Things are getting very exciting around here, oh my yes they are! The tile is actually going up on the wall as I type. Well actually, Daniel has taken a lunch break, but you get the drift. Let's do that reverse thing again where I show you how things started today, beginning with the first row of tile!!
And how did we get to this point you ask? Well, Herbert and Eli have been working very hard, however, they got one day behind, so rather than the tiling beginning on Tuesday, we had to wait until today. We really can't blame Herbert because we added a detail that he originally didn't account for. While I'm thinking of it, several other residents have been hanging around the house hoping to get his attention for their places and I can hardly blame them because he is so diligent, however, I make sure that they know that I'm holding onto him until our project is done!
So what have they been doing? Drywall and ceiling repair over the tub area for one thing. At some point, long before we got here, there was a bulge in the ceiling for some reason, but now it is nice and flat. That hole is where the exhaust fan will be.
Another thing that is so great about Herbert is his precautions to keep other surfaces in good shape, in this case all the paper taped to the ceiling in order for the knock-down to not land there. (Knock-down is a type of sprayed finish for walls.) Several walls needed smoothing as well, and all of that took quite a bit of time. In other words, the stuff that no one will ever notice but we appreciate nonetheless. After filling the wall with insulation, they added what is called concrete board. Heavy and sturdy enough to hold the tile up. It is both hard to cut and heavy, thus the two of them were getting it into place.
Once that was in place, he began putting up the crown molding that we requested. Because we have it in most of the rooms, it only made sense to me.
This took most of yesterday as there were so many angles to get right, but now it is up and I love it! Totally worth the extra time and expense in my book.
You would never know that there were once big light boxes on that wall! He did a fantastic job with hiding the evidence.
Perhaps you are wondering what that green stuff is? That would be some waterproofing that Bill gave us from his own many tile projects. There are three bathrooms in his house, each one done in large part by him, so he's well versed, not to mention outfitted, with tile work supplies.
Remember the rough in valve for the tub we had to have shipped from a store in Michigan? Thankfully, it arrived yesterday and I thought I'd show you the part that gave us a small headache, not to mention a $200 hit to our budget.
Speaking of budget, there always comes a time in a project when I start to feel like, yikes!! This stuff is a lot of money. That said, give it about six months and I will have forgotten what anything costs. As I used to tell my Mom when she would say she worried about my memory, "a good memory is overrated Mom." May I remind you that she died when I was a few weeks shy of my 50th birthday? What would she think of me now. 😁
Have I told you how much I am missing pickleball? A whole bunch, if I have not. Plus, there are a lot of hours to fill that I am unaccustomed to having. I bring that up because Bruce played both days over the weekend while I stayed home in order to not be tempted to play. Thankfully, the rest is doing my elbow a world of good.
Nancy asked if I'd made the shower curtain yet, and the answer is no, however, I did get the fabric out to see how things would coordinate.
While I am happy with the bone and khaki color, the blue not so much. Entirely too bright, however, I could not really tell that when I ordered it online, something I've done very little of when fabric is concerned. Unfortunately, I have four yards of it which is a bummer. I could drive to Sewing Studio in Maitland and try again; instead I've decided to use it sparingly. Because this will be big requiring the floor for laying it out, it will have to wait until there is no longer brown paper covering the floor from the front door to our bedroom. I tried out a version on our bed.
Originally I'd planned on starting with the lightest at the top and ending with the darkest at the tub line, however, the blue is so far from what will SOON be the blue on the tub face, I think it will stand out even more as not matching very well. For now it is all packed up again, as we are still probably two weeks away from the finish line. We do know that the counter top will be installed on Wednesday of next week which is very exciting indeed. I sure hope we like it!
I mention not playing pickleball because on Saturday, while Bruce and the gang were having fun, I decided to make some other kind of fun. Candy, a fellow bird enthusiast and fantastic photographer, posted some photos on facebook of migrating Northern Gannets at Jetty Park (for excellent shots of that beautiful bird, click on the link). With that in mind, I drove the baby car over to see what I could see. At first with none visible, I walked down the long pier hoping they were further out from the parking area. What I saw off the pier were Pelicans by the dozens. The jetty water was such a beautiful color and so clear that you can see their feet.
From there I walked back to the parking area and on to the beach seeing no Gannets, but plenty of Terns and Gulls. No complaints from this gal.
The weather was beautiful with a crisp blue sky and temperatures in the middle 50's, with a pretty serious wind speed. Where oh where are they??
Back to my car, I moved to another area of the large parking lot hoping they would appear. Crazy windy, I took shelter in my car until finally I spotted what I thought was one. I have seen this bird but once in my life, more than 10 years ago to be in the ballpark. Bruce was building an Olive Garden in Vero Beach and I rode over with him so that while he was inspecting the restaurant, I could go to the beach. Walking up from the parking lot, I saw a large white bird, with an ice blue eye, just sitting on the sand. I took any number of photos which I wish I could locate but I can't. They are somewhere on a hard drive that I have no clue how to access. Anyway, I'd never forgotten that bird and hoped to see one again. Hurray!! I saw one as it dove into the water for a fish! My zoom lens was a wee bit short leaving me with very few good shots, instead I have what I think is a somewhat comical photograph to share.
Indeed, that would be the one, sandwiched between two brown pelicans! A Disney cruise ship thrown in for good measure. Below is what most of my photographs looked like as I tried, without success, to get a photo as it flew overhead!
Ha ha...never think that they all turn out because far too many do not! That water color below was a treat for the eyes. Gorgeous.
This morning before Danny arrived, the sunroom looked like this, with paper placed on the floor by Herbert, and some of the furniture covered with the old shower curtains. One of the mirrors sits on the couch.
Bruce went to the storage unit yesterday afternoon to retrieve the floor tile because that was what we thought was happening today, however an early morning text said otherwise. Fortunately it is close by so he went back and got the wall tile too.
As well he got the tile for the tub which is shown here primed and ready. With any luck he might even get there today, but I'm not really counting on it. Mostly I am just wondering how it is going to look. After spending the last month or so on choosing materials, I'm dying to see them in place.
Before this post ends, I want to celebrate the arrival of the blooms on Tabebuia trees all over the city. It is always hard to decide if I prefer the yellow or the pink; both of them are a jolt to the otherwise green landscape. That sure is a cute house isn't it?
More tile on the wall!
Actually I took this when I began writing, so now there is
tile to the ceiling!!
While the pretty stuff is great, it takes a good foundation first that Herbert and Eli executed perfectly. It's no wonder his services are in such high demand!
Until we meet again, I remain your friend,
Gail
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