Slate of Events on Renovations Part 1

This week saw much transformation on two of my active projects.  On FD, there is a coat of paint on most everything except the wainscoting downstairs--though that has Cover Stain on it.  The electrician (grousing, fuss bucket who is also my husband!) was over there yesterday changing all of the electrical receptacles and light switches.  He said with disgust, "I have never seen so much nasty 'sh*t' behind the switches and the receptacles; what were those people doing in that house?"  Nasty is the operative word, but all of the nastiness has been banished this weekend.  He found several 'back stabbed' electrical outlets--a short cut wiring technique that is dangerous. A couple of the devices had insulation that had melted.  All that has been fixed.

The ReSource store came buy to pick up some extra stuff--Hardie Backer board that my tile man did not want to use (he prefers Durock).  I also had a sink top that had a small crack in the backsplash.  They almost didn't take it for the small crack.  This is a brand new top with a repairable crack v. some of the crap that I have seen in their store.  I wasn't planning to spend any time repairing it as it was freight damage.  But at almost $300, someone could get a $20 repair kit and have a beautiful integrated sink top. (I'm actually going to go by there and see that/if it sells.)

My sister is in town, so we took a trip to my SR job.  I had not seen the final product of the backsplash and slate grouted.  I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that my grout choice for both the backsplash and the slate  (which I had to make unassisted) would fall short of my expectations.

Tale of the slate:  My slate choice, a clefted slate, was not the best choice.  Oh, it is quite beautiful, but there was some irregularity in the tile that required more management. On Tuesday, I was talking to two installers, both with great experience.  "It's gonna be rough," they both agreed.  I'm left with trying to decipher exactly what "it's gonna be rough" means.  I'm learning a few things in dealing directly with tradesmen, and I've written about them here.

  • Thing 1:  They each have their own preferences (paint, mortar, Durock v. Hardie backer)
  • Thing 2:  They each have a different idea of the best application (no, don't put Coverstain over virgin drywall; yes, it is okay to put Coverstain over virgin drywall).
  • Thing 3: They really don't know how much or how little you know, and for the most part will err on the side of your being a total dumb ass.

For the most part, I have a pretty clear idea of knowing what I don't know--and that does elevate one's status. (Though I suffer from the malady at times of not knowing what I don't know--a blissful place until it bites you in the ass).  So as I'm standing in the kitchen with my stomach in a knot wondering if my 4,000 pounds of clefted slate was a major mistake, I'm trying to ask the right qualifying questions in order to ascertain my current risk status on this decision.  It is going to cost me far more to put this material down than it will to order new material, so this is important.

"What does, 'It is gonna be rough mean?' Is anyone going to catch their toe?" 

"No," they replied.

"Is it going to look weird or be unlevel?--because I'm asking you to spend more time (for which I will pay you) to make up for the irregularity in the product?  If I've made a mistake,  I'm trusting you to tell me that."  I say all this with great seriousness to give them license to say that I've made a mistake because I'm willing to admit that.

"No, it is going to be beautiful when it is down We hate to see you not use your product, and we can make it work."  (Redemption!.). . . ." --but it's gonna be rough." (Geez, they we are again.)

My stomach is in a knot, and  my head is starting to hurt imagining my other alternatives (like moving 4000 lbs of slate from the jobsite), having to reconsider my central design element (the slate which ties into the cabinets which ties into the backsplash).

Mike 2 (I have two tile Mike's) says, "Let's lay the kitchen floor first; you come by after lunch and take a look at it. If you don't like it, we will not run it into the den."

Now, that is very thoughtful and efficacious reasoning.

Thursday afternoon comes by, and I do by the jobsite.  Oh, I loved what I saw.  Mike 2 said, "I knew once you saw it down, you were going to tell us to run it into the den."

My task then was to get grout for the backsplash and grout for the slate.  Here's the final course of slate being laid  in the den. Note the brick on the fireplace....the slate looks terrific with it and provides a warm, rustic look.  The trim and the wainscoting still need to be painted--but I likely have to rip them out first as the surfaces of "freshly painted --totally screwed up non--prepped surfaces" are totally useless--and I'm unprepared to saddle a new owner with this problem.  I want my projects to be quality renovations...not covering sh*t with snow (as my Armenian grandmother would call this paint job on the trim.)

The wall color is Benjamin Moore's Winter Wheat... a lovely, soft neutral.  The trim will be painted Crisp Khaki.



Ungrouted Slate
 And here is the kitchen floor being grouted.  I chose a Mapei Sahara Beige for the floor and "Pewter" for the backsplash.
Ungrouted Slate and Glass/slate mosaic tile

The slate and the backsplash has really made the cherry cabinets "pop"--in a way that reminds me that I need to spend some quality time cleaning them.

Now here is another "preference" that I had to contend with.  Mike 1 said that the slate had to be sealed before it was grouted and then sealed again.  Mike 2 said that it did not.  When I had the slate in my home installed, they did not seal it first.  I sealed it after it was grouted.  Now, I'm caught in that miasmic cloud of semi-ignorance where I at least know that it can be successfully done without sealing, but that there is a body of evidence out there that reasonably suggests otherwise.  The differentiating factor?  It is all in how you grout.  And you'd best have a bucket and sponge person wiping up the grout.  (Which is what Mike 2 did).

I visited yesterday with my sister who is in from Bedford,  and the grout color on the backsplash and floor are just perfect. "I'm really terrified of making a mistake," I remarked to my sister as I was cleaning a bit of the backsplash.  "I'm the same way," she said knowingly.

It really is not a good way to be!  Optimization and pefectionism are not the same thing...and the latter can be paralyzing, while the former is the ideal.


I feel like I had optimized choices.  I'm sure that my slate choice will not mesh with some potential buyers, but it was the material of choice to achieve the type of rustic harmony that I was looking for. It will provide a slip-resistant and easy-to-clean surface, it will be softer underfoot than tile, and it will be a lifetime floor.  I took my shoes off and walked on the floor in my bare feet (I'm always barefoot in my home).  The tiles passed that test!

Now, I'm going to go and clean them a bit more....









Vanity

Well...not the one of the 7 deadly sins....but rather of the bathroom kind........

With the SR master bath stripped down to its bare essence of studs, pipe and plywood and rag-tag insulation, I've spent many, many hours looking at all manner of bathroom vanities.  It is a traditional home, and I had planned to go with a traditional vanity.  Unfortunately, the space is very narrow, and I have no plans on amplifying it.

My goal on all of my projects is to upgrade and beautify the existing space.  The homes so far are well-laid out, and their space is usable. However, the existing components are battle/life-worn, requiring repair or replacement.  That takes lots of dollars.  My guess is that if someone is looking for all of the amenities--to include more modern floor plans, they will be buying a newer home.  Therefore, my plan is simply to repair and beautify the existing space while staying true to the home's 'bones'.

Because the master bath is so small, going with a traditional vanity would just take up too much space.  Narrow vanities, did not quite fit the bill, and all of them still would go down to the floor.  As with my quest on finding the perfect kitchen backsplash, I embarked on another quest to find the perfect bathroom vanity.  My wonderful designer friend, Nan, keeps me tethered and gives me honest feedback when I say, "What do you think about this?"

After visiting many, many sites on line and looking at what I'm sure was more than a thousand vanities, this vanity made me stop.  It is Virtu USA's Carmine 48" Wall mounted vanity set.  It is made of solid oak (more on that), has a marble top and comes with a faucet and the mirror.

I fell in love with the soft color and the clean lines. Now, the quest is shifting to finding the right tile to make this bathroom special. Having an anchor point, the vanity, will help narrow choices.  For the tiny 32x35" shower, I want to use a natural rock (pebble) for the base.  Beyond that, I have no ideas.  The internet has many ways to find inspiration, which is both good and bad.  Good, in that there is lots to choose from, and bad in that there is lots to choose from.

I find that my ideas about this 'stuff' evolve, and my gut (and Nan) always tell me when I have found just the right thing.  To this vanity and my question, she replied, "That works and really looks good."  To another finding that I lobbed her way, she said (with polite disgust), "It represents the combination of two incompatible elements and neither of them good." (or something to that effect).  I measured my bathroom space, called my plumber to make sure that I was not committing an egregious plumbing sin and ordered the Virtu vanity.

I'm liking the tumble stone to the right as a consideration for flooring.  I want to create a nice harmony.  Too often, I see a mix of colors and shapes that appear jarring to my eye.....too many different styles of tile/stone/glass leave my eyes all googlie.  I'm looking for harmony...I hope to find it. 

Now I'm off to check on three projects.




A Cornucopia of Tradesmen

I have been waiting for rainy day painters for most of April.  With the rain this week, I ended up with an abundance of painters at both my FD and SR jobs.  I also had my contractor out demolishing the master bath.



Courtesy of a sledge hammer, the shovel that you see, 5 gallon buckets and many trips down the stairs to the dumpster, the bathroom was taken down to the studs with nary a tell-tale spec of ceramic to give a hint of what was previously there.


The insulation on the left (top photo)  was completely gone courtesy of mice over many, many years.  And that copper piping would make a copper thief salivate!  When my contractors were done, they were very tired--and the entire master bath was neat as a pin.  I've not settled on how I'm going to re-tile it...but 

I am now at a point on my FD job, that rooms are getting finished.  It is a good feeling to see pieces of the job coming to completion.  As with all things, the devil is in the details....and the small things can trip you up.

Floor: Done and Done!

At the FD project, the basement floor is installed....and every fiber of my body feels the 1200 sqf of flooring that was put down.  The Pergo Elegant Expression (in Buchanon Maple) was the perfect choice.  The floor certainly lives up to its name.  Unlike many laminate floors that I see, this one does not have the obvious 'pattern' that your eye picks up.  Perhaps it will in the photos, or when I get everything off of it!

Unlike many basements, this basement consists of a great room, a bathroom, and three other separate rooms.  It really feels integral to the house, particularly given that the stairway downstairs is visible and very open.So there were many jambs to cut.  We used the Porter Cable multi-tool which we bought for just that reason.  It has many other uses, to be sure.  However, THIS USE, cutting jambs, is not the best use (in my non-professional view).  For my next project, I'm just going to get a true jamb saw.  It will be more adequately powered and likely will smoke less blades.

The transformation of the basement space is almost complete.  I still need to get Cover Stain on the basement hallway and the remainder rooms and bathrooms, and then final painting.  The house is going to be completely brand new inside.

I learned a trick from a painter of 30 years, and I will be sure to remember it--and wanted to share it.  He counseled

When you run into walls and ceilings that are painted in a semi-gloss (as many older homes are), consider putting a primer (flat) over the walls first.  A primer will
  • hide many of the imperfections (thereby reducing work)
  • give traction to repairs if still needed (provide a surface for spackling, drywall tape etc to adhere to).

Now if you ask any dentist, doctor, attorney, tradesperson, about any 'particular' thing, you'll get more than one answer.  There's a reason for the aphorism, "there is more than one way to skin a cat".  The 'right' way is often that individual's (no matter what his/her experience and education) preferred way.

The other bit of wisdom the painter gave me was that the best teacher (in determining your preferred way) is trial and error.  Now trial and error for the sake of trial an error is about as productive as packing your parachute without any training/research/practice.  The end result is likely about as satisfying.  But finding our 'preferred' ways of doing 'stuff' is how we amass competency--provided we don't kill ourselves acquiring it!





Bullseye!

No, I wasn't playing darts or shooting targets.  Rather, I was simply looking down at the site in which I had pulled a tick.  I new that the bullseye rash was serious and required a visit to the doctor.  I went yesterday, the day of discovering the tell-tale rash which appeared one day after pulling the tick.

Ticks and sticks!  That is where I live.

Daisey, part of our trio of dogs, presented on Friday with an open wound in her side.  It was quite breathtaking to view--a large torn flap of skin exposing the tissue below.  Thank goodness my regular vet was open.  I took here there within an hour of closing.  They were going to stitch her (requiring sedation) and keep her overnight.  Within one month, each of my dogs has required medical attention--and none of it inexpensive!  However, by avoiding the emergency vet, I saved quite a bit of money.  I'm grateful that my vet is open 7 days a week.  With Ella, I found her laceration of a couple of weeks ago, beyond their office hours.  She is now all healed up.

With Ella's injury and now Daisey's, it was important to determine just what was causing such injury.  With Daisey's, I'm attributing it to a plastic insulator that has been chewed up to the point where it is sharp and ragged.  It is exactly the height of her wound, and it is right in the area that Daisey chases the mail lady.  I'm betting that Macy was her companion (as the group does this daily chase in unison) and bumped her into the connector.

Ella's injury was in a different direction--it was more of a straight slice up and down, and still cannot account for the cause which is a worry.

Daisey looks like a Frankenstein dog with her very long stitch.  She's on strict immobility--so the retractable leash is as far as she can get from me, and I'm keeping her crated while inside to prevent jumping on furniture.  The stitch is in the middle of her torso, so not subject to so much pulling as Ella's incision.

At the FD job I worked with a couple of guys to get the laminate floor down in the basement. When I wasn't fetching materials for other pieces of the project, I was working side by side with them laying floor.  Once again, I'm reminded (because my body is screaming this message to me) that our body's are made to work.  Who needs the "Brazilian Butt" videos?  Simply lay some floor--I guarantee your butt will lift!

 I finished two of the partially unfinished rooms from Saturday.  Today should bring the final completion of the back room. Getting the floors done in the basement is a huge accomplishment.  I used a Pergo Elegant Expression Buchanan Maple (discontinued) that I purchased on closeout from Wood Floor Plus.  Since Mark and I did not do all of this install, the money I saved will go toward the installation price.  I'm good with that.  Sears is bringing the appliances today....

Choices!


At my SR project, the granite countertops are installed in the kitchen as well as  the new sink and  faucet.  The countertops look very elegant with the cherry cabinets.  My dilemma (since resolved) was finding a backsplash that will look good with the granite top (sleek) and not clash with the beautiful cherry cabinets (classic). Mixing these sleek/classic elements has not been easy.  Tiles that I love against the granite do not accentuate the cherry cabinets.  The cabinets are well-crafted, and they deserve to be highlighted to showcase their construction and quality.

 I've been looking online and getting samples of this and that.  I was at Lowe's yesterday, to fetch tile mud and corner bead.  I was browsing through the glass tile mosaics, and  I found a graphite glass and slate strip mosaic. I bought one sheet of it to take it to the house. However, after looking at it against my own cabinets, I knew it would be perfect. I have black-flecked Corian and alderwood cabinets--I was very pleased with how this looked.  I ordered it on-line and will pick it up this a.m.  It appears to my eye to be a perfect mix of color and texture which I believe will 'marry' the floor, the countertop and the cabinets:



  • the graphite and white glass picks up the black/silver from the granite
  • the gray slate in the mosaic picks up the gray from the floor
  • and the rust colored slate pulls in the pretty reddish brown from the cherry cabinets.

Another big plus....I plan to keep the hammered copper, colonial hardware. 

I've been avoiding the 'big box stores' for my sourcing, but frankly, this was right there to see, get a sample and then pick up.  I guess I was just being a sourcing snob.  I'm glad to put this decision behind me, and find that I agonize over just the right products (paint, lighting, flooring, countertops, plumbing fixtures).  My designer friend helps keep me tethered in my decision making--however she's in Japan, so I'm floating around impatien

With some kitchen lighting (both under cabinet and overhead), I can brighten up the space considerably.  My husband is telling me that the under cabinet lighting is a "job" (and I know that from our own installation). However, it is a nice amenity, and provides welcome task lighting.  I bought this light to the left to go in the kitchen.  It will add a nice touch plus it will illuminate the space, which is now quite dark.


For the front door, I bought a pair of lights that were quite large. They look terrific from the street, and adding visual interest to the plain front of this door is important.  But the boxes need to be shorn up--a brick chisel to get the old box out and a couple of hours of labor each (ugh, for my husband), will mount them nicely.

The master bath is a mess. The previous owners, as part of the rehab before sale,  cobbled together two vanities in an effort to cover a hole in the floor.  I will have to get this fixed--and I believe that I have to demo the entire bathroom and start over. 

More choices. . . .

Church of the Traveling Setters

Someone e-mailed me today at 9:00 a.m. and wanted me to look at something on TV.  Then they said, "or maybe you are at church."

Well, I was at church today, the Church of the Traveling Setters.  Last evening I hosted two perfect English Setter ladies, Annabelle and Sadie.  I drove from my home down to Rocky Mount yesterday, stopping in Roanoke Rapids to pick up Annabelle who was traveling from Hertford, NC.  She was going to Baltimore, MD and Sadie, whose day started in Auburn, GA was going to New Jersey.  Sadie is to the left.  I'd give you a pick of Annabelle, but she didn't stay still long enough.

Annabelle had the benefit of staying in a temporary foster situation.  She was clean, healthy, and rambunctious.  Sadie was dirty, with fleas and severely underweight.  With her being in foster, she will quickly come back to health--she will be a Cinderella dog!

After I had picked up Annabelle, and I was waiting in Dortches, NC for Sadie.. .


 a man approached (he was driving a wrecker).  He was concerned that I was broken down.  I said no, and told him what I was up to.

He went inside, and then came out to chat a bit more.  He told me that he had rescued two horses from a neighbor.  He had spied them, and they were starved.  He took his neighbor to court, and he was awarded custody.  The horses after many $ in meds were finally putting on weight.  It was wonderful talking to the man about a shared objective of lending a hand where needed.

Isn't that the spirit of volunteerism--lending a hand where needed?  With the Mega-Millions hoopla, I saw interviews of what people were going to do with their winnings--many to include charitable acts. I would merely point out that the thought of doing a charitable act with LOTS of money pales in comparison to the real act of doing a charitable act.  So why wait until you win the lottery?  Small dollars or commitments of time add up to a big impact in the life of someone or something in need.

We arrived home at about 10:45 p.m.  I was tired.  The girls slept quietly in the back.  Once we got home, they were fed and watered and put in their respective crates.  I draped sheets over them to give them some sense of space and comfort.  They quickly started 'crying'.  I went in and took them out of their crates, and cuddled with them both on the sofa for just a bit.  I was bushed, and needed to head for bed.  That seemed to be enough for them, as I didn't hear a peep out of them.

In the morning, I was greeted to synchronized tail thumping.  We took a long walk to get business done.  Annabelle was too distracted by all of the 'stuff'--sights, sounds, smells. Sadie did her business--one and two.  Annabelle waited until she came inside.  Oh well....

We were quickly off to meet the first leg of today's run that delivered these sweet girls to their final destination.

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My FD project now has the tile-setter on site.  These last two days have seen the blossoming of inchworms. Hundreds of these little guys (they started out little and all green, now they have brown on them) are everywhere.  It is a Hitchcokian drama.  They are hanging from the trees, attached to the house, their poop grains are all over the deck, and worse, they are in my hair, stuck to my clothes and inside my clothes.  I laughed at my tile setter--I said, "I'm going to come back and find you and your son wrapped up in cocoons!" 

Setters and inch worms... a combination that I would have never dreamed of.