Day 120: The Cabinets Are In...

...and Christmas has come and gone.

Sorry for taking so long to post an update on the kitchen. I have no good excuse.

Well, enough of the blubbering, lets get to the good stuff. The cabinets are in! And so are all the appliances. Well, except for the dishwasher. But it is in place while I wait for the missing pieces to be delivered.

The cabinet installer, Theo, showed up on the morning of the 14th and got straight to work. He was working solo but figured he could get them in in a day. I knew all along, but didn't let myself get too used to the idea that they would go in that quickly.I lucked out when they sent Theo to install my cupboards. He normally works on high end kitchens, so he knew his way around cabinetry. He did a great job and only forgot one thing -- to drill a hole for my microwave cord. I had the right drill bits, and my handy dandy new drill, so I cut the hole myself.

After Theo left, I was faced with the daunting task of putting everything away. I was completely overwhelmed. Not only did I have to put stuff away, I had to clean most of it first and without a sink nearby. It all went in relatively smoothly, but I needed more shelves which I got to the following day. I even managed to put the stove and washer/dryer back all by myself. I was really craving some soup after I stumbled upon a can while unpacking. So, I fired up the stove and made me some soup!

By shear luck, my super awsome plumber Darrell was able to come on Monday to install my sink and dishwasher. He actually sent a different guy, but stopped by between jobs. I insisted they use braided lines all the way to the dishwasher, even though it would cost about $60 extra. I don't need it to burst which has been known to happen with plastic supply lines. Apparently the braided lines you buy at the hardware store are NOT the right kind. Only those from an actual plumbing supply place are the right kind. You can tell because they have a 'ring' type thing on the inside of the nut which goes on the inside of the pipe thingy. When the nut is tightened I am guessing it acts as a bit of a compression fitting on that inner ring thingy.

While there, Darrell helped me yell at the guy at the Brick when they told me the pieces I was missing for the dishwasher had to be purchased separately. He is now waiting on those parts, which the Brick will pay for thanks to my "conversation" with them. So, he will come back in the new year to install. Turns out I won't be flexing again until Feb 1, so I have a full month to wait for that last piece of the kitchen reno. But, I am so used to washing dishes by hand that I hardly notice. Besides, the dishwasher is sitting in its place and not my living room or dining room, so I am quite happy to carry on this way for as long as it takes.

I will be sure to get the kickplate tiles (base of the cabinets, same as the floor tile) and backsplash tiles in before the dishwasher goes in so that the kitchen will finally be done. I purchased the plain white tiles for the backsplash and decided to go with a glass tile for the insert. Glass tiles will go better with white grout and the taupy-purple colour will really go well with the floor. They should arrive some time next week.In the meantime, I am trying not to make a mess of my carpets which were just cleaned by my friends Tom and Lorraine. Thanks guys, they have a new lease on life while I save up my money to do the floors!

And here are some pics...


The cupboards AND the sink is in! w00t!


My microwave doesn't look half bad thanks to the black knobs.


The new cupboard over the washer and dryer. I need a stool to reach it.


My slick new range hood. It has a very bright light setting that I use when I want to interrogate what I am cooking.


My super deep sink and goose neck faucet. I can fill a bucket in the sink now.

Day 119: Giddy

I was giddy all day today and I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that the cupboards are going in tomorrow...at long last! (insert happy humming)

I know I promised to post a pic of my closet doors...but I hit a bit of a snag. The replacement pieces I had to buy weren't quite the same as the ones that came with the door. Remember, I needed two sets of the mounting hardware since I wanted to install each door separately?

I can honestly say that Home Depot is a much better place than Rona to get bifold door hardware. I ended up buying all new mounting hardware (the pieces the pins go into) because HD had a style that had a screw to keep the pin in place. They also had a pin for the bottom which was threaded so the door height can be adjusted slightly. The trick is getting the current pins out. The plastic bushing has burrs on it so it goes in and stays in. I have a trick that works, but it is too tough to explain. I picked up the last of the bifold door hardware tonight so will install tomorrow while I am at home...in the event that I can't help install the cupboards!

When it comes to hinges, the Cook St Do-it Centre is a better place than Rona (sorry Rona). I just wanted brushed steel hinges and Rona wanted $9.00 for a single hinge. Cook St had them for $4.00...for a pair! They aren't as good quality, but it is for a door that no one will ever see.

While at HD, I bought a drill. I had to replace the one that was covered in mortar from using it to mix the mortar. It actually still worked and I needed a drill this past week, so the excitement to work on my bifold doors helped me overcome the fact that it was covered in mortar. But, I had taken off the chuck key to keep it after tossing the drill but I've misplaced it and obviously never did get around to tossing the drill. I've even purchased two keys but neither work. Enter the new drill...the new keyless chuck drill! It is corded and has variable speed too! That is a feature I didn't want to be without and I can't stand cordless tools because I would never drain the battery properly and would wreck the battery...but not before they discontinued that style of battery. I also think you need a lot of torque on a drill and you can't get that with a battery pack that is nearly drained.

Well, I go sleep now...if I am able to sleep that is!

Day 117: 3 More Sleeps...Oh, and I'm a Genius

I am down to 3 sleeps before the cabinets go in. I am quite excited. I don't expect they'll finish in one day, but one can hope.

In the meantime, I have been painting a set of bifold doors for my front hall closet. Since moving in, none of my closets have had doors, so this is VERY exciting. I've painted the pair white to match the trim I just installed, but I am wondering if painting them the wall colour would have been a better option.

Sure, the bifold doors are just the compressed paper flavour, but I came up with an ingenious modification to the door which will alleviate most of the hassles you get with paper bifold doors. Namely, the slider rail thingy and corresponding pins as well as where to mount the knob/handle so it will open the door with the least amount of wear and tear on the hollow paper carcass of a crappy door...to mention a few.

I came up with the idea while I was measuring for the holes for the bottom bracket. This piece and the top rail plus pins at the top and bottom of one side of the door act as stationary pivot points for the door. So, I had one half of the door temporarily in place when I noticed how well the door swung. It was as if the door was floating it was so smooth. So, I decided to do away with the hinges and the slider piece altogether and just hang the other half of the bifold door the same way on the opposite side of the opening. In other words, the doors will hang freely and independently like a pair of french doors. The pins are still in place, but because I am not using the slider piece or the hinges, I don't expect the part of the door where the pins go in to sustain much wear and tear.



As I was typing that up, I realized the bottom bracket doesn't actually mount to the floor. It has holes in the side that meets the wall thus allowing you to affix it to the wall. This means I DON'T have to drill holes in the slate floor! Sweet.

And, in case you were able to follow me and are wondering how I will prevent the doors from swinging into the closet, I am going to mount a piece of wood along the top to prevent that from happening.

Further modifications may happen. For instance, the rail at the top is currently in place because it holds the piece that the top pin goes into. I could get a "floor bracket" and mount it up top instead of the rail. I'll mull it over but I've pretty much convinced myself that is what I need to do. Stay tuned for pics tomorrow night!

"LOL very funny haha"

"LOL very funny haha"

Aside from the obvious reason this is funny, I especially like it because it reminds me of the South Park episode called "Towelie". You know, when Cartman and Towelie were arguing and he called Towelie a towel? Poor Towelie was a little high and couldn't come back with anything better than "You're a towel."

Day 109: A Little Anti-Climactic

Well, the cupboards have left the warehouse...and are stacked up in a huge pile in my living room. They look really nice and the hardware I selected is going to look awesome.



(no, I didn't plan on getting Evin in the shot, but by the time the camera took the picture, there he was.)

Knowing the cupboards are just going to sit there for nearly 2 weeks is a little anti-climactic. Plus, the delivery guys scratched the tops/sides all up. I'm hoping the scratched sides are the ones facing the wall or ceiling and not the underside of the upper cabinets. They even scratched the side of a door which I've photographed and will send in to Harbour City Kitchens tomorrow. Finally, there is a chip in the countertop, but it is the back corner that will be covered by the backsplash.

I started painting the baseboard trim last night. I used the ceiling paint by accident, so although it is the right colour, it isn't the right sheen. It looks great and I'll get going on a second coat one of these nights.

Day 106: 14 More Sleeps

The countdown is on! I have 3 more sleeps before the cabinets are delivered and 11 more sleeps after that before the installers come!

The last few tasks to do before installation:
- Seal the tile and grout -- Check
- Touch up the walls with paint
- Paint the trim

At any point I could be fixing the grout in the bathoom but I think I'll wait until I'm not using the bathroom to wash dishes or prepare food.

In other news, I won a 2GB iPod Nano at the IIBA dinner I attended last night! It is a second generation iPod which means it has a smaller display screen than the new G3 models, but I prefer the look of the G2's.

I decided to splurge on a speaker/docking system as I currently don't have a stereo or anything better than a set of computer speakers. So, I went shopping after work. I saw an Altec Lansing docking station for $149 at Future Shop and a Sony micro stereo on sale for $149 at London Drugs. I wanted one with a usb port so I could still play my Sony mp3 player and charge it at the same time. The Sony micro stereo fit the bill and it had a cd player so I can play regular CD's if I want. I didn't come to the decision on my own though -- Mikey helped me.

Now, if only I can get the iPod to stop saying "Do not disconnect." when I plug it in to the computer. Surely 9 hours was enough to charge it.

Day 95: I'll never do that again

If ever I talk about installing slate tile, or any other unglazed tile for that matter, shake me until I agree to go with lino.

This weekend I grouted and it was only slightly more fun and marginally less painful than actually laying the tile. Because the tiles were so rough and uneven (compared to glazed tile), the grout really stuck to the surface of the tile. This made it very hard to clean the tiles after grouting. About 3/4 of the way through, the pain in my wrists that I got from wringing the sponge and scrubbing became nearly intolerable. The only thing keeping me going was the fact that if I left it it would only be worse. Besides, I had a free meal to attend.

I came home from dinner to finish washing the tiles. There is still a hazy film left behind but I think I'll wait until the grout cures and just mop the damn floor. On my way home I stopped off to buy a heating pad for my poor back. It might be just the thing to train my body to sleep on my back.

I'm sure the floor looks great but I am too tired and sick of looking at it to care.

Before grouting, I installed baseboard moulding. It went in pretty smoothly, and I only mismeasured one piece about three times. I used the old fashioned hammer and nails and borrowed my brothers compound mitre saw. I set it up in the boiler room of my condo so I wouldn't get sawdust all over the heaps of dust covered kitchen stuff in my living room. It was also quieter for my nabours.

Most helpful were my good friends caulk and Durham (as in Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty). Together, they hide a miriad of imperfections! The worst wall was in the front hallway that I didn't even touch. There is about a 1/8" gap between the wall and the baseboards. I went with bulky but plain baseboards so I couldn't simply bend it to fit the concave wall.

Caulking cracks between the wall and trim/baseboards before painting is, for whatever reason, one of the best kept secrets out there. I've known about the trick for about 13 years and will never be without. Be sure you use the paintable stuff! I've even heard of someone smearing a very very very thin layer along the taped edge before painting stripes on the wall (to prevent seepage). I've yet to try it, but when I do, I'll report back.

As for Durham's, it cures quickly into, get this, a rock hard surface that can be sanded. I used it along those mitred edges on the outside corners. Speaking of which, there are a few outside corners that only have half a piece. I'll install the others when the living room and dining room get done...one day...and that day is far far away...

I've nearly settled on a plan for the backsplash -- tile! But not slate, at least not much slate. I plan to lay white 6x6 tiles with a few that have a cut out for a decorative tile. Enter the slate. I have a few thin pieces that, when cut into 1.5x1.5 squares, will be a great insert! I think it will be fantastic and will really tie in the floor. It is a far cry from beadboard which I had planned for the outset, but depending on how much tile there is, I may beadboard most of the backsplash and do the tile detail above the sink.

On a related note, Harbour City Kitchens called and the cupboards are still due for early Dec. They get delivered on the morning of the 3rd but we don't have an install date. I may have to wait until the 10th or as late as the 14th, but I've known that for some time.

At long last, some pictures:

Day 87: My Slate is Sealed

At long last my floor is sealed. I got to it pretty late today because I was procrastinating. Once at it, the task wasn't that bad. The rich colours really come through with the colour enhancer/sealer so it was instant gratification. I'll know tomorrow morning if I need a second coat, and if so, whether I can apply that other product on top of the sealed tiles and grout.

Here is the view coming down the stairs:



Compare that with the unsealed picture from the last post.

The floor looks really good, but there are a few imperfections in my installation that are nagging at me. I'm a perfectionist, but at the same time, I just wanted to get the tiles laid. I'm thinking the extreme back pain had something to do with that. So, I'll just have to live with the few tiles that sit higher/lower than others, and the too big or too small gaps between some tiles. I'm hoping they all blend away when the grout is in.

One of the remaining tasks while I am waiting for the cupboards to arrive is to install baseboard trim. That will make a huge difference in finishing off the floor. I am really pleased with how the walls turned out, so I am actually not that keen on installing the panelling I originally had in mind. I guess I should decide pretty soon. Maybe a glance at my bank account will help me decide.

Day 85: Getting Ready to Seal the Tile

I had to go into work Friday and because I couldn't make a reservation the night before, I didn't get home from Van until 11:30 pm. Needless to say, I was tired most of the day.

I came home, ate a piece of cheese, and proceeded to scrub the floors to get all the mortar off the tiles. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. There are a lot of gaps between the tiles that got filled up by mortar which means the grout won't have far enough to go to get good contact. I really wish I had watched out for that more carefully while the mortar was still wet. I'll dig it out in the high traffic areas and proceed with the sealing tomorrow.

Even though I didn't get around to sealing the tiles last weekend, I'm not really that far behind. I'll grout next weekend and if there isn't goint to be enough time for the grout to be sealed before the cabinets go in, then I can seal it after the fact.

It is very exciting that I am to the point where I just have to turn one page in the calendar to see the approximate date that the cabinets will go in.

Here is a pic of the tiles without the enhancer:

Day 85-ish: Renos? What Renos?

I have just returned from Vancouver where I was at the PM/BA World Conference. I stayed in the very swanky Pan Pacific Hotel which was such a treat I forgot all about my renos.

Well, I didn’t completely forget. I closely inspected the marble tile job in the bathroom and was glad I had a whole ¼ inch forgiveness…I mean grout line…to work with. See, marble only needs 1/16 of an inch for grout so your alignment has to be bang on.

The reality of my kitchen sank in as I bade farewell to my posh hotel room with a 21-story view and pristine carpet that has never been scratched by a cat, the super rapid talking elevators with a monogrammed carpet for every day of the week, and the very yummy breakfast biscuits. I would soon be back to the dirty, cluttered, and non-glamorous condo I call home. Back to the toaster breakfasts and microwave dinners. Ho hum.

The conference was really great. I saw a few former ACD’ers (Vince and Meghan) and some Schneider-ites (Charmaine) so got to visit and reminisce. The “Track Sessions” (1-hour long sessions on various topics) were interesting but it was the 2-day BA Crash Course that was the real reason for being there. The facilitator/teacher was great and clearly enjoyed the topic and teaching. When I go back, I won’t bother with the track sessions unless there is a speaker/topic I must see.

I came away from the conference almost completely convinced I will proceed towards the BA stream. I get to get my hands a little dirty and use both my PM and QA background. In fact, my QA background is going to be quite useful even if I have yet to get any formal training in QA.

The highlight of the trip might have been the fact that David Beckham was staying in the hotel but I honestly couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. His presence sparked a modest gathering of loud people outside the hotel which woke me up. But the real highlight of the trip really was the crash course, but I won’t lie when I say I also enjoyed the shopping. I ventured out Wednesday night to Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and IKEA. I would have liked to go to Tiffany’s and the craft fair at the conference center but I didn’t want to risk being stuck on the mainland Thursday night.

When I got home at 11:30, I was thoroughly exhausted and glad I made it home without falling asleep at the wheel. I fed the cats and climbed into bed. Evin was either very rested or glad to see me (or both) because he ran around on the bed like a village idiot. It was nice to get such a warm welcome.

Day 79: Back Breaking Labour

Laying the tiles was quite a painful process. I was at it all day Saturday and was too tired/busy Sunday to do anything about cleaning and sealing the tiles.

I have a new line on some sealer that does both tile and grout so I may get to wait until the grout is in which would save some time.

I'm on my way to Van and don't have time to post pics, so here is a temporary album: http://www.sendpix.com/albums/07110423/kdymw12bgs/

Do Cats Go To Heaven?

This month's picture in the New Yorker Cat Calendar is "Cat Heaven"...a bunch of tattered arm chairs with cats clawing them. Of course, the cats are drawn with cute little angel wings and halos. I looked at it and remarked to my coworker - "That sure is a lot of cats that made it into heaven" after which I paused, and then added "Evin won't be going to heaven. My luck he'll be stuck in purgatory so he can bug me the rest of my life." We got a chuckle out of my fate and I headed home for the day.

Evin is a great cat and has amazing spirit, but he can be really annoying when I am busy doing cat-unfriendly things like laying tile, making the bed, preparing a sandwich...the only thing he watches me do from a safe distance is get ready for work. He perches on top of the cabinet above my toilet where he can see me doing everything, including showering, but is well out of my way.

Day 78: Blinding Progress

I plan to lay the tile Saturday so I did some prep work tonight. Laying out the tiles is essential if you want straight lines and as close to full tiles as possible when you get to the threshold between rooms. I have a few thresholds to contend with, but things look pretty good. I used my handy dandy laser level which does right angles on the wall or the floor. So there I am, laser levelling away and making marks on the floor when I looked up. There was Evin sitting with the laser line going straight up his face. I stopped what I was doing, shut off the light, and sat down with disbelief at how innocent he looked with the red line going up between his eyes. He obviously wasn't blind, but it just goes to show you how dumb cats can be when it comes to home renos. I'll be mounting large cardboard panels across the stairway so he can't get into my way when I am tiling. If that fails, I guess I could pull one of my bedroom doors off the hinges and lean it up in front of the opening into the staircase.

Speaking of Evin. I just had to go see which box of food he was just now getting into. I tried to pull him off the box of cereal he was rooting around in but his claw got stuck on the inner bag. It is like living with a raccoon some days. Heck, it is like living with a raccoon most days.

Prepping for tile laying also meant moving upstairs. I am now confined to 500 square feet for the next few weeks. My microwave and toaster are in my bedroom and the dish rack continues to live in the bathroom. So far living out of the bathroom is not that bad. I could really use a table to prepare the bit of food I have, but keeping Evin off it is probably more work than it is worth.

Back to the tiles. The mortar will set up in 24 hours, and the sealer needs up to 72 hours to cure. I'm in Vancouver all next week, so I hope all the tiling gets done Sat so I can seal the floor late Sunday. That way it can be curing away while I am in Van. And apparently I only need to put one coat of sealer on slate, so I'll be grouting next weekend and grout sealing the middle of the week following (14th-ish). That leaves about two weeks to go before the cabinets arrive! December 8th is probably when the cabinets will go in. That marks 114 days since the first 2x4 went up and the drywall installed over top of the hole in the wall!

Day 77: Oh my aching back

A day off schedule but the orange waterproofing membrane has been laid in the kitchen and front hall closet. Mixing the mortar was probably my least favourite part, but I decided to do away with the wooden spon and just mix it with my gloved hands. I will look into buying an attachment for my drill so I don't have to do that again.

The entire job was really quite unenjoyable but I sure am glad I cut the pieces to size before hand. It would have gone better if I locked the cats away before starting. That way I wouldn't have had to deal with Evin walking through the mortar I was spreading out. I grabbed him and chased Cleo up into my bedroom and shut the door. An hour and a half later I have a larger bare spot in the carpet near my door!

Well, I need to head out to Survivor. Besides, I am not really in the mood to write.

Here are some pics. The latter of the sacrificial bucket.

Day 73: Bye Bye Crappy Kitchen

I had a flex day on Friday so decided this was to be the weekend that I would demo the rest of the kitchen and lay the tile. I was on nephew duty all day Sunday (starting at 6:00 am), so I decided early on that I wasn’t going to be laying any tiles this weekend. Besides, I was so thoroughly exhausted after Friday that I wouldn’t have had the energy to lay tiles this weekend.

I got started about 11 am on Friday and began by disconnecting the sink. The hot water supply wouldn’t completely shut off, so I had to place a bucket beneath it. I worked around the slow drip and it wasn’t long before the sink was out, the countertop off, and the base cabinets a massive pile in the middle of my kitchen.



Upon removing one section of the base cabinets I was greeted by the most hideous carpeting. Not only was it brown with a crappy “floral” pattern, I couldn’t see how it ever matched the green and gold striped wallpaper or the bright orange countertops! That must have been one butt ugly kitchen. And to think a developer would install carpeting in rental unit kitchens!



After some super tasty food from the Noodle Box, I was ready to tackle the next step – break the pieces apart, remove any screws, and start taking it downstairs to my car. I forgot I owned a power screwdriver so after removing several dozen screws, I plugged it in, put the remaining pieces aside and took up the last of the green peel and stick flooring. I have nothing against peel and stick flooring, but after a decade or so, it wears out and if it is an ugly pattern, there is just nothing positive I can say about the stuff in my place.

I filled my car with about 2/3 of the pile of junk and headed to Ellice Recycle Ltd (David St near Bay Street Bridge). It was about 4:30 so to avoid the bridge traffic, I headed down Hillside to Gorge St. Some bonehead was trying to turn left onto David St despite signs saying not to at that time of day. But when I approached David Street I saw an opening and decided to turn left…right into the open arms of the law! Curses. The cars behind me followed like lemmings and we all got pulled over. While explaining to the others why they were pulled over, I got my license and registration ready. The cop approached and I handed him my stuff at which point he jokingly told me they didn’t take Master Card. I wasn’t the least bit worried/scared/panicked, so I laughed and swapped it for my DL. Meanwhile, he hollered over to the Chief and told him that I was trying to bribe him with money. I tried to explain to the cop that I was a very good driver, had never gotten a ticket, and that I was actually doing traffic a service by making room for all the people behind me who were backed up because of that bonehead woman who was trying to turn left. He didn’t buy it, but we both got a good laugh out of it. He finished writing up the $120 ticket, said it was nice to meet me, and sent me on my way.

With 5 minutes to spare, I was happily unloading the crap…flinging pieces with gusto as I bade farewell to my crappy kitchen. I returned home and loaded up the last third. It was about 6 times as heavy though thanks to all that peel and stick flooring. The next day I took it to the dump but it was so heavy I didn’t fling it with nearly as much enthusiasm.

Since I wasn’t going to tile this weekend, and the waterproofing membrane only needs 24 hours to set, I decided to paint the walls while the kitchen was clear. It is very liberating to haul out the paint roller and just start painting without having to tape or cover up the flooring.

Next steps: Install waterproofing membrane and then the tiles.

Those damn cats!

This morning I awoke at 5:00 am with a sore back and two cats (whose names I will not mention...cough...cleoandevin...cough) doing jazzercise on my bed. Evin tries to put it to music by pressing a bunch of buttons on my clock radio.

At least once a week, I feel the need to remind Evin, who's brain is about the size of an apricot, that there will never be a need for him to brush my face, chew on my hair, or turn the radio on, so he may as well stop it!

By sheer coincidence, I arrived at work with this video in my inbox:



Anyone that has cats knows exactly what it is like.

Day 66: Washing Tiles and enjoying the view

I now have 13.5 of the 15.5 boxes of tiles in my condo. The last two are still sitting in my car. I figure there is no huge rush to get them up here as I still have 4 unopened boxes yet to wash. That means I have washed approximately 9.5 boxes of tile, or for those who like err on the side of mind boggling -- a whopping 95 12" square tiles. The cleaned tiles are stacked against any vertical surface I can find. I’ve categorized them into a few groups: perfect tiles that are great for the open areas; really dark grey or black tiles that I’ll need to place as randomly as possible; broken, uneven, or otherwise odd tiles that I can use for half pieces/coaster sets you are all getting for Christmas; and the ugly pile for those I find unattractive and will use under the stove, dishwasher and washing machine where I don’t have to look at them. Once they are all washed, I will further categorize the perfect tiles into coloured groups: purple, green, grey, and rust.

I really want to make sure the layout is random which means that after I categorize them I’ll have to lay out a bunch on my living room floor until I am happy with the “random” pattern. If I don't do all this sorting and planning ahead, I just know it will be hard to be random on the spot while the mortar slowly hardens. Besides, I'll need the extra time to back butter some of the tiles which are not a uniform thickness.

Cleaning the tiles means taking a pile of 10 into the kitchen, inspecting each one and removing all loose pieces with a paring knife. Then I wash the tiles one at a time and put them in the dish rack to air dry. I admire each tile as they go from a dusty bland colour to a beautiful array of fall colours as the water hits the surface. Many of them have a metallic tinge such as copper or pewter. Some tiles are so full of colour that they remind me of a Monet painting. The sealer will bring out those colours so I can’t wait to see them all laid out throughout the kitchen.

The rack can confidently hold a meagre 5 tiles at a time, and they take several minutes to dry, so you can see why I have only washed 95 tiles! I’ve managed to injure my right wrist in the process so I haven’t washed nearly as many tiles as I had hoped this weekend.

My plan for the next week or two: Finish washing the tiles and paint the ceiling and walls with finish coats so that on Friday (the 26th, day 71, and a full moon) I can remove the sink, lower cabinets, and counter top. I’ll move the appliances into the living and dining rooms where I am quickly running out of room and finish removing the rest of the peel and stick tiles. With a lot of luck, I’ll lay the waterproof membrane (I call it orange waffly stuff) that night so I can get going on the tile laying Saturday. I don’t think I’ll get all the tiles laid that weekend, but I’ll sure try. If not, I’ll resume the next weekend. Once all done, I’ll apply the sealer after which I need to block off the area so a certain orange flea circus doesn't ruin the finish. I really want the floor to be completely cured/sealed before the cabinets arrive, so I have opted to get an early start.

Going with slate was a labour intensive choice but it is all stuff I can do which really kept the costs down. Unfortunately, it means being without a kitchen sink for a very long time. I think I’ll hook up a laundry sink temporarily if it looks like the tile sealed up long before the kitchen cabinets are due to arrive. Meals and laundry will be a fun challenge.

Day 62: The Tile Arriveth

I checked my messages before leaving work and to my delight the tile store left a message saying my tile was in. Woo hoo! That put a spring in my step.

I picked up the tile but could only manage half the batch. I didn't want to see if my car could handle the full weight, but I might have been too cautious. No matter, I'll get the next batch tomorrow.

The woman at the store (Dacora Tile) remembered me even though I didn't actually deal with her when buying the tile. She was super friendly so I'll go back there again any time.

I took a detour past my folks place so I could pick up the dolly. They thought the tile was lovely and seemed impressed that I was going ahead with the installation myself.

I struggled a bit with the dolly and needed a break after bringing in the first three boxes. I got side tracked by my friends basement reno blog and only just finished bringing in the last 2.5 boxes.

I immediately laid the tiles out in the front foyer and here is how they look.



You can really see the pink I was talking about, though there is a lot of dark grey in there too. In fact, the tile is more grey than pink. Stupid camera. I'm a bit concerned about how porous the slate is. There are many "bubbles" and I just peeled of a good size chunk of slate leaving a "crater" where it was. Sure, that adds to beauty and it isn't really a surprise. It just means I have to inspect all my tiles, remove any loose spots, and place them with the least porous pieces out in the open. I hope there isn't too much waste.

While I wait for time to pass (3.5 weeks) before I start laying the tile, here is what my living room looks like. What a mess.



And here is my "workshop":

In other news

So I was reading on the CBC news site about the latest taser incident which happened to be at YVR.

According to stats, BC has had a significant number of fatalities -- 6 of the 16.

I wonder if that is because we are so wet and therefore conduct electricity more!

I am totally joking. Besides, there seem to be underlying conditions causing the deaths. I guess I'd want to see the number of fatalities compared to overall use per province. There I go again, questioning the stats I see.

In terms of the YVR death, I wonder if he was a drug mule and the capsules broke. We'll have to see.

Day 58: Not much going on...but I bought the tile

With the kitchen cabinets on order and not due until early Dec, there isn't a whole lot I can do.

I did decide to find/buy/order the tile for the flooring in case it has to be ordered from India or some far off land. I took home a few samples from Tile Town but just wasn't satisfied. I was trying to find a similar tile to what is in the bathroom not only for consistency, but also because I know it works with the countertop.

I decided to see what Gazola Tile had. The choices were overwhelming, but I brought in a large sample of the countertop (the whole that was cut out for bathroom sink) so it made it easier to find the right colours. I found one that was great, and it came in a few different colours so I could do a bit of a checkerboard pattern. Unfortunately, it was over $7 a square foot. I don't need a $1500 kitchen/hall floor. The next choice was a tile they actually had laid down on thier floor in the front entrance way. It was darker than I had planned, but it was a good match. At $5.00 a square foot, the price was coming down.

Still not happy, I decided to go back to Tile Town and wade through the boards. I stumbled upon the brand of tile that my bathroom tile was made by so I thought maybe I could get the same one. The guy led me to believe it could be ordered but I had to come back after the long weekend. I did and he was wrong, so back to the drawing board.

Yesterday was a flex day, so I went in to Dacora tile. We checked out the slate and prices were $5.00 and up a square foot. So, we started looking through the slate boards and found one with a lot of redish pink in it. It is a stunning tile and it really complemented my countertop. And it would match my living room furniture which are dark jewel tones. So I ordered it on the spot. I had yet to react so positively to a tile that I knew it was the one. Besides, it was $4.00 a square foot, so a pretty good deal.

I've always loved the look of slate, especially when there is so much variety in colour. I've never seen a slate with so much red/pink in it and despite how it sounds, it is not at all girly. I wish they had some in stock so I could have taken it home with me yesterday. I'll take a pic and post as soon as it comes in.

Fortunately, the tile is in stock and will be here next week. I'll have to use a lot of restraint when it comes to installing it though. Once I rip out the lower cabinets and sink, I will be out of a sink for good, so I don't want to lay the floor too quickly. I also don't want to lay it too late in case it takes a long time to cure. My guess is I'll install it mid Nov.

In the meantime, I guess I could paint the kitchen ceiling, fix the bathroom floor, and put a second coat on the dining room wall. I am pretty curious to see if the tile matches my hallway walls so there may be a condo wide repainting in the works if not.