My bathroom nightmare
11-29-2012, 11:34 AM
#41
hose niches were truly a pain in the ass. We sloped the bottom pieces slightly so water won't collect in them. Functionally great, but the sides had to be cut with an angle at the bottom. The original framing behind them wasn't square either so each tile had to be trimmed to fit.
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litesout (11-29-2012)
11-29-2012, 12:04 PM
#43
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Originally when we did the framing, we put the 2x4's across the bottom in at a very slight angle. However, when nailing them in place they straightened out. Then we put the fiberboard in at a slight angle, but didn't cut an angle in the wall piece. When we put the tile down the front of it rested on the wall board and the wall tile we cut out around it. Finally had to just build up the mortar to get the desired slope. The slope was determined by seeing how the beer sat in relation to the label in the bottle. By the way, that's also how we determined the height of the niches while we were still framing.
11-29-2012, 12:27 PM
#44
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11-29-2012, 12:37 PM
#45
Little bit of all 3 actually
Originally when we did the framing, we put the 2x4's across the bottom in at a very slight angle. However, when nailing them in place they straightened out. Then we put the fiberboard in at a slight angle, but didn't cut an angle in the wall piece. When we put the tile down the front of it rested on the wall board and the wall tile we cut out around it. Finally had to just build up the mortar to get the desired slope. The slope was determined by seeing how the beer sat in relation to the label in the bottle. By the way, that's also how we determined the height of the niches while we were still framing.
Originally when we did the framing, we put the 2x4's across the bottom in at a very slight angle. However, when nailing them in place they straightened out. Then we put the fiberboard in at a slight angle, but didn't cut an angle in the wall piece. When we put the tile down the front of it rested on the wall board and the wall tile we cut out around it. Finally had to just build up the mortar to get the desired slope. The slope was determined by seeing how the beer sat in relation to the label in the bottle. By the way, that's also how we determined the height of the niches while we were still framing.
My old boss would do everything level and then build up the mortar to make his angles...makes everything a lot easier. Same with a shower floor sloping towards a drain.
12-02-2012, 09:07 PM
#47
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
12-08-2012, 08:40 PM
#48
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 30. Tuesday 12/4/12.
Went back to the tile place to pick up what we needed to finish out the shower. I calculated that we needed 3 cases to finish up everything. The guy helping me with the tile calculated 4 so I picked up 5. Also picked up another case of the lot we're using for the tub surround. Shouldn't need it, but I really don't want to go back to the tile place anymore. Also picked up 2 more sheets of mosaic tile. Another $134 in tile.
We were supposed to work on it that night but the guy helping me out had a minor family emergency to deal with. So, other than picking up material, no progress today.
Went back to the tile place to pick up what we needed to finish out the shower. I calculated that we needed 3 cases to finish up everything. The guy helping me with the tile calculated 4 so I picked up 5. Also picked up another case of the lot we're using for the tub surround. Shouldn't need it, but I really don't want to go back to the tile place anymore. Also picked up 2 more sheets of mosaic tile. Another $134 in tile.
We were supposed to work on it that night but the guy helping me out had a minor family emergency to deal with. So, other than picking up material, no progress today.
12-08-2012, 08:45 PM
#49
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 31. Wednesday 12/5/12.
We finished the shower walls! All of them done, including the little ones that will go under the sill. We're not doing the floor just yet. Not sure why though. It took forever! The tiles along the floor all had to be cut at a slight angle because of the slope of the floor. The tile above the window was a pain too as the window isn't quite square. Visually very little progress so I didn't take any pictures. I was beyond done by time we finished.
We finished the shower walls! All of them done, including the little ones that will go under the sill. We're not doing the floor just yet. Not sure why though. It took forever! The tiles along the floor all had to be cut at a slight angle because of the slope of the floor. The tile above the window was a pain too as the window isn't quite square. Visually very little progress so I didn't take any pictures. I was beyond done by time we finished.
12-08-2012, 08:55 PM
#50
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 32. Thursday 12/6/12
I didn't have to work today which gave me some time to do some clean up and preparation for the floor going in. Had to chip up the remaining cement from the old floor and generally remove any high spots. After working on it for about an hour by hand I was convinced there was a better way. Off to Home Depot. Found a scraper blade for the reciprocating saw. It worked well at general cleanup and removing the small amount of tile cement off the floor. I bought 3 of them, which was a good thing as 2 of them snapped. Learned its all about the angle and not letting them get too hot. Still had to get out the hammer and chisel for some of it. Also had a buddy come by to help me remove the large bifold mirror closet doors. Cleaned the closet and removed the carpet and tack strips.
By time he got there, I was pretty tired but we pressed on. Got 25 of the 18" tiles down on the floor. They were all whole tiles, didn't do any cutting. That doesn't sound like much, but we had to a pretty fair amount of planning before the first one got stuck. Impressively enough, by starting at the door we managed to get the last tile within an inch of the tub skirt. And the tiles butting up against the shower sill will only have to be trimmed in order to fit, but they'll look like full tiles. We probably could've forced them in there, but it may have shifted the ones next to them and we didn't want to take that chance.
I wanted to take pictures, but couldn't remember what I did with the camera when I left on vacation. Know I put it away somewhere, but can't for the life of me remember where. Pics will follow after I find the camera.
I didn't have to work today which gave me some time to do some clean up and preparation for the floor going in. Had to chip up the remaining cement from the old floor and generally remove any high spots. After working on it for about an hour by hand I was convinced there was a better way. Off to Home Depot. Found a scraper blade for the reciprocating saw. It worked well at general cleanup and removing the small amount of tile cement off the floor. I bought 3 of them, which was a good thing as 2 of them snapped. Learned its all about the angle and not letting them get too hot. Still had to get out the hammer and chisel for some of it. Also had a buddy come by to help me remove the large bifold mirror closet doors. Cleaned the closet and removed the carpet and tack strips.
By time he got there, I was pretty tired but we pressed on. Got 25 of the 18" tiles down on the floor. They were all whole tiles, didn't do any cutting. That doesn't sound like much, but we had to a pretty fair amount of planning before the first one got stuck. Impressively enough, by starting at the door we managed to get the last tile within an inch of the tub skirt. And the tiles butting up against the shower sill will only have to be trimmed in order to fit, but they'll look like full tiles. We probably could've forced them in there, but it may have shifted the ones next to them and we didn't want to take that chance.
I wanted to take pictures, but couldn't remember what I did with the camera when I left on vacation. Know I put it away somewhere, but can't for the life of me remember where. Pics will follow after I find the camera.
12-08-2012, 09:07 PM
#51
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 33. Friday 12/7/12.
We got a lot of tile cut today, but not a lot of it stuck. We cut the area for the vanities, the water closet (that was a royal pain) and the linen closet. We wanted to cut as much as possible as quickly as possible because we're cutting outside now and don't want to make too much noise after 8:00 or so. The neighbors are very considerate like that, so I would like to be too.
We suffered a few setbacks. 2 key tiles broke during installation. One of them had to be cut into a "U" shape to go around the door frame and the other had to have a hole cut in the middle of it to go around the toilet drain. Both were cut and dry fit perfectly but broke while cementing. It was extremely frustrating. Couple that with the frustration of not being able to use the wet saw with the sliding table and it was not a good night. The tile was too large for the sliding table. We chipped the first 3 tiles we tried to cut on it so we decided to go with the hand saw instead. Straight cuts are harder and the saw throws so much debris. It really is unpleasant to use. My forehead was bleeding by the end of the night.
After all was said and done, I did find the camera but the batteries were dead. They're charging now, I'll have some pictures of the partial floor tomorrow.
We got a lot of tile cut today, but not a lot of it stuck. We cut the area for the vanities, the water closet (that was a royal pain) and the linen closet. We wanted to cut as much as possible as quickly as possible because we're cutting outside now and don't want to make too much noise after 8:00 or so. The neighbors are very considerate like that, so I would like to be too.
We suffered a few setbacks. 2 key tiles broke during installation. One of them had to be cut into a "U" shape to go around the door frame and the other had to have a hole cut in the middle of it to go around the toilet drain. Both were cut and dry fit perfectly but broke while cementing. It was extremely frustrating. Couple that with the frustration of not being able to use the wet saw with the sliding table and it was not a good night. The tile was too large for the sliding table. We chipped the first 3 tiles we tried to cut on it so we decided to go with the hand saw instead. Straight cuts are harder and the saw throws so much debris. It really is unpleasant to use. My forehead was bleeding by the end of the night.
After all was said and done, I did find the camera but the batteries were dead. They're charging now, I'll have some pictures of the partial floor tomorrow.
12-08-2012, 09:36 PM
#52
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
I want to take a moment to point out a few more of the things I've learned from this. Little things that people just don't think about when they undertake a project like this. First off, this renovation is truly taking over my entire house. It may just be the master bathroom, but between the materials and the things being saved from it there's stuff in every room of the house. I haven't been using the closet, instead living out of laundry baskets in the living room (can you tell I live alone?) The shower door is still in pieces in the dining room. Until I get estimates on a new one I can't get rid of it. There's a piece of drywall in the game room leaning up against the pool table. I still have drywall to patch, so I can't get rid of it just yet. The contents of the 2 vanities are more than I can fit in the hall bath.
The dust, I can't even begin to describe the dust. It gets everywhere! And there's seemingly nothing you can do about it. I've tried fans, filters, everything. The door to the bathroom stays closed with a towel at the bottom, but you still can't rid of it. The bare floor seems to generate it somehow. And after cutting and laying tile I'm so covered in it I have to shower again before bed. I'm not sweaty, don't stink, just dusty.
And the dust does terrible things to your body. I feel like I have coal miners lung. I know its bad because the air feels cleaner at work. And we're going through a major renovation here partially because of air quality issues so all the crap's been stirred up for the last month or so. My scalp has so much crap built up on it after a days work that I have to use different shampoo. My hands are so dry that I can't completely straighten out my fingers because the skin is so tight.
It may sound like little things. Minor inconveniences. And really they are. I know in the long run it'll be well worth it. But after living with this for a month, it really is getting old. And it's going to be another month minimum until its done. We won't be able to work on it again until the 19th. I'm working nights for the next week then going on vacation. We still have at least 2 more days of flooring, another day for the tub floor, and 2 or three days for the tub surround. And that's just the tile. When the vanities come in, I'll have to install them along with the vanity tops. There's still drywall work to do. Then I'll have to paint. And this is all stuff I'm doing myself. My buddy's only helping me with the tile.
I said it very early on, but I really want to reiterate that there is so much more than simply pulling down the old tile and cabinets and putting in new. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from doing it, just trying to educate in advance. For those questioning whether or not its worth it doing the work yourself, consider this. By having a friend help with tile (and paying him a little bit for his time and expertise) and doing everything else by myself I'm saving between $6k and $10k based on early estimates from contractors.
The dust, I can't even begin to describe the dust. It gets everywhere! And there's seemingly nothing you can do about it. I've tried fans, filters, everything. The door to the bathroom stays closed with a towel at the bottom, but you still can't rid of it. The bare floor seems to generate it somehow. And after cutting and laying tile I'm so covered in it I have to shower again before bed. I'm not sweaty, don't stink, just dusty.
And the dust does terrible things to your body. I feel like I have coal miners lung. I know its bad because the air feels cleaner at work. And we're going through a major renovation here partially because of air quality issues so all the crap's been stirred up for the last month or so. My scalp has so much crap built up on it after a days work that I have to use different shampoo. My hands are so dry that I can't completely straighten out my fingers because the skin is so tight.
It may sound like little things. Minor inconveniences. And really they are. I know in the long run it'll be well worth it. But after living with this for a month, it really is getting old. And it's going to be another month minimum until its done. We won't be able to work on it again until the 19th. I'm working nights for the next week then going on vacation. We still have at least 2 more days of flooring, another day for the tub floor, and 2 or three days for the tub surround. And that's just the tile. When the vanities come in, I'll have to install them along with the vanity tops. There's still drywall work to do. Then I'll have to paint. And this is all stuff I'm doing myself. My buddy's only helping me with the tile.
I said it very early on, but I really want to reiterate that there is so much more than simply pulling down the old tile and cabinets and putting in new. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from doing it, just trying to educate in advance. For those questioning whether or not its worth it doing the work yourself, consider this. By having a friend help with tile (and paying him a little bit for his time and expertise) and doing everything else by myself I'm saving between $6k and $10k based on early estimates from contractors.
12-09-2012, 12:47 PM
#53
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Took a few quick snaps of the flooring this morning before work. Lighting is terrible, the sun was blazing through the window.
This is as far as we got. Most of the floor is covered and most of the tile for the odd bits are cut, just not cemented.
We won't have to fill anything between the end of the full tile and bottom of the tub surround. When the fiberboard goes on for the tub skirt the gap will be less than 1/8". The tile will cover the gap. Also, the tile up against the shower sill looks like full tile, but in reality we had to trim off about 1/8" from the one edge. It doesn't show up in the picture, but one edge is actually chipped. The sill tile will cover it though.
The floor where the "hers" vanity will go. Still have to cut one small piece for the corner. Waiting until we come up with a scrap about that size. Don't want to cut into a full tile unless we absolutely have to. I think we can salvage a piece about that big from one of the tiles that broke.
A primitive drawing of the layout of the tiles in the toilet closet (water closet?) The tile flowed beautifully into the small area. Couldn't believe how well all the angles lined up. The circle in the middle of the one tile is where the toilet drain is. And the 2 explosions are obviously the 2 that broke.
This is as far as we got. Most of the floor is covered and most of the tile for the odd bits are cut, just not cemented.
We won't have to fill anything between the end of the full tile and bottom of the tub surround. When the fiberboard goes on for the tub skirt the gap will be less than 1/8". The tile will cover the gap. Also, the tile up against the shower sill looks like full tile, but in reality we had to trim off about 1/8" from the one edge. It doesn't show up in the picture, but one edge is actually chipped. The sill tile will cover it though.
The floor where the "hers" vanity will go. Still have to cut one small piece for the corner. Waiting until we come up with a scrap about that size. Don't want to cut into a full tile unless we absolutely have to. I think we can salvage a piece about that big from one of the tiles that broke.
A primitive drawing of the layout of the tiles in the toilet closet (water closet?) The tile flowed beautifully into the small area. Couldn't believe how well all the angles lined up. The circle in the middle of the one tile is where the toilet drain is. And the 2 explosions are obviously the 2 that broke.
12-10-2012, 10:58 PM
#55
Cutting holes like that really is a PITA, was usually my job so did a lot of learning on the fly. Many of them had multiple holes and cuts since my boss did a lot of complicated work. Nothing worse than a perfect cut and then breaking it when you're cementing it 
What did you use to space the tiles when you were laying them? Also, feel your pain on the dust and hands thing. These were recurring annoyances when I was working construction full time, but I was used to it before I started thanks to working with my Dad. Demo work usually created the most dust since my boss had a really nice low-dust wet saw. As for hands, coldest I've ever been in my life was running said wet saw with no gloves for a full day in 0 degree wind chill weather. Some rubber gloves would've been great but my boss didn't have any and we had to get the job done
Hands are usually scratched and cracked anyways.
Anyways, keep up the good work, will all be worth it in the end.
What did you use to space the tiles when you were laying them? Also, feel your pain on the dust and hands thing. These were recurring annoyances when I was working construction full time, but I was used to it before I started thanks to working with my Dad. Demo work usually created the most dust since my boss had a really nice low-dust wet saw. As for hands, coldest I've ever been in my life was running said wet saw with no gloves for a full day in 0 degree wind chill weather. Some rubber gloves would've been great but my boss didn't have any and we had to get the job done
Hands are usually scratched and cracked anyways.Anyways, keep up the good work, will all be worth it in the end.
12-17-2012, 08:47 AM
#58
The floor where the "hers" vanity will go. Still have to cut one small piece for the corner. Waiting until we come up with a scrap about that size. Don't want to cut into a full tile unless we absolutely have to. I think we can salvage a piece about that big from one of the tiles that broke.
if you can, put an GFCI outlet in the vanity, under the sink... especially if it is a 'hers' vanity... it is much easier to have the hair dryer stored in the vanity always plugged in... put a small hanger in the vanity to hang the hair dryer... you aren't constantly pulling the whole thing out, plugging it in somewhere then having to put it away... works perfectly for my house...
01-01-2013, 07:53 AM
#59
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
After a fairly long break we got back to it. I went on night shift and then back to California for a week, so no work had been done in a while. The tile is almost all done. Have about a dozen small triangles to cut from the 2x2 tile on the shower floor and one line of mosaic trim to cut and install. We're going to try to do the little pieces and grout this week. If we finish i can finally release the guy doing the tile. I need to pick up some AA batteries for my camera as the rechargables have finally bit the dust it seems. I'll try to get some more pics up tonight. The vanity cabinets came in while I was in California. Went to go look at them at the shop. They're very nice, only complaint I have is the distance the soft close hinges start damping. The door is still out a good foot from the cabinet face when it catches. They said they're adjustable but they couldn't figure out how to do it. My cabinets are the first ones they've gotten from that manufacturer. They're going to try to have it figured out by time I pick them up.
That's a neat idea Kam, I'll have to look into that. All the electrical in that room is behind GFCI protection. The outlets are on one of two GFCI outlet circuits and the lighting is behind a GFCI breaker. That's going to make it much easier when I install the light/exhaust fan in the ceiling above the shower.
That's a neat idea Kam, I'll have to look into that. All the electrical in that room is behind GFCI protection. The outlets are on one of two GFCI outlet circuits and the lighting is behind a GFCI breaker. That's going to make it much easier when I install the light/exhaust fan in the ceiling above the shower.
01-02-2013, 01:00 PM
#62
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 48. Saturday 12/22/12
Well, the world didn't end as I hoped so I had to continue work on the bathroom. We got the floor finished, including some rather interesting cuts around the closet. Oh, did I mention we decided to tile the master closet too? That was actually my decision. It was a square area and i was confident there was enough tile.
Completed floor. Yay!
And into the closet.
Thought I had a better picture of the weird cuts around the closet entrance, but this is the best I had.
Well, the world didn't end as I hoped so I had to continue work on the bathroom. We got the floor finished, including some rather interesting cuts around the closet. Oh, did I mention we decided to tile the master closet too? That was actually my decision. It was a square area and i was confident there was enough tile.
Completed floor. Yay!
And into the closet.
Thought I had a better picture of the weird cuts around the closet entrance, but this is the best I had.
01-02-2013, 01:48 PM
#63
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 49. Sunday 12/23/12
Had a few little 2" strips to be cemented to the floor. They were in the back of the linen closet, back of the vanity alcove, you know the hard parts to get to. We also got one of the edges of the shower done. For the finished edge on the corner facing into the bathroom we used a brushed nickel bullnose edge. I had never seen that before, but I guess its pretty common. Heck of a lot cheaper an easier than bullnose tile. Looks nicer too. Adds a nice flair. Got part of the tub surround done too. Had to modify the structure a bit around the shelves on either side of the tub.
Side wall with bullnose edge. Pictures don't do it justice, it really is sharp.
Partial tub surround. We couldn't go higher than the mosaic tile because the weight would push them down and out of alignment.
Had a few little 2" strips to be cemented to the floor. They were in the back of the linen closet, back of the vanity alcove, you know the hard parts to get to. We also got one of the edges of the shower done. For the finished edge on the corner facing into the bathroom we used a brushed nickel bullnose edge. I had never seen that before, but I guess its pretty common. Heck of a lot cheaper an easier than bullnose tile. Looks nicer too. Adds a nice flair. Got part of the tub surround done too. Had to modify the structure a bit around the shelves on either side of the tub.
Side wall with bullnose edge. Pictures don't do it justice, it really is sharp.
Partial tub surround. We couldn't go higher than the mosaic tile because the weight would push them down and out of alignment.
01-03-2013, 01:05 PM
#66
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 55. Saturday 12/29/12
Wound up working until 3am last night. Today was not fun. We got the tub surround finished and the shower floor prepped. I actually spent a good portion of the day running around gathering supplies. Found a marble threshold for the shower, but upon putting it in place decided that it doesn't go with anything and sticks out like a sore thumb. Now I'm stuck with a 6 ft piece of polished tan marble and nothing to do with it. Shame, it really is a gorgeous piece. We had an issue going up the wall on the other side of the shower entrance. The bullnose popped out from the tile edge too far when we mounted it to the way. Figured out it was due to the corner not being remotely square. Had to dremel off the mounting surface. Went through about a dozen cutting wheels and took nearly two hours to cut the entire 7 1/2 feet of bullnose. Used some industrial construction adhesive to glue it up. I think the wall will come down before that stuff does.
After we finished tiling for the day I went in there to install the new tub faucet. Originally we were going to do an access door but decided against it. There was no way to hide the door and make it look decent. If the faucet was on the other side it would be a different story, but with it there we just couldn't do it. Removing the old faucet was a royal pain in the ass! They had to have built it all before the framing was done. Finally got it done about 130.
One corner of the tub surround.
Didn't take a lot of pictures, was too far gone.
Wound up working until 3am last night. Today was not fun. We got the tub surround finished and the shower floor prepped. I actually spent a good portion of the day running around gathering supplies. Found a marble threshold for the shower, but upon putting it in place decided that it doesn't go with anything and sticks out like a sore thumb. Now I'm stuck with a 6 ft piece of polished tan marble and nothing to do with it. Shame, it really is a gorgeous piece. We had an issue going up the wall on the other side of the shower entrance. The bullnose popped out from the tile edge too far when we mounted it to the way. Figured out it was due to the corner not being remotely square. Had to dremel off the mounting surface. Went through about a dozen cutting wheels and took nearly two hours to cut the entire 7 1/2 feet of bullnose. Used some industrial construction adhesive to glue it up. I think the wall will come down before that stuff does.
After we finished tiling for the day I went in there to install the new tub faucet. Originally we were going to do an access door but decided against it. There was no way to hide the door and make it look decent. If the faucet was on the other side it would be a different story, but with it there we just couldn't do it. Removing the old faucet was a royal pain in the ass! They had to have built it all before the framing was done. Finally got it done about 130.
One corner of the tub surround.
Didn't take a lot of pictures, was too far gone.
01-03-2013, 01:23 PM
#67
Needs more Lemon Pledge
01-03-2013, 01:29 PM
#68
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 56. Sunday 12/30/12
Today started far too early. Had to go back to the tile place. We came up 3 tiles short in the 18". Needed them to do the front of the tub. Also got another sheet of mosaic tile to finish out the one vertical run and some grunt haze remover.
Good progress today. Got about 95% of the shower floor done. All that's left are a few little triangles on the angled walls and one the strip of mosaic tile. I had to get 3 different drain covers before finding one that worked with the shower drain. Oddly enough, it was the cheap one.
Underside of the tub deck. The braided stainless lines were included with the faucet and run from the vales to the spout. Just adjusting the height on all 3 pieces took half an hour. The one line looks pinched and crimped in the picture, but it isn't.
Completed front of the tub. Finally starting to visualize it.
Almost done!
Shower floor.
Today started far too early. Had to go back to the tile place. We came up 3 tiles short in the 18". Needed them to do the front of the tub. Also got another sheet of mosaic tile to finish out the one vertical run and some grunt haze remover.
Good progress today. Got about 95% of the shower floor done. All that's left are a few little triangles on the angled walls and one the strip of mosaic tile. I had to get 3 different drain covers before finding one that worked with the shower drain. Oddly enough, it was the cheap one.
Underside of the tub deck. The braided stainless lines were included with the faucet and run from the vales to the spout. Just adjusting the height on all 3 pieces took half an hour. The one line looks pinched and crimped in the picture, but it isn't.
Completed front of the tub. Finally starting to visualize it.
Almost done!
Shower floor.
01-03-2013, 01:37 PM
#69
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 59. Wednesday 1/2/13
Got the last few little pieces of tile cut for the shower floor. The tile mosaic going up the wall had to be trimmed lengthwise to fit between the bullnose and the wall tile. Serious pain in the ass. Got started on grouting tonight too. Just the tub surround though. After all was said and done we found and 4 tiny pieces of mosaic tile that we forgot to cut. I'm going to look through scraps and see if there's any that will fit. Didn't take any pictures as there really wasn't any visual progress. Hopefully we'll get all the grouting done tomorrow night. Pics will follow.
Got the last few little pieces of tile cut for the shower floor. The tile mosaic going up the wall had to be trimmed lengthwise to fit between the bullnose and the wall tile. Serious pain in the ass. Got started on grouting tonight too. Just the tub surround though. After all was said and done we found and 4 tiny pieces of mosaic tile that we forgot to cut. I'm going to look through scraps and see if there's any that will fit. Didn't take any pictures as there really wasn't any visual progress. Hopefully we'll get all the grouting done tomorrow night. Pics will follow.
01-04-2013, 09:18 AM
#71
Senior Moderator
Regional Coordinator
(Mid-Atlantic)
Regional Coordinator
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iTrader: (6)
Damn, looking good
01-04-2013, 09:20 AM
#72
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 60. Thursday 1/3/13
Hit a milestone I never thought was possible. Its been 2 months since we started the demo. Never thought it would take this long. The end is finally in sight though!
We got the entire shower and floor grouted. Went back and did some touch up on the tub surround too. And after some digging in the mosaic tile box found some little pieces for the unfinished end we missed yesterday. All in all it was a good working day. Feel like we got a lot done. Visually very little change. If anything, it looks worse than it did before. Tomorrow we'll go back and give it a good cleaning.
Finally found a good sill piece too. In my travels yesterday one of the guys I talked to told me about a place that does marble mosaic work. You know those massive medallions in the entry way of fancy buildings? They do that sort of work. That means they deal in a very rare commodity, 2 cm colored marble. The guy took me right to the perfect piece. They're going to cut it for me over the weekend. He took me through the workshop and showed me around. The big project they're doing now is 4 16 ft medallions for some big company in Illinois. Anyway, back on topic. Once the sill comes in trimming and mounting it should be pretty easy.
Hit a milestone I never thought was possible. Its been 2 months since we started the demo. Never thought it would take this long. The end is finally in sight though!
We got the entire shower and floor grouted. Went back and did some touch up on the tub surround too. And after some digging in the mosaic tile box found some little pieces for the unfinished end we missed yesterday. All in all it was a good working day. Feel like we got a lot done. Visually very little change. If anything, it looks worse than it did before. Tomorrow we'll go back and give it a good cleaning.
Finally found a good sill piece too. In my travels yesterday one of the guys I talked to told me about a place that does marble mosaic work. You know those massive medallions in the entry way of fancy buildings? They do that sort of work. That means they deal in a very rare commodity, 2 cm colored marble. The guy took me right to the perfect piece. They're going to cut it for me over the weekend. He took me through the workshop and showed me around. The big project they're doing now is 4 16 ft medallions for some big company in Illinois. Anyway, back on topic. Once the sill comes in trimming and mounting it should be pretty easy.
01-04-2013, 10:20 AM
#75
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Thanks! I really liked that too. Couldn't believe how good it came out! They're presenting a bit of a challenge to grout, but in the end I think it'll be worth it. I like the natural stone look mixed with the glass. The tile starts to look a little artificial after a while.
01-05-2013, 09:06 AM
#76
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Day 61. Friday 1/4/13
Gave all the tile a second wipe down to get rid of the residual grout haze. Seems to have gotten the rest of it. Guess I can return that jug of grout haze remover. I know some of it has to do with the fact that the tile and the grout are both gray. I'm sure there's haze you just can't see. We had to touch up and apply a bit more in a few spots. The tile mosaic in particular had a few huge gaps. We also caulked all the corners with sanded caulk. Its from the same manufacturer and product line as the grout so it comes in the same colors.
We installed the toilet after we were done. It went down easily enough. Got the reinforced wax ring just to be certain everything goes where it should. The old rigid supply line leaked at the supply valve though. I got a new braided stainless steel line. Much easier to install and doesn't leak
Reached another milestone tonight. There's something fully functional in there!
Gave all the tile a second wipe down to get rid of the residual grout haze. Seems to have gotten the rest of it. Guess I can return that jug of grout haze remover. I know some of it has to do with the fact that the tile and the grout are both gray. I'm sure there's haze you just can't see. We had to touch up and apply a bit more in a few spots. The tile mosaic in particular had a few huge gaps. We also caulked all the corners with sanded caulk. Its from the same manufacturer and product line as the grout so it comes in the same colors.
We installed the toilet after we were done. It went down easily enough. Got the reinforced wax ring just to be certain everything goes where it should. The old rigid supply line leaked at the supply valve though. I got a new braided stainless steel line. Much easier to install and doesn't leak
Reached another milestone tonight. There's something fully functional in there!
01-09-2013, 08:35 AM
#78
Oliver!!!
Thread Starter
Hey guys. Not a whole lot of progress over the last week or so. Getting a lot of the little stuff done. Drywall repair, caulking, grout touch up, etc. I'm getting to the point where I'm almost ready to paint which leaves me with a difficult decision. What color? I'm terrible with that sort of thing, so I'm going to ask everyone here for help in deciding on a color. The tile color is pretty varried, as you can see throughout the thread, the cabinets are espresso and all the fixtures are brushed nickel. So, what color should I paint the walls?
01-09-2013, 09:10 AM
#79
You've kept a pretty neutral tone so far, I'd suggest some sort of soothing seafoam green or a maybe even a little bit louder of a teal. Something to really make the dark wood/nickel and tiles pop. Don't want to be too monotone.
What's a color you see that really puts you at ease? Use a muted tone of THAT.
What's a color you see that really puts you at ease? Use a muted tone of THAT.
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