Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Voicelessness and Emotional Survival => Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board => Topic started by: lighter on April 28, 2025, 12:35:39 PM
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I just left a message with the wife of a local contractor. I dropped Christmas trees off, for her goats to eat, and we got along well.
Seems her husband is finishing up a project.
I have 2 bathrooms and exterior issues requiring attention.
He'll call me tonight.
Lighter
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Spoke to contractor last night. Sent pics of current job. Everything built in....bunks, stair drawers, book cases...very nice.
He's 3 weeks out. We meet next week to look at the job.
Lighter
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It's funny how projects start out, expand and contract down to manageable/logical parts.
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Contemplating tall toilets with built in bidets. Anyone done the research lately?
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Great, impassioned threads on NYTimes a few months back.
Bidet-converts are OVERJOYED.
hugs
Hops
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Thanks for the lead, Hops. My contractor has opinions....simple Kohler toilet
....Cimmarron....chair height. About $250. Was in sale for $99 in January...bc I'd hurricane.
Will call contractor "Biggie East" (BE) for short. We located the 1 door available, for bathroom unto outdoor shower...Left hand, out swing, clear 2 lite, 2 panel venting 32"x80" sgl exterior door with narrow door jamb. John, at Home Depot, took it up as a personal challenge and found it.
It solves every challenge, provides more light and has drop down screened window, woo hoo! Requires a header bc 32"width....but nothing more narrow available. Drat.
I notice zombie calculations popping up .....intruder calculations ...slow zombies....fast zombies. Adding a working window, where there was a small fixed window, requires some calculating, apparently. Will be a medium smallish working window. Oh oh ... hummingbird.
Biggie will take out tub/shower, before deciding on shower pan. Thinking a week before he's available, but will get things ordered now. Door likely 4 weeks out.
Karma landed on my head yesterday..... sometimes having lovely days leads to frog touching. I think kissing, in this case. That'll teach me..... you'd think.
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Contractor planting figs at his home. FIGS!
Door to outside shower ordered this afternoon.
::crossing fingers::.
Contractor helper just retired, so I'm it.
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Found the sink base! Beautiful solid cherry dresser!!!
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Realized I'm confused about which house the elegant toilet is in, lakeside, current in hills, or island. But good news you have someone who sounds like a good contractor. If he's the frog you kissed, hope that's a safe situation.
Kudos on a cherry dresser as a vanity, sounds lovely!
hugs
Hops
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Current house in the hills, Hops. And the dresser is impossibly heavy solid wood, tall side, beautifully handmade with smooth as silk drawer action hardware.
The contractor coming this morning, as if now, and I have bulk food to brine and get garbage out before 8:00am!
At least the bathroom is ready for demo!
Lighter
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Contractor still on roof project, but I think ...I hope....I scored some amazing sky blue glass tiles.... think Restoration Hardware blue!!!!
I'm Huffing and puffing after loading almost 3/4 of a pallet......just began raining.
I don't have any bullnose to match, but will figure this out.
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Use white for subtle contrast?
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That's an alternative to using metal tile trim, Amber.....or a different shade of blue. Will see.
I'm really tired. Not sure, shockingly, but I think that's bc I'm sleeping plenty.
Must unload truck and CrV....today, I think.
Local single mum needs entire household, and can pick up, so that's will carry away a double bed, queen bed, sofa, much extra HomeGoods stored in garage.....clean out begins!!!
Lighter
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That's a good cause to donate to, Lighter. I had an opportunity like that in the process of moving up here. But that was through the domestic violence group... and Mom needed to furnish her new digs. Another, was the family of a coworker who lost everything to a house fire.
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I have the number for domestic violence victims fleeing unsafe situations. There's another mum, who needs everything delivered, and I have both vehicles full of tile right now.
Will do what I can.....will also help to keep me ruthlessly letting go.....to see them repurposed this way.
You're right .....they feel like good causes....good places to release things into the universe, yup yup yup.
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So, the old, very short, but solid wood vanity is going. The new one requires bar top protector to be poured.....I need to get a round sink and oiled rubbed bronze faucet.
Considering running new flooring through hallway and master bedroom. Would be smart thing to do, ime.
It looks like the 3"x6" blue glass tiles will be used extensively through the bathroom. Maybe to the ceiling on every wall.
The thought is calming.
Black pebbles with black grout on shower floor? I think, yes.
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Contractor brought a "feller" with him this morning, for demo. They're cutting the shower in two, now, and filling house with poison gas/burning 45 yo plastic SO BAD. I hope they're wearing respirators.....
guessing they're not.
I turned off AC, opened windows for cross breeze, and took pug outside.
We're tiling everything, so all wallpaper covered sheetrock is going.....I think I've stacked 40sf of tile in bedroom attached to that bathroom......the "gas" interrupted my process.
Contractor doesn't want to tile behind new vanity, but I'm thinking we will, if I have enough tile.
They now have classic rock going ....I was wondering when that would start.
I have a twitchy bad feeling around helper Robert. He's argumentative with Biggy, and has tossed his tools once already, reminding me of nutter contractor.
Will pay him cash,for the day, and assume that's the end of him. Certainly, won't be introducing him to DDs.
The pug finally calmed down.
I'm going to put a blanket up in hallway, while holding my breathe. I think my respirator is at lake. I know it is.
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Biggie had me join him in the poison gas chamber, to point out shower plumbing NOT inside the wall. Will pick up supplies and address that tomorrow.
I now have a headache, and no, they're not wearing respirators, but seem to be getting along fine.
The last disagreement, I understood, was around the tiny blind they removed, and I wasn't saving .....
Biggie: "It's metal."
Robert: "It's plastic."
Biggie: "It's metal ."
Robert: "It's plastic."
Me, thinking ....."Throw it in the damn trailer and keep moving, for Pete's sake."
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Robert helper man is done at my job, but it's ants to work with Biggie, full time, again. Not happening, according to Biggie. The guy has no driver's license.
The tile, now that I've unpacked 200sf of the stuff, is really duck egg blue. Too much gray and green to be anything else. I'm taking a moment, to have a beer, and celebrate it for a moment.
::swooning::.
It's magic, for me. Frosted. Just very yummy.
Biggie and I picked up the shower components today. The tile place was completely under water during the hurricane. They're just emptying their tile warehouse, as of yesterday. Everything is 1.99 SF.....and covered in mud. I found little black penny tiles.....Matt finish. Just right, but tasted of sadness and ruin. They have 2 prices ....
Regular and flood.
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Contractor has shower system in, ready for tape. Most of the plumbing and electrical is done. Lots of tape....not many wire nuts... contractor appalled.
He's decided to put a door in, and build a deck off his main bathroom, with outdoor shower, to solve his outdoor shower problems. Where once he felt I was a bit mad, he now sees the beauty. Yup.
Should finish up plumbing, electrical, framing, put up remaining Schluter backer board and tape off tomorrow. Likely won't get to tiling till Monday.
I'm well pleased with the progress🪷
Lighter
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Contractor's tile saw blade trial run was a disaster yesterday on glass tiles.
He ordered a $90 blade, arrives today. Will see.
He'll have the shower tile installed today, hopefully.....was supposed to be yesterday.
Taking pug for early morning walk, before it gets hot.
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I had Sherwin Williams mix a water based urethane trim enamel as touch up paint for duck egg blue glass tiles. It's pretty darned close.....I can't see the difference.
It's a 2 hour dry time vs 72 hour dry time of oil base paint.
Contractor has a blown brake line and dump truck stuck in the mud, full of gravel..... couldn't be here today.
This gave me time to do a proper clean up, of work space, tape off bedroom floor, resolve tile issue and bathe/see to pug.
Tomorrow will be go go go. I plan to tile everything low, bc I can't stand to see Contractor on his knee replacements....makes me weak and queasy, literally, to watch.
He and I have found out mutual respect mojo. I adore his wife ...we get along well. At first, contractor didn't want any help at all.
I stepped back.
Now, he asks me to go on material runs, and has accepted I'll be tiling too.
Man it's HOT!
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Day 697 cutting 6"x3"
glass
tile.
Two days ago, there was much despair....mostly in my part. Contractor less so.
Yesterday, we came close to finishing. At the end of the day, I cut tile for 2 niches/one with a shelf. (After, I went to nearby movie theater for truffle Parmesan fries with garlic aoli and ketchup....no movie. Just the frues.) Today I paint the flaked off paint tile edges, and select tile for balance of bathroom walls. I can smell the barn.
Chances are I never consider glass tile again....well. Maybe for a backsplash. It's such slow cutting!!!! And the touch up....and exact paint matching and waiting for it to dry😭
::happily running to admire it::.
If I didn't absolutely love it, I would have scraped off the first 2 feet, and done something else. I am not kidding😱
Ready to buy the toilet.
The faucet arrived.....sink's en route.
The exterior door, to outside shower, has 7/22 arrival date listed, but is likely to arrive sooner.
I'm excited about the vanity. 6 big drawers. How nice will it be to never have to dig through another stuffed cabinet, in that bathroom, again?!?! Woo hoo!
Lighter
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Der boden is in, and he is spectacular! There's different To VP plank colors involved, so threshold selection took a bit of time. I ended up at store where flooring came from. SO good! Did the hallway, also, 4 thresholds, in all. Furring up threshold where LVP meets kitchen tile.
If today goes well, all tile will be installed, but for the wall where exterior door going in. It's set for 7/22 delivery, still.
The "helper" tire out old flooring, trim,vand helped with install. I couldn't watch, and went upstairs, which was first time I left the job while contractor here.
Floor protector paper down, this morning. Waiting for contractor to arrive. 8 boxes of 1'x2' tiles in CrV. Bullnose on site.
Been shopping shower doors. I haven't bought a ready made shower door. Ever. Thinking will be short, hard to clean and generally disappointing Any advice?
Lighter
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Stock a couple of squeegess. Tell guests to use after every shower. I despise glass doors to clean!! One never gets them squeeky clean; water spots & soap remain - always.
Yes, one can RainX them and that helps - but you HAVE to get them spotless first. Hol recommended a 5-7% vinegar and citric acid spray and it DOES help, but the vids I've watched repeat the process 2-3 times and scrubs with 00 steel wool (beware scratching!!)
I'd go with shower curtains as my preference. They can compliment the decor; are washable; and relatively inexpensive to replace or change up.
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I ended up ordering a 79" tall bypass door on a black rail,with a bottom track.
It's coated glass, and won't break apart, in case of accident.....easier to clean.
I'm a squeegee queen.....one in every shower, but maybe I'm the only one using them. At the lake, I shower in the bathroom needs a cleaning. Sort of dread showering there, bc of that. Squeegee, then dry the wet bits.
FYI, standard readymade shower doors are very short. 79" is tallest, but have to look for them, and they're more expensive....some double. Custom are triple, or more, the cost.
I'll use the RainX tip. Thanks, Amber.🌞
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Contractor had to shift to something else Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon and likely Tues, but hich was just as well, bc I injured my foot Thurs. It's looking better. I'm hopeful I'll be about healed by Tues, as I'm babying it.
DD24 and her bf bought and hauled the toilet, grout and new keys yesterday. Very much helpful.
I just vacuumed the job site in anticipation of DD22, sib and BIL arriving today.
Pug unhappy her regular walks have been suspended.
Lighter
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Ohhhhh... I'm sorry you hurt your foot Lighter! I hope it's not something that'll keep you out of commission a long time. We really NEED our feetz!
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Ai yi yi, me too! Poor foot and poor you. Glad kids are coming to help.
Gently now, girl.
Sandals?
Hugs
Hops
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I watered trees 7 hours today, up hill and downhill.....dragging 300 feet of heavy hose. I'd say I've about healed.
This heat is brutal, guys!
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Educate me!. I'm curious what sorts of trees are needing watering?
I am a minimal [translate: LAZY] waterist. I kind of plant things, water them once or twice, and then just ask the plant, so how much you wanna live? (I can't drag hoses so sarcasm is my refuge.) My trees and plants are doing sorta well, even lushly in some areas, but in others, their green tongues are hanging out.
hugs
Hops
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There's 62 trees mostly Oaks, Maple, Dogwood, River Birch and Redbuds. The River Birch have many, more slender trunks, and seem to be struggling more than the single trunk varieties.
There's 3 trees, at least, with more brown leaves, most at the top, and we know there are air pockets around the roots from planting day. Will have to get dirt into the holes as we push dirt and water down. One of these poor trees has a standing pool of water in the well we built. Once we shoved a branch into the soil, air bubbles came up and the water swirled as it entered the air pockets.....problematic in this heat AND we're dealing with mud, ants and trying not to burn out the well pump or empty our well.
We need a submerged electric pump for the lake, which we're allowed. The research says newly planted trees, this size....around (correction 15' trees, not 25' tall,) require 20 gallons of water each, once a week......20x60=1200 in the very hot, dry spells.
We're using the mule, to run the shorter hoses around, at this point. It's not humanly possible to do it the without in this heat, like we did in the winter, during planting.... we'd have heat strokes.
I sure hope it's 🌧️ at the lake today, bc we watered the thirstiest trees only.
We're grouting the shower floor with black grout today,then moving to white grout for everything else. Would be great to finish that today,can't get toilet in.
The vanity requires retrofitting of drawers around the plumbing. We drew the cutout for sink yesterday.....not a centimeter of wiggle room to spare, btw. It's a 4" spread, with a pull out faucet. Still have to cut the legs off. Very handsome piece, with 6 big working drawers.
Shower door arrives tomorrow..... that'll be it's own installation nightmare, drilling into glass tile. Will see.
Exterior door to outdoor shower is last thing to deal with. I have lots of caulking and painting to do on trim. Some ceiling repair.
Must remove last if tile spacers and wipe down tile this morning. Will get up at 5:30 to get that done.
Foot still healing, but almost walking normal all the time.
I told DD23 to get tile choices together for upstairs bathroom, as she's been critical of my choices. Will roll into that after dealing with outdoor shed roof, insulation and finishing.....to be heat)cooled space with electricity for DD24's bf's band practice and teaching lessons, storing instruments, etc.
Their King mattress arrived, strapped to the top of my truck, just ahead of a massive thunderstorm. They have one of the walk in closets open, and a private bedroom. They were in a blowup mattress in the LR for a few nights.
It's chaos, but I think I'm relatively unfazed by it.
The sofa still sits in the truck. Need to edit closet contents, now sitting in LR. Will be large, for the space, but comfortable.
That's my tree update, Hops, and more.
The journey continues.
Lighter
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I'm a little confused Lighter. Are you talking about your residence or the Lake House? I thought the glass tile bathroom was the Lake House.
And maybe I missed it, but wasn't DD24 moving in with BF, somewhere else?
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I'm renovating 2 bathrooms at my residence, one at a time.
DD24 and her bf moving in there, with youngest DD and pug.
I'll be spending more time at the lake.
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Ah... OK, now I got it.
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BIL and brother got the submersible pump, and BIL bought the parts and set it up with a little generator.....showed me how not to splash myself in the face with tricksy gas can refills.....use and set up, take back up the 6' shoreline. Man....when did that happen? It's the same with the island....one day it's a nice slope to walk and the next day it's a small cliff.
Anyhoo....today sister and I filling hollow pockets in 4 tree holes. They're sucking wind badly. Adding some root stimulator potion, then heading back to the house....maybe.
Contractor has sink base plumbed in and shower drain hooked up, but still has to grout shower with in white.....shower floor tiles are black in black penny tiles. It can be done.....I want to tape off black tile myself.
He's putting in new outlet by the toilet.....for charging and likely a bidet toilet seat.
Have to caulk trim and paint. Scrape and patch ceiling in places.....paint.
Heading to clean gutters over porch.
Lighter
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Vanity plumbed and working. We've taken the huge, round and carved feet off a sleigh bed, to split down middle, and add height to the matching mirror, over vanity. will install black tiles/with stars backsplash. It's grand!
The sleigh bed headboard was installed yesterday, while I masked off the charcoal shower floor, before glass tile got white grout, which pulled everything together.
I'm about to hunt down bidet toilet seats and maybe pick one, as we installed an outlet by the toilet. Toilet goes in todayyyy! Maybe able to get working, but heavy glass door will be unboxed, and thought on only, today. Need a special drill but for glass.
Contractor will pick up shed metal roofing. Yay!
An out of the blue thing ... Contractor stopped, mid shower grouting, to thank me for "letting him take this job." That was weird, bc I needed him to take the job badly.... he's very busy!
The thing is, his wife has an ornate dresser, she wants him to retrofit, and install as a vanity, similar to my situation. He sees how that works, how good it can be, and how to overcome the glitches..... there's always glutches.
Before, his carpenter's brain saw red when suggestions to cut up, distress or otherwise dishonor good wood came up. It's like his brain jumped into artist mode, building and creating out of destruction, for the first time.
As of now, we're flying through the work....like a spell's been cast, and it's very good work.
Will begin gathering for next bathroom, and finishing shed. I have insulation. Maybe will use the rest of the green tile in the shed, but only in designs requiring no cutting. Alternatively, was thinking of meditation garden or pathways.
Lighter
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Contractor. got stung badly, while mowing, day before yesterday. Trouble breathing, huge skin reactions, pain and itching, and general feeling of being out of sorts.
He should be here in half an hour, ready to finish mirror with legs and last 2 cut tiles.
I'll get cracking on ordering materials for shed roof and second bathroom....maybe plumb a half bath into a closet....or just toilet, European style.
Lighter
He went to the doc, on his way here, yesterday for steroids and whatever they did.
For me, this meant a very short, mostly dialing in details day on the bathroom. He installed all but 2 backsplash tiles, forgot his tile cutter,vso marked and took the other 2 home, a long with the carved feet, already cleaved in two. They needed a little more wood shaved off where they sit on the tiles.
All in all, it looks amazing,cabs I have a French cleat ready to mount mirror today.
He did get the new exhaust fan ductwork replaced yesterday.....must do a little sheetrock repair. Blech. Hateses patch work, but don't mind mud repairs. I'll use a wet cloth to smooth those out today.
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Yesterday was a mishmash of making material lists, starting smaller jobs,cand planning larger ones.....finishing others.
Until the shower and exterior door show up, the bathroom remains unfinished. There's also a piece of trim contractor is fabricating for the exhaust fan. I figure will take a much time as patching the Sheetrock, but will elevate the space. A little sanding on mirror legs, staining and blending ......Bob's your uncle. One bathroom down, then I caulk and paint doorframes and baseboard to put a bow on it.....seal the shower grout. Yup yup yup. Almost done.
DD24 asked if the upstairs bathroom was next. I said it was. She was very unhappy to hear that. I thought, but didn't say, perhaps she should live at her apartment,since her lease ends in September. Apparently, her roommate isn't keen on the boy spending multiple nights in a row, is problematic, so DD and boy stay here all the time. Their space is about to be 100% finished.... including emptied bedside tables, armoire and the one large closet......open....fresh....new start together. I only have books to move from TV stand and my big closet to edit and organize. Always something.
I'll miss the Robin's egg blue tub upstairs, but we really want a deep soaker tub to replace it. We won't be tiling every inch of this one. Should go much faster....jinx.
DD23 stopped criticism of my tile choices, once I began pressuring her to make tile choices in her bathroom. My sister and AI have little workshops to instruct on proper cleaning of kitchen, baths and yard work....changing HVAC filter, etc. They're going to have to grow up and handle it all.
There will be lists.
::nodding::.
The journey continues.
Lighter
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Contractor I'll with vomiting yesterday. Might show up today and address gutters on front of house.....pick up shed roofing.
I'm still pondering how to finish the shed interior......heat and cool it. Will use the same LifeLock LVP flooring.....could continue up the walls with it. Maybe.
The old gravel path is exposed again. The hurricane moved much of the gravel...or buried it. There's maybe 40' of new path, through a wooded area, needs addressing, as it's very soft ground.
I have some large ish stepping stones left from pallet of stones. We dug them out of the leaves. Uncovering the old path feels like an invitation to be invaded by neighbors. Again.
A bear went through a couple days ago. A big guy......stood up on his hind legs and kind of bounce-swayed, then disappeared down the trail. The pug was oblivious.
The loft is shaping up.....kind of lovely. Likely a very useful space. The kids want to add an 8 person game table. There's room if they use the sofa as seating.
I'm keeping my desk, my desk. The antique ribbon and mail pieces stay. The huge armoires, out of Biltmore, fit perfectly on either side of tapestry......8 foot tilt table slide in between, perfectly. Beautiful.
Lots of paint, tools, and materials sorted. It's nice to see the antique decorative iron rail exposed.
DD23 wants peg board......I see 3 places for it.
The journey continues.
Lighter
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The shed roof got done today. Tomorrow we peek behind the house gutters, and see what's going on there.
The exterior bathroom door order was pushed back to August 5th....promised on the 22nd. Plenty to do, until it comes in.
Lighter
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Shower door went in.....and it's beautiful. I finished black grout the day before. Looks really good. Sealed grout. Will giv a second seal today.
Will get to caulking with the white, and clear then pour bar top. Exterior door will put a bow on that bathroom in the 6th, I hope.
Upstairs 72":black granite bathroom hotel vanity waiting for pick up....and requires one bathroom entrance door be closed off. Will make storage in what's left of doorway. Japanese style soaker tub waiting under house for 10 years. Ordering new stainless steel straps for it ....will be beautiful.
Can't decide between wall mural, wood or bark and tile to finish, but will be traditional set up with handheld shower and no shower door.
I'm on the fence with replacing tiny/fixed 16" window......such a pain, but imperative, I think.
Picked up black granite vanity countertop. Will be replacing the cabinet with a dresser or drawer packs. Nothing much decided for this bathroom.
Bought a full glass 90" x 42" door for shed. Will use big window I purchased, but didn't use. As door to outdoor shower. The manufacturer pushed door delivery back 2 weeks, grrr.
Half the poorly installed gutters are fixed and back up.....working well. Siding repairs happened yesterday.
Shed will get framed up for new door and window today. Porch electric ceiling boxes go in for fans and outlets. I'll be very glad to put extension cords away.
Guest bedroom looks like a main bedroom now that the sewing tables moved to the loft. I luck led out at Habitat and found 2 pairs of gorgeous mirrors for behind bedside tables in main bedroom, downstairs, and the guest room. New matching lamps for guestroom too.
Ex h sending 200ft of wire, for the shed. He hasn't seen the lake house, or this house, since renovations began. It's exciting to catch up on the families and projects. We always worked well together. Our first house was the beginning of many projects for both of us.
The journey continues.
Lighter