New Dry Wall – Nueva Tabla Roca
The alternative title for this post could be – It is Advantageous to Speak Spanish! I am not sure how long the dry wall saga would have dragged out if it had not been for the fact that I had been chatting up the guy fixing the holes in my wall in Spanish. Although, I was never able to speak with the boss, the Ecuadorian in my house, we will call him Pablo although that is not his name, promised me that he would get the approval needed to get the job done properly. By the way, if you are confused about how this story started, you can go here to catch up. After they screwed in the first piece of damaged drywall, I refused to let them continue. All of the guys were very nice, and I tried to be respectful of the fact that they were just following orders. I find that things often work out better when you treat people really well, and that is how it turned out this time. Because I had been so friendly, once the tears started brimming in my eyes, Pablo assured me that he would get it done right.
Un título alternativo para este post sería – Es una ventaja hablar español. No sé cuánto habría durado la saga de la tabla roca si no fuera por el hecho de que yo hablo español, pero seguro que todo habría sido mucho más difícil. Aunque nunca pude hablar con el jefe, fue porque había estado charlando con el hombre ecuatoriano que estaba haciendo el trabajo, lo vamos a llamar Pablo, aunque no es su nombre verdadero, todo el rato en español, y él me prometió arreglar todo bien. Si estás confundido porque no sabes el comienzo de esta historia lo puedes encontrar aquí. Después de que había afijado la pieza de tabla roca rota, no les permití continuar con el trabajo. Todos los hombres que estaban en mi casa eran muy simpáticos, e intentaba yo respetar el hecho de que no eran ellos quienes hacían las decisiones. En mi experiencia la gente te ayuda más cuando le tratas bien y así fue esta vez también. Porque yo había sido tan simpática con ellos, una vez que él se dio cuenta de que yo estaba al punto de llorar, Pablo me aseguró de que él se encargaría de hacer todo bien.
True to his word, Pablo showed up shortly after 8 am and got to work. The first thing he did was set up a plastic barrier in the two rooms to contain the dust. At least, he told me that it was to contain the dust. I did have my suspicions that he did not want me to be able to see what he was doing.
Fiel a su palabra, Pablo llegó el día siguiente un poco después de las ocho y empezó a trabajar de una vez. Lo primero que hizo fue construir una barrera de plástico en los dos cuartos para que el polvo se contuviera. O al menos esta fue la explicación que me dio él. Me parece muy probable que lo hizo para que yo no pudiera ver lo que estaba haciendo.
All day he worked, only taking a short lunch break. I had to laugh at the fact that the boss had only scheduled two hours for this job. In the end, he was at my house until almost 3:30.
Trabajó todo el día con sólo un descanso corto para almorzar. Me hizo reír pensar que el jefe había pensado que el trabajo sólo tardaría unas dos horas. Al final, Pablo estaba en la casa hasta las tres y media de la tarde.
The walls are now flat, and the drywall is strong. Pablo did a great job.
Ahora las paredes están lisas y la tabla roca es fuerte. Pablo hizo un buen trabajo.
The only problem is that I have to paint. It might be another year before that gets done.
El único problema es que yo tengo que pintar. Podría ser otro año antes de que tenga tiempo para hacerlo.
Actually, who am I kidding, it could be at least another five years.
Actualmente, a quién intento engañar, es más probable que pasen unos cinco años antes de que tenga el tiempo.
Happy Homemaking!
¡Espero que todos tus sueños caseros se cumplan!
I’m so glad things turned out well. Just whip out that roller and get started, especially if you know what color you want. If you don’t know, then yes, it could be a while since that’s one of the hardest things to figure out. Oh yes, that and prep work.
If it were just painting, I’d have done it already. What is really holding me back is the last bit of sanding and the mess it is going to make. Also, in the living room the trim all needs caulked and the nail holes need filled and then sanded, and weekends just aren’t long enough to do everything. I’ve been thoroughly disheartened by this and unable to get started.
awesome!!! i’m so glad your spanish came in handy once again. and that pablo was able to fix things to your satisfaction. huge win!!!
It felt awesome until I realized just how much work painting was getting
It felt awesome until I realized just how much work painting was going to be. I didn’t even respond to these comments until now, because thinking about it makes me want to cry. I’m so mad!
See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? A little Spanish, a few tears …
YAY, the repair is done! You’ll be in the pink soon!
Thank goodness I speak Spanish. Now if the walls would just magically paint themselves!
Did you get Pablo’s number? Call him and ask him to come and paint your walls for a set price. Or ask him if he knows someone who would be great and reasonable. Often a good worker knows others who would love a side job. And you speak Spanish!!!!! Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
I did get his number, but if I am going to pay someone it will be the guy that painted the exterior of the house last fall. However, we spent to much on the insulation that it makes me sick to my stomach to think of spending more money. I think I’m going to have to do it though. 🙁
Even if it’s no fun to have to repaint the walls, I’m so happy for you that they did the job the right way, finally. And I’ve been sleeping in an unpainted bedroom for two years and I sleep very well!
Happy New Year!!!
Happy New Year!