasons to make sure drywall is hung with the brown side facing the studs. According to Hunker.com greenboard (with a green surface) is designed for use in humid areas such as bathrooms. The special paper coating the front of the board resists moisture, repelling water (and I would assume mold). Turning this side towards the studs defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place. But no matter what room your putting it in, the gray (or green or even blue) side of drywall sounds as if it is a more practical side to have facing into the room. I only wish whoever put the drywall up in my house took this fact into consideration.

So I live in a house where it seems all of the drywall is backwards. This should make removing the old wallpaper in the other rooms a bit of an adventure. In the meantime I have to figure out what to do in my dining room. I can tear out all of the old drywall, which is time consuming but might be best from a visual standpoint. I can put wall paper back up using either decorative or a plain smooth type that I can paint over. That option would still mean mud skimming in order to prepare the wall for the new paper. To be honest, after the look I got from the guy in the big box store while I was looking for my scraper, I think I’ll stay away from wallpaper. I could simply mud skim the walls and then paint over them. That likely is the easiest solution but will it give me the best results?

Time to confer with my better half. I’ll let you know what we decide. Just out of curiosity which one would you do? Leave a comment below and let me know what you would choose.

Prayer for a Non Believer? Answered

Do you have a public transit family? I do. I see them five days a week during my regular commute. Most of them are complete strangers whom I recognize but know nothing about. We sometimes say, “Hello,” to each other but that is usually the full extent of our conversations. Then there are those with whom I am on a first name basis. We talk about sports or about family or even about plans for the weekend. We’re not friends but we do share a common bond and sometimes we share in a common delay. They all have become a regular part of my life narrative and it would be odd not to see them either coming or going as I head off to the day job.

Last week one of the regulars was noticeably agitated. Turns out he had lost something, an item that would have cost hundreds of dollars to replace. After learning of his situation I said a word of prayer. I didn't pray with him as he has said in the past that he sees no purpose in public expressions of faith. So, I said my prayer knowing where he stands but still wanting God's best for him. Shortly thereafter he received a call telling him the item was found and explaining where he could go to retrieve. As often is the case, God answered my prayer even before I had finished praying.

In the past I would have been hesitant to pray. When it comes to non believers, or people who are uncomfortable with expressions of faith,  I had always limited my prayers to asking for their salvation. I never really thought about praying for other things in the lives of those who do not follow Christ, thinking this was something God would never agree with. Having seen Him restore the missing item, I know now that He has no problem answering those kinds of prayers. I trust that as I expand the reach of my prayers according to His will, He will respond in a way that reveals His glory. In doing so He will plant the seeds of the Gospel and I get to watch as our Savior moves on the hearts of my fellow commuters.

Updating My “About Me”

 I bet my playlist is really confusing to the various algorithms monitoring my listening habits. As I write this I'm listing to Big Band. Tomorrow it might be classic rock or maybe contemporary Christian. I can go from classical to Ragtime in the same sitting. One of my college roommates joked about how I once followed a song by Christian music artist Carmen with Hotel California by the Eagles. I like variety and I like music that tells a good story.

Had you asked a few years ago I would have told you that the jury was still out as to whether or not my life is a good story. Back then I held my personal narrative hostage to the aftermath of codependency, viewing the world through the destructive lies of family addiction. I needed help. That help came from my Lord Jesus Christ. Now in Him I get to enjoy my story, having received His gift of abundant life. Instead of a future of pain and sorrow, I see big things on the horizon with a lot of good chapters still left to write.

It's been over four years since I wrote my original “about me” post on this blog. A lot has changed since then. I'm in a different chapter, with my first born (of two boys) off to college. I've published a second magazine article. I've spent a little over half my journey married to a wonderful follower of Christ. Neither of us is the same as we were 26 years ago but that's a good thing. Our ups and our downs have made us better people while strengthening our marriage.

My day job has me wearing many hats in support of scientific research on the senses of taste and smell. That job pays the bills but ultimately I plan to become a writer full time, looking forward to the indepence that comes with working for myself. I enjoy watching sports, a must for anyone living in and around Philadelphia. I didn't grow up here but the city and its teams have become special to me and I know the next championship is just around the corner.

On this blog you will find a lot about Jesus and about the faith. I'm still growing and would like to share with you as I learn. I would also like to share the many questions I have about the face of Christianity as presented publicly in the United States. Hopefully you can help me find answers as we search together for truth.

Here you'll also find history posts and book reviews, two of my favorite subjects. As I work on the huge remodeling project I call home I will leave updates on how the work is progressing. I may even drop in a post or two about barbecue (or do you prefer barbeque?). For the record I prefer charcoal. Now free from codependency I have learned to enjoy each day of my journey. Are you interested in tagging along?