Powder Room Reno: Day 6

Back from the brief hiatus, folks. I had a few days of other projects to which to attend but I have returned for a few items on the reno to-do list. First, was removing the haze from the tile after grouting on Thursday. If you can ignore the dirty baseboards, you can see the result of the work. I went with a gray on the floor grout for the black and white marble tile. I'm pretty pleased with it - I would have liked white grout but I know that's ridiculous to keep clean on a floor:
And basic white on the wall grout with the glass tile:
Cleaning off and buffing each and every single individual tile is no mere task. It took quite a while - but it's done. So, I next started on patching up the holes around what will be the new light and cleaning up the holes in the plaster made by removing the old chair rail:
You'll see, however, that the despicable grab bar is still there. I had a time removing the ones upstairs, too - it seems the only way to get rid of them is to either destroy the wall (which I did upstairs) or to cut out the screws with a hacksaw. Neither option is terribly fun nor clean. Ugh. I think I may attempt some more work on it later as I wait for the JC to dry around the light and the outlet/switch. Next will be to install the toilet but I'm a little nervous to attempt it myself given the fact that it's a one-piece and quite heavy. Nevertheless, there isn't much room to maneuver for more than one person. We'll see what I can manage. Back to work tomorrow (the kind for which I get paid) so things will slow down a bit here. Wish me luck finishing up this puppy!

Powder Room Reno: Day 5

It's mostly done. I tiled the floor today, using the mosaic sheets - but this time it's marble. It went down pretty easily and I mixed exactly the right amount of mortar, luckily. However, cutting this stuff is less than easy. It's just too difficult to navigate the wet saw with these little buggers and they're too thick for tile nippers. I'm a bit frustrated. I only need about 6 or 7 cuts to finish this thing up but I've had it for the day.

Besides the floor, I also finished up the wall. I went and bought some glass tile nippers/cutters and they work like a charm. I was able to do the many different sized cuts for the wall pretty darn easily.
So, I'll see what I can find at HD or Lowe's for the marble cuts. I also bought a new fan and separate sconce today at Lowe's as I was returning my (count it) second exhaust fan. Perhaps the third time is the charm -- I opened the box this time, at least, to ensure that I could mount this puppy on the wall before I bought it. I'm just not certain yet how I'm going to arrange them on the wall or what I'm going to need to do to repair/extend/move the hole.

Hopefully grouting tomorrow...

Powder Room Reno: Day 4 concluded

I absolutely refused to go to bed tonight without having feeling like I accomplished something today - so here it is, folks: a tiled wall. I love this glass tile and it's the first time I've tiled with the mesh sheets - how easy is this stuff?!? Love it. I will have to make a million little cuts (any tips? last time I tried in the upstairs bathroom, it wasn't so easy nor fun...) but for now, it looks good. I'm actually debating whether I will even continue it any further below the line of the sink right now. I had planned to do the whole wall, which includes behind the plumbing, but I might let it go. I'll get a second and third opinion and decide from there (that means you, Tim and Paul).

Speaking of Paul, he once again came to the rescue, dropping off some much needed polymer-fortified mortar that I will need for the floor. I forgot that I need to get the powder kind when I use underlayment - I hate that stuff, but c'est la vie. It seemed silly, however, to buy an entire bag of the stuff for what amounts to a 2'x5' space. So, Paul gave me the rest of his bag from their last bathroom project. Thanks, Paul (and, by association, Leslie :)

In other news, while waiting for my hair color to kick in at the salon, I did a little internet investigation on my phone regarding the exhaust fan/light. It appears that the minute a light is included, it's not recommended for walls. Shrug. Don't ask me. So, I think I'm going to jury-rig something within the existing hole:
Perhaps something along the lines of putting in the code-required exhaust fan on either the top or bottom and then a nice wall sconce or the like. I guess it means trying to find something that isn't too obtrusive for that tiny space. Hooray - just what I wanted, more shopping for hard-to-find things. Sigh.

All right, kids, off to bed for me to rest these weary bones. Tomorrow comes the floor...

Powder Room Reno: Day 4 continued

I will have something to show for today, dammit. I went back to Lowe's to exchange fan/light and get new (ugly) one that says, on the Internet, that it's suitable for wall mounting. I get it home and directions say "Do NOT mount on wall." Well, f-you. I have to run to an appointment and then have other errands to run this afternoon so nothing to show for today except a hole in the wall and still no fan/light. I decided to at least slap up some of the wall tile to feel that something was accomplished. The cuts aren't going to be fun later but here's a few sheets up, anyway. Grrr. This is the time on Sprockets when we curl into the fetal position and take a nap.

Powder Room Reno: Day 4 (sigh)

Sometimes I think this blog should serve as a what-not-to-do for DIYers. Today's (first?) mistake: removing the bathroom vent/light on the wall to only discover that the one I purchased is not intended for wall installation. In fact, very few vents with lights included seem to be intended for wall mounting. I know that by code I am required to have a vent in the bathroom but part of me is thinking of skipping it. Sigh. I could then have a nice light instead... blah. I need to think on this.

Powder Room Reno: Day 3 continued

Sheesh! Finally! After 4 hours of scraping today, I have finally removed all of the flooring and residual adhesive from the floor. I'm sure, however, that using the hair dryer to loosen the adhesive may have released some noxious fumes. Now, I've traded in those fumes for others. I decided to try something different this time for the tile underlayment instead of the Ditra. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Ditra and, a year later, I still have no cracked tiles or grout on my bathroom floor. However, the mortar they suggested using made me feel like I was taking years off my life with the cancer warnings all over it. So now I'm trying the EasyMat system and the primer, I'm sure, is just as noxious. Geez. Why can't anyone invent anything more environmentally (and human) friendly?

So, I'm waiting for the primer to dry and then I'll put on the mat. I doubt I'll do any tiling today, unfortunately. I think by the time I get that all measured and cut, me and my back will need to call it a day. Tiling tomorrow morning, I hope. I can maybe then work on installing the light/fan while the mastic dries. If I'm lucky, grouting the floor on Wednesday, putting in the new toilet on Thursday, and then I can do the wall tile and touch up the paint on Friday and grout the wall on Saturday. Best laid plans... I don't even know why I bother putting this in writing - I'm so jinxing myself right now.

Powder Room Reno: Day 3(ish)

Taking a short break from back-breaking, mind-numbing floor scraping to stop and smell the flowers, quite literally. I am pleased as punch that my hydrangeas, after a 3-year dormant period, have finally returned and bloomed this year! I was quite close to digging them up this year and giving up on them - I'm so glad I didn't! Just beautiful.

Okay, enough screwing around. I'm about 2/3 done scraping the glue off the floor. Back to it... oh, my back.