Tuesday, July 30, 2013

2 steps forward, 1 step back

Remember I said we'd come back from vacation to a working second toilet and sink?  Not so much.  This time it wasn't me biting off more than I can chew - when the plumber came to install the toilet bowl onto the carrier (in wall toilet), he discovered that they had set the carrier too low.  3" too low.  

After some discussion with the head guy, this means I have to take off the tile around the toilet and cut off the cement board there so they can move the carrier up.  Then I get to reinstall the cement board and tiles so they can then come back and install the bowl.

Well, at least I didn't hire someone to do the tiling - and at least I hadn't finished it yet...

Friday, July 12, 2013

Tile!

We made it!  Well, I have to grout tonight, but unless the grout gods hate me way more than usual - we made it!  There's enough tile done to install the fixtures - which means we'll return from vacation to a second flushing toilet and sink.  That is so very exciting.  Nothing like creeping down a flight of stairs at 4 am because you really have to pee and you don't want to wake the dog up and get him all excited.


There is absolutely no way I would have finished this much of the tile (the wall to the left is also tiled up 2 levels) without the cheerful sweaty labor of Jaimee and Sabrina, and the clean up crew of Autumn.  Thanks guys.  My sanity appreciates.

And yes, I have tiled rather oddly.  Most people do either the floor or the walls first, not parts of each.  If we're going to go down that path, I suppose most people hang the rest of the ceiling and walls before tiling at all.   But you know what?  Second flushing toilet.  That's all I have to say about that.  Sometimes the little things in life are important enough to make you figure out how work over and around a sink.

I will say the tiling was so much easier than the downstairs bathroom, mostly because this time I know what I'm doing.  I also brought the tile saw upstairs, which made a huge difference for speed - and leg exhaustion.  Grouting tonight and then the beach tomorrow and recovery from a week of late night tiling!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Now we're rolling

Finally got enough of the basics done to start putting up walls and floor!  The walls are about 2/3 up, but enough to get tiled and have the fixtures installed.  The floor is ready for tile.  I need to paint on the waterproofing membrane, and then tile away!  I'd love to finish enough of the tile to have the fixtures installed before vacation, but that might be a little aggressive even for me.  If I miss though, at least I'll be in a great spot for when we get back.

From here:

To here (actually a little further than depicted, that wall is covered and the seams have been taped):