The past two weeks we have been missing from blogland and buried up to our knees in mortar, grout and porcelain tiles.
Bill has been mixing mortar to the consistency of peanut butter with his handy homemade whip...it's an old towel bar that has been working wonders as it twirls around off the end of his battery operated drill. I love having a frugal yet 'wise guy' at my side.
We are replacing the bathroom, closet and laundry room floors.
Have you ever gone 2 days without a toilet? LOL! It's nice having one of the kids less than a quarter mile away with working facilities when you only have one bathroom. Crazy huh? The lifted tiles below is where the ' throne ' will return.
After mixing mortar, it gets spread on the floor in about a 3 sq. ft. section at a time. Open areas go so much faster. Next the mortar is scored with a ridged trowel, allowing the tile that has been buttered with more mud (mortar) on the back side, to adhere from the suction that the scoring lines have created...I know, confusing.. but that's how it works.
In between each tile in all directions, are little + shaped spacers that help keep the tiles equally spaced. At this point, the mortar has to dry, taking up to 24 hrs. That's when we cleaned up the buckets, trowels and sponges and WENT TO BED from pure exhaustion. We're finding out that-
we're not so young we think we is!
We are nearing the end of our second week of this project.
There are so many cuts to make and tiles to break~
then grouting between each tile and wait another 4 hrs. before walking on it again. We've eliminated one step by spending a bit more for grout that already has sealant in it...
I can't imagine getting back on my aching knees for another round of the entire 3 sections.
We were kidding ourselves when we thought this would be an easy job and we'd be done by Easter...it's become unreal for us oldie but definitely DIY'ers. As you look at the top of the next photo, you can see we aren't done yet. We have run out of mortar so the laundry has to wait until next Thurs. when we get back to Menards for a few more supplies, then out with the old and in with the new.
Besides, Papa needs new shoes!!!
This certainly has been an eye-opening experience.
It's one of those projects that, ' now that we know how to do it~
we will NEVER do it again!
Thanks for working along with us.
We enjoy your company!
11 comments:
It certainly is a pretty floor. Mel and I did all our own work on an old house we bought and it seemed each project was more work then we had planned and took longer. Be sure to buy Pop new shoes. He deserves them and you too.
Your new flooring is very pretty. In the end it is all worth the hard work you two put into it. So sweet your working together.
WOW I am proud of you guys. What a job to tackle. it looks good, that is for sure, and not only that, I can even understand what youare saying. LOL...
I had a friend who said, "Husband and wife must love each other to hang wall paper." I think one could add to that, removing and or placing Tile and grouting!!!.
Love the entry and you guys are good at this stuff. Want to hire out???
Don't throw stuff....
Love from North Carolina...
It looks nice. As a DIYr too, I know that feeling.
Oh it was well worth the work it looks amazing. Hug B
Your new floor really looks great! Bills slippers look very much like some around here.
'love & hugs from afar'
You all did a great job laying that tile. I love the colors and pattern you chose.
Well done! :)
I love, Love, LOVE your new flooring, it turned out great! You and Uncle Bill have done an amazing job. Now I want to do something like this for my kitchen or bathroom, which I know will not be happening any time soon. When we do decide to do it, we might have to hire you to come help lol.
Love you and miss you!
Your new tile is beautiful!! I know what you and your aching knees speak of! We are actually in the process of putting down tile in the bathroom now - one section done, but am having a heck of a time leveling out one part of floor that's in the remaining part of the original 100+ year old house. Hopefully this weekend we'll get that figured out. I'm ready to have my bathroom back too :)
I know it will look beautiful when it is done because it is pretty now. I have seen the ridges in the mortar on Do it yourself tv and the little + markers. I knew exactly what you meant! Believe it or not. I would have kept a little 'pot' around. lol
Tomorrow we have the fellow from the home improvement place replace our boards and vinyl in our main bathroom..we have another potty to use, we had to have it hacked off its screws last week..that was something else, we have a new toilet seat in there and it looks and smells great...Then the next day or is it the evening of tomorrow the toilet will be replaced I think it will be the next day something about the vinyl setting up..anywhoooo the meterologists on the tv station we watch says 80 degrees will hit here on april 30th the last day of april, yippee skippee...I got 4 tops from penneys for this exactly like I did last year but the sun did not reach 80 until june, so I had them waiting..We have been in our home 36 years soon, we just replaced the fridge, it still worked but needed a better one, a dishwasher about 4 years ago, still use the same oven and stove, new sink in last October and faucet, the floor in 1991 and getting some flooring soon, it is always something with a 1978 small ranch house..it truly is, happy spring, happy week!
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