I recently had a fire in my home, but thankfully it was salvageable. The interior, including the lath and plaster walls, was completely gutted down to the studs. I'm looking for advice on how to make this house livable again. I want to seal the wood with a smoke sealant and install some light insulation, ensuring there's an air barrier to protect against moisture that could damage insulation and drywall. Also, I'm kind of lost on how to start drywalling over the studs. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
If your wiring includes knob and tube, make sure to replace that! For the smoke smell, there’s a lot of research out there on mitigation methods. I can relate; I did a complete gut of my house and tackled everything myself, slowly working on one room at a time while living there. Just take your time!
Honestly, unless you're really experienced, I’d recommend hiring a restoration company that specializes in fire damage. They’ll know how to spot hidden issues and ensure the job is done correctly. Once the hard stuff is out of the way, you can definitely handle the drywall and painting yourself. Plus, if insurance is covering part of the costs, it might be worth it!
I'm planning to do it all myself since my budget is super tight. It'll definitely be a lot of work!
Haha, I’ll have to redo almost everything, including the electrical! I just need to find decent resources on how to properly drywall in an old house.