Sealing the ceiling
Sealing the ceiling with Kilz is not the most enjoyable task. The stuff has a terrible odor, and you can’t breathe it for more than a few minutes without wearing an expensive respirator. Fortunately, there is another option. Kilz makes a water-based primer I can use with limited ventilation. I bought a gallon of it hoping to do the kitchen and the living room, but alas, I was wrong. As I mentioned previously, one gallon only covered the living room, so I bought a second gallon and continued my “sealing the ceiling” task today.
However, in my haste to be done with the first room, I decided not to clean the roller. I didn’t think it was worth the time until I realized I had spent around $6 on the thing. So along with the second gallon of Kilz, I bought a new roller too. Then I discovered that I already had one in painting supplies from another time. (Yes, I took the new one back.) Now that the kitchen is done, I can spray texture on the ceilings. I need to decide if I want to paint the trim on and near the ceiling first or spray first and try to paint without getting paint on the texture.
Also, the squirrel returned to another part of the roof. It was in the space directly above my bathroom. I heard the scratching again and knew that, short of drilling holes in the wall, I couldn’t get ammonia in there. I chose an unusual method this time, to lie in wait for him to return home after a long day of feeding. I saw a squirrel go into the attic of the house next door and knew it was the right time. I continued waiting. Alas, a squirrel appeared, coming toward my house. I shot! He ran up the branch and then disappeared. I did not see him continue his journey and assumed he stopped along the way. Perhaps forever. I haven’t heard the scratching since that day. Either he is staying with friends or he has gone to the Great Nest in the Sky!