This weekend I’m spending both with family and working during the Easter school break. I decided to do a bit of home renovation.
My father is a craftsman and has worked in construction his whole life, and I also had a chance to experience that world at the beginning of my career. I had the best teacher at home. We built our family house ourselves, together with relatives—from the foundation to the roof. Maybe that’s what shaped what I would truly love to do, and it also connects a bit with my profession in physical education—at least the physical part of it.
Today’s job wasn’t complicated or too hard; we finished it in just a few hours. The house already had styrofoam panels installed, covered with mesh and adhesive. What remained was the finishing layer—the final acrylic coat. Here’s how it went:
First, we prepared the materials—acrylic facade paint in buckets, a spatula, and a trowel. We improvised scaffolding using two ladders and a plank placed across them. While others were enjoying their holiday travels, I decided to spend mine working.
My father and I set up the scaffolding and quickly got to work. We mixed the acrylic paint using a drill with a special mixing attachment, then lifted the buckets onto the scaffold and started applying it to the exterior wall.
The process is simple: you apply the material with a spatula onto the trowel, then spread it from bottom to top until it runs out. After that, you remove the excess by holding the trowel at an angle, and finally, you rub it in using circular motions. This time, we worked in a counterclockwise direction. The small stones in the facade create those “worm-like” patterns—curved lines that look really nice when everything is finished.
Since the house is single-story, we worked in smaller sections, finishing each one quickly so the material wouldn’t dry too soon, which would leave marks.
We had a helper, Aleksandar, who took photos and brought us snacks, food, and refreshments prepared by my wife and Anja. At one point, he leaned against the wall and ruined his new jacket—but we somehow managed to fix the marks on the facade.
After finishing the job, we sat down, tired, and had a well-deserved beer. Looking at the facade and knowing we did a good job—it’s an amazing feeling to create something with your own hands.
Our house is like a monument, built by people we know, each leaving a part of themselves in it. Some of them are no longer with us.
When I go back to school, I’ll definitely have stories to share with my colleagues. Who knows—maybe someone will even hire us to work on their house.
And sometimes, after I finish teaching or when I have nothing else to do, my thoughts go back to my first job—construction work.
Thank you for your time and for reading my blog. Feel free to recommend us for work or share your own experiences with construction or facade work.