Tiling Project

Our plan for the summer was to continue to focus on the basement (electric/plumbing/ insulation/drywall) and also to get the gross stone/plywood stairs outside the front door knocked down and a lovely new deck built! By now you would have thought we would have learnt that what we think something should cost, will actually cost three times that and then some!!! So that being said, and the fact Chris was down all summer recovering from back surgery (:-<) we did none of these things!!

What we did do though is pay a tiling expert (Specialized Tiling) to finish some of those nagging jobs we had outstanding in the upstairs of the house! The first being the kitchen backsplash! Both Chris and I agreed that we didn't think the kitchen looked bad prior to the backsplash - but looking at the before and after pictures it is very clear that we have been living in this house too long and are oblivious to how unfinished it really did look!! The lovely glossy grey subway tiles (from Lift Flooring Studio - Eagle Vail) really finish the kitchen off and go well with the grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances and dark granite countertop!

Kitchen sans backsplash

Lovely grey subway tiles with a contrasting white grout!

You can tell a pro did this - symmetrical tiles either side of the window frame!

The kitchen is now finished!

We also decided to get some of the other tiling jobs completed while we had pros here. You may remember I tiled the floor under the pellet stove, which was probably one of the first projects I did in the house! Almost two years later, Chris tiled the wall but was unsure of how to join the tiled wall, with the dry wall. Another year later, and the tiling is now finished!!

Before.

After.

Finally, the step in the bathroom, with the lovely carpet edge from the bedroom hanging through!  While  I managed to tile the floor, shower and vanity in the bathroom - this step was too much! So happy with how it turned out! With only the vanity lighting left to do in the bathroom - we almost have 3 rooms upstairs completely finished! 

Before.

After.

Certificate of Occupancy

On August 11th, 2011 our local town inspector came to the house and brought good news - on every other occassion he had visited - he brought bad, frustrating or expensive news, so this was a great day. We had completed all the items he had asked of us, and we could officially have the 'Certificate of Occupancy'!

Officially ready for occupancy

In our naiveity we thought we would have our Certificate of Occupancy in November 2010. So we were only 9 months off!! Thats the joy of remodelling - nothing ever runs to plan or time or budget!

Flooring

Our engineered hardwood flooring had acclimated for a week - so this weekend we had no excuses - we were going to lay the flooring in the kitchen, living room and hallway. There would be no fishing, snowboarding or relaxing until it was done. As it turned out our weekend was extremely dull. There were none of the above activities - we laid the last piece at about 5 pm Sunday. Thank goodness for the Masters. It was on all weekend and provided a slight distraction from all the bending, kneeling, glueing, sawing and splinters. The house now looks like a house, and not a construction site. Its awesome!

We started at the end of the hallway  - it ended up being the hardest area as there were a lot of cuts needed.

We lay the underlay first.

It took all day to lay this much. We ended friday somewhat deflated by how time consuming it was, but we were happy with how it was starting to look!

Day 2 - the kitchen and entrance way.

Once we didn't have to make many cuts, and we could just glue and click - progress was quicker

Url was exhausted

and then had a second wind, and wanted to help!!

The workshop in the basement

Almost finished with the kitchen

The KITCHEN!!

Hallway

We started the living room on Sunday

Only a few pieces left to lay

Happy to be almost finished!

Living room

KITCHEN

LIVING ROOM

Granite Galore

 The granite for our kitchen countertop was installed. I love it. What do you think?

New granite!

Kitchen Aid waiting to be used.

Knobs and handles installed on a few of the cabinets. The kitchen is almost done!

  

 

Progress.

February 5th - this is how the house is coming along thus far.

• The whole of the upstairs has been drywall, primed and painted. There are a few touch ups we need to do in the kitchen but yesterday we finished the living area and corridor - colour True North - another off white!!
• The kitchen is here - most of the cabinets installed correctly (we need to move two cabinets down an inch - doesn't sound much but its a process!). All the appliances are here and in place - but not installed. 
• The template for the granite counter-top has been taken and is in production! 
• Washer and dryer here - again, in place - but not installed. 
• The lack of installation is due to the lack of gas and water. All pipes are in and heating system/hot water tank are in, but gas and water meters are not - therefore we continue to wait! 
• Carpets are installed in both bedrooms. 
• Home-made bathroom vanity is almost finished - just a little tiling left to do and the trim!
• Garage has been drywalled. Just need the fire door - and then its all enclosed!
• Banister around stairs is in. Whether it would withstand 200lb of force - as the 'code' requires, is another question!! Handrails cut to length -just need to screw in place!

The wonderful apron sink caused a few problems during installation into the sink base cabinet - but after a little stress and some resourceful DIY skills from Chris - we saved the sink base - and also got the sink level, sturdy and in place!!

Kohler sink - a wonderful retrieveful of Christian from a posh house in Vail!!

Banisters and guard rail up- the gaps have now been filled and it looks great.

The stairs were enclosed with dry wall

Mechanical room to the right - everywhere else storage right now!

Home-made vanity getting closer to being finished  - I glued all the small tiles to tile sheets - it only took about 15 hours!

Painting the corridor

Corridor painted

Living room painted - the blue tape is now off the window frames!!

 
The biggest thing that is holding us back is the gas meter - after three weeks of waiting - a lady from Excel came to the house yesterday. Apparently the meter is in an unsafe place -snow could fall off the roof and injure the gas-man who reads the meter - or ice could build up around the meter and cause a gas blockage - therefore even though for 40 plus years this wasn't a problem - we can't put the meter back. Our options were to build a 5ft by 3 ft roof over the meter - or remove all the snow that has built up against the house (probably 5 ft high and 3 ft wide) from the meter to the back of the house (approx. 30 ft). Then pay the gas company to dig a trench (into frozen ground, which would therefore need to be heated); and extend the gas pipes to the back of the house. We would also need to then pipe the pipes inside the house which are currently to the original meter, to the back of the house - an estimated cost of $4,000!!!!!! Therefore my wonderful husband busily got to work building an ovesized birdhouse roof to cover said meter!! With over 8 inches of snow last night, and its still coming down - erection of the roof is on hold. Hoping it will be completed by the end of the weekend - and we can then get the gas-man to come out and install the meter - without risk of getting hit in the head with a slab of icy snow off the roof!!

Once we get gas - we get water and heat!!!!!  That day cannot get here quick enough.

Kitchen

With the cabinets due to arrive any day - we needed to get the kitchen primed and painted. We managed just in time as they arrived on Wednesday (Jan 12th). Our wonderful friends Walt and Christian came and helped install them. With just a few challenges left to negotiate (namely the sink base, appliance installation and some alterations to the electrical work- oh and water) the kitchen is almost finished (also need flooring - but the plywood might have to do the job for a little while longer as wood floors are not in the budget right now!!), (also need the counter-top, which is being measured for on Tuesday)!!!

Mardy about having to mud the drywall again!

Priming the kitchen

Speedy hands

Priming finished!

Painting finished!

Cabinets arrived!!!!!

Kitchen prepped and ready for the cabinets!

Chris and Christian starting to hang the cabinets

Impressed with the slow closing hinges (prevents the draws from banging shut!!!)

Walt and Christian making sure everything is level!

Almost finished.