Not sure I was smiling while tiling

 

It was another busy week on the homestead. Despite no power at my parent’s house or at my new house, we had generators working all week long. The big goal for the week was to get the tile floor down in the downstairs bathroom. Everything in the house had a domino effect and the tile needed to be installed.

I’ve had the bathtub for several weeks now, but it could not be put in until the tile was put down. The walls to the bathroom could not be finished until the bathtub was in the bathroom and so on.

We spent Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday night working on the tiling. I had never tiled a floor before and before the night was over said it would be my first and last tiled floor. I chose a natural wood like porcelain tile that was six inches by 24 inches. I decided to install one row, them start the next row with an eight-inch piece and the next row with a 16-inch piece. I’m fairly happy with the way it came out, but measuring and cutting the tile was awful.

We mixed the mortar and applied it to the floor before setting each piece of tile. Now I know why it was so important for the cement slab to be so perfectly level. We had just one little high spot and it really made putting the tile down difficult. Once the tile was in place, we put the grout on. I am still having trouble getting some of the grout up from the tile. I went over it several times today, and will have to do it a few more times. Once all the grout is cleaned off, I think that I am really going to like the looks of it.

I’m almost ready to say that I will tile the kitchen floor, but this time will go with square tiles. I think that it will take a lot of the measuring and cutting out. My kitchen appliance are set to be delivered in less than two weeks so the clock is really ticking.

Saturday, we also installed the conduit from the power pole to the house for telephone and cable tv. You need to run them in two separate conduits spaced a foot apart. I have not had cable tv for about five years now and have no intention of getting it anytime soon, but my Dad convinced me that it would be much smarter to run the cables now while we were building the house than trying to run them later if I ever wanted them. I agreed so it was nice to get that done today. We were able to get the trench covered as well.

We had to purchase two more bundles of insulation today. We also ordered some more shiplap as we are running low.  Having no power all week slowed the progress a bit, so my sister and her family did not come help today. They offered, but we wanted to wait for a day when we had a lot of work to do.

I’d keep messaging her photos of the progress and she kept responding back that she was having withdrawal. When she showed my oldest niece the photo of the tub in the bathroom and floor all finished, her response was “They did that without us!” They are already suggesting a work day for next weekend. I am so blessed!

Laura Reed

About Laura Reed

After 15 years in college athletics, the last seven as an assistant athletics director, I was burned out with 70-hour work weeks and extensive travel. I resigned my position and accepted a position in marketing at a small, vibrant college in my hometown of Unity, Maine. In the process I wanted to go back to my childhood where we raised polled Herefords, had a Christmas Tree Farm and spent many hours outside. I decided I wanted to build my own home on beautiful farmland that my family owns. With help from my Dad, the most talented person I’ve ever met, we are building my home together. I have decided to blog my experience – the ups and downs, the joys and frustrations. What was once an open field will one day be my home! The dream in my head is becoming reality. I can just see the lambs frolicking in the field, chickens in the barnyard and going running with my Alaskan Malamute!