An Update

After taking a trip down memory lane in my last post, I'm returning to the here and now. Although that was fun revisiting Vancouver wasn't it? 

I checked back in my blog for the first bathroom remodel we did to see how long it took because this time it seems as if it is taking forever. Slow and steady sums it up, right? I bought the floor tile six weeks ago so I have been dying to see it down and today I finally got my wish. But, before we go there, let us look at how we arrived at this point in the job. One of the reasons this has taken so long is the arched window. Before proceeding with the tile, Daniel had to install what is called a Schluter strip, in this case, flexible enough to make the arch. 

(sorry the photo is so dark, the light from the window is messing with the camera)

Working from the bottom up, he began tiling the wall, all the time working to keep it straight.

Beginning last Wednesday morning on the wall tile, I did not really anticipate that it would still be a work in progress come Monday, but so it was. 

Over the weekend Bruce first swept the whole room and removed all of the dust in the cabinets which, btw, are covered in dust. Note the huge pile. Dust is pretty much everywhere, and after this is all said and done, the floors and every surface in our house will need a good cleaning.

The bottom of the cabinets were vacuumed in preparation for some laminate that Bruce applied to cover the old plumbing holes.

I told him one good thing having a large bathroom is that would hold him, tile, and a large table on which to set his tools. It looks like this after he was finished.

Now, should we put anything wet in there, which we probably won't, but just in case, it will protect the wood.

On Sunday afternoon I helped him with a task that was somewhat challenging and that was laying out the track for the shower curtain on the ceiling. So now we had both the table, and a six foot ladder in the room. Bruce dreamed up a way to hold it up there in order to put in the screws using a piece of taped wood fitted into the groove and Mrs. Camera Crazy hold it up high.

But first he had to cut it to length using a hacksaw.

Perhaps you recall him using the plumb bob to mark the track earlier? He used that again to mark the ceiling, matching the marks he'd put on tape on rim of the tub. 

And then he took it down so Herbert can paint the ceiling so we will be doing it again. Fun.

Monday morning, right on time, the Stone Crazy guys arrived with the counter top. You also may recall that I had a pretty brief viewing of said counter top when I went there due to the Covid situation in the office. With that in mind, I was pretty anxious to see it in a slab as we had but a five inch square sample to look at. 

A third guy came to help them hoist it onto the awaiting tables in order for them to drill the holes for the faucets.

And then the three of them muscled it into the bathroom.

From what I saw they did an amazing job fitting it into place, followed by installing the sinks you see on the bed.  Because I have a tendency to stick my head in to see what is happening, annoying everyone, I went back to Floor and Decor to purchase grout for the blue tile so I barely even saw it before Herbert covered it up to keep it clean. I'm pretty sure I like it very much.

Daniel came and finished up the wall tile which we love.

The little things you might note sticking out of the top tiles are pieces from the tile boxes to keep everything in place while the glue dries. He also finished inside the arch and below the newly installed quartz window sill on the lower window.

Finally, today he began on the floor. Because we purchased the tile in the middle of January, I have been particularly anxious to see it laid. Let the floor tiling begin!!

Figuring out the pattern, and where to start took some time, but finally my idea was coming to life.

More tile...

My friends, we are almost there! (those are his leg pads to the left of him)

Whoa Nelly! Although he did not completely finish the floor today, there is just a tiny bit left around the toilet area and tomorrow he will both put the blue tile on the face of the tub, and do the grouting and we are ready for the next step. Woo hoo!! Isn't it fun? 

For those wondering, what we have left after the tile part is done is this:

• Painting which includes the ceiling over the tub, walls, and crown molding.
• Baseboards
• Plumbing
• Lighting 
• Mirrors and holders like for toilet paper, towels, that sort of thing.
• I've purchased some shelves for one of the walls and we shall see if that works.
• Exhaust fan motor and cover
• Sounds like we are done?

In other news, I'm still resting my elbow and has that ever been hard. I am missing playing pickleball with my friends like crazy! Bruce has been playing some nights with all guys, including our son Bill, so one of us is having fun. The tournament is but 16 days away!

As well, I finally finished Edison which proved to be both good and dense. When they began explaining all of the minutiae of his inventions, I will admit I got lost. Furthermore, I'm not used to a biography starting at the end of a life....I had to go back to the preface to make some sense of it all. On to fiction my friends!!

A real blast from the past. 

Tomorrow there will be more excitement at the Peck household and frankly, I cannot wait.

your friend,

Gail