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

Title: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on April 28, 2025, 12:35:39 PM
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

Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on May 01, 2025, 09:29:30 AM
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
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on May 20, 2025, 06:07:16 PM
It's funny how projects start out, expand and contract down to manageable/logical parts.

Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 01, 2025, 10:00:18 AM
Contemplating tall toilets with built in bidets. Anyone done the research lately?
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: Hopalong on June 01, 2025, 06:34:49 PM
Great, impassioned threads on NYTimes a few months back.
Bidet-converts are OVERJOYED.

hugs
Hops
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 03, 2025, 09:08:47 AM
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. 
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 07, 2025, 06:13:06 PM
 Contractor planting figs at his home. FIGS!

Door to outside shower ordered this afternoon.

::crossing fingers::.

Contractor helper just retired, so I'm it.



Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 10, 2025, 03:41:41 PM
Found the sink base!  Beautiful solid cherry dresser!!!
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: Hopalong on June 11, 2025, 12:04:03 PM
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
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 12, 2025, 07:52:15 AM
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
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 12, 2025, 03:07:35 PM
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.
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: sKePTiKal on June 13, 2025, 07:40:22 AM
Use white for subtle contrast?
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 14, 2025, 08:21:48 AM
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
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: sKePTiKal on June 14, 2025, 08:35:06 AM
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.
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 14, 2025, 08:41:19 AM
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.
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 16, 2025, 11:15:25 AM
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.





Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 17, 2025, 09:51:01 AM
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.





Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 17, 2025, 10:32:59 AM
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."
Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 18, 2025, 05:44:57 PM
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.








Title: Re: Adventures in renovations... again
Post by: lighter on June 20, 2025, 08:33:45 PM
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