the wrath of tile
Here is the recap of the last week. It is a bit painful and exhausting to remember. Every day brought another trip to Home Depot and another late night. I was on deadline for 4 projects, was living in a construction zone and now, hemorrhaging money. Oh, and did I mention, Christmas is Coming! Christmas is coming!
Tuesday, I grouted the floor. Because (and this makes no sense to me!) the floor mosaic grout lines were more then 1/8″ we were supposed to use sanded grout. Which we were told repeatedly NOT to use on marble. Why would they make a 15 x 15 meshed pre measured sheet with 1/4″ grout lines in a material that can’t use sanded grout. This was argument 1. POINT: We HAVE to use sanded grout on the floor! COUNTERPOINT: If you use sanded grout on my floor and you scratch it I’m going to be really really really pissed! This went on for most of the phone calls of the day. Until we called most excellent tile zen master Dan – who saved us with Prism grout, make with glass beads instead of sand. Fine, I grouted. It did scratch some, but you really have to look. But I’m not happy with how it looks. And because we did the floor first no matter how hard we tried, it keep getting dirty. The tapper, and us in there for the next 4 days putting up wall and ceiling tile was just a disaster. I told one friend between work and the bath and Christmas, I’d cry if I thought it would help.
By Wednesday, I was really low and decided as a “present” to Ben I would get our plumber Steve Pokorny to come in and finish the rough in on the shower. We had the pipes going up to the wall but the faucet and head plumbing had to be done. He said “$200,” I said “your hired” and he came that day. The night before we had set where we wanted the faucet to go. After another discussion and googling of how high the faucet and shower head should be we set a 2×4 between the joists marking the spot. When Ben came home there was a bow on the finished plumbing, and promptly noted that the faucet was a “little” high…I totally missed on the fact that we had moved the mixer 2×4 up about 5 inches before we quit for the night. So when Steve said “is this where you want the faucet?” I in a blurry and exhausted state said yes! It’s okay though, it’s still within “accepted” height, and now you don’t have to bend over to turn off the shower. The evening finished with us going down to the basement to find water coming in through the pipes that we had sweated the night before…
I have to interject a personal note. I had quit smoking for 25 years. And a few years ago started again. It was ironically just like riding a bike, except really bad for you. Anyway a couple of years ago in a moment of weakness and great stress, I bummed a stick from a friend and bam! I was smoking again. That familiar comfort of smoking. Delightful…I digress. Last April 1, (fool’s day?) I quit. Again. I’ve been running and working out and it wasn’t too hard, until this week. I wanted to smoke so bad I had to put my head down and take a time out. (I didn’t smoke, I did have a drink, but I didn’t smoke) She is a wicked and lovely vice and if ever I’m diagnosed with 6 weeks to live, I will return to her again.
This lead to Thursday, with me working and Ben playing the role of the Dad in a Christmas story working on the boiler. A string of obscenities, hammering and an occasional puff of smoke from soldering making it’s way to my office. I have in the past week grown to dread hearing the sound of my name. Kel? Kel? Could you, do you, can you…Thankfully neighbor Tan came over and stayed to help! The two of them figured it out and saved the day. Late late night.
Friday – Ray, Ben’s brother and amateur tile wizard came to help. This incurred what became the “ceiling discussion of 2011.” Ray did not think the mud was going to hold the heavy mosaic tile to the ceiling and had read, on the internet of course, that we should take the piece of hardy board down, mud and set the tiles and then rehang (what would have to be an incredibly heavy ceiling back up. I said no. No. No. No. But they continued to discuss this option. Escape was my only answer. I went up to take and bath, a final don’t do it, on my way upstairs. As I sat soaking, I could hear the drill whirling. Taking out screws to drop the ceiling. Words can not express what I was thinking, feeling, planning. I was so relieved to come down 30 minutes later to find that the attempt to drop the ceiling had been unsuccessful (prayers answered) and the tiling had began. It looks awesome! And the super mud held just fine.
Saturday – the taper (worth every penny) came and went and we have smooth, beautiful walls. Ray returned and another day of tiling continued. The marble is amazing. It’s like looking a pieces of art. Every one different and perfect and imperfect in it’s own way. By the time he left I was so tired I could barely stay awake. We both slept like the dead and got up to find that every piece of tile was still exactly where we put it.
Sunday – Five hours into day 15, Ben and I finished the tile. I couldn’t be happier. Except now I have to grout again. BUT our grout lines are 1/8″ so unsanded it is. Ash, Boom and Lenia showed up to help clean. And clean we did. Mess is a stress all of its own. They swept and bagged and dusted and washed. Sitting down on the sofa for Dexter was a unbelievable relief. Clay had come the week before to help, so we let him off the hook. Bless their pointy little heads.
I’ve only a few pictures today. Saving the “wow” for the BIG REVEAL! And I had better hear some ohhs and ahhs people! We are hoping to “shower” by the weekend. The glass doors may take a while to get up but hopefully everything else will be done. We are getting an estimate on Thursday for the doors, we shall see. Otherwise another trip to Home Depot. Where, next trip, I hope to get my Christmas tree, as the ground is rushing up at an incredible speed.
