Ok, I'll Say It: "I'm Good."

My tiles have been sitting on the counter for more than a week now. Troy's been patient about it because, as he put it, even without that counter we still have way more than we did a month (two?) ago.

I could say that it has been sitting there because I had company and wanted to show it to them and obviously I couldn't work on it while they were here. But really, I was gathering the fortitude to begin this new thing.

I thought it would happen last Friday when I was off work for the day but I spent it on other more comfortable projects (like knitting and more knitting). Saturday I was gone all day and Sunday didn't make it happen either. (Probably watching too much football. Oh ya, and catching up on paperwork and banking.)

Yesterday I almost got started, but somehow didn't follow through on the thought. But tonight! Tonight I ate dinner promptly and started prepping the space by 6:30. I originally thought I'd just give myself two hours and see where I got. Then I thought, if I work til 10:30, that's four hours (as much as I'd probably put in on a Saturday) and I'd still have time to get to bed on time. So I started.

It took me half an hour to get things set up. Clean the tiles off the counter, organizing them as I did so. All the coloured ones were numbered/coded so I would know where they went. I put all the worst cut cove tiles together so I could use them in the back corner. Cover the counter with a drop cloth and an old shower curtain, and then gather supplies and read some directions. I was glad to discover that the thinset was premixed (I was thinking it was the grout) so I could just open the bucket and go.

Oh, but first I had a miter cut to make on the very first tile to lay. I think it will be the only one in the kitchen:

I think I did a pretty sweet job. And this was only tiles #3 and 4 with miter cuts. ;)

After that it was throw up some thinset, throw up some tiles all night. By 8:30 when I had put in my original two hours, I had a pretty good inkling that I was going to have this licked in one good night.

And I did:

Once again, I have to ask: pretty sweet, right?!

Worst spot of the night was this cut around the box:

Not so sweet, but I am living with it. I misunderstood Troy's direction about the electrical boxes so the holes are all a little big.

With a white cover, they will blend in nicely:

I have to say I enjoyed tiling more than I thought I would. I thought I would be under more of a time crunch with the thinset drying out, but it stayed pliable for a long time. I was able to cut around the boxes without any pressure. I expect the grout and cleanup to be a big chore, but it is the final step so that will be motivation enough.

Any opinions from tilers out there as to whether I should grout this before moving on to putting tile on the east wall, or put all the tile up and grout it all at the same time?

Another thing that got done this week was the counter edging:

Troy's been working on sanding and staining some hickory after putting on the beveled edge. He custom tinted the stain because he couldn't find a pre-mixed one red enough for him. I think the red highlights the "Colorado Granite" counter top beautifully.

One more shot of the north wall just to bask in it a little longer:

I probably won't tackle any more tile work tomorrow, but we may be (finally) moving the fridge in. Can I get a wOOt wOOt?

Servitude Sunday: Trip to Hell and Back

One of the first screws to hold in
my cabinets (Monday Dec 5).

I can't believe it's only been a week since I've given you an update on the general kitchen progress. So much has happened!

For one thing, after we had the three cabinets in place last Sunday, I told Troy that we were moving a cabinet in each day just to keep them moving in. The first two I did myself...the 12" tray divider cabinet and the 6" roll out spice rack. They're on the far left in this pic:

The spice rack took quite a bit of Troy's time on Tuesday and Wednesday but he got it done. It's designed to hang off the adjoining cabinets, but we put it on an "end" (next to the stove). Troy had to modify an end piece we bought for the situation. It worked but did need some customizing. It looks great.

After that was done, Troy started working on the cabinets on the other side of the stove. One part of that was the dishwasher. Wednesday evening I walked in through our back door and saw this:

That's where the dishwasher used to be! Surprise...it was moving day.

It took a few days of getting things arranged and the rest of the cabinets installed on this section.

But once that was in, it was time to make a counter top! Troy cut plywood to shape and then we put the Formica on. Here it is last night before Troy cut the sink hole in the Formica:

It was so beautiful! That's where we went to bed Saturday night. All the base cabinets in, dishwasher installed (electrical hooked up but no plumbing yet) and one counter installed.

This morning Troy cut the edges of the Formica even with the counter edge with a router and cut out the sink hole. He had a few other tasks to do (not related to the kitchen) and commented on the way to church that if the whole day went like the morning, then he should have the whole house done today. ;)

We got home earlier than usual (1:30) and Troy got right to it. Today it was plumbing the sink and dishwasher. He sent me to Menards for some supplies. We wrote a list, but some of it was more like a goal than an object. ("Something to go from a 3/4" pex to a male garden house--you won't be able to do it in one piece." or "3/4" pex to 1/2" female end with at least 20" of hose between--you'll need an adapter in there somewhere too.") But off I gamely went.

I did a little looking on my own, but when the helpful employee asked if I was finding everything, I went ahead and asked for his help. I thought I'd start with the easiest thing on the list--something I knew existed but just wasn't sure where to get--a 3/4" to 1/2" pex adapter. I said the part's name and I described what it did, and although he took me to the right aisle, he confidently told me that it didn't exist. You couldn't do that. I would need to put another piece of pex in between. I knew this was wrong and excused him as soon as I could. (I mean if you need pex in between the 3/4 and 1/2 pex, how do you attach that piece of pex? With the very part I was looking for.) Anyway, once on the right aisle, I found that part.

The rest were much harder as I had to consider which 2 or 3 steps I needed to take to go from Starting Point to Destination. It didn't help that the signs weren't consistent and many parts were misfiled. And once when I finally found the part I needed and verified it fit into the other part I had, I went to get the second one I needed and I couldn't find the bin again!! Oh I'm sure you've been there so I'll stop; suffice it to say, an hour and a half later I was able to leave that little version of hell.

I came home with my haul:

It doesn't look like much for being at the store for an hour and a half!! And it turns out I got the wrong hose. (That discovery wasn't soul-crushing as I was pretty much counting on something being wrong.) But I know they make the one we need and it was in stock.

Btw, I allowed the employee to redeem himself when I couldn't find the plumber's putty and he not only knew what I wanted existed, he could take me right to the shelf where it was.

Anyway, that was pretty much the end of my servitude this Sunday. Troy was very sympathetic when I got back and agreed that shopping in the plumbing supply place can indeed be hell. Then he made me some popcorn which helped a lot.

By the end of the night, the plumbing looked like this:

Of course the supply lines are not connected because we don't have the right hoses.

And above the counter? We have this:

The sink is completely installed--no cheating with a dry fit and taking a picture! I think it is so beautiful. I maybe a little obsessed with the

sink. Maybe a lot. I love it. I will love it even more when water comes out of the tap and then drains away. Can you imagine doing dishes in a sink like that? It will be heaven. (With the dishwasher out most of the week, I am not overjoyed by doing dishes in the tiny bathroom sink.)

I really should have taken some pictures earlier in the week when the stove was in place (sort of a "dry fit") and everything was cleaned up. It was lovely. Now it's a big ole mess again and it's hard get a good picture of the whole room.

But here's a try:

But things should just be getting better from here...

Troy has the second piece of counter cut (of three). They should go a lot faster since there's no sink to deal with.

I also dragged in all the upper cabinets, so they are filling a good chunk of the kitchen.

The upside...I am parking in the shop again. Hurray for heated parking!!