Two updates, in one day! Here is Week 6

I’m glad I’m getting these updates done. However I should put a disclaimer here, I am pretty tired. I think these sentences are making sense, but for all I know it’s a random bunch of letters going up here. But I suppose if that’s the case, than you can’t understand this disclaimer. So there’s that.

Week six. This was a very, very important week. We passed a major milestone, and I can pretty safely say, that in the 133 year history of this building, it was a first.

Ladies and gentleman, we have a working shower. That’s right, the bathroom floor may, as of this posting, still be plywood, but there is a handle, and when you turn it, water comes out, and then goes into a hole in the floor. It’s amazing how important the simple things are to just feeling comfortable.

Anyway, lots of other stuff happened too. Another big one is that this week is technically the last week of contractors. Pretty much everything from now on, other than a few last-minute items, is up to Leah and myself, and anybody good enough to help us.

So I already mentioned the shower. Leah and I applied the grout after my parents left. It was our first time grouting. For those planning a project, I do not recommend learning how to grout on a wall. It is not fun. Or clean. Or calming. It does however, look pretty good, considering the mess we made. The next day they tried to install the shower handle, but found that the box was missing a major piece. We had bought the faucet set in a clearance section, but it looked like everything was there.WE took a drive to Rona and they were nice enough to provide a replacement part.

When we returned, we were happy to see that the part fit. But we also noticed that it was missing the two screws required to install it. I went on a treasure hunt through our many, many piles of screws, and managed to find a screw with the right thread, but it was too long. I cut off the excess, and promptly dropped it into the drain. Seriously. Don’t cut small things over a drain, should be taught right after measure twice, cut one. It should probably be common sense, that’s more likely. Anyway, another treasure hunt and I found another one that fit. I think it was from the old furnaces, and it will be one of the few things that still had the original shade of pink on it on the house. Got the handle installed, and tested the water.

The next day we came home to find the glass installed, and it looks great. We were a little nervous that the design of the shower would not keep the water in, but after using it, it does a fine job.

In other plumbing news, we also have an outside hose, which has made cleaning and prepping painting and tiling a million times easier. Which reminds me, I also primed and painted the whole bathroom. I almost forgot about that. That happened before the shower glass went up.

Another exciting thing to come home to was the electrical work being completed. We ran around like kids turning lights on and off. After a few days coming home to bad news, it was refreshing to feel excited about what got done. With the electrical being done, it wasn’t long till the tv and entertainment stuff made its way downstairs. Not that we have much time to sit and watch tv, but its nice to know it’s there.

The living room and bedroom taking shape has been a major inspiration to keep working. Doorknobs have been installed, the pocket door is in, trim is mounted. It is really starting to feel like home. We also got some of the displaced appliances out of the kitchen, putting one into a utility closet Leah tiled.

Speaking of tile. Since my parents were not able to help with the tile on their visit, Dan and Shelley once again have earned our gratitude, coming over several times to help. The first trip ended without much getting done, as we discovered a problem in the bathtub box that would have likely caused tiles to crack. After that was fixed they returned and over the next couple evenings, we have gotten the bathtub box tiled. We still have to grout (tomorrow) and tile the floor, but it is going pretty smooth.

Again, Dan & Shelley, you guys are awesome.

So this weekend Leah and I are planning on painting the dining room, grouting the bathtub, and getting some stuff organized. Once the dining room is painted, we can hopefully take a break from rollers and brushes for a bit. There is still much to paint, but other things need to get done before that.

Sorry again for not posting more, I’ll try to keep on top of it better.