Someone left a comment in my previous entry, saying I am a nerd. Well, thanks for that. At least they were polite about it. They called me "ma'am." So, lest I disappoint anyone, here's today's entry:
I discovered something about myself yesterday. I really like demolition.
Over the weekend, I went out and bought everything I needed to do the tile job in B's bathroom. For the past couple of days, I went back and forth with myself: do I actually do it? Or do I hire someone? Doing it myself would mean at some point I would have to go in there and start dismantling things. Tearing out things. The thought of stripping that little room of all of the "built-ins" that came with the house when we originally bought it kinda scared me a little.
The sink/vanity is kind of a white box with two doors. In it sits a round white sink. Around the left edge and back is a 4" oak backsplash, all trimmed out and caulked nicely. Above it on the wall is a gigantic mirror. The counter top is a beigish marblish formica, with oak trim along the edges. Not bad. But not remarkable. Totally unoffensive. Totally boring.
I say "is" but I guess I now should say "was." Heh heh.
My new favorite tool is my crowbar. Never had one before, but now I'm actively trying to think of other things I can use it on. Oh, that's not good, is it?
So! Gone is the mirror, the towel rods, the backsplash, the sink, the counter top. The room is gutted, but for the essentials - the tub, the toilet, the vanity stripped of its former glory. The sink sits inside the bathtub now, waiting for its new home.
I thoroughly enjoyed tearing that room apart. I started slowly, thinking I'd just take down the towel bars and the mirror, to get things started. Next thing I knew I was under the sink, dismantling the plumbing. Before I knew it, me and my crowbar had the whole vanity stripped down, leaving only bare walls all around, and a bare chip board top. Perfect!
I purchased, cut and installed a piece of backerboard to the top, to serve as the foundation for the tiles. Man, that stuff is heavy! It's like a board made out of cement or something. Cutting the hole in it for the sink was fun (not). Screwing it to the chip board beneath it was the hardest part of this whole thing. The screws have very widely spaced threads, so when they got to the chip board, they dogged my cordless drill so bad and drained the battery almost instantly. Figured out I could do 5 screws before having to replace the battery (I have two). So a lot of time elapsed inbetween re-charges. I still have a few more screws to put in this morning, then I'm all set to begin tiling.
Gonna go rent a tile cutter this morning. I figure I'll have the tiles all glued down by this afternoon, and I'll start grouting when I get home from work tomorrow.
Very exciting stuff for the do-it-yourselfer. If it turns out good, I'll post a pic. If not, I'll be looking for a contractor to come in and fix it. But I really think it's gonna turn out nice. I've got it all worked out in my head. Now, if I can just get the tiles to cooperate�
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