Here I am again...a day late and a dollar short... and short my last 3 marbles too. I don't even know what day it is anymore. And...I don't get enough play time on here anymore either..... whine.........
My other half has been off work since end of June and my loosely woven schedule has gone to aitch ee double hockey sticks in a handbasket.
Tuesday, almost Wednesday ...but, hey...I'm still around!!
We were supposed to get busy as soon as he was off work (before somebody finds him more work to do) and begin some of the little (and even the not so little) finishing jobs of our past 23 years of renovations..... I have not had a backsplash in my kitchen for many years now. Somehow, almost two months have flown and we have finally just begun doing some tile in the past week. Then, today he hit me between the eyes with some other projects that we have not even discussed....but, now...will also be part of the ongoing saga of this Money Pit. If my laundry room doesn't get finished by the end of next week, somebody else is going to get something between the eyes too...
I had my rant and now am scrubbing these little guys in preparation for the sealer...
Friends and relatives all think that because we tackle all sorts of household repairs we know what we are doing. We know jack squat.... well, I can't say that anymore now...because over the years we have learned plenty! But, in the beginning... we knew nothing.... ..nada...zippo.... But, finally, we tired of paying so called tradespeople to do things and getting crappy jobs in return for big bucks. We baulked... ..we quit hiring and just gave things a go on our own. We find info on line...go to the hardware stores and tile and paint shops..and pump and quiz them up one side and down the other. We even buy books on some of the projects... and then...we just get busy and do them. We have made some mistakes...and sometimes things turn out a bit differently than they should...but, mostly we make it right by the end of things. Even if it takes a second and a third go round..or ripping off tiles... or re-doing shower bases... or ... lifting bathtubs one too many times and not lifting anything for over 6 months while recuperating.
This is our first time for tiles this tiny...half inch mosaics. There are three types of glass tiles and some travertine in the pieces. One type of glass has a nubbly texture. At the tile shops... they don't always have display tile grouted....and you have no idea how it should look when finished. This was the case with this particular tile. However, while grouting... we knew that if we washed off too much the sharp corners of the travertine bits would be sticking out of the grout...and be difficult to wash regularly...or be really sharp...so we kind of had an idea that the grout should be left almost as high as the surface of the little tiles. We were a bit surprised to see the grout remain in the nubbly surfaces of the glass...and even more surprised to have grout stick firmly to the flat glass tiles as well. So..it took a lot of cleaning the day after to make sure the smooth glass was clean ....even though we didn't want to clean out the grout on the nubbly surfaced tiles. It makes them look almost like a greenish veined marble piece now.... we did check immediately with the tile shop while the grout was still soft...and they said people do it either way. On the short run in the laundry room... we actually applied a bit more grout...because we had already washed out a bit more than we wanted to ..... but, all is well. The wall will fall down before the tiles fall off and the grout is not going anywhere...my finger nails will attest to that fact. They are wrecked from trying to scrape off tiny bits on the flat smooth glass bits..... and my neck is killing me...but....all is ready for sealer tomorrow. The sealer is apparently "bullet proof" ..... and a good thing, because me and tomato sauce have a thing.... if you know what I mean. Every single time I use tomatoes.... I get little spatters on every surface ...so, it better be bullet proof...I don't want any orange on my creamy whites over the stove. Now...for the backsplash behind the sink ....... woohoooooooo ... well, maybe next week...I won't get too excited this week.
....but...I sure do love this little run of tile behind my stove .... .......
11 comments:
Hi, It's surprising what you can do when you try isn't it? We have also tackled a lot of building/DIY projects over the years and with an average intelligence and lots of common sense we have succeeded in doing most. Like you, we have used books and learnt on the job. Your tiling looks brill. Well done you. A x
i only wish we had our own home so we could go ahead and do these type of projects. mind you...½" splashback tiles???!!! you have my utmost respect!
the tiles look great :) go really well with the counter top.
If we had of known it was going to be so easy to install a shower we would have saved ourselves £300. Even though we rent this little flat from the council, its turning into a money pit just on cosmetic things that need to get fixed. but it does saves us money doing it ourselves, even if the results are not always perfect
I'm a do-it-yourselfer also! I have a hard time paying somebody to do things that I know I can do if I just try. Some things just have to be done by professionals (plumbing, electrical, etc.) but for the most part, things can be done with a little research and sweat :) And it's a great feeling when you complete a project too, isn't it?
The tiles look great!!! Good job!!
darla
I had to go back and make sure you said you didn't clean out the grout on those "nubbly surfaced" tiles! What a chore that would have been!!
I don't believe I would have ever tackled such a job myself, but they do look fantastic. You must be very proud of a job well done!
I have seen these little tiles on tv in green (one of those decorating shows) and I really like them. Seems like an awful lot of work. I don't have a backsplash - it's just painted wall. Hope the finishing goes on well and that it truly is bullet proof.
Hi Vee,
Great work doing the tiling yourself.
They look really good and you will be feeling pleased that you did not have to pay tradesmen to do it.
Hugs
Carolyn
Oh lordy, I feel your pain sista! Same with us- we knew nothing about renovating. The most either of us had ever done was paint walls.Our big mistake was not doing just one room at a time. Having one finished room would be such a relief and perhaps inspire me to keep going. But the constant tear up of the entire house has worn me thin.
Yes, Mr. Vee owes you an extended vacation. Want me to send you info on beach cottage rentals ;)
But I do love those tiles! Well done, my friend.
I love the tiles - I had them in my kitchen in England, and have them over here in my bathroom - and they were a pain in the bum to get the grout off the bits that weren't sposed to be grouted!
Well done! It looks fantastic, and the colours work really well.
oh the tiles are beautiful..so love this natural look and great job laying them! :)
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