The model we chose was the Samsung 4.0 Cu. Ft. Front Load Washer ENERGY STAR® (model# WF328AAR) and Samsung 7.3 Cu. Ft. Front Load Electric Dryer (model# DV328AER), both in tango red. No need to discuss the price we paid as prices are constantly changing and the amount we paid on credit makes me feel even less financially responsible during our nation’s economic hard times.

A week later, the set was finally delivered. A note about the delivery: The delivery person had the classic plumber’s butt crack showing, except the guy was standing straight up rather than bending over. Either he needed to pull up his pants or his crack is extraordinary long. Second, there was an issue with the dryer (which I’ll get into below) and he had instructed me to tell my mother to contact the appliance center for replacement. Not sure how to take this as I’m 30 years old and my mother lives miles away.

Back to the washer/dryer, I fired up both the washer and dryer and everything looked cherry until the delivery person opened the dryer door. Out came a steady flow of smoke, which he assured me is a common occurrence due to the oil residue burning off the drum, BUT the amount of smoke that came out was more than usual. We had the option to return it immediately or hold on to it and call if the dryer fails and they will replace it. Not wanting Jagger to go unclothed, I decided to take the latter route.

I’m very impressed with the technology that has gone into modern washers. No longer do I need to to set the load amount as the washer determines how much water is needed and the length of time to wash, rinse, and spin the clothes–although these items can be slightly adjusted by adding extra cycles.

One thing to note with front load washers is they require HE (stands for high efficiency) type detergent. From my research it’s mostly a low-sudsing mix. Also a close friend of the family works for a well-known parent company to a detergent manufacturer and stated that there is very little difference between HE and regular detergent. Not that I really had a choice in this as Dreft doesn’t make an HE detergent.

The washer is super quiet and the VRT (stablizes the washer during high speed spin) does it job effectively. The dryer is not whisper quiet like the washer, but produces a much less audible hum compared to our defunct GE dryer. I washed about 5-6 loads consisting of clothing, towels, linen, and 2 large comforters. The washer took them on like a champ without hesitation or hiccups.

The dryer handled its duties well, but left the comforters slightly damp. I had to time dry these rather than let the dryer run on auto. Speaking of auto, the washer has settings for bed linens, but not on the dryer. A little odd, but something that can be easily overcome with either setting the temperature to max or time drying.

Overall, I’m satisfied with our purchase, especially when compared to our older top load GE washer and dryer. I’ll report back in a few months to talk about the durability of the washer/dryer.

In a 5 gallon container, the multipurpose primer is roughly $70 more expensive than the Drywall primer. So unless the paint starts peeling tomorrow, I’m going to have to say you save your money and stick to the drywall primer.

And now I have moved on to the construction of Jagger’s nursery, which involves building a new hallway, adding doors, drywall, paint, and hardwood. My goal is to finish construction by February 1st. I started demolition the last full week of December. Therefore I have given myself a window of 40 days to complete. In comparison, it took me roughly 150 days to complete the office construction. This requires me to increase my pace by more than 300%. Stats. I watch too much sports.

So enough talk. Here’s some pictures.

click to view

The old closets removed from the 2 bedrooms indicated by the NY Knicks blue and the not-so-great pink bandaid of a room. I was knocking out studs one by one until my dad said to use the sawzall. So much easier. I wish he told me that earlier.

The base plates sat even with the 2nd subfloor. I’m guessing either they repaired some uneveness with the subfloor underneath it, or a thicker subfloor was required for the 1960s parquette flooring.

I don’t have pictures of the latest progress as I’ve been busy with the construction of the nursery (makes sense right?) But I have all the vertical studs and repatched the ceiling. There’s just a few places I need my dad’s expertise advise on framing for the quest closet and the nursery closet, which will eat into the garage.

Tomorrow I’m putting up the drywall. I need to be painting by next week. I’m dead.

Mythic Paint has a large selection of colors, more than I have seen with other low VOC paints like Benjamin Moore’s Harmony or Lowe’s Freshaire. In addition, they can match any color you like. In my case, I had a local Mythic Paint dealer match a Sherman Williams color – Aqua Sphere 7613.

I really like the consistency of the paint. It rolls on nice and thick and the paint self levels very well. For comparison, I’ve used other brands like Behr and Olympic and none of them compared to Mythic. This would take me roughly 3-4 coats in order to get an even finished. With Mythic it only took 2 coats (and I would certainly hope so at $50 per gallon)

The First Coat This is the same wall as shown in the primer review for consistency. At a distance, the color is near even. Up close there are some pinholes of the primer showing through. I was painting in about 4′ x 4′ patches. There was no noticeable building up the paint overlaps. Very amazing results for the first coat.

The Second and Final Coat Following Mythic’s recommendation, I waiting 4 hours before applying the second coat. I put it on nice and heavy. Dripping was never an issue here. Now the color is very even. I’d say we’re done here. Time to take the blue tape off. This performed better than previous paints that I had used as there were only 3-4 spots where the paint peeled along with the tape. Nothing major and should be easily fixed with a painter’s brush.

Conclusion
I’m very happy with the performance of the paint. The only standing negative thing I can say about Mythic is that it is pricey. It’s almost twice as much compared to your big box stores. But I’ll certainly pay the premium if it means non-toxic air for Mary, Jagger, and I to breathe. I give Mythic both thumbs up for the 6 year research they put into the paint. They definitely brought a great product to the market.

Read part 1 for primer application images and thought: Mythic Paint Hands On Testing – Applying Primer

I’ve started painting our basement this weekend using paint from the Mythic, who promote their brand as a non-toxic, ultra low odor paint. I have to admit that they have kept their promise on that end, but how well does its application really perform? Read on as I give my thoughts on the performance of this paint in my two part review.

Mythic’s Interior Drywall Primer can be applied to both bare drywall and painted walls. It is available in 1 or 5 gallon buckets. My basement is approximately 14×40 and I used roughly 4 gallons — 3 coats on the walls and 2 coats on the ceiling.

The First Coat The drywall is clearly visible after the first coat of primer. I was expecting a less opaque layer, but this is my first time ever applying primer to drywall, so I can’t fairly make a comparison to other brands. But at roughly $50 a gallon, multiple coats will get expensive.
The Second Coat The wall appears to be much more even. Up close the drywall is barely visible, if not at all. This is closer to the surface that I want before applying color, But there is still traces of (as the pro’s call it), photographing or joint banding — Meaning that the mud is “showing” through due to the difference in texture between drywall paper and joint compound, as well as the different absorption rates between the two. It’s not as visible head on, but it’s evident at low angles. There are some solutions to this, but at this point I’ll chalk it up as lesson learned.
The Third Coat Not much of a difference from a distance. Here the white color is much more solid than the second coat. There is still some joint banding in some areas, but I suspect that the this is partially caused by the mud being slightly uneven.

Afterthoughts
In hindsight, I think I should have tried skim coating the drywall. This involves covering the entire surface with a thin coat of joint compound, leaving a film thick enough to fill imperfections in the joint work, smooth the paper texture, and provide a uniform surface for decorating. Another option is to use specially formulated paints that act in the same manner as skim coating. But that would defeat the purpose of my no VOC painting.

As an added note to support Mythic’s claim to no odor, my father was over recently and was surprised that I had only painted a few days before and that there was no odor.

Continue with top coat application review: Mythic Paint Hands On Testing – Final Coat

The office construction has reached the point where it’s ready to be primed and painted. I was originally going to use the Harmony paint brand from Sherwin Williams, but Mary was concerned about the fumes that could be dangerous to both her, the baby, and Oreo. (Nobody cares if I breathe it in right?)

She suggested looking into Mythic Paint which is branded as a non-toxic, ultra low odor paint that does not have any off-gassing VOC’s and cancer-causing toxins that emit compared to other paints. A trip over to my nearest dealer and $500 later I’m ready to roll some paint. Stay tuned for results.

EDIT: My thoughts on the primer application can be read here.