Coop Posted March 15, 2024 Report Posted March 15, 2024 It’s good that you had leftovers to make the transition. Looking nice! Quote
Tom King Posted March 15, 2024 Author Report Posted March 15, 2024 We weren't able to save many, and not even one complete piece of that base cove. The tile was much softer than what it was bedded on. I'm not sure if it was 1963 or 1974 laid tile-one or the other according to verbal history. The old mud base is as hard as any concrete I've ever come across. Anything we saved was just from luck, but I did keep a fairly big pile of the wall sections until yesterday. 1 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 15, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 15, 2024 I ended up using more Powergrab than super glue. By the time it's grouted, I think it will be fine. I still have to put the little pieces in two edges of the floor. I'll do those tomorrow, and probably grout it on Monday. Things are growing around here, and I have a lot of work to do on the grounds. Plastic taped to the walls saves a lot of cleanup time. As I pulled the tape off the wall and pulled it all to the center, the floor underneath didn't even need vacuuming. 6 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 20, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 20, 2024 Back on this after lunch today. I needed to cut the little fill in pieces for two edges. Being a perfectionist, hand holding them on the tile saw table was not going to produce multiple pieces to suit me, so I made a little sled with scraps of Corian and super glue. It worked like a charm once I fine tuned the blade. The smooth edged diamond blade doesn't have the kickback worry that a toothed woodworking blade does. I use a blade designed for smooth cutting glass to make this kind of cut. The blade had been pushing to one side. My theory/guess was that one side had developed a taper in the diamonds. I held the dressing stone to dovetail that edge. Then it pushed the other way, so I figured my theory was mostly correct. After dovetail dressing the other side, it cut perfectly straight. It was well worth the little bit of time it took to make the sled because they all came out perfectly and easily. I should finally finish setting everything tomorrow. BIL and SIL are coming back this weekend, so it will be good to have some help with the grouting. I tried different stones on the sharpening sink to round over the sharp cut edges. The 300 stone did it like I wanted them. It took about as long to smooth the edges as it did to cut them. 4 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 22, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 22, 2024 This morning I used a cake decorating bag to put thinset mortar in the spaces for the little filler tiles. I could put just the right amount of mortar in each space and set the tile without squeezing out excess around the edges. Grout will fill in under the edges. The centers are solid covered underneath. I have a grout bad sold for the purpose, but it's too big and bulky for the tiny pieces. I ended up using the smallest cake decorating end. Working by myself with my hands in it, I wasn't able to take any pictures. 3 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 25, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 25, 2024 I grouted the floor, the white tiles up high on the partition and the filled in spots in the original tile on the wall today. Been waiting all day for the phone to send a picture to the computer but it's saying not today. Anyway, grouting is an easy and quick job. Walls tomorrow and trim it out the next day so it will finally be done. BIL is anxious to learn how to put up crown molding. This is a good little job for crown molding since it has both inside and outside corners. This is one job I'll be glad to have behind me. One thing I do on these jobs that I only do every so many years is buy some of the newer tools to see if there is anything better. The tile cutter was a win, and another win was this urethane grout float. It's by far the best grout float I've ever used and wipes the tiles so clean that it saves a step in the cleaning process by eliminating a sponge wiping and water change, and most of the work with cleaning the grout haze off. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076DJSB75/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 4 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 25, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 25, 2024 It needs to be. The first renters for the season come this Friday. It's nice when volunteer help brings their own place to stay. Moonrise last night. Some tiles were still wet and the last scrub had not been done yet when I thought to take this picture. Will post one when it's all trimmed out, probably tomorrow. 5 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 26, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 26, 2024 We put the crown molding up today, but then someone came with a dog to breed to one of our stud dogs and she is staying in the house until tomorrow. I left it to them, and didn't get any pictures. I'll trim it all out when she leaves and take some pictures. The only thing left is to paint the crown, install the 16" square rain showerhead, put the trim covers on the valves and put up a couple of handrails. I put the regular showerhead with flexible hose up yesterday so I could use it for the final scrub of the grout haze. We have another dog just starting in labor this afternoon, so it's a busy time around here. 3 Quote
Mark J Posted March 27, 2024 Report Posted March 27, 2024 Are you going to have a regular shower head and the rain shower head? Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 27, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 27, 2024 Yes, there is a regular shower, as well as the rain showerhead coming out of the ceiling. Two separate control valves, one for each. If you look back earlier in this thread, you will see where I installed the two separate valves. The most common way is to use one valve and a diverter downstream from that valve. I like two valves better, and it's actually cheaper. The nice diverters cost more than another valve. The regular showerhead has a flexible hose on it. I hooked that up and used it for the final washdown getting the last of the grout haze off the tile. You can use both at the same time if you want to for as long as the 40 gallon water heater furnishing that one bathroom and the kitchen lasts. Waiting for the girls to finish breeding the dogs this morning, and the visitor to leave before I go back over there and finish up today. Our girl had seven puppies last night, finishing up just past midnight so it wasn't such a long night like it is sometimes for us. 3 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 27, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 27, 2024 Almost done, but I was getting too tired after a bit of a long night last night with puppies being born, so I left the drilling of holes for handrails until tomorrow. The ceiling and crown molding is finished and painted. The room is all cleaned up, ready to use other than installing a couple of handrails and making some custom adjustments on one shower valve handle set back. Not quite the shower in a day like advertised on TV, but it's made with real tile and one that should last many decades. The ads say save a thousand dollars on their special offer. This one cost about that, not including a few tools I bought, which also included completely recovering the ceiling in the whole room. The rain showerhead is nicer than we even thought it would be. Everyone wants to take a shower in this one tonight. BIL suggested hanging a picture of the Before with the green fiberglass shower in this bathroom. 7 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted March 29, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted March 29, 2024 The next few renters, coming one after the other, will have to get by with one grab rail. This tile is the hardest stuff to drill a hole in that I've ever seen. It cut beautifully, clean and easily, but it eats diamond drill bits. I had a package of cheap 1/2" hole saws off Amazon, one Bosch that had drilled a few holes in regular tile before, and one new Bosch still in the package. Drilling four holes for one grab bar and the regular showerhead slide finished off everything I had on hand. The other grab bars will have to wait until I get a couple of days between guests. 4 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted April 3, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted April 3, 2024 Here is the review left by those first renters for the season. The lake was muddy from almost 5 inches of rain in five days, the cove filled with Pine pollen as well as the air. They couldn't have picked a much worse time to come. They still said they had a great time and not even the four kids were ever bored. They never mentioned anything about the shower but it had to be better than the old fiberglass small one. Next families coming in at 3 today. Sunset Point main lake, quiet, great view! One level, Handicapped friendly Sunset Pointe is a perfect place to let children just run and for seniors to just sit and enjoy the view! Tom and Pam are the perfect hosts, so handy yet unobtrusive. They have thought of everything, from every kitchen appliance, small and large and plenty of utensils to the leaf blower that was really needed at the start of pollen season! We appreciated that! We hiked trails on their property and at Buck Spring Park, fished and had campfires. The sleeping arrangements were perfect for our family of 7 adults and 5 young children who really enjoyed the bunk room and all of the toys! Internet service was great and plenty of seating in both living room and dining room. My favorite spot was the back porch with comfy seating, grill and big table! My family typically does a Spring Break trip, but we have already decided next year to push it until summer so we can utilize all of the water sport equipment that is provided. Thank you again, Pam and Tom, for sharing this home with us!! Date of arrival - March 29, 2024 6 Quote
Popular Post Tom King Posted April 3, 2024 Author Popular Post Report Posted April 3, 2024 The second family came in. The Father couldn't come, so the daughter brought two of her friends, and there are two younger teenage boys. The girls are all older than the boys, but the boys must think they have the best sister in the world for bringing the two girls she brought with her. I showed the girls how to use the rain showerhead, so we should get some feedback this time. 2 2 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.