Painting Almost Finished

I am finally  almost finished with painting all the rooms in the house – anyways all that I can paint at the moment. I have one short  (less than 8 foot) to paint which I hope to get finished next week.  I just need to decide if I want it painted Swiss Coffee or Spirit Whisper. Than I will build a couple of photo ledges to display the photos.

I still have some decorating to finish in the studio yet. I  painted the book shelf blue today and plan on adding a top shelf to it. I have the board but my right knee is giving me trouble today so after finishing with the paint I decided to rest for a while.

Before.

After. Painted blue to match the entertainment center.

 

I also plan on replacing the bed with a futon and then it is just a matter of straighten everything up and finish cleaning up.

twin bed with all the book shelf stuff on top of it.

Than I have one small bathroom to finish and the back stairway and the garage. However there is a problem that needs to be solved before I can start on any of those projects. The bathroom has no finished walls at this time. Bill is in the progress of remodeling the bathroom – we will not say how long this project has been going on  – but I plan on having it finished before much longer.

I have told Bill I believe the back stairway is beyond my ability because I do not have any scaffolding. The ceiling of the stairway is two stories high over the stairs. He suggested that I use a large ladder and “hang” over the stairs…….yeah right! Ten years ago I would have said okay but not anymore. I will either have to hire someone to do that small area or build / rent some scaffolding.

This is the ladder I was using to paint the 10 foot walls.

You can just see the top of the ladder in this picture that is how high the ceiling is in this area.

The garage will be the next area to paint but first I will have to move everything out and declutter the junk.

It is hard to believe I am down to the last three areas to paint after starting this project over a year ago. The bathroom is small and once it is ready for paint it will only take one afternoon and the stairway will only take a day at the most.  The garage will take longer.

I have more project lined up before the house will be finished. I still need to declutter the basement which is cement block so it will not need to be painted. I just need to get rid of “years” of magazines. No, I am not really a hoarder –  but one disadvantage of living in the country is that trash must be either burned (frowned upon now but very common when I was a child), or carried to the dump which cost money. Now days I have access to a trash collector so I am able to “clean out”  the house faster.  Also our town has an area to dump recyclable material free of charge so those old magazines are slowly going out the door.

We do plan on replacing the floor coverings in the rooms in the north wing since they have not been changed since 1978. We plan on replacing the carpet with hardwood flooring and the linoleum with natural tile.  I do believe I have another year of work lined up for me.!!

But for now I think I will go sit and put some ice on my knee. I have no idea why it hurts so but it has been giving me trouble for the past few weeks.  Usually a good rubbing will make it feel better but last night nothing worked to relieve the pain. I ended up putting on a knee brace and ace bandages and slept with a heating pad.  It is hurting from the hip down to the top of the knee. Any pressure applied to the top of the knee causes lots of pain. Bummer!

The good thing is that it got me out of working at KBC Apartments of Seymour today. Bill is there throwing away old cabinets that we plan or replacing.Thank goodness this was the only unit that needed new cabinet in the kitchen.

It is beautiful outside and I had hoped to get outside a  bit and enjoy the weather.

_______________________

Declutter and organize auto supplies.

 

 

DIY Grouting Ceramic Tile

I have grouted many small mosaic tile projects but this is my first ceramic tile floor.

The first thing you must decide is whether to use sanded or nonsanded grout. The general rule seems to be to use nonsanded grout if the space between the tiles is less than 1/8 inch. Larger gaps should be filled with sanded grout.

You will need to mix the grout in a plastic bucket using a mortar paddle and a 1/2 inch drill on slow speed. Check your grout label to see if it is a latex blend or if you need to add a latex admix. It is very important to add the admix to the grout if required. Mix grout according to manufacturers directions. Allow the mix to rest (called slake) for 10-15 minutes and then remix.

Prepare the floor by applying masking tape  to protect baseboard, trim , and neighboring floors.

Apply grout to floor.

Use a rubber float to spread the grout onto the tiles. Hold the float at a shallow angle and work on no more than four tiles at a time.  Press the grout into the joints to make sure they are filled.

Remove the excess grout by holding the float at a steep angle and sweep it across the tiles diagonally. Avoid dipping into the joints.

Allow the grout to cure (set up) until there is no impression left after pressing down on it with your thumb. Once it gets to this stage  you need to clean the residue off the tiles.  Use a damp sponge to wipe the tiles, rinse sponge frequently  in clean water.

After the water from cleaning the tiles has dried there will be a slight haze  which needs to be removed with a clean, dry rag.

The grout will require three days to slow cure, Twenty four hours after you have grouted the floor spray it with water once or twice a day for three days.

On the fourth day or however long the seal recommends, apply a tile and grout cleaner with a stiff brush. rinse thoroughly and let the floor dry before applying a sealer.

___________________________

This was a full days work and I am completely exhausted. I was hoping to mow grass tomorrow but the drive belts had not come in – hopefully they will be here tomorrow.

_________________

Today’s challenge is to Week 36: Organize closet (master bedroom)

Downstairs projects finished!

I finally have all the huge downstairs projects finished. Yesterday and today I have been working on the kitchen floor. It took around nine hours yesterday with my homemade grout cleaner to clean the floor.  I used the vinegar solution followed by the baking soda with hydrogen peroxide on stubborn stains.  One of t he drawbacks of cleaning grout is that you have to be patient and allow the cleaner to work before you can scrub and wipe. Not the mention all the trips to the sink to get clean water from were you rang out the rag you use to clean with.

We had not sealed the grout and it has been in place for over twenty years so there was a lot of ground in dirt. I had to change that water after every row of tile.

Today after the floor had dried completely I sealed the area with 511 Impregnator Sealer.

Sealing the floor was not hard but like cleaning the grout you have to be patient and wait for five minutes  after each application. It seem to take a lot more sealer to seal  the grout at home compare to the newer grout at the apartments. The grout at home seemed to soak this stuff up like a sponge.

The label said that the sealer needs to cure for 24-72 hours but the web site says you can walk on the area after 2 hours but to keep  water and anything that will stain away from the floor for up to 72 hours. Which means things that are supposed to be in the kitchen are piled up in the dinning room until Sunday night.

The grout is not perfect but that would only happen if I replaced the grout and there is no need to replace something that is doing its job and doesn’t look terrible.

I am very pleased with the way it turned out. The grout lines are honey almond color again and not gray/ black.

 

Chris started his new job today so it was a perfect day to seal his bathroom. I had cleaned the grout a few days ago and was just waiting for a good time to finish. I have  the master bath to finish – so far I have half the grout cleaned.

__________

I have a friend who sells great organic jams. Check them out at http://www.sobabyjamco.com/our-jams.html

______________

August 21st challenge is to declutter broken and duplicate tools.

Flexibility In Life

One thing I have discovered is that flexibility in life is a must and sometimes works out for the best.

Yesterday Bill and I decided to go to Indianapolis to visit his mom and then to meet our son and his wife for dinner. As we were driving we discussed what to do with the floor in one of the apartment units that had been destroyed.

Sample of the damage

The best solution was to take up the laminated wood and put in ceramic tile. The only problem with this solution  was that the tile needed to match the existing tile and that tile has been discontinued.  We thought about stopping at the Home Depot to see if they still had any tile or if they could special order it for us.  However, I really didn’t think they had anymore since we had just brought the last pallet of tile a few weeks ago for the sun room at home.

MARAZZI Model # UJBU Terra 12 in. x 12 in. Brazilian Slate Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile

  Full price: $1.48 / sq. ft.

$22.20/  case  (covers 15.0 sq. ft.)

 

Bill suggested we use those tile for the apartment and get new for the house. Than he sealed the deal by saying that solid hardwood was back on the table for that room and the studio. 🙂 Jump for joy! I really wanted the hardwood in that room and the studio but had agreed to the tile because it was on sale.

The hardwood will average out to about the same  price as the tile because with the tile I would now need to replace the boxes of tile at full price, buy the backer board, the thin set to set the backer board, the adhesive to set the tile, the grout, the sealer and rent a wet saw.  Plus the fact that I have only seen the tile laid and was not sure if I could handle that large of an area.

1/2 in. x 5 ft. x 3 ft. HardieBacker Cement Backerboard

I would need 16 of these at $12.67 / each

FlexBond Gray 50 lb. Fortified Thin-Set Mortar at $28.97/ each

1-gal. High Performance Ceramic Tile Adhesive and Mastic at $11.67

Grout at $13.97

Sealer at $33.97

This does not include renting the saw and buying the other tools that are needed to install the flooring or paying for the labor if I decide to have it installed.

The next problem is that the original hardwood was installed over 20 years ago. I have the information about the flooring it was Bruce C-720 Sterling Strips Natural Red Oak (Smooth) Dura Luster (Urethane) Finish 3/4 x 2 1/4 inch which also has been discontinued.

We brought home a few samples to try to match the original flooring since the new flooring will butt up against the original.

Bruce Sterling Strip 2 1/4″ Natural Red Oak C720

Close match:

Bruce Model # SHD2214 American Originals Spice Tan Oak 3/4 in. Thick x 2-1/4 in. Wide

$4.89 / sq. ft.

$97.76/  case  (covers 20.0 sq. ft.)

 

Another advantage to the hardwood is that the only additional coat will be the nails, the underlayment  (about $50.00), and renting the installation tool. One big advantage is that we have installed this material before and know how it is done.

____________

 August 17th challenge is declutter yard toys for kids.

Vet’s Office – Again

Two trips to the vet’s office in less than 24 hours. I was a bit late getting the animals fed yesterday morning so I never give it much thought when Shoes ran to the grass before stopping to eat. But when she came in the back door and headed straight out the front without stopping to eat the second time I had to see why. She was circling around and squatting without any results. She finally came inside to eat but she was showing signs of distress and after drinking some water headed out the door again. A hour later she was still circling and whining so I called the vet. Shoes hates the lawn mower and runs into the house when it is in her yard but yesterday she wanted outside to circle while Bill was mowing her yard. A sure sign she was in trouble!
Dr. Paul answered the phone himself and I explained what was going on and by 1:30 Shoes, Bill, and myself were back in the office. Okay, she must have been sick because she never crawled under the chair – she only put her head under the seat. We muzzled her before examining her because she growled at me when I checked that area earlier so I knew she was not going to like this examine. Much to my surprise she stood like a rock as he felt all around the area She did tremble a little when he examined around her ureter area but never offered to snap. He said that with her extra weight it was difficult to feel her bladder but it seem to be okay and he needed a urine sample. He decided to try to take her outside to see if she would go and if not he would have to use a needle to get a sample. Praise God! She actual managed to give him enough urine to run the test.
Five minutes later we got the good news – no crystals, no blood, not overly concentrated, but a treatable bladder infection. He thinks that two capsules of Cephalexin twice a day for ten days given in a Greenie Pill Pocket should take care of the infection.
I now have to treat her paw and give her medicine twice a day – she is loving the attention. She will be getting her heart worm medicine late this month because Dr. Paul said to wait until after the infection is healed before giving it to here and I have to take a urine sample to the office in ten days. This is getting expensive (over $150 in the last two days) so I do hope she gets well soon and stays healthy. I was happy to hear Dr. Paul say that he was not upset with the way she has been acting in his office. He thinks that as she gets use to him and learns to trust him that she will be fine. She did heel, sit, pee when asked, and shake hands in the office today which proves to me that she is relaxing around him.

I gave her the first dose of medicine around 3:00 with a half cup of food. I gave her the rest of her food later after she woke from her nap.

Waiting on the vet  – again

I sealed the downstairs bathroom after we got home from the vet’s  office. I had it half finished when I had to stop and run the car back into town to exchange for my truck (Bill needed his tools). Thank goodness you can take breaks while sealing floors.

Now we just have to wait three days before using this room for the sealer to cure. We can walk on it but no water or anything what can stain the grout is allowed inside for three days.

I finished mowing the front yard and most of the orchard/garden area until  the choke cable broke off in my hand. Oops – I don’t think I can fix this one. Sometimes you have to call in the cavalry.

________________

August 13th challenge is to declutter garden supplies.

Plans for New Project

We have had ceramic tile installed by  the “floor guy” in the apartments at KBC Apartments of Seymour and we have been pleased with the results. So much so that we have decided to install it in our sun room.

The original plans created over 25 years ago called for hardwood flooring, but like most young couples the kids were arriving faster than the money . We ended up laying an indoor/outdoor carpet instead which worked out well since the kids used the room as a bedroom for years. This picture was taken before the room was painted blue but it shows the flooring that  will be replaced.

  This is an upstairs room but it is one that  Shoes has been known to visit so taking that into consideration I decided against hardwood floors. She has a bit of trouble sitting on hardwood, no matter how hard she tries her front paws always slide out from under her. This room has lots of windows that we open and with a hardwood floor we would have to make sure they were all closed whenever it rained. I love plants and more than once I have had to wipe up water from where I over watered them – this is a big problem with hardwood floors especially if I do not notice the mess right away.  Also the price of hardwood has increased over the years. That was a lot of reasons against hardwood floors but I did not want to go with carpet again. Today while picking up supplies for the apartment I got the ideal to use the tile in this room. Bill agreed and we now are getting enough tile to cover a 11 by 16 foot area. It is on sale now at $1.00 per square foot which I can afford  – the hardwood floor would have had to wait until next year. Of course I still need to get backerboard, thinset mortar, grout and sealer to get the project finished.

This is what it will look like next to the library floor:

_________________________

Saturday challenge  was to create a stain removal kit and soaking area for laundry room.  Sunday’s challenge is to declutter and organize ironing supplies and the ironing board.